The Barrowlands is probably my favourite Glasgow gig venue. Large enough to generate a good crowd atmosphere, small enough to feel intimate, and tarnished enough to feel alive, I don’t think I’ve ever been to a gig there that wasn’t good.

Add in a band that has a good live reputation and it was with an intrigued anticipation that I stood and waited through the last couple of tracks of the support act, Hot Chip’s James Goddard, for my first ever LCD Soundsystem gig.

LCD Soundsystem have bounced around my music conscious since they first arrived, I was aware of them but nothing really clicked with me until Sounds of Silver where they started to make sense. That said their tracks increasingly find their way on to my playlists and after catching a little of them at Glastonbury I was keen to see a full show.

They played two nights in Glasgow – apparently they wanted to play more because they only wanted to play at the Barrowlands – and seeing photos and videos of the Tuesday performance only heightened the anticipation. I love live music, I love the way bands can play with a song, I love the altered acoustics, the energy and vitality that can elevate a so-so album track to an uplifting and transendent moment not to be forgotten.

Sometimes those moments are easily forged, if you are seeing a favourite band then it’s a short step to take (for me EVERY Elbow gig is the best ever), but if you are lucky a band can take your impression of them and weave it into something much much more. I had such an experience back in 2007, again in the Barrowlands, with a group that was just about to rocket into the stadium headling stratosphere. I’d listened to both of their albums but, going into that gig, I wasn’t massively convinced that Arcade Fire would be that big a deal…

And so it was last night. A band I know, but wouldn’t make my top 10 (20?) list, took my expectation of at least seeing a good live show, ripped it up, threw it in my face, then spent a couple of hours sonically hugging me whilst bashing me over the head with a ferocity that just isn’t evident anywhere on their albums.

Frontman James Murphy is transformed from a quietly spoken voice to a booming roar, exalting the crowd and pulling us into each moment with him. The songs become all the richer and more powerful as they are rendered into this wonderful communal space, full of passion and energy, which the good denizens of the Barrowlands were more than happy to absorb and reflect back ten times over, and so it continued, through song after song.

Add to all of that a band that were absolutely together (one over-eager drummer moment aside!), a light show that was as simple and effective as it was smart, and at worst this would’ve been a very slick, composed performance. Thankfully the enthusiasm of everyone involved – band and audience – made it so much more than that, and that is where the true amazing joy of this gig was found, a collaboration, a release of emotion, a raw connection.

I’m running out of hyperbole…

At one point last night it suddenly struck me that I was smiling, a great big wide grin, and had been for about an hour. I was utterly engrossed as the setlist lead me through a pitch perfect series of songs that seemed to build and build to the final piano jangling, anthemic chorus where I was bouncing along, hands raised to the skies, singing “where are your friends tonight?”

Answer, right here, all around me. This manic bunch of leaping lunatics, just as lost in the ecstasy of this moment as I was.

Thank you LCD Soundsystem, for bringing us all together for this. Thank you.

I’ve held off getting a set off these for some time but as my current ‘commuting’ in-ear headphones (JLabs Epic BT – discontinued) are starting to show their age, both in terms of wear and tear and in how the diminishing battery life is impacting the Bluetooth connectivity. Although admittedly the latter concern is purely based on my perception, but they do seem to drop the connection to my iPhone far more than they used to, even though I logically know that the science behind that thinking is bunkum.

I do have another pair of bluetooth headphones – my wonderful Jabra Revos – but I prefer in-ear for commuting as they let in enough ambient noise to keep me aware of my surroundings (the Jabras aren’t noise cancelling but are such a good fit they might as well be).

It’s taken me almost a year to get AirPods though. Whilst the Apple fanboy in me was intrigued when Apple announced their new AirPods last year, for once I was sensible and held off as I had a pair of in-ear bluetooth headphones already. Since then I’ve read reviews, some right after the announcement, some after a few weeks of usage, and on the whole they’ve been positive with the main gripe some people had was more around the fit than anything else.

