Those Damn Crows "March Tour 2025", La Belle Angele, Edinburgh. Saturday 22nd March 2025

I love the Crows, as do some of my friends, so when they announced this tour, with one date in Scotland, we booked our tickets and prepared to travel to Edinburgh.    

I drove us through midafternoon, electing to make a pitstop at the Frankie and Bennys at Fort Kinnaird for dinner (free parking, dining options and a short drive to the venue to snag on-street parking afterwards before the city got too busy). The weather was mostly dry on the way in, bar a couple of stretches on the M8 where the heavens opened and road spray reduced visibility drastically. It was uncomfortably wet, though, by the time we arrived at the Pleasance in Edinburgh's old town around the corner from the gig.

I headed straight to the venue while my mates detoured to Bannermans for a swift one and a toilet stop. At 6:25 p.m., the queue was already snaking down and back up the covered area outside the doors for the 7 p.m. open. Unfortunately, my spot in the queue was under the one section where there was an opening between the protective, sloped tarpaulin and the roof of the building. I caught a lot of drips as I waited, which was very annoying, as I'd decided not to wear my cap tonight. 

At 6.45 p.m., they let us in. No sign of my mates, so I messaged them to alert them to the early opening. Inside, I made my way down to the front, finding a spot behind two smaller ladies. This gave me a perfect view of the singer's microphone stand. Of course, it didn't stay that way. It never does.

(Warning: the following section contains rude words. If you are likely to be offended, stop reading now)

Then before the support act has come on, a concert cunt landed beside me, trying to gain the forward advantage with his elbow. Shaven-headed with a goatee, this young, bespectacled lad had no concept of personal space, pressing his side against mine and standing so close to the person in front that the gentleman could feel his breath on his neck. Of course, the cunt was drinking, a pint tumbler in his hand, without the space to drink it properly.

Throughout the support act, the cunt kept trying to edge in front of me, but I wasn't having it. I stood my ground. I let the music move my body to keep pushing him away. The band were good, even though it looked like they were being led by a bare-chested schoolboy with a premature receding hairline. I enjoyed their music and their technical skill and even warmed to the frontman by the end of their set.

At the interval, the concert cunt fucked off, much to my relief. Unfortunately, so did the small woman in front of me. The height dynamic shifted as her tall friend shifted over to claim the space (and my view line). Then the cunt barged back again, this time wearing his massive jacket, announcing to no one who cared that he didn't think he'd make it back after going for a piss. I give him a cold stare. He justifies himself with a "What? I was standing here before." I replied, "I know. I felt you." The man in front of him nodded in agreement. The cunt didn't care. He took off his jacket and tied it around his waist, then checked his blood sugars on his phone. I began to think horrible thoughts about the youth's demise but remembered I needed to drive my mates home after the gig, which would be difficult from a police cell. Plus, I'd miss the show.

I buckled down, determined to stop the cunt from ruining my enjoyment. 

The Crows put on a great performance. I managed to get a Hi Two from Shane (his other three fingers were holding the mic) during one song, and I lost him entirely on the one video I took when he jumped into the crowd and ended up singing from atop the bar at the back of the hall. There were no variations to the tour setlist for this show, but the energy from the band still made it special. The crowd sang so loudly it hurt my ears despite wearing ear protectors. 

After the show, at the very end, the guitarist flicked his plectrum into the crowd near me. I didn't spot where it landed, so I shone my torch on the floor. Of course, the concert cunt got there first. He was crouched down straight away like Gollum after his Precious. By this time, I didn't care. He'd put in the effort. I just wished him an early death, either by something slow, pustulating and painful or a backstreet stabbing. Either would do. One less cunt in the world. 

The ten o'clock finish meant an earlier, and much-welcomed, return home before midnight. Thanks to wet road conditions and poor lighting, I only nearly drove on the wrong side of the road once. 

