MUSIC LIST
or the Scottish acts that have been popping up
POP" Us" rural...
time this sees print, We Free Kings), none have made an adder impression than Craig and Charles Reid, alias The Proclaimers; 24 year-old identical twins in matching National Health specs, looking decidedly un-rock ’n’ roll, their only instrumentation an acoustic guitar and their own impassioned voices. They went down rather well. ‘We had a phone call lrom The Tube, saying they’d been inundated with phone calls and letters,’ says Charlie, or is it Craig, in the clinking teaspoons oi the plush Bianco’s, where neither oi them leels particularly at home.
The Reid brothers began their musical career singing in ‘crappy punk bands’ in File belore deciding to go it alone. ‘We tell we weren’t really doing what we wanted to in the groups we were in belore, and ielt the only people who knew what we wanted were the two ol us.’ With the inspiration of singers like Merle Haggard, Sam Cooke and George Jones they spent most ol 1983-84 building up material (‘we’re slow writers’), some or which can be heard on their excellent current demo. A standout song is Letter From America, which they perlormed on The Tube, and which Craig, or is It Charlie, explains is about ‘what happened at the time of the Clearances in Scotland and what is happening now. Economic lactors, which in the lirst instance was putting sheep on land meant for people, and now it’s unemployment- economic lactors lorcing people out.’
Edinburgh
0 The Shamen, The Venue, Calton Road. Psychedelic dabblers from Aberdeen, currently recording their lirst LP in Edinburgh, and enjoying rapturous critical acclaim. With Julian Cope in the ascendant, this could be the Shamen’s big opportunity to break their strange, happening songs through to a mass audience. Support should be The Thanes, formerly The Green Telescope. who hark back to a grittier, more Stonesy, psychedelia.
O Hungry Years Preservation Hall, Victoria Street. 9pm. Free.
0 Eat the Peach The Cavern, Cowgate.
WEDNESDAY 25
Glasgow
0 The Big Heat The Fixx, Miller Street. 10pm. Free. A new band, supposedly featuring some ex-members of Strange Location.
0 Trident The Bruce Hotel, East Kilbride. 8pm. £2. As recommended by Radio Clyde’s resident headbanger, Tom Russell. Heavy metal, you will be surprised to hear. 0 Wet Wet Wet/Goodbye Mr Mackenzie QMU, University Gardens. 9pm. £3. Precious Organisation bands, joint headlining this one. First band
on The Tube ot late (Cajun Aces, Peter
The Proclaimers’ big break, as is well known by now, was the support slot on The Housemartins’ last tour, the result of a tape falling into the hands of
Hous’emartins’ guitarist Stan. Uncertain English audiences were won over at almost every gig, and The Proclaimers in turn bowled over by their reception.
tiow back in Edinburgh and hopelui at an imminent record deal, the boys are rehearsing hard. Co-wrltten by both brothers, the songs are usually sung with Craig taking lead vocal, but, and this is deiinitely Charlie this time, ‘I wouldn’t say we’re sort of standard
at 9pm. The long-awaited Wet Wet Wet single ‘Wishing I Was Lucky‘ is planned for 6 March release. Highly recommended.
Edinburgh
0 Europe Playhouse Theatre, Greenside Place. 7.30pm. £6.50, £5.50. This lot got to Number One with The Final Countdown, from Top Gun or one of these other hugely-grossing films that look about as enticing as spending an evening with a mediocre heavy metal band who seem to think their product is quite classy. Go to the pictures instead.
0 The Hook ’n’ Pull Gang The Venue, Calton Road. Or, better still, come here. But read the Singles Reviews first.
0 Billy Jones The Canny Man’s, Morningside Road. 8.30pm. Free.
0 Loo Acka Bop Boston Bean Co, St James Centre. 9pm. Free. Fifties’-style music, ex-Peristalsis Brothers.
0 Restless Hatlves The Cavern, Cowgate.
0 We Free Kings Queen Margaret College, Clerwood Terrace. 50p. Students and guests only. No entry after 11pm. All ‘all-busking gig’ from potentially mammoth punky folkies. Second single out now.
lead and harmony vocals. There’s more interaction in our stuli than there is in a lot at others.’
