Skylights - What You Are

Very few things unite fans of different football teams, even more so when those teams are city rivals or the adversaries are both challenging for honours.   That's just part of football and why it  will always make it very special.  On the occasions when some common ground can be found, it will normally be part of the culture and trends that have illuminated the terraces for generations.   From the football fans of the 1960s singing songs from the steps of the vast sweeping terraces, to the modern day Ultras, updating lyrics from chart songs for fan favourites while lighting up the stands with pyro’, noise and colour.   The link between football and music has always been, and that will never change.

As the football season comes to an end, there is a seamless migration from the stadiums to festival fields and concert venues across the country.  The rivalry is paused while the musicians weave their magic on stage and unite a fanatical culture under the strobe lights.  This is where bands like Skylights come in, the diehard Leeds United fans have all the swagger that goes with the casual football culture, and they have the songs to back it up with a heady mix of indie rock anthems bound together with guitar riffs and air punching choruses.

Skylights inaugural album What You Are,  landed on all the usual platforms in May this year through Manchester based 42’s Records and has been climbing up the charts, riding high in the UK top 40 as well as sitting at number 11 in the Vinyl charts.  One listen and it’s easy to see why there is so much love out there for this ten track work of art. The four lads hailing from York have launched an absolutely storming debut release filled with a raw and crisp sound that simply consumes you from the opening chords.

The boisterous intensity delivered through Outlaw, Nothing Left to Say and What You Are combines  seamlessly with stripped back acoustic tracks on the album.  Julia Violinista  adds a touch of magic on violin through her unique Indie/Classical sound for Darkness Falls and Driving Me Away, showing the bands range and maturity.

YRA is the longest song on the album and is an instant classic, you just know this track will take the roof off any venue, it has all the strut and swagger of the very best of Indie music.  Take Me Somewhere produces that unmistakable bass led punk melody, again displaying the versatility of the sound the band produce.

The record is laced with influential sounds throughout, with a nod to bands like Shed Seven, The Cult, Jesus Jones and Primal Scream, but the band stamp their own mark all over the album and keep the sound fresh all the way through.  With Rob Scarisbrick on vocals, Turnbull Smith on guitar, Jonny Scarisbrick on bass and Myles Soley on Drums, the group are ready to expand on their passionate support in the Yorkshire heartlands and introduce themselves to a wider audience.

With the hard work done in the studio it promises to be a busy couple of month for the quartet as they hit the road over the summer with live shows in Dublin, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and their biggest gig to date at Leeds O2 Academy.

Upcoming gigs

18th June – Whelans, Dublin

9th July – O2 Academy, Leeds

29th July – Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh 

30th July – The Tunnels, Aberdeen

Twitter - @SkylightsYRA

Building for a Future

When the referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the Scotland and Armenia match on Wednesday night, the curtain came down on the footballing season in Scotland .   Yeah, there are still 2 important matches away to Republic of Ireland and the return match against Armenia, before the players start a well deserved summer break.   However, for us here in Scotland the cathedrals that welcome 40 and 50 thousand fans week in and week out will be echoing to the sound of seagulls, lawnmowers or the beat of a DJ set from Calvin Harris or rocking with Manchester's finest Liam Gallagher.  The goalposts have been put away again for players and coaches to catch their breath.

It's been a strange couple of years, from no football at all, no fans to full capacity amphitheatres for big matches and concerts – it’s hard to comprehend the change or even think about what happened before early spring 2020.  What I do know is that I am sure we all appreciate each other just a wee bit more every day.

My son was in the final few months of primary school when the pandemic hit, the imposed lockdown brought a unexpected final day forward by about 12 weeks.   Our children were affected by the restrictions, with no face to face learning, after school clubs or football training, athletics, music lessons or even just playing with friends.   The next steps to high school is hard enough for our kids, but under restrictions the challenge would be tougher.   It was at this point, just as outdoor activities were being reintroduced that I received an unexpected phone call.

The coach from Baillieston Thistle, a recently formed local football team contacted me and the parents of a number of boys and girls making the move to high school.   His plan was to bring together a group of players to get involved in grassroots football playing 11-a-side football in the Glasgow and District youth football league.