Setlist
Let's Go Psycho!
Man on Fire
Find a Way
Kingdom of Dust
Blink of an Eye
No Surrender
Glass Heart
Dreaming
Who Did It
Sin on Skin
Go Get It
This Time I'm Ready
See You Again
Rock 'n' Roll Ain't Dead!

Blink of an Eye

Ticket price: From Ticketmaster
3 Artist Presale Ticket  £22.50 x3 = £67.50
Per Item Fees £2.85 (Service Charge Artist Presale Ticket) x3 = £8.55

Order Processing Fees Handling Fee (£1.50) £1.50
Delivery Charge £2.00
Total £79.55 

James Bruner

Concert Cunt did eventually get ahead of me

Breaking The News Recording, Drygate, Glasgow Thursday 20th March 2025

Host: Des Clarke
Panellists: Marjolein Robertson, Ria Lina, Robin Ince & Gareth Waugh

(My second time seeing Ria Lina in less than twenty-four hours). 

With these free radio recordings, getting confirmation of a ticket does not guarantee entry. The promoters always oversubscribe. I knew we had to get there early, but I didn't appreciate how early. 

We arrived at Drygate at noon, an hour before the doors opened, and the queue was already beyond the carpark. My fret levels were high, only tempered by how gorgeous a day it was. I needn't have worried. Though it was a sellout, we were number 122 and 123 in the queue for a 200-seat capacity room. We bought a drink and some food (the coffee was free) and settled outside to eat our lunch while we waited to be called to enter the recording studio.

The numbering system was important, as the production team invited the audience into the studio numerically in increments of 25. We ended up with seats near the back, with good sightlines of the panellists.

The show itself was hilarious. The recording lasted two hours for a thirty-minute show, and I had to wipe tears of laughter from my eyes on multiple occasions. The panellists often went off-topic, much to the consternation of the producer talking in Des's ear. Never mind Breaking The News; these guys were Breaking The Show. I have no idea how they'll cut the material down to thirty minutes and still make it make sense. 

The scriptwriters even wrote up-to-date material during the recording for Des to deliver at the very end, in this case, about Nicola Sturgeon facing no action by Police Scotland in their investigation of the SNP's finances. 

As with many comedy shows, it's difficult to remember what made you laugh, but Robin shared an old Billy Connolly joke, whose punchline goes, "Now you know how it feels when it's your mother." That one won't make the edit.

I don't know if the recordings are always as good as this one, but I highly recommend you go and find out for yourself if you get the chance.

Ticket price: Free 

Ria Lina is Going on Tour (WIP), The Flying Duck, Glasgow. Wednesday 19th March 2025

 

I'd never been to The Flying Duck before. It seemed quite a few others hadn't either. I arrived early (quelle surprise) and wandered up Renfield Street all the way to the top and still couldn't spot the venue. I expected there to be some sort of sign outside, but there was none. Where my phone indicated the venue should be, there was only a locked double door. 

From the outside, it looked like the kind of place a Glasgow gangster would run his criminal empire: heavy doors, no windows and no means of access without getting buzzed in, with a security camera monitoring the exterior. I wandered around the block to check if there was another entrance but ended up back in the same place. Then I spotted the number above the door and the GICF poster, so I figured it just wasn't open yet. I waited.

Ria arrived, and I said Hi. She looked like she wasn't sure where the venue was either, so I confirmed she was in the right place. I think she thought I worked there. I pressed the buzzer for the security man to let her in. This is the first time I've spoken to a 'star' and not been tongue-tied.

A few more people arrived, again looking for the venue, phones in hand. Some went away to grab a drink elsewhere, and some joined me to form a queue. The bouncer popped out for a fag and let us know the door would probably open five minutes later than billed to give the team more time to set up downstairs.

