From Edinburgh Makar, Michael Pedersen, who led a Graham Norton style chat show with Garbage lead singer, Shirley Manson, in Portobello, to a Spanish superstar singing at Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh was awash with music and talent on New Year’s Day.
In Portobello Town Hall, Pedersen and Manson talked of their own cultural highlights of the last year, and looked to the future, with Shirley revealing that Goodnight Mr. Mackenzie will be supporting Garbage at Edinburgh Castle in the summer.
During the cultural salon in Portobello Town Hall the two enthused over the Stevenson lighthouses – which Pedersen used as the base for his first novel published last year, Muckle Flugga, and about which Shirley Manson’s father, who sadly died during the year, was an expert.
They were joined on their couch by former First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, talking of her writing career, and song-writing legend Norman Blake – the Teenage Fanclub frontman conjuring a special performance just for the occasion.
Shows from Greyfriars Kirk and St Giles’ were livestreamed on Edinburgh’s Hogmanay YouTube channel and can still be viewed there. It was a magnificent day of popping in and out of city centre venues, for residents and visitors alike. And if you missed it then here is some of the flavour:
