87? Yes it’s a busy time in the capital this week- lots and lots of music, films, poetry, books and art, plus ‘an extraordinary barbecue’, a gluten-free Burns Supper, some Rock ‘N’ Roll Ping Pong – and if none of that appeals, how about some Men with Coconuts? Please check details with the organisers before setting out to all events – and have a great week!
MONDAY 25TH JANUARY 2016
Grassmarket Picture House: The Wave (15) – in 1967 Ron Jones, a teacher at a high school near San Francisco, conducted an experiment with his pupils to give them an understanding of fascism by re-enacting within the class the conditions that brought the Nazis to power. Apparently it proved frighteningly effective, authoritarian attitudes rapidly spreading into the rest of the school until the project had to be quashed. The Wave, co-scripted by the German director Dennis Gansel and his producer Christian Becker, is a transposition of this incident to a prosperous town in present-day Germany. ‘A compelling allegorical thriller made convincing as we watch through the ambiguity of Wenger (how much does he understand what he’s doing with his pupils and what is happening to himself and his marriage?) and through the sharp characterisation of the students’. 7pm, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. All welcome, free admission: donations very welcome! The Grassmarket Community Project is a charity providing mentoring, training and education to participants, many of whom are amongst the most vulnerable of Edinburgh’s citizens, in a nurturing environment. It operates a community cafe, woodwork and tartan social enterprises, and a range of social integration and educational activities for members, aimed at enhancing life skills and developing confidence. To read about The Edinburgh Reporter’s afternoon at the Project, click here.
Meet the Edible Gardening Team: take a look around the productive garden with the Edible Gardening Project volunteers. Find out what jobs need doing in your own garden now and have your vegetable growing questions answered. 1-3pm, Demonstration Garden, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Free, drop-in, no booking required. Also at same times on Tuesday 26th January.
Picturehouses Toddler Time: exclusive short screenings for pre-school children and their parents and carers. Today: Messy Goes to Okido (U) – lovable monster Messy magically transports us to the land of Okido, where he finds the answers to such questions as ‘Why do things fall down and not up?’ ‘Where do echoes comes from?’ and ‘Why does my stomach rumble?’ The aim of the series is to bring science to life using stories, comedy and adventure; Messy’s questions range from nature and biology to technology, from atoms to outer space,and everything in between. 11am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets cost £3 per child, accompanying adult free.
Muirhouse Library Garden Club: seed sowing, tree planting and art & craft activities for children aged 7+. 3.30pm today and every Monday, Muirhouse Library, Pennywell Court. All welcome – for more information ask in the library.
The Skylark Kids’ Movie: this week My Neighbour Totoro (U). While their mother recovers from an illness, Satsuki and her little sister Mei (voiced in English by Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning) get away from it all in an idyllic rural retreat. Far from the bustle of the city, they discover a mysterious place of spirits and magic, and the friendship of the Totoro woodland creatures. Conceived as a family film devoid of conflict and suffused with the carefree pleasures of the summertime, My Neighbour Totoro sees Hayao Miyazaki create a parable of friendship and imagination populated with unforgettable characters and shows Japanese animation’s famous Studio Ghibli at its very best. 3.45pm, The Skylark, 241/243 Portobello High Street.
Sketchy Beats Burns Night: Supper, Poetry and Music. A full Burns Supper of haggis, neeps and tatties, with the address to the haggis given by Garry G Miller. 7pm, Sketchy Beats Cafe, 208 Great Junction Street. Tickets cost £6 in advance or £8 on the door and include unlimited corkage. Please book via Sketchy Beats’ or David Roberts’ Facebook pages.
For Crying Out Loud: screenings for parents and carers and their babies under the age of 12 months. (Maximum of two adults per baby). Babychanging, bottle-warming and buggy parking facilities are available. Today’s film is Bolshoi Babylon (PG): on 17 January 2013, Sergei Filin, Ballet Director of the Bolshoi Theatre, was targeted in a brutal acid attack which left him with third-degree burns and the loss of sight in one eye. This documentary – for which backstage access was granted to film crews for the first time in the company’s history – covers the extraordinary season which followed, as Filin’s interim replacement stepped in and as conspiracies, internal rivalries and tensions between performers and managers threatened the existence of a nearly 250-year-old national institution. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4.50/£3.50 per adult.
Scottish Quiz Night! You don’t need to form a team – just put your name down in the library or call 0131 529 5549 to take part – all welcome. 6.30pm, Oxgangs Library, Oxgangs Road North.
‘The World’s First Gluten Free Burns Night Supper’! Organised by Clan Gluten Free, the evening includes a fabulous menu featuring (of course) gluten free haggis, neeps and tatties, Burns’s Ode to the Haggis, Scottish music, and a dram of whisky on arrival. 7.30pm, The Roamin’ Nose, 14 Eyre Place. £32 per person. For more information and to book (essential), please call 0131 629 3135. Clan Gluten Free has members throughout the world; it brings together people who eat gluten free, from necessity or choice, together with suppliers and food manufacturers, to make life more pleasant and to increase awareness of the GF world.
LGBT Art Therapy Taster Workshop: Found and Reclaimed. An evening workshop facilitated by art therapists, using found objects and materials. All are invited to reclaim the meaning, value and aesthetic of an object by changing its context and revitalising something that has been discarded into something of significance. No prior experience of art making required. 6.30-7.30pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information and to book, please contact Alison Wren on 0131 652 3283 or email alison@lgbthealth.org.uk.
Raise Yer Glasses, Lads and Lassies – Burns Recital: come along and recite a poem or sing a song in honour of Rabbie – it doesn’t have to be a Burns poem so get creative! A free dram and shortbread for anyone who takes to the stage. A special Bloody Rabbie’s Cocktail, a Scottish twist on the Bloody Mary made with Jura whisky, green Tabasco and a splash of Buckie, will be on sale. From 3pm, Victoria Bar, Leith Walk.
TUESDAY 26TH JANUARY 2016
Spanish Rhymetime – Sesiones de rimas en español! ‘Hola chicas !!!, sólo un pequeño recordatorio de nuestra segunda Rhymetime española de este nuevo año . Será el próximo 26 de martes de enero en Portobello Biblioteca a las 10.30. Tengo muchas ganas de verte cantar rimas españolas y tendremos cuentacuentos también. ¡¡¡Hasta pronto!!!’ 10.30am, Portobello Library, Rosefield Avenue.
