Keep an eye out for all sorts of shows by independent performers: comedy, magic, fire, etc.. The…read moreEdinburgh Festival Fringe is a joyous annual event that happens every August. Short street performances are spread throughout the city, particularly centering around the Royal Mile. We were unlucky with the weather in that it was pouring rain the day we visited. And so it was difficult to find shows as well as for the entertainers who had to stall until a large enough crowd had gathered. For the ones that we did stop to watch, they were quite enjoyable.

I happened to be visiting Edinburgh for a college reunion during the time of the Fringe Festival,…read moreso after meeting up with my friends at the airport, we all headed to the Royal Mile (which I fondly started calling the High Mile on account of its elevation and because so many people were high on life, drugs or alcohol!) to soak in the atmosphere. And what an atmosphere it was! Full of buskers, mimes, musicians, and eclectic acts - from Japanese pop to American tap dancing to an Eastern European theatre group performing a moving play about Jewish children interned at a Nazi concentration camp. It was a warm and sunny afternoon and the crowd was out in force, and I could clearly see the shimmering blue waters of the Firth of Forth in the distance. After stopping by for a wonderful meal of haggis and salmon and IPA at the Whiski Bar and Restaurant (different review for that one), we plunged back into the creativity and madness, enjoying the magical experience that's the Fringe!

Attended the Feastival on Saturday and had a great time. The…read moregreat weather and a few drinks in a local beer Garden set me up nicely for tasting all the food that was on offer. I managed to try 4 different offerings by sharing each of them with the "better half". Everything I had was good - Kimichi Cheese Burger - First time trying "Kimichi" and it was lovely, very spicy. Pulled Pork Roll and Corn on the cob - Very nice. Slow Roasted Caribbean Chicken and rice - Really enjoyed it, although I had wanted the Jerk Chicken but they had sold out within a couple of hours. Fish and Chips from the Finneston - Amazingly fresh and tasty. So all in the food was great, Glasgow needs more events like this and hopefully it will be coming back soon. I had never been to the venue before and was really surprised by it even being there to be honest, it felt strange coming out after all that food and beer into the middle of the Barras. My only negative on the day would be the beer side of things. - Beers were a bit overpriced in my opinion, had to queue for a beer token and then queue again for an actual beer - Then told the beer was off for 15 min. To be honest though it did not impact massively on a great day and event and the real aim of eating lots of great street food.

We came on Sunday after winning two free meals via Yelp! We had the 3 year old in tow but were told…read moreby Kiltr it was very child friendly and there would be face-painting and other activities. We arrived a wee bit early before it opened at 4pm (odd time for a Sunday right?) but had to wait even longer as they didn't open the doors until 4:15. When you are waiting with a 3 1/2 year old not ideal. We went in and had a look around and decided to try places we couldn't normally book a table to eat in. I went for Smokey and the Bandit pulled pork and NBH had a Kimchi burger from Kimchi Cult. We would have gotten chips from The Finnieston for Blondie Boy but they weren't ready. It was a bit shocking to see stands not ready when doors opened late if I'm honest. That being said NBH loved his burger and I enjoyed my pulled pork but would have liked some BBQ sauce on it. We couldn't see any face-painting which when you've told your child they can get their face painted and then they can't is kinda a big deal. If I'd not been told it would be there specifically I wouldn't have missed it. All in all it was a good event that can be improved on in the future.

I had the opportunity to take part in the preview night of the Best of the West Festival, and I…read moremust say I was really impressed by what I heard and tasted in West on the Green this Wednesday night. Upon arrival, we received a few beer tokens, followed by a very welcoming introduction. First to the beer: West's beer is advertised with the slogan "Glaswegian heart, German head" and it is possibly the best sentence you sell me beer with - Munich Red and the Hefeweizen are both very good in their own genre, and I'm sure that you could say the same about the rest, too. Loch Fyne's oysters gained popularity quickly for a good reason, and the smoked salmon was brilliant as well. Luss Smokehouse's salmon paté and the trout are definitely a must try when you're at the festival, I always get surprised how great simple snacks such as oatcakes, paté and a bit of salmon can be. And now comes to the absolute highlight of the night for me - the cheese selection! J.R. Fine Foods exhibited several creamy cheddar variations from chilli and tomato to various whiskeys (including Laphroaig) and my personal favourite, the Old Smokey that has a somewhat unusual, but very harmonic and unique taste. One decision I made that night is that I have to change the fact that the Yelp business page has no reviews as of now, and I am likely to do that pretty soon. All this accompanied by delicious home made cup cakes, good music and last but not least, even most importantly, the people who I had the joy of sharing this evening with - I am really happy I could make it. As far as the food is concerned, I can only recommend visiting the festival. You won't be disappointed.