At the first training session a very shy, disjointed group of individuals turned up to Barrachnie Park to be run through their paces.   The first thing I noticed was a photographer taking a picture of a couple of players handing over a donation to Brighter Baillieston Foodbank.  This really struck a chord with me, it made me think about the commemorative plaque in Baillieston Library dedicated to William Keegan, who travelled to Spain in 1936 as part of the Scottish Battalion of the International Brigade.   An act of solidarity with similar people from a similar background looking to make a positive change for those around them.

In the end I left it up to my son to make a decision whether he wanted to join Baillieston Thistle and today, I'm glad he made the decision to get involved with the team.  The two years that have followed since that first training session have not been easy.   More lockdowns and I am sure many many more personal tragedies have affected families across our community, but the camaraderie built not only between the players, but also the coaches, parents and carers has been a real lift for all of us watching from the side-lines whatever the weather.

Two weeks ago their first full season in the league drew to a close.  A playoff match against Castlemilk Boys Club, another closely knit community team in their development league would decide the 3rd division champions.  A quite incredible match filled with goals, great play and drama was played out at the community fields in Greenfield.  Nothing could separate the teams & the match was settled with penalty kicks, a cruel but equally enthralling way to decide any match.  Thankfully, the boys from Baillieston held there nerve winning the penalty shootout 4 goals to 3.

The celebrations amongst the players looked like the frustration of a difficult 2 years had been swept away, the joy, excitement and no doubt relief was written all over the players faces.  Next season will definitely bring new challenges, but the disjointed group who messed around in that first session two years ago have grown in number and in confidence thanks to the dedication of the coaches.

There are a number of age groups set up across the club, including 2007s, 2008s, 2009, 2012, 2013, Amateurs and over 35s.   The power of football in peoples lives cant be underestimated and the addition that makes in the local community can only be an improvement too.

It’s been over 40 years since the Marathon men of Baillieston Juniors won the Scottish Junior Cup at Hampden and paraded it around the community on an open top bus.  With news from the council that a new sports facility will be built at James Lindsay park, there is hope that a community team can find a place in Baillieston again, and we all have a part to play in getting it there.

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Baillieston-Thistle-FC-469078796906822/

Twitter - @BailliestonTAFC

A Songbook for Big George

Walking up the cobbled stone street the noise of Byres road slowly fades, a busker belts out an Oasis song while a smoker stands at the entrance of a bar, he's looking on in deep appreciation of the street fayre in front of him. The smoker throws a few coins on to the buskers ruffled up leather guitar case before opening the door to head back to his pint, momentarily the sound of a hundred conversations drift out from the packed bar before falling silent again as the door closes keeping in the heat and revelry. For me I’ve only got a few more steps along the lane before heading through the double doors of Jinty McGuinty's and all at once I am content.

The drinkers queueing at the bar behind me 4 or 5 people deep all looking for space to try to shout in another round – bar manager Caroline controlling it expertly as always.

Waiting my turn I take a quick look round to the fireplace where George is serenading the packed pub with his stories and songs, he greets me with a wide eyed beaming smile and a gentle nod, I know I've been welcomed into the pub. He gestures down to his half finished pint, just to let me know he needs another freshly poured beer brought over when I’m ready.

The walls are decorated with the literary gems of Ireland. Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde and WB Yeats are remembered through their social commentary from yesteryear. Mixed with the modern score from artists like Christy Moore, Shane MacGowan, Jim Croce and many many more........... It’s all too perfect.

This is where I went for years, this is where I grew up, this is where I go now to remember my brother George. 

Sometimes I close my eyes and for a fleeting moment I hear his voice, I see his smile and feel his warmth again.

There isn’t a day goes by where I don't miss him.

Those years following George from pub to pub across Glasgow, and if I could get the time off work, across Scotland too are cherished memories. They were an education for me, and an opportunity to embrace the beauty within folk music, from it's picture perfect lyrics to the touching melodic arrangements that accompanied every heartfelt tale.  These songs don't just linger in your head, they settle in your soul.

