Gum Autumn 08

gum

GLASGOW UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

SCOTLAND’S OLDEST AND BEST STUDENT MAGAZINE

| AUTUMN 2008 |FREE

GUM.GLASGOWSTUDENT.NET GUM•1

Editors : Franck Martin & Jim Wilson Features Editor : Catriona Matheson Chief Writer: Gerry McKeever Web Editor : Aidan Cook Content : Franck Martin Design : Jim Wilson Cover Image : Recoat Gallery Contributors: Justin Caselton, Laura Doherty, Zoe Grams, John Hutchinson, Jessica McBride, Scott McGinlay, James Rae, Ali Stoddart. Special Thanks : Zoe, Bob, Amy & Ali, Nicola, Hazel G, Chris & Angie, Gillian, Cara, Jude & Vic Wasps Artists Studios, Urban Outfitters, American Apparel, New Look, Miss Selfridge, Marks & Spencer, Recoat Gallery, Polaroid, Glasgow Science Centre. All works © their authors 2008.

Contact GUM Email: [email protected] Phone: 0141-339-8541 Glasgow University Magazine John MacIntyre Building University Avenue Glasgow G12 8QQ

2•GUM

gum

Alright pal! Welcome to GUM, your free slice of Glaswegian life and times lovingly complied by a troop of over worked and underpaid hacks. We have trawled the depths of sub-culture to bring you a collection of the real, the random and the rapturous. Mr. Andrew Rae, of Monkey Dust fame, was good enough to have a quick chin wag while the proprietors of the Recoat Gallery (323 North Woodside Road) kindly invited us into their urban abode to have a chat about graffiti and angry old women. BUT if that does not get your pulse racing then the surreal world of telepathic may just do the trick. At GUM we do not like to take chances when entertaining you, our precious reader, so in the name of depth we fired in some material about the dreaded credit crunch and asexuality. Failing that our pick of the West End’s best venues and choice of 5 artists to look out for this year will surely keep you happy. No? Well before you throw this bad boy in the bin have a swatch at the travel section and get lost in images of Tokyo, the exotic world of Fijian beaches, a new world wonder and a Bangkok revolution while our damn sexy fashion shoot is the equivalent of a medieval feast for your eyes, yum. If this collection of journalistic riff raff fails to satisfy your brains hunger for something new then GUM has failed and we offer a full and frank apology. Kindly write us a lengthy letter of complaint - we will definitely read it. Safe home!

GUM•3

ASEXUALITY INVESTIGATED LAURA DOHERTY Nobody can deny that the world around us is pretty sexy. It’s how advertising agencies sell products to us, it’s how we like our music videos and soap operas, it’s how we like our agony aunt columns, it’s just how we like things, ok? But imagine there were people in the world who had no interest in sex whatsoever, that would be weird, right? Well, not really: a rather large proportion of society maintain they have no sexual desire whatsoever, and what’s more are completely happy with their situation. The definition of an asexual is ‘a person who does not experience sexual attraction’ – not to be confused with celibacy, asexuality is not a lifestyle choice but an orientation itself. A study conducted in Britain in 1994, in the fallout of the AIDS epidemic, asked participants for information regarding their sexual orientation: 1.05% of those asked answered that they had ‘never experienced any form of sexual attraction’ while 30% of those surveyed declined to answer this section of the questionnaire. If we consider the original statistic of 1.05% of the population claiming that they feel no sexual desire, this percentage still represents 60 million people worldwide. Dr. Anthony Bogaert, a Canadian professor of sexuality, has also highlighted that this figure may not be telling the whole story. He argues that statistics representing the number of homosexual and bisexual people frequently fail to accurately calculate the actual number of people on the ground. Thus when calculating the number of asexuals throughout the world the figure we currently have will no doubt prove to be much higher. As with any growing community in the world there comes an online presence. Aven, the Asexual Visibility and Education Network, is the biggest asexual online community connecting those wishing to discuss asexual matters. The interesting thing about AVEN is that it doesn’t just attract one type of person but acts as an information and support point for friends or partners of asexuals and is a haven for those who just don’t

fit into traditional stereotypes. It’s an attractive place for those experiencing ‘unique’ sexual orientation due to the many subcategories of asexuality: the term asexual isn’t quite as simple as it might first seem. Under the asexual umbrella there are different types of ‘a’s; those who seek romantic relationships (‘ro’s), those who lack a romantic drive (‘aromantics’), those who maintain romantic attraction to others (-hetero, -homo, -bi) and even those who are sexually active within their own relationships but lack sexual attraction. With this in mind, you can label an asexual with romantic inclinations to both men and women as an ‘a-bi-ro’, an asexual-bisexual-romantic: how’s that for precision? Angela, a 25 year old asexual, offers her insight into the network: “When I found AVEN it suddenly all made sense: It was helpful just to know there was a word to describe me and I was not the only one.” Angela had realised the differences between herself and her peers in her early teens: “I could not understand why they would refer to a boy as ‘hot’. I could recognize what others found attractive, it just didn’t do anything for me. I always assumed I would meet someone and have sex to have children, the idea of sex for pleasure didn’t really enter into it.” Now Angela has found her own identity within the asexual label, she finds the sexual presence in the world a lot more bearable: “I have to say I am rather indifferent – it just doesn’t interest me so I ignore it, although I know some asexuals can find it alienating.” She remains positive that attention around asexuality can only be a good thing: “I would like to think that it will mean the word gets out, that the asexuals are there, they just aren’t saying it. At least if the word is out there they have a word to describe themselves and they would know they are not broken. The only thing is the implications of ‘coming out’ are not as clear: to come out as gay you might know what the implications might be in terms of your job, religion and family, whereas with asexuals it is not that clear. Until we get those answers - who knows? A few more coming out wouldn’t hurt though...”

ADVERTISEMENT

4•GUM

WORDS : GERRY MCKEEVER ILLUSTRATIONS : ANDREW RAE

Andrew Rae has come a long way from his days of producing flyers for a Shoreditch club night. He has published numerous books, released a short film and been involved in over ten major exhibitions while his BBC3 show, Monkey Dust, perhaps his most famous work, a macabre look at modern British society. Following his ‘Of Beasts and Machines’ exhibition at Glasgow’s Recoat Gallery earlier this year, the London-based artist Andrew Rae talks to GUM about art, illustrations, music and plug creatures.

GUM•5

uring the last year what have you been working on? Well at the moment I’ve just been designing some stuff for GreenThing which is a website that’s trying to raise awareness about green issues. I’ve designed this little character called a Greenthing for the various different things they’re trying to get across, like ‘don’t use so much electricity’ - so there’s a Greenthing and he’s got plugs for a head, stuff like that. Did you have any qualms in taking on the animation work you’ve done for MTV? No I didn’t really have any qualms to be honest, how do you mean? Just that a lot of people would argue that the stuff that’s on MTV isn’t the best, the whole American Hip-Hop thing that’s going on... No that’s true, I wouldn’t disagree with that entirely, but the stuff I did was actually with MTV Asia so it was a quite different setup really. I went out to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur as a kind of build up to it, it’s interesting when you go out there and see how they’re building all these new buildings, like in Singapore they just ripped the heart out of the town. So for the animation we tried to get that in a little bit, like there’s an animation of this old guy sat in an old hut with old music then suddenly this big building comes in and drops on him. So you can look at it either way, maybe you think that the new building is a good thing, or maybe you don’t, it makes it twopointed I suppose. With your animation work, after the success of Monkey Dust, are you planning any more projects in a similar vein or do you want to go in a new direction? To be honest I’ve been concentrating on illustration more since then really. The trouble with animation is that it becomes quite a beast and it can get out of hand. It’s an awful lot of work as well. But I’m working on this Greenthing at the moment for instance and doing some animation work on that. In the studio were I work in we have animators, I’m not strictly an animator. I kind of design the characters and stuff, so although I do a bit of animation I think I’m really an illustrator. Can you tell us a little about your setup with the Peepshow Collective? Yeh, we’re a group of nine people, and we share a studio. We set it up just as a website to keep costs down for ourselves really, and for a little network of people that we could all lean on, you know, helping to go and see clients together or...

6•GUM

...so it just helps everyone to be involved? Yeh but gradually it’s become a bit more of a... well now we’re a Ltd company and we have a studio where we all work etc... but we still work on individual projects and then on group projects. So as an illustrator it’s quite nice, you can work on a group project and step outside of yourself, because as an illustrator you have to have a fairly defined style that people can recognise so it’s nice to be able to step away from that. You do have an instantly recognisable drawing style, what was it specifically that allowed you to find your own direction? I guess it just kind of came around that way really. There’s a distinctive line quality that I’ve stuck to, that was something that quite early on I definately thought people responded to. So I developed that side I guess, but to me it’s more about getting ideas across. So it’s more about the content for you? Kind of, yeh I would say that. I like using text things as well within things but I think there’s something really nice about getting ideas across purely visually if you can. Although people always respond well to text, it draws you in, once you can read it, it’s like you’re reading an image, so people see more in it I think that way every now and then. Do you have a show up at the moment? Uh, no. I did a show up in Berlin a little while ago with Jon Burgerman and Ian Stevenson Cool, how do you feel about working in a gallery based way? It feels quite alien to me, although it’s something that I’d like to do more of because it allows you to create original artwork which is quite a nice thing to do. It must be quite a high-pressure situation to put your own show on, to say ‘this is me, come and look’... Yeh it is, and it’s a lot of work as well, it takes quite a while to get everything together for something like that, especially when you’ve got other commercial jobs on in the meantime, it can be hard to find the time. But these days I’ve started working in a much more... like in the old days I used to do really rough sketches on whatever piece of paper was around but these days I’m trying to make it have a nicer finish, so with all the jobs I’m doing I’m actually building up a collection of work that I can exhibit in the future and see how my work has developed.

Ok, so you incorporate what you’ve been doing into your shows? Yeh I work that way because otherwise you sit down and think ‘what am I going to do for this show’ and you’ve got this blank page, but if it’s more of an ongoing thing it works better. What kind of music are you listening to right now? I’m quite interested in that new Metronomy album that’s coming out (ed: ‘Nights Out’ was released 8th September), just by listening to a bit of that on MySpace. I think they’re Brightonbased, they’re a kind of dance act. What is your lasting impression of Glasgow from the show you did at Recoat? Haha, my lasting impression? It was very cold and... no, it was really fun. It’s weird because my family is from there so just round the corner from were the gallery was (Recoat Gallery, 323 North Woodside Road) is where my Nan used to live so I have these childhood memories of hanging around there. When I first got there I thought ‘that bridge looks really familiar, but I’m sure all the bridges look like that in Glasgow, no wait I do know that bridge.’ That is strange, so I suppose you’ve come full circle. Yeh I guess. Have you felt the need for any more Buckfast since being here? No, I haven’t actually. Maybe if I need to power some sort of engine or something I might... but drinking it? I’m not sure about that. Haha, fair enough. So tell us about the more interesting things happening in your area of London just now? What’s interesting, that’s a really good question... There’s all sorts of interesting things happening in our studio, but I don’t get that much further out, haha. So you are pretty trapped in there? Yeh, once you close the door it’s like London’s gone... Much of your work is arguably quite political, how do you view the current political climate here in the UK? I am not sure I want to get into politics too much, but it seems like a but of a mess doesn’t it?

If you would like to know more about the beautifully surreal world of Mr. Andrew Rae then visit www.andrewrae.org.uk

GUM•7

RECOAT GALLERY WORDS : FRANCK MARTIN PHOTOGRAPHY : JIM WILSON

8•GUM

In a year the Recoat Gallery has snowballed from its West End corner to become a hub for Scotland’s graffiti and ever blossoming street art scenes. Gum met with owners Amy and Ali to find out how these artists got to where they are and learn where they hope to go.

Friday is fast becoming Saturday and the smell of spray paint lingers at 323 North Woodside Road. An enthusiastic yet subdued crowd stare into a torch lit alley way but passersby seem somewhat bemused by the spectacle. I grow acutely aware of the ever increasing strength of the fumes as I wriggle and

We are doing this to bring the art to Scotland to allow people to experience it for themselves and allow Scotland to show the world what it can do excuse my way to the front of the late night throng - and the reason for this noire affair? A birthday party of course. Yet unlike most one-year-olds the Recoat Gallery was not content to allow its first anniversary to be defined by teddy bears and kisses from an army of aunts. Instead it flew in some of the UK’s best graffiti talents, hosted a late night live paint, held a ground-breaking exhibition of Scottish and global talent and gave out free beer – hazza. I return to the gallery the following week to meet with Ali and Amy, a couple addicted to street art and graffiti culture that effortlessly exude its style and craft. The live paint is still on my mind so I begin by asking how such an event came to materialise. “Scot Wilson is a manager at Manifesto Clothing in Dundee”, begins a softly spoken Amy. “He is famous for being a collector of street wear stuff and Ali knew him loosely so we asked him if he would like to co-curate a show with us. He agreed and decided to put together an exhibition of the friends he has met along the way. We were very lucky to have work by Fatsarazzi, Futura and Dave White and Jahan. Red Bull also supported the event and paid for three artists

to come up from London. It went really well”, concludes Amy with an obvious sense of pride. A gallery dedicated to street art and graffiti is somewhat new in Scotland, with Ali and Amy being the proud owners of Scotland’s first dedicated space. “How did you come to open the gallery?” Again Amy is the first to speak. “We had seen galleries like this in London and Melbourne but Scotland was missing out. We live very close to what is now Recoat and one day we noticed that it had a to-let sign on the window.” Ali quietly sits listening at his desk, a delicate ecosystem of letters, scrap paper and spray paint cans. I notice he is absentmindedly doodling a bubble letter on a bill as he listens to his partner. “Ali had always wanted to open up a place called Recoat and suggested that we check it out”, continues Amy. “We set up the gallery to promote Scottish artists work, there is so much talent here and so as we could bring exciting graffiti and illustration artists to Glasgow and let Scottish people see their work. That way the scene can improve and we can help to inspire - the kids do seem to be responding.” Suddenly Ali cuts Amy off, gesticulating mock quotation marks in the air as he does so. “For want of a better phrase ‘keeping it real’ is quite high on our list of priorities.” Amy laughs and picks up her sentence. “Once you start selling out you lose what you were trying to do in the first place. We wanted to make owning art more accessible but this is our livelihoods, we also need to make money.” “I can’t believe that we have work by Crash and Daze” adds a wide eyed Ali. “They are early early New York pioneers who started the scene and we have their work hanging on our wall. We also have work by guys like SHEONE and O. Two from the live paint, real ground breaking UK artists who have

come up and got involved with our years anniversary celebration.” Ali’s excitement is justified as his name drops are those of some of the global graffiti scenes most important trail blazers and brightest talents. Outside talents aside, I ask how they feel about the current Glaswegian graffiti scene and unsurprisingly Ali is the first to answer.“It has got a good structure that has kept going in Glasgow while other cities have not been so lucky. There are guys that do amazing pieces and if there were more legal walls people would be able to appreciate the talent in the city.” “There is also a whole new generation coming through”, adds an excited Amy. “They are the age that Ali was when he started so that makes them the third or fourth generation of Glaswegian graffiti artists.” During the 1990s Glasgow City Council once supplied graffiti artists with spaces to create their art without fear of breaking the law, aka a free wall. However the graffiti eventually moved from the legal to the surrounding illegal spaces as artists battled to outdo each other. In response the Council shut down all the free walls. “There will always be people who are as much into painting as they are into tagging and bombing”, highlights Amy. “That is the way it is in Scotland but Glasgow clearly wants to be perceived as having shed its rough image. The council do not want people going through Charing Cross and seeing graffiti like it was back in the day, so the graffiti has gone underground. Yet, if you open up the city, as has been done in San Francisco or Melbourne then you get graffiti everywhere and it can make a city famous.” The Council’s distain for graffiti has thawed as of late and they have even recruited Sam Bates, an Australian graffiti artist famed for his photo real work, to produce a series of murals for the Commonwealth games.

GUM•9

Scotland has lots of different levels of graffiti and this gallery is a new step for the whole street art movement...

Another finger twitching move took place last year when Glasgow Underground approached Recoat with the proposition of allowing a group of graffiti artists to paint a mural at the SPT Underground Festival. The impressive finished product was a collaborative piece from Ali, Amy, Sam Bates, Rogue, EJEK and the Edinburgh artist Elph. “Who approached who?”“Back int day”, jokes Ally in his best Yorkshire accent, “that used to be one of the halls of fame. We knew the PR Company doing the Subway festival and they asked us if we wanted to do anything with the space and we did.” Local reaction was positive with other artists, residents, SPT workers and passersby all voicing their approval, though one elderly resident was not so elated. “Is it true that an old woman gave you abuse while you were painting?” “Dogs abuse”, answers Ally, casting a wry smile my way. “She was shouting at Elf, screaming ‘you are not even young, you are not even a wee boy, what the fuck are you doing?’” I cannot help but laugh. “We had a sound system and drummers, the works”, adds Amy “But there must have been some confusion between the residents and the council but it was all above board, we even had the permission of the shop who owned the wall.” Ali is keen to highlight that he hopes Kelvinbridge was only the start

10•GUM

“We are slowly trying to edge towards the idea of those walls being back in public and show that it is possible for walls to be managed and maintained – it is tiny steps though.” “So do you think what has happened in Glasgow has had a significant effect on the health of the Scottish scene?” I reply. “Duncancumming.co.uk and scottishgraffiti. blogspot.com are good indicators of the strength of the scene as they contain thousands of pictures that have been taken across the whole of Scotland. Lots of people send their photos to the site and it has become a real hub for the scene and the forums allow artists to communicate with each other”, clarifies Amy. “Scotland has lots of different levels of graffiti and this gallery is a new step for the whole street art movement,” continues Ali. “Analogue books in Edinburgh were an inspiration to us to set up Recoat. They hosted some graf before we did but it was not a dedicated space in the same way we are.” In certain circles the concept of a ‘graffiti gallery’ is regarded as an oxymoron, yet more and more are springing up across the world. Despite this new direction early artists such as KaySlay argue that legal graffiti is a paradox and graffiti is only genuine if done on a train or on public property. I put this question to the Recoaters.

Amy is first to respond, though Ali is clearly eager to give his view as well. “I would describe that as semantics. Graffiti, street art, bombing, stencils – those are just words. The people who struggle with it are the purist graffiti artists. Even the guys who started back in the day have always struggled with this. Do you sell out if you sell your work? I think that is something that every artist struggles with.” “People say that it is vandalism but there is a creeping change where people say ‘I know it is illegal, but oho isn’t it cool’”, she continues. “For example, many of our customers say ‘so this is graffiti, just like Banksy but most artists are nothing like Banksy. Art should be accessible and it should not be an elite pass time to make it or own it. I do not see how it matters where the art is, if a piece is good then that should be all that matters.” “I have always thought it was a bizarre thing, what is cool about working in the Co-Op for 40 hours a week and never achieving anything”, concludes Ali. “Why is that better than making a living out of being creative? Don’t waste your time in a shit job wasting your time and your talent.” The Front Row, a couture fashion inspired exhibition, opens on the 10th of October 710pm. There will also be a bargain show on 14th of November 7-10pm with all pieces under £40. From more information visit

GUM•11

FEELING TH£ PINCH

WORDS : CATRIONA MATHESON PHOTOGRAPHY : JIM WILSON

The ‘credit crunch’ is not a cereal bar. I bet you knew that, but just four weeks ago, I didn’t.

properties could be repossessed and then re-sold for a profit, the American housing market plummeted.

