A New Tattoo

It's https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/1336521]8 years since I was last (and first) at the Tattoo, after winning a competition on this very website. Tonight was just standard paying customer fare, after promising my mum for ages to take her. So no queue avoidance, or wander backstage to watch rehearsals beforehand.

It was a decent enough show, maybe not quite as interesting as that one 8 years ago, but brightened by fun from the French, steel drums from Trinidad and Tobago, and an eclectic Kiwi performance. And the massed pipe bands are generally properly impressive.

I'm quite glad we were in the cheap seats though, for two main reasons: 1. I do think it would have been over-priced otherwise; and 2. at the very top of the stand you're under a lip where the lights are mounted, which meant when the heavens opened we were perfectly fine.

In this finale, tied in tenuously to the even more tenuous 'Kaleidoscope' theme, I just thought the bear-skinned conductor looked like some sort of nightclub cage dancer...

And the Brigadier chap who earlier in the week was bemoaning lower than normal tickets sales, blaming negativity of locals towards the numbers of tourists in the city, can sod right off. The majority of unsold tickets were between £150 and £330 (there might be a clue), and the suggestion that it's the 'duty' of everyone living in Edinburgh to help preserve the 'brand' is arrogant nonsense. "Be nice about Edinburgh to make me more money" is very much the line, completely missing the point of the (well-needed) debate on where the Fringe especially has taken these three weeks in Edinburgh, and perhaps the Tattoo needs to innovate.

I also liked one pithy response on Twitter which was along the lines of, "Darling, I know you wanted to go to the Tattoo in Edinburgh and it's been a real dream and we've booked tickets and everything, but there have been some people in a local paper suggesting there are too many tourists in the city, so we can't go". I'd have only added, "We'll have to cancel the Air BnB".

Sorry. Wandered off there. Good night all in all :)