BBC Rapal TV Recording

Rapal (a Gaelic word meaning Noise) is a Gaelic TV Show which is shown on Scottish BBC TV which features up and coming music acts from around Scotland and the UK. The show had many decent indie acts last year and is back this year again for a second series. If you ever saw the Music show, which was also on BBC Scotland, but in English, it follows much the same format. I popped along to Stornoway last night to see the second night of recording for the new series.

There were 4 bands on the bill; Strike the Colours, Potential Strangers, Radio Luxembourg and Amy Macdonald.

It was filmed in a TV studio, with a crowd of 60 or 70 who got free tickets there to watch.

Strike the Colours were on first, a band who i am already a fan of, and 90% of the reason for me going. They played 4 songs although they played each song twice, like every other band, for purposes of camera angles and the like. I had missed out on them performing in Stornoway a few weeks earlier as i was in Glasgow, damn you Glasgow, but i saw them last night and they were fantastic. I had seem them before earlier in the year, when they were supporting Malcolm Middleton in Glasgow, but last night they were really on form. Jenny Reeve, the lead singer, was on good form, telling stories and really interacting with the audience. They were very well received.

Next were a local band, with the lead singer (and songwriter) coming from the
birthplace of my father, the Isle of Scalpay. They were Potential Strangers, and he, the lead singer, is Donald Mackinnon, a very talented songwriter who i've known for years. They played 2 songs (twice) and were really good with the audience, telling jokes and telling what the songs were about and why they were written. The first song they played was pretty good, a Gaelic song called Liath, which means Grey in English, but the second song they played got a very very good reception from the audience, oh oh Helen. Very catchy. And humorous. Plus they had a cellist and a violin player. Extra bonus points from me.

The third band was Radio Luxembourg, a welsh pop/rock (i think) band who sang songs which had both Welsh and English lyrics. They were pretty good too, playing 5 songs, but their first one was my favourite. They didn't say what it was called, and i couldn't quite make sure but it was either "my grandmother showed me how to die" or "my grandmother showed me how to lie". Either way that family has problems. They were catchy, upbeat and had a good sound. They had good banter with the crowd, and had a good all round attitude. They sounded like a cross between the Zutons and Franz Ferdinand.

The last act was Amy Macdonald, who has been topping the charts in Scotland, and coming close to the top in the UK charts. She sang excellently, and her songs are pretty decent pop songs, but she had no enthusiasm to make it fun for the audience and played a very unvaried set. All the other bands throughout the night were swapping the instruments or had a "different" kind of set-up but hers was a pretty rigid set up (drummer, bass guitarist, lead guitarist, lead singer) and they did not change instruments or add any new sounds for any of the 5 songs she did (3 of them which they did twice). This led to most of the audience getting bored of her and some began to leave before her set was over even though she was the star attraction. She spoke only two words (thank and you) to the audience before her last song and barely smiled throughout.
She does have decent songs, and a decent rock sound, but i wouldn't pay to watch her perform like that.

AND HER BAND WAS SO FAKE. I'm guessing she didn't grow up with those guys. The drummer was a Tommy Lee wannabe/look-a-like, even down to the braces he had clipped to his trousers, and the charisma and personality this guy possessed was entirely in the tatoos he had on his arms, if they were even real! You could tell they (Amy's band) were just a record industry generic rock trio, who would be banded about from rock pop act to rock pop act. They really added nothing but competent instrument playing.

I really hated the drummer. I felt like he was the kind of person who would in 6 months, when Amy Macdonald-mania was over, peel of his Henna tatoos and become a backing dancer for some pop group created by Simon Fuller, then 6 months later, change his image again and become an R'n'B boyband singer, then 6 months later, whatever. Its not versatility, its fickleness.

She was hugely uninspiring. Rant over.

The night was good though, and i really enjoyed 3 of the acts, and Amy Macdonald was pretty good, just some things really really annoyed me about it. I shall tell you about when Rapal is on TV when i hear.

