George Gallacher – Obituaries

Obituaries for the late, great George Gallacher are finally coming through although it’s disappointing that so many seem to have basic errors in them.

Nevertheless, here they all are and I’ll add more as I find them:

The Scotsman – George’s birthday was actually 21 October and not 21 September as originally listed. Otherwise excellent piece by Richie Unterberger.

The Evening Times (Glasgow) – The photo caption in the paper itself (above) is wrong. Tony is the only one that is correct. George is second from the right and Alan Weir wasn’t actually in the photograph. The guy on the far right is Jim Breakey who replaced Alan. Words by Fiona Mackay.

The Glaswegian – Quote attributed to Fraser Watson was actually from Tony Myles, who IS the only surviving member of The Poets. Words by Emma Smith.

The Poets website

The Herald – Words by Allan Brown

Another piece by Allan Brown, this time for The Scotsman, published on Saturday 1 September 2012.

A wonderful piece from Roy Moller on his Pleasures of the Harbor blog, published Tuesday 4 September 2012.

“Those of my mates who know me will be aware that many years ago, in a land far far away, I was a member of a group that emerged from Scotland. I was privileged to be amongst some of the most talented guys in the business and they showed me the path to creativity for which I have been eternally grateful. Far too soon they have been summoned to play in the ultimate rock band and with the sudden death yesterday of GEORGE GALLACHER I am now the only remaining member of the original POETS. Just a few years ago the remaining four of us decided to plan a get-together – then before it happened there were only three of us. Then two. Now there is no one to get together with. One of our fans is quoted as saying – “Life is what happens when you’re making plans” . . . . . Tony Myles

Credit to John Cavanagh and The Poets Facebook page (run by Tony Myles) for spotting the errors.

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RIP George Gallacher, The Poets

I was deeply saddened to hear yesterday of the death of George Gallacher, lead singer of legendary Scottish band The Poets.

I consider myself privileged to have seen George, along with Fraser Watson, play as The Poets once more, backed by The Thanes, twice in the last 12 months.

Reports suggest that George passed away shortly after leaving Firhill on Saturday, having seen his beloved Partick Thistle defeat Dumbarton 3-0 to go top of Division One.

I first saw George play with The Thanes on 6 May 2011 at the 13th Note in Glasgow. Initially The Thanes played and then, following an introduction from broadcaster John Cavanagh, they were joined by Fraser Watson on guitar and George on vocals. I managed to film most of the set and sent George a copy of the show.

Four of those tracks can be found on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3k3ec5N4IA

The second and last time I saw him was on 2 December 2011, ably supported by The Store Keys, a supergroup featuring Belle and Sebastian’s Stevie Jackson and Roy Moller amongst others, at the 7th anniversary of the Eyes Wide Open club. Again, this gig was filmed by me but an inconvenient light throughout obliterated George’s head in most of the footage, although thankfully not his voice, which was in fine form.

I only spoke to George two or three times at these gigs but what came across was a man passionate about music and singing and who was enjoying every minute of the band’s renaissance. My one regret is not taking up George’s offer to come on to my “Where The Action Is” radio show to do a solo session. Thankfully BBC Scotland were wise enough to get them in for a session in November last year on Vic Galloway’s show, which I believe will be repeated this week.

Thanks for the memories and the music, George.

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Review of 2011 – Another Year, Same Address

Here’s a summary of my own personal 2011.

PERSONAL HIGHS

Getting my own radio show (“Where The Action Is”) on Leith FM 98.8
Appearing on “Only Connect” on BBC4 with Kirsty and Dave
Family trips to Pot-A-Doodle Do (Wig Wam holiday) and London.
A visit to the set of Horrible Histories, which is where they filmed “Alfie” and “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning”
Winning the primary school Family Quiz night (again)
Starting my HND in Creative Studies: Radio after taking voluntary redundancy
The reaction to the article I wrote on my ten days in 1985 following The Smiths around Scotland (read it HERE)
Appearing as an extra in “The Happy Lands”, which should be released in 2012
Finally got “Here Come The Girls” Volume 2 (just need Volume 5)
Finally meeting up with long-time friend Simon Goddard
The visit of Giselle and Logan from Long Beach, California
Doing 12 ‘World at Work’ talks at my daughter’s school to P1-P7 pupils about being a radio presenter
Taking Flick to her first tennis and football matches i.e. the Davis Cup (GB v Luxembourg) and East Fife v Hibs
A credit under Archive for the “Serious Drugs” film, although none of the stuff I offered was used

