Both Round-Ups

Gimme Shelter Festival '06

'Tis the season of goodwill. Of course when your girlfriend is desperate for a Scalectrix set and all your boyfriend wants is a pair of Gucci boots it's hard to find pennies for the needy. For a great option head along to Mono on Sunday 17 for the Gimme Shelter festival. What promises to be a top night of acoustic action, it will feature a number of acts: bands such as the Attic Lights, Down the Tiny Steps and Viking Moses will be playing alongside solo artists Ally Kerr and Francis MacDonald of Teenage Fanclub. With plenty more acts on the bill it's a simple charity donation to get in. As you listen, let the satisfaction of giving something to those who need it warm your chestnuts.

Mono, Sunday 17 Dec. £Donation


The Scottish Dream

Not limited to Edinburgh, but Edinburgh-based, The Scottish Dream is the mysterious project of an anonymous artist/cultural thinker (and no, it's not me). The intention is to find out the spiritual concerns and fantasies of this, our nation, by the simple means of mass email. (The address to aim for is at the end of this article.) It is reminiscent of the project of the Beat movement in 50s America, with an emphasis on literary thought, the landscape, and personal values. Submissions can be as short as one word or as long as a novel. Photos would probably be appreciated too. It's rare anyone tries to get beneath the surface in life. Why not give The Scottish Dream a hand?