Usher Hall Emerging Artists Series: Robyn Stapleton and Claire Hastings. Both winners of BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year, this duo of Scots singers met whilst studying Scots Song at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; today they will sing Burns (and other) traditional songs. 11am,Usher Hall, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £3 (students and schools free). Image courtesy of Live Music Now Scotland.
Get Online – free help with computing and tablets: how to use the internet, email, apps, Skype and lots more, with one-to-one support from volunteers. 2-4pm today and for the next four Wednesdays, Craigmillar Library, Niddrie Mains Road. Booking is essential; please contact kenneth.sharkey@edinburgh.gov.uk.
Cafe Ceilidh: Celebrating Robert Burns. Join Linten Adie and friends from the Scots Music Group for a free afternoon of the songs and music of Robert Burns in the relaxed atmosphere of the Storytelling Court. All singers and musicians from SMG, and non-members who would like to perform or just come along to listen, are most welcome. 2-4pm, Storytelling Court, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. No booking required.
Get Organised: today a programme of audience requests – Get Organised audience members are invited to submit suggestions, whether for old favourites or new ideas. 1.10pm, Usher Hall, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4. The next series of Get Organised will begin on 5th April 2016.
The Art of Portraiture: Artist’s Talk and Demonstration. In response to this year’s BP Portrait Award exhibition, artist Damian Callan will give a demonstration to illustrate the early stages of a portrait in oil paint – looking at questions of composition, likeness, character and emphasis. 12.45-1.30pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free, no booking required. Image: Ricardo by Edward Sutcliffe − © Edward Sutcliffe.
Lunchtime Concert: Alec Frank-Gemmill (horn) and Alasdair Beatson (piano) play Beethoven Horn Sonata, John Casken Serpents of Wisdom and Schumann Adagio and Allegro. 1.10pm, City of Edinburgh Methodist Church, 25 Nicolson Square. Admission free. Image: Alec Frank Gemmill by Jen Owens.
Edinburgh College of Art Chancellor’s Fellows’ Talks: Matt Brennan- Doing Arts Research as if the World Depended on it. Dr Brennan specialises in the interdisciplinary field of popular music studies, with a particular interest in live music; he is based in the Reid School of Music. Matt’s talk will be followed by a drinks reception at which it will be possible to discuss the issues raised. 5.20pm, Evolution House (Boardroom, 5th floor), Edinburgh College of Art, 78 West Port, Edinburgh. Free and open to the public: no booking necessary.
German Culture Day: Wurstfest. An extraordinary barbecue with German sausages freshly grilled and traditional potato salad. German music, from hiphop to reggae to punk…. and (rumour has it) traditional Bavarian clothes! 2pm, Forest Café, Lauriston Place.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Games Night: come and play some of the store’s bestselling games. From popular board games like Settlers of Catan to new miniature games like Star Wars X-Wing and classics like Backgammon, there will be something for everyone. A chance to try out new games, with Blackwell’s team of seasoned gamers on hand to help. Every game gets allocated a one hour slot, which can be booked in advance. Once your hour is up, you can move on to a new game or play again (unless someone else has already booked the game). 6-10pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free but booking is required and should be made via eventbrite here.
Scottish Poetry Library Workshop: Jennifer L Williams, poet and SPL programme manager, facilitates this writing workshop in which the group will read, discuss and write poems. All levels of experience welcome. Please bring paper and a pen or pencil, or laptop/tablet of choice. 6pm, Scottish Poetry Library, Crichton’s Close. Tickets cost £5/£4 and may be purchased via eventbrite here.
Screening Europe: a new season curated by Film Studies at the University of Edinburgh, introducing a varied selection of past and contemporary European films to celebrate and interrogate the history and aesthetics of cinema in Europe. Both members of the public and students are invited to an exciting series of introduced screenings that will chart the development of film across Europe. 
Tonight’s film is The Tempest (15): following his 1978 Elizabethan punk time travel analysis of the state of nation in Jubilee, Derek Jarman persuaded Toyah Willcox to play Miranda in his louche, carnivalesque adaptation of Shakespeare’s play. Duncan Petrie describes the film as questioning ‘old, essentialist traditions of colonialism’ but its anarchic queer sensibility is perhaps more apparent today, especially in Jack Birkett’s ultra-camp Caliban. Arch and sumptuous, the film’s highlight is Elisabeth Welch’s performance of her never more apt 1933 hit Stormy Weather. The screening will be introduced by Dr David Sorfa, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies (University of Edinburgh). 6pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online. The next film in the series will be Macbeth (15) showing on Tuesday 2nd February.
LGBT Basketball: The Sonics is a friendly and informal group for beginners and regular players alike, with basic drills and friendly games to build skills and confidence. You are welcome along, whatever your fitness level. 7 (doors open 6.45)-8pm today and every Tuesday, Leith Community Education Centre, 12a Newkirkgate. For more information and/or to let the organisers know you plan to attend (on rare occasions, they have had to cancel due to a leak/repair made to the sports hall), please contact Jules Stapleton Barnes on 0131 523 1104 or email jules@lgbthealth.org.uk. £2 per session.
French Cinema: Le Petit Lieutentant (15) (In French with English subtitles). After graduating from the Police Academy, Antoine (Jalil Lespert) heads to Paris to join one of the busiest precincts in the city. The newly sober alcoholic detective Caroline Vaudieu (Nathalie Baye) chooses the young lieutenant to become a member of her criminal unit. Quickly, Vaudieu gets attached to this young man, who is the same age as her deceased son… 6pm, Institut Francais d’Ecosse, 13 Randolph Crescent. Free but advance booking is highly recommended and may be made by calling 0131 225 5366 or emailing info@ifecosse.org.uk. These Tuesday evening screenings are presented by Martine Pierquin from Short Courses at the University of Edinburgh. Also showing at 1pm on Wednesday 27th January 2016.
