MUSIC LIST/ROCK
I The Bangles Barrowland. 244 Gallowgate. 552 4601. 7.30pm. POSTPONED.
I Mary Margaret O'Hara Govan Town
Hall. Govan. 7.30pm. CANCELLED.
All the might have beens— hopefully they will be back soon. as both of these would have been worth seeing.
I Total Strangers La Taniere. 15 Fox Street. 221 4844. 9pm. Free. That is what they are to me.
I Jive Ass Halt Bar. 160 Woodlands Road. 332 1210. 9pm. Free. The name probably says more about their music than any flowery description - but worth seeing in their own right.
I Score Harvey‘s Show Bar. Paisley. 9pm. Free. First of a series of local gigs described as ‘bluesy. rocky. with some fine pop covers'.
Edinburgh
I Big George and The Business and Barky Barky Rhythm & Booze. Venue. Calton Road. 557 3073. And so commences a new club at The Venue. this one devoted to weekly doses of R& B. Big George and The Business are the resident act. joined by different guests each week. Barky Barky hardly fit too comfortably into this bracket . but once the ale‘s flowing who’ll mind?
I Swing Shift Preservation Hall. Victoria Street, 226 3816. 9.30pm. Free. Rock in the Gabriel/U2 mould. apparently attracting MCA‘s attention.
TUESDAY 9 Glasgow
I Fairground Attraction and Five Guys Named Moe Pavilion Theatre. 121 Renfield Street. 332 1846. 7.30pm. See Mayfest. I Stevie Wonder SECC. Finnieston Quay. 248 3000. 7.30pm. In cases like this it is always hard to know whether to go or not. Despite his undoubted genius. 1 fear that this could destroy much of the respect 1 have for him. On the other hand. the last album. Characters. was his best for years. and the gig could reflect that. An expensive gamble. I Farewell Parade and Just Add Water
' Napoleons. 128 Merrylee Road. 637 5238. Free. I Another Bendy Window The Buck. 272 St Vincent Street. 221 5279. 9pm. Asighting last year. when they supported Goodbye Mr MacKenzie, suggested a lot of potential. although at that stage very little of it was realised. Now with some line-up changes and a new set, they could be a much more enticing prospect. Another band to be confirmed, and the regular demo disco. I Bobby Wishart and Elliot Murray Halt Bar. 160 Woodlands Road, 3321210. 9pm. Free. Regular Bobby Wishart slot.
Edinburgh
I Dave Robb Oddfellows, Forrest Road. 2201816. Folk-influenced singer-songwriter building up a following. and just finished recording a new demo with a band which includes the fine drummer James from Swamptrash and members of Robb‘s old band Rua. Solo tonight. however.
I The Bootsle Tootsie Band Preservation Hall, Victoria Street. 226 3816. 9.30pm. Free. Rocking blues.
I Les Supremos St James Oyster Bar. Calton Road, 557 2925. 9pm. Free. Country-blues influences, but a broad range of covers.
I The Tex FIIlet Flve Negociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9.45pm. Free. Spoof country. Residency.
I Doug Rich Globe. West Port. 2294553. 9pm. Free.
WEDNESDAY 10 Glasgow
I Courtney Pine Pavilion Theatre. 121
_ CAPONE AND THE BULLETS
made of a so-called ‘ska revival', and certainly the live
Peru “ST! Shasta“
The Trojans, The Potato 5 and, yes, Bad Manners playing to audiences largerthan any the music has enjoyed sInce the very early Eighties. The ska scene is truly International - Skaos from West Germany and The Toasters from the USA are celebrated In fannish circles, and there is at least one Japanese group doing well - and maybe it’s that the existing scene is now better-organised than at any time
since 2-Tone's heyday that the music is .
in such a strong position.
The Scottish scene centres around Glasgow's Capone and The Bullets (supporting The Deltones at Glasgow Rooftops on Thursday 18 and Edinburgh Venue on Friday 19), the accomplished fanzlne ‘Zoot', and a thriving scooter scene. The band formed in 1984, mainly around young rude boys whose affiliation with the music didn't end when ‘Top of the Pops’ lost interest. Although there is no shortage of long-term fans, the experience of one Bullet ls typical: ‘If It hadn’t been for 2-Tone I’d have been aware of ska, but I wouldn’t have thought it was something I wanted to get lnto.’
Ska, the Bullets point out, never really came up to Scotland the first time around (the great Laurel Altken only glgged here for the first time last year, his backing band being, of course, Capone and The Bullets), really taking a hold in the South, where there were larger black centres of population. Even now, clubs In London play, according to the band, the Sixties records almost exclusively, whereas
Renfield Street. 332 1846. 7.30pm. See Mayfest.
I Moni Fixx. 86 Miller Street. 248 2859. 10pm. Free. See panel.
I The Hummingbirds and The Steelchain Buck. 272 St Vincent Street. 221 5279. 9pm. Series of Wednesday night gigs at the , Buck for Mayfest pairing Glasgow and Edinburgh bands. Both of these are recommended.
I Foster McLean and the Choo Choo Boys La Taniere. 15 Fox Street. 221 4844. 9pm.
