Leonard Cohen plays Edinburgh Castle in July...and I've got tickets! What's wrong with the Scottish Press though? Unless you buy the Sunday HateMail you'll never hear of who's coming up! I only noticed the ad for Lenny on Sunday in the Times and called immediately to find out if he was playing dans Eccosse cos Scotland ain't mentioned in the ad. Not only was he playing, it had damn near sold out! On a sadder note I've missed tickets for Nick Cave which sold out very quickly. Which reminds me...

I met Nick Cave once, in the Hilton in Glasgow after the second edition of T in the Park, at the after show party. I had been sitting at a table with a few pals when Kylie came in with Paul Weller, lamenting that they couldn't get into the Tunnel cos of the curfew that was then in force. I called up Ronnie McCulloch (who was a pal of my brothers) and got their names left at the door then sent my driver (yes! I had a driver. Well, my pal Davie's flat mate had agreed to stay off the blow for a night to run us all home) down to the Club door with them. Very much the hero of the hour I was. Noel Gallacher sat next to us and chatted easily with me, Davie and Karen. After a while the designer Pam Hogg came in with her boyfriend, The Cavester. I think her band (Doll or Cowboy Doll?) had been performing at the festival. I saw them walk past but that was it. Ten Minutes later I went to the lavvy and who 's standing in the stall next to me? Nick Cave. Quickly if not immediately losing my cool I attempted light conversation, viz

"You're Nick Cave! You're Nick Cave! I've got your records and everything!"

To which the popular gloom merchant quietly replied "Beat it kid, I'm trying to urinate."

Happy memories...