This week, James needs a Sit Down, a Fabio time at Archerfield House and Matthew Bourne's Scissorhands pierces my heart.

James @ The Hydro

I'm seeing James on Saturday night, I said to my mum. And what does your husband think about that, she replied. It wasn't, despite any confusion, a date with an ex-boyfriend. It was, though, something of a blast from the past.

James, the band, not the bloke, were huge in the early 90s. On Saturday, the Hydro was transported back to that bygone era, when gigs were sweatier, production was simpler and pints of (I hope) beer were thrown in swaggering excitement. Although, it may just be that I've been spending too much time in fancy venues recently.

The tour is to promote La Petite Mort, James' first album in six years. And, although, there was a gapping hole where Sit Down should have been - they haven't played their biggest hit at any gig since the summer - they did play a decent mix of old and new. From the show opener of Walk Like You, with the band appearing, as if from nowhere, in the crowded seating, it felt like they were saying 'we're not frightened of getting down and dirty with our fans'. Except, they were.

The set list tootled along and was as energetic as Tim Booth's snake-hipped dancing (which, I was told, is tantric…see, all very 90s!) until he asked the crowd to 'show some respect' and haud our wheesht for a song. Not an easy request, in Glasgow, on a Satur-day night. The frontman took librarian umbrage when there wasn't silence, stopping the track a few chords in and the atmosphere quickly soured. Later, he headed back into the arena, only to give folk a telling off for trying to touch him, 'you seem to be missing the point Glasgow' he quipped. Ummm. Crowd surfing is surely all the more painful without a few hands here and there?

It was a good gig, punctuated by some unnecessary whinging on the band's behalf: per-haps someone ought to tell them to Sit Down on the naughty step for a bit…

Tony Macaroni @Archerfield House

If there was one cuisine that was synonymous with Glasgow - apart from the usual guff about deep-fried mars bars and Buckfast - it would, without doubt, be Italian. The city has an extraordinary number of trattorias, from the good to the mc-pasta-their-best.

However, one of the good, and possibly fastest growing, chains is Tony Macaroni. Set up in East Kilbride in 2001 by Sep Marini (of Marini's Fish and Chips) and sister company to Nardini's in Costa Del Glasgow (I mean, Largs), Tony Macaroni is made from some seri-ously good stock. They've expanded rapidly in the last few years, setting up shop, not just in the West, but right across the central belt.

On Wednesday, I was asked to go to the launch of their new collaboration with Italian celebrity chef, Fabio Campoli - we might not have heard of him, but over there he's like the Gordon Ramsay of pasta… only jollier! The foody pairing of Fabio and Tony will see a revamp of the restaurant's menus - with Fabio's expertise - to ensure that everything is as authentic as possible, as well as the launch of a new cookery book with the proceeds going to Cash For Kids.

The event was in Archerfield House: an incredible venue, but from Glasgow, during rush-hour did feel as though we were, quite literally, going to Italy for the evening. However, that otherworldliness continued once we had arrived; we were treated to an incredible slap up meal, cooked by Fabio himself, plenty of Prosecco and a fashion show by Italian designer Aeronautica.

Tony Macaroni's motto is Vive Per Mangiare - live to eat - and with food like Fabio's you can see where they're coming from. His tiramisu was one of life's perfect little moments.

Edward Scissorhands @ The Theatre Royal

I've been to the ballet before, but I've never been Bourne. Matthew Bourne that is, the master of modern dance choreography, who has brought ballet to the masses, en pointe. Knowing (and loving) Edward Scissorhands, the 1990 Tim Burton film, I could see how this gothic fairytale would lend itself perfectly to his stage, but to say it's a cut above, would not do it justice.

The set is as beautifully arranged as the dance routines, which slice through the action of the story about a boy who has scissors for hands. If the grace of the dancers doesn't awe you, the chap leaping around with dirty great paper-cutters most certainly will. It's fast-paced and, at times, I wished that, rather than scissors for hands, I had more eyes in my head to keep track of everything that was going on.

Despite the darkness and the eerie chorus of Danny Elfman's perfect score, there are plenty of laughs too: a touch of humour as light as the ballerinas are on their feet. It's easy to bandy words like 'magic' around, especially as we head towards Christmas, but this production was truly spellbinding.

Wee Bird Recommends

Wee Bird's favourite foody federation SMAC (Scottish Macaroni Appreciation Club) are hosting a St Andrew's Day celebration of all things MacScottish next Wednesday. The nationally inspired menu includes McMac treats like Square Sausage Mac and Cullen Skink Mac. Tickets are £11.95 and available in Sloans or online.