Are you dunroamin’? 9:“
As the advertisement for Homecoming makes its way across the pond, writer Alan Bissett ponders its content
be last time I heard Dougie
McLean‘s whisky—tinged
‘Caledonia' was on the banks of the River Thames. an impromptu. late—night rendition by McLean himself. leading a ragged band of Scots exiles like the Pied Piper. My eyes were as moist as everyone else's. and l was only away for a weekend.
The new Homecoming Scotland advert uses the song to harvest this diaspora. lt gently tempts them back. an eye-balm of majestic scenery and crooning celebs. Home-based Scots might feel a mild stirring of. well. .s‘onwthing. as Sandi Thom. Brian Cox. Chris Hoy. Amy Macdonald. Lulu and Sir Sean Connery do rote nostalgia.
As Billy Connolly once remarked. Scots love singing about being far from home from the comfort of their own sofas. Transplant that sofa to JFK airport when you’ve been away for five years and you — yes. even you — would be asking the barman for a tissue. And a Glenfiddich.
The exiled Scotsman feels a strange mix
Wloyouoohg?
Wwavout'ou: mm
unw'h" :aQ-qu"n.--*“’)' slut ~~~I'34' I “ .
t): um ‘\-- o umu; .- .~ w .. ~.~ ~‘ t.
‘ v.0.L’q ! .‘\-‘I ~ Ht. AA '1“ '-‘ I J) .u r s .~ -,' I
8 THE LIST 22 Jan—5 Feb 2009
of pride and hatred for the motherland. Ask the ex-pat his reasons for leaving in the first place. and he'll mutter cliches about the Scottish ‘chip on the shoulder" and how they (they?) hate ‘ambition‘ and ‘success‘. This usually just means. ‘I can make more money abroad.~
Give him a little time and whisky however. and he’ll start reminiscing about
black pudding. 'l‘hc Broons and ‘tmltloor
cludgies‘. These closet romantics are precisely who the Homecoming is hoping to target. and it knows them well. We can make all the indie-poses we like but no- one feels nostalgic about l‘ran/ Ferdinand or cries watching 1W())'l'(’l'll (ill/(1r.
Scots abroad are too far away from the source to ‘get' subtle nods and winks about lrn-Bru and deep-fried Mars Bars. They want to feel drama and power and siren-song. Absence makes the heart grow resistant to corporate gloss: instead they just want to feel the bum. Why do you think Bravehean won an ()scar'.’
Ach. gon yersel.
TWITTER TIME
I Users of Twitter, the popular micro- blogging social network, now have the chance to meet the faces behind the avatars at Twestival, a Twitter Festival, on Thu 12 February. Events will be taking place in cities worldwide, with all money raised going to charity. The Edinburgh event, featuring live music, DJs and prize giveaways takes place at Hawke & Hunter. See www.twestival. com. Follow The List on Twitter twitter.com/thelistmagazine
Visit www.|ist.co.uk for daily arts & entertainment news
(”SIAM E
'? _ biggest music festival. is calling on members of the public to hold a gig. party or event, and donate the proceeds to Oxfam. The South East Scotland team hopes those in Edinburgh, Lothians, Fife, Central and Borders can help them raise funds for the national festival by the end of March. For more information, email southeast scotland@oxjam. org or visit www. oxjam.org.uk.
A DECISION IS still to be made over the future of Fringe Sunday. The popular event faces the axe, following reports that the free event was costing as much as £70,000 to stage. The event has struggled since losing its main sponsor, the Bank of Scotland, in 2006. In other Fringe news, currently underway to appoint new members for the Fringe team, after the shock departure of Jon Morgan last year.
Ian Rankin has written a new short novel, A Cool Head, to be published as part of this year's World Book Day celebrations. His new work, a thriller, priced at £1.99, will be published on World Book Day, Thu 5 Mar.
RED CARPET POTENTIAL? Head honchos at the Edinburgh International Film Festival are looking at the Festival Theatre as a potential screenin venue duringt e festival in June. he glass- fronted space is being looked at to host some of the gala screenings.
MORE MICHELIN I Edinburgh — and more specifically, Leith - has picked up another Michelin star with Tony Borthwick‘s Plumed Horse joining the list of culinary luminaries in Scotland. Scotland made a net gain of three stars in the 2009 awards, taking its total to thirteen with one two—star restaurant, Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles. There was also success for one of the winners of The List's Newcomer Awards in 2008, with David Ramsden's central Edinburgh restaurant The Dogs picking up a Bib Gourmand, a separate Michelin award given for good food at moderate prices. Both Edinburgh winners re- gained their awards, having achieved the accolades at previous establishments: Borthwick at his original Plumed Horse near Castle Douglas, and Ramsden at Fitzhenry.