I’ve used the Apple provided in-ear headphones in the past, and carry a set in my bag as a backup, and whilst they aren’t the greatest I know, they fit my ears and perform well enough for a 30 minute commute, but they still have that damn cable…

Fast forward to last week and more intrigue was added by Apple’s announcement that they were planning to add wireless charging (via a new case) for the AirPods. And, while I won’t be upgrading my Apple Watch to a Series 3 any time soon, that little demo of the AirPower (ugh) charging pad, where you plonk your iPhone X, your AirPods in their cases, and your Apple Watch, down on a single charging pad is definitely something I’ll move to in the future; one simple solution, rather than three messy cables, YES PLEASE!

I picked up my AirPods yesterday and after a couple of hours usage I’m was instantly a fan. The complete lack of a cable is the most obvious change, and the sound has definitely improved since I last used Apple provided headphones but the real win was the connectivity. Typically with my previous bluetooth headphones my phone had to be in a pocket on the right of my body (as the main sensor in the headphones was on the right hand side) and many times I’d end up carrying it in my hand as the signal dropped in and out at frustratingly increasing intervals.

These drops of connection only really occur when travelling/walking, where I want to have my iPhone in my pocket. This isn’t an issue when I use them at home, or at my desk at work, where there is nothing to obstruct the signal, but the minute you add a layer of fabric or two and WELC OME TO D ROP OU T CI TY!

Not so with the AirPods. Even when I deliberately tried to get it to drop the connection – I wrapped my iPhone in my hat and stuffed that in my jacket pocket, then swung my bag over that pocket – the AirPods kept on working.

Sound wise they are ok, yet it’s here (hear?) that I’m making a compromise of fidelity of usability. The JLabs Epics sound a lot better, but then they are a different design with soft rubber tips that sit a little deeper in my ear canal and create a better acoustic seal so I’d expect that. And it’s not that the AirPods sound bad at all, just that in a like for like comparison they don’t stack up all that well.

However, when you add in just how easy it is to pair the AirPods with your phone, and more importantly how easy it is to use them throughout the day (they power on/off automatically so no more re-pairing), I’ve yet to find a reasonable reason to criticise them. I COULD possibly complain about the price but then you remember that the Case includes a battery too and it’s hard to fault them.

It’s sometimes hard to judge a product like this without using them. I’d read a lot of good things about AirPods but they are, as many others have already said, a quintessentially Apple product.

They just work.

We’ve had a couple of days to digest the recent Apple keynote, and a few more days than that to pour over the leaked data that basically outlined all of the announcements and almost reduced the keynote to little more than a series of (mostly) slick product presentations.

Almost, but not quite. There was certainly no hint about the opening video and tribute to Steve Jobs, which was a nice surprise and perfectly handled by an emotional Tim Cook, and it certainly added to the poignancy of the occasion. The new venue certainly looks impressive but I find I’m still stuck between thinking it’s either ‘over indulgent’ and/or ‘inspiring’ but there is no doubt it’s well designed with an incredibly high attention to detail (check the linked article for details on the concrete handrails).

Of course these events are really all about the iPhone and, once we’d gotten some Apple TV (4K and better content availability), and Apple Watch Series 3 (Cellular built in) news, it was on to the stars (plural) of the show.

Actually , I’m doing the Apple Watch a disservice, whilst the ‘appeal’ of making and taking calls on my Watch, and being able to leave my iPhone at home, isn’t really high on the list of my desires, I have to admit that the Apple Watch live demo, if it really was that slick, certainly confirms that there is some damn impressive tech crammed into a tiny wrist computer. Ultimately, the only real reason for me to want to update to a Series 3 Apple Watch would be the new wireless charging option… but more on that later.

On to the iPhones then.

Personally I’ve long since given up any pretence that I WON’T upgrade but knowing that this year they’d be announcing three new models, the question is more about which model I’ll go for, a ‘like for like’ upgrade to an iPhone 8? A ‘go big or go home’ upgrade to an iPhone 8 Plus? Or a ‘GIMME THE NEW SHINY’ upgrade to the iPhone X. And those of you who know me (even a little!) are already probably rolling your eyes and thinking, ‘obviously it’ll be the iPhone X’.