I sat in the third row

When we got inside and headed down to the basement, the venue had been set up with seats in front of a low stage, ten seats per row split by an aisle down the middle. The place filled up quickly but was freezing. Ria kept on her tour sweatshirt because she was so cold. She had her notes with her and referred to them occasionally. It felt like an early work in progress because she spent a while setting up who she was for those who didn't know and didn't get through all her material by the end. 

The show's theme will be her version of feminism, empowering women to be the best they can be. She's still working out how to do it without losing half her audience (the males). 

Her bit that Joseph (a typical male) had not planned ahead when his wife was due to give birth had me thinking about the counterpoint. 

Perhaps Joseph resented that God had taken his wife's virginity, knocking her up in the process. After all, God, being omniscient, would have known she was ovulating, so the pregnancy wasn't an accident. We didn't read in the bible about any sheep's bladder splitting that night.  

For nine months, Joseph stewed over this unwanted pregnancy. The wooden coathangers he carved proved ineffective, so he hoped a lengthy donkey journey to Bethlehem might be enough to induce a miscarriage. He had no intention of registering three names on the census. When they arrived safely, he arranged for her to go through labour in an unsanitary barn without a midwife and prayed for complications. Big mistake on his part. God, being the dutiful father, was present in spirit to ensure nothing bad happened. He even arranged a bloody great star in the sky to ensure there were witnesses in case Joseph decided to drop the baby on its head. At least Joseph got some nice presents afterwards from the three wise men. Being the stepdad to the Son of God had some perks.

Ria was a delight tonight (and much funnier than I am). She'll be taking the show to Edinburgh for the whole Fringe, so by the time she returns to The Stand in Glasgow next year, it will be perfected.

Ticket Price: £12 plus booking fee £1.20 per ticket

Total £13.20 from SEE Tickets 

GICF Blurb

Following her killer debut tour, Riawakening, the wickedly funny Ria Lina returns with a riotous Work in Progress before she hits the road again in Autumn 2025. Expect a relentless stream of hilarity as Ria explores the eternal battle of the sexes, the delight in throwing life up in the air after years of following the rules, and the art of radical indifference. Much loved in the industry, this multi-award winner commands the stage with a whirlwind of energy and leaves audiences breathless with laughter.

Her extensive list of credits includes Live At The Apollo, Have I Got News For You?, Mock the Week, cohosting Pointless, Lovestruck High, Richard Osman’s House of Games, The Last Leg and Celebrity Mastermind.

Ricky Warwick, Blood Ties Instore Event, Assai Records, Glasgow. Monday 17th March, 2025

One of the benefits of being retired is you can attend this type of event without having to worry about time off from work.  

I hold Ricky in high regard. He may not be a massively well-known rockstar, but his performances are always passionate, and he's written some great songs over the years (plus a few workmanlike ones, too). So, to see him again for £13, including a CD of his new solo album, was a no-brainer. 

He performed a forty-five-minute solo acoustic set. His voice was great, his guitar playing was excellent, and his chat between the songs was fantastic. I imagine he'd be great doing a Fish on Friday livestream-type thing (Warwick on Wednesday?) with all the anecdotes he has from his time in rock-n-roll. Today, he shared his experiences of meeting George Best, working with Lita Ford, and how his daughter Pepper, then 6 years old, inspired him with one of his songs (she's now seventeen - it took that long to gestate).

I didn't know he was supporting SLF tonight at the Barrowland, not that it would matter. That gig sold out in under thirty minutes.

Setlist

Angels Of Desolation

The Crickets Stayed In Clovis

Don't Leave Me In The Dark

Crocodile Tears

Rise and Grind

Finest Hour (Black Star Riders song)

Free 'n' Easy (The Almighty song)

Angels of Desolation

Don't Leave Me In The Dark 

Finest Hour & Free 'N' Easy

Signed alternative cover artwork 
Cover surface is not great for Sharpie ink 

Ricky Warwick Blood Ties Instore Performance & Signing Glasgow Priority Entry with Pre-Order (1pm Monday 17th March 2025) × 1

Alternative Artwork CD + 1 Priority Entry 1pm £13 £13.00
Subtotal £13.00
Shipping £0.00
Total £13.00 GBP

Connor Burns, "1994", King's Theatre, Glasgow. Saturday 15th March, 2025.

