Evening Times

I Had a Crush On Cruise. . . Now I'm His Leading Lady

THERE must be something about Tom Cruise that appeals to teenage girls. Katie Holmes had a teenage crush on him and ends up as the future Mrs Cruise and the mother of his child. Michelle Monaghan also had a crush on Cruise when she was growing up in a small town in Iowa and now she finds herself starring alongside him in Mission: Impossible III.

Cruising Altitude

MISSION : IMPOSSIBLE 3 (12A) Tom Cruise flies high in the perfect summer blockbuster TOM CRUISE may appear to have lost the plot off screen, but happily he still has what it takes on screen to lay down a benchmark for the rest of this summer's blockbusters.

Loving the Laughs. Martin Freeman On His Unexpected Rise As a Comedy Leading Man

MARTIN Freeman doesn't strike you as the emotional sort but evidently he is. For one thing he cries at weddings. As it happens he's looking a bit red-eyed at the moment and there are substantial bags under those eyes.

Mekanik's Birthday

MEKANIK has a special event planned for next week as they welcome back the awesome Savas Pascalidis, one of the extremely talented DJs who helped kick off their inaugural event in last May. Also, Mekanik happily presents the fantastic Misc and celebrates being a year old with an impressive line-up.

Night Moves. You Won't Believe What They're Saying at Babble @ Kushion in Bath Street

AS EVERY self-respecting empire-builder knows, it's good to have somewhere to relax in comfort. The G1 Group is no exception - Stefan King's latest opening Kushion, is, by name and by nature, as welcoming and laid-back as they come. The bar and club opened a few weeks ago on the Bath Street premises recently vacated by Chinawhite. The switch-over all seemed rather sudden and it's clear much of the venue's interiors have been left intact.

Local Band News

BABYGOD AT QUEENS BABYGOD release their new EP, Lists Of Three, tomorrow night as part of their Black Cat Club at the Queens Club on Queen Street. The club established itself last year as a unique art project, bringing together bands, DJs, film makers and poets in Glasgow. Babygod member synthist/filmist Ruby will be airing her latest visual treats, which have been picked up for broadcast by Victory 5, the world's first TV station for portable multimedia devices. They will be playing alongsid...

Songs of Power. . . Richard Ashcroft's Back, and He Says His Best Is yet to Come

SINCE the release of Human Conditions in 2002, Richard Ashcroft has become a father for the second time, switched record labels to Parlophone and released his fourth solo album. Yet while he was engaged in bursts of frenetic activity in the studio and handling his business and home life, it seemed remarkably easy for the rangy singer to slip out from our view.

Local Spotlight Colette Mckendrick

DESCRIBE YOURSELF: Pianopop singer/songwriter with an eclectic mix of musical styles. WHERE ARE YOU BASED?

Ali's Anthem Is Not to Be Sneezed At

GOLDFRAPP release their new single Fly Me Away on Mute Records this week. Ah, Mute records, home of my two favourite bands - Depeche Mode and Erasure. Actually, get well the Erasure boys! They are on tour at the moment and have just finished a gig in Berlin. The boys have had the flu but are still struggling on with their tour dates - at-choo!

Chip Off the Old Block Nicky's Travelled a Long Way From Singing at the Chippie to the Classical Brit Awards

YOUNG Scottish tenor Nicky Spence will take centre stage tonight alongside Placido Domingo and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa for a performance at the Classical Brit Awards. But the confident and lively 22-year-old, whose first experience of singing was while he was peeling potatoes in the basement of his local chip shop as an 11-year-old, will be taking his stint at the Royal Albert Hall, London, in his stride.

The Mighty Quinn

THE story of an impoverished family - so poor the only covering on their tenement floor is old newspapers - is the theme of the play Elizabeth Gordon Quinn. It is set during the Glasgow rent strikes of 1915 and the subjects are the Quinn family.

Glitzy Show Is a Gem

THE glittering and cutthroat world of the diamond trade is the subject of the latest production from Glasgow-based Vox Motus. The company tells stories using comedy, digital effects and magic to create 'narrative theatre at its best'.

Small Dishes, Big Taste Diner Tec

Ol Tapas Bar, 69 Kilmarnock Road. Tel: 0141 632 2322 THE SPANISH flags flying outside Ole, a new tapas bar in Shawlands, are like a red rag to a bull for the Moll.

Bar Browser

The other grand national drink THE Grand National might be a fading memory but American bourbon Woodford Reserve hopes to keep the horse racing mood alive this weekend.

Food & Drink

Summer tipple is a breeze IF you've travelled to that perfect picnic spot you'll be aching for a cooling, refreshing drink. Lindy Wildsmith, author of Eating Outdoors (Ryland Peters & Small, GBP16.99) has devised a delicious selection.

Cake Lures Jojo. Expect a Bit of Nag Nag Nag From Unique Dj

COTTON Cake residents Mehdi, Jamie Young and Anima DJ take a back seat next Friday behind JoJo De Freq from Bugged Out and Nag Nag Nag, with the Deportivo Street Team also joining the antics on offer at Glasgow School of Art. JoJo De Freq has fast established herself as one of the UK's most exciting and unique DJs. She is the resident and co-promoter at London's super salacious Nag Nag Nag club and a regular at Bugged Out's various club nights.