Darts of Pleasure

Some shows I've seen over the last few weeks:

Malcolm Middleton - the guitarist from Arab Strap now doing his solo thing which is in much the same vein (self-loathing galore!) but with a bit more kick which makes it infinitely more enjoyable. Recommended sample: the excellent "Loneliness Shines".

The Pixies - no introduction really needed I suspect. Held in an outdoor track and field stadium in Edinburgh on a day featuring gale force winds and rain. What was lacking in atmosphere was more than made up for by the sheer awesomeness that is this band. For those interested, the setlist can be found here. Yes, they played "Stormy Weather"! Good support from My Latest Novel (minimalist but nice, probably would sound better in a pub), Idlewild (much better live than their albums would suggest) and Teenage Fanclub (always a crowd-pleaser).

Arcade Fire and Franz Ferdinand - held in the Princes Street Gardens, underneath the always impressive Edinburgh Castle. OK, I'll confess. With the ridiculous amount of hype and an album that wasn't totally doing it for me, I hadn't totally "got" the Arcade Fire. But now I've seen them live, and like a missing piece of the puzzle it all came together. Now I get it. Totally. I hate to say it, but Franz was upstaged on this night. But this is no dig against them - they're a hell of a live act themselves, and with a Scottish crowd you can't go wrong. Can't wait to pick up the new album.

Stars - some lovely Canadiana in dear ol' Glasgow town. I managed to rustle up ten people to come with me to see them, and I think we made converts of them all. The soft revolution continues! Had a chat with Torquil after the show, and turns out they'll be doing several nights in Toronto shortly after I get back to Canada for the holidays. Another one of their European shows was taped and posted online here if interested.

The Great Scottish Run 2005

My third annual! Same route as last year, and again I decided to run the 10K. It was an absolutely gorgeous day to be outdoors, but it was a bit tough for running. It was already 25 degrees by 9am, so it was pretty hot by the time I hit 5km. This is the excuse I'll use for running a longer time than last year. But still, 49:30 - still under the 50 minute mark. Fi did a great job again, coming in at just a bit over her time from last year.

As usual, a great atmosphere. And unlike last year, I'm not taking an unofficial hibernation period. Shall be back on the trails tomorrow!