MUSIC LIST/ROCK
good chance — and its free. unlike last week‘s Henry Afrika‘s excursion.
Edinburgh
I Taxi Pata Pata Mambo Club. Calton Studios. Calton Road. 5567066. 9pm—3am. £4. Led by Zaire-born soukous singer Nsimba Foguis. Taxi Pata Pata have been described by Charlie Gillet . among others. as ‘probably the best UK-based African band there is‘. Enjoy. I Dog Faced ilermans. We Free Kings. Archbishop Kebab. The Larry Marshall Fan Club and The Alexander Sisters Ross Theatre. Princes Street Gardens. Noon-5pm. Free. An alternative view of Edinburgh's finest talent. Anti-Torness benefit. with stalls. speakers and acreche. I Lyin' Rampant (TBC) Venue.(‘atton Road. 557 3073. HM. glam-style.
I G-Spot Tornado Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. £1 after 9. 30pm. There are a few bands around who can play rock music without sounding like a godawful sludge. and this lot can frequently pull it off. The (i-Spots have got a few good songs under their belt too. I Tokyo Music Box. Victoria Street. 220 1708.11 after9pm.
I Billy Jones Scotties. Northfield Broadway. See Sun 24.
I Bulb Cormorant Lord Darnley. West Port. 2294341. Afternoon. Free. See Mon 25.
I Texas Breaktast Lord Darnley. West Port. 2294341. 10pm. Free. See Fri22.
I Drilling Wood Negociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9pm. Free.
SUNDAY 31 Glasgow
I Burden Blues Breakers La Taniere. 15 Fox Street. 9pm. Free. Whoelse and where else'.’ Residency.
Edinburgh
I Udichee Ross Theatre. Princes Street (iardens. 3pm. £3 (£2). Singing songs of the common people of Bengal. [Idichce embrace young and old. Muslim and Hindu in their ranks. sometimes upto iii-strong. and their performances take in aspects of both religious cultures. Also playing at this year's WOMAD down south. l'dichee have made the trip to Britain at their own expense. so a little support would be in order.
I Trademark and Mind's Eye Soundcheck Rock (Tub. Venue. (‘alton Road. 557 3073. 7.30pm. £1.50. More heavy rock. I The Tex Fillet Five Negociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9pm. Free. Irreverent (extremely) pseudo-country outfit. Best appreciated after a few pints of your
fax ouritc brew.
I Bedlam Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. £1 after 9pm. Heavy rock.
I Billy Jones Lord Darnley. West Port. 2294341. 10er. Free. See Sun 24.
I Jean Mundell Music Box. Victoria Street. 220 1708. Afternoon. Free. Residency.
I Bluelinger Music Box. Victoria Street. 220 HHS. £1 after9pm. Rocking rhythm‘n'blues. Residency.
MONDAY 1 Edinburgh
I Botany 500 and The Kites Venue. (‘alton Road. 557 3073. Bouncy. Edinburgh-based funk.
I Medusa Touch Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. 9.30pm. Free. Heavy rock.
I Black Market Negociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9pm. Free. Jazz. blues. etc.
I Texas Breaktast Lord Darnley. West Port. 22943-11. 10pm. Free. See Fri 22.
I Mr Robinson Music Box. Victoria Street. 2201708.‘).30pm. Free.
I The Volunteers (‘anny Man's.
I JACKO AT MURRAYFIELD? Could be. it Regular Music can pull it oil, in which case the date to remember will be September 9. Guile apart irom Jacko’s undoubted talents it would be worth attending just to show the London-based agencies that there IS a point to putting on big open-air concerts north oi Leeds, which is about as tar as most lntematlonalIy-mega acts can drag themselves. Good on Regular it they can do it- but where was everyone when the Prince tour was being negotiated?
I YOU’VE GOT to have a brass neck it you want to get on in the music business, so they say, and Edinburgh ne'er-do-weils Baby’s Got a Gun decided to put it to the test when Transvlslon Vamp toured Scotland a law weeks back. Knowing the Vamps had no support band lined up tor the tour, they contidently parked their vantul oi equipment at the door at Fury Murry’s and placed themselves at the amused band‘s service tor the rest oi their dates. Tickled though they were, the Vamps had to contess that they had so much gear that there was no room to set another band’s up. Still, they said they'd think oi the Babes next time amend, and suggested a record company insider to send a tape to. Which goes to show, a bit oi cheek might pay ott eventually.
I ORIGIN SINS, under the cool managerial hand oi ‘the lovely Tommy Wilson' (as another Scottish magazine has very graciously dubbed him), are lollowlng up their successiul gig at Glasgow’s Custom House Ouay with another one on August 20, swlttly tollowed by a show at the Garden
Festival on 26 August. They're looking tor support acts tor the bills on both dates (see above item tor inspiration). It you’re in a young band, do cabaret or anything entertaining, get in touch by calling Mitre Cruickshank on 041 429 5628, and he'll tell you where to send your demo, photos and other bumi.
