i spent this weekend in glasgow. i wasn’t on any particular music expedition, but i did manage to catch up with a bunch of old friends and have a pint in king tut’s – a venue i played many many gigs at “back in the 90s”. apart from no longer serving the grotty brown water that is tartan special, the place has changed very little. luckily, they didn’t ask me for id to prove i was under 25

i’ve not been back to glasgow for a few years, so one of the things that hit me was the old city fragrances. interestingly, i wasn’t assaulted with the claggy, beer-stained soot i expected. instead, everything was quite fresh.

as i walked around the west end i was treated to freshly mowed grass and the delicious culinary aromas that oozed gently from the kitchens of the hotel du vin bistro. needless to say, i wasn’t staying in that hotel, but i did have the pleasure of walking past it on the way to my own.

in the city centre, as i left central station from the low level under the bridge, i was caught in an olfactory embrace by the sumptuous smells of the glasgow chippy. glancing through the shopfront window i saw stodgy battered sausages stacked up ready to be bought. i’m not sure how i resisted the call of the sausage supper tempting me through the window.

later on, a few of us crammed into the pot still where i had a couple of decent ales. the bar had space only to stand and chat, and the odour of whisky permeated throughout.

i’m not quite sure how one can communicate the sense of smell through music, but i guess it all goes into your head as an influence. i shall wait and see what effect this has on the music …