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Paul Weller Moves On Up at the Castle

Photo: @paulwellerHQ

Like so many people of my generation I grew up listening to The Jam. The ‘angry young man’ that was lead singer Paul Weller produced songs that resonated with my teenage years. Modern World, News of the World, In the City, That’s Entertainment, Town Called Malice – a song that resonated with me during my time in Aberdeen - these and many more made such an impact on me and millions of others all around the world…


It’s one of my regrets that I never got the chance to see The Jam live. Weller split from the band in 1982, the year I first got married but after a spell with The Style Council, his solo career has taken off. Thankfully, I’ve now seen the great man live three times in recent years – with his gig at Edinburgh Castle last Thursday the latest.

The weather forecast for that evening had not been promising. I had been keeping a weather watch in the days leading up to the event; heavy rain had been forecast which then moved on up (do you see what I did there?) to thunderstorms from mid-afternoon to late evening. That literally threatened to put a dampener on things. However, the weather Gods must also be aficionados of Mr Weller because the rain didn’t materialise, and Thursday evening saw the clouds part and the sun shine on the majestic Edinburgh Castle.

The support act   - The Sound Foundation – set the tone with a Welleresque set before the great man himself appeared around 8.30pm. A truly sublime two hours followed. 

In his recent gigs I’ve attended, Weller has tended to focus more on his solo compositions and latest album releases, with the odd Jam number thrown in. On Thursday, Weller played far more songs from The Jam – Man in a Corner Shop, Precious, That’s Entertainment to name a few – as well as some numbers from The Style Council (Shout to the Top has always been my favourite Style Council song) 

He also performed some of his more memorable solo numbers such as Wildwood, From the Floorboards Up and the heart-tugging You Do Something To Me.

Naturally, Weller’s well-deserved encore just had to include Town Called Malice. His adoring audience simply lapped him up. 

Paul Weller never disappoints. On Thursday at the magnificent setting that is Edinburgh Castle he excelled yet again. 

Long live the Modfather.

Review: The Bodyguard - The Musical

I headed to the Edinburgh Playhouse on Wednesday evening not sure what to expect from The Bodyguard: The Musical. The premise of the show is a star singer, Rachel Marron, who is threatened by a fan who is infatuated by her. Enter Frank Farmer, a bodyguard with a past hired to protect her. Not the kind of thing to be taken lightly. However, there are comedic and touching moments in a show that turned out to be hugely enjoyable.

Produced by Michael Harrison and David Ian, The Bodyguard is based on the 1992 Oscar nominated film which starred Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner.  

Former X Factor winner Alexandra Burke plays the part of Rachel in the evening performances (Jennlee Shallow plays this part in the matinee shows). Burke certainly has a singing voice and has done well to cultivate an American accent. Her rendition of ‘I Will Always Love You’ was particularly impressive and an array of instantly recognisable songs such as Queen of the Night, So Emotional, One Moment in Time, Saving All My Love, Run to You, I Have Nothing, I Wanna Dance with Somebody ensure the show hits the heights.

Benoît Maréchal plays the bodyguard Frank Farmer and he and Burke seem the perfect pairing. The story of the show is the relationship between the pair. Each expects to be in charge but what they don’t expect is to fall in love. The show concentrates in Marron’s relationship with Farmer but also touches on Marron’s family’s reaction to their flowering relationship. Catching some considerable attention are Micha Richardson as Nicki Marron - who, herself, falls in love with Farmer - and Archie Smith who is one of six youngsters playing the part of Marron’s young son Fletcher.

The ingenious use of sets allows the stage to transform in every scene although the use of lights in the more upbeat numbers does tend to dazzle rather too brightly.  However, the sets and impressive dance numbers ensures The Bodyguard is a spectacular show. It will make you laugh; it will make you cry but, at the end of the night, you feel thoroughly entertained. 

The Bodyguard is on at the Edinburgh Playhouse from 9th to 20th July 2019. 

The Neighbourhood Ain't Bad

The Auld Reekie Ranter and she-who-must-be-obeyed aka Marion moved house recently. It's farewell to Leith and hello to Abbey Lane, in the heart of Scotland's capital. We're just a few yards away from these scenes:

The neighbours were in this afternoon. Stick the kettle on, Brenda...

We're lucky to have such a stunning environment on our doorstep.