And that was my first reaction too. But I’ve had a little time to step back and apply some non-emotion based thinking (it really does look very pretty and shiny!) and ask myself the quesiton, am I really ready to part with £1000 just to get a nicer screen, FaceID and wireless charging? On the face of it (pun intended) that’s a lot of money for a few features.

Of course it’s not that simple – is it ever? – and there are other things to be considered.

I’ve been an iPhone user for a long time and most of the functionality that I am concerned with is based in the way iOS does (or doesn’t) do things. As much a fanboy as I am, I’m not completely wedded or bought in to the Apple Ecosystem. I use Spotify instead of Apple Music, I have an Amazon Alexa so won’t be getting the Apple equivalent, I use Dropbox over iCloud, etc etc.

Yet there are a few limitations with my current iPhone 7 that are hardware based, namely the camera. I’ve used my iPhone as my main camera for a few years now (I really should sell my Canon EOS) and whilst it has improved version over version, the one irk I have is that whilst I don’t want a phone the size of iPhone Plus I have coveted the additional camera capabilities it has.

Stepping outside of the iPhone X world then, I have a straight choice if I want to upgrade my current phone – which obviously I will because why else would I be on the uprade programme – do I go to iPhone 8 which doesn’t really give me anything all that new in terms of hardware/form functionality (sure it’s faster but at this point am I even gonna notice?), or do I go to iPhone 8 Plus to get the improved camera BUT have to live with a phone that no longer comfortably fits in my pocket.

If only there was an option for something with the improved camera capabilities that wasn’t as big as an iPhone Plus.

Hmmmmmmm.

OK, so the iPhone X is bigger than the iPhone but not by all that much, and it isn’t as big as the iPhone Plus… so on that basis alone…

OK. I know, I KNOW, this is a long-winded blog post for something you’ve all already figured out. This isn’t a WILL I/WON’T I discussion, this is a WHY CAN’T I GET IT NOW! justification post, I’m well aware of that.

Regardless of all of this waffling justification, the one thing that struck me on watching the keynote was that the iPhone X is interesting, it’s new (enough), it has different things to offer. The iPhone 8 simply isn’t all that exciting and mirrors my increasing ‘meh’ feeling (and that of others). Every keynote we hope for something NEW, something that LEAPS FORWARD, much as the original iPhone did. Sure the iPhone 8 has some improvements, a bump in spec, etc etc but I don’t think I’d see any particular difference given I’m already running iOS 11 on my iPhone 7, and that’s where the day to day changes are manifest.

But a new form factor, a new screen type, a new set of functionality, that is something that appeals, that excites, even if it’s still not a leap forward in any particular way, shape or form.

Of course this is a large part of the problem for tech companies like Apple. The further they hone their products to make them easier and better for users, the further away the amazing technology is hidden. Face ID is a great example, a simple piece of functionality that is powered by some utterly amazing technology (plus the icon is a nice touch). If it works as well as Apple claim it’ll be a nice addition. Plus, who WOULDN’T want an animated talking Poo Animoji message!

I’ll close with a final, personal, piece of justification. I have to admit that whilst it’s not new technology (shut up Samsung owners, I KNOW!) the wireless charging is a nice boon and I know that it’s this type of simpler implementations of things that I enjoy the most; for example, my main use of Alexa is to turn off three lamps in my Living Room at one time, yes it’s lazy but it’s so simple and easy to say a few words as I walk out of the room and leave as the room falls dark. Apply that thinking and wireless charging leaps up the list of ‘simpler is better’ justifications and… hello iPhone X!

If you are so interested you can watch the Keynote here, even if only for the opening few minutes showing the new Steve Jobs Theatre space.

I had gone to bed at a reasonable hour for once and was asleep in no time at all, my weary bones and tired mind happily conceding to the warmth of the bed and the darkness of the night. I fell fast into a deep and comfortable slumber.