ALBUMS
I The Ukelele Orchestra oi Great Britain: The tlkelele Variations (Discethnlque). From Schubert to The Velvet Underground, the tZ-strong thGB dedicate themselves to the rele oi the ukelele as an instrument to take its righttul place in the iinnament. Sometimes coming on like the Hot Club, they can add a lush, vaguely East European stringy tinge to the Velvets' ‘Candy Says' (played as the dettnitlve version by the BBC World Service) as well. The stylistic variety is maybe too broad (taking in not only the above, but Brecht, plobeareachd, Charlie Parker and The Rolling Stones- how do you iollow up a collection like that?), but the thGB are serious about their tun and light-hearted about their
passion. And as tor ‘Born to be Wild' - ‘the only song to play with the Flying V Ukelele’ -way to gel (Mab)
I Somebody Famous: The Gill (Ralndance). So we’re being asked to take a tamer member oi Punishment ot Luxury seriously? Well, yes, and why not? Largely the work at singer/writer/guitarist Tim Jones, ‘The Gitt’ is an unexpected album at competence and conviction, seductive and radio-triendly rock, in the area ot
later Police at times, in other places iunkier and sweatler, as in the excellent dance groove oi ‘The Gilt at Love'. County Durham-based Jones burns with righteous anger alter eleven years oi trying to make it. Pretty seen their name will ring true indeed. (Mab)
I Acoustic Alchemy: Natural Elements (MCA Master Series). New Age at its worst is a vacuum — a ditierent league irom Brian Eno's deliberately anonymous background music by dint oi its pretensions to being more than just background music. New Age is what you put on when you have to concentrate on something else. We all have records we do that to, but it’s pretty hart-inducing to iind music purpose-designed, and blatantly marketed not to ruttle the Yuppie dinner party, bonking session or pathetically earnest spiritual contemplation. This all has interesting implications tor live concerts. best leit to the comic imagination. Anyway, at least MCA has guitarists the calibre ot Albert Lee and Larry Carlton on their books, and Acoustic Alchemy, guitarists Greg Carmichael and Nick Webb, despite the awtul pretens
ns at their
sleevenotes (par tor the course), rise above many ot their kidney by hitting some quite lively heights. A lot more demanding to play than to listen to, though it gets bogged down in cliche, the tunes (tuslon to tlamenco) going exactly where you'd expect, and in more than a law instances staying there tor several minutes. Yes, they can play more than just arpegglos, but it i didn’t have this review to write l'd teel compelled to get the ironing board out. (Mab)
I Various: Seeds V: Electric (Cherry Red). Farewell to ‘Seeds’ then, as the titth and tlnal volume rolls oil the
' presses. This seriesotcomptlations
has had its moments, but the policy at teaturlng ‘lest classlcs' irom ’77-'84 has meant almost equal handtuls ot pearls and dress. Thomas Dolby's ‘Europa and The Pirate Twins’ and The Passe e’s classic ‘XOYO’ are obligatory lnclus ons, and any LP that rescues The Gynaecologlsts' ‘The Red Pullover' irom obscurity justltles its existence by that alone, but so many tracks sound lnessentlal enough that one leels Cherry Red has picked the right moment to bring down the curtain. (Mab)
SINGLES
I Butteriield B: Watermelon Man (GolOlscs). Basically an extended jazzy 24-bar blues, pertormed by an ex-tllgson (Terry Edwards) and tormer Madness bassist Bedders with an assortment ot triends and the obligatory solos irom piano, vibes and sax. Three more tracks on the B-side oi the 12th, all extremely accessible jau numbers, include a Joplin-style piano rag.
I Talulah Gosh: Where’s the Cougar, Matey? EP (53rd a 3rd). Little-known tact: Wet Wet Wet actually took their name trom a Talulah Gosh single review. Attempts on the Gosh’s part to cover up ior this by naming records alter Ted Nugent albums and putting Dennis Wheatley sacrltlclal virgin scenes on the label may seem like a laugh, but the joke ran out ot steam long ago. Not without its moments at charm, but wet, wet, wet. (Mab)
I Beat Happening/Screaming Trees: Polly Peregulnn (53rd a 3rd). The members oi Washington State’s Beat Happening now live around 100 miles apart while still keeping their band together. I know this because i was told so by singer/guitarist Calvin (“Lucky we don't rehearse too much’), who's a nice bloke once he gives up on trying to weird you out. ills music's like that too. Weird shit, but alter a tow listens you get to realise there’s a pop mind at work in there somewhere. Screaming Trees take their cue straight irom mid-60s garage bands, and sound like they're attempting to play ‘Stepping Stone’ betore settling down into the EP’s title track. (Mab)
PLAYLIST
John Williamson's tortnightly Hit List 1.Bruce Springsteen: Dancing in the Dark (live)
2.The Blg Disthuropean Rain (Virgin, 7‘)
3.llothouse: Crazy (RCA, 7‘)
4.Style Council: Long Hot Summer (new version, 7‘EP)
5.The Go-Gos: Girl at 100 Lists (lRS, oldie)
G.Farewell Parade: San Francisco (demo)
7.Steve Forbert: Mexico (Gelten, Ip track)
B.Working Week: The Doctor (Venture, lp track)
9.Roachtord: Give It Up (CBS, lp track) to.Do-Re-Ml: Warnings Moving ClockwisetVlrgin)
The List 22 July 4 August WSS 35