The Next Big Thing

So here we are in the no-persons land between alleged celebrations. Things are about to get very hairy indeed but you wouldn't think that to see the droves in Edinburgh. The place is teeming with people spending money like it's about to be worth nothing. Oh, wait a minute - maybe they're on to something there? It was good to hook up with Peter Tjolsen, my old mucker of the Oslo parish over there yesterday for a couple of libations in the Bow Bar.

A place has opened up straight across from there which I think is fairly obnoxious. They carve up a pig carcass in the window and serve it up to eat in and maybe even out. It seemed to be getting a fair bit of attention. Having not been aware of it's existence I'm curious as to how it got the go-ahead. Edinburgh is in such a palaver to grab the tourist buck that I'm surprised they never considered the feelings of vege/vegans and or people who might find it vaguely disgusting. Imagine if you stoated into a kebab shops and there was a big head on the top of the meatblock? Well it occurs to me that what they're punting is akin to that.

Peter gave me a copy of Vibeke Saugestad's Christmas EP "... From All Of Me" which feature 5 very cool original songs that'll give you a rosy punk poppin' glow from the outset.

"I Must Have Been So Good" is a spiritual cross between Darlene Love and The Ramones. Rip roaring guitars and sleighbells, a lethal concoction. There's a knack to creating that festive mood and those "Hey Ho's" that punctuate "Mistletoe Kissing" prove that these folks have got it down pat. It ain't easy to sound old but not backdated. I really need to get my hands on a copy of her (third!) album that came out earlier this year. This gal is a high calibre singer, "A Christmas Carol (for the Losers in Love)" reminds me of Maria McKee. As the outro of "Christmas Is Calling Me Home" trickles away, it stands out as a further example of how far ahead Scandanavian pop acually is. Clocking in at just under 15 minutes, you wish it would stay around just a little longer.