Leith Folk Club: The Gilly Hewitt Band. Featuring Mike Slessor on fiddle, Murray McLeod on guitar and Ian Hewitt on percussion, Gilly Hewitt returns to LFC for an evening celebrating the music of Robert Burns. Growing up in Ayrshire Gilly was steeped in Burns’ songs and poetry from an early age; she recorded an album of 17 Burns’ songs and has since gone on to produce two EPs, and a CD of songs for, from and about Ireland. Support: Fozzie Sayers and Alistair Morrison. 7.30pm, Victoria Park House Hotel, 221 Ferry Road. Tickets cost £8 and may be reserved by completing the online form here or texting the club’s dedicated booking line on 07502 024 852. Reserved tickets must be collected by 7.30pm on the night.
WEDNESDAY 27TH JANUARY 2016
The Tycoon and The Bard: How can a poet influence a businessman? In his latest book actor and author John Cairney looks at the relationship between Scotland’s Bard Robert Burns and the business tycoon-turned-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. In this talk, Cairney examines how this relationship came about, and the effect it had on two of Scotland’s most famous men. 2pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but registration is required and may be made by calling 0131 623 3734 or via eventbrite here.
Young Writers’ Creative Writing Group: a new group for young people aged 10-14. A ten class block of fortnightly classes will run from today until Wednesday 18th June. 3.45-5pm, South Queensferry Library, Shore Road. Please call the library on 0131 529 5576, or email shirley.bell@edinburgh.gov.uk, to book a place.
Never Again: The fight Against Racism and Fascism in Europe Today. Unite Against Fascism will mark International Holocaust Memorial Day 2016, with two meetings in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The aim of the meetings is to not only remember the victims of the Holocaust and why it happened, but also to draw attention to the modern day threat of fascism and racism which is on the rise across Europe. Fascist parties such as the Front National are seizing on the refugee crisis as well as the climate of Islamophobia in mainstream politics; last month Front National secured its highest vote yet, topping the polls in the first round of regional elections in France. Now more than ever, people need to be reminded of the genocide perpetrated by the Nazis and to understand the threat fascists pose today to democracy and indeed to humanity. Speakers at the Edinburgh meeting will include Aamer Anwar and Pinar Aksu, with other speakers to be confirmed. 7pm, University of Edinburgh, Lecture Theatre 5, Appleton Tower, 11 Crichton Street.
Edinburgh Gay Men’s Book Group: an inclusive group where you can meet new people and read and discuss interesting books. 7-9pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact info@gaybookgroup.co.uk.
Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD): Fateless (12A) (in Hungarian, English and German with English subtitles). Nobel Prize winner Imre Kertész’s screen adaptation of his semi-autobiographical novel is a major addition to the cinema of the Holocaust. Since Hungary was nominally a German ally, it wasn’t until 1944 that deportations began to affect Budapest’s largely assimilated Jewish population, which in part explains 14-year-old Gyuri Köves’ initial disbelief as he’s packed into a train for Auschwitz. He’s soon forced to adjust his perspective, given the daily round of endurance that becomes his lot, yet, amid the suffering, there’s also comradeship, allowing him to retain a precarious grip on his humanity. 
Measured, unsentimental, and of a sustained intensity appropriate to but never exploitative of the situation, Lajos Koltai’s directorial debut explores the horrifying ramifications of perseverance in the face of incomprehensible horror. Wide-eyed Marcell Nagy’s committed central performance potently embodies the struggle to maintain an individual identity beyond mere victimhood. ‘On HMD we share the memory of the millions who have been murdered in the Holocaust and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur in order to challenge hatred and persecution in the UK today’. 5.45pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online.
Parenthèse (science): mathématiques et technologies. In 2016, the Institute opens a new series of Parenthèses: informal, demonstrative and interactive rendez-vous with speakers invested in the broadest spectrum of cultural, social and creative life. Today Emmanuel Delande from the Institute of Sensor, Signals and Systems at Heriot-Watt University will explain how mathematics are being used to innovate in target detection and tracking in uncertain environments. In so doing, he will give an insight into what the French school of mathematics is bringing to research institutions here in Scotland. 6pm, Institut Francais d’Ecosse, 13 Randolph Crescent. Free but advance booking is highly recommended and may be made by calling 0131 225 5366 or emailing info@ifecosse.org.uk. Please note this talk is in French.
LGBT Exchange: Meet Up. Whatever your identity or experience, try this new monthly meet up for those looking to connect with a like-minded community and meet new people, whether you identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, pan, poly or none or several of the above. Exchange is a space where people are encouraged to share their thoughts, suggestions for things to do and ideas for how to get involved in other relevant projects or groups. The organisers strive to make the evening a safe space, where no assumptions are made about others and everyone has the opportunity to contribute. For over 18s only. 7.30-9.30pm, The Regent Bar, Montrose Terrace. For more information please contact Alison Wren on 0131 652 3283 or email alison@lgbthealth.org.uk.
Lights Off! Climate Confessions. Ever wondered what would happen if you got together with a bunch of strangers to talk climate change in the dark? Come along tonight to find out! There will be games, low carbon food, local beer and acoustic music at this event organised by The Himalayan Centre for Arts and Culture; a great chance to switch off and tune in! The main activities will run from 6-8pm and from 8-9pm Charlie and Felipe from The Blueswater will play an acoustic set. There’ll be refreshing local beers thanks to Edinburgh’s own Growler UK, plus delicious and low-carbon home-made food to share (please let the organisers know beforehand if you have any dietary requirements). You can also BYOB to enjoy alongside the live music. Bring your environmental stories and come along to switch off, tune in and have some lightbulb-free fun! 6-8pm, Sketchy Beats Cafe, 208 Great Junction Street. Free but registration is required and may be made via eventbrite here.
Square One Jazz Quartet: the Glasgow-based contemporary jazz 4-piece showcases vibrant original compositions and a diverse range of influences from jazz to fusion, Scottish folk and groove-based music. Joe Williamson (guitar), Pete Johnstone (piano), David Bowden (double bass) and Stephen Henderson (drums) make music rich in harmonies, lyrical melodies and unstoppable rhythmic momentum, and recently won a highly contested Peter Whittingham Jazz Award. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. Admission £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is strictly cash only.
