Sunshine On Leith

Happens to be the title of the best Proclaimers' song ever. It also happens to be relevant to this weekend's gigs as I'm off to Edinburgh later.

The gig - Jongleurs - is at the top of Leith Walk kinda, and whenever I play there I remember a particularly mad night I had with Michael Smiley and Adam Bloom one Edinburgh Festival many, many years ago.

Adam had won an award and Smiley and I decided to help him celebrate. After exhausting the bars at The Spiegletent and Late 'n' Live, whe found ourselves wandering down Leith Walk and into a 'restaurant' with a bunch of people we collected on the way.

We sat there laughing, drinking and talking bollocks till about 9am the following morning. It was great fun, except I'd talked so much bollocks I lost my voice and couldn't do my gig that night! Oh to be young and foolish again! Not.

Its a bit of an odd weekend, I'm looking forward to the gigs and Patrick who runs the venue is fabulous, but it's also the anniversary of my Mum's death. A year ago today I was in Bristol working when I heard the news that her suffering was over.

I was working with Richard Morton that weekend and I am on with him again this weekend so there's a kind of symmetry there. He's such a lovely warm human being, not to mention being a top turn. As are the other two guys on the bill, Mark Maier and Trevor Crook, if the website is to be believed. I hope it's accurate, I can't think of three guys I'd rather spend this weekend with.

Have a good one folks xx