PERSONAL LOWS

The death of Jackie Leven
Falling down the stairs and damaging my thumb and ankle
Seeing Glasvegas live – talk about a busted flush
Hurricane Bawbag forcing my first ever radio show cancellation

READING
I’d love to have the time to read, go to cool films and listen to music, as well as do my College work, prepare my radio show and spend time with my family but sadly something has to give. Books are one of the casualties. I tend to dip in and out of Simon Goddard’s excellent “Mozipedia”, which lives beside my bed. I’m also sneaking occasional glances of “Nile-ism: The Strange Course of the Blue Nile” by Allan Brown, kindly lent to me by classmate Martyn. I’ll probably finish it by the time the band release their next album. Other than those tomes my reading habit revolves around my subscription to Mojo magazine and the local newspaper, the Dunfermline Press, which I refer to as the DePress, such is the cheeriness and blandness of it’s content.

FILMS ENJOYED
Most of my trips to the cinema in 2011 seemed to involve talking, animated animals*

Serious Drugs – The Film about BMX Bandits (GFT) – a wonderful film
It’s a Wonderful Life (GFT) – a classic
Muppet Christmas Carol (Scotsman Hotel Screening Room)
(500) Days of Summer (I know it was 2009 but only just seen it)
*Hop
*Rio
*Legend of the Guardians – The Owls of Ga’Hoolie – didn’t really enjoy

MUSIC ENJOYED – COMPILATIONS
¡Chicas! Spanish Female Singers 1962-1974 (Vampi Soul)
Before the Fall: 24 Original Songs (Ace)
Here Come The Girls (Volume 2) (Sequel)
The Fantastic Story of Mark Wirtz and the Teenage Opera (RPM)

MUSIC ENJOYED – SINGLES
The Orchids – The Way That You Move
Linden – Brown Bird Singing/If I Had Wings (AED)
The Spooks – Got It Wrong (Exclusive Leith FM Mono mix for “Where the Action Is”)
The Laynes – We Got Time (Two Cat)
The Store Keys – Daddy Was a Mod in the RAF
Jonny – Candyfloss (Turnstile)

MUSIC ENJOYED – ALBUMS
Marmalade – Fine Cuts: The Best of Marmalade (Union Square)
Jackie Leven – One Long Cold Morning
The Hollies – The Clarke, Hicks, and Nash Years (The Complete Hollies April 1963 – October 1968) (EMI)
Jackie DeShannon – Come and Get Me (Ace)
The Association – And Then…Along Comes The Association (Now Sounds)
Jonny – Jonny (Turnstile)
The Vaccines – What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? (Columbia)
John Carter – A Rose By Any Other Name (Rev-ola)
John Carter – As You Like It (The Denmark Street Demos 1963-67) (Westside)
John Carter – Hidden Gems Vols 1-3 (Downloads)
The First Class – Summer Sound Sensations (RPM)
Nick Garrie-Hamilton – The Lost Songs (Rev-ola)
The Outsiders – Strange Things Are Happening: The Complete Singles 1965-1969 (RPM)
Ministry of Sound – Men From The Ministry/Midsummer Nights Dreaming (RPM)

GIGS/EVENTS

BMX Bandits/Nick Garrie/Randolph’s Leap (Oran Mor, Glasgow)
Allo Darlin’/The Orchids (Captain’s Rest, Glasgow)
Jonny (Platform, Easterhouse)
The Thanes/The Poets (13^th Note, Glasgow)
Pete Yorn (King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow)
Morrissey (Alhambra, Dunfermline)
The Bootleg Beatles (Alhambra, Dunfermline)
Nick Garrie (The Red Lion, Doune)
Morrissey (Palladium, London)
John Scott (The Beehive Inn, Edinburgh)
Nick Garrie (Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Edinburgh)
Roddy Frame (ABC, Glasgow)
The Poets/The Store Keys (Stereo, Glasgow)
BMX Bandits/Maple Leaves (Glasgow Popfest, Heavenly, Glasgow)
Wedding Present (Greenside Hotel, Leslie)

BEST MUSIC RADIO SHOW

Sound of the Sixties (Radio 2)
Art School Dancing (Leith FM)
The Curiosity Shoppe (Radio Cabin)
Collins and Long (BBC 6Music)
John Cavanagh’s Soundwave (Radio Six International)

TV ENJOYED

Nurse Jackie
This is England 88
Eric and Ernie
The Hour (BBC2 not STV!)
The Sopranos (I’m still catching up)
Boardwalk Empire
Mad Men (back in March 2012)
House
Sherlock (back in a week)
Modern Families
Big Bang Theory
Sport (Tour de France/Mosconi Cup)
Getting On
Pointless (although annoyed at all the repeats on BBC1 to meet the needs of the Johnny-come-latelys)
Only Connect
University Challenge (makes me feel stupid though)
Horrible Histories (I blame the girls)
Not Going Out

