The disc included Death Cab for Cutie, Skin and Bell X1 — I now have at least one album by all of these artists. OK Go were also there, and they’ve since become heavily played on YouTube for their great music videos. I intend to look more into their music too.

More things to look into: Ladyfuzz, Nightmare of You, Stellastar, Josh Rouse. The lesson learned is that if HMV give you a sampler CD you really should take it. It will probably be incredibly well curated and highlight a whole bunch of interesting artists. It worked for me.

The evening’s party playlist was also interesting because it seemed more-or-less random apart from the titles being each related in some way to horror. It’s great that we now have the technology to create random playlists by entering keywords into the computer, and get out the eclectic variety of Voodoo Chile (Slight Return), Born as Ghosts, the Rocky Horror Show soundtrack, Monster Mash and the Cranberries’ Zombie.

• Duke Special. Stuff from his new album, The Stage, A Book and the Silver Screen, with songs about the films of Hector Mann (is this a real person or just a character in a book?), a Kurt Weill musical about Huckleberry Finn (unfinished) and an anti-war Brecht play. There were a few fan favourites as well, including the terminally catchy Salvation Tambourine.

• The Penny Dreadfuls. I have no idea if this show had a name, but it was a comedy sketch show with no particular theme. In previous years they have mined the comic depths of Victoriana with sketch shows and comic plays. Last year’s show was a stand-out amongst several shining examples. This year wasn’t bad though I felt I didn’t get the same weeping pain and fear-for-my-underwear that I’ve felt in previous years.

• Miles Jupp: Fibber in the Heat (A Cricket Tale). Brilliant tale of one cricket fan’s bid to blag his way into the press box for an tour in India. I know nothing about cricket but it was still a marvellously-told and hilarious story.

• Gutted: A Revenger’s Musical. A late-night comedy musical with the Dreadfuls in supporting roles. It was fun in a slapstick farcical way. Definite Fringe material, though I don’t mean that in the worst possible way. I laughed a good deal more than at some of the stuff I’ve seen…

• Henry Rollins: Frequent Flyer Tour. I had heard a great deal said about Henry Rollins and seen one or two clips on YouTube but had no real measure of what the show would contain. It was an hour and a bit of white-knuckle anecdote and comedy. Totally recommended if you can catch his show anywhere, and from the way he talks he does about a million shows every week.

• Opera de Lyon: Porgy and Bess. A free “orchestra rehearsal” at the Festival Theatre. Sadly the singers were a bit mumbled and even the songs which I knew didn’t come across very well. The interval provided some nice insight as the conductor made some members of the cast re-do certain lines and phrases. I’m just sorry he didn’t get them to sing a bit more clearly at the same time. The dancers were amazing.

• Axis of Awesome: Songs in the Key of Awesome. Comedy musical trio with parodies and hilarious ditties, including the ever-flexible four chords…

• Caledonia. Another free preview, at the King’s Theatre this time, of the latest NTS production. This is a dark and satirical comedy about the Darien venture, Scotland’s ill-fated attempt at empire-building which led to its bankruptcy and eventual merging of parliaments with England. And what better time than now to look at the past of financial speculation and ruin, and claims that “trade begets trade, money begets money”? While enjoyable it was, I think, under-rehearsed: some slightly stumbled lines and one or two on-stage collisions between actors betrayed some lack of familiarity. Mostly this didn’t detract from the show though. Not as completely riveting as Black Watch, but then what is?

• Nofit State Circus: Tabu. Gritty, energetic circus fun with moody live band providing klezmer jollity, rock and cinematic soundscapes. I nearly laughed at the very beginning because the speaker said “it’s been raining for four years, eleven months and two days…” and behind me I could hear the popcorn machine making rain-like pop-pop-pop noises. Funny, alarming, wildly athletic and terrifyingly immediate. Catch them wherever you can. Now when are Archaos going to come back to Edinburgh…?

I’ve probably forgotten something in this list, and we’re going to an Aussie opera on Saturday, so there’ll be more to come.

Efrim was quite talkative — and Glasgow was naturally talkative back — and he even told us exactly what they were going to play before each piece. Nice! Of course that doesn’t mean I can remember everything they did. I guess:

• I Built Myself a Metal Bird, I Fed My Metal Bird the Wings of Other Metal Birds
• God Bless Our Dead Marines
• 1,000,000 Died to Make This Sound
• ‘Piphany Rambler
• There is a Light
• 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons

The ordering is probably not right but that’s how it felt at the time. I enjoyed it all, though I wish I’d been more conscientious about listening to the new album before we went.

