Issue 607

Sustaining society, enriching life

Age is no barrier to caring about the environment. Young and old alike are working closely together to ensure a brighter future for everyone. Trees for Life is an award-winning Scottish charity that is working to restore the Caledonian Forest to 600…

25 things you might not know about Tom Waits

The chance to see Tom Waits, one of the planet’s true music raconteurs, is worth £100 of anyone’s money. But did you know he once worked for the coastguard? If not, Jonny Ensall suggests you read on…

The Caring Generation

People who have retired have a wealth of experience they can count on to get through almost any eventuality, including caring for people less fortunate themselves. Operation Christmas Child was set up by the charity, Samaritans Purse, to bring some…

Beyond a Joke - Dark Knight

As the latest Batman adaptation arrives on the silver screen, Alan Bissett explores the colourful history and enduring appeal of the caped crusader’s arch nemesis, the Joker

Saturday’s child - Tina Fey - Baby Mama

America’s newest great comedy phenomenon is Tina Fey. Eddie Harrison uncovers the comic genius in her first big screen adventure, Baby Mama

Pornography - Simon Stephens interview

Shock values - Traverse Theatre

As the Traverse embarks on its first Edinburgh Festival Fringe season under the artistic directorship of Dominic Hill, Steve Cramer talks to acclaimed dramatist Simon Stephens, writer of Pornography, about 7/7 and a new definition of the pornographic

Streets of glory - Edinburgh Rat Race

Edinburgh will be reclaimed by hundreds of scurrying creatures this month. Claire Sawers meets the people behind the Rat Race

Just press play - Moby

Henry Northmore chats to Moby as the dance behemoth visits Scotland for a number of low-key dates

Stranger in a strange land

Amazingly, Strange & Stranger is the first critical retrospective of the life and work of legendary American comic book artist Steve Ditko. The shy son of Eastern European immigrants who was born in Pennsylvania in 1927 may have languished in relative…

In Which They Serve

The British Film Institute’s re-release of the rarely seen and now beautifully restored David Lean film The Passionate Friends is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the celebration of the centenary of the great British filmmaker’s birth. In…

Quiet revolution - Scottish Impressionism

Liz Shannon considers the enduring appeal of work by the ground-breaking French Impressionists and the Scots they inspired

Interview - Olivier Assayas

The French filmmaker talks to The List about his globalisation drama, Summer Hours.

Fall

War requiem - Traverse

New director of the Traverse Dominic Hill’s own directorial debut is an unobtrusive choice. Kirstin Innes meets Zinnie Harris, the playwright behind Fall

Bat's Life - Dark Knight

Leigh Rafferty traces the highs and lows of the caped crusader’s cultural career

Tom Waits - Live Review

Orpheum Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona, Wed 18 Jun The seldom touring ‘love or hate him’ artist transported his trademark whisky-soaked growl to the desert to kick off only his third tour of the decade. And, judging by his polished performance, one can…

Profile - Mark Olver

Who’s this fella, then? Having first taken to the mic in 1998, Mark Olver is among that triptych of fine young comics from the west country, which also includes Russell Howard and Wil Hodgson. His style is more conversational than Hodgson’s and less…

Around town - List picks

Afr-I-Can Workshops, talks and concerts led by artists of African origin. See picture caption, page 28. Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow, Sat 19 & Wed 23 Jul. Rat Race Crazed athletic lycra-clad urban adventure happening all across Edinburgh. See…

Big Tent Festival 2008

While the pretend hippies drive their SUVs to Glastonbury and this year’s T in the Park fades into lager-sodden memory, all yer actual planet-savers are off to Falkland Palace. The Big Tent Festival, which grew out of a response to the 2005 G8 summit…

Seymour Mace

Ahead of his Fringe show – Testamental: Bible Stories Told By an Idiot – Seymour Mace adds a northern flavour to a series of shows at The Stand in Glasgow. Probably best-known as twins Craig and Steve in Johnny Vegas’ award-winning BBC3 sitcom Ideal…

Afr-I-Can

Running between June and September, Afr-I-can is a loose series of events, talks, workshops and concerts led by artists of African origin and celebrating African achievement. Although the events are mainly aimed at families of African and Caribbean…

Flaming marvellous - Wickerman festival

David Pollock meets apisrant Scottish indie heroes Attic Lights, one of the plethora of quality acts at this year’s ever vibrant and varied Wickerman festival

Taste Test - Meat Pies

Gregg’s Scotch Pie Gregg’s, various outlets, Scotland wide 70p We couldn’t do a meat pie test without saying ‘aye’ tae a pie – a traditional Scottish mutton pie, that is. The hot water crust pastry is crunchier and more robust than the flakier…

Singles & Downloads roundup

Dublin’s Fight Like Apes ’ ‘Lend Me Your Face’ (Model Citizen Records) •• is a three-minute, high-voltage pop song full of dance beats and female vocals with attitude. ‘Radio Friendly’ (Stereotone) ••• from The Starlets is a perfect example of Scottish…

The B-52s

Preview - Carling Academy, Glasgow, Mon 21 Jul

Aside from almost daily radio outings for ‘Love Shack’ and ‘Rock Lobster’, new wave pioneers turned camp party pop stars The B-52s have been all but unheard of since their last album Good Stuff came out in 1992. The Athens Georgia quartet have been…

Dananananaykroyd

PREVIEW FIGHT-POP Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Wed 30 Jul; The Arches, Glasgow, Thu 31 Jul ‘I break an average of three drumsticks per show,’ nods John Baillie Jnr, one of the two drummers in crashing, Glasgow guitar-rock band Dananananaykroyd.