So you can imagine my consternation and the enusing ire when, not long after the clock swept past 2am, I was rudely awakened by a short series of loud beeps. Startled awake, my eyes opened to the dark and in my chest the loudest of crashing thumps began as my heart beat the panic drum.

My mind raced to the source; was it the (unset) burglar alarm or one of the smoke detectors? Regardless, after the fourth beep faded and left just the pounding of my heart echoing from my bed, I knew sleep would elude me until I had it figured it out.

Having never heard these beeping noises before I eyed the closed door of the bedroom suspiciously. Was my burglar alarm signalling an attempted entry? Was the bedroom door about to be flung open by a shadowy thug wielding some form of weapon?

WAS MY WORST NIGHTMARE ABOUT TO BE REALISED?

Seconds passed as I lay there, white knuckles gripping the duvet, listening for a sound, any sound, that would signal my doom.

Nothing happened.

I quietly exhaled. Rising from the warmth of my bed, I warily made my way out into the hall. Glancing left and right as I jerked the bedroom door open – all the better to catch an unsuspecting intruder and use surprise to my advantage, oh yes I was ready to pounce into action – but no movement caught my eye, nothing was obviously untoward, the coat stand remained unmoved, the rug that slips easily underfoot was resolutely where I last positioned it.

I walked into the hall, turned towards the front door and, on seeing the locks firmly closed over, removed that as a potential entry point. I flipped open the cover on the alarm system and the display glared at me in the dark, forcing my sleepy eyes in to a squint, yet it had nothing to report. I stood in the dull glow to consider if this lack of information was a good or bad thing? My brain struggled to find reason for either.

I turned and walked back down the hall to the living room, pausing momentarily at the hall cupboard before I grasped the handle firmly and yanked the door open, again hoping that swift action would unsettle any devious fiend hiding in wait. But OHHH how my heart leapt as, in the act of opening the door, I must’ve dislodged the mop placed within, bringing it tipping towards me and only stopping short as the handle caught on the nearest edge of the bucket in which it stood.

It is to my eternal embarrassment that I fear my attempts to stifle my cry of fear only resulted in a somewhat high pitched squeaking. Look at me now, what a fool I am, stumbling in the dark, half-asleep, half-naked and still defenceless! I made a mental note to leave some form of defensive implement next to the bed for future and then I lifted the mop from the bucket, lest I enter the living room completely at the mercy of whatever spectre lay beyond, and quietly closed the cupboard door.

I could feel the adrenalin surging as I approached the living room, for if my would-be assailant didn’t enter by the front door then surely a window was the mode of entry! I paused again, listening, before I entered with wilful abandon, the door flung wide, the mop raised in front of me ready for battle.

Nothing.

I admit that by now I was starting to feel more than a little foolish, and so when the kitchen proved to be unsullied by an unwanted guest I retreated and, chastened, returned the mop to the hall cupboard.

As you know, there is no place to hide in the bathroom but I still checked behind the door, knowing full well that any stone left unturned would simply play on my mind later. Closing the bathroom door behind me I look up to the ceiling. In the corner is a sensor for the burglar alarm, and nearby one of three smoke detectors that guard over me while I sleep.

Pushing the thoughts of burglary to the back of my mind I stood, quiet as a mouse, and waited for the next set of beeps. I stood still with one ear to the detector in the hallway, the other in the direction of the living room and adjacent kitchen, lest my beeping foe be situated there.

Whilst waiting for the next tell-tale beeps I tried to gauge how long it had been since I was so briskly roused from my fitful sleep; has it been two minutes? More? Less? My heavy eyes pulled my head forward but I jolted myself upright, what folly it would be to fall asleep again only to be bested by one of those confounded smoke detectors! I will not stand for that.

Yet there I stood. Minutes pass and as I grow cold I wondered if I dreamt these monsterous noises, did I conjure them from my subconscious? I tried to recall what I had been dreaming of but the harder I tried to grasp it the quicker it seemed to evaporate from my memory, smoky wisps in the air.

Silence.

There are no beeps.