Any student returning home after a year studying abroad will tell you that whilst at first things may seem the same as before, little differences begin to crop up. For example, there are a couple of new cafes on Great Western Road, and there seems to be a building site opposite the library. Wayne Rooney and Coleen McLaughlin got married (I don’t really care), and Boris Johnson is now Mayor of London. Gordon Brown doesn’t seem to have many friends at the moment and oh yeh, we’re having some sort of financial crisis which means a pint of milk now costs an arm and a leg. I must have heard ‘credit crunch’ a million times since I’ve been home and it’s grating on me. Economics is certainly not my forte; so for my benefit as much as yours, I’ll keep this simple and we can learn together - gather round!

Often, financial institutions use customer’s debts as a source of income which they can invest. As fewer people are able to pay off their debts however, such institutions are unable to take on more debt themselves and have little money to lend. This is how it affects us. Not only will we find it harder to get a loan, mortgage, home or credit card, but as we’ll have fewer opportunities to get out of debt, we spend less. Companies including the corner shop then react by putting their prices up- leaving us with little spare cash for the pub on a Friday night.

The term ‘credit crunch’ has often been used in general terms to describe the current financial epidemic including recent inflation, however it applies specifically to the sudden reduction and availability of loans (i.e. ‘credit’) or a sudden increase in the cost of obtaining loans from banks. The crunch we’re now experiencing has been caused by people in the US with poor credit ratings who were unable to meet higher debt repayments due to rising interest rates. As more mortgages were terminated so that

12•GUM

The latest food price figures show the average cost of putting a meal on the table is a third up on a year ago. In fact, green British-grown vegetables are some of the only products not to have increased in price. As thousands of first year students will be buying their own shopping for the first time, they may be in for a shock. Similarly, those of you privately renting for the first time may get a nasty surprise when your bills arrive in three months time. It doesn’t stop there either - a recent survey has shown that students are paying almost 20% more in rent than they did four years ago. It’s not surprising then that our social lives are suffering. Recent statistics published in The Daily Telegraph show almost one in three people abandoned plans for a holiday

this year and more than half the population has scrapped treats such as cinema trips as they attempt to tighten their belts. The outcome of the ‘credit crunch’ may also be more long-term than was first expected. With employers recruiting fewer graduates in a bid meet budgets, recent figures from the Office for National Statistics show there are now 8 000 more people staying at home than five years ago. With no sign of the ‘credit crunch’ abating and some estimates claiming it may last for 5 years, it seems there’s a higher chance we’ll be both unemployed and living at home when we graduate. On the bright side though, we can keep our parents happy by eating our greens.

10 Tips to help beat the bite 1. Quit fags 2. Drink cider 3. Spend less time in the shower 4. Make your own lunch 5. Wash at 30 degrees not 40 5. Get your furniture off the street. 7. Get free condoms from the SRC 8. Read the Metro 9. Heating off - wrap up warm 10. Go out less and read GUM more

FAIRY TALES

WORDS : ZOE GRAMS IMAGES : COURTESY OF HANNAH FRANK

As a school pupil, Hannah Frank wrote: “If they would leave the choice to me, I think I know what I would be. To be an artist my desire, I’d paint mere nymphs and ne’er would tire.” She has done exactly this.

inspiration from poets, and her creation of the drawings was inseperably intertwined with the creation of poetry. She would say poems to herself in her room at night, and see images at the same time.

Her work has been exhibited at the Royal Glasgow Institute, the Royal Academy, and the Royal Scottish Academy amongst others, but after a tour to celebrate her 100th birthday, her collection has returned to its home: the University of Glasgow.

As a result, there is an otherworldly quality to the drawings. They show a variety of atmospheres, yet belong to none. Long, spindly, androdynous yet feminine creatures are painted with fluid, almost languid lines. Flowers litter the ground or decorate the creatures’ cloaks as they swoosh into darkness. Shadowy figures emerge from or shrink into the background with just one well-placed white line.

A native-born to Glasgow after her Jewish parents emigrated from Russia in the late 19th century to avoid persecution, Frank has lived in the city throughout her 100 years, significantly contributing to the Jewish and art communities here. She attended university to study English and Latin, and took night classes at the School of Art where she studied with the likes of Benno Schotz and Paul Zunterstein. From 17 she produced a variety of pen and ink drawings before working solely in sculpture after 1952. Many of her works were published in GUM between 1927 and 1932. Her images reflect the Art Nouveau period, holding many characteristics you would expect of work from this time. Yet there’s an unusual quality to Frank’s work, one that you can’t quite put your finger on. Each image seems so familiar it could have been seen dozens of times before, even when new to the viewer. They feel timeless, depicting what could be a medieval gathering, a Greek myth, a fairytale, or a victorian tryst. They apply to every story of revenge or romance you have heard. Arguably, the influence of poetry on her work is partially responsible for this. An avid reader, and poet herself, Frank took

Even at 100, Frank has a dry, knowing sense of humour. Her vitality during her teenage years and 20s has been carried into her work to such an extent that they still feel young, relevant and current. There’s a wisdom, and a cheekiness, to them: a combination that’s seldom seen. Every drawing submitted to GUM was done so under her pseudonym Al Aaraaf: a reference to a poem by Edgar Allen Poe describing a star that suddenly appeared in the night sky, growing brighter than Venus, only to disappear suddenly. A young Frank considered this to be apt to her. There’s no doubt that as a teenager Frank was thoughtful, creativeand extremely talented. But perhaps she wasn’t as insightful in the creation of her pen name as she was in the rest of her work. Her last sculpture was done at 94 years old. She moved into a care home in 2002 where her works are still displayed. She has not burnt strong and quick only to have then extinguished: her talent continues to be a steady glow in Glasgow after 100 years.

GUM•13

} { {}{ }}{ }{ THE BABY MIND READER “I can open and close sections of my brain at will”, explains a straight faced Derek Ogilvie. It is a conviction matched only by my scepticism. Mr Ogilvie has intrigued me ever since I happened upon his television show, The Baby Mind Reader, a few years ago on Channel 5. Essentially Mr. Ogilvie claims that he can communicate with A) Babies B) The dead. As such people’s reaction to Derek is one of extremes, to some he is a godsend while to the majority of society he is a delusional crack pot. Standing outside a generic West End pub Derek is dressed in casual jeans and a tshirt and as our photographer decides on a suitable location for a quick shoot we

{}} }} {} WORDS : FRANCK MARTIN PHOTOGRAPHY : DEREK OGILVIE & JIM WILSON

chat about our jobs, student/supermarket for me, mind reading for him. We take our seats in the corner, far away from the Wedding reception that is being organised near the main door.

came to terms with what he describes as his “ability to communicate with spirits and infants”, I realise that regardless of my beliefs, Derek appears to be utterly convinced of his.

“I lived in Glasgow for many years during the 1990s and owned a few bars and a club”, begins a calm and mild mannered Derek. “However, I went Bankrupt in 2000 and within a few weeks I went from driving a Rolls-Royce to not being able to afford a bus.” A man who went bankrupt and then claims to be able to read minds? My sceptic sense is tingling.

“I realised I could communicate with small children in roughly 2002, though I did not think it was a big deal as I was learning and I did not fully understand the significance at the time. Then I started to think that I had lost the plot. Am I really getting this information from a child?”, continues Derek without a trace of sarcasm as his wide-eyed passion continues to duel with my disbelief. “Yet, as time went on I realised that I could use this ability to help families. If people do not believe in me I say look at the results and hopefully they will understand that I must come from some connection I have with a child or the relatives of the dead, how else would I know these things?”

“People are quick to say that a person who goes bankrupt and then becomes a successful psychic is using his claim

“I fully believe that babies can read the minds of their parents and as I have said I can open and close sections of my brain at will.” as a way to make money yet I have only started to make money recently and I have been doing this for years. Furthermore, since the age of nine I knew I could speak to the spirit world so for me this was nothing new. But I also live in the real world and I know that the majority of people do not believe in people like me, they think that we are liars or delusional.” It is obvious that Derek is no fool and the manner in which he speaks reflects a guarded mistrust - the understandable attitude of a man lampooned by many a media hack. As he explains how he

14•GUM

As Derek speaks he sits back and sips his lemon tea and stares over to the wedding reception that is gradually filing into the cordoned off section of the pub. The fancy hats seem to mock the seriousness of Derek’s claim and I begin to conclude this may be the most bizarre morning of my adult life. “What is it like when you read the mind of a baby?” I ask. “I fully believe that babies can read the minds of their parents and as I have said I can open and close sections of my brain at will”, replies Derek. “So I am able to enter what I describe as a dream state. I get pictures in my head and I see little movies, as if I am in the child’s head looking out through its eyes but I also get pains in my body. I combine theses

}}{ {}{ }{}{ {}{ {{} }{} { sensations to build a picture of what is going on in the child’s mind.” Perhaps he senses that I am not convinced but Derek is keen to stress that he has visited prominent American doctors and is in fact the proud owner of an extremely rare brain that has only been previously encountered in two elderly Buddhist Monks. Intrigued I ask him what the condition is called but he is unsure but assures me he will email me a full explanation – three weeks have passed; I am still waiting. “Sometimes I do not get it right”, he concedes. “Sometimes I fail to communicate effectively to the parents and I do not always know what the child or the spirit is saying. However I do my best to give concrete readings that are unique and specific.” As a man who also claims to be able to liaise with ‘the spirit world’ I inquire how such a feat is possible and what such an ordeal feels like emotionally. After a long pause he informs me that it requires a massive level of concentration. “It is hard to put that into words”, he says as he pauses again and rubs his face, clearly straining to convey this most uncommon of experiences. “This is a really hard question”, he continues. “You are totally at the mercy of the spirit so you have to depress your sensory perceptions and open up your sixth sense. They appear as spirits but I can only describe them as looking a bit like the cloaked creature from the movie Predator, though I can see what would have looked like in my head and understand their message.

