Video

TwinsTown on A State of Mind Unplugged

A State of Mind, the award-winning podcasters, invited Donald and Stuart to represent TwinsTown, performing a few songs and being interviewed. Apparently the podcasters had met the twins before, when they gatecrashed a Kyle Falconer interview, and knew what they were getting into. Hard to believe, I know.

Later, I discovered top podcaster Paul John Dykes is originally from Oakley. The world makes sense for once. These days I’m glad when something, anything, makes sense.

Donald and Stuart Mackay at A State of Mind Unplugged I.

Donald and Stuart Mackay at A State of Mind Unplugged II.

Donald Mackay at A State of Mind Unplugged.

Stuart Mackay at A State of Mind Unplugged.

Paul John Dykes, award-winning podcaster, A State of Mind Unplugged.

John McMulkin, taking a break from waging war against criminals with his indestructible supercar, KITT.

Top cameraman Kelvin focusing on Stuart as Donald tunes up.

Stuart Mackay and Stuart Rae preparing for a car crash interview at A State of Mind Unplugged.

Stuart Mackay interview ready, in helmet and goggles.

A State of Panic, I mean preparation, A State of Preparation

To prepare for the podcast I watched A State of Mind Unplugged featuring Shambolics. Unsurprisingly deeply earnest in parts (not in a bad way), it had iconic captions to introduce interview segments.

SHAMBOLICS ON… THE BEATLES & KIRKCALDY

My mind boggled. Imagine the TwinsTown captions… taboo doesn’t even begin to describe my thoughts. Unpublishable even on this liberal blog.

In the end diplomacy and clever editing won.

TWINSTOWN ON… FIFE TODAY CALLING YOU ‘A FORCE OF NATURE’

Cut to the Chase, FFS!

This is well worth a watch and thank you A State of Mind Unplugged.

A State of Mind Unplugged featuring TwinsTown.

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Post-Interview

Stay alive!

A State of Mind Unplugged featuring TwinsTown.

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TwinsTown meet My Pet Rocket at Tpot Studios

“We left Oakley at five past ten and arrived here at quarter to twelve,” said Billy, as I claimed we’d been on the road for two hours. We’d been the lead car in a convoy to Tpot Studios, Path of Condie, but Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were nowhere to be seen as we trundled through the Ochil Hills at 7mph.

The arduous journey, complete with leaving Donald behind after a pit stop in Milnathort, was worth it. Watch this video and see what you think.

TwinsTown and My Pet Rocket release their Christmas single I Don’t Know What I Want For Christmas in less time than it takes a convoy to go from Fife to Perthshire.

You can also watch on Facebook here.

Thanks to Shiya for the cover art featuring Mark ‘The Darkness’ Guyan and Tarantino-esque foot fetishism. Christmas time, don’t let the bells end.

I Don’t Know What I Want For Christmas is the new single from TwinsTown and My Pet Rocket featuring Hugh Reed from Hugh Reed and the Velvet Underpants as Santa Claus and a special guest appearance from Billy ‘Rubber Duck’ George. 10-4 good buddy.

Watch out there’s a bear in the air…

Not really, but we do have a bear in the video, and it wouldn’t matter anyway, we’re all expert at foiling the pesky picnic police and their carnaptious covid constabulary.

What’s that? Someone is watching Scotland beat Serbia in a culpable and reckless situation, intoxicated and drinking a can of lager. Nicola must have a law against that. We’ll be there in 4 hours and 20 minutes.

If you don’t like TwinsTown and My Pet Rocket…

https://youtu.be/Sd5ZLJWQmss

Ah, breaker one-nine, this here’s the Rubber Duck
You gotta copy on me, Pig Pen, c’mon?
Ah, yeah, 10-4, Pig Pen, fer shure, fer shure
By golly, it’s clean clear to Tpot, c’mon
Yeah, that’s a big 10-4 there, Pig Pen
Yeah, we definitely got the front door, good buddy
Mercy sakes alive, looks like we got us a convoy
C. W. McCall

‘Cause we got a great big convoy, rockin’ through the night…

PS3 for me please, if anyone is listening. I’m feeling lucky. Is Santa actually coming down?

Merry Christmas!

Stay alive!

