Ten questions

Published on Saturday 5 July 2008 11:19

CHRIS BLAIR is the lead singer and songwriter with city band Rieser.

1 What is your earliest memory of Edinburgh?

It was flying my golden eagle emblazoned kite in Holyrood Park with my dad, and watching it vanish into the clouds above.

2 What are your memories of school?

At Longstone Primary School, scraping the putty from around the edges of the TV room windows and creating fantastic sticky balls which would splatter on any surface they were thrown at.

3 Where is your favourite place in Edinburgh and why?

I love being onstage at Cabaret Voltaire, Heriot Watt Union or the Liquid Rooms – all fantastic venues.

4 What are the best things about Edinburgh?

You get to meet some amazing characters and cultures. It also boasts hundreds of pubs that are bursting with friendliness and warmth.

5 What would you change about the city?

I would make music venues free to enter, abolish George Street and every bar/club/restaurant within it.

6 Describe a perfect Edinburgh day/night out.

I would skip breakfast and go for a walk in the hills before enjoying a puff pastry haggis pie at the Spylaw Tavern. I'd go to Edinburgh Zoo with my wife and daughter, then go to the Grassmarket for a few beers before going on stage at the Liquid Rooms.

7 Which sports interest you?

Sports that don't get shown on TV in pubs or get spoken about much are the ones that interest me.

8 What was your most embarrassing moment?

Clambering out of bed while drunk and going for a pee on my rumpled pile of clothes and my acoustic guitar in the corner of the bedroom. Nice.

9 What is your greatest achievement?

Making a baby is right up there, as is making contact with Paul Williams, who wrote the soundtrack to Bugsy Malone, and then being given his blessing to proceed with our cover version of Bad Guys from that very film.

10 Sum up Edinburgh in three words.

I live there.