“They appear as spirits but I can only describe them as looking a bit like the cloaked creature from the movie Predator.” The concept of a Predator-like spirit telling Derek intimate and sometimes disturbing secrets evokes the mental image of a self-righteous hybrid of Jeremy Kyle and a young Arnold Schwarzenegger. Even more bizarrely, I am now aware that I think Derek is a genuinely nice guy; surely a psychic is only out to get your money? As I sit and digest my new found confusion Derek describes how his inability to come to terms with his homosexuality suppressed his psychic abilities for many years. “It was only once I was happy and comfortable with me that I was able to focus my energy to a level where I could perform successful readings.” “I have also been doing really well in Holland”, he assures me. “My television show is becoming one of the most watched in the country but I have also been touring, my new show is due to be released soon on DVD and I am busy preparing for my new series”, continues Derek, “so I am very thankful to God for the success I have had”. Having done my research he is certainly something of a big deal to many of our Dutch cousins. Still unconvinced of his claim and somewhat concerned that he may be indulging in the famous psychic practice of duping the emotionally vulnerable I begin to favour the simple solution. Perhaps when one is evaluating claims of psychic ability, or anything else that

is virtually impossible to prove, it is best to leave the verdict up to those directly affected. As adults of sound mind his clients have willingly entered into an agreement with this man. The variables which see such an agreement enacted are as diverse as the problems Derek claims to have solved, yet these adults appear to leave in a happier state than when they arrived and as of yet no one has taken him to court. Accordingly, I leave with a mixed taste in my mouth, a blend of the delicious full Scottish breakfast he so generously treated me to and a tangy flavour which disagrees with my sceptical pallet; what does Derek’s success say about society?

GUM•15

GLASGOW SCIENCE CENTRE Situated along the banks of the River Clyde, Glasgow Science Centre is a fine example of Glasgow’s brave foray into the world of striking architecture. Officially opened in 2001, the centre is part of the on-going redevelopment of Pacific Quay, a former shipping dock, that is now home to the main headquarters of STV and BBC Scotland. Inside, the building is deceptively spacious and houses a Science Mall, Planetarium, Cafe and Shop while also boasting Scotland’s first ever IMAX Cinema. Visitors can also reach new heights by taking a lift to the top of the 127 foot-high Glasgow Tower, the tallest rotating tower in Scotland, where it is possible to experience 360 degree views of Glasgow city and beyond. Although primarily catering for children and families, Glasgow Science Centre also serves as a venue for evening lectures and talks on Astronomy and Physics for people of all ages. The IMAX Cinema screens several blockbuster movies at various points throughout the year and the latest to hit the IMAX screen is Batman : Return of the Dark Knight and more blockbuster movies are scheduled for screening later in the year, including Madagascar : Escape to Africa, Watchmen, Monsters vs Aliens 3D and Transformers 2 : Revenge of the Fallen. GUM has teamed up with Glasgow Science Centre to offer four lucky readers a set of tickets each for full admission to Glasgow Science Centre, Glasgow Tower and IMAX cinema. To be in with a chance of winning, answer the following mind-boggling question: Q : How tall is the Glasgow Tower? Add your answer to the subject heading of an email and send it with your name and contact telephone number to [email protected]. Closing Date for entries is October 30th, 2008. The winner will be chosen at random and notified by email shortly after the closing date.

16•GUM

JIM WILSON

INTELLIGENT ZINKING JIM WILSON

Isn’t she a beauty? The new Polaroid PoGo Instant printer (pictured right) has now been released to the masses and to celebrate the launch, the guys at Polaroid kindly posted a shiny new PoGo to the GUM office for a test-drive. Being the fine folk that we are at GUM we put on our Jeremy Clarkson hats and hit the streets to see what this bad boy could do. Weighing just eight ounces, the Polaroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer is the first in a new line of digital instant photo products from Polaroid that uses Zink technology, a revolutionary, pocket-sized inkless printing process that removes the need for ink cartridges completely. The PoGo’s Bluetooth connectivity allows you to print pictures straight from your bluetooth-enabled mobile phone or computer in under 60 seconds and the mini-printer can also be connected by USB should you feel the need. “For decades, the name Polaroid has been synonymous with white-bordered pictures, although change and innovation have always been, and will continue to be, a key part of this business”, explains Tom Petters, Chairman and owner of Polaroid. Dr. Edwin Land, the founder of Polaroid, reinvented this company many times through its 70-year history “from polarized lenses to eyewear to the iconic instant camera”, said Petters. “With the Polaroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer, we’re reinventing the magic of instant printed pictures for the 21st century.” For fans of the original Polaroid instant camera, the Polaroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer, short for Polaroid-on-the-go, provides a new way to continue the magic of instant printed pictures, and is the biggest innovation for the brand since the commercial launch of the iconic instant film in 1948. The PoGo is a quick and easy way to print holiday snapshots or party photographs and the sticky back enables you to fix them to any surface of your choice. Combined with a bluetoothenabled computer, the PoGo also serves as a handy photo printer, however it’s not exactly suitable for printing essays or dissertations (and believe me, I tried..) but it will suffice if you need to print the odd drunken photo of a night out on the tiles. I’m tempted to say this is quite useless for anyone other than children, however in the wider scheme of things, the PoGo gives an exciting insight into a new future for Polaroid and the instant printing world as a whole. The Polaroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer has an R.R.P. of £99 and is available at retail outlets including PC World, selected Curry?s and John Lewis stores, 02 Stores, Play.com, Amazon. com and Firebox.com.

GUM•17

6

venues within minutes by Gerry McKeever

3am, Sauchiehall St, the girl with the orange face screams and lashes out at her worse-for-wear boyfriend. He replies by shouldering his way through the crowds and eye balling everyone within five meters while an unfortunate uses a cheese chip as a makeshift pillow. If this particular experience is not quite cutting it, or if you fancy a change, what does one of the world’s most respected musical cities have to offer its hordes of council-tax dodgers without forcing us to break a sweat? Here are Gum’s six spots within six minutes walk of campus (give or take a few pints) that have something a bit more interesting to offer...

Venue Details

ane 3 Ashton L 1. Brel, 39-4

yW ay

2. The Rio Café, 27 Hyndland St. Univ

ersit

3. Tchai Ovna, 42 Otago Lane Kelvin

g rove

4.

Park

5.

6.

18•GUM

The Captain’s Rest, 185 Great Western Rd The 78, 14 Kelvinhaugh St

The Halt Bar, 16 0 Woodlands Rd

The closest to home of our six picks is the jewel in Ashton Lane’s crown. Brel is quickly becoming one of the coolest places around, with Guardian Travel voting it Glasgow’s 3rd best live music venue earlier this year. As somewhere many of us probably pass at least twice a day, it should not be allowed to blend into the scenery. Named after Belgian legend Jacques Brel, this pub is living up to its names’ musical heritage, with recent gigs by Glasvegas and Noah and the Whale. This year sees a new regular Thursday spot called “Concrete Campfire” showcasing up-and-coming indie bands, on top of the established Saturday afternoon jazz. With DJs at weekends and a new Sunday spot in the pipeline, Brel is pushing itself as a music-pub. However, as everyone knows there’s only one real reason to go to a Belgian pub. As owner Robin Morton says: “We specialise in mussels frites and Belgian beers” so Brel really is a beer-connoisseur’s wet-dream. Given its location and the variety of interesting things happening, Brel is a good shout, especially if the walk into town and the orange peope seem a bit daunting.

This odd little bar is a surprising place to find such a fine selection of music. The 50’s American dinerthemed decor sets off the diverse weekly and monthly musical offerings, giving a night spent in The Rio a bizarre time warped feel. A few too many drinks and you could find yourself in an air-hostess outfit driving a Cadillac with great balls of fire burning through your panties. There is something on almost every night, including Cabaret, Acoustic Night, Poker, DJs, Spoken Word and a top Jazz night featuring some of Scotland’s foremost players. However Gum recommends The Lazy Daze Open Stage every Tuesday, an event which must surely be one of Glasgow’s best Open Mic nights. Host Michael ‘The Acoustic Butterfly’ invites “musicians to bring your weapon of choice or use the house guitar, bass or percussion setup.” Starting around 8pm this is a perfect chance to showcase your talent get to grips with being on stage or even just to check out the wonders of Hyndland’s hip little time-machine.