THURSDAY 28TH JANUARY 2016
Mayfield Salisbury Thursday Club: a weekly programme of music, visual presentations, films, talks and demonstrations. Although mainly for retired people, visitors of any age are always welcome. This week Mark McLean talks about Newhailes House (National Trust). 2-4pm, Upper Hall, Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church, 1a Mayfield Road. Annual membership costs £4 per year and 50p a week is charged for tea; new members are most welcome, but you don’t have to be a member to come along. For more information please contact Florence Smith on 0131 663 1234.
Gaelic Rhymetime: Gaelic songs and rhymes for young children and their parents and carers. 10.30am today and the last Thursday of each month, Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road. All welcome!
Picturehouses Big Scream: exclusively for babies under the age of twelve months and their parents and carers. Today’s film is The Good Dinosaur (PG): in an ancient alternative universe where the dinosaurs weren’t destroyed by an asteroid, a big-hearted young Apatosaurus called Arlo, who has become separated from his family, befriends Spot, a lonely cave-dwelling tot. The pair encourage each other to face their fears and overcome adversity as they travel through the wild and mysterious landscape. The directorial debut of Peter Sohn, who was an animator on The Incredibles and Ratatouille, has twice as many special effects as any previous Pixar animation. 10.30am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets are at usual matinee prices: babies admitted free.
Don’t Stand By: Holocaust Memorial Day. Edinburgh’s annual event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and remember the victims of holocaust and genocide the world over. The programme will include testimonies from Zigi Shipper, who survived the Lodz ghetto and Auschwitz-Birkenau camp and human rights advocate Mukesh Kapila who has worked with survivors of the genocides in Rwanda and Darfur; Rabbi Stephen Fuchs will lead prayers. Arrive early for a guided tour of the Anne Frank exhibition. 
There will be music, poetry and candle-lighting by pupils of the school, with a break for some refreshments. Please bring along a pair of shoes you no longer need to add to the installation; these will be donated to Oxfam after the event. 7pm, Firrhill High School, 9 Oxgangs Road North. Free and open to all, but advance registration is required and may be made via eventbrite here. This event is generously supported by the Claremont Trust. ‘Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented’. (Elie Wiesel)
Meet the Glasshouse Staff: come along to find out more about the RBGE’s stunning collection of plants from the people who care for them. Each month meet a different member of the indoor horticulture team in one of the ten glasshouses, each with different specialist knowledge. 1-2pm, Glasshouse, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Free with Glasshouse entry (£5/£4, children under 15/essential carers free); no booking required.
Greyfriars at 12: Christian Schneeberger (tenor) and Jennifer Redmond (piano) perform a beautiful programme of English and Italian song to banish the January blues. 12 noon-12.45pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place.
Music Research Seminar Series 2015 – 2016: Professor David Clarke (University of Newcastle), former Director of the HEFCE-funded Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Music and Inclusivity, is a music theorist in the broadest sense, interested in analytical, philosophical, cultural, psychological, linguistic and semiotic applications to questions of musical meaning. This broader concern extends into music and philosophy, with ‘music and consciousness’ being a particularly important strand in his research. 5.15pm, Lecture Room A, Alison House, Reid School of Music, Nicolson Square. All welcome: please contact Dr Benedict Taylor at B.Taylor@ed.ac.uk if you have any queries.
Cards Against Humanity: ‘a night of bringing out your humanity and laughter with a party game for horrible people. If you haven’t played before, there’s not much to learn and it’s a great time. Come and get to know some strangers through awkwardness’. 7.30pm, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street.
StAnza Preview: short readings from several of this year’s StAnza Festival poets including Don Paterson and Katie Ailes – with more to be revealed shortly – plus some music from poet and harpist Rita Bradd, who will be playing at the Festival Launch in March, and a round-up of some of the festival highlights. 6-7pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but please book by emailing stanza@stanzapoetry.org or calling 07900 207 429. Founded in 1998, StAnza is Scotland’s International Poetry Festival, celebrating poetry and related art forms by holding a main spring festival each year in St Andrews in March, and organising other events, programmes and projects throughout the year. Please note that this event is scheduled to end in time to allow people to attend the Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award Showcase (see below) if they wish to do so.
Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award Showcase: come and hear some of the most exciting new writers in Scotland perform their work live, as Scottish Book Trust celebrates the New Writers Awards, hosted by Peggy Hughes. The awards highlight of some of the most exciting and engaging new writing in Scotland; each year, expert panellists choose twelve awardees from hundreds of entries. 2015’s judges included Kevin Williamson (Rebel Inc, Neu! Reekie!), William Sutcliffe (The Wall) and Christine De Luca (Edinburgh Makar). 7.30 (doors open 7)-9pm, The Jam House, 5 Queen Street. Tickets cost £2 and may be booked here (transaction fee applies).
In Conversation: Joanna Blythman. The much respected and award winning author, food journalist and broadcaster’s works include Shopped: The shocking power of Britain’s supermarkets, What to Eat? and her latest revealing insight into the food industry Swallow This. She is the food critic for The Sunday Herald and often broadcasts on Radio 4’s Food Programme and Woman’s Hour. Joanna will be discussing her work, her discoveries and her food ethics, and the delicatessen will be offering some dishes that complement Joanna’s scruples and illustrate her writing. 7.30pm, 181 Delicatessen, 181 Bruntsfield Place. Please phone the delicatessen on 0131 229 4554 to book your ticket, as spaces are limited. Co-organised by The Edinburgh Bookshop.
LGBT Language Cafe: a safe, sociable and supportive space for LGBT people whose first language is not English. Improve your spoken English and your confidence and socialise with other LGBT people at these fun and inclusive sessions. Facilitators Sophie and Clare will provide fun and inclusive ways to practice speaking English, build your vocabulary and find out more about the LGBT community in Edinburgh. 6.30-8.30pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact Jules Stapleton Barnes on 0131 523 1104 or email jules@lgbthealth.org.uk.