Here you can find the bands:

Strike the Colours: www.strikethecolours.com/ and www.myspace.com/strikethecolours

Potential Strangers: www.myspace.com/potentialstranger
Radio Luxembourg: www.myspace.com/radiolux
Amy Macdonald: www.amymacdonald.co.uk/ and www.myspace.com/amymacdonald

And also a link to the Rapal homepage, where you can watch last years sets online, and where you will be able to see this years too, when they are good and ready:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/alba/radio/rapal/

AND EVEN MORE MOVIES!

Annie Hall

Honestly? Pretty pretty average. I don't think the comedic aspects of it have stood up to the test of time. Is something that was original 30 years ago still original today? No. And originality was 90% of the charm of this film to begin with i think. The jokes are lame by my standards, and there was no scene that made me laugh, which confused me as this film was on the AFI top ten comedies list. Hugely disappointing comedy, decent drama, but no better than decent.

Oldboy

Phenomenal film. Equals Kill Bill, and possibly surpasses it as my favourite revenge film. A South Korean film from 2003 which only just missed out on the Palm D'or (which was won by Fahrenheit 9/11!!??!!) about a man who at the beginning of the film is inexplicably kidnapped and held as a prisoner in something resembling a hotel room for 15 years, without explanation to him or to the viewer. During the 15 years he was fed and had a tv and bathroom, but had no contact with the outside world or any other persons, and both as a way to help him survive and as a means to fight his captors/enemies he trains himself to fight by shadowboxing. He is set free after 15 years without reason or explanation and proceeds to found out who it was who imprisoned him and why. The fight scenes are as good as Kill Bill, but surprisingly more western (more like Die Hard fighting!!!) and the way the story unravels is great, flashing forwards, backwards and twisting in all directions. Brilliantly filmed and acted.

Serpico

Directed by Sidney Lumet, this film has a similar look to Dog Day Afternoon, a film he directed two years later, which also had Al Pacino in the lead role, and which was also based on a true story. Good film, not as good as Dog Day Afternoon, but interesting in that it tells the story of Frank Serpico, the brave New York cop who risked his career and life to turn in his corrupt co-workers, through the medium of film.

24 Hour Party People

Good film, which may have served me better if i had had a better knowledge of 80's and early 90's Manchester/MADchester music, and the scene. Steve Coogan plays the recently departed Tony Wilson, and basically tells his story, although through it, Coogan tells us other peoples story, like Joy Division, and New Order and the Happy Mondays, by speaking directly to the camera on a regular basis. This is an interesting style, and kind of makes me wonder why Tony Wilson didn't just play himself. But Steve Coogan is brilliant in this film, and during Tony Wilsons journalistic endeavours a little Alan Partridge seeps out, which can't be a bad thing in a film. Little bit of a deflated ending though, although seeing as it is a true story it can't be the filmmakers fault, can it?

Babel

Disappointing in comparison to Alejandro Inarritu's other films, this is still a pretty good film, with an interesting concept, in that one bullet affects so many people around the world. I liked the performances, and the story was ok, but the thing that annoyed me (spoiler! WRITTEN IN WHITE, HIGHLIGHT IT TO READ IT) of all that happened, the Americans were eventually the people who got off without any real difficulty in the end, the Mexican woman was fired, deported and had her life ruined, the Japanese characters who had just got over the grief of losing their wife and mother were made to go through it all again, and the Morrocan families that were shown were torn apart, killed, arrested or beaten. The American tourists were very annoying, as were the American children, and they all apparently got off scott-free! That annoyed me. I'm not an American-hater or anything but it annoyed me that a Mexican director would basically cater for an American audience and bow to Hollywood.That is all. It's a decent film though.

Brick

This is a pretty awesome film. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd rock from the moon) as the main character, this film noir sleuth story is a hark back to the old days, with a young and contemporary cast. Set in an American highschool, and examing the different cliques and the crime underworld which is present, this is one man/boys attempt to solve the murder of his ex-girlfriend. The deeper he goes, the darker the surroundings, and the more dangerous things get. Great story, fantastically made, and brilliantly acted. I really enjoyed this film, and the way the characters spoke, and the way they interacted were oddly compelling, in that they seemed a little out of place in what in a way is a teen film. Gordon-Levitt is especially good in this film.

Glengarry in Glen Ross.

