Celtic 2 Lazio 1. Memories of football under the floodlights

A year ago I endured & enjoyed a pulsating night of football in a stadium filled with passion and everything that makes football a magical spectacle across the world.   Celtic 2 Lazio 1 at Celtic Park.

That magical feeling of a big European win under the lights returned with interest in a pulsating 90+ minutes of action at Celtic Park.  

There was just an extra edge to this match long before a ball was kicked. They say football and politics should not mix, but the vast differences in cultural and social beliefs of both sets of fans ensured the atmosphere stayed electric all night while the gladiators fought for three points on the field.

Celtic could not capitalise on a strong first-half performance, often failing at the final phase of attack. In typical Euro style we fell behind to a sucker-punch counter-attack goal and fine finish from Lazzari. 1-0 down at half-time, the question was could we rise again?

The match swung from end to end as Celtic looked to get back on level terms and Lazio tried to net a second. Fraser Forster saved at close range and the post came to our rescue in a breathless second-half.

When the equaliser came it was fitting – two of our stand-out performers of the season combined as Edouard slipped the ball to Christie to fire over the keeper into the net.

With time running out and the prospect of a draw growing, the star man of the night delivered the wining goal to set the stadium rocking in wild celebration. Christie swung in a corner which was met perfectly by the head of the formidable figure of Christopher Jullien.

The drama continued for five more minutes in injury time, but by that point, I’m not going to lie, I was watching reactions on people’s faces instead of the action on the pitch. That to me is the beauty of football – you love the team but sometimes you just can’t watch.

In that moment when I was watching my feet, I heard that millisecond of silence as 60,000 people took a sharp intake of breath and then let out a cheer followed up by cries of “WHAT A SAVE”. The great wall had returned to ensure our night of celebration was not left in ruin.

An incredible night at Celtic Park capped off with a fantastic win.

Spanish Civil War Tour - Barcelona

As a proud Glaswegian I have always had a keen interest in the historic links to the cities Red Clydesiders and the social change that they tried so hard to achieve.  From the events of Black Friday 1919 in George Square to the Poll Tax and Gulf War demonstrations, Glasgow has never hidden from its right to protest or challenge oppression here in the UK or abroad.   There are a number of reminders around our great city that keep those passions burning brightly, including the Visions of the City display at the Peoples Palace, the controversially renamed  Nelson Mandela place and the monuments to the volunteers of the International Brigades who left the city to fight for democracy in the Spanish Civil War.

 

Those stories of the International Brigaders who travelled to Barcelona to help the fledgling rainbow government of Spain in their time of need has always resonated with me.   In 2014 I made the journey to Madrid for the annual commemoration of the battle of Jarama, touring the battle sites of the protracted war for control the Spanish capital.   I had to wait another 3 years before making my pilgrimage to the Catalan capital to walk amongst the echoes of the struggle that scar the cities architecture.

 

I joined a Spanish Civil War tour of the city during a summer break to Barcelona.   The tour is led by writer and military historian Nick Lloyd.   Starting from the Placa Catalunya a multicultural group hailing from America, Germany, Sweden & Scotland congregated for an early morning reminder of the origins of the struggle for Spain.  Amongst the traffic noise and hum of a confident modern megacity I began to recognise the iconic landmarks of the many pictures captured during the battle, perhaps most famously the image of Marina Ginesta standing with rifle strapped to her back overlooking the fragile city.

 

The tour takes you on a wander around the old streets and lanes which straddle the magnificent La Rambla.  Moving from the busy thoroughfare to the beautiful hidden cobbled lanes the wounds from the close quarter clashes can be seen on buildings and churches.   We are reminded of the propaganda so heavily used during the conflict & the power that these images and stories still hold today.

 

Exploring the area surrounding La Rambla taking in many of the sites critical to the Civil War in Barcelona, Nick provides a deep insight into the complicated and deadly make up of the different factions of the Republican movement, which although at war with the nationalist fascist forces, could still find time to inflict greater damage on their allies in the struggle.

 

The excursion comes to an end at Bar La Llibertària, which displays posters & pictures of the war.   There is plenty of time to chat over a beer or a coffee and to gain a better understanding of the power of the female influence on the conflict as well as the ultimate fall of the new government in Spain.

