MUSIC LIST
The bands playing a benetit gig at Edinburgh’s Venue on Wednesday 25 November are perlorming tor a cause that is much more likely to directly altect their lives and careers than most oi the well-meaning causes oi the last couple oi years: The No More Censorship Delence Fund.
The liMCDF was lormed alterJeiio Bialra oi The Dead Kennedys (a vocal and articulate critic ol his homeland's hypocrisies) and live others involved with their record company Alternative Tentacles were charged with “Distributing Harmlul Material to Minors', a charge which carries a $2000 line and a maximum oi one year in jail. The charges were brought by LA City Attorney Michael Guarino, alter a complaint lrom a resident oi Orange County whose teenage daughter bought a copy at the Kennedys' ‘Frankenchrist' LP ior her younger brother. The LP contained the poster ‘Penis Landscape’ (already hung in many galleries without complaint), by acclaimed Swiss artist H.B. Giger, irom whose imagination had sprung the extraterrestrial designs in ‘Alien’. The deience succeeded in persuading the court that the poster was an essential part at the LP, not a promotional gimmick that could be treated separately, and Bialra won the case, though he has still to pay oil helty legal lees. NMCDF themselves need around $14,000 to clear past debts.
A successiui prosecution, the deience maintained, would be a violation of the First Amendment to the American Constitution which, to many sectors oi the population is looking like a troublesome archaic bye-law which
Edinburgh
0 Mr Rhythm Music Box, Victoria Street, 2201708. 9.30pm. Free.
0 Bon Ton Boulez Oddfellows, Forrest Road, 220 1816. 8pm. Free. 0 Cosmos Preservation Hall, Victoria Street, 226 3816. 9.30pm. Free.
0 Willie Logan Canny Man’s, Momingside Road, 447 1484. 8.30pm. Free.
0 Native Strangers Lord Darnley, West Port, 229 4341. 10pm. Free.
WEDNESDAY 18
Glasgow
0 Real Politique Fixx, Miller Street. 9.30pm. Competent local band who didn’t exactly inspire me when I saw them last year - but a lot of improvement can be made in a year — so give them the benefit of the doubt.
o Flaco Jimenez and His San Antonio Tex Mex Band Fury Murry’s, Maxwell Street. 10.30pm. Flaco Jimenez is a former Grammy Award winner, and has also worked with Ry Cooder, giving him a high pedigree, and making this well worth going along to see.
Edinburgh
0 Loo-Aka-Bop Boston Bean Co, St
. 1‘ ‘1/ should be circumvented by any means possible.
‘To have lost this case,’ runs an oliicial Detence Fund statement, ‘would have introduced a terrilying chili iactor, preventing people irom identilying or associating themselves with certain ideas or thoughts, making people think twice beiore saying or doing what they believe in -that is censorship. We have won the battle, but the war continues.’
it certainly does, given that the US’s current moral climate is dominated by religious lundamentalism and right-wing political pressure groups, all with a strong aversion to rock music. The very least the Parents' Music Resource Centre - better known as the Washington Wives, and thanktully not as extreme as some oi their admirers- want, is a ratings system on records, similar to movies, particularly on records which they see as glorilying promiscuity, drugs, satanism, or generally attacking
James Centre, 556 0111. 8.30pm. Free. Alter egos of the Peristalsis Brothers, whose Tube appearance didn’t help them as much as they hoped.
THURSDAY 19
Glasgow
0 The Bathers Fury Murrys, Maxwell Street. 10.30pm. Responsible for an absolutely brilliant debut LP Unusual Places To Die, this is the first Bathers gig since former Friends Again and Lover And Money drummer Stuart Kerr returned to working with frontman Chris Thomson. Also in the line-up is former Aztec Camera bassist, Campbell Owens. Not to be missed. 0 Billy Mclsaac Riverside Tavern , Waddell Court, Gorbals. 9pm. Free. Residency for a man with a lengthy musical background that takes in Slik, The Zones and Rhythm Method.
0 The Straight Men McNee’s Bar, Eglinton Toll. 9pm. Free. The poster outside McNee’s describes them as famous - you had better believe it!
Edinburgh
0 Edwyn Collins Queen’s Hall, Clerk Street, 668 3456. See panel.
0 Red Lorry Yellow Lorry Venue, Calton Road, 557 3073. 7.30pm.
_ WORKIN’ ron THE. CLAMPDDWN
traditional values.
However erotically obsessed periorrners like Prince may be, it’s not the Purple Priapus who will go under, but independent acts like the Kennedys’ unable to aliord the long legal battles. Guarino has publicly stated that the City Attorney's oiiice will continue to wage war on ‘rock musicians' (his very words). The choice looks simple: put up or shut up.
in addition to this, the American immigration and Naturalisation Service recently passed controversial new legislation preventing musicans, ioumalists and speakers with whom they disagree lrom entering the country. It is legislation that is already being exercised.
