Unimpressed

Yesterday didn't pan out quite as I expected. After giving Django a quick walk, before A went off with him to the picnic birthday celebrations of a friend (in Perthshire). I started doing what I'd intended, but then got caught up sorting old photos. I found a couple taken on the day that Kermit joined us ten years ago (see extras) - before I had any knowledge of how to photograph black cats indoors! 

Our good friends (G&D) from Montreuil are in Edinburgh this week, and when I suggested meeting up in Edinburgh this evening, I was told that they had tickets to hear Cat Power reproduce the set list of Bob Dylan's famous "Judas!" concert at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester. I've been an admirer of Dylan for 45 years, so it sounded intriguing and I bought a ticket. I then spent some of the afternoon discussing taught course choices with my incoming PhD students, before headed off into Edinburgh. 

After spending an hour with our friends, we went in for the 90-minute concert. It started 20 minutes late - maybe Dylan started 20 minutes late? - and there was clearly something amiss with Cat Power. She murdered the songs - drawing them out and stripping them of melody. I'm not against artist reworking songs, and she was never going to be a "Bob Dylan tribute act", but this was supposed to be a "homage" to the 1966 concert. Many people walked out: they were older, so maybe they were original Dylan fans. Many cheered wildly, so maybe they were Cat Power fans...

After the concert we chatted with friends of G&D, then eventually found a bar that was acceptable to the one of their friends who came along with us. Daughter K joined us, and we had a pleasant chat until after 23:30.