Bravo, Mute Loaf !

MEAT Loaf is planning a new world tour – on which he won’t actually be singing. The 70-year-old will save his voice by employing a young singer to run through his energetic repertoire, while the affable star, right, will restrict himself to anecdotes between the songs. Some fans are said to be disappointed, though to be honest, there’s a whole lot of other creaking – and croaking – stadium acts out there who, for all our sakes, might consider following his lead. ONE of the most inspiring scenes at last weekend’s Pride was the Irish Army marching happily in the parade in the national uniform with the addition of tinselly fairy wings. When you consider how homophobic the American military set-up still is, it just goes to show – again – quite how far our little country has come. PEOPLE in Montreal want to name the city’s new light rail network station the Station des Irlandais after the strong Irish community in the city. Given how we continue to struggle with public transport in this country, can I suggest that naming it thus might just be a shortcut to delays and chaos? SO farewell then Alan Longmuir, the Bay City Rollers founder, who has died at 70. When I was ten, they were my whole world – so much so that, reading about Alan’s death at an Edinburgh hospital, I realised I still know the names of all the maternity hospitals where the band members were born. Many middle-aged women might be humming their hits this week – but for the tartan army around these parts, the song on everyone’s lips will always be Even Though They Live Far, They Came To The Crumlin Star. Good times.