History of Art Research Seminar Series 2015-2016: Professor Paul Gladston (University of Nottingham) – (Bad) Faith in Painting (?): Critically Re-evaluating the Significance of Yu Youhan’s Political Pop Series. Professor Gladston originally trained in Fine Art, gaining an undergraduate degree in drawing and painting from ECA; he has written extensively on contemporary Chinese art, with particular reference to the concerns of cultural and critical theory. His paper focuses on the so-called ‘Political Pop’ paintings by the Shanghai-based painter, Yu Youhan. 5.15pm, Lecture Theatre, Hunter Building, Edinburgh College of Art, Lauriston Place. All welcome.
Meet Your Politicians: MEP Catherine Stihler, MP Joanna Cherry and local councillors will talk about their work and answer questions from the floor. 8pm, Balerno Parish Church, 2 Main Street, Balerno. Free tickets are available from various Currie and Balerno outlets – or just turn up. Please send any questions for the panel to chair@junipergreencc.org.uk as early as possible.
The Library Is Open! Drag Queen Poems. There is more to the world than RuPaul’s Drag Race and lip-syncing club queens. Poets Iain Morrison and Jean-François Krebs (also known as Wanda Isadora de Fourrure) invite you on a drag date… heels will sound and images will rise from the drag queen’s mouth. With lipstick words and shimmering silks, this underground-overground art takes on the night at the SPL. 6.30-8.30pm, The Mezzanine, Scottish Poetry Library, Crichton’s Close. Tickets cost £5/£4 and may be purchased via eventbrite here.
The Skylark Pub Quiz: 8pm tonight and every Thursday, The Skylark, 241/243 Portobello High Street. Free entry.
The First World War in Cinema: Oh! What a Lovely War (PG). Richard Attenborough’s directorial debut is a highly-stylised musical satire featuring some of Britain’s very finest actors. After an opening that finds Europe’s heads of state choosing sides when Archduke Franz Ferdinand is killed during a royal photo session, the film traces the First World War through a series of surreal set pieces, alternating between the front lines in France and the English homefront, where generals and diplomats conduct a distant war that is actually waged by the young and poor. Despite the world forces in play, the film instead focuses on the Smith family – and its sons, who, seduced into service in the carnival atmosphere of Brighton, find themselves dying for their country one by one. 8pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online.
Louis Durra Trio with Jess Abrams (voc): the adventurous ex-LA, now Berlin-based, pianist played many Fringe shows here, garnering excellent reviews and enthusiastic audience reactions for his amazingly varied repertoire, which stretches from modern jazz piano icons like Bill Evans, through electronica, to influences from White Stripes, Bob Marley and KT Tunstall. He’s back in the UK for a minute and appears with ex-New York vocalist Jess Abrams, bassist Jay Kilbride and drummer Doug Hough. Expect a top class evening of beautiful, surprising and delightful music! 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. Admission £7/£5 on the door: please note this venue is strictly cash only.
FRIDAY 29TH JANUARY 2016
The White House Presents John Connor and Guests in Concert: a set of covers and classics played by like-minded local musicians. The evening offers a nostalgic and relaxing blend of rock, soft rock, blues and folk in the laid back atmosphere of the White House, and is part of an ongoing effort to encourage and showcase local talent that has been steadily growing and building momentum. 7pm (doors open), The White House Community Cafe, 70 Niddrie Mains Road. Admission £7/£5. For more information about the evening and future events, contact 0131 468 1934.
Gosia Walton: Prelude. A solo presentation of a series of intricate printed drawing abstractions by Gosia Walton. The concept behind the show is to strip back the complex process of Walton’s explorative process into drawing and materiality, resulting in a more traditional, honest presentation of the artistic process while still responding to Walton’s artistic personality. Her works often explore the mark making capabilities and boundaries of technology and computer software, resulting in experiments that try to give language to the empty or occupied space where digital representations and human intimacy meet, and creating chaotic images that a ‘bored’ computer’ might make. Preview tonight 6-9pm, then 10am-6pm, Gayfield Creative Spaces, 11 Gayfield Square. Ends 10th February 2016.
Edinburgh Napier University Campus Tours: come and see the university in action. Student Ambassadors will guide you around your chosen campus, show you the facilities on offer and give you an insight into life as an Edinburgh Napier student. Napier has six academic schools across three main campuses, so when selecting which campus you’d like to visit please make sure you select the correct one for your chosen course – the open days will take place simultaneously at all three. 2pm (tours take approximately one hour), Merchiston Campus, 10 Colinton Road, Craiglockhart Campus, 219 Colinton Road and Sighthill Campus, 9 Sighthill Court. Tours are free but registration is required and may be made here.
Gallery Social: Rabbie Burns – A Celebration! A relaxed and informal guided tour with refreshments for anyone affected by dementia and their relatives, friends and supporters. 10.30am-12 noon, Scottish National Portrait Gallery (meet at the Information Desk), 1 Queen Street. Free but booking is required and may be made by contacting the Information Desk on 0131 624 6560.
Collective Hush: Keep meaning to put some time aside for reading and writing poetry each week? Bring your lunch if you like and join this silent, drop-in group reading/ writing/ making time every Friday in The Space. Sharing the silence, everyone can work together to achieve their artistic and poetic goals. 12 noon-2pm, Scottish Poetry Library, Crichton’s Close. No booking required, just drop in. Free: donations welcome.
In Focus: Gavin Hamilton, James Dawkins and Robert Wood Discovering the Ruins of Palmyra (1758): Dr Patricia Andrew, freelance art historian, traces the exciting history of the discovery of the ancient desert city of Palmyra in present-day Syria, by the British explorers James Dawkins and Robert Wood. They set out in 1751, at a time when archaeological discoveries were widening intellectual understanding of the ancient world and informing the emerging taste for the neoclassical style in architecture and decoration then sweeping Europe. Today, Palmyra is in the news again, due to its uncertain future in a war-torn region. The painting, by Scottish artist Gavin Hamilton, was commissioned after James Dawkins’s death by his brother. Hamilton had settled in Rome, where his work as an archaeologist, dealer and adviser, as well as his huge neoclassical paintings, had a major influence on taste across Europe. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre. Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Lunchtime Recital: Laura Sergeant (cello) and Ian Watt (guitar) will play Vivaldi Cello Sonata in E minor RV 40, Simpson Divisions upon a ground in E minor, Villa-Lobos Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, Gnattali Sonata for cello and guitar, Smith-Brindle 10-string music and Squire Tarantella. 1.10pm, Playfair Library Hall, Old College, South Bridge. Free admission.