The Proclaimers rightly lace the future with coniidence, leeiing that the quality oi their material will win through in the end. ‘Hot meaning to blow our own trumpet, but it is dilierent from anything else that’s around at the moment.’ They reckon that in a couple oi years’ time they may get a backing band, but that there’s still plenty of honing or their current lormat to be done. Ho hurry. They plan to be around 'a long time. (Mab)
THURSDAY 26 Glasgow
0 Brian McGiynn Midas, St Vincent Street. 10pm. Free. Excellent songwriter, once of Woza, playing a solo gig, in advance of unveiling his new band in the next few weeks.
0 The Chestertields QMU, University Gardens. 9pm. More semi-psychedelic indie ramblings. 0 We Free Kings/AlexanderSisters Fury Murry’s, Maxwell Street. 10.30pm. £3. Hopefully by the time ofthe gig, We Free Kings will have launched their second single, ‘Oceans’ on DDT Records.
0 Endgames/Camino Real Ultratheque, Wellington Street. 10pm. Sudden spate of Endgames activity after a year’s silence. Camino Real are soulsters, managed by Gerry McElhone of one time Hipsway fame. Record companies are taking note accordingly.
0 Slyng Rites Stirling University. 9pm.
Edinburgh
0 The Icicle Works Coasters, West Tollcross. 8pm. £4. See panel.
0 John Otway Theatre Workshop, Hamilton Place. 8pm. £3 (£2).
0 Ted Hawkins and Andy White Queen’s Hall, Clerk Street. 7.30pm.
£4.50. More details should be in the
B
lues listing but I’ve got to mention
genial old Ted, singing for peanuts on the boardwalk all his life before Andy Kershaw discovered him and had him brought over here. Date for the diary.
The Cateran, Baby’s Got a Gun and
Rattlesnake Happening The Cavern, Cowgate. One of the gigs that
A
valanche Records are videotaping,
now that they’re no longer using Rumours, and no, I don’t know if Baby’s Got A Gun have learnt to play yet. The Cateran, however, whip up a superbly raucous storm.
0 The Shattered Family Clowns, High
St
reet. 9pm. Free. Their sound’s a
strange mixture of Bowie and early Banshees, with a couple of theatrically-inclined frontmen. Still a lot ofwork ahead ofthem.
o N
Famous The Venue, Calton Road. ew name for Red Smithereen,
changed to avoid confusion with the American band The Smithereens.
Driving Sideways Top 0’ the Walk,
St James Centre. 8pm. Free.
Billy Jones Lord Darnley, West
Port. 9pm. Free. Local folk/rock singer/guitarist.
FRIDAY 27
Glasgow
0 U
Ted Hawkins/Andy White QM U, niversity Gardens. 9pm. Previous
experience of Ted Hawkins suggests a brilliant voice, without much in the way of his own songs, and some poor
ta 0
stein choosing his cover versions. The Blue Monkey Experience
Boulevard Hotel, Duntocher. 9pm.
A
while since they have done
anything locally, but certainly worth a look from past outings. Hopefully
th at fu
ey will be realising an indie single some stage in the not too distant ture.
O Centurion Shadows, St Vincent
St
reet. 9pm. Free. Hard rock.
0 The Straight Men Riverside Tavern. Gorbals. 9pm. Free. Residency.
0 Brother of Craig Rooftops.
E
dinburgh
Shriekback (to be confirmed), The
Venue, Calton Road. Leading in the avant-funk field, featuring former
G
ang Of Four Bassie Dave Allen. Makossa Preservation Hall.
Victoria Street. £1 after 9.30pm. Popular and enjoyable local reggae band.
Dead Man’s Jive The Cavern,
Cowgate. 0 General Damage Clowns, High
St
reet. 9pm. Free.
0 Billy Jones Student Union, Teviot Row. Students and guests only. Local folk-rock singer/guitarist.
G
ATURDAY 28
lasgow
0 Mary Kiani Baby Grand, Elmbank Gardens. 8pm. Free. Residency by a popular local singer with a fine voice. 0 Style Council SECC, Finniston. 7.30pm. Promoting their new album The Cost ofLoving, which is moderately soulful, fairly enjoyable albeit largely more mellow and less
po
ignant than previous efforts.
0 The icicle Works/Kevin McDermott Orchestra Strathclyde UU, John
30 The List 20 Feb — 5 March