Above me, tiny green LEDs glow in the night to confirm that all is well, rest now human, there is no need for worry.

I eventually gave up. I’m not sure how long I stood there but I was glad to go back to bed, back to the cooling embers of the duvet. I closed my eyes and laid still and quiet, my heart beat slowed and my limbs settled beneath me. Eventually sleep returned and called for me once more.

In the cold light of this autumn morning I can admit that I was, perhaps, swept away by the darkness, caught up in the panic that beset me. I know it is not the first time nor will it be the last.

I have added new batteries for the smoke detectors to my shopping list.

Lived

Highlights

• KT Tunstall at the Kelvingrove Bandstand was wonderful
• Attended a wonderful wedding reception that was utterly uplifting and full of fun, joy, and love. Congrats Rob and David!!
• A day at the Edinburgh Festival, an annual ritual, included an amazing acrobatic troupe, Circolombia
• Physio consultant which left me with hope that my long standing knee issues are solvable, at last!
• Band of Skulls gig was awesome.
• Got an interview date for Glasgow 2018 volunteering, yay!
• Six by Nico: Illusion (post coming on Thursday!)

A steadily busy month, punctuated with four days off with a rather vicious vomiting bug! A couple of great gigs, some great food and life is pretty good. Mind you, I’ve just started doing the exercises the physio has given me and I have new found hatred for foam rollers (I’m loosening my quads) and wall sits.

Health-wise I’ve given myself a bit of a kick as I’ve not been eating as best I can and having missed some Bootcamp sessions my weight has trickled back up. So back to health eating and I’ve signed up for the next Bootcamp session which kicks off on the 4th October – lean and mean for Christmas??

Alas some sad news this month with the passing of my Uncle Hamish. Fond memories of visiting Dundee and marvelling at some of his sculptures, some of which I now own.

Stepcount: 225,079 (a big drop as the vomiting bug impact me for about 10 days all in).

Read

The Essex Serpent
Oddly captivating and I’m sure I only picked this up based on a random recommendation. I’m not really one for ‘period’ pieces but this feels like a modern novel that just happens to be set in the late 1800s. A little out of balance at times when it comes to character development, but I enjoyed this more than I thought I would when I was halfway through it.

Also good

• V for Vendetta – Book Club choice, I’ve read it before but it’s been nice to take the time to go back and take my time to really absorb the artwork.
• Mr. Mercedes – Ahhhhh a much easier read, not read a Stephen King book for years but they always have a familiar feel, his own little, weird, dark, creepy world.

Watched

Not really watched anything of particular note, and not managed to get to the cinema this month at all so I’ll just remind you all that whilst I have watched all of the episodes, Game of Thrones sucks.

Listened

Nothing new here either. I must remedy this in September!! (which is one advantage of doing these roundups)

The fifth menu has arrived and so once again my intrepid friends and I ventured to Finnieston entirely unsure of what we were about to be offered.

Typically the menus that are published don’t really offer that much of a hint of what is in store beyond listing some of the core ingredients, and given the theme of this menu I’ve hardly bothered to do more than glance at what we will be eating.

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That menu then:

1. ‘CHICKEN’ – Lemon Thyme, Szechuan Pepper
2. ‘PORK FILLET’ – Baba Ganoush, Pomegranate, Yoghurt, Sea Vegetables
3. ‘TOMATO’ – Black Olive, Goats Cheese Panacotta, Nori Crackers
4. ‘CULTURED OATS’ – Shellfish Bisque, Pickled Mussels, Pancetta, Celeraic
5. ‘DUCK’ – Blueberries, Hazelnut, Wild Mushrooms, Cocoa
6. ‘WHITE CHOCOLATE’ – Passionfruit, Lime Curd, Coconut

But first, as always, Snacks! Piggy Tea, Parmesan Royale, Smoked Ham Hough & Maple Syrup, Sourdough Bread… although this time as we had a Vegetarian friend with us, I shared the Mushroom Tea over a feta and olive tapenade. Holy umami batman, what a wonderfully rich complex set of flavours to kick off the meal. The mushroom flavour was strong but the olives added a subtler bitterness that meant, very quickly, I’d run out of bread from dunking in the deliciousness!

