NPR

If you've never been, put it on your bucket list. Biggest arts festival in the world, 3500-4000 different shows, most of them running for three weeks.

For those in Edinburgh - seen anything good? Just starting a week off, combined with the jet lag I don't really know what day of the week it is, which is what you want on holiday. Best thing I've seen so far is Cassie and the Lights at the Underbelly.

Blueswater either at the Jazz Bar or Surgeons Hall are really worth checking out - they're doing their 10th fringe this year.

Or if you like your whiskey, the lead singer and drummer do a great show called the Rhythm and Booze project. It's a guided whiskey tasting with them playing some tunes in between. Orth doing, think it's only about 25 quid.

Crash669 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:35 pm Blueswater either at the Jazz Bar or Surgeons Hall are really worth checking out - they're doing their 10th fringe this year.

Or if you like your whiskey, the lead singer and drummer do a great show called the Rhythm and Booze project. It's a guided whiskey tasting with them playing some tunes in between. Orth doing, think it's only about 25 quid.

Blueswater are excellent. They were top of my list the last couple of visits to the festival.

Saw Jason Byrne last week which was great, then a couple called Your Dads Mum which was great fun

Heading in on Friday again

There is not much I agree with in the Telegraph these days but the review of Salome was spot on

Malin Byström is currently one of the greatest Sopranos in the world today

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opera/what- ... w-strauss/

Keep your posts coming, I am staying in Leith for a week from Friday.
The wife has booked some Macbeth musical thing and a comedy magician/illusionist.
Didn't even know the fring was on when we booked it months ago


Will be doing Britania, the Kelpies and Portobella beach as well.
Any decent dog friendly eateries etc?

I'm on Stewart lees mailing list and this is his current tiopsix from his latest circular - might be the macBeth thing you're lined up for?

Paul Currie - The Chorus of Ghosts Living in My Skull Keep Telling Me to Take a Shit in the Fruit Salad - Just The Tonic @ Caves - 9PM
A surrealist revivalist church meeting in which anything can happen. Brilliant clowning and unexpected hints of the personal. The sort of perfect fringe experience that grows and grows into something super-special over the month and then, all too regularly, evaporates on contact with the cruel reality beyond an Edinburgh August. I’ve been twice. Lots of the crowd are now clearly regulars, participating in a kind of ritual comic cleansing. Superbly tech’d too. My special place 2022.

Police Cops - Assembly Studios - 7pm
I am late to this party but I suspect this show is a step up. People with the skills to do proper comedy don’t usually have the skills or attitude to do music theatre too, but genuinely funny improvisations weave in and out of a tight cop-show parody script. The cast are fit and handsome, acrobatic and accomplished, and yet also ridiculous and grotesque and clownish in a classic comedy way. The jokes are smart and the musical milieu of ‘80s power rock is dead on. It takes brains to be this dumb! Who the hell are these people, and why haven’t they been ruined for ever by actual West End fame?

Thom Tuck & Tim FitzHigham - Macbeth - Udderbelly - 8.35pm
The drunken fen-lords of comedy recreate Macbeth from memory in a haze of hallucinogenic impro-fuzz, ravaging the text as is their Lordly prima nocte right. What really went on there? We only have this extract? What the fringe is made for.

Alasdair Beckett-King - Nevermore - Pleasance Dome 7PM
Great writerly material which has enough room to breathe to make it feel like it’s alive, and a well-judged and non-interventionist use of tech. Precise and very funny.

An Evening Without Kate Bush - Assembly George Sq Gardens 5.55PM
A Bush-consumed lady channels Bush fandom with persuasive charm, genuine warmth, and accurate choreography



Medea - Liz Locheed - Edinburgh International Festival - various times
A kind of fashion show promenade catwalk performance of the miserable tale in a spectacular space, with darkly comic lines performed in crispy Scottish vernacular by a brilliantly diverse cast offering finely nuanced interpretations of their roles.

C69 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:28 pm Keep your posts coming, I am staying in Leith for a week from Friday.
The wife has booked some Macbeth musical thing and a comedy magician/illusionist.
Didn't even know the fring was on when we booked it months ago


Will be doing Britania, the Kelpies and Portobella beach as well.
Any decent dog friendly eateries etc?

