Biffy Clyro played a gig in Shetland 5 years ago.  I didn’t know much about them, but when you’re 16, living in Shetland, when a band play you go see them just because it’s unusual for a mainland band to play Shetland.

Now that they are quite big, it would have been a great story to say I saw them when they were small and thought they were brilliant.  But that would be a lie. I thought they were awful.

Then about a year later they released a song called Only One Word Comes to Mind.  It was spectacular. And I started to like Biffy.

Fast forward a few years and the first single of their next album is just… stunning.

Mountains is the name of the song.  The BBC used it as the title music for their T In The Park coverage (awful presenting, but don’t let that put you off the song).

I have had it on repeat for a week and yet to grow sick of it.

Biffy Clyro - Mountains:

While we’re on the subject of Scottish artists. I listened to Amy Macdonald’s album This Is The Life for the first time in a few months the other day.  It was one of those albums that I slowly got sick of, having heard it so many times. But after a few months break, it was sounding lovely again. Pity on the tv coverage of T In The Park you could quite clearly see her expensive wedding ring.  Rubbish.

Amy Macdonald - Let’s Start a Band:

Memo to Simon Neil and the Biffy Boys:
As much as I enjoy your music, you don’t need to get naked on stage for me to enjoy it.  Thank you.

Memo to Amy Macdonald:
You don’t want to marry him. If you like your older man then I’m one, by 6 months.

Just received a call from Emma with a query about who is to headline the Pet Sounds stage on Sunday at T in the Park.  Rumours were speculating around the site that it could be someone big disguised under a fake alias. Not having the internet to hand, Emma needed me to have a look.

The band in question are “Eddie & the Robbers”.  But exactly who are they? Eddie Grant? Eddie Stobart? Eddie Jordan?  Don’t be ridiculous… no wait, it is Eddie Jordan, the famous and rather rich Formula 1 boss.

He has is own band. He plays the drums in them, and they are called V10. Eddie & the Robbers are a cut down band who are touring some festivals this summer.

So why are they headlining? Are they any good?  Probably not.  Is it part of a massive cover up for some sort of massive band? Doubtful. Is there some sort of sponsorship deal involving lots of money?  Who could possibly say.

But in other T in the Park news, the weather is looking quite good at the moment, despite what my post yesterday said.  Wish I was there now (if only to find out more about Eddie & the Robbers).

David

Further reading:
NME.com - Formula One’s Eddie Jordan to headline T In The Park
V10 The Band
Eddie & the Robbers - Festival Forums

Heavy rain expected for T in the Park this weekend.  If it’s anything like the rain I experienced today walking in to work (some 90 miles north of Balado) then I feel sorry for the festival goers (Emma included).

Actually, I don’t feel that sorry. There was a chance I may have been going. That’s not happening anymore. I don’t want to sound bitter, but I will be enjoying the festival from home on TV. (or maybe even in bed, watching on the Ipod Touch via the BBC IPlayer - greatest use of technology ever).

Might be going to see a bit of Stonehaven Folk Festival instead.  You don’t have to camp there. Instantly better!

David

As you’ll have seen from my tweets, Emma and I headed up to Shetland over the weekend.  Not been home since January (a complete change from last year when I seemed to be home every 4 weeks!)

Not much had changed. It was nice to be back but there’s still little to do for someone who has seen the island as much as I have.

I went paddling. Water still as cold as ever, global warming has not kicked in yet.

Also got the perfect chance to try out my new camera on some puffins.

And Emma got to meet some Shetland ponies. A highlight of the trip for her.

Back off the boat this morning. Feeling a little home sick but I’m definitely back in the right place, all the excitement of Tescos coming to Shetland would be too much for me.

Here are some Tweets from my Twitter profile.

• 18:18 back on the boat heading towards Aberdeen. Just over 12 and a half hours to go. Lovely. #
• 20:41 testing the mobile to the limits. At sea browsing net through bluetooth and mobile broadband while using GPS to show I’m 10 miles off Orkney #

Here are some Tweets from my Twitter profile.

• 16:20 on the ferry. Will be in Shetland at 7.30 tomorrow morning. #

Apologies if I sound like I’m turning into Bill Odie here, but I spotted these on my dads flickr profile and felt it was worth posting here.

These two crow chicks were blown out their nest in a gale back home, and are now living in the grass below the nest, with the parents unable to do anything.  Will they survive?

One of the parents keeping guard. Watching out for cats, seagulls and twitchers.

A few days later, they look to be doing okay.

Will keep you posted on this real life soap opera. No wait sorry, that is too Bill Oddie-ish. Back to what I am good at doing best, complaining about Jay-Z and things like that.

David

This is old news now, but Jay-Z performed on stage at Glastonbury on Saturday. I’m not really a fan of his. Unlike Noel Gallagher though, it didn’t bother me that he was performing or headlining, I can understand people have different musical tastes and I’m fine with that.

But while watching his Glastonbury set, I did feel Noel maybe had a point. Glastonbury sets need to have something anthemic about them, and Jay-Z’s certainly didn’t.

The next statement has nothing to do with my massive love for Oasis, but Jay-Z tried to be clever with performing Wonderwall at the start of his set, but it didn’t work.  It was a very good idea, but it sounded like a poor karaoke version. If Jay-Z had personalised it a bit better it could have really made an impact. In fact by performing Wonderwall it led to the only anthemic part of his set, where the crowd sang along to the song.

Have a listen yourself, sounds pretty much like a typical Saturday night in the pub.

David

If you have a 45 minutes to spare in the next few days, you might want to watch this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/page/item/b00cfsbf.shtml

It’s a live Coldplay gig from outside the BBC the other day.  The best quote I heard regarding the whole gig was from Richard Bacon on 5 Live that same night who said “I went and watched the gig for a while. It was good, but the stage was right where I normally park my car.”

David

1.09am - it’s not quite as light as being at home, but I suppose it will have to do.