Much has been
up here 2-Tone singles are guaranteed to pack the danceiloor. ‘London seems to be more Slxties-orlentated,but that’s the way they’ve grown up. Capone and The Bullets grew up outside that scene. All the current
bands grew up without knowing each ' other, except in London.’ Later on It's
stressed that the new wave of ska, although kicked lnto motion by 2-Tone, Is far more deeply-rooted than just an infatuation with a handful of records produced In Coventry in the early Eighties.
Unfortunately, the week that I speak to the Bullets has been marred by media reports of Camaby Street shops selling white supremacist material; that, and their treatment at the hands of the fashion magazines that came up to take pictures and write about the lifestyle, has left them distrustiul and on the defensive. As one veteran scooterist present puts It, ‘The Prince Is away to Klosters for a skiing holiday, they’ve got to fill the papers with something.’
They've had just about enough of the ska = skinhead =fasclsm equation as they can be expected to take, and It's a genuine fear on their part (echoed by several of the writers in ‘Zoot') that groups on the scene are being held back from making a reasonable career because the general public are put off from going to gigs by hysterical,
' mlslniorrned, and In at least one case
in the Bullets’ experience, completely fabricated press reports.
The band's attitude ls expressed most concisely by one band member, who ventures, ‘Ii we were an all-white band playing ska then maybe we’d have to say that our lyrics were left-wing and we don't agree with fascism, but the fact we've got two coloured people in the band speaks for ltsell.’ (Alastair Mabbott)
Free. Only La 'I‘aniere would put on a band with that name. Guarantees that the band will (should?) newer be taken seriously.
I The Blvvy Bag Band Halt Bar. 160 Woodlands Road. 332 1210. 9pm. Free. IAndrew MillarO‘Henry's. Kelvinbridge. 9pm.‘Free.
Edinburgh
I The Coca Cola Hit Man Roadshow Coasters. West 'i'ollcross. With Jason
Donovan. Sinitta. The Reynolds Girls. Girls Talkin' and Pete Waterman on the record decks. no doubt gabbing offin much the same way as the TV show.
I Yes Yes Juliette Venue. Calton Road. 557 3073. Moving on from the Blondie/852s comparisons. towards a more individual guitar-based pop.
I Live band Negociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9.45pm. Free.
THURSDAY 11 Glasgow
I Johnny Cash. The Carter Family and Rodney Crowell SECC. Finnieston Quay. 248 3000. 7.30pm. Part of the Route 89 programme. and featuring just about all the branches of the Cash/Carter clan. I suspect that this could be in parts excellent and in others appalling. Rodney Crowell (who is Johnny’s son in law. and Rosanne Cash's husband) has recently released a good album on CBS called Diamonds and Dirt. while Rosanne. by far the most talented member of the Cash clan. is not actually performing in her own right. recovering as she is from a recent childbirth.
I Diesel Park West Fury Murrys. 96 MaxwellStreet. 2216511. 10.30pm. Hopefully the three excellent singles released from their ShakespeareAIabama LP will help ensure a decent crowd forthis one. The music would seem conducive to strong live performance, so here‘s hoping. I Paterson's Volunteers Rooftops, 92 Sauchiehall Street. 332 5883. 9pm. Described as a ‘very Scottish‘ funk band. I Dave Robb Glasgow University Union. University Avenue. 9.30pm. Singer songwriter. who has gigged with the Proclaimers. playing live in the lounge bar.
I The Bootsle Tootsie Blues Band Halt Bar. 160 Woodlands Road, 332 1210. 9pm. Free. They‘ve been around for ages. but once again are fine exponents oftheir craft. which is well summed up in the
I Guano Brothers La Taniere. 15 Fox Street. 221 4844. 9pm. Free.
I Gerry Burns O‘Henry's. Kelvinbridge. 9pm. Free.
I Score Murphy's Barrel House. Kelvinhaugh Street. 9pm. Free.
Edinburgh
I GBH Venue. Calton Road. 5573073. Long in the tooth punks. and how many bands would actually include a Slaughter and the Dogs cover version in theirsct? I Just Add Water Pelican. Cowgate . 225 4513. Tight and commercial pop.
I Therapy Edinburgh University Student Union. Chambers Street. Students and guests only. First gig for a while. with a sound that's hardened dramatically over the last year.
I The Dan Blocker Experience Negociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. Proficient and enojoyable country band with wide-ranging appeal.
I Dave Robb St James Oyster Bar. Calton Road. 557 2925. 9pm. Free. See Tues 9. I The Charge Lord Darnley. West Port. 229 4341. 10pm.
I Texas Breakfast Ryrie's. Haymarket Terrace. 337 7582. 9pm. Free. Residency. Rhythm & blues.
I The Brothers Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. 9.30pm. Free.
FRIDAY 12 - Glasgow
I The Everly Brothers SECC. Finnieston Quay. 248 3000. 7.30pm. £10. Another resurrection. Another rip-off. Sad really. I The Triiiids and Kitchens of Distinction Queen Margaret Union. University Gardens. 9pm. Australia‘s two best musical exports (Triffids and the Go Betweens) are both in Glasgow in the
The List 5 — 18 May 1989 61