FAMOUS ENCOUNTERS

Andrew Collins
Victoria Coren
Susan Calman
George Gallacher (The Poets)
John Cavanagh
Lenny Helsing
Frank Skinner (well, he walked past us in that there London)
Pat Nevin (at Roddy Frame gig)
Joe McAlinden (Linden/Superstar/NOM/BMX Bandits/Groovy Little Numbers – at Roddy Frame gig)
Bruce Watson (Big Country)
Michalea Tabb (Cue sports referee)
Jim McIntyre (Dunfermline FC manager)
Jim Leishman (Dunfermline FC, director of Football)
John Potter (Dunfermline FC defender)
The cast and crew of Horrible Histories
Too many to mention at BMX Bandits film premiere but special mention to Duglas T Stewart and Jim Burns

HEROES OF THE YEAR

John Carter
Simon Goddard
Andrew Collins
Scott Basham
Colin Somerville (course tutor and radio legend)
All those who allowed me to interview them for my radio course (Andrew Collins, Simon Goddard, Michaela Tabb, Bruce Watson (Big Country), Gillian Lee-Ireland, John Potter, Jim McIntyre, Jim Leishman)
Mark Cavendish
John Cavanagh (another radio legend)
All the listeners of my radio show “Where The Action Is” on Leith FM, especially the Marmalade gang!

TV/RADIO APPEARANCES
Only Connect – BBC4
The Fred MacAulay Show (with Susan Calman) (Radio Scotland)
Numerous radio phone-ins

COMPETITION WINS

First Class trip to London on Flying Scotsman and 2 nights in hotel (Forth One)
One-Touch Deluxe BBQ (£350) + year’s supply of Kettle Chips (144 x £1.85) (Delicious Magazine)
Hot Air Balloon Ride (Dunfermline Press)
Garmin Sat Nav (Nationwide Vehicle Contracts)
Years supply of Mackies crisps (52 packets) (Mackies)
Football tickets (Hibs v St. Johnstone, East Fife v Dunfermline)
Ice hockey tickets (Fife Flyers v Belfast Giants)
5 CDs, 3 DVDs, £280, trainers, books, face painting kits, £30 voucher, book token, red wine, mini-hamper, free swims (various)

VILLAINS OF THE YEAR
Fife Council – Not for failing to empty our bin but because I had to phone, email and then Tweet to get the problem finally rectified some five days later.

Cats – Despite my allergy to cats I don’t have an issue with them per se but I do wish they’d stop shitting on my lawn. We may lift the grass and putting down stones. We said that last year though.

Silent calls from scamsters offering insulation grants and a variety of “Home Improvement” loans. We get more silent calls than any other. Same problem as last year.

Lack of communication – Companies and organisations who don’t reply to e-mails still annoys me. E-mail is supposed to make communication quicker. It doesn’t, it just makes ignorance faster. (Same problem as last year and the year before)

WHAT DOES 2012 HOLD?
Finish my book? DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH
A paid job in radio/broadcasting? A LONG SHOT BUT I’M NOT GIVING UP
Hopefully an appearance on Pointless? THE APPLICATION IS IN
Weight loss? I’LL TRY
Exercise routine? ONCE THE ANKLE IS SORTED
Secret Affair gig? CHECK, TICKET PURCHASED.
Entry in for Ian Rankin Scholarship at College? FINGERS CROSSED

All the best to you and yours for 2012.

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Where The Action Is – Thu 14 Jul 2011 LEITH FM

Here’s the runners and riders for this week’s fun-filled edition of Where The Action Is, which was jam-packed full of mod, soul, surf, sunshine pop, psych pop and all manner of alternative 60s tunes. We had the usual features, including the Connect 3, the Birthday track, the Half-Time Instrumental, a Foreign Language track, the Under the Influence choice, this week’s Two of a Kind as well as our weekly visit to the Death Disco.