They say it's good luck if a bird shits on you (the feathered variety, not the fetishist, although maybe that is too). I was extremely lucky because, as my mate and I exited the car on Blytheswood Square, a seagull dropped a massive shit on his jacket. By the time we arrived at the pub for some dinner and a drink, having attempted to clean up the mess with a tissue, the paint-like smear had solidified and wasn't for cleaning. It was just as well we were heading out to see a comedian afterwards. He needed a laugh.

Scottish comedian Connor Burns had never been on my radar. I was unaware of his social media work, or how he had been on the comedy scene for eight years, so I bought these based solely on the buzz around him. He'd sold out his entire Edinburgh run last year, well in advance of the festival, and sold out five shows at the GICF in 2023. That rarely happens unless the act has had major TV exposure, which Connor hasn't (I looked this up after the gig, not wanting my opinion of him to be swayed one way or another).

This was the second of his two sold-out shows at the King's Theatre this festival. I'd misread the ticket and thought the show started at 9 pm, so we arrived at 8.45 pm and joined the long but fast-moving queue. Tickets checked, we made our way inside to our seats in the stalls, five rows from the front. Lots of empty seats prompted me to recheck the start time. Turned out 9 pm was doors open, though they'd let people in early. The website confirmed the show started at 9.30 pm.

As we waited, I noticed the background music, with tracks like Basket Case by Green Day and Say It Ain't So by Weezer, were all quite old and quickly twigged they were all from 1994. There was one exception, though: Sheryl Crow's All I Wanna Do, which was released in 1993. I'm sure there was a reason why this one slipped through but I never did find out what it was.

Connor Burns had a lovely surprise for us. Although he doesn't normally have a support act, he did tonight. Before he introduced him, he explained he would be coming back on straight after the support so not to fuck off for a drink. He then welcomes on none other than DANIEL SLOSS! 

I paid to see this young comedy veteran at the Armadillo a few years back and he was awesome. Daniel had been taking a year off from stand-up following the birth of his second child, so his unexpected performance tonight was at his wife's request, who, after having had him at home for eight months, was delighted to see the back of him. His assured set related to his current homelife situation and was extremely funny. Afterwards, I read that Connor had supported Daniel on previous tours, so it was nice to see them switch roles.

Much of Connor's set revolved around the tunes that were hits at important stages in his and his father's lives, from Rock The Joint by Bill Haley & His Comets and Voodoo Child by Jimmy Hendrix to Love Is All Around by Wet Wet Wet and The Mr Blobby song. He got some mileage from the significance of these songs. Time was another theme he used, discussing how there was a ten-year gap between him and his nearest sibling and how he'd been born nine months after his father's birthday. Cringe! 

Connor's routines flowed naturally and were cleverly crafted with only a hint of nervousness in their delivery. The idea of replacing the Scottish national anthem with Glasgow's unofficial anthem, dance track Bits and Pieces, touched a comic nerve within the crowd who were totally up for it. It was a very funny show. Top marks!

He is definitely an act worth catching. He will be performing his new show GALLUS at this year's Edinburgh festival, from  JUL 31, 2025 - AUG 24, 2025 at Just The Tonic Nucleus - Venue 393. Get in there quick. Tickets are already on sale.     

