MUSIC LIST
Deacon Blue are making waves. The Glasgow band have been getting themselves noticed since the release ot their highly acclaimed debut album, ‘Raintown’, less than a year atter signing to CBS.
‘We felt that we had to go with the LP soon ratherthan hold back until we got a single or something like that,‘ explains Ricky Ross, trontman and songwriter.
Much ot the attention attracted by the band has been the result at their numerous live performances. Deacon Blue have toured incessantly since Ewan Vernal, bassist, and Lorraine McIntosh, lormerly ol Battling The Cage, were added to the line-up. Lorraine joined up after Ricky discovered her busking outside rehearsal studios in Glasgow where the band had been working. She was singing one of Ricky’s songs.
‘We gave him 10p in royalties and then Ricky asked me to do some demos because he’d just thought of some backing vocals.’
The addition of Lorraine to the line-up turned out to be an inspired move, her sweet and sour voice giving the material a fuller ilavour. Ricky’s thoughtful and thought-provoking lyrics are picked out with catchy, hummable tunes provided by Graeme Kelling's
SINGING THE BLUES "
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guitar and James Prime’s keyboards (including the much remarked piano rift on ‘Dignity’ lifted from the Waterboys) while Ewan and Doulgas Vipond smoothly push the sets along.
The band have been extending their repertoire at late, adding some covers to the set list, alongside album tracks and other original material. Songs like ‘Raintown’, ‘Loaded' and ‘Dignity’ (both singles) get the audience singing along and teeter on the edge oi
becoming anthems, while Ricky plays
the pop star, breaking oil in the middle of songs to chat with the audience.
‘our kind of music is a bit individual, people tend to listen to it in their bedrooms or on Walkmans. At the gigs you want a chance to meet folk and get a good reaction.’
Deacon Blue have been getting a lot at good reactions lately, so much so that they were recently invited to launch LWT's new Night Network. And when the Blues and Auchtermuchty twins The Proclaimers get together to share top-ol-the-bill at Motherwell’s Civic Centre on Sunday 20 September, the reaction seems likely to be rather more than good. (Neil Trotter)
completely superfluous when we already have Motorhead. Lemmy— the ultimate acid casualty. Motorhead the ultimate comic metal band. And how can you stop people idolising anyone who comes up with a song called ‘Killed By Death"?
0 The Guano Brothers Blackfriars. Bell Street. 9pm. Free. In case you are interested my dictionary defines the word ‘guano‘ as ‘the long accumulated dung ofsea-fowl much used for manure.‘ The things you learn compiling the rock listings. . . O Anaconda Platini‘s. 115 West Nile Street. 9pm. Free. Residency from the band that formed as the result of a heavy drinking session at the Burns Howffin 1979.
0 Jamie Barnes and Cochise Viva. Union Street. 1pm. Another chance to see one of Glasgow‘s busiest bands.
0 Origin Sins The Treble J. Shotts. 9pm.
Edinburgh
0 John Martyn Queen‘s Hall. Clerk Street. 668 3456. 7.30pm. £5. Once part of the great folkie boom. now purveyor ofvery laid-back. moody jazzy folk-rock. Brilliant guitarist. but not teenybopper material.
0 Jesse Garon and The Desperadoes (to be confirmed), The Venue. Calton Road. 557 3073. 7.30pm. Scotland's Next Big Thing, just back from gigs in London which attracted a lot of attention. Velvets‘ kind of wall ofjangly guitars. hummable melodies and. in frontman Andrew. a sense of humour.
0 Bulb Cormorant Lord Darnley. West Port, 229 4341. 3pm. Free. 60s‘ R&B. country—rock. jam atmosphere.
0 After Eight Mince Ne’gociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9pm. Free. Pleasant and proficient jazz-funk combo.
0 Toto and The Bostons Preservation Hall. Victoria Street, 226 3816. 2pm. Free.
0 Tony McPhee’s Groundhogs Preservation Hall. Victoria Street, 226 3816. 8pm. £2.
0 Machine Gun Smith Clowns, High Street. 556 1830. 9pm. Free.
SUNDAY 20
Glasgow
0 The Housemartinszhe Farm/T he North ol Cornwalls SECC, Finnieston. 7.30pm. £5. Value for money package here as the Housemartins once again take on the role of mentors for this time two bands. The North ofCornwalls sounded pretty awful on the Dotted Line compilation — but then it‘s hardly fair judging them on one badly mixed recording of a live show. And why the sudden Housemartins‘ backlash in the music press? Find out by going along.