Closer to home, Flux oi Pink indians (now known simply as Flux), lace prosecution on tour counts under the Obscene Publications and indecent Displays Acts, a tull tour years alter the release oi ‘The Fucking Cunts Treat Us Like Pricks’, iollowing a visit to the Manchester record shop Eastern Bloc by two plainclothes men.
independent labels themselves are in disarray in Britain, unable to agree on how to combat the ‘creeping tide’. A motion to set up a bust iund ieli through because members oi the loose independent label association Umbrella couldn’t agree on whether to condone selective censorship or condemn outright all censorship, even in cases regarding racism and sexism.
The talking goes on, while money is appealed iorto help pay the legal tees at those most at risk. it you can’t make it along to the Venue gig, NMCDF are seeking donations, to be sent to 67—71 Collier Street, London tit 98E. (Mab)
High-profile indie band of yore, recently reformed Wire-style and gigging again. I’m hoping they‘ve improved a lot from the days when you could isolate their influences just by listening with half an ear.
0 Good and Gone Blues Basement, Broughton Street, 556 7147. 8.30pm. The name’s a pretty accurate description of this vaguely- Beefheartian local group. An acquired taste, but you don’t know till you try, do you?
0 G-Spot Tornado Music Box, Victoria Street, 220 1708. 9.30pm. Free. Runners-up in The Lisr’s band contest. What more need we say, other than that they’re a tight guitar-based combo ready to move into the league that The Waterboys seem to be turning away from.
0 Sheer Greed Preservation Hall, Victoria Street, 226 3816. 9.30pm. Free.
0 Los Supremos Canny Man’s, Momingside Road, 447 1484. 8.30pm. Free.
0 Gyroset Lord Darnleys, West Port, 229 4341. 10pm. Free. A lot of awful band names this issue, but this one beats the lot.
FRIDAY 20
Glasgow 0 Bed Lorry Yellow Lorry/Salvation
Rooftops, Sauchiehall Street. 10.30pm. I though Red Lorry Yellow Lorry had taken the very sensible move of changing their name to The Lorries - but it would appear that they have changed their minds again. Salvation include an ex-Sister of Mercy, and if you are thinking ‘l’ve heard all this before’, you are probably right.
Edinburgh
0 Brendan Croker and The 5 D'Clock Shadows Venue, Calton Road, 557 3073. 7.30pm. Leeds bluesman who recently accompanied Michelle-Shocked on her Radio 1 sessions.
0 Cruise Music Box, Victoria Street, 220 1708. £1 after 9pm.
0 Blues Brothers Preservation Hall, Victoria Street, 226 3816. £1 after 9pm. Not Elwood and Jake.
o The Peristalsis Brothers Aye Bar, Queen Street. 9.30pm. Free. 505 swing and skiffle.
o The Shattered Family Rosebery Hall, High Street, South Queensferry. 7—11pm. £1.50. Hometown gig for the band, with an appearance on the Edinburgh compilation ‘Wide Open’ behind them and a new set of material. Watch out for the stage dancer.
0 Strategy Cassis, Abercromby Place , 557 4744.
SATURDAY 21 Glasgow
0 Edwyn Collins QMU, University Gardens. 8pm. First solo gig in Glasgow (1 think), and it should be a good one to be at, bearing in mind how good Edwyn’s two solo singles have been. Try telling Radio One that ‘My Beloved Girl’ should be a hfithough.
o Vow Wow Louis’ Nite Spot, 1073 Sauchiehall Street. 9pm. Japanese heavy metal, anybody? They are plugging their debut British album release, V.
0 Jamie Barnes and Cochise Vivas, Union Street. 1pm. Saturday wouldn’t be Saturday without football and Jamie Barnes.
Edinburgh
0 James Taylor Duartet Venue, Calton Road, 557 3073. 7.30pm.
0 La Paz (to be confirmed), Preservation Hall, Victoria Street, 226 3816. £1 after 9.30pm. Slick local heavy metal band.
0 Tam White and The Dexters Platform 1, Rutland Street. See Sat 14.
O Alter Eight Mince Music Box, Victoria Street, 220 1708. £1 after 19pm. See Sat 14.
O The Heaters Lord Darnley, West Port, 2294341. 10pm. Free.
0 Wax Pavilion Theatre, Renfield Street, 332 1846. 7.30pm. Heavy promotion on local radio suggests tickets aren’t selling too well for this one, and the worst thing about it is that they are trying to advertise it on the strength of the 10CC and Andrew Gold back catalogue - from
36 The List 13 - 26 November 1987