As the undisputed Mecca of all things tea, Tchai Ovna has a special place in the heart of many among us, and is an interesting alternative option for a cheap night out. Come evening it becomes a cosy little venue, which sees everything from the brilliant to the simply bizarre. “I tend to book folk, jazz and world gigs where possible” explains Tchai’s Ken. Anything with a high level of musicianship and/or unusual instrumentation is a dead cert.” The unique atmosphere is a combination of a non-drunk audience and the ramshackle living-room styled decor, which can make for a really nicely chilled evening. It’s also only a few quid to get in to the gigs (entry is free the rest of the time) and there’s the option of sitting outside and smoking a Shisha to show off your smoke rings. Obviously it’s all about the tea really, and sipping some wonderful brews is a great way to soak in a gig. Tchai Ovna is an easy place to fall instantly in love with, and it’s definitely worth a shout when some low-key time is needed – GUM advises a cup of yogi yogi chai on the inevitable hazy Sunday after a heavy night of that world famous Glasgow fun.

Since it reopened earlier this year, The Captains Rest has been a massive success attracting many a famous act. Promoter Simon Liddell describes it as “not only a much needed live music venue for the West End, but also a fresh nightspot for Glasgow’s Indie masses. It combines the comfort of a traditional pub with the perks of a live music venue.” The Captains Rest has a wealth of tantalizing events taking place, with the year already having seen some epic gigs by the likes of Frightened Rabbit and Future of the Left while its preChristmas calendar may cause some West Enders to boycott town altogether. As for the place itself, it does achieve a strange yet somehow comforting mix of old-man’s pub (the scene of the single most hilariously awful karaoke display I have ever witnessed) and grimy/trendy indie spot. All in all, an essential haven for those prone to waffling about semi-obscure bands while necking absurd quantities of yellow beverages, and if that does not tickle your fancy then fear not - according to its MySpace The Captains Rest is single and Sagittarius so you might just get your grove on and get lucky!

Located just south of the Kelvingrove Park is the cosy-yet-stylish 78, though you may remember it as Stereo, it’s previous incarnation. Thursday night at the 78 plays host to the wonderful Dub and Grub, hosted by Mungos Hifi. Now in its sixth year, this night is a favourite for two pretty self-explanatory reasons, Dub AND Grub, yay!: “The DJs take turns in cooking and playing” explains Doug from Mungos HIfi. “Each week has a different menu of freshly cooked fare with the tunes ranging from old Ska and Rocksteady, through Roots-Reggae, Dub and Dancehall to Dubstep and Modern Reggae.” Combined with The 78’s dangerously good selection of designer ales and ciders, this night frequently results in a well-fed, half-cut wobble around to some crucial tunes. What’s more local legend/myth Ras Swampy is often found lurking outside treating unsuspecting smokers to a dose of mind-boggling stream-of-consciousness poetry. So as a precursor to a big Thursday night out, or even as the main event itself, Dub and Grub is a West End gem not too be missed get down around 7 to be sure you get a table.

The Halt is the bar of choice for many of the West’s talented hordes and is a real heavy-hitter in Glasgow’s underground music scene. Everything from a-tonal noise-punk to beautifully intricate folk can be stumbled upon here, but the reliably interesting and friendly crowd is definitely its strongest quality. Rob Smith, organiser of the Halt Hijack festival and many an excellent Saturday night gig, describes the scene as “interesting music, free entry and a dedication to providing as much support to the artists as possible.” This attitude has earned The Halt its intimate affiliation with the West’s music scene, its stage helping all kinds of budding artists move up the ladder. The exciting feeling that you may be watching tomorrow’s stars is a regular event as The Halt is often the first port of call for young bands looking to gig in the West End. Weekly events include Wednesday’s open-mic and Bazodee Sounds reggaedancehall every Thursday. As a venue that tries to give as much support as possible to local talent, and a genuinely great place to hang out, The Halt Bar continues to be among the best joints around Glasgow.

GUM•19

FRIGHTENED RABBIT ALI STODDART

“I’m a little bit anal and a little bit controlling”, proclaims Scott Hutchison, founder and central cog of indie pop troubadours, Frightened Rabbit. “In my view it is completely necessary to have other people in the band and if I was on my own I’d probably be a little bit lonely.” Scott started the Frightened Rabbit project on his own, in his bedroom in Selkirk with an acoustic guitar and a 4-track. Yet in his quest to avoid loneliness it has slowly grown into the 4-piece we hear today on their second album ‘Midnight Organ Fight’. The grape vine is whispering that the lineup is not yet complete, so I ask if he has plans for his Rabbits to evolve into an epic pop orchestra. “I think I will stop at 5”, laughs Scott, dismissing my suggestion that he led a band full of strings, gospel choirs and kazoos. “After that you get into the kind of ‘music collective’ kind of territory that I’m not really that into. It seems that you can get away with not writing any good songs as long as you make a confident noise.” Although Scott began writing music in Selkirk it was not until he moved to study at Glasgow School of Art that he seriously considered becoming a professional musician. “Glasgow absolutely influenced my decision to become a song writer”, continues Scott. “It made me want to

20•GUM

develop into a musician because it is such a fertile ground for creativity.” This drive to create music has eventually led to the release of the aforementioned ‘Midnight Organ Fight’. It is an album comprised of sublime and sincere, hook-driven rock pop songs that dealing with personal experiences and the tumult that is the demise of a 21st century relationship. “I certainly feel that the record tied a knot in a particular section of my life”, adds Scott as he highlights the cathartic quality the album has brought him. “I wouldn’t say it was anything to do with self-therapy, it was more to do with summing it up and letting it rest.” The popularity of Frightened Rabbit has continued to rise (think pawnshop profits in credit crunch times) and has even seem them making some significant noise across the pond. Scott believes that state side success is down to differences between music media which he describes as being “more democratic” and “less pretentious. It’s more blog based and I think that is the key to our success. Over there they don’t give a shit whether you’re cool or not they just like good music so you get attention.” Although modest of his own achievements, Scott is very critical of bands that get rocketed to fame by hype. “I’d rather have

a career. Bands that are hyped have a great time for about two years and then things start to get a little bit harder. Once they get cast back down after being driven skywards by the NME they have difficulty dealing with the arse end. I fucking hate the Ting Tings”, he adds with venom. “I don’t know how long they have been together but there is not much going on there for me. We want to broaden the term of guitar pop and allow it to be a little more adult. Its time that pop got a bit serious.” The quest for Frightened Rabbit to bring order to “awful slutty guitar pop” is underway and is sure to persist. The band will continue touring around the UK, including support slots with Death Cab for Cutie before playing with the Spinto Band in the US. Plans for a post-Christmas acoustic live album and a third album are also in the mix. “My job is to make music. I’m going to do that properly. Frightened Rabbit’s abiding voyage from 4-track to cult fame is unlikely to be halted any time soon.

Frightened Rabbit’s second album ‘Midnight Organ Fight’ and single ‘I Feel Better’ are out now on Fat Cat records. They play Glasgow Arches on 30/09/08.

CONFESSIONS OF A PR “Son, there’s no such thing as an easy job,” my father once told me, “if there was then every fecker alive would be doing it.” A useful gem of advice given to me in my darkest and laziest hour, and one which has stayed with me, like a bad smell, in my epic pursuit of employment that can cater for my dislike and fear of hard graft, but necessity for hard cash. Like so many others out there, my life has been one large conveyor belt of employment, various drudgery and dogsbody tasks I have engaged in, job after job, megalomaniac boss after megalomaniac boss, and one gross negligence lawsuit after the other - I’ve had em’ all. In my twenty-first year on this earth and my second in Glasgow I had given up all hope of finding my paragon of employment, my lazy man’s monetary Mecca, until late one sunny, spring evening I came across a vacancy sign requesting ‘P.R staff ’. For those of you not in the know, P.R stands for ‘Public Relations’, a fancy title for the less than glamorous task of informing the average man on the street of drinks promotions, special offers and general incentives of whatever pub or club employ you. For this job you need good banter, tick, a good sense of humour, tick, a friendly and approachable appearance, tick (I think) and a love for the outdoors, Tick! Three and a half ticks in my minds imaginary job questionnaire, forced me into said venue and, after a lightning quick interview, I was hired! I was now part of the strange and honourable profession of Public Relations, a profession that would lead me deep into the city’s bizarre underbelly, and bring me tantalisingly close to finding my perfect job. In Glasgow you are most likely to see P.R staff on the bedlam stretch of Sauchiehall Street every night of the week, marching in pairs, a healthy wedge of fliers gripped tight in their hands and sometimes even a smile on their face. Our job is to wander this street, amongst the drunks, bouncers and beggars and sell our place of employment like a cheap degraded door-to-door salesman. We must dazzle and hypnotise the drunker and more easily led punters with promotions

JAMES RAE

and free passes before leaving them utterly convinced their faltering night out on the town has been rescued. Of course, this is not the reality. The reality is P.Rs mostly suffer verbal (and sometimes mildly physical) abuse when they approach strangers on the street with no more proof they are in the Public Relations game than a flimsy bit of paper with drink prices on it. Most P.Rs hate the general public because of this, and choose not to bother them. As a result your nightly shift is spent mainly walking and talking with your P.R partner, upon whom your sanity depends, developing a deep and unspoken understanding of each other in your battle against the inebriated masses. Like most jobs it does have its perks, well one to be precise. As a P.R worker you are truly at the bottom of the publican pecking order, a disposable and easily replaced member of the workforce, and therefore sent out onto the street totally unsupervised and unloved. As a result of this you spend a lot of your shift in a far away and well-hidden pub, spending your hourly wage on pint after pint, smiling manically at the fact your finally being paid to sit in the pub. In my time as a P.R I’ve seen the strange and exotic things Glasgow nightlife has to offer. Grown men urinating on their own cars singing chumbawumba, homeless men using a chip box as a pillow, hookers, lovers, fights and brawls, all just part of the job. The scariest day for any P.R is when they realize they’ve become immune to it all, when the extremes of a Saturday night are not only common place, but expected. Forever branded in my mind will be the image of a middle aged Welshmen in detailed full body sheep costume vomiting violently on the city pavement and into a roadside grate as the remaining members of his stag party applaud him almost regally, in what appeared to be some form of twisted Welsh initiation into marriage. The picture was quite beautiful as various factions of P.Rs joined together in applause of the mighty sheep-man; a celebration of the obscene circus we call our everyday.

