MUSIC PREVIEW
Summer Days
Revive yourself with a day in the country
After last year's sellout Summer Nights with James Taylor, this year’s event is an all day effort. Set in the glorious grounds of Hopetoun House near South Queensferry, gates open at 10am and live music runs from noon till 11.30pm.
Top of the line-up are Little Feat and Emmylou Harris, with Steve Earle, Kevin Montgomery and Pettibone (featuring Robert Reynolds and Paul Deakin from The Mavericks) among the total of eight live acts on stage.
Little Feat's Paul Burrerer can’t decide what he’s looking forward to most: working such a neat- sounding venue; the possibility of squeezing in a golf game; or the chance of playing with Emmylou Harris again.
‘lt's been a long time. Emmylou sang on a couple of Little Feat records so it’ll be great to do a show with her, and I’m really
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Paul Burrerer, top right, and Little Feat: providing a little r’n’r with some rock'n'roll
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looking forward to seeing Steve Earle. I know it doesn’t sound very rock 'n’ roll, but I've actually been trying to
get myself a little golf game going on my day off. After all, Scotland, you know. . . and from what I understand of the setting of the venue, it's an old estate outside of Edinburgh, which'll be beautiful.’
Ten miles from Edinburgh, the tranquil setting of Hopetoun House is indeed ideal for a brief respite from the Festival. The day's American country rock theme will be reflected elsewhere in events which include an authentic Cowboy Boogie bar with saloon girls and southern belles, line dancing, gun slinging competitions and bucking broncos, as well as plenty of memorabilia stalls, vintage vehicle exhibitions and several American beer and food tents.
Paul Burrerer’s expecting their set to be as eclectic as the various events making up the day. 'A little bit of everything. A cornucopia of Americana music: a little
acoustic stuff. We'll do songs from our newest records and a lot of old stuff as well. The creating of the moment while you're onstage? That’s the part that gets all my juices flowing.’
Despite their familiar name Little Feat never had that big pop commercial record. Paul Burrerer puts that down to their diversity. ‘We are so eclectic, we're a marketing department's nightmare! They don’t know how to market the band. We always put neon park art work on our covers rather than pictures of our plain old mugs. We never really strived to be rock stars, just musicians. Therefore the whole machinery that goes behind Top of the Pops never really had anything to grab onto us.’
With BBC Radio 2’s Whispering Bob Harris championing this as the country gig not to miss this year, this could be the excuse you need to take a little time out in the country. (Gabe Stewart)
jazzy stuff, a little rock ’n' roll stuff, probably some
THEATRE
O Cano - Circo Teatro
Udi Grudi ****
Laurel and Hardy meets the Teletubbies
This comparatively low-key Brazilian show follows three clowns’ expl0its on a surreal bUilding site, making trombones out of odd parts and xylophones out of slates — a bit like a melodic pipe-layers’ version of Cookin’.
Marcelo Bere is a dead ringer for Freddie Garrity, of the Dreamers fame, especially when he does a little knock- kneed dance; Luoano Porto is vaguely reminiscent of Stan Laurel; and Marco Bere is the brains behind much of the musical improwsation. For example, he 'plays' a plastic bottle With such animation it actually seems to come to
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life — until he stamps it to death. In this bizarre landscape drumsticks are martial arts weapons, and inventive imitation jazz brushes accompany a makeshift bass.
Gentle clowning and comforting Teletubby-Iike repetition means it isn't hysterically funny, apart from some traditional slapstick.
But somehow this show works best in its guieter moments. The final mystical scene sees drums catching drips, and flames creating music from wmd chimes. Before you know it you are listening to the elemental rhythms of life
Some hours later you’ll find 0 Cano’s understated magic has soaked in as determinedly as the drip, drip, drip that gives the show its melancholic finale. (Gabe Stewart)
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Understated magic with musical clowns
Your last early morning call of the Festival
Messiah
Berkoff's visually haunting Fringe First production leaves a lasting impression. Messiah (Fringe) East Productions, Assembly Rooms (Venue 3), 226 2428, until 28 Aug, 77.30am, £70/£77
(£9/f 70).
The Ugly Duckling
Five star former National Youth Mu5ic Theatre members put on an all-singing, all-dancing kids show. The Ugly Duckling (Fringe) XNYMT, Pleasance (Venue 33) 556 6550, until 28 Aug, 77am, £6 (£4).
0 Cano
See reView, left. 0 Cano (Fringe) Circo Teatro Udi Grudi, Scottish International At Dynamic Earth (Venue 78) 530 3557, until 28 Aug, 70.75am, £5 (£4).
Summer Days
See preView, left. Summer Nights In The Country (Fringe) Hopetoun House, 555 2888, 26 Aug, 70am—7 7.30pm, £35, under 72 £70, under 5 free.
Static
Compelling reminder that one man’s inconsequential TV news item is another’s reality. Static (Fringe) Unlimited Theatre, Pleasance (Venue 33) 556 6550, until 28 Aug, noon, {4/155 (£4.50/f550).
Say Nothing Satirical, surreal take on the peace process. Say Nothing (Fringe) Ridicu/usmus, Traverse (Venue 75) 228 7404, unti/ 26 Aug, times vary, f9 (f6).
V0lces
Pier Paolo Pasolini’s writings combine With a genome speech by the Shell Corporation’s chief in Jeroem Willems’ spot-on solo performance. Voices (Fringe) Theatergroep Ho/landia, Traverse (Venue 75) 228 7404, unti/ 26 Aug, times vary, f 9 (f 6).
3 Dark Tales Dance, mUSlC and text combine in a unique and disguieting theatrical experience of lives gone wrong. 3 Dark Tales (Fringe) General/y Better Productions, Assembly Rooms (Venue 3) until 28 Aug,
7 7.30am, f9/f70 (f8/f9).
24 Aug—2 Sea 2000 THE UST FESTIVAL GUIDE 21