 

It is easy to visit Barcelona and enjoy the shopping, architecture, cafes and of course the Camp Nou, but the Civil War tour offers a different view on a wonderful city and a clear understanding of the continued desire for an alternative future for Catalonia.

The Tea Street Band - Frequency Album Review

The Tea Street Band released their 2nd studio album earlier this month.    Frequency follows up on the bands self titled release from 2014.     The 4 year gap between albums definitely hasn't made the band lose any of their edge, but just maybe they have gained a little extra swagger with this dazzling  electronic soundtrack.     The 4 friends from Merseyside have delivered an 11 track kaleidoscopic musical feast layering synth based hooks, dance beats & indie guitar riffs, all rounded off with a Mantra like calling on vocals.

The band made up of Timo Tierney on Vocals & Guitar, Nick Otaegui on Bass & Vocals, Lee Smith  on guitar & synth & Dom Allen on Drums spent almost a year in the studio.   This time has allowed them to play with new sounds & effects that are on full display throughout the album.   The output of their efforts is a sound fusion that leads you on a dream like sequence from one track to the next.

Put the album on & close your eyes & you could either be in the middle of a strobe lighting filled  club session, kicking back in the chill out room, rocking centre stage or on the neon light lined car journey home from a night of delirium.

The album is laced with some fabulous tracks that could have easily been used as singles & that is what is so appealing about this release.   Where we might find some albums maybe dip after track 6 or 7, Frequency delivers from start to finish.

From the opening track Givin it Back you are slowly reeled in with a haunting synthesizer & electric guitar arrangement which develops in to a dance beat & melody, from there the album doesn't let go.

Frequency has already delivered three singles with Feel it, Marseille Blues & Only Love.  These tracks are testimony to the time spent in the studio perfecting the full range of what this new album offers.   It also gives an insight to the collaboration between the band members & the progression from their debut album.

If the first single released Feel it were to appear on a Ministry of Sound chill out playlist it wouldn't be out of place & you would then spend time working out which DJ produced it.      Marseille Blues leads with an electronica sound that quickly transforms into a euphoric indie/ dance track.     The most recent single Only Love has the feel of a club mix with more then a hint of Indie riffs & vocals.  

The seamless blend of these tracks is an indication of the new confidence that the band have found.   When you add in tracks like Hearts Collide, Taken it All, Coming Up & BFYH the album genuinely hits all the right notes.

As part of this release the 4 lads from Liverpool will be back on the road performing live & doing what they love best.    A 14 night tour of the UK through November & December will see them travel the length & breadth of the land putting on a show & spreading their new Mersey beat away from their heartlands of Liverpool & Manchester.      Based on what I’ve heard from the album these shows are not to be missed.

The Zutons on the Road Again

After a break of almost 9 years it’s time to get that Zuton Fever back in your head, those Indie Blues revival Rockers from Liverpool will be back on the road after a 10 year absence.    The tour will coincide with the 15th anniversary of the release of their debut album “Who killed......The Zutons”.

With 8 nights already confirmed the renaissance kicks off  in Birmingham on 26th March & culminates in the their hometown of Liverpool on Friday 5th April.  The Zutons will be hoping to put the spring back into the step of fans who have been longing for another iconic live performance since the band quietly went their separate ways in 2009.

Following up from a number of impressive live performances throughout the festival season of 2004, The Zutons found themselves in the running for the coveted Mercury Prize, this is where I first found them.   An advert for the album came on the T.V & gave a short sound bite from a couple of the album tracks.   With more than a passing reference to the Jimi Hendrix classic Cross Town Traffic, the intro to You Will You Won't electrified my eardrums & that was enough for me to drift into HMV the very next day to add their CD  to my collection, I don’t think I listened to another album for about 3 months, it was intoxicating.     

The tracks were incredible.   The album was a boisterous blend of raw vitality.   From the infectious beats, harmonies & melodies served up by Boyan Chowdhury on guitar, Sean Payne on Drums and Russell Pritchard on bass, to the vulnerable voice of Dave McCabe, entwined with golden tone of Abi Harding on saxophone together they delivered a confident blend of indie rock with a healthy helping of soulful blues......Did I already say it was intoxicating?   