This year's festival was darn good I tell thee. It was brilliant with so much going on throughout…read morethe whole weekend. It was only through my man who spotted a photo challenge competition online that we found ourselves on the streets of the Merchant City. We both entered the 6x4 Panoptic Challenge that was hosted by Trongate 103. We collected our 6 themes and we only had 4 hours to take 6 photos and in the order of the themes, meaning there was no going back. This was going to be definitely a challenge especially with us going round together. "I spotted that photo opportunity first!!!" Actually having the photo challenge was a great idea as it made us explore the festival even more. We came across many street performers and checked out the many stalls in the Scottish and Continental markets. We went along to Merchant City Square where we had fun at The Festival of Fudge and most delicious it was. We met very interesting characters including policitians from Fudge Poltics to a professor of fudge where I got a history lesson in various fudge of the world. 10 minutes of my life I will never get back. We also headed along to the Britannia Panopticon where they were holding a bazaar with many wonderful goodies on sale. There was an amazing milliner and I just wanted to buy all her hats but alas payday was too far and a MOT was to near. I got her card and with a friend's wedding coming up I think a hat is on the list. Above is only just the Saturday, phew, but ach why not, we headed back along on the Sunday for more and especially as all the photographs were going to be on display at Trongate 103. Unfortunately neither or us won but to be honest we weren't that bothered, it was just so nice to see your work up on display. I saw walking bands, a carnival parade, live bands at the Creation Studios Stage and also some lovely Yelp staff where I got myself some lovely groovy new sunglasses. I've probably missed out half of what we saw as there was so much going on. It's a great weekend and well worth the visit. I cannae wait until next year's already.

Darn it all to hell! OK so this is an update on the festival (2011) and I'm searching for a way to…read moreaward an additional star to the folks... cannie be done... darn it all to hell! Yeah, so they did the unlikely and made it even better this year. More performances, more food, more stalls, more vibe, more moreness (yeah, they even managed to get me to make up a new word... moreness). If you read my review from last year, then you'll gather that this is a festival not to miss. Well, if this year is anything to go by then that statement not only desrves to be stuck to, but shold also be underlined, whacked into bold and maybe even a wee font size increase. Residents and visitors alike. This is a must.

Well worth a turned ankle…read more Bungo in the Back Lanes is one of the better Glasgow get togethers. Organised by the Strathbungo community, it has something for everyone. There are Beer gardens which are literally in back gardens, live bands, cake gardens that are open to all, bouncy castles have been placed up alleyways and tombolas are more than prevalent. Based up the back cobbled lanes of this South Side area across from Queen's Park, it has the feel of a proper community fete and it's massive, attracting thousands! There are almost two acres of back lanes to explore and you'll get lost without the handy map on offer. Everyone seems to open up their back gates, set out their stall and sell their wares - whether it's home baking, barbecued burgers, beer, bbq paella, craft goods, face painting, play areas, ice cream, plants or junk from their attics, it's all there. You'll not get anywhere fast though. Trying to navigate from one beer garden to another, or from the pakora man to Mr Thomsons cake garden will take a wee bit of time as you try to evade the throngs of pushchairs struggling up the potholed cobbled lanes. And it's no wonder paramedics are on call with the risk of turning an ankle or two. Well worth it though :-)

Sooo I'm a raver baby... So why don't you kill me. Remember that song?…read more My first time at a techno festival and riverside was a good one. Cool place to have a festival. Tour busses going by as the ravers are Queuing. A real mix of people and a real mix of age groups. Great big space to have an event in, at first I couldn't imagine how it was going to pan out! Drinks tokens made the bar Q go quick. Main stage had multiple acts including 2 Many DJ's and Vitallic. This all kicked off at 4.30. Act after act and this kept going till well after 11! Unfortunately my before festival eats I was to full to have anything from the Smoke Van or breaking bread but I'm sure I will get round to them eventually. All bars were well stocked until they ran out of cider. This sounds gross but men and female port a loo's is the way to go!! No massive Q's and still a bit Minging but not as bad as I e seen!

First time to the Riverside festival for me and there was none of the issues I had heard had…read moreoccurred at previous events. The token system worked well and meant minimum queuing for booze which is always a bonus when you don't want to miss to much of the acts on stage. The crowd was a real mix and the majority seemed to be up for enjoying a great day out. The age range seemed to vary between 17 and 59 which made for a good atmosphere. I loved that it was all cans so no need for plastic cups from the bar and though the range was limited, I was happy enough with the options on offer. Music wise I loved vitalic and felix the housecoat most of all. Sadly I did not try the food on offer as instead I went for pre and post meals with fellow yelpers. Great day out, in a cool location and with an awesome backing track. My boiler suit, dust mask and glow sticks also blended me in perfect with the crowd. Why 4 stars and not 5? A can of strongbow costing 4 quid a pop was just a bit pricey for me!