0 Deacon Blue/Gift ol Vision/The Proclaimers/The Right Stuff Motherwell Civic Centre, Motherwell. 6pm. In association with Motherwell District Council — a fine line-up. Deacon Blue are the best. the Proclaimers are the most fun, The Right Stuff (who feature the ubiquitous John Palmer and Brendan Moon) are the most interesting, as it‘s their first gig. Sorry — but I know nothing about Gift ofVision, but don't let that put you off a brilliant night out.
0 UK Subs and Support Boulevard Hotel, Duntocher. 10pm. Get a big
sheet ofpaper and write down the nbames ofall the punks of77 that are still making records. Now on the back of a stamp, write down the names ofthose that are still making good records.
Edinburgh
0 Motorhead Playhouse Theatre, Greenside Place, 557 2590. 7.30pm. £6. No snidey remarks here. Motorhead are a great noisy rock group, whose only limitation is the stress their PA can withstand. And they’ve got Philthy Animal back again!
0 Tarn White and The Dexters Preservation Hall, Victoria Street. 226 3816. £1 after 9pm. Edinburgh‘s premier bluesman leads his top-rank R&B band through their paces. Fans of Beefheart and Waits will rate the voice.
0 Billy Jones Lord Darnley. West Port, 229 4341. 10pm. Free. Popular local singer-songwriter. with a clutch ofgood old-fashioned acoustic rock ‘n’ roll numbers and an LP in the shops.
0 Cry Tough and Anaconda Soundcheck Rock Club. The Venue. Calton Road. 557 3073. 7.30pm. Heavy rock.
MONDAY 21
Glasgow
0 John Martyn Pavilion Theatre, Renfield Street. 7.30pm. Not a fan — but his influence seems to be under-rated, as a rather interesting letter in the NME (yes— the one a year not by an angst-ridden student) was pointing out recently.
0 Gary Numan Barrowlands. 244 Gallowgate, 552 4601. At the launch
of a tour to promote a compilation of Numan hits. aircraft wreckages and weird ‘images‘. I hate Gary Numan: his material is now so dated, and at the time there were people doing similar things so much better. And he is the only person in the music business prepared to admit that he votes Conservative (the others do vote Tory but don‘t admit it).
Edinburgh
0 Swamp Trash The Venue, Calton Road. 557 3073. 9pm. £2 (£1.50). What. are they still here? Papa Scritton‘s loving sons. their bluegrass skills honed to a fine point, carry on trying to raise the airfare back to Promise City. delighting audiences on the wav.
0 Cry Tough Preservation Hall, Victoria Street. 226 3816. 9pm. Free. Heavy rock.
0 Shiver ’n’ Shake Lord Darnley, West Port. 229 4341. 10pm. Free.
0 The Nick Robertson Band Negociants.1.othian Street, 225 6313. 9pm. Free.
0 The Boonie Rats The Mission, Victoria Street. Strange prospect, giving the impression of a rockabilly band who‘ve never got over their first viewing oprocaIypse Now. Large Doors influence. naturally.
o The Volunteers Canny Man‘s, Morningside Road. 447 1484. 8.30pm. Free.
0 The Rocky Horror Show King‘s Theatre. Leven Street. 229 1201. 8pm. £3.25. £3. £2.50. £2.25.£1.50. Special opening night offer, so seats will cost twice as much the rest ofthe week. Runs till Saturday. Yes, let’s do the Time Warp yet again, though l‘ve seen the movie and heard the record enough times to get just a little hard to rouse. Still. it's good clean fun. and the Goth revival may give a shot in the arm. (Wayne Hussey as Frank N. Furter? Now there‘s an idea. . .). Probably a lot livelier on stage. so don‘t forget your accessories.
TUESDAY... 22. Glasgow
0 Real Politique Napoleons, Merrylee Road. 9pm. Free. Competent enough local band, along U2 lines. Not for me. but judging by the time I saw them (ages ago), a bit ofwork would mean that loads of people probably will like them.
0 Jinx Shadows. 73 Bath Street, 332 8111. 9pm. Free. Heavy metal, as you probably guessed by the name. Fact fans may like to know that they once had an even more horrendous name. . . Samoid!
Edinburgh
0 A Whole New Jungle The Venue, Calton Road, 557 3073. 7.30pm. One of the more interesting of the currently-rising Edinburgh rock bands. The track on the ‘Wide Open’ compilation was pretty fabby.
0 Cry Tough Lord Darnley West Port, 2294341. 10pm. Free. Heavy rock.
0 Bedlam Preservation Hall, Victoria Street. 226 3816. 9pm. Free.
0 The Peristalsis Brothers Negociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9pm. Free. 50s skiffle and swing. as seen once on the late Tube.
.32 The List 18 Sept — 1 Oct