Sometimes we need to pause to think about surprising things we hear. Prince Harry praising marijuana for helping him deal with trauma, the anniversary showings of Local Hero not going to Pennan. They all made me scratch my bonce.
Now I’m scratching the dome as I think about Kate Forbes doing an interview for a BBC Scotland programme which went out on the Sabbath? Shocking, eh?
It’s not that long ago that myself and journalistic colleagues were chastised by a Free Church minister for buying and writing for Sunday newspapers. Pointing out those papers were put together on a Saturday, we were told that was enough for them to also be wrong in the eyes of the Lord. We were forcing newsagents to be Sabbath-breakers, he thought.
The minister in question then had another think. He later told me the Lord wouldn’t approve of buying a daily newspaper on a Monday either. It was put together by people breaking the Sabbath.
The reason was Exodus 20. “But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.”
We don’t have a gate, or Sabbath-breaking cattle. If I call Mrs X my maidservant, she would throw me out the gate we don’t have.
Can we call it hypocrisy?
Yet it’s OK for the self-styled Bible-believing Free Church’s most prominent member to record content for the BBC Scotland Sabbath-breaking political show to broadcast willy-nilly to the nation.
Just over a decade ago, these self-same religionists fought an insanely-cruel battle to stop the introduction of Sunday ferries and air services to the islands. Some of them now use these ferries – when they run, of course – and now record interviews for Sunday shows.
Something has changed and I don’t think it is the Bible. Is it too early to call out the hypocrisy? The church’s media attack-dog, and Forbes supporter, will already be sharpening his tongue for a round of Tuesday to Saturday interviews. Oops.
Many will never forgive the hardliners for that. Some of those in the grip of bad religion still boycott the few shops here which do open seven days. And a cowardly bunch of councillors still don’t have the bottle to tell dark influencers to get lost and throw open the doors of all the islands’ sports centres. Oh yeah, the men in black still try and wield their supposedly other-worldly powers in this neck of the woods.
Classic Blondie with a twist
Maybe I cannot see the wood for the trees but I don’t know what to think about whether the latest release Maria by Hebridean rock sensations Peat & Diesel was a good decision or not.
Yes, it goes up a notch in terms of serious musicality with the classic by Blondie being given the uniquely-Boydie vocal treatment. If you can imagine Debbie Harry singing in a husky but distinctly Grimshader accent, then you are doing better than I could. Then I saw it, heard it, loved it.
@peatanddiesel Peat & Diesel – Maria (Blondie cover) #peatanddiesel #blondie #maria #musicians #debbieharry #debbieharryblondie #scotland #punk #rock #trad #music #coversongs #covers #stornoway #uptownfank #friends #audience #gigs
That video makes you think. Appreciate their blonde wigs, the sheer soul-freeing, mad abandonment of that dancing – OK, jumping – those lights, and that tongue on that keyboard. Innes, really?
It is so joyful to see a classic given new treatment in the quaintest ever tribute to Lady Deborah, her with the Heart of Glass who has had me One Way Or Another in Rapture and Hanging on the Telephone. Call Me, she sang. If only I could get through.
Going your own direction
So all of the P&D guys and the producers did a great job of the vid. My question is whether it’s too good? Should we stop seeing P&D as a curious novelty act that makes us laugh? Or should we now regard P&D as serious musicians? I think we should, but it’s up to them. Very few, if any, who play it for laughs make great music – or vice versa. Maybe serious music is not what the guys want to do. Maybe they still want to play it for laughs. Think about it.
And I was just thinking about that very talkative taxi driver I had in Glasgow recently. He just wouldn’t stop talking about how great his job was. He had previously worked for the council on the bins and he said life had been fantastic since he quit and became a taxi driver a few years ago.
He was banging on: “Whit I like most about this job oan the taxi is the independence. Ah make my own decisions. Ah’m my own boss. Knaw whit ah mean? No one tells me what tae do.”
That’s when I said: “Take the next left, driver.”
Iain Maciver is a former broadcaster and news reporter from the Outer Hebrides
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