Although the Scouse 5 piece would fall short in the Mercury Music prize giving, their stock had already risen significantly through the U.K & they were soon headlining their own shows to bigger crowds.      I was fortunate enough to catch them at the Glasgow Barrowlands some months later where that raw sound from the album was reproduced to amazing effect.

Maybe I look back on this album with a large slice of nostalgia in mind, my daughter would sing away to this CD word for word in her car seat when I was out driving.    It was also just around that time when we (certainly I) started to change how we listened to music, moving from physical CDs to digital.    The progression to digital was great & helped reduce the amount of space taken up in the house for albums, CDs & stereos, but it also took away the enjoyment of an album cover.      Oh yeah, the album cover......A fold out comic strip style story of the mystery behind Who Killed The Zutons with shadowy figures & falling rocks & those four words you miss so much with digital music “See inlay for details”.

Nostalgia or not, Who Killed The Zutons is still an astounding album you can listen to again & again.     Now I just need to work out how I can secure tickets for their performance in our very own Dirty Dance Hall at the Barrowlands in 2019, where the band will play the album in its entirety.

The Tea Street Band Live Glasgow 2018

The Tea Street band are wrapping up their early winter road trip promoting the recent LP release Frequency.   The tour may have been in the closing stages by the time the band rolled into Glasgow, but the 4 lads from Merseyside certainly weren't winding down as they lit up the stage at King Tuts on a crisp December night.

Perched at the top of Glasgow's financial services district sits “The best UK live venue" according to the sign outside anyway.      Over the years King Tuts has played host to some of the best loved bands in world music.  This is where the universe started to change for Oasis back in the mid 1990s, but it’s not all about breakthrough artists though, some well established acts still come back & play at the Wah Wah Hut  just to be part of the legendary venue.

The quiet Sunday night streets are in contrast to the live music on offer behind the double doors of the Hut, being serenaded to the bar with 6 string melodies & the voices of the King Tuts Sunday night open mic sessions was a welcome treat before the doors to the main gig were opened for business.

With 2 support acts on we moved up stairs early to hear what was on offer.    First up were 4 piece band Nineteen Canteen playing a good selection of melodic rock tracks, they were followed by the energetic 5 piece skate rockers Forrest Can't Run.    Two variations in style before the main act took the stage.

A wee refresh of the stage & the unveiling of the magical box of tricks at guitarist Lee Smith’s disposal is the cue for the designer clad Pretty Green, Adidas wearing followers to make their way to the front of the stage.    With 2 albums in the bank, the band have enough to keep the tunes going into the night, but unfortunately I’ve already spotted the curfew is just over an hour away.

Opening the set with Summer Dreaming from their first album before propelling into 3 tracks from the new album Givin'it back, Sacre Coeur & single Marseille Blues is enough to get the revellers in full swing & acclaim from Nick that Glasgow might be the best dancers of the tour.

An unscheduled break to rewire Lee's box of tricks holds up the gig momentarily, but it’s not long before Timo gets the set moving again with the haunting melody laden Taken it All before blasting out  the Disco lights.   The synth mixing & classic dance beats from Dom are leading the night into a full club session.    Two more singles from the album Only Love & Feel It raise the temperature before Fiesta has revellers moving to the front of the stage to dance in the strobe infused musical euphoria.

The set finishes up with more arms in air to the Donna Summer Classic I feel Love, but with an extra bit of gold dust thrown in from the MCs on stage.

A quick chat with Timo & a set list to take home as a trophy from a mesmerising nights entertainment from a group you've just got to see live.

The Story of the Blues with Pete Wylie - Live 2019

Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Wah! & launching his brand new album Pete Sounds, Pete Wylie put on a show for his fans at Glasgow's  King Tuts.     Armed with more than 4 decades of stories, songs & struggles, Pete pulled together a cabaret of over 2 hours entertainment for his fans nestled in the famous wee venue.

Choosing to tour without the backing of a full band, Pete was joined on stage by Anders Johnson who helped Pete mix his new album & provided the extra backing tracks on the night.    The stage was set up with a video of the Clash & Bowie in their prime playing on a loop &  cut-outs of famous faces of Liverpool, Shankleys famous outstretched arms in celebration, Elvis & Liberace!

Decked in a Tupac / Makaveli shirt the set kicks off with his very first single Better Scream, Pete set the tone for a nostalgic look back not only at his hits of the 80s, but those people & friends he has lost over the years.   Every story had a song, as he talked us through each of the tracks in his set.    For each older song played, there was a peek at the new ones appearing on the Pete Sounds album too.