Sunday morning on Portobello beach is a nice time, lots of swimming and sport groups out, loads of dogs. Grab a coffee at the little green van for a bit of banter with locals - I’ll be out swimming with the Blue Balls group from 9.30 then at the van. You should also grab some lunch at the Shrimp Wreck on the beach, the lobster rolls are awesome. There is also a great wee outside bar at the far north end. Most pubs and restaurants are fine with dogs around
here.

Edit: if you are going out to the Kelpies then the Falkirk Wheel is also worth a look

C69 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:28 pm Keep your posts coming, I am staying in Leith for a week from Friday.
The wife has booked some Macbeth musical thing and a comedy magician/illusionist.
Didn't even know the fring was on when we booked it months ago


Will be doing Britania, the Kelpies and Portobella beach as well.
Any decent dog friendly eateries etc?

Where you staying? I'm down Leith so I'll get you half a shandy if you're free.

Also as slick says, it's more unusual for somewhere to not let dogs in than the other way round. Probably only quite high end places would have an issue, any pubs and mid range would be fine.

Other recommendations from me

Twisted Tales at Pleasant Courtyard. Silly macabre stories, funny.

Jazz Emu at Gilded Balloon very funny slightly odd bloke with music and and weird story. Very good

If you get a chance to see the 'Mischief Movie Night In', I'd highly recommend it.

Fed up with the flaming fireworks at the castle. Supposed to be a fly over tonight and next Friday, weather permitting.

westport wrote: ↑Thu Aug 18, 2022 7:28 am Fed up with the flaming fireworks at the castle. Supposed to be a fly over tonight and next Friday, weather permitting.

Yes, thats one thing I don't miss from living central, a nice 10pm wake up for the kids every night

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:47 am

westport wrote: ↑Thu Aug 18, 2022 7:28 am Fed up with the flaming fireworks at the castle. Supposed to be a fly over tonight and next Friday, weather permitting.

Yes, thats one thing I don't miss from living central, a nice 10pm wake up for the kids every night

As a student, I used to live on Bank Street on the Mound and even as a 21-year old the fireworks got on my tits during the Festival.

robmatic wrote: ↑Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:53 am

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:47 am

westport wrote: ↑Thu Aug 18, 2022 7:28 am Fed up with the flaming fireworks at the castle. Supposed to be a fly over tonight and next Friday, weather permitting.

Yes, thats one thing I don't miss from living central, a nice 10pm wake up for the kids every night

As a student, I used to live on Bank Street on the Mound and even as a 21-year old the fireworks got on my tits during the Festival.

Went to see Henning Wehn last night - he was pretty good then had a few beers in pop up bars around McEwan Hall. Saw the fly past as well - Being C17 - coming low over the town and then caught Tattoo fireworks on way to catch bus home. Going to see Frankie Boyle next week.

Famous Puppet Death Scenes at the assembly Roxy. Weird but funny. Puppets being killed basically.

Biffer wrote: ↑Fri Aug 19, 2022 9:19 am Famous Puppet Death Scenes at the assembly Roxy. Weird but funny. Puppets being killed basically.

I saw that the last time I was at the festival a few years back. Wonderfully weird!

dpedin wrote: ↑Fri Aug 19, 2022 9:06 am

robmatic wrote: ↑Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:53 am

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:47 am

Yes, thats one thing I don't miss from living central, a nice 10pm wake up for the kids every night

As a student, I used to live on Bank Street on the Mound and even as a 21-year old the fireworks got on my tits during the Festival.

Went to see Henning Wehn last night - he was pretty good then had a few beers in pop up bars around McEwan Hall. Saw the fly past as well - Being C17 - coming low over the town and then caught Tattoo fireworks on way to catch bus home. Going to see Frankie Boyle next week.

Is a C17 a massive transport type plane? I was looking out the window last night and just saw these lights that seemed to be hovering over the sea, took an absolute age for it to come into view and fly over, scared the shit out me for a few minutes.

Anyway, have Troy Hawke booked for this evening and looking for something round Bristo Sq for about 7.30

robmatic wrote: ↑Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:53 am

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:47 am

westport wrote: ↑Thu Aug 18, 2022 7:28 am Fed up with the flaming fireworks at the castle. Supposed to be a fly over tonight and next Friday, weather permitting.

