Oh dear, really rather late again today. We experienced some severe technical problems here at the Edinburgh Festival this morning. Chris and Caro both oversleeping counts as a technical problem, right? Yep, some oversleeping, having to transfer 30,000 newspapers from a van into the UnLimited office (on a little trolley, because the grumpiest maintenance man in the world wouldn't lend us his bigger trolley) and the now daily task of having to present a two hour radio show on the Edinburgh Festival radio station means that neither of your good editors could get to work on your CMU Daily until lunchtime, hence the late delivery. Normal service will be resumed tomorrow, promise, I mean, there's nothing to distract us here at the largest arts festival in the world. Nothing at all. Apart from a plethora of top comedy, theatre, music, musicals, talks, debates and bars. And, of course, T On The Fringe, one of the most impressive music programmes of the year, at which we have already enjoyed the following...
New Young Pony Club at Cabaret Voltaire at T on the Fringe on 4 Aug
They really got me. The New Young Pony Club have been described as possessing strip club vocals as well as having influences such as The Stooges, Grace Jones and Talking Heads, but NYPC are a truly unique blend of sex-rock, Deborah Harry antics and all-out, floor bashing rhythms. Young and energetic, this 5 piece from London are not for the sweat-band-toting, new-age fringe renegades. Their music is abundantly confident, and had the crowd moving by the second piece due to the fact that they so clearly enjoy doing what they do. Even the keyboard managed to integrate, instead of hanging in the air playing space invaders. Totally non-prescriptive, very original, and very British rock. This band is one to watch out for. KR tw rating: 4/5
Mark Ronson at the Liquid Room at T on the Fringe on 6 Aug
A message to you Rudi: Mark Ronson and his gang of uptown rockers are in town. British party hip-hop's production boy wonder leads an eight piece band (avec brass) through a storming set of covers. Radiohead's 'Just' is transformed into a heavyweight reggae stomper, the Jam's 'Pretty Green' turns into a floor-bashing funk monster and Kaiser Chiefs' 'Oh My God' was rinsed through in a soul, funk and upfront ska style. A few less covers would be nice, but that aside it's still a glorious celebration of the best music of the last 30 years, all crammed together into one rawkus hour. Run tings, as they say. There's a series of guests, including Amy Winehouse, who all succeed in whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Some hip-hop fans even do more than head-nod! Golly. CJ tw rating 4/5
The Beautiful Girls/Dropkick at Cabaret Voltaire at T on the Fringe on 7 Aug
The Beautiful Girls sound like a lovechild fathered by Ben Harper, Reef, Sublime and Finley Quaye, and mothered by the land of Australia-a healthy brand of down-under reggae rock with rough edges, a funky soul, and hints of gospel. It's rare to find an opening act that so well compliments the headliners. Dropkick were that act; a Scottish group with a dynamic combination of ballsy country twang, wry lyrics and luscious pop harmonies. The key ingredient to both bands' success and what ultimately made the night such a joy was their underlying honesty; perhaps a result of separating the musical wheat from the chaff and not being afraid to draw inspiration from many different styles. BRH tw rating 4/5