Historical Labyrinth

“Never let it be said that any enemy of Macgregor ever saw him defenceless and unarmed,” [offending person shown the door] “Now it is all over - let the piper play "Ha til mi tulidh.” Alleged Last Words of Rob Roy Macgregor

Last night I memorised the entire list of the Kings of the Picts from the Pictish Chronicle. I’m not lying, it was a horrible experience. I was testing out some memory mojo I learned in a book, and surprisingly it actually worked. Drest, Talorc, Nechtan I, Drest 2, Galan, Drest 3, Drest 4, Gartnait, Cailtram, Talorc 2 and Drest 5. Look them on somewhere, cos I didn’t.

You don’t have to believe me. In fairness there’s no way for me to prove this outwith you turning up at one of the events I go to and asking me to do it.

The thing that I find interesting is all the wee details that I didn’t know about along the way. They get obscured by the Bruce and the Wallace and are the kinds of trivia I obsess about. Like Drest I. Drest I was apparently ruler over 100 years and won 100 battles. That, in anyone’s language is pretty cool even though reason dictates it’s probably not the entire truth. Eochaid (king of Picts AND Scots between 878 to 899) it is said, was expelled 9 years into his reign when an Eclipse of the Sun occurred. That’s fucking Hollywood right there. AND that we had a king with the epithet “the great”. That one passed me by. Apparently “Nechtan I” was “Nechtonius the Great” and founded Abernethy. Even Kenneth McAlpin didn’t get “the great” and he was King Swedger of the Swedging people.

But… now I’m just pointing out weird historical things I found interesting. Although you can’t tell me the exile during the eclipse wasn’t a haunting image… I wish I could paint… I guess that’s my point. If you explore Scottish history more, she sucks you deeper in….

" To a Scot, the past clings like sand to wet feet,
and is carried about as a burden.
The many ghosts are always a part of them, inescapable."
Geddes MacGregor

Radio Free Scotland

Once upon a time I posted this... Chris Moyles, on todays Radio One Show reminded that the reason I despise local radio is because they've nothing to say that's worthwhile.

And then something happened a couple of week back some people were discussing some shinto on a forum I frequent and it ACTUALLY happened. Someone broadcast a Radio Show I couldn't miss... It just felt right. I didn't have to bugger off to the kitchen to avoid being patronised, I didn't get to shout at the Brit Broadcasters who were playing Keane because a few London stations though they were "cool" or because they were banging the drummers girlfriend... (this bit might be libellous though...)

So... maybe they're just learning and there's the odd delay and sometimes the songs end a bit early... but in this case it's just enigmatic. On the basis of the three episodes I've listened to thus far there even seems to be a structure: one hour of folky tunes, and the next hour for modern music. Interspersed are interviews, new Scottish music, snippets, comment and general humour and propaganda.

For someone who has listened to BBC Radio One because there was -- "fuck all else to do" - Friggin' in the Riggin' -- I've FINALLY got something to listen to.

And therefore SO DO YOU. Go to Radio Free Scotland and work out how to listen from there. It's pretty simple. If you can't listen, then either a) your computer is shit or b) you are a moron. There... I've said it. LISTEN.

Why? Because this gives us, as a pro-independence movement, credibility. You can HEAR people talking our talk on a wednesday and friday at 9pm. You can send your stuff via email to the DJ and you can just listen in and switch off feeling good.

Communism and Radicaisml

Rage Against The Machine reform!

From Metalhammer

Legendary rap metal pioneers to reunite for massive festival

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE have reportedly reunited for at least one show, playing at this yearÂ’s Coachella festival in California. According to a report in Billboard magazine, frontman Zack de La Rocha has remained on good terms with other band members and that the reunion show may in fact be only the first show in what could be a world tour. According to recent interviews, all the members of the band have been in regular contact with their former singer and have met socially, most notably in 2005 when de La Rocha and guitarist Tom Morello were photographed together at a protest in support of the South Central Farmers, whow were being forcibly evicted from their land.

While Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk from the band have been active as members of Audioslave, de la Rocha has remained out of the public eye – bar a few low-key appearances – since the band split in 2000.

The solo album that he was reportedly working on has never been released and his collaboration with Trent Reznor was, according to the NIN man, not good enough to be released. He has recently been performing at political benefit shows with a Mexican band playing acoustic music.

The band have turned down all offers to reform and tour over the past few years.

Scottish Republican Burns Night

Firstly I need to point out one thing. My Vivitar Vivicam camera which costs £30 was a great investment. Except for the miniscule detail that it's scared of the dark and takes horrible pictures in dark areas. Otherwise it's fan-flippin' tastic.

The Burns Night itself should have been a complete disaster: Albannach failed to show until literally the last minute and none of the other musicians turned up. That being said though, the two tunes they DID do were worth waiting for and the food and speakers were great. This was a fantastic night, and certainly memorable for all the right reasons, and a few of the wrong ones as well.

Patrick Scott Hogg took us through the Republican Burns, the one the establishment would much rather we all pretended didn't exist, but the one through whom we glimpse a Scotland through deeply philosophical and intelligent eyes. It's ironic, but some of the most genius pieces of Burns are the very ones the Burns Establishment wants us to write out of history.

The weapons you can see in one of the photos were part of a talk given by David R Ross, all round good egg and one of the best historians you're likely to read. I was tempted to post the one of me with his Claymore, but we'll leave that to another time...

The bottom-most picture you can see is a rather artsy shot of Albannach. This was one of the worst photos I was experimenting on with Paint Shop Pro in an attempt to get a "Max Payne 2" Graphic Novel shot.

The Ever Closing Drums of Tribal Music

I haven't posted in a while, and aren't likely to until at least November. Poss Mid-oct but I'm busy. I've an anti-Union vid thing for Youtube to do, a flat to clean and delocate from for three weeks and a novel to write. I'm sure you understand.

To keep you going, I'm going to impart a wee bit of culture into your otherwise worthless lives. It concerns two of my favourite bands at the moment, neither of which (to my knowledge) plug their instruments in (I like Marlyn Manson as an example of my usual tastes...)

In the beginning was Clann an Drumma and it was good. Then someone took the huff and Albannach was formed. Not sure how, why, where, when and what "musical differences" caused the split but where there was 'one' so there became two.

Firstly, a (very) brief overview:

Wiki CnD: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clann_An_Drumma
Wiki Albannach: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albannach

CnD's website: http://www.clannandrumma.com/
Albannach's Website: http://www.albannachonline.com/

What seemed to happen was the Joe MacKenzie wanted to rewrite the history of pipes and drums, did it, broke up his band a few times and there ended up being two bands wanting to play tribal music. Not wanting to relish in some dudes pain, but two bands as good as this deserve (a) a plug and (b) for us to like the fact that where there was one, now there is two. Am I sick to want another? (There's one called, Trybe, but I've not heard them yet. Answers at kenny.sheerin@gmail.com ...)

I'm sure you want to listen to see why I love them so much. Some musical interludes from their own websites:

Clann an Drumma:

Full list of tracks available is here: http://www.clannandrumma.com/sounds.html
Best track is this one: http://www.clannandrumma.com/clans.mp3

Albannach:

Ripping stuff from Albannachs website is difficult (unless you have the CD itself and I like them too much for THAT kind of copyright infringement).

Stop at their Myspace website first to listen free and easy to their music:
http://www.myspace.com/albannachonline

Then go to their official "radio station" on their website here: http://www.albannachonline.com/music.htm (you'll need WINamp to hear it, and in my opinion a comment or two from the band in between their album tracks wouldn't go amiss).

Anyway, go off and have a listen and tell me you don't enjoy it.

Fanks.