As a campaigner for justice politics was never far from his agenda.   Brexit, Trump,  May & the Justice for the 96 campaign so he knew the people of Glasgow would be more than happy to hear & join him in his anthem “The day that Margaret Thatcher dies".     The  first half of his set finished with Sinful, where everybody was in the mood for a singalong.   An expected Q&A between sets had to be cancelled due to technical issues with a talking Elvis doll (yeah you read that right)

Pete kept the songs coming as he strolled back on stage for the 2nd part of the night in a sparkling gold suit, retelling the story of how he met Eric Cantona & trying to plan a night out in Liverpool with him.   The sight of a mechanical Elvis head on stage wasn’t out of place amongst the legendary tales from Pete's encounters with the good, bad & crazy aspects of his life.

New single People was sandwiched by the classics Come Back & Seven minutes to Midnight before Heart as Big as Liverpool, Pete's tribute to the people of his hometown & their fight for justice for the 96 people who lost their lives at Hillsborough.

There was still time for The Story of the Blues to send everyone home happy, & although I was too young to enjoy the songs from Wah! all those years ago, it was great to hear them live, even if the night was a little surreal at times!

The McCann Takeover - 25 years on

Six years on from our memorable Centenary celebrations Celtic found themselves in a footballing wilderness.  The families that had been associated  with Celtic since their inception still continued to control the destiny of the club.   The difficulty our custodians faced was a modern version of the game we love was in full bloom.    European club football had been revamped which had introduced the riches of Champions League football & Celtic weren't invited, worse than that we also had watch on as our city rivals spent big money on big names on their way to five league titles in a row.

March 1994 saw the culmination of a long grass roots battle to wrestle ownership of the club away from a family dynasty.  Celts for Change, Gerald Weisfeld, Stadiums in Cambuslang & a certain Canadian business man.   The story is well documented & there are some fascinating accounts out there in print format to enjoy.

“The war is over..........The rebels have won”.

Twenty five years on from those rousing words and the heated, passionate struggle for control of the boardroom at Celtic Park, fans of the club can look back with the confidence & knowledge that they took the necessary steps to breath life back into the then ageing footballing institution, but back then the club & fans would need more than rousing speeches to welcome Celtic into the new footballing world.     Investment in stadium infrastructure was a necessity after the tragic events at Hillsborough & the output of the Taylor report.    The squad & management structure also needed an overhaul, so any hope of a quick turnaround in fortunes on the pitch would need to be tempered against the stability & growth of the business.

“We have new people, a new plan, a new vision & the strength to go forward"


Success in terms of silverware in the immediate years after the takeover was scarce, performances on the pitch improved & fans returned in numbers not only to support the changes in & around the new stadium, but also on the stock exchange.    The hugely marketable brand name of Celtic was now being shared as a global trademark.

McCann stayed for his agreed 5 year stint at the club, just enough time to build a 60000 seated arena, the envy of many clubs all over Europe at the time.   He watched over an increase in turnover, profit, season ticket holders & perhaps most importantly to fans, witness our first league championship in 10 years.    Leaving the club to return  to Canada, he has delivered success to a starved fanbase & stability & structure to allow the club to continue to grow into the new millennium.

The traditional success of a Football Club is measured by fans with the results on the pitch; in the 25 years prior to the takeover at Celtic Park, Celtic had won 12 league titles, 11 Scottish Cups, 3 League Cups & appeared in a European final.

In the 25 years since the events in March 1994 our honours won are, 14 League titles, 9 Scottish Cups, 9 league cups & a European final.

A winning team has been delivered on the pitch thanks to a well oiled & disciplined business model first introduced under Fergus  McCann this allows us to maintain our place as the leading club in Scotland & in the wider reaches of the global football economy.

“....I can tell you that we have every intention of reaching the objectives that you want, which is Celtic at the very top"

I along with many other fans see Fergus McCann as the man responsible for the birth of the modern day Celtic Football Club & although the argument still exists that he left with huge profits on his original investment, he never hid that was part of his plan.    His plan allowed the bills to get paid, the lights to be kept on & ensured further generations of fans could enjoy being part of a club celebrating being 132 years young this year.