Yes, thats one thing I don't miss from living central, a nice 10pm wake up for the kids every night

As a student, I used to live on Bank Street on the Mound and even as a 21-year old the fireworks got on my tits during the Festival.

I had to drive The Middle Child back from Edinburgh a couple of months ago, Leith Walk is a building site but it will be pretty flash when they finish the tram line. TMC's flat was on Buchanan St.

I was a bit put off Embra if truth be told, the east end of Princes St was all boarded up shops and looked awful. I had to drive from Leith up to the estate agents to drop off keys and whilst driving up South Bridge a massive, brutal fight broke out on the pavement between around five guys, one ran on the the road in front of my car, he stopped only to pick up the sheath knife he dropped.

I was genuinely shocked, this was around mid-day, not that the time had anything to do with it, but it made me feel sick.

I don't mean to put a downer on a thread about the festival, though, soz.

In a day of contrasts, I've just been to see Floruan Boesch do Schuberts Winterreise, and am now looking forward to Arab Strap at Leith Theatre. See if I can fit a few things in between them.

Just to say as well, if you don't normally go to the festival, this year is a good time to dip a toe in. It's nowhere near as busy as normal, maybe sixty percent. There's tickets available for most shows - a worrying number in some cases, went to a show with a five star review in The Stage and several other four stars and it wasn't even half full. Reviews like that would have sold out the whole run a few years ago.

My advice for people is always take a whole day, book one or two things in advance based on reviews, and take a couple of chances on the spur of the moment. And just enjoy the chilled artsy vibe in the venues.

Slick wrote: ↑Fri Aug 19, 2022 10:28 am

dpedin wrote: ↑Fri Aug 19, 2022 9:06 am

robmatic wrote: ↑Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:53 am

As a student, I used to live on Bank Street on the Mound and even as a 21-year old the fireworks got on my tits during the Festival.

Went to see Henning Wehn last night - he was pretty good then had a few beers in pop up bars around McEwan Hall. Saw the fly past as well - Being C17 - coming low over the town and then caught Tattoo fireworks on way to catch bus home. Going to see Frankie Boyle next week.

Is a C17 a massive transport type plane? I was looking out the window last night and just saw these lights that seemed to be hovering over the sea, took an absolute age for it to come into view and fly over, scared the shit out me for a few minutes.

Anyway, have Troy Hawke booked for this evening and looking for something round Bristo Sq for about 7.30

Yes it is quite a large transport plane and flew right over me last night but I was too slow to grab my phone to get some pics.

Just to let you know

Arab Strap were fucking great.

Hannah Pilkes was OK..

Andrew Maxwell was pretty good

The city centre is an absolute disgrace and we are only 48 hours into the 2 week binman strike, god help us

Slick wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 7:25 am Hannah Pilkes was OK..

Andrew Maxwell was pretty good

The city centre is an absolute disgrace and we are only 48 hours into the 2 week binman strike, god help us

I noticed the rubbish starting to pile up yesterday. Going to be awful next week.

Biffer wrote: ↑Fri Aug 19, 2022 10:46 pm Just to let you know

Arab Strap were fucking great.

Would have liked to go to that, a blast from the past. How's Leith theatre looking? We went to an event a few years ago that was in the refurbished hall off to the side of the main auditorium, they hadn't made a huge amount of progress at that time but I gather it's all looking a lot more shipshape?

Finally broke my festival duck for this year, took the kids to Carnival of the Animals at House of Oz/Kings Hall, they absolutely loved it - threats of audience participation were thankfully wide of mark, think the missus was just enjoying a windup. Off to Jarvis: Friendship, Flowers and Fun with the eldest tomorrow at the book festival. That is about the extent of my current Rock and roll life.

inactionman wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 6:01 pm

Biffer wrote: ↑Fri Aug 19, 2022 10:46 pm Just to let you know

Arab Strap were fucking great.

Would have liked to go to that, a blast from the past. How's Leith theatre looking? We went to an event a few years ago that was in the refurbished hall off to the side of the main auditorium, they hadn't made a huge amount of progress at that time but I gather it's all looking a lot more shipshape?

Finally broke my festival duck for this year, took the kids to Carnival of the Animals at House of Oz/Kings Hall, they absolutely loved it - threats of audience participation were thankfully wide of mark, think the missus was just enjoying a windup. Off to Jarvis: Friendship, Flowers and Fun with the eldest tomorrow at the book festival. That is about the extent of my current Rock and roll life.