Ticket Price x 2 = £46.40
(including Booking fee £3.70 per ticket, which incorporates the Venue Fee of £1.75 per ticket)
1 x Order Processing Fee £1.25
Total £47.65 from SEE Tickets

Fish - The Farewell Tour - Road to the Isles 2025, O2 Academy, Glasgow. Sunday 9th March 2025

My relationship with Fish goes all the way back to his time in Marillion. The Script for a Jester's Tear album was my go-to whenever I needed to wallow in misery as a teenager. When he split and went solo, I went with him. His first gig at the Barrowland supporting Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors was special to me. He opened the show in the middle of the crowd, standing on a low stool right behind me. I didn't know this at first, too busy scanning the stage to see where he was. Then I got the tap from one of my mates to look behind, and the big fella was right there. Such a great gig. After that, I slowly drifted away from his work, bailing after Suits not returning until 13th Star.

It was only when he started streaming his Fish on Fridays that I tuned back in again properly. Now that I was paying for a music streaming service, it was easy to keep up to date with his new material (I still bought the CDs/Blu-rays but never played them). 

I'd caught Fish live a couple of times recently and been disappointed. By the time he arrived in Glasgow, his voice was always wrecked from the rest of the tour. The show production felt like it was put together on a shoestring of compromises. When he announced that Glasgow would be his last ever show, I hesitated about going. Then, I decided I owed it to myself and to Fish to be there to provide the sendoff he deserved.

Then he added a second night, and so the ticket I had became for his penultimate show. I decided not to buy a ticket for the new final night. What if he was shite and I had to stand through it twice?

Fish being Fish, so canny with cash, he elected on this farewell tour to sell his merch at local hostelries to reduce the money he'd lose from the venue commission. This attracted lots of fans into Glasgow early. As such, when I arrived half an hour before the doors opened, the queue was horrendous, already running almost a whole block along the road. Compounded by the fact that there was an O2 priority queue too, I gave up on the idea of getting a good view inside.

Luckily, though, the space behind the accessibility seats was empty when I got in so I ended up with an excellent view. I figured I would be able to shoot some great videos for my YouTube channel. Then I saw this message:

So, I didn't record any of it, well except for this wee bit.

The stalls became rammed as more fans arrived inside. This might be how it always is for a sell-out. I'm usually further forward.  Looking across, I imagined playing Whack-A-Mole with all the tall people's heads, thumping them back down to a flat level. I pitied the fools stuck behind those giants. I noticed tensions rising as people pushed through the crowd, stopping directly in front of others.

There was a slight problem in the accessibility area because two guys, one obviously disabled, were sitting on seats they hadn't reserved and got told to move. Fortunately, the couple beside them, sitting in front of me, didn't need both seats, so they offered the guy with the walking stick their spare. It turned out no one claimed the empty seats anyway, so the tall chap who'd given up his seat and received flack for being so tall, and having the audacity to keep his bunnet on, got to sit after all. They were a nice couple from Worcestershire. 

While Fish was on stage, some members of the crowd angrily expressed their unhappiness with the people chatting at the back. No fights broke out, though. A few people fainted—or at least I hope they fainted, given they needed medical attention. The person behind me kept nudging my back, not out of ill feeling but simply because space was so tight.  

The show itself was better than I anticipated. Fish's voice was in good shape (he was on the water), and he was supported by an excellent backing singer. He still used a prompt for the lyrics, but you can understand why given his lengthy, poetic but wordy songs. This time, at least, he used a monitor rather than sheets of paper in a folder so it appeared he was singing to us, not a music stand. The crowd atmosphere was amazing. People had travelled from all over the world to be there. Between encores, unprompted, they continued to sing the chorus from the previous song until Fish returned.

If I had any complaints, it would be about the song choices. Fish made it clear that this was his party, and he'd sing what he wanted, not what we wanted. And he did. I understood his reasoning. He's proud of certain lesser known songs and wanted to dust them off one last time. But really that's not what the crowd wanted. We expected the classics for a good old singalong. In the end, it felt like the gig was part one of a two-part finale and all the best bits were kept for part two. We still got a great finale with Market Square Heroes and The Company. He played right up to the curfew at 11 pm (from an 8.20 pm start). 