GUM•21

UP&COMING GUM talks to five up & coming bands to keep an eye out for in 08/09 Laura-Jayne Hunter

November will see the Screens embarking on a UK tour and for some this could cause delusions of grandeur, but not for the Glasgow three piece: “In between we will be the city’s fine pubs and clubs in pursuit of celebration, sherry and cigars, that is all one really needs.”

“She’s an incredibly creative artist, I love her use of harmony and the fact that she can produce such incredibly powerful sounds.”

Super Adventure Club

Laura-Jayne Hunter is a singer, songwriter from Northern Ireland whose folky style is not dissimilar to the likes of Imogen Heap.

Laura-Jayne has been singing since she was a child and soon discovered a love of Prince and Eric Clapton. At the tender age of 14 she started writing her own material and since then she has been in various bands and experimented with a number of different styles. The singer graduated from Leeds Music College earlier this year and is currently gigging and recording some new material. In between this she has done some studio work in London and has even been involved in a Guinness world record attempt for ‘the most people singing together at once’. “I was asked by the producer to sing the song on the recording, so basically I was doing some session work in a London Studio owned by Michael Wolf.” This is no small achievement considering that this particular studio has been used by the likes of Bonnie Tyler and Duke Special. Between the release of this magazine and Christmas, Laura–Jayne will continue to play gigs and will be collaborating with a producer to record some new material for an E.P.

THE BLACK ALLEY SCREENS

The Black Alley Screens consist of three Irish lads from Warrenpoint, who have been making a name for themselves since moving to Glasgow two years ago. Having played Live at Loch Lomond earlier this summer, the guys have recently returned from Wales where they have been recording their latest record. The Screens are a grimy indiepunk band with some funky bass lines to boot. Two more additions to the screens armoury are the intelligent and acutely observed lyrics and the charismatic drumming of John Markey who is not unlike a certain Jim Henson puppet. Their latest recordings are a testament to how the band has grown over the last few years. The material has become more focused yet still maintains a punky edge that sets the Screens miles apart from other ‘indie rock by numbers’ bands. “In terms of sound, the new tracks are definitely better produced and in many ways they are more mature. A lot of more of our experiences of Glasgow are in the lyrics as well. They’ve got a more alternative-Americana feel to them. The pixies have always been a big influence on our writing, probably more so in these records.”

22•GUM

An Edinburgh based three piece in the textbook formation; guitar/vocals, drums and bass. However there is not much that could be considered textbook about the bands material. From listening to their newly released debut album, “Chalk Horror” it is evident that the band has been exposed to an impressive body of music. They hop effortlessly from genre to genre fuelled by Bruce’s screeching and mind spanglingly crooked guitar riffs, with Mandy’s bass and Waz’s relentless drumming giving the whole outfit some quite impressive cojones! The origins of S.A.C. can be traced back to the glorious pinnacle of human endeavour that is Jewel and Esk Valley College where Bruce first met Mandy, who later drafted in Waz. Although Chalk Horror’s musical influences are diverse to say the least, the lyrics stemmed from the bands own mindless ramblings and the actions of the people’s poet, Tommy Sheridan. “I guess when you hear the lyrics, you can see that we’re inspired by people like Tommy Sheridan, Sharky the Impaler and Rik Waller etc. If they have done something that we think is funny or worth singing about then we will.” Over the next few months SAC will be gigging furiously, even leaving their homes and jobs to go on a one-month tour of France. With their musical originality and execution on stage, Super Adventure Club are well worth checking out.

THE VELCRO QUARTET The Velcro Quartet, a quartet by name, not by nature, are yet another three piece, whose music treads on the edge of insanity. A mish-mash of electro, ska, pop and rock mixed together in a bowel of carnival lunacy creating a fruit cake of sublimely organised chaos! The songs are incredibly accomplished, full of hooks and clichés delivered in an extremely surprising and original manner, rich in delicious electronic beeps and whirs, tasty bass-lines and the singing of a madman offering advice on how to kill your wife! As with their music, the story of Velcro Quartet’s formation is not for the faint of heart: “Joe Rodger moved to Glasgow in order to start his own pop group. As the long, cold nights living in a skip took their toll, Joe changed. He would metamorphose regularly into a hideous beast and would often be seen lurking

Justin Caselton & jOHN hUTCHINSON around Kelvingrove Park with half-eaten swans hanging out of his mouth. Two philanthropic local gentlemen (Rudi Zygadlo and Andrew Pattie) had heard the legend of the beast and decided to take him in. Joe, however, had soon corrupted them with his tales of pop aspirations, and a band was born; however, the original sound Joe had dreamed of had become soiled and sinister. After that, it was as simple as placing an advert on a blimp above The Halt Bar which read: ‘Wanted: The Best Drummer in All the Land’ for Craig O’Brien to join the team; thus, The Velcro Quartet was born.” One may be forgiven for wondering what inspired the group’s particular brand of pop mayhem. However when mused upon logically, the answer is perfectly simple: “Italo-disco and unsettling smiles”. Over the foreseeable future the group plan to release their first single, tour England and between all of that, continue to play here in Scotland so they can enlist more fans and of course “advocate the qualities of sleeping in skips”.

Laura-Jayne Hunter

PUNCH AND THE APOSTLES

Glasgow band Punch and the Apostles are a veritable menagerie of musicians and instruments. As well as the usual suspects there is a violinist, accordion player, and a brass section, who all contribute to the blend of flamenco, jazz, and ska, (among others) that makes up the bands music. The origins of punch is just about as epic as there music: “In 2005, Nape-of-the-Neck, Ginger St. Vitus Dance and Dougterwho met in the infirmary of a fish-packing factory in which they all worked. Having, by chance, simultaneously fallen victim to the bane of the fish-packers existence, carpel-tunnel syndrome . they struck up conversation.” Indeed.

The Black Alley Screens

Through this conversation the three ‘soon to be apostles’ unearthed a shared love of “obscure avant-garde Argentinean accordion music”. The next step for the trio was to travel to a “renowned apothecary” specialising in their affliction. After some “alto sax noodling”, the trio had an epiphany that would become Punch and the Apostles and convinced Mr Nelson, the sax noodling potion master to join them. From there the rest was simple. The next recruit was an ice cream vendor named Squeezy, a quick-witted accordion player who worked in a music hall next door to the packaging plant. After some persuasion Spanner rose from his toolbox to join the motley crew, and before long the apostles found their final member, Chazzmatazz. “He was sipping single malt and thought, through a proteininduced aneurysm ‘why the hell not?’ Thus the seed that was planted in the sick bay of a fish disembowelling plant grew into the Venus fly trap that is Punch and the Apostles. It is unclear what they intend to do over the next few months, but with any luck they’ll be gigging their trousers off !

Punch and the Apostles Every artist featured can be found on myspace.com where further information can be obtained.

GUM•23

PHOTOKYO PHOTOGRAPHY Jim Wilson | wjbwilson.tk 24•GUM

GUM•25

LIFE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY : CATRIONA MATHESON

Before me stood an all singing, all smiling, Hawaiian Shirt-clad Fijian four-piece band. I had just disembarked from a 22-hour flight, it was 5am and I had a splitting head ache, but I could appreciate the thought. These four Fijians, with their fantastic afros and enthusiastic bright, white smiles, set the tone for what would be a glorious week’s holiday on one of the planet’s most isolated paradises. If you think of Fiji and imagine white sandy beaches, palm tress and lush rainforests, you’re spot on. Fiji’s landscape and climate are undeniably what attracts its thousands of visitors each year. There is no traipsing around museums or visiting historical sites - Fiji is a travel hotspot due to its sand, sea and surf. There is an abundance of water sports on offer, endless mountain treks, or if you’d prefer, you can swing in a hammock, take in the views and read your book. Due to jetlag, for my first couple of days on Fiji I chose the latter- and it was bliss. Previously when I’d thought of Fiji, I’d remember the scene from The Truman Show where Jim Carey’s character announces he’d like to explore the islands. I can imagine such an ambition was accredited to Fiji’s remote location. To me, Fiji was surrounded by a sort of mystique and the dream of visiting seemed unattainable. After all, it was the

26•GUM

opposite side of the world and I couldn’t see myself having the funds or purpose to make the trip. This changed however when I was in STA Travel, booking flights to travel to Australia. When I was told Fiji was a possible stopover, I nearly fell off my seat. Located in the South Pacific Ocean, Fiji consists of over 300 tropical islands. Yet, despite its pristine waters and tranquil setting, Fiji has not always been so idyllic for those that live there. The country’s social and political history has been tumultuous at times and as a result Fiji has an interesting blend of Melanesian, Polynesian, Micronesian, Indian, Chinese and European influences. In fact, for nearly 50 years, until the military coup of 1987 and the Indian emigration which followed it, the indigenous people of Fiji where an ethnic minority in their own land. More recently, a military coup took place in December 2006, and the army now controls the country. The situation is generally safe but travellers are advised to exercise caution and check with the Foreign Office before going. Despite this political unrest, Fiji‘s tourist industry is thriving, mostly due to Europeans who include the islands on their Thailand- Australia- New Zealand world ticket. It is also due to this influx of tourists that Fiji is no longer a honeymoon hideaway with upmarket

hotels but now a holiday destination for a variety of travellers including families and backpackers alike. When arriving in Fiji, you have a variety of options depending on how long you’d like to stay. Some tourists choose one beach and stay there for their entire holiday. Others island-hop between the some of Fiji’s smaller islands, or alternatively, like me, you can explore the main island, Vitu Levu. I chose public transport as I was travelling on the cheap but I also knew I would witness more Fijian culture by doing so. I mingled with locals as the rickety bus struggled around the mountainous rainforests and decided to explore three separate parts of the main island, testing some water sports, climbing a waterfall and doing a trek along the way. I also sampled ‘kava’ a national drink made from plant root which although is non-alcoholic, is known for its numbing affect on your limbs. Fiji certainly caters for its visitors. At one of my favourite hostels - a campsite but with wooden bunk houses rather than tents- I was served complimentary tea and scones with homemade jam, daily at 4pm. Free tea and scones on an idyllic beach is definitely close to my idea of paradise.

