I A PLAGUE oi bolls on the swine who somehow stole a yellow cassette case lrom Tower Studios’ Craig Tannock the other week, ior ’twas not llylle Mlnogue contained within, but 40 demos sent in by bands hoping to be used in the McEwan’s Lager demo disco at The Buck in St Vincent Street every
. Tuesday. Craig requests that every
band who sent in a demo should send a
duplicate tape, and the oiier extends to other bands that would like their music ; played. The address is McEwan’s
Lager Demo Disco, c/o Tower Studios,
92 Woodside Terrace Land, Glasgow. And ii the thlei will bring back the tapes he stole Craig promises a copy ol the new Kylie Minogue album in return.
I SEEN AT Avia’s lab show at the
Tramway on Saturday 5 (see Mayiest), none other than Pat Kane, with spouse, remarkably unhassled by rampaging
5 tans and iurthering his interest in
constructivist Soviet art by purchasing a couple ol the band’s natty red-on-black T-shirts. Listen! leaned
- close enough to hear the top socialist
pop star mumbling about wearing the clobber on the upcoming Hue and Cry tour. How about a couple ol ‘Stuii the Poll Tax’ shirts at Hammersmith Odeon, Pal?
I FANS OF The Balhers, Love and Money, archivists oI the Glasgow pop scene, or even just the mildly interested will be gralelul lor the re-release oi ‘Trapped and Unwrapped' (1983) by Friends Again, on Fontana Records. Being the original group at James Grant and the less-well-known Bather Chris Thompson (where he now?) it’s a seminal recording in the history ol Scotpop. A mish-mash oi producers, including Tom Verlaine, but a record worthy oi attention.
I ANOTHER BORING BlT, ior
: musicians only: CBS, alraid that artists
might not be aware ol their publishing wing (not unlikely, since they only boast The Pasadenas, The Darling Buds and Edinburgh’s newly-signed Chimes), want to spread the news that they’re on the lookout lor new talent. Material sent to Peter Myers, AGR Music Publishing, CBS Records, 17/19 Soho Square, London W1V BHE will be listened to and responded to, he says.
I AS HAS BEEN reported in the dailies, Simple Minds’ proposed date at Murraylieid Stadium has been moved to Meadowbank Stadium, ailerthe band reacted against the Scottish ' Rugby Union’s decision to allow players to go to South Airlca. The gig will still be taking place on 12 August, however. Tickets ior Murraylieid are still valid, and although the stand is sold out there are at time at writing tickets still left ior the pitch. A second day at Meadowbank has not been completely ruled out, but the logistics oI putting on another concert would be dillicult, to say the least.
‘I think symbolically Meadowbank's a lot better anyway,’ said Minds manager Bruce Findlay.‘ it’s an
MUSIC LIST/ROCK
international stadium, and it was the home oi the best Commonwealth Games in 1970 and possibly one oi the most controversial in 1986, so I think it’s the right place to play lor that reason.’
Jim Kerr was rehearsing with the band in lreland, but Findlay read out a statement which said, in part: ‘We are amazed at the ignorance ol the SRU in the suggestion that Simple Minds by their stand over apartheid are in some way restricting the ireedom oi choice lor the individual rugby player. Surely it Is the rights ol the individual in South Alrlca that Simple Minds are speaking up ior. The little, some might say cosmetic, changes that are taking place within the sporting organisations in South Alrlca have been provoked by isolation, not contact.’
SINGLES
I Neneh Cherry: Manchild (Circa). Anyone who doubted tor a minute that
i she could lollow up the mighty “Bullan
Stance’, wait lor this one. The klckdrumls the same, but slowed down to sit beside weighty washes ol synth. This could'bum paint oil wells. (Mab) I Oueenz'l Want it All (Parlophone). i recall a little ditty entitled ‘Why Does it Hort When i Pee’, which was a jolly good pisstake (pun intended) oi exactly this type at song, except without the heavy metal riitlng, and alter ten years it’s as accurate as ever. (Mab)
I Uriah Heep: Hold Your Head Up (Legacy). Yes, it’s the Argent song. Yes, it’s that Uriah Heep. No, it’s not that good. I’ve been thinking though, the one person that should really have a go at this song is Holly Johnson. How about it, Hol? You’re younger, prettier and less hairy than these geeaers. (Mab)
I The Silencers: Scottish Rain (RCA). The most pleasant and most lully-realised track on the band’s ‘Blues lor Buddah’, its echoey ethereality beiying the subject matter, which one is reminded oi by the men in radiation suits with geiger counters on the sleeve. ll’s backed by ‘Blues lor Buddah’ and a reading ol ‘Gimme Shelter’ complete with unmistakable Jagger impression, live at the Pavilion last year. (Mab)
I Cry Beiore Dawn: Witness lorthe World (Epic). Irish band Cry Belore Dawn are currently touring with Big Country, and they make a suitable pair. Full oi the Celtic spirit, they come up with a song that’s just begging tor a video ol rolling valleys and buckets oi rain. impassioned, but hard to get excited about. (AM)
I Ultra Vivid Scene: Mercy Seat (4AD). One oi the best moments irom the LP is stretched out to six-and-a-halt minute length and given space to breathe. It could be the sort ol thing I’d impulse-buy il I heard it while browsing round a record shop, il I didn’t have it already. (AM)
I The Shamen: You Me & Everything (Moksha). Some more tracks like this and the ‘Gorbechev’ LP could have been the stormer it wasn’t. Acid may have died the death. but The Shamen haven’t gone under yet, and are
susslng out how to make commercial dance singles out oi It. Dare I say it might even be a hit? (AM)
I A Split Second: The Colosseum Crash (Antler). Is it New Beat? the press release asks. No, it’s the most terminally boring things about House and predictable ’menacing’ posture that has been kicked around the underground electronic scene Ior years. (AM)
I Hue and Cry: Looking lor Linda (Circa). The LP lrom whence this came was a platter that never won my heart, and ‘Looklng lor Linda’, Ior all Its New York sessioneer brilliance, still sounds like a songwriter treading water. Still, it's nice to know that Pat llane sounds just as silly as anyone else would trying to croon the word ‘clggles'.
I Pere Ubu: Cloudland (Fontana). It’s a surprise at lirst to hear Ubu’s strange sticky-out shapes polished down to a veneerthat would please any consumer oi Eighties ‘adult’ rock, courtesy Pet Shop Boys and New Order producer Stephen Hague. The second shock, the big shock, is how brilliantly * they have adapted to the situation and produced one at the most outstanding albums in their distinguished history. You couldn’t call this a ‘culty’ record - well, you could, but it would be a large cult. on the scale at the
aiorementioned New Order. Without sacrilicing anything Ubu have put themselves in the position where they never need to be consigned to the
‘weird shlt’ ghetto again. (AM)
PLAYLIST;
Alastair Mabbott with the iortnightly Listen! hit list.
1. PERE UBU: Cloudland (Fontana LP) 2. NENEH CHERRY: Manchild (Circa 45)
3. OEACON BLUE: Fergus Sings the Blues (CBS 45)
4. iNNER CITY: Paradise (Ten LP)
5. SIMPLE MINDS: Street Fighting Years (Virgin LP track)
6. AVIA: BCEM (Melodia - Soviet import) 7. FLAMING LIPS: Telepathic Surgery 3" (Enicma) B. BOXING CLEVER: Peter Lorre (demogg 9. SIMCESS: Lite oi Beauty (it’s Magic .33 45) 10. GLENN BRANCA: Symphony No. 6 25 (Blast First LP) ..
"J2; £3
48 The List 19 May— 1 June 1989