Remembering the Reformation: Looking Back and Looking Forward. Reflections on Protestantism Approaching 500. An international day conference looking back and forward at the Reformation. The world is racing towards the red-letter day: 31 October 2017, the 500-year anniversary of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses and the Protestant Reformation. As countries, churches, universities and other institutions take up the daunting questions surrounding Protestantism’s legacy, this conference considers what it means to remember the Reformation – in the past, present, and future. Various Speakers from the universities of Edinburgh, St Andrews, Kiel, Debrecen, Apeldoorn, Frankfurt and St Louis will be taking part. 8.45am-5pm, Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge. Free and open to the public – all welcome: no registration is necessary, but please address any queries to Zachary Purvis at Zachary.purvis@ed.ac.uk. The full programme may be found here.
Guid Crack: A Tale’s A Tale and A’ That! Warm your hearts round the ceilidh fire at the first Guid Crack of the year, with tales to keep the cold at bay and of course a few nods to the great Bard himself. Lea Taylor will delight with Burns songs and tales with a mischievous twist. 7.30pm, upstairs at The Waverley Bar, 3-5 St Mary’s Street. Suggested donation £5/£3. Accompanied young adults welcome.
Nothing Ever Happens Here and Braw Gigs Present Optimo Espacio and Neil Landstrumm. The legendary DJ duo of Optimo will be taking over The Dissection Room space for a one off Optimo (Espacio) event. Renowned for their visionary and exploratory musical approach during DJ sets, as well as throwing some of the best parties on the planet, they’ll be joined by one of the true innovators in techno, local Edinburgh stalwart Neil Landstrumm (live), and the mysterious Mr TC (live) from Glasgow School of Art, just in time for his new release on Optimo’s home grown label. For over 18s only. 10pm-3am, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £10 and may be purchased from the Box Office, in person, by calling 0131 560 1580 or online here (transaction fee applies).
Remembering Brigid: singer and storyteller Susanna Orr Holland will be joined by storyteller Kate Walker and violinist Morag Brown in a unique ceilidh, sharing tales of Brigid in ancient myth through her guise as saint and goddess. Gaelic and English folk songs, rhymes and folklore texture the evening around the warmth of Brigid’s hearth. Come and celebrate the turning of winter to the beginnings of spring’s whispers and remember. For ages 16+. 8pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £10/£8 and may be booked in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here.
New Town Community Cinema: Chomet Double Feature. A double bill of films by French director Sylvain Chomet. The cinema’s Alternative Kids Classics programme launches with Chomet’s first feature-length film, nominated for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards, The Triplets of Belleville (12): Madam Souza and her grandson Champion have been training hard for the Tour-de-France, but disaster strikes when, during the race, Champion is kidnapped. The story follows Madam Souza, her dog Bruno and the renowned singing group, The Triplets of Belleville, as they try to find Champion.
The second film is The Illusionist (PG), to be paired with a surprise short film. The Illusionist was originally to be set in Czechoslovakia, but Chomet relocated it to Scotland; you will be able to spot a lot of Edinburgh including New Town pub The Barony Bar! The Illusionist leaves Paris when he finds his opportunities are sparse, moving to London to try his luck then travelling to a small island in Scotland, where he meets Alice. Alice shows unwaivering faith in him and the pair move to Edinburgh together in hopes of finding success. Both screenings will take place in the main hall of the Glasite Meeting House, under the spectacular Georgian glass cupola; guests will sit on the padded pews (but feel free to bring additional cushions). The Triplets of Belleville will begin at 2.30pm, The Illusionist at 7.30pm, Glasite Meeting House, 33 Barony Street. Tickets cost £6.44 for The Triplets of Belleville and may be purchased via eventbrite here, and £7.48 for The Illusionist via eventbrite here. The Glasite Meeting House is run by Scottish Historic Buildings Trust. All profits from the running of the cinema go towards saving Scottish historic buildings and giving them a future use in the community.
LGBT Women’s Wellbeing Group: an inclusive and informal group offering the chance to meet other LGBT women in a relaxed environment, with chat, information and activities promoting health and wellbeing. The group is open to all LGBT women and also to transgender people who primarily identify as women. Today: Irreplaceable – on the week of Holocaust Memorial Day, join the group for an evening of discussion, activities and reflection on why this is still a significant tragedy and how it continues to be an issue of fundamental importance for all humanity. 5.30-8.30pm; to stay up to date with the group and to keep informed of meeting times and locations for outings, contact Alison by emailing alison@lgbthealth.org.uk to be added to the email reminder list.
Balerno Village Screen: a community cinema run by volunteers, offering free admission and funded by donations. Tonight’s film is Jimmy’s Hall (12A): a story inspired by the life and times of Jimmy Gralton and a country hall in Ireland. Jimmy Gralton’s sin was to build a dance hall on a rural crossroads in Ireland where young people could come to learn, to argue, to dream…but above all to dance and have fun. Jimmy’s Hall celebrates the spirit of these free thinkers. 7.30pm, St Joseph’s Hall, St Joseph’s Centre, Balerno. Although all screenings are free, the organisers ask that you register in advance to give them an idea of numbers – free tickets for each film may be reserved via eventbrite here or obtained from The Mill Café or Balerno Post Office.
Burns Night Ceilidh with the Greater Spotted Ceilidh Band: live music by 3/5ths of the band, plus special guests… Other delights include a prize-filled raffle, a cake stall catering to all diets and a chance to stock up on some home made herbal goodies, lovingly crafted by some members of the Scottish Radical Herbal Network, for which this event is a fundraiser. The network plans to hold the first ever Scottish Radical Herbal Gathering this September. 7pm-12 midnight, Old St Paul’s Church, Jeffrey Street. Tickets £7/£5 in advance from New Leaf Co-Operative, Argyll Street, Marchmont or on the door (sta).