(( ( ( ( (( ((( ((((( ( ( ( (

GLOBAL CONVERSATIONS

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY : CATRIONA MATHESON

As we walked down the meandering, dusty passageway set in between towering, sandstone cliff walls, I felt like we were uncovering a secret. We were entering Petra - a unique, ancient city, sitting cosily in a canyon in the mountains of southern Jordan, which until recently, I had never even heard of.

The dramatic entrance known as the Siq is a winding path set in rock split by a shift in the earth’s tectonic plates. The 1.2km corridor is largely protected from the midday heat but as you turn each corner, you’re greeted by an awesome sight of rock formations lit by the occasional glimpse of sunlight. About half an hour later, you turn your final corner before entering a vast archaeological site boasting thousands of tombs dating back to the Nabateaeans, a 3rd century BC Arab Dynasty. As you step inside Petra, it really feels like you’re stepping back to the times of the old testimant, Jordan isn’t a common backpacker destination but it certainly provides an adventure off the beaten track. You can trek deep into the desert and camp out under a blanket of stars, read a book whilst floating in the Dead Sea or be pampered at one of it’s spas using local, natural products. Jordan is located close to the heart of Judaea Christian history so you can trace the footsteps of the prophets and soak up the generous, forthcoming Jordanian hospitality. Throughout my trip I was constantly amazed at the kindness of locals who invited me into their homes, gave directions when I was lost, and helped me when we I was sick (a particularly nice guesthouse owner looked after me during a ghastly episode of food poisoning). I was also very fortunate on my first day in Petra to meet two locals who kindly took the time to show me their ancient home. Ahmed and Zohair had learned and perfected spoken English from speaking to tourists from a young age, yet they explained that because there were few visitors, they had little work and so were happy to show me the place in which they grew up. On my final night in Petra, they invited me to their village and into their family home for dinner. I sat on their floor, tearing homemade bread and dipping it into the most delicious hummus while I drank mint tea heated over a fire and exchanged stories over a sheesha. These people may have grown up in a rural desert, but they were well educated in world affairs and were light hearted about the Middle East and its relations with the west, namely the United States. This became apparent when they introduced us to their two donkeys, ‘Monica’ and ‘Lewinsky’.

Meeting Ahmed and Zohair served as a reminder that touts and pick pockets are not always the norm when traveling. Perhaps the friendliness of Jordanians comes from their eagerness for westerners to see Jordan for its qualities and not to be hazed by its location. They say that geographically, Jordan is stuck between a ‘rock and a hard place.’ I’m assuming the ‘rock’ is Iraq and the ‘hard place’ any of its other neighbours; the West Bank, Israel, Syria or Saudi Arabia. Yet it is relatively safe. Indeed, if you’re after something a bit different, before the crowds arrive, I suggest you hurry. The Foreign Office is currently advocating travel to Jordan and The Jordanian Tourist Board has unleashed new initiatives in a bid to boost tourism. In addition, Petra has just been named one of the new ‘Seven Wonders’ of the world. It seems to me that the secret’s out.

GUM•27

28•GUM

BANGKOK : A CITY ON THE EDGE WORDS: JAMES RAE PHOTOGRAPHY : KRISTINA BONEVA It was nine o’clock at night when we arrived in Bangkok after a gruelling 14 hour bus journey from Cambodia. The sky line of the city was illuminated like something from a science fiction film, endless columns of steel spiralling vertically into oblivion and chaos. There is a serene beauty to Bangkok’s city centre at night that is a far cry from the hustle and bustle of the never ending tuk tuks, vendors and lady boys that made up the destination we were heading for - the legendary Koh Sahn Road in Bangkok’s Banglumpoo district. Koh Sahn has been made world famous as a rest stop for backpackers providing cheap hostels and a dazzling array of nightlife. The street itself is very long with a labyrinth of side streets (sois) where a lot of cheap guesthouses and hostels are available. Revellers are treated to makeshift bars that adorn the streets after nine o’clock, with offers of cheap beer and buckets. The latter of which consists of a quarter bottle of Sam Song (a local rum that is 80% proof) two bottles of red bull and soft drink of your choice. If you survive the buckets there is plenty to do, clubs adorn the street, ranging from pumping drum and bass to singer songwriter live performances. In terms of eating street vendors are perfect, everything is cheap and you see it being cooked in front of you. If you are looking for something a bit closer to home it is easy enough to find fast food outlets like McDonalds and Burger King. In terms of shopping everything goes for sale on Koh Sahn, be sure to check merchandise before you buy as it may be a bit dodgy, I had a necklace explode into a thousand pieces around my neck. Apart from Koh Sahn Bangkok has a lot to offer. The shopping in the centre of town is pretty cool, the MBK centre has an eclectic mix of stores and stalls and if you’re sick of haggling you can go and pay for what you see in retail outlets. If you like temples try and see the grand palace and the temple of the jade Buddha, it’s awesome. One thing I can’t emphasise enough is to check the country’s political climate on the foreign office website: www.fco.gov.uk. We were in Bangkok during the latest spate of protests against the now ousted PM Samak Sundaravej. By and large the protests where focused on government buildings which are far detached from the main

tourist areas. Although protests can spill onto the streets, we encountered one by the democracy monument but everything was conducted peacefully. I spoke with an Australian girl who was involved in the protests said she didn’t see any signs of violence despite media reports. The best thing to do is to stay away from protests if at all possible, the Thai authorities are ruthless and will bang you up for next to nothing. Apart from the occasional protest and the like, Bangkok is an amazing city full of great sights and a brilliant nightlife, with hedonism rivalling the likes of Amsterdam and Vegas. Anything goes in Bangkok except drugs so don’t be a fool and get caught in possession of anything, you will get a fine or do hard time.

BANGKOK SURVIVAL TIPS Drink bottled water... for the sake of your insides. Keep your wallet on a belt. Haggle Haggle Haggle. Don’t take tuk tuk tours that offer temple tours - they will try and rip you off. Don’t get involved in political protests however fun they might look... and if you do don’t get caught!! Throw away the lonely planet guide. Everyone goes to the places they suggest which means they will more than likely be booked up. Bring padlocks for your rucksacks or luggage and keep your keys with you at all times Ping Pong shows are a lot more insane than you think. All I’m saying is razor blades!! Use local buses... at night you can sometimes get them for free. If it has an Adams apple and a penis it is a man not a seemingly beautiful girl!

GUM•29

AUSTERITY

WORDS : JESSICA MCBRIDE PHOTOGRAPHY : SCOTT MCGINLAY

The brilliance of austerity is that it brings forth an air of discretion. It does not threaten with brashness nor does it detract attention away from its purity. Rather, austerity commandeers the stealth of one’s wealth of character. Judicious spending is now a la mode in consumer behaviour, whilst the vision of the ideal now suggests austerity over excess. The prevalent intention of designers today is to highlight the power of design which spells out the future without threatening consumers who are hard-pressed in economic times by feeling isolated from the enjoyment of garment gratification. Re-access your wardrobe and figure out what you – the individual – appreciate most and build upon it with items that challenge your own interests in fashion yet still meet your needs. By having basics as the silhouetted backdrop, truly contemporary design comes into prominence with individual items that justify their worth. Architectural angles and constructed volume are given kudos over any definitive ‘it’ item. Apparel now has been conceived of as a lesson in geometric volume via a range of formations.

30•GUM

Made with integrity in material and abiding power in style, items with structured shape all define the current mood – nonetheless there is no singular shape and no isolated structure. In a sense, the wearer is given the power to define his or her own silhouette as an act of individuality. Boxy shoulders, peplum skirts, balloon and banana shapes, bell- sleeves, pea coats and peg-leg trousers have all been on show to interpret what best works and what emanates confidence in oneself. There are items that are classics and there are those that are truly future-forward. These shapes, formulated by creases, pleats and moulds, function by teaming with those basic garments consistently available. There is no need to binge on a myriad of new items when all that is truly required is to select that which have lasting power and bring to life a perennial collection of pieces with a new air of discretion. The moment is fertile for design innovation and the decision in some (albeit austere) form is up to you.

GUM•31

[{ PREP. WORK When basic living costs rise and recession overshadows, it’s time to peer into the dark recesses of the wardrobe and ask – can this collective mass of apparel withstand endurance in autumn and winter, as well as sustain one’s own sartorial satisfaction without feeling dull and drained as gloom clouds over? The strength of one’s wardrobe acts in some way as an amour against external forces, both in seasonal and economic terms. Serious times call for a serious examining of one’s sense of dressing, and with an attention to detail and timeless staples one can persist as a man liberated from the woes of being in arrears without appearing dated by conservative circumstances. Conveniently designers looked to the British garments and tradition of tailoring this season, which fits perfectly into any Scots of Englishman’s attire. The tweed is one such example, and can be found in a host of colours and weaves and Urban Outfitters. It’s durable, well tailored and can be paired with jeans, trousers, shirts or t-shirts depending on the desired look. The trench is a perpetual item that both creates a streamlined look against any outfit as well as protect against the – if ever there were a true British classic thats it. American Apparel is a wicked place to pick out basic and quality-manufactured garments to coordinate any outfit at an affordable cost with a subversive, classical edge.

