Tag Archives: The Glasgow Reporter

Radio 1’s Big Weekend: Saturday 24th May


Glasgow has forever been hailed the home of proud Scottish behaviour. Rowdy, good fun and filled with camaraderie, it only seemed natural that Europe’s biggest free music festival set its next footsteps in Scotland’s largest city.

Tickets for Radio 1’s Big Weekend were released in March and snapped up at uncontrollable speeds, due to the popularity of the acts and the free ticketing policy the BBC has operated since the festival began. A total of 50,000 people arrived at Glasgow Green over the weekend, eager to take advantage of the arrival of massive music names on Scottish shores.

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Radio 1’s broad spectrum of listeners invited a varied crowd to the first day of the event. In a very clever effort to get people through the gates early in the day, boy band of the moment One Direction opened the main stage.

One Direction
Whether or not you enjoy their music, the sheer number of people who had heard of One Direction and their fan base resulted in a packed main stage. The crowd was varied, from young children on their parents shoulders, to twenty/thirty-something year old men there just to experience the 1D mania. They had an undeniable stage presence; brilliantly bold urging the crowd to sing along (as if they needed any encouragement). Reeling off hit after hit, you realise that although their music may not be made to appeal to everyone, it inadvertently does. They’ve been responsible for one of the most recognisable music catalogues of the 21st century, and when performed live, it translates to an unassailable crowd pleaser. They are The Beatles of the internet generation, and with Harry Styles misted in a Jagger-esque aura, the mass hysteria you experience is entirely justified.

Lorde
Hailing from New Zealand, Lorde has gone from writing music in her bedroom to performing to huge international crowds, all before turning eighteen. Her subdued set early on Saturday afternoon was nothing short of beautiful, as she took to the stage in high waist black trousers paired with a white vest. She looked and acted like she meant business. Delivering highlights from her brilliant debut ‘Pure Heroine’, she jolted and swayed her hair in perfect sync to her music. It was like watching a teenage girl dancing around her bedroom, unrestrained as though no one was watching. In turn it felt affectionate and intimate. She feels her music, and reverberates that to every corner of the audience. One of the most touching moments came as she introduced ‘Ribs’, a song she wrote when she was fifteen and realised the inevitability of growing old. She looked out on to a packed crowd, and smiled. She may only be a young woman, but her stage presence and lyricism reflects that of somebody near three times her age. Lorde was Big Weekend’s most innate and expressive performer.

Pharrell
His name has been attached to every one of the world’s most popular songs in the past eighteen months. As expected, all of Pharrell’s recognisable hits propped up in his perfectly slotted set on Saturday afternoon. Opening with the Daft Punk collaboration ‘Lose Yourself to Dance’, he started subdued with subtle groove provoking a swaying crowd. His vocals, whilst there, were barely audible. Perhaps this was an issue with sound (I was near the back of the crowd, and his voice has more intricate flare than booming power), but the half recognisable record was not necessarily the best choice for an opener. Saying this, he ploughed his way through his impressive repertoire of music, dropping in cuts from his latest album including Marilyn Monroe and Happy, and some of his older work. His most bizarre performance came in the form of Gwen Stefani’s Hollaback Girl, a song Pharrell wrote and produced under his early noughties power group, The Neptunes. It got the crowd going, but Pharrell’s effort was questionable on that part. His band, choreography and backing singers were on point, but maybe a little bit more passion from the man himself would work better as a festival gig.

Calvin Harris
Both sub-headline slots on the main stage were filled by Scottish music heroes at the weekend. Whilst Paolo Nutini brought soul to the stage on Sunday night, the world’s highest paid DJ performed on Saturday, setting off pyrotechnics and smoke flares aplenty. Bombastic, non stop and relentless, Harris reeled of his catalogue without a duff note in between. It was an atmospheric, standard set for the DJ. He delivered what the crowd wanted, but was a little afraid to drop something unexpected. Nothing overly boring, nor earth shattering – just standard EDM affair.


Coldplay
Undoubtedly, the most astounding feat of Big Weekend came with Coldplay’s euphoric headline set. Delivering some of the most incredible stage work the city had seen, they effortlessly soared through a rather short set for the stadium band, but included all of their best work and the obligatory new ones. That’s the thing, though. The crowd was more than willing to listen to their new music – it’s as wonderful as the classics. As the lights stretch out as far as you can see, and twisting LED dandelion seeds fall from the sky, you realise that although the spectacle is there, it isn’t necessary with Coldplay’s immense catalogue and charisma. Seeing them live is a mindblowing experience, and as Chris Martin watched the 25,000 strong crowd sing the hook of ‘Viva La Vida’ back to him, it might just be the same for them too.

