MUSIC LIST
I Gyroset Music Box. Victoria Street, 220 1708. £1 after 9pm. ‘Funky boogie' from former members of The Headlamps and Border Boogie Band. More blues-rock.
i ‘ I t ' Edinburgh
I Richard Thompson Assembly Rooms. (icorgeStrect. 225 3614: Why is this man not biggerthan (fill in blank)? See folk listings for more.
I Native Strangers Music Box. Victoria Street. 2211 17118. 9.311pm. Free. Melodic hard rock band from Glasgow.
I Bo‘Weevil Lord Darnley. West Port. 229 4341. 111pm. Free. R&B.blues.
I The Volunteers ('anny Man‘s. Morningside Road. 447 1484. 8.311pm. free.
I Motley Criie Play house Theatre. (ii'censide Place. 557 25911. 7.311pm. A few single tickets left at 1.8. Top glam-metal band. around which some very strange rumours are abotiiidiiig.
Edinburgh
I No Excuse Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. 11pm. Free. A fewpuns
w ere made about that name the first time 1 saw them. it has to be said. Amediocre rock pop baiid with a few shortcomings in ' the keyboard dept. they may have
improy ed a lot since then. so don‘t let me put you off.
I Strategy Music Box. Victoria Street. 2211 17118. t1.311pm. Free. More big-sounding
sy nth-assisted rock.
I Bon Ton Boulez Lord Darnley. West Port. 22‘) 4341. 111pm. Free.
I Willy Logan ('anny Man’s. Morningside Road. 44" 1484. 8.311pm. Free.
WEDNESDAY 13 Edinburgh
I Visions Miisic Box. Victoria Street.2211 17118. ‘1311pm. Free.
I The Illusion l.ord Darnley. West Port. 22‘) 434]. 111pm. Free.
I The Peristalsis Brothers Boston Bean ("o.St.lamest'entre.55611111.8.311pm. l'i'ee. 511s-sounding duo.
I Live band Blues Basement. Broughton Street. .556 7 l 47. .\'o details yet.
THURSDAY 14
Glasgow
I His Latest Flame/Punch Fury Murrys. .\1a\w ell Street. 111.311pm. L3. At last.a half decent gig. His latest Flame released two good singles on (lo? Discs. bill are no longer on the label. Punch are also unsigned at the moment. btit that situation may not last too long.
I Central Cats 1 .a ‘l‘aiiiere. 15Fox Street. “pm. l-iee. Following a new treiidol feline band names. the owner of La Taniere was as unenlightened on this lot as 1 arii. Why not go and judge toryourselt".’
I Billy Mclsaac Riv erside Tavern. Waddell('ourt.42‘13‘181.me. Free. A continuing residency from the one time key board player in Slick. As recently as 1‘185 he w as still prov mg himself acapable
songwriter. and hopefully hisdeseendency
into ptib i'oek has not affected that.
I The Straight Men MeNec's Bar. liglinton loll. ‘1pm. 1-iee. (‘ei'tainly can claim tobe (ilasgow ‘s most popular pub band. judging by their numberof bookings and audiences \Vlietlier being (ilasgow's best pub rockers is something to boast about is tlebatcablc. though.
Edinburgh
I The Cropdusters 1 to be confirmed). Venue. (‘alton Road. .557 31173. Doors open “.311pin. ('oming back from this band’s w ell- reeeiy ed support slot for The Men 1 hey (‘ouldii‘t Hang a couplcof months back. found ('ropdustersand
l 32'1'he List 8— 21 January 1988
BAND PROFILE: THE THANES
You’ve probably
Thanes on posters around the place, mainly in their
PDPU Us“ 231231.21le
seen their laces blinking out of the sleeve of their newly-released debut LP, ‘the Thanes of Cawdor’, looking a lot like The Bolling Stones circa 1963, without realising that it actually was a brand new record, albeit one packaged with a loving eye for detail and authenticity.
The Thanes are Lenny Helsing (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Bruce Lyall (organ, guitar, vocals), Alan McLean (bass, vocals) and Calvin Burt (drums, vocals), and are generally seen by outisders as'part of a loosely-defined Edinburgh ‘scene‘ — an interchangeable pool of musicians, with distinctly nostalgic tastes. from the fastidiously-crafted Sixties‘ sounds of bands like The Beeville Hive Five and The Staircase (defunct?) to Jesse Garon and The Desperadoes and Fizz Bombs.
With slightly different line-ups, the group has been in operation for several years, previously known as The Green Telescope, and releasing two singles underthat name: ‘Two By Two‘ (which included the truly wonderful ‘Make Me
seen the name The
Stay') on Imaginary Records and ‘Face In A Crowd‘ on Wump, neither of which should be too hard to find in the Edinburgh area. The name change to The Thanes was followed by the ‘Hey Girl!’ EP on theircurrent home of DDT Records.
The music on the grooves of ‘The Thanes of Cawdor’ is crafted with no less attention than the beautiful sleeve photography and typesetting (and it’s got seven tracks a side: nine original compositions, five covers). The cover versions it contains, incidentally, were mainly taken from Northern European versions of American songs, so the songwriting credits are occasionally a little uncertain. Sixties-style garage psychedelia is enormously popular in the Netherlands, as The Thanes discovered when the Zooo-strong audience at a recent garage festival over there refused to let them leave the stage.
Despite all this, the band strenuously deny the accusation that they’re revivalists — a somewhat dubious claim, as walking into their rehearsal room is repotedly like entering a strange musical museum — but they will be playing at Edinburgh‘s Venue on Saturday 16 January forthose who
want to go along and make up their own minds. (Mab)
entourage crashed otit in every available space in the living room. Polite boys. and they buy their own bacon and eggs in the morning too. Kick tip a rousing sotiiid. not far from the spirit of the headlining band from that gig.