32•GUM

STS mincili elenism CKIodionulpute O T SEqui quamet laorper suscilis dolessi blan ut lummy nullandion henit, Contents Page vendre doloreet, sis nulputem Red Johann Dress|Urban voloreet in Bubble veliquat. Duisis Outfitters|£55 nullandreet, volesequam ipit Belt|New Look|£10digna corerat, aliquat. Olobore Sheer Jacket|M&S quiscipsusto do ea feugiat. Num

vel ipsum velit lore feugait Far Left vulla acilis dolor sisisl init Black Dress|Full Circle@ augueVolume dionumShirt vullutpatis num Urban Outfitters|£81 et iusto esto con henisl ero Bangles consed & ea Corsage con velitHeadbands|Miss vel ullaorem Selfridge|from £1 eugait lorem quate molobore Brooches|New £6 enit la con ea Look|from facing ex eugue Purple Necklace|Miss Selfridge|£20 eum adBead er susto del init iliquip

eugiam, quat ip exerit vel utate Centre Grid & Top Right digna esto consectet eraestrud Black Men’s Trench Coat|Model’s conulluptat utatin hendiam, verOwn Grey Men’sat, Scarf|M&S inibhWoolen el dolenim consequatet Grey Twill Slack|American acin Stretch volenibh ea Slim feu facillum Apparel|£46 il delit ametue elis nosto et Light Messenger Bag|Model’s Own ea feuBrown faciliquam ad tisisisl in Black Patentconsequate Men’s Brogue vel iriustio delShoes|M&S ut Shopper Bag|M&S|£29.50 la commy num ipis ad dunt Grey Panel Pleat lum accum nim Women’s inis nos Blouse|M&S endre Tie tat. Waist AcilitTrousers|M&S|£29.50 velit lorem accum Black Heels|New Look|£20 verostinim nostrud tat. Cum Jeans|Model’s Own at, secte molum zzriureet, si exer Shirt|Model’s Own ip essi. Green Tweed Jacket|Urban Outfitters|£40 Core tis adiamet aute dignis Brown Shoes|M&S nummodit ad dolore modiam Brown Messenger Bag|M&S velenibh estrud ero consequatem White T-Shirt|Anerican eugaitThermal nisim adiamco nsequat ex Apparel|£17 exerat augiam iriusting enisim Cashmere Cardigan|M&S|£69 alis amcore moloborem nim nim Dark Grey Waterfall Dress|Miss am eugiate tio dolorerosto conse Selfridge|£45 faccum dolut volore erci exero Jewellery|Miss Selfridge odio dolore mincil ea feugait

nulla consecte velent luptat alis accum iure tem

GUM•33

Words : John Hutchinson

climbing and has recently commanded much attention from the world climbing media. The reason behind this is that the climbing at Dumbarton is unique, technical, hard, unforgiving and requires intense dedication to master. Combine this with the locality and convenience of the rock to Glasgow in comparison with more remote climbing venues in Scotland and it is unsurprising that Dumbarton Rock has been the canvas on which the best Scottish climbers have left their mark. One climber in particular represents the importance of Dumbarton rock in pushing Scottish climbing standards to a world class level, his name is Dave Macleod; he is 30 years old and spent 13 of them climbing at Dumbarton.

Dumbarton Rock rises abruptly from the surrounding landscape, deftly marking the meeting place of the River Clyde and the River Leven. From miles afar, the rounded lump of Dumbarton is clearly visible, but only upon closer inspection is its true character revealed. Over the years the rock has changed, a subtle mixture of erosion and graffitti with bright spray-painted images and tages adorning the surface. Yet this urban art is accompinied by a different type of graffiti, one which consists of dabs of chalk marks snaking up prominent lines of the boulders, highlighting the features of the rock at random intervals. These differing graffiti’s tell a story of a strange mix of ingredients that make Dumbarton Rock one of the most interesting and

34•GUM

addictive climbing spots around. It is this contrast that helps to make Dumbarton Rock so interesting and so important. Interesting because it is used by different people in many different ways, a place where you sometimes see people fishing, a place where you quite often see local ‘youths’ get pissed, stone ducks, break bottles or sometimes spray graffiti. But it’s also a place where you will always see rock climbers. Despite this being a far cry from idyllic climbing spots such as Yosemite, Fontainbleau or Glen Nevis this combination of people and place results in a spot with a unique character and feeling. Since the 1970’s Dumbarton Rock has been at the forefront of Scottish rock

Dave is a former student of Glasgow University and has become one of the most accomplished all-round climbers in the world with significant first ascents in traditional climbing, bouldering and winter climbing. Now living in Lochaber, on July 30th 2008 he climbed ‘Echo Wall’ on Ben Nevis, a desperately hard 100 metres climb with dubious protection 1100 metres up the North Face. This route was to become another instance of Dave pushing the standards of difficulty to a higher level, so much so that Echo Wall is probably the hardest traditional climb in the world. This feat is representative of the climbing projects he takes on as a whole - high technical difficulty requiring long periods of intense effort and specific training. This has elevated him into a worldclass climber and although his latest accomplishment was not on the smooth dolerite of Dumbarton Rock, it was his 13 years of climbing there that sculpted him into the climber he is today. Indeed, the scope and vision of Dave’s climbing at Dumbarton Rock was granted much attention from the climbing media when a couple of weeks before Dave completed Echo Wall, another world class climber called Sonnie Trotter travelled from Canada and spent a month of effort in achieving the second ascent of ‘Rhapsody’, a route that Dave had completed in 2006 after two years of effort and the first route in the world to be graded E11. The film ‘E11’ documents Dave’s efforts in completing Rhapsody including the numerous 60 foot falls he had to endure when falling from the crux moves, it was this film that inspired

Sonnie Trotter to travel thousands of miles from Canada to bag the second ascent, though not before taking that same 60 foot fall 24 times! There’s obviously something special about the climbing at Dumbarton when a top level athlete chooses the graffiti infested and litter ridden Dumbarton Rock at a Glasgow suburb over all those beautiful climbing wildernesses throughout the world. As Sonnie stated in an interview concerning Rhapsody: “It’s one of those unique, really special lines, it make’s you want to travel across the pond just to climb on.” Although Dave has since moved on from his old stomping ground I caught up with him there recently to discuss the special role of Dumbarton Rock in his own climbing development. For Dave, it was the rock type itself that fuelled his Dumbarton addiction as a 15 year old to climb all the established problems there over a period of 3 years and to then start climbing his own new routes up the boulders and the main face, raising the level of difficulty higher and higher. As with any climbing, the rock type specifies the particular body movements required to climb it successfully. At Dumbarton, the rock is very smooth and angular, requiring emphasis on technique and efficiency of movement to unlock. ‘You have really got to look at the rock”, begins Dave. “You say well that might be a hold from that angle and so I need to work out how to

use it in relation to this other hold, so it’s almost mathematical. That was really enjoyable for me, just to puzzle them out, it just appeals to my personality, to know the layout of the holds in my head and to wander about for a few days and go ‘yeah that’ll be it’ and come back and try it and then seeing if it works. That whole process is really cool.” Speak to any climber and it’s this process of reading the rock and getting to know it intimately which appeals, for your mind to be completely focused on the movement of your body and totally oblivious to anything else in your life.

“That is the enjoyment, the process of it feeling totally impossible then effortless” “That is the enjoyment, the process of it feeling totally impossible then effortless”, continues Dave. This process of working very hard problems from failure through to success requires an almost monastic dedication, to be there out on the rock day after day, worshipping at the altar of the rock. Speaking to Dave it’s clear that his character was perfectly suited to solve the riddles of this rock, to unlock the movements required for success through hard training. The ingredients of success Dave learned at Dumbarton rock to climb difficult boulder problems gave him the necessary qualities both physical and mental to complete his recent astounding ascent of

Echo Wall and also enrich his wider life with a philosophy and outlook formed through the extensive periods of time he spent climbing. “Climbing at Dumbarton was a catalyst for everything I did”, adds Dave. “When I started climbing I hated school, and to me what I was doing here was just much more powerful than anything I could have done at school, because it gave me real motivation to do stuff, and got me interested in things like the natural world and ultimately in things like Sports Science, and all the other aspects I was genuinely interested in instead of that really backward way of learning that seemed to be in school.” For the first timer, Dumbarton Rock can definitely feel like an intimidating place, probably as much to do with some of the rougher locals who frequent it as with the hard and often dangerous climbing. However, spend enough time there and you’ll find the locals are actually really friendly and the place wouldn’t have the character it does without them. The ever changing light and mood at the rock is sometimes breathtaking and there’s definitely nothing quite like a long, multi coloured Dumby sunset. Go on, even if you’re not a climber you can take in the views, drink a bottle of Buckfast or even visit the castle! Trains run from Glasgow, through Dumbarton East station every 20 minutes and it’s a 10 minute walk to the boulders and crag and enjoy a special part of Scotland.

photography : Claire Macleod - www.velvetantlers.co.uk

jonathon bean - www.equatorlive.com/blogs/jonathonbean

GUM•35

36•GUM