TwinsTown – Say Goodbye to the Summer (Official Music Video)

Out today TwinsTown’s Say Goodbye to the Summer (Official Music Video) features the band playing at The Twa Tams in Perth. Watch the story of the day as the band and fans set off from the Fire Station in Dunfermline and rock the place with a blistering set before wrestling breaks out with Hugh Reed and the Velvet Underpants.

TwinsTown – Say Goodbye to the Summer (Official Music Video)

TwinsTown and friends at the glen gates, Dunfermline.

Once upon a time I was fine
I knew exactly what I wanted to do
Stop, won’t you pause and rewind
Cos lately, lately, lately I haven’t got a clue
Say goodbye to the summer…
TwinsTown

The superb 40 second intro, quite long for TwinsTown, is followed by a well structured, tuneful and fairly conventional indie pop song.

There’s no more sunsets in your eyes
There’s no more drinking ’til the early sunrise
No more Monday morning long lies
You’re out of holidays and alibis!
TwinsTown

The deceptive complexity of Say Goodbye to the Summer is revealed in the chorus as it points to a deeper meaning.

Say goodbye to the summer
Say goodbye to the sun
Say goodbye to the summer
Say goodbye to everyone
TwinsTown

The last line of the last chorus, “Say goodbye to everyone,” makes me wonder; is this a simple goodbye to the summer, or is this someone on their last knockings, the summer being a metaphor for life.

I suppose I’ll never know. It’s not as if I can just phone these superstars up and ask. They’re busy preparing for their appearance at the EH6 festival on Saturday 27th November.

Buy EH6 tickets here.

Stay alive!

Whanga Records release 1/4 Chubz video and announce TwinsTown gig

Yesterday the new 1/4 Chubz – Cut Me Down video was released, provoking much discussion amongst patrons at The White Gates, especially the former miners who participated in the strike 1984/85.

1/4 Chubz – Cut Me Down (Official Video)

1/4 Chubz standing up in their Cut Me Down video reflecting on the miners’ strike 1984/85.

As you can see the video reflects on the miners’ strike and the miners who stood up to a government determined to defeat the workers with violence and lies.

A miner from Blairhaw was killed at Orgreave, ran over by a coal lorry that didn’t stop. We thought that would never happen. We thought we lived in a civilized country.
Wull Morris, Landlord, The White Gates

Riot police at Orgreave guard the convoy ultimately responsible for the death of a miner from Blairhall.

The Chubz’s video shows the convoy in action.

I knew your lies…
All you do is cut me down
1/4 Chubz

The video is of course a Whanga Records production directed and filmed by me, so thanks to the Chubz for giving me the opportunity to add to the growing voices demanding justice.

TwinsTown play Whanga Records

In TwinsTown news the next gig is at Whanga Records’ studio, 2a Chalmers Street, Dunfermline, on 8 October and here is the braw poster created by Mariam Amhaz followed by Mim’s own description of the event.

TwinsTown gig coming up Friday 8th October from 7pm at Whanga Records – £15 on the door and BYOB. Email whanga@whang-records or speak to the boys for an advance ticket at £10 After party at The Old Inn from 10pm. Limited capacity for this exclusive gig so get your space bagsied now LIVE MUSIC IS BACK – FLARE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Stay alive!

Xbox, Whanga, and Laughter – Remembering Callum Paterson

32 years ago today Callum Paterson was born. He’d go on to lead a remarkable life and we’d like to remember him today as a great friend, contemporary and collaborator on the local Dunfermline music scene.

I’d personally like to remember who won when we played FIFA on the Xbox in Tappie Toories. Callum would often arrive in Tappies late on quiet midweek nights and if the Xbox was out we’d play a few games. He’d always insist that he’d gubbed me the previous week or a fortnight ago or whatever but I could never remember. The results were lost in a sea of banter.

To this day I have no idea who won any game. All I remember is the carry on and us laughing at anything.

That’s how I’ll remember Callum today, as an outrageously entertaining and funny raconteur who could possibly play Xbox FIFA or mibbies no.

You can hear the man himself singing in the demo that he sent to Stuart MacKay from New Zealand, where Whanga was his Maori name, in TwinsTown’s cover of Callum’s Broken Song.

The demo appears at the beginning and end of this video produced by TwinsTown and Whanga Records for the anniversary of his birthday today. I managed to feature Callum in the video itself too via the magic of Facebook, both old stills and old video clips.

TwinsTown – Callum Paterson’s Broken Song (Official Video)

It’s no surprise how often he’s laughing in the video clips.