Revolver

If you're an entertainer you know you've finally made it when an Edinburgh audience deigns to get to its feet as a mark of appreciation. Mind you despite playing a blistering career encompassing 3 hour set last night at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Elvis Costello only received that ultimate accolade half way through the final song of the encore. Fellow citizens, what are we like!!?

This was the 5th time I've seen Elvis and although I've never left one of his gigs disappointed yesterday's performance was jaw droppingly good. And what a laugh too. The basic premise of the 'Spectacular Spinning Songbook' is that there is a big wheel on stage with song titles, members of the audience are invited on stage to give it a spin and wherever it stops Elvis, Steve Nieve and the rest of the Imposters plays it. And there are bits that are not audience determined but a perusal of setlists of previous gigs - and he's been touring this Revolver show for almost 2 years - reveals that even these have never been the same in any two shows. A truly incredible talent.

Highlights? With 34 numbers from which to choose it's hard to know where to start but Greenshirt, Pump It Up, a troubador version of Almost Blue sung from the grand circle, a dubby Watching The Detectives, Shipbuilding, Tramp The Dirt Down, my all time favourite Elvis song Man Out of Time followed by the Rolling Stones' Out of Time, New Lace Sleeves, Jimmie Standing In The Rain, I Hope Your Happy Now, Radio Radio ...

After all of that there's only one question to be answered: what is so funny about peace, love and understanding?

21

Regular readers may recall my mentioning the Day That Music Died in 2005 when I donated almost my entire vinyl collection (400 odd albums, 12" and 7" singles) to a charity shop. For old times sake I kept back 21 of the long players and until this morning they have been gathering dust in the attic.

ABC - The Lexicon of Love (1982, a-z affectionately)

The Clash - The Story of the Clash (1988)

Lloyd Cole and the Commotions - Rattlesnakes (1984)

Sheila E. - Sheila E. (1987)

Echo and the Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here (1981)

Everything But The Girl - Eden (1984)

It's Immaterial - Life's Hard and Then You Die (1986)

The Jam - Dig the New Breed (1982)

The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu - 1987 (What The Fuck Is Going On?) - (er ... 1987)

Madhouse - 8 (1987)

Pet Shop Boys - Please (1986, too many shadows, whispering voices)

Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen (1985)

Prince - 1999 (er ... 1982 actually)

Peter Skellern - You're A Lady (1972)

The Special - More Specials (1980)

The Style Council - Café Blue (1984)

Swing Out Sister - It's Better To Travel (1987)

Jackie Wilson - The Soul Years (1984)

Various - Kent 50 (1986)

Various - The Music of Walt Disney (1967)

Original Soundtrack - Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)

If there was a criteria for selecting these ones then I don't know what it was. Sure, there are some favourites there, I was listening to the Prince album only the other week but there are others that I can scarcely remember listening to first time around: Madhouse? It's Immaterial?

But I'm glad I kept Bedknobs, used to love that record as a kid - must get it digitalised so I can give it another "spin".

Top 7 Things About ...

... The Edinburgh Marathon.

1. Coast After the first 6 miles the marathon route heads east out of Edinburgh along the coast. Forget the Amalfi Coast or the French Riviera; for one of the world's most stunning coastlines look no further than East Lothian.

2. Music There was so much music being played along the route it would be impossible to list it all. Highlights include the Macmillan Cancer crew about 8 miles in playing Run DMC's Walk This Way on a massive beatbox, the orange-clad drummers at Seton Sands and the ever dependable Chaplins Disco about a mile from the finish in Musselburgh. Happy Radio by Edwin Starr has never sounded so good.

3. Garden Sprinklers A couple of people had their garden sprinklers on full blast over the marathon course. Much appreciated, I just hope you don't have water meters.

4. Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit Although when you're racing they are. Thank you to those members of the public who kindly cut up oranges and offered them to the runners from the side of the road. A pomegranate for example would not have been so effective.

5. Beer Surely only in Scotland but but what an inspired idea having a beer tent at the finish! A pint of Pentland IPA after running 26.2 miles? Yes, please.

6. The Bloke from Galicia I'll never see you again but it seems incredible that in a field of 8,000 we spoke at the start line and then bumped into each other in the finish. Top running, señor.

7. The Crowds I still can't believe the number of people who turned out along the route and cheered on every single runner. The streets in Prestonpans, Cockenzie & Longniddry were jammed and as for the finish at Musselburgh ... it was just a wall of sound. I would never have made it if it hadn't been for you all.

A friend of mine once asked me what I was running from. I had no answer then and I have no answer now. But after finishing the marathon on Sunday I feel that no problem in life is too large and that I can achieve anything I want to if I try hard enough. I don't run to keep fit, I run to push the boundaries of my imagination.