I JUST Add Water Mtlsic Box. Victoria Street. 2211 17118. ‘).3l1pm. Free.
I Future World Moves Preservation t iall. Victoria Street. 2263816. 9pm. Free.
I Billy Jones Lord Darnley. West Port.s 2294341. lllpm. Free. See Sun 111.
I Live band Blues Basement. Broughton Street. 556 7147. Nodetails yet.
I Los Supremos ( 'anny Man‘s. Morningside Road. 447 1484. 8.311pm. Free.
FRIDAY 15
Glasgow
I Rough and Ready l-a Taniere. 15 Fox Street. 9pm. Free. See Fri8.
I George McGowan Trio with Linda Fletcher Blackfriars. Bell Street. 9pm. Free. See Fri 8.
Edinburgh
I Echo and The Bunnymen Playhouse Theatre. (irecnside Place. 557 25911. 7.311pm. {7.1.6. Time was when a new Bunnymen album was a big event in our
house — didn't even bother buying the last one. The question is. would The Bunnymen. if they didn't get them tree‘.’ ('an't help hoping that the liy e showsare as good as they once were. though. See feature elsewhere in this issue.
I Martin Stephenson Venue. (‘altnn Road. 557 31173. Doors open 7.311pm. Yes.l know he was here. with The Daintecs. only last month. but this is liisfolkicr acoustic set. with only one Daintee in residence and (iypsy Dave Smith on fiddle. If you enjoy The Daintees this could be just your thing.
I No Excuse Music Box. Victoria Street. 2211 17118. £1 after ‘1pm. See Tue 12.
I Gyroset Lord Darnley. West Port. 22‘) 4341. 111pm. Free. See Sun 111.
I Bo'Weevil Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 2263816. 1.1 after ‘1pm. Rth. blties.
I Live band Blues Basement. Broughton Street. 556 7 147. No details yet.
SATURDAY 16
Glasgow
I Echo and the Bunnymenfl’he Primitives Barrow'land. (iallow'gate. 7.311pm. SOLD (115T. First of two nights for the Bunnymen. originally scheduled for last year. The last album wasn‘t as bad as it
was made out to be , but apparently the set consists mainly of older material. Should be worth going early to see how former indie heroes, The Primitives, cope with joining the major league.
I‘Jamiti Barrie: and Cochlso Viva‘s, Union Street. 1pm.
I We Free Kings Carrington Inn, Kilmarnock. Opening night of new club features Edinburgh combo. whose LP is reviewed in Listen!
I Billy Forbes La Taniere. Fox Street. 3pm. Free.
I Zenith La Taniere. Fox Street. 9pm. Free.
Edinburgh
I The Thanes Venue. Calton Road. 557 31173. Doors open 7.30pm. Edinburgh‘s best garage-psychedelia band. See panel. I After Eight Mince Music Box. Victoria Street. 2211 17118. £1 after 9pm. Long-established local jazz-funk group. I Native Strangers Lord Darnley. West Port. 229 4341. 10pm. Free. See Mon 1 l. I Bedlam Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. £1 after9pm.
I Live band Blues Basement. Broughton Street. 556 7147. No details yet.
.UNDAY17 Glasgow
I Echo and the Bunnymen Barrowland. Gallowgate. 7.311pm. Second night — not sold out at the time of writing. Support is once again provided by the Primitives. See Sat 16.
Edinburgh
I Depeche Mode Playhouse Theatre. Greenside Place. 557 25911.7.311pm. £7.51). £6.51). A bunch ofqueer fish. Dep Mode. Mystifying too— do theythink they're Duran Duran or Einsturzende Neubaten'.’ And how do they keep having hits with those monotone dirges‘.’ All may be revealed.
I Trident Soundcheck Rock Club. Venue. (‘alton Road. 557 31173. 7.3(1pm. £ 1 .511. Heavy metal.
I Billy Jones Lord Darnley. West Port. 2294341. 111pm. Free. See Sun 111.
I Gyroset Music Box. Victoria Street. 2211 17118. Afternoon. Free. See Sun 111.
I Future World Moves Music Box. Victoria Street. 2211 17118. £1 after9pm.
MONDAY 18 Edinburgh
I Strategy Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 2263816. 9pm. Free. See Tue 12. I Cosmo Lord Darnley. West Port. 22‘) 4341. 111pm. Free. Jazz-funk. with vocals. I The Volunteers ('anny Man‘s. Morningside Road. 447 1484. 11pm. Free.
TUESDAY 19 Edinburgh
I Hungry Years Lord Darnley . \Vcst Port. 2294341. 111pm. Free. Big sotiiid -- and scattered amongst the oroginals a few covers by the likes of Big (‘otintry and 1.2. 1(‘an't be worse that than dreadful cover of 'Pride‘ on some llogmanay show.)
I Cosmo Music Box. Victoria Street. 2211 17118. 9.311pm. Free. See Mon 18.
I Bon Ton Boulez Preservation l lall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. 1)pm. Free.
I Willy Logan ('aniiy Man's. Morningside Road. 447 1484. 8.311pm. Free.
WEDNESDAY 20 Glasgow
I Hearts and Minds l-‘ixx. so Miller Street. 9pm. Free. lixcellent band whoshould really be playing bigger venues than the Fixx. Nevermind. their next single. Television Suicide is otit in February and if there is any justice it will add tothe recognition they have been getting already.