The first dish of the menu came as a cup of tea. A layer of dark toasted sesame seeds atop a wonderfully sticky based of shredded chicken. The kick of the pepper balanced the sweetness of the lemon thyme but the thick layer of sesame seeds really gave it some depth.

On to the ‘PORK FILLET’ dish and this, alongwith the dessert, was the one that really messed with my mind. As promised, the illusion was in the presentation. In front of me was placed a scallop shell, with two scallops… which were actually shaped from succulent cuts of pork. The first mouthful was a real head twister but pretty quickly I was happily enjoying this. A subtle warmth from the Baba Ganoush base played perfectly with the burst of sweetness from the pomegranate.

Now, I’m not a big fan of tomato (the tomato based course on the Route 66 menu was my least favourite for this reason) and again this one fell short on my palate. That said, it would’ve been very easy to presume I was eating steak tartare when the plate was put in front of me, including the wobbly ‘egg’ yolk atop the dish. That said, it was a fresh and light dish, although I think the goats cheese panacotta was a bit too bland, offering little more than a texture.

Porridge then, sorry ‘CULTURED OATS’ and at first glance that’s exactly what we got. A bit of a cheat mind you as the top layer of the dish is exactly that, a light porridge that was hiding a shellfish bisque and an unmentioned red pepper puree base. Ohhh and we got a slice of (prawn) toast as well. For me this missed the mark and whilst each flavour and ingredient was well prepared, it just didn’t really come together. Now, that’s likely because I don’t enjoy (can’t eat) red pepper so that was an instant ‘ugh’ moment, but aside from the pickled mussels (a wonderful revelation!) I can’t say I enjoyed this dish all that much. Ohhh and the prawn toast was far too greasy. I’d be interested to see if they tweak this dish in the coming weeks.

After a couple of ‘not great’ dishes, I was starting to worry. I knew I had a review to write and I’ve got a superlative quota to hit! Thankfully the next course got us back on track. And then some.

Admittedly the ‘DUCK’ dish wasn’t really much of an illusion but frankly, with food this good I was happy with a pretty plate of heavenly flavours. The duck was (I think) smoked and sous-vide to utter melt in the mouth perfection, and the accompanying ‘forest floor’ added to the textures with pickled blueberries being a new, and delightful, revelation. At times like this I find myself wanting to stop time so I can continue to savour the dish in front of me, with each mouthful of the succulent duck an absolute pleasure.

Alas all good things come to an end, and so the ‘WHITE CHOCOLATE’ dessert arrived. But wait, is this half a boiled egg I see before me? Indeed it was, except of course it wasn’t. With a passionfruit gel ‘yolk’ and an absolutely perfectly smooth white chocolate ice cream, on a bed of honeyed strands. Oh my heavens, what a way to finish a meal. The white chocolate was far more subtle than I was expecting so wasn’t as overpoweringly sickly as it can be, instead it had just enough sugar to counteract the sharpness of the passionfruit gel. Silence descended on the table as we all savoured each mouthful.

And then it was all over.

Even with a couple of dishes which didn’t really land well on my palate, I enjoyed this meal immensely. There have been hints of some of these dishes already shown in previous menus and whilst not each course really pushed the illusion theme (I’m sure the duck dish could’ve been more cleverly presented) overall it was another superlative laden effort, rendering myself and my dining companions speechless at times.

Once again I’ll close by pointing out that the set menu is £25 for six courses. It was also good to note that you can swap courses between the main and vegetarian options, which may help if one dish in particularly may trigger an allergy. Add in £5 for the ‘Snacks’, and £5 for an apertif, chuck a bottle of wine in and for £45-50 a head you are being treated to high end cuisine in a laidback environment. The food quality remains high, as does the execution of each plate. It really is a fine dining experience on a budget.

The next question is what will the theme be for the next menu which will be the sixth menu for Six by Nico!