There were a lot of big cameras in the audience, including one guy about two rows in front of me who basically spent the whole gig shooting. From the position he was standing, I think it’s this fellow here.

I bought his second album for Helen’s birthday. It’s called Of Tide & Trail. I haven’t got totally inside it yet but it seems a bit more vicious than his previous disc. Some swearing and pointed lyrics in songs like You’ll All Get What’s Coming To You. You have to listen carefully to find them though: on the surface it’s still beautiful music.

Of course you could say the first album wasn’t short of shocking thoughts: “what do you do when you find that everything that you’ve been taught to love is a lie?”.

• Looking for Eric

  This doesn’t really count as a Festival event because it’s just a film which was on at the Filmhouse. But it was really good so I’m putting it here.

  It’s got Eric Cantona guest starring as Eric Cantona, as the fairy godmother/spirit guide for a struggling postman. It’s directed by Ken Loach, and is that typical triumph-over-adversity plot which makes for funny and warming cinema.

• Polly Paulusma et al.

  An acoustic night at Medina, and all the acts were completely unknown to me. Polly headlining and support from various others including local newbies Mayhew. I’m sure I recognised two of the band members.

• Nick Harper

  The second unknown. I really enjoyed his show, though I’m easily drawn to an artist who’ll sing the intro to a song unaccompanied while restringing their guitar. He played with just an acoustic guitar, and a mixture of floaty, shoegazing songs and angry, energetic songs.

  He was a bit pissed and very garrulous, but wasn’t nearly as drunk and annoying as some of the audience. I can kind of forgive Helen and Ken not enjoying themselves so much because of the twerps sitting behind, stomping out of time on the ricketty seats. I had a lot of fun though.

Have you seen any interesting new musicians lately?

I knew nothing of the music before arriving. Helen had played me some a few days before but I was busy doing other things and not concentrating fully. I wasn’t too worried about this. Helen had seen him once before, also without any foreknowledge or preparation (presumably as a support act?) and had really enjoyed it.

And so it was. He turned out to be immensely enjoyable: catchy, intelligent and slightly ramshackle. Just the way I like ‘em. He has a slight air of vaudeville and junkyard band to him, a little bit of Tom Waits’ dark twisted stories and obscure vignettes. Also, gotta love that Northern Irish accent. This is Sweet Sweet Kisses from his new album:

The show was quite early finishing — we were out of there by 10.30 — but the final encore was such a great ending that I really didn’t care. The whole band came off stage, carrying electric guitar (unplugged), double bass and tambourine, and stood in the centre of the hall, with the audience crowded around. Then they taught us Creaky Boat Blues, a sea shanty of sorts, which the whole audience was urged to sing.

Here’s another video from a gig a few days before the Glasgow one, where they did the same thing and someone caught it on video. Enjoy!

We’re away tomorrow and for the long weekend, in Glasgow for a wedding. It’s going to be a bit new. Ostensibly a Muslim wedding but with certain obvious heresies — the groom’s family are Chinese, so there will be pork or chicken’s feet at the meal, possibly both. Because that’s tradition too.

Well, whatever happens the bride and groom are lovely people and I wish them all the best. I hope the events go without a hitch (apart from the obvious one). Here’s some Bell X1 to see you out, extolling the virtues of tea to a Boston audience and singing Flame.

The performers were Steve Lawson and Lobelia (his and hers websites). She does singer-songwriter stuff and he does looping, layered bass guitar songs. They did some songs solo each, and some songs together, including some reworked “cheesy 80s covers”. You know, like a (US) countrified version of You Spin Me Round (Like A Record).

The show was live-streamed to about 190-odd people on the internet, and there were about 18 of us in Paddy’s living room. Here’s one song, recorded from Lobelia’s phone I think. The laughter is hers…

We paid a few quid direct to the artists and even bought a couple of their CDs. Then we went for a curry with Helen’s family and the performers. It was a pretty cool evening. I wonder who else does regular house gigs? Here’s another tune:

Edit: I’ve just been informed that Steve Lawson blogged about it here Dontcher luv tinternet?

Helen was away at the weekend and I spent the time making too much bread. But I’ve discovered that Lidl sell bread flour half the price of anywhere else, so that compensates a bit.

Yesterday we saw some old friends and flatmates. They were visiting Scotland for a bit from the uncivilised hinterlands (London). We went to Calistoga and basically had the place to ourselves. It was a Tuesday night but still a bit eerie at first. Some dishes did go through to the other room, so we weren’t the only people in.