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THE STAND V ESSENTIAL EDINBURGH
The Stand Comedy Club was unceremoniously locked out of St Andrew Square for the Edinburgh Fringe after square owner Essential Edinburgh deemed the venue’s annual takeover to be deleterious and contrary to its desire to keep its status as ‘an oasis of calm’ in the city centre. The decision arrived late in the day and left The Stand with losses ‘enough to buy a house in Edinburgh’.
THE CLOSURE OF YET MORE OF EDINBURGH’S DWINDLING
MUSIC VENUES
Edinburgh’s music scene is in dire need of extra (and bigger) venues, so it’s ever frustrating to see yet more spaces close. Electric Circus was unplugged in March to make way for the Fruitmarket Gallery expansion, and Studio 24 followed suit shortly after as a result of its owners’ ongoing frustration at having to defend itself from constant attacks by new neighbours and the council.
NOT SUCH A GREEN DAY The US band were all set to play Bellahouston Park in July and were welcomed by a traditional Scottish summer, with rain forcing the concert’s cancellation just an hour before the band were due on stage. When the gig became a literal washout, it wasn’t just fans left disappointed; hundreds of staff were told they wouldn’t be paid, thanks to the gig economy.
BOILER ROOM AND THE WHITE MEN
When DJ and promoter Sarra Wild was interviewed for the Boiler Room documentary about Glasgow’s house and techno culture, she celebrated that the city was ‘no longer a white man’s techno scene’. To avoid what they considered controversy and appease their mostly white male audience in the process, Boiler Room thought it best to excise the line from the i lm completely, silencing a valid contribution from a woman of colour while simultaneously making her point.
EVERY FEMALE CHARACTER IN T2: TRAINSPOTTING
Critical opinion was very much divided on the return of Renton, Begbie, Spud and Sick Boy. But no one could argue the script did many favours to the capital’s women. With Diane (Kelly Macdonald) and Gail (Shirley Henderson) appearing in tiny cameo roles, the only female of note was Anjela Nedyalkova’s double-crossing Bulgarian sex worker. Even Renton’s mother (Eileen Nicholas) was dead from the start.
1 Nov 2017–31 Jan 2018 THE LIST 35
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theatre pieces from Julia Taudevin and Mariem Omari, an international i lm competition and much more. (DP) raw Meet Me at Dawn. Meanwhile, her Oresteia returned for dates at the EIF and the Citz. Always unpredictable, and always inspiring. (LI)
22 ZINNIE HARRIS CLASSICAL STUDIES
21 JOHNNY LYNCH EIGG ON
Cementing her reputation as one of Scotland’s best playwrights, Zinnie Harris enjoyed Edinburgh International Festival success with her inventive take on Ionesco’s Rhinoceros, and the emotionally
Johnny ‘Pictish Trail’ Lynch and his Lost Map label continue to be a fulcrum of the Scottish indie scene, with the Eigg-based micro-festival Howlin’ Fling, new releases from Savage Mansion, Manuela and Ed Dowie, and tours on his own and with KT Tunstall among the year’s highlights. (DP)
20 ELECTRIC FIELDS PLUG IN
A diverse programme, family-friendly atmosphere, and yes, the weather, contributed to yet another successful year at Electric Fields. Dizzee Rascal closed the party with aplomb, and the likes of Foxygen, Aldous Harding and Arab Strap helped make it another weekend to remember at Drumlanrig Castle. (CA)
19 PAISLEY CITY OF CULTURE ARTS HUB
Not just Glasgow’s neighbour anymore, Paisley’s place on the i ve-strong shortlist for UK City of Culture 2021 is well deserved. The bid has galvanised (and included) its residents, with the project’s director Jean Cameron a proud and vibrant i gurehead. (CA)