Joe Locke Quartet (New York): Joe Locke is one of the World’s top vibraphone artists, currently on an extensive European tour to launch his latest CD Love is a Pendulum. Although Joe has toured the UK many times, this is his first appearance in Edinburgh for many years, and he’s back with a bang with this great band, featuring outstanding drummer Terreon Gully, Robert Rodriguez (piano), and Ricardo Rodriguez (bass). Winner of countless awards for his virtuosic playing, and with a massive CD discography, Joe is revered worldwide for his formidable 4-mallet vibes technique and the highly energetic and emotional content of his soloing and compositions. ‘No vibraphonist working today swings more soulfully than Joe Locke’ – Paul Debarros, Seattle Times. Plus support Fergus McCreadie Duo: hugely gifted 18yr old pianist Fergus McCreadie (currently studying jazz at Glasgow’s RCS) in a duo setting with RCS graduate, bassist David Bowden, playing a mix of original compositions and jazz standards. 7.45-8.45pm (support), (entry from 7.30pm), 9pm (Joe Locke Quartet on stage), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. For this event The Jazz Bar is selling tickets in advance: these cost £15/£12 (+ transaction fee) and may be purchased online here. Please note that you will receive an email acknowledgement but no paper ticket; your name will be added to the door list and you will need to bring ID on the night.
Dalriada Wine Tasting: an evening of wine tasting, hosted by some of the industry’s most knowledgeable professionals. 7.30pm, Dalriada, 77 The Promenade, Portobello. Tickets cost £10 and are available from the bar.
SATURDAY 30TH JANUARY 2016
St Bride’s Family Cinema: see your favourite films for free! Adventure, excitement, fun and laughs – everyone welcome. Juice and choc ices are available to purchase in the interval at 50p each. This week’s film is The Princess and The Frog (U) . Please note that all children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. 10.30am-12.30pm (includes interval), St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace, Dalry. Next week’s film is Toy Story 3 (U)
Refugee Survival Trust: Massive Nights Presents Billy Liar, Paper Rifles and Pals. Featuring live sets from Billy Liar and Paper Rifles, Honeyblood, The Murderburgers, Supermoon (Ex-Mersault), Lovers Turn to Monsters, Tragical History Tour, Richy Neill, Dog on a Swing, Faith Elliot and Turtle Lamone, with hosts Ryan van Winkle and Rachel McCrum and DJ sets from Cyan Black and Jimmy Bastard. There will also be short talks from a member of the Refugee Survival Trust and a refugee who has been through the programme. 100% of the money raised from the EP release and benefit will go directly to the RST, which was set up in 1996 as a reaction to the problem of refugees and asylum claimants being made destitute in Scotland. Grants made by the RST either alleviate poverty and destitution or help refugees and asylum claimants to overcome obstacles in accessing educational and employment opportunities. 6pm (doors open), Southside Social (the first social enterprise pub in Edinburgh), 42-44 Buccleuch Street. Admission £5 minimum, EP £3 minimum. Tickets may be purchased online here (transaction fee applies) or on the door (sta).
granton: hub Presents The Embassy Cinema: A Celebration of the Big Screen. Workshops, screenings and children’s activities, plus an evening showing of Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel (15). 2-9pm, Maldevic House, Granton Park Avenue. All sessions are free apart from the evening film, for which there will be an admission fee (payable on the door) of £2 to include popcorn and drink, but booking is required for all events and may be made here.
Out of the Blue Flea Market: over 45 stalls full to bursting with clothes, jewellery, small furniture, music, books, bric-a-brac and so much more, with delicious coffee and cake available from the Drill Hall Arts Café. 10am-3pm, Out of the Blue, 36 Dalmeny Street.
Balerno Village Screen: a community cinema run by volunteers, offering free admission and funded by donations. Today’s films are Cinderella (PG) at 2.30pm and Jurassic World (12A) at 7.30pm, both at St Joseph’s Hall, St Joseph’s Centre, Balerno. Although all screenings are free, the organisers ask that you register in advance to give them an idea of numbers – free tickets for each film may be reserved via the BVS website here or obtained from The Mill Café or Balerno Post Office.
Word Power Books Presents Dawn Foster: Lean Out. In her ‘concise, accessible and powerful call for a more inclusive feminism in an age of austerity’, the journalist, writer and broadcaster (The Guardian, London Review of Books, The Independent, TLS, Sky News, Channel 4 News, Newsnight) surveys business, media, culture and politics, showing how trickledown feminism offers little material gain for women collectively, while acting as window-dressing PR for the corporations who caused the financial crash. Lean Out also argues that, below the celebrity speeches and bestselling books, another, more grassroots feminism is alive and kicking; campaigns led by women have scored victories in housing, immigration, employment rights and cuts. What would happen if mainstream feminism could throw its weight behind those suffering at the sharp end of austerity? Dawn Foster argues that instead of leaning in, we need to disrupt, to shout back, to lean out. 12 noon, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. All welcome, free – donations also very welcome!
National Gallery Highlight Tours: an introduction to and tour of the National Gallery’s permanent collection, focusing on key paintings. 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, Scottish National Gallery (meet in the main entrance), The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Edinburgh Society of Musicians: the Queen Anne Singers from Fife and Catriona Hetherington (cello) will perform classical and light music followed by a programme of Burns. 7.30pm (prompt), Edinburgh Society of Musicians, 3 Belford Road. There is a small annual membership subscription but concerts are open and admission is free. The Edinburgh Society of Musicians is an organisation which promotes practical music-making in Edinburgh; it has been in existence since 1887. Chamber music recitals are given every Saturday evening from early October until the end of June. For more information please contact Sarah Bainbridge at sarahba@lineone.net
Men with Coconuts: Scotland’s foremost musical improv comedy troupe presents 90 minutes of improvised games and scenes culminating in an entirely improvised Broadway-style musical. Unplanned, unscripted and unbelievable! ‘Laugh until you cry!’ (Cabaret Nova), 8pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £8/£6 and may be booked in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here.