I think it’s a pretty good gig venue but it obviously needs a refurb. Quite a few areas of peeling paintwork open the main auditorium, kind of suggests a bit of damp which in turn makes you think the whole roof needs a look. But other than the roof I don’t think there’d be a huge amount to do.

Dogbert wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:22 pm There is not much I agree with in the Telegraph these days but the review of Salome was spot on

Malin Byström is currently one of the greatest Sopranos in the world today

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opera/what- ... w-strauss/

Malin Bystrom will be singing Salome in a fully staged (and pretty intense) production of Salome at Covent Garden this autumn. Well worth a visit (I've got my tickets already).

Biffer wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 10:09 am

Slick wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 7:25 am Hannah Pilkes was OK..

Andrew Maxwell was pretty good

The city centre is an absolute disgrace and we are only 48 hours into the 2 week binman strike, god help us

I noticed the rubbish starting to pile up yesterday. Going to be awful next week.

Yeah, I was in town today, and it's an absolute cowp. God knows what the tourists must think of the place.

Wonder what the law allows by way of hiring private contractors if there's a public health risk?

S/Lt_Phillips wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 6:53 pm

Biffer wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 10:09 am

Slick wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 7:25 am Hannah Pilkes was OK..

Andrew Maxwell was pretty good

The city centre is an absolute disgrace and we are only 48 hours into the 2 week binman strike, god help us

I noticed the rubbish starting to pile up yesterday. Going to be awful next week.

Yeah, I was in town today, and it's an absolute cowp. God knows what the tourists must think of the place.

Wonder what the law allows by way of hiring private contractors if there's a public health risk?

Where do the private contractors take the rubbish though?

Biffer wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 7:35 pm

S/Lt_Phillips wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 6:53 pm

Biffer wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 10:09 am

I noticed the rubbish starting to pile up yesterday. Going to be awful next week.

Yeah, I was in town today, and it's an absolute cowp. God knows what the tourists must think of the place.

Wonder what the law allows by way of hiring private contractors if there's a public health risk?

Where do the private contractors take the rubbish though?

To the same place the council bin trucks take it to? Or wherever a private company would normally take it?

S/Lt_Phillips wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 7:38 pm

Biffer wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 7:35 pm

S/Lt_Phillips wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 6:53 pm

Yeah, I was in town today, and it's an absolute cowp. God knows what the tourists must think of the place.

Wonder what the law allows by way of hiring private contractors if there's a public health risk?

Where do the private contractors take the rubbish though?

To the same place the council bin trucks take it to? Or wherever a private company would normally take it?

The places that are on strike at the moment?

Biffer wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 8:40 pm

S/Lt_Phillips wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 7:38 pm

Biffer wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 7:35 pm

Where do the private contractors take the rubbish though?

To the same place the council bin trucks take it to? Or wherever a private company would normally take it?

The places that are on strike at the moment?

Well, the private companies like Binn skips or Biffa (ha, the irony) have their own processing facilities. Maybe they could be used.

I seem to remember years ago the army was used to collect rubbish during a strike. They must have taken it somewhere too.

I don't have the answer here Biffer, I'm just asking at what point it's decided that having the street full of rubbish becomes a risk to public health, and what actions can then be taken?

City centre was buzzing today, but by feck the place is a rubbish strewn disgrace.
Saw Don Chambers today. Very good comedy illusionist.
The places is a fecking building site, not too sure what is going to happen to anyone with a car in future.

S/Lt_Phillips wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 9:09 pm

Biffer wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 8:40 pm

S/Lt_Phillips wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 7:38 pm

To the same place the council bin trucks take it to? Or wherever a private company would normally take it?

The places that are on strike at the moment?

Well, the private companies like Binn skips or Biffa (ha, the irony) have their own processing facilities. Maybe they could be used.

I seem to remember years ago the army was used to collect rubbish during a strike. They must have taken it somewhere too.

I don't have the answer here Biffer, I'm just asking at what point it's decided that having the street full of rubbish becomes a risk to public health, and what actions can then be taken?