George's wife Carolyn dropped off his gigging guitar to me last year. I had hoped I could maybe pick up the guitar and actually learn to play it properly this time, but so far I haven't got very far. In amongst the guitar case was an old song list that George handed round at the bars and clubs he played so that people could request songs – the list wasn't extensive, probably only covering a small clipping of his regular material.  A very early version of a playbook.

The list got me thinking about the songs George would sing and the variety of genres it crossed over. Digesting the content of the playbook I created a playlist on Spotify of the tunes I would hear George perform in my younger days, like all good playlists it has become a fluid score of not only the songs George sang, but those I would hear in the bars where he played and in the car travelling between venues.

Simply called Big Geo Songlist it has become my go to soundtrack when I am ironing, cooking, driving or spending time with family and friends. The biggest compliment I can give it is that both my children are tuned in to it regularly.

So, I thought I would share it with you to hopefully bring back some memories of your own and help toast my brother and our friend George.

Big Geo Songlist

A year in the life of this Celtic fan 1997 - 98

As the 1996/97 season drew to a close Celtic started to fall out the race for the Scottish title.   The reality of our city rivals equalling our 9 in a row record had just about been confirmed.  A small glimmer of hope remained that some silverware could be salvaged through the Scottish Cup.  A semi-final replay against Falkirk at Ibrox stadium on Wednesday 23rd April 1997 would represent our last chance to maybe secure a token of success for the season.

On a night when the weather conditions were awful Celtic lost 1-0 to Falkirk which pretty much ended our season.   I sat near the front of the Govan Road stand at Ibrox with my future wife Linda that night and  we were both soaked through in the incessant rain.  When I got home I went to sleep hoping to waken up from a bad dream. 

I became un-well overnight with flu like symptoms and I deteriorated over the next few days.   I was admitted to Glasgow Royal infirmary on Saturday 26th April with a suspected stroke, but after multiple tests, scans and examinations the doctors discovered that I had contracted Bacterial Endocarditis which was stopping my heart from functioning properly.  Broken hearted if you like.

For the next 2 weeks, I would drift in and out of consciousness and was given intravenous antibiotics, but it became clear that the drugs were not going to be enough to help me fight the infection. My consultants visited me around the 6th May to confirm that I would need emergency life saving surgery.

On the 9th May 1997 I made my way to theatre for open-heart surgery, undergoing a pulmonary valve replacement.  I spent the vast majority of the day in surgery as the surgeons tried to repair the damage done to my heart.  The following day my condition worsened and I went into cardiac arrest, I would need to go through further emergency surgery that day to save my life.   My family and my girlfriend Linda were given the news that the next few hours would be crucial.

I would spend another 10 days in intensive care as my condition slowly improved.   I was moved back to a ward in the hospital 2 weeks after surgery and began my post operation rehab, it was then that I found out Rangers had equalled our 9-in-a-row record and that our coach Tommy Burns had been sacked as Celtic manager.

I was discharged from hospital in early June to continue with my recovery; thankfully I had a big family and supportive girlfriend to see me through those early months. 

On the 3rd July the Scottish sports writers started to make some noise on the radio suggesting a new manager was on his way to Celtic Park, I took a trip to the stadium with my brother Benny to see Wim Jansen unveiled as the new boss.  To be honest, I hadn’t heard of him as a player or a manager.

Plenty of players came & went over the course of the next few months, Paolo Di Canio left for Sheffield Wednesday, we made some new signings like Craig Burley and Darren Jackson.   However, it was the arrival of a forward from Wim Jansens former club Feyenoord that helped spark the team. 

A slow start to our league campaign meant we would have play catch up on our rivals..  A battle of Britain UEFA cup-tie against Liverpool seemed to lift the players and the club but it wasn’t enough as we lost the tie on away goals.  

A last minute header from Alan Stubs secured a draw at home against Rangers, a result that would prove incredibly valuable at the end of season.  November ended with a League Cup Final visit to Ibrox, the scene of our defeat to Falkirk earlier in the year & where my serious illness seamed to start.

My brother George managed to secure me a ticket for the match and I watched on as Celtic beat Dundee Utd 3-0 to win the League Cup for the 1st time in 15 years.   The euphoria of winning that day reverberated around the Ibrox stands; a trophy that had been out of our grasp for so long was coming back to Celtic Park, but our main aim must be to stop Rangers reaching 10-in-a-row.

