MUSIC LIST/ROCK
Barrowland. 244 (iallowgate. 552 46111.1 think one dose of Big (‘ountry will dome for the rest of the year. so I'll sit thisone out. See (’ry Before l)awn single review. IBlues'n'Trouble l’l‘m‘i ('ollegeol Technology . 711(‘owcaddens Road. Scotland‘s rockin'est Rckli hand.
I Love Train Strathclyde l'niy ersity .‘III John Street. 552 1805. A good 11’. and a single. "The Way of .-\II l-‘lesh‘. eornhining the hest of. say . RPM and Blue Aeroplanes. \Vorth seeing.
I Philander‘s Tricycle l.a 'l'aniere. 15 tax Street. 221 4844 ‘Ipm. l-‘ree.
Edinburgh
I Gary Moore Playhouse "Theatre. (ireenside Place. 557 25‘)“. 7.3flpm. {111. L"). Heavy rock guitarist and his hand. rescheduled from March. 'liickcts still \alid.
I Cactus World News and The CritterHill Varmintsfalton('luh. (‘alton Studios. ('alton Road. 557 25‘)“. 9pm 4am. (actus World News‘ greatest hurst of puhlicity was their dehut on 12's Mother Records. Since then no deluge. See panel on the Varmints.
I Gun Venue. ('alton Road. 55" 31173. See Thurs 25.
I The Guilty Party Pt'cser‘y ation 1 tall. Victoria Street. 226 3S16. Ll alter“).3(lpm. IThe Humpfl Family‘l'rading l’osi.'l‘lie Shore. 55.3 7164. lllpm. l'i‘ee. Residency. Spool country
I Doug Rich Paddy 's. Rose Street. ‘Ipin. i'iliCL‘.
I Live band l.ord l)arnley . \Vest Port.22‘) 4341. Iflpm.
SATURDAY 27 1
Glasgow
I 10,000 Maniacs and The Kevin McDermott Orchestra Payilion'l‘heatre. 121 Rentield Street. 332 1846. Thought I'd he ahle to slip my Keyin McDermott interyiew in at long last . hut that‘s going to haye towail until the man tours himself in a monthor so. Suffice to say . huy or at least hear Mother .Vurure's Kitchen. The Maniacs have a lot to live up to w ill] their new alhum alter the delectahle In My '1‘an reached the parts that don’t often get stimulated hy post-modern American underground folk-rockers. Yet it seems they want to tamper with it hy re-pressing it without the coyer ol‘(‘at Steyens‘ ‘Peace 'l‘rain‘. so incensed are they hy Yusul'slas he is now lcondemnation of’Salman Rushdie. Still. tears ol cheap puhlicity on the eye of a tour aside. the Maniacs are a pretty special hand. and should he seen if you can get a ticket.
I Big George and The Business 1.a'1ianiere. 15 Fox Street. 221 4844. Free. Makinghis first appearance at around 3pm. and
playing for as much of the rest of the dayas
he can manage I Ricky Halt liar. I611 \Voodlands Road. 332 12111. 9pm. Free.
Edinburgh
I Big Country and Cry Before Dawn Playhouse Theatre. (ireenside Place. 557 25911. 7.3llpm. £7.50. See Fri 26.
I Birdhouse. Therapy. Complications and Upapa Epops ( 'alton Studios. ('alton Road. 556 7066. 9pm. £2. Not too much information forthcoming on the participants tonight. hut It looks to he a good shehang. Anyway . it seems like ages since sornehody with a name that w as just hloody stupid stood up to he counted! L'papa Iipops. take a how . and if you‘re not as good as your name you're in lora slaggingl
I Marshall Law Rock (ale. Venue. (‘alton Road. 55731173. Heayy rock.
I The Barrelhouse Sheiks Preseryation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. L1 after l).3flpm.
I Sharlot and The Rogues Negociants. l.othian Street. 225 6313. 9.45pm. Free. I've heard pretty good reports of this lot. Might give them a try.
‘ . '. . i s i.:\". ‘ .5 5 ‘
chm HILL VARMINTS
The Critter Hill Varmints look uneasy when the subject of their most famous fan arises. So impressed was HRH Prince Charles (for it is he) by the band's showing at the launch of the Scottish Youth Business Trust in the SECC in January that he apparently deviated from his speech to praise them, and afterwards asked for a tape to be sent personally to him at St James‘s Palace.
While there's no reason that this should damage their credibility in the least, the royal endorsement is nicely balanced by the commitment of the Varmints to the Rock Against the Poll Tax movement, as their appearance on the star-studded bill at the Usher Hall on1 April verified.
They're not at all put off by such large venues, though the surroundings of Edinburgh's Calton Studios on Friday 26 supporting Cactus World News should be more conducive to their
puss.- .. g. i
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music. Six months or so separated their early gigs in Edinburgh pubs like the Green Tree from supporting The Proclaimers at London's Kilburn Ballroom in front of 34,000 people, and going on to play on a Pogues tour. ‘We'd played in front of about 20 people before the Proclaimers tour, and their manager asked us, “Have you played big gigs?". We said “Oh aye. No problem”.'
