above). Since the sad or otherwise. demise of the Apollo and the conversion ofTiffanys into a discotheque. their places have been taken by:
0 The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre Box office 552 5961. There are three halls here. which will cater for smaller groups right through to the mega-draws. At the time ofgoing to press. this was. as yet. virgin territory. It remains to see ifit is superior to the appalling Ingleston Exhibition Hall which served much the same purpose.
0 Barrowland Ballroom 244 Gallowgate 552 4601. Once Tiffanys closed down. there was a definite gap in this corner ofthe market — an unsealed. mid-sized venue for bands who did not want to. or could not. fill
Glasgow is, as tar as pop music goes, very much the city at The Next Big Thing. From Orange Juice to Lloyd Cole to the Jesus and Mary Chain act alter act in the city has created a good deal ol talk, national media coverage and major record company interest (one at the biggest local cliches at '85) and all with a monumental amount ol luss. Flavour ol the month became llavour oi the week and Glasgow’s music scene like a goldllsh bowl ol aspiring pop stars looking out and big business cheque books looking in. One band, in tact the only band I can think at, who have managed to avoid all the hype have been The Big Dish, a rather shy and retiring band, snapped up by Virgin Records last year.
Their debut single ‘Big New Beginning' which was released mid-summer, disappeared without a trace - and that was a shame, because it was easily one at the least pretentious, most natural sounding singles to come lrom a Glaswegian band in a long time. The Big Dish play guitar based music suitable to swathe a soundtrack in the giorous browns and golds oi the dry and dusty roads at middle America; music lor the big
the Apollo. It was Simple Minds. starved of their regular and much-loved Tiffanys who had the bright idea ofopening up the long since closed, former haunt of Bible John. especially to shoot a video. It was such a success, it was spruced up and has remained open ever since.
_ Edinburgh Venues
0 The future of La Sorbonne, one of Edinburgh‘s most regular venues for the city‘s young hopefuls. is in jeopardy. The pub is set to close on 27 October, when their current licence runs out, and few hold out any hope for a successful appeal. No firm dates for October were available when this issue went to
screen in the big country. In other words, that curious blend at country, rock melody that delies the macho attitude at other lonns (don't mention Bruce Springsteen) without becoming too obsessively American as in, lor Instance, the occasional track lrom Lloyd Cole And The Commotions' ‘Battiesnakes'.
‘I don’t get annoyed about compartsons' says lead singer Steven. ‘Maybe it we were very successlul I would. I think that we are just that wee bit ditterent irom other bands doing this style oi music. We’re not blatantly trying to sound American. The sort at things I listen to are . . . well Talking Heads, Neil Young, Wire, Nana Mouskourl . . .' Wacky taste in music aside, I do expect that The Big Dlsh, although they may not be the future at rock and roll, will consistently produce quality singles. 14 October sees their next release ‘Prospect Street’ hitting the shops. See the Edinburgh listing lor where to catch them in the coming iortnight, or hold out to see them supporting Lloyd Cole And The Commotions later this year. (Andrea Miller).
press. As the pub was losing money on the old policy of featuring free bands every night, a function that The Jailhouse has taken over anyway. manager Daniel Pratt‘s plan was to cut live acts down to Thursday and Friday nights. hoping to attract bigger names and sell tickets — Wilko Johnson and The 3 Johns having been approached. At press-time. though. still no firm dates had been confirmed. apart from Desolation Angel on Monday 7 and Skeletal Family on Thursday 17. Even that date might be worth checking on the day. Hope to have more information next time — watch this space.
0 Coasters Tollcross Complex. West Tollcross 228 3252. 0 Hoochie Coochie Club Tollcross
Complex, West Tollcross 228 3252. o Jailhouse 17 Calton Road. 557 3073. Mon—Fri l lam—2.30am, Sat 11am—1 1 .45pm, Sun 12.3()—2.3()pm. 6.30—11.3()pm.
o Playhouse Theatre 18/22 Greenside Place. 557 2590.
o Preservation Hall 9 Victoria Street. 226 3816. Mon—Wed 11.30am—midnight. Thurs—Fri 11.30—1am. Sat 11.3(lam—midnight. Sun 7-] 1pm.
0 Queen’s Hall Clerk Street 668 2117. 0 La Sorbonne 69 Cowgatc. 226 5641. Mon—Fri 5pm—midnight. Sat
5—1 1pm.
CLASSIFIED
2| PENOE
PER WORD
041 352 5595 051 558 1192
20 The List 4—17 October