Jinky’s Chinwag – Bruce Findlay

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I only just got round to listening to this last night (listened to the podcast rather than watching the YouTube video). It’s 2 hours long and I started listening to it late last night. I expected to eventually drift off to sleep as tiredness came upon me… but I was riveted. Enthralled. Bruce’s life story is fascinating and he went into quite some detail into his formative years. How he started out with the record shops and all the different jobs he had apart from buying the records, the travel he did as a young man (and I could see how there would have been in instant kinship between he and Jim with those hitchhiking travelling stories). It was absolutely fascinating. Not without its more sombre parts too, it has to be said.

It all leading on to Bruce’s Records, and to the Zoom label and, of course, managing Simple Minds.

If you have a spare two hours, give it a watch (or listen to the podcast). Bruce doesn’t have legendary status among us Minds fans for nowt, you know!

A lovely man. Always so warm and gregarious.

What A Night, Old Fruity

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Well, I was freaking out that I wasn’t going to make it for the 6pm arrival time as I was still at the house waiting for a taxi to come collect me at 5.40pm. It’s Saturday night in Glasgow… traffic will be heaving! But it was mercifully fine. I still can’t quite get my head around the fact we are as far (or as close… depending on your perspective) from the city centre of Glasgow as we were in our old house from Luton Town centre. My taxi fare into the city was £6. We were at the Old Fruit Market in 10 mins.

I arrived and spotted one Mr Ronald Gurr at the bar. I sidled up and said hello. We chatted a bit. He asked me after a while “do you know where you’re seated?” “Nope. I have no idea.” “You could be seated with them”, he says to me. “Pfffft! I doubt that!” “Well… you never know”, he says.

As it was, I was seated at a table with Ronnie himself.

There wasn’t much of a view from my seat to be honest. £150 paid to see f*** all – it was starting well.

A couple of hours in Ronnie says to me “they’ll be on at midnight”. Whaaaa???! It wasn’t even 8pm!

I was also kept company by Rita and Nicolle. It was great to be with fellow SM fans.

A pit stop to the ladies halfway through the night and I walked by a table that some of the band was seated at. I waved to Cherisse on my way by and she stood up and stopped me to say hello. We chatted briefly and I chatted to Ged briefly also. It was so lovely of Cherisse to stop me and say hello. Much too kind.

Rita, Nicolle and I were just wishing the hours away until they received their award and would be performing.

Finally… after many awards handed out and quite a few auctioned off items for the Nordoff-Robbins charity, the final award of the night was given out.

Jim was gracious in his acceptance speech and then handed the mic over, rather unexpectedly, to Charlie. “I haven’t got anything to say. No one understands me anyway!” Lol. Bless him. Poor Charlie.

They then went straight into performing three songs – Waterfront, Love Song and Don’t You (Forget About Me). The crowd were loving it, and Jim had everyone (some ladies at the front in particular) eating out of the palm of his hand as usual (nothing ever changes).

Bruce Findlay was also there last night. He had earlier in the evening handed out the “Living Legends” Award to the Incredible String Band – one of his all time favourite bands.

He stayed on and was watching SM perform. And I could see Jim acknowledging Bruce during their set. It was a lovely moment to see.

I have no footage or photos. My phone stayed firmly in my bag all night.

There is some official photos around. Reports of the evening in the media, etc. I just wanted to just take it in and enjoy it.

It’s been a tough old week but this was lovely.

A little less of a feeling I am persona non grata once again by a few would be nice… but, you cannae have everything I guess.