This is a funny parody trailer of Glengarry Glen Ross.

Some more movies i have watched recently...

Requiem for a Dream

THE MOST REALISTIC FILM EVER TO DO WITH DRUGS. Not that i would know, but the way this film, instead of partly glamourising drugs, like films like Trainspotting, shows the grim affects of the reliance of drugs, through a series of connected characters. Great performances, resulting in an Oscar nomination for Ellen Burstyn, and equally good performances from Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans and Jennifer Connelly make the film scarier than any horror film i've ever seen. Should be mandatory viewing in schools. Aronofsky has made a film better than Pi. That must be applauded.

Glengarry Glen Ross

The best acting, and possibly the best acting ensemble that i have ever seen in one film. Called, by the actors, "Death of a F*****G Salesman", which is pretty accurate, this film, which oddly reminds me a little of Reservoir Dogs without the violence, is all about the trials and tribulations of salesmen who work for a very aggresive and competitive company. Jack Lemmon gives possibly his best performance, Pacino and Kevin Spacey REALLY stand-out, Ed Harris, Jonathan Pryce and Alan Arkin are terrific in support but Alec Baldwin, and his one marvelous scene are what make this movie what it is. ABC - ALWAYS BE CLOSING. Love it.

Good Will Hunting

Good film for what it is, considering it was written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and some very good acting, by both of them and Robin Williams, and the almost always good Stellan Skarsgard, but the ending seems a little tacked on and nice. Good premise, and funny moments, but it seems to tail off towards the end, and i could not watch the "It's not your fault" scene without squirming. It just seems to emotional compared to the rest of the film, but sickly emotional. Decent is all i can say.

Dazed and Confused

This on the other hand, unlike Good Will Hunting, was not given awards and critical praise on its release, and is basically a teen film, about underage drinking, smoking pot, and teen romance, but this film has more meaningful characters and relatable situations than 96.98% of films you'll see in your life. AND BEN AFFLECK IS EXCELLENT IN IT! Most of the performances are great, with some really really funny moments, and you really believe this could be a normal bunch of kids who aren't acting. Quentin Tarantino names it as one of his favourites, and so should you.

Adaptation

One of the best films i have ever seen.

I would consider Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich to be up their too, and is it any coincidence that they were all written by the same man? I think not.

Charlie Kaufman writes a semi-autobiographical and fully fictional story about the characters Charlie Kaufman (played by Nicholas Cage) and Donald Kaufman (played by Nicholas Cage), who are twin brothers, and who both write film screenplays, although to varying degrees of success. Supposedly filmed around the time of the filming of Being John Malkovich, this film looks at 2 stories. The first one is Charlie Kaufman, and his problems about writing a screenplay about a book about a man who steals/collects Orchids. And the second is the story about the man who steals orchids, and his relationship with the journalist who wrote the original book.

Not wanting to ruin the ending i don't want to explain anything any further, but this is a FANTASTIC film. With great performances all around. Think about the film when you finish. It might seem like a weird/shocking ending, but it makes perfect sense.

The United States of Leland

Similar kind of film to Half-Nelson, and not only because Ryan Gosling is in the lead role, but also similar to Todd Solondz films, with suburban families and a great ensemble of actors. Ryan Gosling's character, like Half-Nelson, is smart, likeable, makes you think, and is hopelessly destroying his life, but unlike in Half-Nelson, where the lead character is a drug addict, here he murders an autistic boy for an unknown reason at the very beginning of the film. The film is basically about the question "WHY?". Each character has a "WHY?" about them and the film, though maybe resulting in ambiguous answers, explains things. Don Cheadle, Kevin Spacey and about 6 other lesser known actors all give good performances, and you feel sorry and resent each and every one of them in equal amounts.

Trailer Park Boys

This is without doubt the finest tv show i have ever seen.

The characters and the humour are unlike anything i have ever seen, and the mockumentary style, although used frequently over the years, is given a slight twist in this show as the "documentary makers" sometimes get in the way of the main characters schemes and plots.

Watching it introduces you to possibly the greatest televisual character ever, Bubbles (thats him on the right).

