LATEST DIARY | Official Roddy Woomble - roddywoomble.com

Very saddened I was, to hear of the death of the writer John Updike. He's a favourite of mine, and was a remarkable man and a gifted writer.

'We feel safe, huddled within human institutions - churches, banks, madrigal groups - but these concoctions melt away at the basic moments. The self's responsibility, then, is to achieve rapport if not rapture with the giant, cosmic other : to appreciate, let's say, the walk back from the mailbox'

amen to that.

Playing gigs on Hogmanay is always a weird one. It's maybe the biggest party of the year, and a distinctly Scottish event. You'd think it'd be the best gig a local band could get. But no matter who you are, you're taking second billing to a clock, a time - specifically midnight. Over the year I've watched big bands almost be drowned out by the general drunken noise of an impatient crowd looking at their watches. Playing concerts at Hogmanay has a similar feeling to being the first band on stage at a festival, when the audience is just arriving. What you're doing is providing the soundtrack for people arriving to their party. I wonder sometimes why the organisers don't just book pub rock bands to play proclaimers cover versions, since (judging from my experience) it's basically what a Scottish audience seems to want to hear on New year's eve. Even If you booked the proclaimers they're going to suffer the apathy whenever they play an album track. Songs that pub rock bands never go near.

My favourite part of playing Hogmanay in Glasgow this year was the soundcheck - George square was deserted, so it was quite a unique experience getting to play songs loudly around this normally bustling heart of Glasgow's city centre. The sub zero foggy conditions just added to the overall eerieness. When we sound checked 'No Emotion' a line of policemen walked, in what seemed like syncopation with the music slowly across the square in front of the stage. It looked like an impromptu dance routine. It turns out they were checking for signs of explosives. Still, they did it in time with the music, which was impressive, if unintentional.

Bliadhna Úr mhath dhuibh uile - a happy new year to you all