You could say the night mirrored my relationship with Fish. I loved the early stuff, but the middle section was mostly unknown to me. The gig ended strong, though—a fitting goodbye. Cheers to Derek William Dick as he's shortly about to be known as again. Enjoy your pension.

Setlist

Intro -The Thieving Magpie (La Gazza Ladra) (Gioachino Rossini song)
Vigil
Pipeline
Weltschmerz
Shadowplay
Family Business
Goldfish & Clowns
The High Wood, I: High Wood
The High Wood, II: Crucifix Corner
The High Wood, III: The Gathering
The High Wood, IV: Thistle Alley
The High Wood, V: The Leaving
Slàinte Mhath (Marillion song)
Waverley Steps (End of the Line)
Raw Meat

Encore:
Fugazi (Marillion song)

Encore 2:
Lucky
Market Square Heroes (Marillion song)
The Company
Outro song played from tape (Kenneth Macleod song) (The Road To The Isles)

image from FB - I wasn't that lucky.

Ticket Price

Face Value £45.

1 x General Admission £52.22  

(Booking fee £7.22 includes Restoration Levy of £1.60 charged by the venue) 

Transaction Fee £1.50 

Total £53.72 From Aloud.com

Jack White, The No Name Tour, Barrowland, Glasgow. Monday 3rd March 2025

This one was a bit of a change for me. I bought the ticket in the off chance one of my colleagues missed out, but then discovered he already had one. Rather than sell it, I thought I'd go along and see what all the fuss is about.

And boy was I not disappointed!

Nineteen hundred punters turned up at the Barrowland to worship at the altar of Jack White, and it was incredible. I've never heard the crowd roar so loud. I've also, as an aging rocker, never seen such an energetic, youthful crowd with so much hair. We were standing near the disco ball (about half way back) and a spontaneous moshpit opened up beside us. Fortunately, it quickly migrated forward to join the others bouncing about at the front.  

On stage, Jack never slowed down. He constantly glided about, tearing out chords on various guitars. His eagle-eyed band watched his every step, ready to follow his lead. His riffs were pulsating, like a heartbeat controlling the room. His influences are wide, so one minute, he might trade on the heavy sounds of Rage Against the Machine or Black Sabbath, the next, the blues-infused tones of Gary Moore, and the rest of the time, whipping up the crowd with punk rock energy, his strangled vocals backed by nearly two thousand voices.  

My view of the stage was not so good. Whenever I thought my sightline was improving, someone else would move across to obscure my view, so my photos are out of focus and rubbish. The only video I took (of Seven Nation Army) became one of the people in front instead of the artist on stage. In a way though, it's an accurate reflection of my night. 

I should mention the support act, which was quirky in a REM/Elvis Costello/B52s/They Might Be Giants kind of way. They played indie pop with an American vibe, although lead singer Stevie was definitely Scottish. I wasn't sure quite what to make of them.   

I write this the following morning, tired, with ears ringing. It was worth it though. 

Setlist 

Intro Jam
Old Scratch Blues
That's How I'm Feeling
Black Math (The White Stripes song)
Summertime Blues (Eddie Cochran cover) (Snippet)
It's Rough on Rats (If You're Asking)
Hotel Yorba (The White Stripes song)
Carolina Drama (The Raconteurs song)
Freedom at 21
Hypnotize (The White Stripes song)
Broken Boy Soldier (The Raconteurs song)
Why Walk a Dog?
Cannon (The White Stripes song)
Lazaretto

Encore:
Encore Jam
Icky Thump (The White Stripes song)
I Think I Smell a Rat (The White Stripes song)
Archbishop Harold Holmes
Steady, as She Goes (The Raconteurs song)
Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes song)

Ticket Price 

1 x General Admission - Promoter Presale £61.87 (Inc booking fee £6.87)
1 x Order Processing Fee £1.25
Total £63.12 from SEE tickets.

Stevie Jackson and the Reverberations