This googily eyed, cat loving, go-cart driving, garden-shed living, AK47 firing, genius is the heart and soul of the show, acting as conscience and confidant to the shows 2 other main characters Ricky and Julian.

Set in a Canadian Trailer park, and spawning 7 series and 2 films, Trailer Park Boys shows the lives of these three men, who are the local hoodlums/criminals/drug dealers. Julian is the leader of the three, the father figure, who both creates the plans and acts as the level head to Ricky's madman. Ricky is the man who never got his grade 10, he is stupid, he has a kid, and he cannot stay out of trouble. It is hard to describe the show, so sorry for this lame attempt.

It is basically the modern day version of Blackadder, with Bubbles as Baldrick and both sides of Edmund Blackadder (the genius plan-maker, and inevitable plan-destroyer) are portrayed by Julian and Ricky.

YOU MUST WATCH THIS SHOW. It can be seen sometimes on Paramount in the uk on Sky, it can be bought on DVD from reputable retailers, or you might like to look here:

http://www.rapidsearching.com/archives/2380#more-2380

...if you have rapidshare.

Albums of the year, so far...

In no discernible order...

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

Hard to pick faults with this album, but if i was to find any it would be that the songs are far too good live, which confuses me when i listen to the album, as they are inferior. It would be better to have Arcade Fire in your bedroom/living room, but that would be a technical and logistical nightmare. Favourite song is Antichrist Television Blues.

Clap your hands say yeah - Some Loud Thunder

Once you get used to lead singer Alec Ounsworths vocals, this album will grow on you, and make you go and listen to their GREAT self titled debut album. The way he wails reminds me of Jeff Magnum of Neutral Milk Hotel, another great band. Favourite song is Emily Jean Stock.

Cold War Kids - Robbers and Cowards

A halfway point between Arcade Fire and Clap your hands say yeah, Cold War Kids debut album is another grower, basslines galore, wailing vocals, and a song from the perspective of your washing. What more can you ask for? Favourite song is Hang me up to dry (very very very very closely followed by Hospital Beds)

Malcolm Middleton - A Brighter Beat

Malcolm Middleton's third album, another album of bleak depressing lyrics alongside uplifting and upbeat music is probably his most accessible. Each and every song could easily have been a single, and the seemingly omnipresent in Scottish music Jenny Reeves backing vocals are a great contradiction to Middletons scowl. Favourite songs are Fight the Night (where Jenny Reeve takes lead) and Superhero Songwriter.

10 Reasons why i love Belle & Sebastian.

I could just make a list of ten songs (If you're feeling sinister, Dirty Dream #2, Expectations, Lazy line painter Jane, The State I am in, The Rollercoaster Ride, The Boy with the Arab Strap, Electronic Renaissance, Me and the Major, If she wants me) but i won't do that.

I'll make up proper reasons.

1. They are both pretentious and unpretentious in equal amounts.

2. They are the most grounded band ever to have won a Brit Award.

3. They made the Brit Awards cool to me.

4. They made Pete Waterman and Steps cry.

5. Beans is the name of one of the bandmembers.

6. Band members who have left, Isobel Campbell and Stuart David have become successful off their own backs (Mercury prize nomination and £500,000 deal respectively) but also did not dent the creative output of their former band.

7. 2 films i love. Storytelling and High Fidelity feature Belle and Sebastian.

8. They can make funny songs and sad songs and they can sound the same.

9. My friends don't like them.

10. They sing a song about Aidan Moffat, and subsequently let this song be used for Teachers, the channel 4 comedy about Teachers (not sure if it was obvious what Teachers was about so explained it to you)

You'll be hearing a lot more Belle & Sebastian praise in the future.

Pan's Labyrinth

Watched this last night, after hearing good stuff about it.
Went in thinking it would be a Childs Fantasy story something like the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe or Harry Potter (which i hate)-esque.

Didn't realise the film was a 15 so when the facist captain smashes in someone face with a beer bottle pretty early on in the film (collapsing the guys face in) i was a little taken aback and realised that maybe i should begin concentrating a little more.

Beautiful film, quite like Amelie, but maybe not as colourful, but you could tell a lot of care had gone into making this film.

