Hopes for music in Edinburgh

The grounds of Holyrood Palace

I was looking for a hopeful picture related to Edinburgh and came up with one with a connection to Holyrood Palace, where the Queen's funeral cortege arrived this afternoon.  It is extraordinary how the formal lawn somehow melts into the rocky landscape with Arthur's Seat behind.

I went to the Edinburgh milonga recently, because the new look Edinburgh Tango Society website showed that Richard Trinder was  DJing. As his profile picture suggests, this is not a guy who likes the limelight.  I began dancing in 2012; I expect he has danced quite a lot longer than that.  He is exceptionally quiet in manner, in dance, in everything.  For this latter reason particularly, I had high hopes of his DJing.  Long-term readers may recall that it is often the quietest, most unobtrusive, non-dancing DJs that in my experience have proven to be the best.  They are often professional, like Dany in Buenos Aires. Richard is the best DJ Edinburgh has had, probably since I've danced here. The music became a bit loud - you can tell when you're having to shout in a conversation, but overall it was very good. Certainly, I have not heard a set here that was so good from a relatively new DJ. 

I danced so much and had such a good time, I threw caution to the wind and went to hear DJ Iain (Dickinson), from Glasgow, the following week at the same milonga. When he started DJing, around 2015 I remember noting a good set.  Then his style turned towards drama and I stopped going.  I must have tried again over the next few years and generally found the same because overall I danced less and less locally between about 2015 and 2019 due largely to problems with the local DJing around Edinburgh /  Glasgow / Paisley, which are home to most tango in Scotland.  I tried again in 2019 but there were problems with the volume and I began to seriously fear for the DJ's hearing.    I have noted before that drama and loud volume often go hand in hand.  

Edinburgh's DJ Mike can play a good trad set with at least plenty of dance classics, only it well-known for being very loud.  I have checked in now and again but have no doubt that it is set that way.

I have also dropped in now and then to hear some of the newer DJs but there is nothing doing on that front either just now. 

DJ Ian's set turned out pretty well in terms of great classics for dancing.  I nearly left at the beginning though, as there were three or four tandas of the kind of music that does the tag 'Golden Age' of tango a disservice.  It reminded me of Lomuto:  The good, the bad, and the unbearable.  I don't think it was Lomuto - I left the room as it was too loud and only had enough of an ear out to know when it changed for the better.  I studiously avoid this kind of music so don't hear it often. But it reminded me of some of the music I heard at the Edinburgh International Tango Festival in 2016 or that used to be played routinely at the Counting House in Edinburgh up to and including the era of DJ Anto, who, luckily, eventually and for the most part dropped most of that sort of thing upon, apparently realising that people like dance classics better.  

This kind of music gives the sort of feeling you get from bad, early Lomuto, Rafael Canaro, Francisco Canaro on a bad day, poor quality Orquesta Tipica Victor - in fact I think there was OTV  - and, of course, just about any tango by my old pal, Firpo.   Music from the 1920's is like that too, with the added disadvantage of abysmal sound quality.  I still haven't heard a single good track for dancing from before 1930 and do not now expect to. Luckily, I got chatting outside the room, else I doubt I would have had the patience to stay for three or four of those tandas.  After that, things improved no end.  Again, it was a bit on the loud side but I stayed for the good music and dancing.

I passed on Richard's name to one of the other milonga organisers. He will be DJing again - Friday 7th April 2023 at Milonga del Viernes.  I hope he is back DJing at the Counting House or elsewhere sooner than that or it could be a long time before I am out dancing again.  Still, hope springs eternal.