Every match had the feeling of a must win game, none more so than the traditional new year derby with our city rivals.  My brother-in-law gave me his ticket for the match that day.   Celtic controlled the match from start to finish and we were rewarded with a fine two nil victory, both goals superb and both coming from new players signed by Jansen.   Celtic had won their first new-years day derby since 1988 & were back in the race for the title.

As the league season came to an end, the pressure on both teams was beginning to tell.  On the 2nd last weekend of the season Rangers lost to Kilmarnock at Ibrox, a result that gave Celtic the chance to win the title with a win the following day against Dunfermline.  The tension got to the players and we could only earn a draw loosing a goal in the last few minutes to finish the match 1-1.  The League title would be decided one week later on Saturday 9th May – the 1st anniversary of my life saving heart operation.

I didn’t have a ticket for the match against St Johnstone and in the age before wall-to-wall TV coverage, my dad and I were left listening to the radio for updates.   All Celtic had to do was to win the match at home and we would be Scottish champions for the first time in 10 years.

Within the first 3 minutes of the radio commentary we were celebrating the news of a goal for Celtic through Henrik Larsson.  However nerves on the pitch meant that Celtic struggled to add that 2nd goal that would give us some breathing space.

News came through from Tannadice that Rangers were winning against Dundee Utd.   If Celtic slipped up the league would be lost to our biggest rivals.

I’d had enough and couldn’t listen anymore, so went to my room and hoped for the best, I was switching the radio on and off checking for the score and turned on the radio just in time to hear the commentator describe Harald Brattbakk scoring the 2nd goal for Celtic securing our first championship in 10 years.

I went downstairs to see my dad crying with delight and we cheered and sang our way through the final 20 minutes of the match.   When the final whistle blew a huge cheer was heard across the east end of Glasgow as Celtic fans celebrated winning the Scottish title.

The 9th May will be etched in my memory forever.  In the space of a year my damaged heart had been repaired thanks to the commitment of NHS staff and my broken heart had been mended with the delivery of an unexpected title victory thanks to the management of Wim Jansen.

I may not have known much about Wim Jamsen prior to his arrival at Celtic, but by the time he left the club in 1998 I knew he had joined a long list of Celtic legends, to go along with his already legendary status the earned as a player and manager with Feyenoord.

Leaving of Liverpool

With my son being a bit sport crazy, it can be difficult keeping up with the various conversations relating to transfers, touchdowns, goals and home runs that he has caught online on any given day.   I'll hold my hands up, the fascination with different sports is quite possibly my doing.    We've gone from watching the Red Sox throw away a more than decent chance of winning the world series in the autumn of this year to being glued to game day coverage once the NFL season started (I'm a Patriot, he's a Green Bay fan!), we now find ourselves frantically trying find a stream to watch NCAA college football in the hope that the Michigan Wolverines maybe, just maybe win the championship this year.

These are extra innings interests that help pass the time when our true sporting love are not playing at home or we aren't travelling around Scotland for a Celtic away match.  I would say I have little to no interest in football south of the border, the EPL just comes across as too commercialised for me (even more than NFL & MLB).  However, Gabriel has grown a real appetite for Liverpool in recent years, his interest started to grow when Brendan Rodgers was in the dugout at Anfield - the Liverpool team that agonisingly slipped at the final fence in the title race.  A champions league & premier league title since then has made up for that in his eyes.  So, when I won tickets to a Liverpool match at Anfield, I only had one person in mind to take with me on the road trip.

Travelling down to Merseyside on the Friday night meant we would have all day Saturday to look around some of the places of interest in the city.  We stayed in the town of Waterloo which looks out on to the mouth of the river Mersey and the boats travelling to and from Ireland.    A frequent train service from Waterloo station means it is only about a twenty minutes from the buzz of central Liverpool.  Our first port of call had to be Albert Dock just to get a glimpse of site where “This Morning" was filmed many moons ago.  We then made our way through shopping precincts to the famous Cavern Club and the birthplace of The Beatles.

