Flamenco

It's a good day when you celebrate life and don't dwell on death, even though that slow train's definitely a-coming.

The flamenco night of Jaleo Flamenco at Queens Hall with R., H-etc. and Alex was splendid except for the audience. R., who dances herself, was sitting half up in her chair to see the footwork of the artistes and received negative feedback on her behaviour from some typical po-faced Edinburghers behind. Then when she was whispering the step patterns to H.-etc she got more negative feedback from the row in front. The young Spaniards in the audience were more up for it and even shouted 'Ole!' at the end of particularly expressive solos, getting carried away as we were.

I think the proper Edinburghers would be better buying a DVD or CD to watch/listen at home in silence than attending a live, vital performance. Flamenco is passionate, rhythmic, expressive and most of all a folk art, so get with it, puritans. At half time (maybe called the intromission) the smokers spill outside and there's a surfeit of young gorgeous, corruptible Spanish gentleman of an age that they don't yet know they're gorgeous, and may not be soon after.