The Complex, Edinburgh Five stars Ghosts of office parties past came out to play in the latest artistic intervention by Edinburgh’s nomadic grassroots festival, Hidden Door, as the John Hardie Glover designed hive-like former home to Scottish Widows was transformed over five days and nights into a sprawling arts village. Where an army of temps once passed through the building, the pandemic induced rise of working from home has seen such white collar temples of administration become artistic playgrounds, just as closed down factories were reclaimed by rave culture before them. Two music stages possessed a breadth many shoebox size Edinburgh venues lack. The Cabaret Stage took over the building’s former canteen, with highlights including the emotional bombast of Porridge Radio, Glasgow skronk power trio, AKU! and Edinburgh electronic duo, Maranta. Chamber pop combo POZI’s vocalist Rosa Brook, meanwhile’ sported a t-shirt of the poster for one of post-punk Edinburgh’s seminal gigs, w
An archive of arts writing by Neil Cooper. Effete No Obstacle.