As a newcomer to Glasgow, I have only just begun to discover the wealth of arts and culture the…read morecity has to offer. Yesterday, at Tenement TV's Tenement Trail Festival, I underwent a crash course in the range and quality of Glasgow music and discovered some pretty fantastic venues along the way. With a reputation world-wide for its music scene (take it from a foreigner to these parts), it's never too difficult to find some decent live music on any given night here. The downside of this musical bounty is the impossible task of ever having enough time to hear everything and also the nearly impossible task of knowing where to hear the good stuff. Tenement Trail helps solve both of these problems in a oner. The organisers, in collaboration with some top quality music venues in Glasgow (Broadcast, Nice n Sleazy, O2 ABC 2, Flat 0/1, and King Tut's Wah Wah Hut) have selected some of the best musicians and performers while simultaneously covering a broad range of styles. From the hard, fast-paced, punk pop of Deathcats to the nostalgic, 50s rock of the beguiling Laura St. Jude to the trumpets-ablaring, full-on ska ensemble Bombskare, the festival showcases (or rather shows off) the variety of genres to be found Glasgow. And possibly even more impressive, the range of genres Glasgow can support. If the musicianship and energy of the performers didn't impress me enough, the dedication and enthusiasm of the audience - trekking through the damp and drizzle between venues to pack out even early afternoon slots - shows more than anything that the Glasgow music scene is really something remarkable. If you missed it this year, you really missed something special. Even after an 8-hour intensive introduction, I feel like I've barely scratched the surface, and I can't wait to continue my education. Last but not least, the inevitable run-down of my TTV14 experience: 2.45pm A delicious, coma-inducing sourdough pizza from Broadcast after picking up the wristband, aka my golden ticket into the magical world of Tenement Trail 3.15pm To Sleazy's for Acrylic, followed by Deathcats 5.45pm Return to Broadcast for the end of Twin Mirrors, Laura St. Jude, and Teencanteen 8.15pm Crawl back to Sleazy's for Medicine Men 7.15pm Jaunt over to Flat 0/1 for Have Mercy Las Vegas and some boogies to excellent fiddle and banjo support 8.30pm Backtrack to Broadcast for Bombskare and some truly heart-pumping, sweat-drenching boogies! 09.45 Final journey to King Tut's Wah Wha Hut for Randolf's Leap and Neon Waltz I can't hit save until I give my give my top three, so I leave you with this... 3) Deathcats 2) Have Mercy Las Vegas and first place in my book, 1) Teencanteen

I spent a few hours here on Monday night with some friends, being taught how to play a couple of…read morecarsd games. The CCA is somewhere that i periodically hear people talking about, but I've never quite made it there myself. But I'm glad I have now. In many respects it reminds me of The Arches (RIP) - there's a reception / box office thing as you go in, then the actual bar is all exposed brickwork. The CCA is basically the space inbetween 2 buildings. So you have the original external sandstone walls becoming the internal walls of the CCA - i love this kind of use of space. The roof is one giant skylight, which makes this place really light and airy. We couldn't eat as the kitchen was closed for work to be done on it - but it has a reputation of doing really good food, so we'll be trying it out soon. It's fairly moderate/bordering on expensively priced - the beer we had was £4.50 a pint. They also do a table service when it's quiet. Overall I enjoyed our evening here and would like to go back on the weekend or for one of their events.

Ah, the CCA. Often forgotten but perhaps that makes it one of Glasgow's better-kept secrets. It's…read morean interesting space as it's difficult to put a stamp on. They run a number of different events and activities, making it difficult to recommend unless you have something specific to tell people to visit. The space itself is brilliant, very modern in the front with a bar and café/restaurant, and an additional bar upstairs that very much fits the art scene feel. In the middle is one of those exterior interiors, with outdoor walls and bannisters. If you enjoy any type of arts and culture from literature, art, and performance art, to music, give their website a glance over and see what interests you. They have so many projects and exhibitions it's difficult to keep up, but you can usually find something really wonderful. Last time I was there I saw some interesting work in digital media and photography. Even if you just fancy a coffee and a nibble, it's a great change from your typical coffee shop or gastropub. Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed.

I loved this the first time I came with my little pal Erik. Fantastic line up! Great scenery!…read moreFantastic people! NO queue in NO queue out!!!!! Gotta be worth a few stars just for that :-) This year however, someone thought it would be a good idea to allow a bus GIVING away Muller Rice! Not only did the muppet on the tanoy start shouting about it at 9am on the Friday morning (OMG) but because nobody ever disposes of the empty or partially empty pts, the whole area stunk of cottage cheese by Friday afternoon! Mr Muller Rice The most hated man at T in The Park 2008

This is the biggest music festival in Scotland and popular UK wide. It takes place on a disused…read moreairfield in Balado, near Kinross. Since it began in 1994 this has grown to a capacity of 85,000. The festival takes place over three days between 10 and 12 July 2009 and will feature more than 120 acts. Camping tickets for 2009 have long sold out, however, there are still tickets available for individual days. 2009 sees the return of the Killers on the main stage and new acts such as Lady Ga Ga and the Script. The mighty Kings of Leon are headlining on the Friday and Seasick Steve will be on the main stage on Sunday. Blur and Snow Patrol will be playing on Sunday also. The atmosphere is always electric with lots of things to see and do. The food stalls are amazing and there is always plenty alcohol to go round. This is a fantastic experience and everyone should try it at least once. Just bring wellies and a mac just in case. Even though it's in the summer, it's still Scottish weather that rules!