Scottish Music Group Ceilidh with Bella McNab’s Dance Band: a fresh lively sound that swings from some of Scotland’s top traditional musicians – with fiddles, guitar, piano and double bass. The Bellas have recorded for BBC Scotland’s Take the Floor and have appeared individually on dozens of albums. 7.30pm (dancing from 8pm)-11.30pm, St Bride’s Community Centre, Orwell Terrace. Tickets cost £9/£7 in advance from St Bride’s Centre and may be purchased from the Box Office in person or by calling 0131 346 1405, or from Scots Music Group online here, or £10 on the door, sta.
Saturday Session: Hoban and Scott. Country, bluegrass and Americana from the Edinburgh-based duo. 3.30pm, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street.
Nothing Ever Happens Here Presents De Rosa (album launch). Lanarkshire based De Rosa are Martin John Henry (vocals, guitar), James Woodside (bass) and Neil Woodside (drums). They have released two studio albums – Mend (2006) and Prevention (2009) – on Glasgow’s acclaimed Chemikal Underground Records. 
De Rosa have toured in support of Mogwai, Doves and Arab Strap and have collaborated with Under the Skin author Michel Faber on the Ballads of the Book album. Weem, their long awaited third album, was released on Rock Action Records on 22nd January. For over 18s only. 7-10pm, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £10 and may be purchased from the Box Office, in person, by calling 0131 560 1580 or online here (transaction fee applies).
SUNDAY 31ST JANUARY 2016
Filmhouse Junior: films for a younger audience. This week: The Good Dinosaur (PG). Arlo, a lively Apatosaurus with a big heart, sets out on a remarkable journey with a most unlikely companion: a human boy. This extraordinary tale of self-discovery is filled with thrilling adventures, humour and poignancy. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small.
National Anti-Fracking Day: Come and join the Our Forth group at low tide, when they’ll be writing anti-fracking and other anti-UGE messages in the wet sand. Once all of the messages are written, join them in a ceremonial linking of arms between the messages to show that it is possible to have ‘joined-up thinking’ and a positive way forward for Scotland’s future without ruining the environment and causing risks to people’s health. You can, if you wish, bring along a sandwich, soup or some other food to sit and have lunch with friends and listen to music. Meet 12 noon at Portobello Beach: for enquiries or more details leave a message on the Our Forth Facebook page here or their website here.
Sunday Double Bills: Vivre sa vie (15) + Bande à part (PG) (both films in French with English subtitles). Screening to accompany Godard’s masterful Le Mépris (showing 22nd – 25th January), these 1960s classics starring the infinitely fascinating Anna Karina pair an insightful documentary-style portrait of a sex worker and a fanciful criminal caper. Described by Susan Sontag as a ‘perfect film’, Vivre sa vie plays out in a set of 12 chapters detailing the story of Nana, a woman from the provinces who gradually becomes part of the world of Parisian prostitution. Godard’s uses of interview techniques, direct sound, long takes, quotations and statistics give this thought-provoking and dazzling examination the ring of cinéma vérité. If Vivre sa vie can be described as a cinematic love letter to Karina, then Bande à part is a love letter to cinema itself. Inspired by the world of B-movie Hollywood (and itself an inspiration for everyone from Fassbinder to Tarantino), the film features Karina’s Odile and her two tough-but-self-conscious pals doing extravagant mimes on the death of Billy the Kid, attempting to learn English, executing some neat dance steps, running around the Louvre, and robbing Odile’s aunt (with disastrous consequences). 2pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £12/£10 and may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online. There will be a 15 minute break between films.
Cafe of Babel: Forest’s nights of a thousand languages! A new series of multi-language sharing events, with a table in the café dedicated to exploring each featured language; there will be multiple language tables with hosts to share their language and culture with everyone interested. The organisers hope people of all experience levels will feel free to dive into any language that excites them – but they need your help. Anybody who would like to spend an evening sharing a language and culture they are enthusiastic about, or can bring materials, especially children’s books and phrase books in languages other than English, or who has any thoughts and ideas on how to make this event great, is asked to contact alexiadesypri@yahoo.gr. 6-10pm, Forest Café, Lauriston Place.
Sister Cities: Tartan Ties. A musical collaboration between sister cities Dunedin and Edinburgh. Robert Scott and Jay Clarkson from New Zealand’s indie music capital Dunedin will join Edinburgh musicians Dean Owens, Craig Lithgow (Emelle), Hailey Beavis and poet/raconteur Kevin Williamson (Neu! Reekie!) to present a collaborative night of music and verse, celebrating and reconnecting the tartan ties between the cities. This event is made possible by support from the British Council New Zealand, British Council Scotland, Dunedin City Council and Creative Scotland. Founded as a Scottish settlement in 1848 and named after Edinburgh’s original Gaelic name Dùn Èideann, Dunedin shares much of its architecture and history with its namesake and is regarded as NZ’s indie music capital. For over 18s only. 7pm, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Tickets cost £10 and may be purchased via Brown Paper Tickets here (transaction fee applies).
Rock N Roll Ping Pong – with DJ Ding and DJ Dong. A free, monthly Sunday-night social, with fine beers and fine company, free-play, silly ping pong games, and music from every genre to play along to courtesy of in-house soundtrackmeisters DJs Ding & Dong. Also, for those with a wee bit of a competitive instinct, there’s an optional, strictly amateur tournament [£1 to enter, winner takes all!] 7-11pm, The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate. Free admission. The Bongo Club is an independent nightclub, live venue and all-round artistic hub owned by local arts charity Out of the Blue. ‘Putting the sounds of the underground and imaginative aspirations before the mighty dollar’.
Acoustic Special: Owen Denvir + Joshua Burnside. The well-established Northern Irish singer-songwriters drop in for an evening of attractive and atmospheric folk/pop acoustic sounds. Owen’s debut EP Daydreamer has achieved airplay on stations as far flung as New York and the Netherlands; his live set employs the use of viola, guitar and piano to create an audio visual spectacle. Colleague Joshua Burnside has ‘a brooding, powerful sound echoing artists of places afar and times long gone, his enthralling craft defies local comparison in striving towards an aesthetic as much visual as it is sonic’. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. Admission £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is strictly cash only.
St Giles’ At Six: Organ Recital – The Auld Alliance. Michael Harris plays organ music from Scotland and France, including works by Franck, Vierne, Leighton, Judith Weir and Thomas Wilson. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free admission: retiring collection.