Perhaps it was because I had been starved of any live music due to the various Covid restrictions, but as soon as we walked into the Cavern Club we were spellbound.   With live music from 11am onwards I felt like a regular Day Tripper as musicians took us all on a magical tour of the artists who have played at the Cavern over the years.  We could only stay for the first 2 of the resident artists performances, Gabriel lapping up Johnny B. Good from Gary Murphy & I was delighted to hear Working Class Hero performed by Richard Batty.   I cant stress this enough – the Cavern Club is somewhere every music fan must go to experience the magic of it all.

Now, it was on to the main point of our venture into England, the world famous Kop & Anfield was only a few miles way.   We got a train from Liverpool central to Sandhills station where we caught the connecting “soccerbus" to Anfield.   Even though we were about 2 or 3 hours early there was still a steady stream of fans making their way to the match.   A walk around the stadium showed the sheer scale of the new main stand as it dwarfs the closely bunched houses standing in its shadows.   The murals on the walls in the streets around Anfield are a striking nod to former glorious victories and the hope for more silverware to come.

Gabriel & I paused for a few moments of reflection at the Hillsborough memorial and said a few silent prayers in memory of those fans who tragically died supporting their team on the 15th April 1989.

Our tickets were in the new level of the main stand, thankfully the construction team had folk like me in mind when they built this towering structure by adding escalators taking fans to the very top.   The concourse was packed with fans watching the 3pm results come in from Soccer Saturday.   I could enjoy the novelty of a pint of lager in the stadium before we took our seats for the match.

The air of excitement grew for Gabriel with a rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone.   A slow match came to life after thirty minutes when Jürgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta squared up to each other on the touchline, the passion and noise this confrontation created pushed Liverpool into a greater sense of urgency and by far the better team.    At half-time the hosts were 1 nil up over Arsenal , but I was running back to the concourse to check the score in the Celtic match against cup holders St. Johnstone in the cup semi final at Hampden.

In the second half Liverpool completely outplayed Arsenal and ran out deserved 4 nil winners, the red fans on Merseyside left the stadium with a spring in their step, as did Gabriel & I with news of the victory for Celtic at Hampden.  Honestly, it was good to watch football match without moaning at the referee, centre back or striker.   Although, I think Gabriel kicked every ball sitting next to me.

We returned to Anfield the next day for a stadium tour and while it was an experience to see the stadium so empty, the tour did feel a bit hollow.   Maybe I just expected too much, or maybe listening to a recorded audio guide is just not my thing.   I would much rather hear the passion of a fan telling me the stories of great victories or historic moments.   

With that our breath-taking weekend on Merseyside was over.   Some fabulous new memories created for us both and a three and half hour drive back home in time for the 6pm match-ups on NFL Sunday.

Declan Welsh & The Decadent West - Live

Declan Welsh & The Decadent West - Live

SWG3 

Monday, 22nd November 2021

After what seemed an eternity, I managed to get along to my first gig since March 2020.  In a near perfect moment of symmetry from our last “Pre-Covid” gig my daughter & I retraced the walk from Partick train station to the SWG3 campus hidden behind the railway arches that run along the north side of the Clydeside expressway.  It had been a long 620 day wait since our last concert together, so even on a cold Monday night in late November a live set from Declan Welsh & The Decadent West was definitely one that we were looking forward to.

With the lights dimmed & the level of anticipation rising, Declan, Ben, Murray and Duncan strode on stage in front of a fully charged and expectant crowd.  The Glaswegian indie rockers produced a flawless night of entertainment and passion as they seamlessly powered through tracks from their 2019 debut album Cheaply Bought, Expensively Sold as well as their EPs All My Dreams are Dull (2018) and It's Been a Year (2021).

Opening their set with No Fun the capacity crowd were rushing to the front to get involved in the party centre stage.   From the energetic pogoing in front of the band to the synchronised dancing amongst friends near the back if the hall, everyone was caught up in the animated performance.   From start to finish there was no let up in the synergy between the crowd and band.

Almost every song focuses your thoughts on everyday conversations and interactions that we tend to overlook, but Declan and the band shrewdly make the ordinary seem exceptional with an expressive dialogue that pierces both verse and chorus.  Recent single Another One demonstrates impeccably how the group capture the mood and moment of the isolation we've all endured lately and the challenge of embracing each other again.

