AGENIA
news
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay goes world class
Time was when your New Year's Eve consisted of first-footing some neighbours you never spoke to all year, armed with a bottle, some shortie and a lump of coal. These days, you're more likely to be indulging in the biggest party in the world. Edinburgh has been at the forefront of anyone's I-logmanay celebrations for some time now, but for the Millennial New Year, things are going stellar.
For the seven days between Mon 27 Dec and Sun 2 Jan, the capital becomes the centre of attention, not only in Scotland but the whole of the UK, with some events being broadcast around the world. ‘We're the only city in Britain to be producing one-off unique events on all the nights before Hogmanay,’ states Peter Irvine, Director of Edinburgh's Hogmanay. 'We have the Torchlight Procession as we have had before, but bigger and brighter, followed by the Opening Gala which has the great and the good of Scottish music.
Transhumance is the biggest open- air theatre show we've probably seen in the UK,’ continues Irvine. 'The Incredible String Band are reforming for a one-off at St. Mary's Cathedral, which is a real coup; and, of course, Beating The Retreat is a celebration of our history and culture. Any city would be proud to have any one of these events as their main thing, but these are just part of our lead up to Hogmanay.’
And when the bells finally strike for Y2K, there will be 180,000 involved in the Virgin and McEwan's Street Party, for many the highlight of the season. If you haven't got your pass for that, there are many other events to whet your Millennial appetite - the RSNO Millennium Gala at the Festival Theatre, the only European gig of the season by The Mavericks in Princes
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Once in our lifetime: Texas
Street Gardens, and the Millennium Concert at Edinburgh Castle, featuring Texas.
Programmes are available already, and essential information is also available from'09069 150150 and at www.edinburghshogmanay.org on the Internet. The Hogmanay Box Office is situated at The Hub on Castlehill, and tickets for all official events are available by credit card on 0131 473 2000. Don't miss the issue of The List published on Thu 16 Dec for two free colour supplements detailing everything that's on over the festive period in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
(Brian Donaldson)
et fire hits Glasgow clubland
Gutted: Jamaica Street after the fire
Jamaica Stre
RORY WELLER
Initial fears that a fire in Glasgow's Jamaica Street on Sun 14 Nov had destroyed both the Sub Club and the Soma recording studios have proved unfounded, despite the fact that the five-storey building next door has been entirely gutted. The blaze, which is believed to have started at around 7pm in the Post Office on Jamaica Street, took 75 firefighters almost ten hours to bring under control. As The List goes to press the street is still closed as fire teams investigate the cause. ‘
The Sub Club's Paul Crawford says that the club, which is in the basement of the adjoining building, has some water damage to the back bar, but intends to open on Thu 18 Nov. ’We’re just waiting for the green light from building control, but as far as we can see it will be Subbiness as
usual,’ he says.
Soma Records, whose studios and offices occupy the third floor of the building connected to the fire, also say they won't know the full extent of the damage until building control have given them the all clear to enter the property. ’The fire brigade don't think the dividing wall has been compromised, but we’ve got quite a bit of smoke damage,’ says Soma's Crae Caldwell. ’Our entire release schedule for next year is in there, but it's nothing too drastic, we hope. I think we’ll be OK apart from having stinky offices for a couple of weeks, but it's liveable with. We've been lucky, really lucky.’
For the latest information regarding events at the Sub Club this weekend, call their production office on 0141 332 9901. (Rory Weller)
news AGENDA
Bulletins
Short and to the point
DR ROBYN MARSACK, formerly Managing Editor of Carcanet Press, has been appointed as the new Director of the Scottish Poetry Library. She takes up the post in the new year as successor to poet Tessa Ransford, who founded the Library and recently oversaw the move to its new home in Edinburgh's Canongate. Marsack will play a role in the development of such endeavours as the Holyrood Links Project, in which new works are commissioned by Scottish Parliament members. ‘Scottish poetry is a very healthy state at the moment,’ she said. 'For a time it looked like the previous generation of poets, of whom only Edwin Morgan is left, had no successors. That has changed and, other than lack of publishers, it's stronger than even'
WORLD AIDS DAY is about looking to the future, but it's also about marking the past. The AIDS Memorial Quilt exhibition at Edinburgh’s Royal Museum, which runs from 1 Dec-30 Jan, does just that and, at 6pm on Wed 1 Dec, a programme of events begins with the unrolling of the quilt, the reading of names by local schoolchildren and a candlelit march from the front entrance.
ARE YOU BURNING to vote in the BBC's Sports Personality Of The Century poll, to be broadcast on Sun 12 Dec? The main question is, will Muhammad Ali, Jesse Owens, Pele and Martina Navratilova be outvoted by current heroes such as Henman and Beckham? You have until Sun 21 Nov to cast your vote on 0900 133 8899, costing no more than 30p per minute.
TOP SCOT AT the Glenfiddich/Scotland On Sunday Spirit of Scotland Awards went to Texas lead singer Sharleen Spiteri, who was actually beaten to the music award by The Battlefield Band’s John McCusker. Meanwhile, fellow List cover star Peter Mullan beat Lynne Ramsay to the screen award despite the noble admission that his own vote had gone to the director of Ratcatcher.
18 Nov-2 Dec 1999 THE U81 25