Man jailed for Haghill murder

Patterson sentenced to life for murder of Paul Cunningham

At the High Court at Glasgow today Stuart Arron Patterson was sentenced for the murder of Paul Cunningham in Glasgow in January of this year after being found guilty of the crime on 13 September 2013.

Patterson (27) was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a punishment part of 18 years, for the murder and 3 years for being concerned in the supplying of drugs.

Kimberley Lucy Reid (25) was also sentenced today for her part in stealing cannabis plants and leaves from Mr Cunningham’s property and for being concerned in the supplying of cannabis.

On 8 February 2013 at Mr Cunningham’s flat in Haghill Patterson assaulted Mr Cunningham by repeatedly striking him with a golf club. The pair then left the flat with a quantity of cannabis plants and cannabis leaves.

John Dunn, Procurator Fiscal for the West of Scotland, said:-“This was a vicious premeditated assault by Patterson whose intention was to rob and attack Mr Cunningham in what should have been the safety of his own home.

“As prosecutors we are committed to tackling all violent crime, particularly where the use of weapons is concerned.”

85a Collective goes to Edinburgh

Chernozem image

Glasgow-based group 85a is ready to make its Edinburgh debut at Summerhall next month.

The sound, art and performance collective stages elaborate happenings which are part art installation and part theatrical event, with elements of music, film and puppetry thrown into the mix. On 6th December Summerhall will play host to the premiere of Judd Brucke’s industrial-horror film ‘CHERNOZEM,’ a film which the group claims will cast “a cinematic shadow as trenchant and visceral as they come.”

The event will culminate in the ‘Renegade Maskerrade’  party – a mixture of live performances, music and DJs featuring Glasgow band Jacob Yates & The Pearly Gate Lock Pickers.

For further information about 85a check out their website: www.85a.org.uk

Holyrood comes to Glasgow to talk about welfare

Impact of welfare reform to be heard in Glasgow

The impact of welfare reform on people in Glasgow will be discussed when the Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee meets in City Halls next week  on Tuesday 23 April 2013.

This follows research published by the Committee on 11 April that the reforms will have the biggest impact in Glasgow, losing the equivalent of £650 a year for every working adult when the reforms are fully implemented.

The meeting has been organised by the Committee in partnership with the Poverty Alliance, and will be held in the Recital room, City Halls, Glasgow on 23 April 2013 from 10.00am – 12.00pm.

Committee Convener Michael McMahon MSP said:-“For the past year, we have been asking the people of Scotland affected by welfare reform to tell us their experiences, their hopes and their fears. We’ve already held two evidence sessions at Holyrood that have been both moving and revealing.

“Glaswegians are known for their straight talking and I don’t expect or want the witnesses to pull any punches when we hear from them. It is important to know what is happening on the ground. Unlike Iain Duncan Smith, we are listening and will hear their views. It is important to us that we work out what we might be able to do differently in Scotland to mitigate the impact on our most vulnerable.”

Witnesses at the meeting include:
• People identified by and working with the Poverty Alliance.
• Members of the Glasgow Stronger Together group, a group of people with learning disabilities who meet and talk about some of the political changes that they are interested in.
• People who have responded to the Committee’s ‘Your Say’ appeal.

The meeting follows the publication of a study, undertaken by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University that estimates that when fully implemented, the welfare reforms will take more than £1.6 billion a year out of the Scottish economy. This is equivalent to around £480 a year for every adult of working age in Scotland. In Glasgow, this rises to £650 a year. Whilst the Scottish average is broadly on a par with the British average, this makes Glasgow only second to Birmingham within Britain in terms of financial loss.

Deputy Convener Jamie Hepburn MSP said:-“Our research demonstrated the devastating impact these reforms will have on Glasgow. Seeing the scale in numbers is important but this reform is not happening to statistics. It is impacting on people – our friends, family and neighbours. Our ‘Your Say’ campaign has been vital to helping people see the faces behind the figures and I think those coming to our Glasgow meeting see this very clearly.”

Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance, said:

“As the debate around welfare changes has intensified over the last few weeks, we have seen attempts by some to denigrate and stigmatise those who use our social security system. In this context, the ‘Your Say’ event in Glasgow is all the more important. It is an opportunity to get behind the myths about what living on benefits actually means and to understand the real impact that the changes are having. If we are to find genuine, long-term solutions to the challenges our welfare system face, then it is essential that we listen to those who use the system.”

Background
Members of the public can attend the meeting and book tickets. To book a ticket, please email sp.bookings@scottish.parliament.uk or call 0131 348 5200 or freephone 0800 092 7600 (Textphone users: 0800 092 7100).