By the end of the night we had been treated to a hip-swaying and boisterous 16 song set which included Absurd, Times, Parisian Friends and Do What you Want.  When the lights came up after the last song there was a healthy mix of young and old making their way to the exits, exhausted but positively buzzing.

The strength and depth within the Scottish music scene at the momient is nothing new, historically our wee country has produced some of the most iconic bands and songs across the decades.  The new generation of artists galvanised by potent riffs and social commentary are lighting the path towards a return to live music for a voracious fan base.  This was perfectly on show when Declan Welsh & the Decadent West wowed the sell-out crowd at SWG3.

2019 Sporting Tourist

Almost 2 years have passed since I first penned this piece.   I never shared it before , but news of a “European Super league” means its probably as good a time as any to share it.

Sporting Tourist August 2019:

The last 9 weeks have  witnessed football fans searching to fill the void with other summer sports.  The women’s world cup kicked off the regular footballing post-season to encouraging crowds, but with much controversy around VAR & a deserved win for Team USA.    The cricket world cup culminated in a “Super Over" where England came out on top in a dramatic day of sport.    Wimbledon served up its customary fortnight of action, back hands & power strokes & the Tour de France has just been won by a Colombian for the first time & its youngest competitor since World War II.

As my wife will attest, I am a bit of a sport addict, so I put on my best tourist hat & t-shirt & ventured down to London to take in the “Biggest Rivalry in Baseball" as the Boston Red Sox & New York Yankees slugged it out for 2 days at the home of West Ham United in the “London Series".   The old Olympic stadium looked fabulous shining in the hot summer sun.    The less said about the view from the very back of the stadium the better, at over £60 per ticket you expect a lot more for your cash.     Day one of the series honestly seemed to be populated by corporate ticket holders more interested in inflated merchandise stalls & crazily price food & drink.     I was fortunate enough to get better seats for day 2, still at the same price & the fans on day 2 seemed a little more focused on the ballgame.   As a weekend of sport I thoroughly enjoyed it & the interaction with visiting fans is always a great experience.   Trading stories & drinks into the small hours.

My son attends every Celtic match with me, but he has taken a shine to Liverpool over the last 4 or 5 years.    The extensive accessibility of EPL football means he can watch highlights on a Saturday night, Sunday morning & maybe even on the Iplayer if it takes his fancy.    So, when the European Champions announced a match at BT Murrayfield I promised to take him along to watch the match against Napoli.    In truth the trip to the capital was great a wee change of scenery & again a chance to mix with fans from Liverpool & beyond.    As a sell out crowd made there way to the stadium the flag sellers were making a roaring trade in the half & half scarf market.

The match itself was a typical pre-season friendly with Napoli exploiting the standoffish Liverpool midfield.    The calm  possession in defence when under pressure & the passing range from the Naploi midfield was the highlight of the day.    Less so was the ooohs & aaaahs of a crowd happy to applaud a Napoli goal while trying to keep hold of their YNWA hat, scarf, t-shirt, poster & souvenir cup.    At that point I realised I had become a football tourist, is it a low or high?   - I just don’t know.

Footballing authorities have being toying with the idea of playing a regular season match outside the ruling bodies jurisdiction & we got a sneak peek of this when the 2nd leg of the Copa Libertadores was played in Madrid a couple of years ago.

The sell out crowd at Murrayfield would no doubt turn up again in the same numbers & probably pay more for a match that actually meant something in terms of league positions.     The summer schedule for Europeans teams is turning into a world tour, world club Cup, with the club & organisers winning every time.

The associations that run Scottish football needs to rekindle its own love of the game, football fans across the country turned their back on competitive football to watch a friendly at the home of Scottish rugby.  How does this happen in a country that holds the historic attendance records for domestic, international & UEFA matches?

With European qualifying taking part in the early weeks of July Scottish teams can no longer afford to play or even pay for big glamour friendlies against European elite.       Our governing bodies & club owners need to work together & find a way to stop selling our game short & getting more investment in the beautiful game here before Scottish football is left behind financially forever.