In 1979 the bin men were on strike for over a month, and rubbish just piled up. Westminster Council used Leicester Square to store bin bags as they had nowhere else to take it, leading to a massive increase in rats and vermin. The press renamed Leicester Square as ‘Fester Square’.

I assume Edinburgh’s not at this level yet.

C69 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 9:58 pm City centre was buzzing today, but by feck the place is a rubbish strewn disgrace.
Saw Don Chambers today. Very good comedy illusionist.
The places is a fecking building site, not too sure what is going to happen to anyone with a car in future.

Edinburgh has been a disaster zone with roadworks, building works and tram works for years now. The councils attitude to car drivers is outrageous. Over the last few weeks every main artery into the south side of the city has had significant roadworks. The planners are a disgrace and give no consideration to the shit they cause.

Blackmac wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 8:17 am

C69 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 9:58 pm City centre was buzzing today, but by feck the place is a rubbish strewn disgrace.
Saw Don Chambers today. Very good comedy illusionist.
The places is a fecking building site, not too sure what is going to happen to anyone with a car in future.

Edinburgh has been a disaster zone with roadworks, building works and tram works for years now. The councils attitude to car drivers is outrageous. Over the last few weeks every main artery into the south side of the city has had significant roadworks. The planners are a disgrace and give no consideration to the shit they cause.

I live in Edinburgh and haven’t really felt that

Biffer wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 9:06 am

Blackmac wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 8:17 am

C69 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 9:58 pm City centre was buzzing today, but by feck the place is a rubbish strewn disgrace.
Saw Don Chambers today. Very good comedy illusionist.
The places is a fecking building site, not too sure what is going to happen to anyone with a car in future.

Edinburgh has been a disaster zone with roadworks, building works and tram works for years now. The councils attitude to car drivers is outrageous. Over the last few weeks every main artery into the south side of the city has had significant roadworks. The planners are a disgrace and give no consideration to the shit they cause.

I live in Edinburgh and haven’t really felt that

Ditto - I just jump on a bus and get to wherever I want with no problems.

dpedin wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 11:05 am

Biffer wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 9:06 am

Blackmac wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 8:17 am

Edinburgh has been a disaster zone with roadworks, building works and tram works for years now. The councils attitude to car drivers is outrageous. Over the last few weeks every main artery into the south side of the city has had significant roadworks. The planners are a disgrace and give no consideration to the shit they cause.

I live in Edinburgh and haven’t really felt that

Ditto - I just jump on a bus and get to wherever I want with no problems.

You should really try travelling in from east and Midlothian on a regular basis. The traffic calming measures in the Buckstone/ Braids area are horrendous, forcing all vehicles onto Pentland Terrace and Comiston Road which causes huge tailbacks every day. Same with them closing off Mayfield Road northbound to allow yet more student accommodation to be built and forcing all the traffic up to the utter shitshow they have made of the Cameron Toll junction. You then have the absolute joke that they have made of Minto Street with the mindless traffic calming measures. Add to that the endless roadworks on Old Dalkeith Road and the absolute pointless money they have spent on average speed cameras on the same stretch. They just haven't a bloody clue and I would say that anyone who doesn't find Edinburgh a horrendous place to get around really isn't getting around much.

Blackmac wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 1:14 pm

dpedin wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 11:05 am

Biffer wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 9:06 am

I live in Edinburgh and haven’t really felt that

Ditto - I just jump on a bus and get to wherever I want with no problems.

You should really try travelling in from east and Midlothian on a regular basis. The traffic calming measures in the Buckstone/ Braids area are horrendous, forcing all vehicles onto Pentland Terrace and Comiston Road which causes huge tailbacks every day. Same with them closing off Mayfield Road northbound to allow yet more student accommodation to be built and forcing all the traffic up to the utter shitshow they have made of the Cameron Toll junction. You then have the absolute joke that they have made of Minto Street with the mindless traffic calming measures. Add to that the endless roadworks on Old Dalkeith Road and the absolute pointless money they have spent on average speed cameras on the same stretch. They just haven't a bloody clue and I would say that anyone who doesn't find Edinburgh a horrendous place to get around really isn't getting around much.

I don’t go to the east of the city much, I live in the west of the city, am regularly in the city centre and commute to the south of the city. Just pointing out that your experience isn’t universal - not denying the traffic and works is shit in places, just saying it’s not all of Edinburgh.