Although the Varmints all hail from the Highlands, the band started in earnest in Edinburgh less than two years ago. ‘It started as a busking venture, basically,‘ says frontman Mickey. ‘We started off playing bluegrass traditionals, but. . .’
‘I tried to get us to do what I wasn’t getting from bluegrass,“ continues banjoistJJ, picking up the thread. ‘It was all very straight and not too appealing. We liked the music, but we didn't want to sing about being up on the mountain drinking moonshine. It’s really taking the instruments and using
them for . . . a rockier sound, I suppose. It's quite interesting when you get things like the wah-wah pedal on the fiddle.‘
More than interesting; Ben’s unusual fiddle style (the band insist that he learnt to play Scots fiddle on a mountainside in Italy) led through a wah-wah causes frequencies that take the top off your head, and is a highlight in the band‘s unflagging live sets. Still, despite the excellence of their live work, and the respectable sales of their current cassette, any approaches to major record companies have been rebuffed with curt replies of ‘Sorry, but we don‘t hear a hit single’. The band’s experience is that the companies want a crossover single to break them.
‘One guy picked Fairground Attraction’s “Perfect” as an example. They want a group to have a number one hit in the first week that their first single is released.’
Faced with that kind of attitude the Varmints keep plugging away at making numerous converts on the live circuit. It seems surprising that so little attention has been paid to them by record companies, considering the popularity of so-called ‘acoustic roots' music.
‘Take acid house, for example,‘ says JJ. Everyone started shooting, “The revolution’s here!”, and they didn't really give ittime to work, and then everybody was sick of it. They’d been too quick to jump on to it, expecting too much, so I hope that doesn't happen with the acoustic thing.
‘lt’s where it all came from, you know?‘ Mickey explains. ‘People sitting in their rooms with guitars.‘ (Alastair Mabbotf)
I Bluefinger Platform ()ne. Rutland Street. See Sat 20.
I The Humpff Family Trading Post . The Shore. 553 7164. Iflpm. Free. Spoof country. Residency.
I Bulb Cormorant l.ord l)arnley. \Vesl Port. 2294341. Afternoon. Free.
I Live band l.ord l)arnley. \Vest Port.22‘) 4341. Illpm.
SUNDAY 28 Glasgow
I The Fields 0t the Nephilim Barrowland. 244 ( iallow gate. 552 461)]. Shrouded in dry ice. they came. and all covered in flour as well. which one ol‘our diligent constalmlaries mistook for sackloads of cocaine. If only? Might perk them out of their gothic doldrums. Bright career in panto to come. I reckon. if this isn't it already. New single: ‘Psychonaut Lih. 111’.
I Brookes and DrStrangelove Videodrome. 33 3‘) York Street. 221 (1441. 9pm. See Wed 24.
I Marshall Law Rooftops. 92 Sauchiehall Street. 332 5883.
I The King Bees l.a 'I‘aniere. 15Fox Street. 221 4844. 9pm. Free.
Edinburgh
I 10,000 Maniacs and The Kevin McDermott Orchestra ()ueen's Hall. South ('lcrk Street. 668 2111‘). SOLD 0171'. See Sat 27. I The Cretins ('I'BC) Moshpit. Venue. ('alton Road. 557 3073. 730-1 1pm. Note-perfect and look-perfect Ramones coyers. Almost as good as the real thing.
I Driving Sideways Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. £1 after 9pm. Blues and rock.
I Bluelingert‘ale Royal. West Register Street. 8pm. Free. See Sat 2”.
I The Tex Fillet Five Trading Post. The Shore. 553 "164. 8pm. Free. Spoof country and western.
I Warren Peace Sl .lames()yster13ar. (‘alton Road. 557 2925. 9pm. Free.
I The Guilty Party Mayfield Inn. near l)alkeith.
I Live band Negociants. l.othian Street. 225 6313. 9.45pm. Free.
I Live band Hamilton l.odge Hotel. Joppa. £1. Rhythm ck hlues rock.
MONDAY 29 Glasgow
I The Third Degree [.21 'laiiiere. 15 Fox Street. 221 4844. 9pm. Free.
Plus THE HIGHLANDERS ' '
GLASGOW PAVILION EDINBURGH QUEENS HALL
TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM T.O.C.T.A. THROUGHOUT SCOTLAND
Edinburgh
I Big George and The Business Rhythm'n‘lmo/e. Venue. ('alton Road. 557 31173. Special guest tonight. trading licks with Big (ieorge. liigJohn from (ioodhye Mr Mackenzie.
I Light Preservation 1 fall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. ‘).3flpm. Free.
I Johnny Sunbeam Negociants. l.othian Street. 2256313. 9.45pm. Free. see Mon
TUESDAY 30 Glasgow
I Palefire Napoleons. 128 Merrylee Road. 637 5238. In the past they've heen unsatisfying liye. hut the current demo
hi i \s’
22 MAY 23 MAY
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The List 19 May— 1 June 198951
M‘E‘J‘L’