The Soul Survivors – Can’t Stand To Be In Love With You (Dot 1966)
Tony Newman – Let The Good Times Roll (Decca 1968) (Show Theme)
The Jam – Something’s Gone (Sire 1971)
Jan and Dean – Folk City (Liberty 1965)
The Grass Roots – Midnight Confessions (Dunhill-ABC 1968) RIP ROB GRILL
The Beatstalkers – Ain’t No Soul (Left In These Ole Shoes) (CBS 1967)
Simon Dupree & The Big Sound – Laughing Boy From Nowhere (Unreleased 1968) (Connect 3)
The Byrds – You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere (CBS 1968) (Connect 3)
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas – Nowhere to Run (Gordy 1965) (Connect 3)
The Poets – I Love Her Still (Decca 1965)
The Hollies – Whole World Over (Parlophone 1963)
Vince Taylor – Move Over Tiger (Palette 1961) (Birthday: 14/7/39 Vince Taylor)
Gary and the Hornets – Patty Girl (Smash 1967)
The Velvelettes – Stop Beating Around The Bush (Unreleased 1964)
Duane Eddy – Primeval (Mad Monkey 2011) (Half-Time Instrumental)
Nancy Priddy – You’ve Come This Way Before (Dot 1968)
Thành Mái – Tóc Mai Sợi Vắn Sợi Dài (Long, Uneven Hair) (Sublime 2010) (Foreign Language)
Sharon Tandy – You’ve Gotta Believe It (Atlantic 1968)
Idalia Boyd – Hula Hoppin’ (Dimension 1963)
Robert Mitchum – The Ballad of Thunder Road (Capitol 1957) (Death Disco)
The Kinks – This Man He Weeps Tonight (Mono) (Pye 1969)
Fabienne DelSol – I’m Not a Bad Girl (Damaged Goods 2010) (Under The Influence)
The Ronettes – He Did It (Dimension 1965)
The Monotones – Something’s Hurtin’ Me (Pye 1965)
Bobby Fuller Four – Love’s Made a Fool of You (Mustang 1966) (Two of a Kind)
Bobby Fuller Four – Let Her Dance (Liberty/Mustang 1965) (Two of a Kind)
The New Breed – Friends and Lovers Forever (Decca 1965)
Little Eva – Keep Your Hands Off My Baby (Dimension 1962)

Thanks, as ever, to everyone who tuned in and took part in the show via text, phone, email, Twitter or Facebook. Your contributions are always appreciated and very much welcomed. Tonight’s show included requests for Mrs Cat and her knitting girls (Mairi, Rachel and Laura), Simon Goddard (London), Stuart Cant (Edinburgh), Joe Haining (Milan), John Turnbull (Edinburgh) and John Cavanagh (Glasgow) amongst others.

You can tune in every Thursday night between 8.30pm and 10pm on 98.8 FM in and around Edinburgh and online via www.leithfm.co.uk. You can also join in the chat during the show on the “Where The Action Is (Radio Show)” Facebook page.

Requests are welcome for the show, including the features, and I’ll try and accommodate them all, although it may take a couple of weeks to slot them all in. Next week’s show is an all-request special and promises to be an even more eclectic show than normal, if that’s possible.

That’s it for this week. Until next time, it’s good day and good health.

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The Big Stramash – Cancelled

On 27 April 2011 I posted about The Big Stramash, a fabulous festival of Garage, Rock ‘n’ Roll and Beat Groups scheduled to take place in Edinburgh from 28 to 31 July this year.

Sadly this event has now been cancelled. For more details go to http://www.thebigstramash.org.

 

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The Big Stramash – Garage/Beat/Rock ‘n’ Roll (28-31 July 2011)

Stramash – from the Scots: n. 1. An uproar, commotion, hubbub, disturbance, a broil, squabble, row.

2011 sees Edinburgh’s first International garage punk, beat and rock’n’roll four day festival held over the last weekend of July (Thursday 28th to Sunday 31st). This first Big Stramash aims to champion the very finest of today’s garage rock’n’roll artists and reintroduce at least one seminal musical force from the past.

Headliners The Poets play for first time since 1969, performing only material from their mid sixties act which gave them almost legendary status amongst freakbeat aficionados. They are joined by European Garage Festival regulars The Masonics, The Wildebeests, and The Higher State along with King Salami & The Cumberland 3 who play their first ever gig north of the border. Also of note are 90s cult, all girl band Sally Skull, who have reformed specially for the Big Stramash. Wigan’s The Shook-Ups, Liverpool’s Dr. Combover, London’s The Strip Chords along with Edinburgh’s own The Fnords and 13th Floor Elevators tribute band The Wrong Elevators complete the line up.

The festival is organized by three established club nights based in Edinburgh The Go-Go (now in its 12th year), The Green Door and Land Of 1000 Dances.

The gigs will take place at Henry’s Cellar Bar (8-12 Morrison Street, Edinburgh) and Studio 24 (Calton Road, Edinburgh). Tickets go on sale on 1 May are strictly limited. No prices available as yet.

The Big Stramash is Where The Action Is! See you there cats.

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