The focus changes often in the film, from the Fantastical to the Realistic, but you appreciate the characters and the story that is going on in both parts of the film.

My current favourite song

I heard this song years ago, but only recently realised how much i like it.
It was written by Serge Gainsbourg, sung by France Gall, and covered by my 2 favourite bands, Belle & Sebastian and The Arcade Fire.

Enjoy.



Or hate. Whatever.

Top 5

My top 5 ?

1. Value for Cheese.
2. Thats what she said.
3. Belle & Sebastian
4. I don't understand how people can like...
5. When i was on Comadaidh Oir...


I annoy people.

Music i've recently started listening to.

Don't know too much about these bands, either been recommended them or know they are similar to bands i like.

Bis
Yo La Tengo
Wolf Parade
Death Cab for Cutie
Feist
Final Fantasy
Delgados
Flaming Lips
Sigur Ros
Wilco

Can anyone recommend songs? I find it easy to get into bands, but find it hard finding a place to start.

Films

Recently i've been watching loads of films, mostly out of boredom, but also because i've needed to watch them.

Storytelling by Todd Solondz

One of my favourite films, great characters in part 2 'non-fiction'.
Always like Paul Giamatti, plus the Belle and Sebastian original soundtrack adds to the atmosphere in some of the more sombre moments.

Donnie Brasco

Decent film, not a great, but with Al Pacino and Johnny Depp it becomes a better film than maybe it should be. Follow the mould of a lot of other similar films. Has a small role for Paul Giamatti, thought i'd mention that. Incidentally i'm not obsessed with Paul Giamatti. Brilliant character for Pacino, you hate the guy, feel sorry for him, despise all his lies and 'lessons', but still want to see him survive.

Half-Nelson

Dead Poets Society with a twist. Lead character is a mix between Miss Jean Brodie and a character from Trainspotting, and although when teaching in his History class he is charismatic and dedicated outside of school his life in unravelling, in plain sight of his only friend, one of his very young pupils. There is no Paul Giamatti in this film. Still, it is a great film.

Broken Flowers

A decent film, not as funny as some of Bill Murrays other recent films, although substance may equal Lost in Translation. Its a bit slow sometimes, but the plot is okay, and the characters who he meets on his trip are wildly different, and its funny to think of how much this guys life was changing just in one year!

Science of Sleep

Michael Gondry's follow up to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is another good film, which may have been better if i hadn't seen Eternal Sunshine before. Gael Garcia Bernal (him below), is good, and the 3 languages thing adds a little humour sometimes, and the vivid dreams and odd characters and the friction created between them is fun to watch.

Gosford Park

Saw this film a few years back, did not like it at all. I think i was too young, because after re-watching it my opinion has changed HUGELY. Great film, fantastically acted, and although from first glance seems to be a hark back to the old days of film this is a very very very modern film, both in direction and in plot.

High Fidelity

Good book. Great film. Best music related film ever. And again having Belle & Sebastian and the Beta Band, and The Smiths, all mentioned in one film cannot be a bad thing. John Cusack at his best, makes me want to create a top 5 BLANK for everything in the world.

Children of Men

1984-esque, maybe the opposite of Brazil (one of my favourite films) in that it is very realistic, plausible and very drab looking. Characters are very realistic, more realistic than most films you see, especially ones with 'Apocalyptic' in the description. Fast moving film, does what V for Vendetta tried to do.

I'd recommend High Fidelity, its the easiest to watch, Gosford Park being the hardest, Storytelling is blackly comic, and Children of Men is very real. Make of that what you will.

The others are good films, but there are better.

Gael without a cause.

Not him -

Me.

I am 20, a student, from an Island of the North West Coast of Scotland and i live in Glasgow term-time.

I like Music. No, i like my own music, i dislike a heck of a lot more than i like. I dislike Oasis and The Beatles, yes The Beatles.

I like films. I don't like films. I am very selective of what i watch, so both these statements are true in a sense. I like what i watch, but some of the things i see i hate. I hope you understand.

The same can be said of books. I dislike Harry Potter immensely.

I speak Gaelic, i am interested in media, i go to the University of Glasgow and although i can be funny i can be very annoying also.