MUSIC LIST
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Phil Bancroft. meanwhile. has just finished a tour with the Andy Park ()ctet. and will be part of the (‘hick Lyall Group which supports Eberhard Weber‘s solo performance at Queen‘s l lall later this month: Brian Kellock is involved in putting together a group with line and (‘ry guitarist Nigel (‘lark. which may also feature John and Phil; Ronnie Rae Jr takes a special electric project on the road in March; and Tom Bancroft is planning a big band for the summer which will be aimed at ‘working in instrumental registers rather than a conventional big band idea of instrumentation'.
This kind ofinterchange of musicians has always taken place. of course. but it seems clear that the John Rae (.‘ollective has acted as a focus for a rapidly developing scene which goes beyond simply gigging around. These are not busking outfits; each of the groups cited is working in a distinctive direction.
There was once a time when you
t v CLASSICAL
Opera Verdi
It may be 1990 and all that for Glasgow‘s city fathers, but for Scottish Opera it is, in many ways, just another year of culture out of their almost thirty resident in the city. Having said that, no one can deny they are making an extra special effort Iortbis extra special year. A new commission from Scottish composer Judith Weir, Berlioz's The Trojans, the engagement oi eminent theatre directors from France, Germany and Spain are just some ol the enticements recently announced as part of their contribution to Glasgow 1990. Top of the list is
Verdi’s La Forza del Destino, sung in Italian and the lirst opera to undergo the company’s introduction oI English supertitles. Those who know of it through its all performed overture may be surprised to discover that it won’t be heard in this production. Conductor John Mauceri, Music Directorol Scottish Opera, is restoring Verdi’s original Prelude, later used by the composerto replace the overture, as well as putting back the original final scene, which met with papal disapproval when the opera was lirst performed in Italy after its initial success in St Petersburg. This is the first time in Britain since 1867 that audiences will have the chance to see Forza as Verdi originally intended it. Described by the composer as ‘certainly something quite out of the ordinary’, Scottish Opera looks set to live up to Verdi’s opinion of this epic work.
La Forza del Destino, opens Tuesday 13 February, Theatre Royal, Glasgow. See Classical listings.
V SINGLES
couldn't turn on the radio and hear a Del Amitri single it your lite depended on it. Now you can't turn on the radio
and NOT heartheir latest single,
and showing considerable originality
and ambition in the process. The growth of this informal. expanded collective lies at the core of new Scottish jazz. in the 199(Is: check them out — this is where it‘s happening.
Tommy Smith Quarter ((- Jo/m Rue ('ol/eeu'i'e. Queen '3 Hull, 9 Feb; Martin Taylor's Sarabande (i2 Melanie O'Neil/y's H'uIe/I What Happens, Queen's Hull, In Feb; (‘hiek Lyn/l Group, Queen's Hull. 23 Feb.
‘Nothing Ever Happens’, which entered the British charts at 23 and quickly rose to the Number15 spot.
How does vocalist/songwriter Justin Currie leel about chart success after the first two singles flopped? ‘lt surprised me more than anything. We thought it there was a hit off “Waking Hours" it would be “Kiss This Thing Goodbye”. But I enjoy the irony of having a song like “Nothing Ever Happens” in the charts next to all this pop-positivism like Yell and Adamski.’
For those of you not Iamiliar with the
' single, it’s a bleak observation about
human apathy. Why so grim, Justin? ‘Because the state of the world is so bleak, Ithink it’s justilied and highly ironic. On the telly, our appearances would be followed by a guy showing how to make guacamole out of peas instead of avocado, and itjust lentthe
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song a sharper irony that I never knew it
had. Then again, maybe it’s bleak because I wrote it with a raging hangover at four in the morning.‘
Currie’s constant under-cutting ol the seriousness of his lyrics is typical of his
approach to the music business. When pestered to say something about the
band, he replies, ‘Just says something really irreverent. Make it up.’ Contrary
to what the press may think, he’s hardly
taking the weight of the world on his shoulders. ‘Everyone assumes that we have these radical opinions, but we don’t. We can’t solve the world’s problems. All we can do is describe how weirded-out we are by the whole
' thing.’
Future plans Iorthe Oels include touring and more touring. ‘Getting better as a band,’ he says. ‘No, say to
: grow together and be one spirit. That
sounds better.’ Serious young man, indeed. (Tracey Pepper)
Del Amitri play The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh on Thurs 22, and The Pavilion, Glasgow on Sat 24.
I The Flame: Movethe Moon (Anxious) Slow the drummer down front his snare-every-beat stomp and there's a song here that Sisters of Mercy might use. Another single in which not a lot actually happens. ' l Venus Fly Trap: Rocket USA (Oanceteria) Why did they bothcr'.’ I mean not with the Suicide cover. but with any of it'.’ (AM)
I Depeche Mode: Enjoythe Silence (lVIute) It‘s pretty pointless to knock a formula. but it's one that Dep Mode have been living off pretty well. so what the hell, ch'.’ Their last 45, ‘l’ersonal Jesus'. was quite invigorating for its Duane Iiddy meets Neitzsche on a heavy binge with The Human League feel, but this is them back to the seamless garment they‘ve been weaving since Vince (‘larke left. And that wasn't yesterday. (AM)
I Iggy Pop: Livin’ onlhe Edge of Night(Virgin America) A gentle outing for the Pop, produced by Don Was and more akin to the mood of Blulr-Bluh-Bluh than the heavy metal hero stylings of his last album < and he‘s cut his hair to prove it. lggy‘s debased and taken the piss out of himself enough in the past for him to get away with the ‘Sol take a little bad with the good' lyrics, but if this was Bryan Adams I'd probably hate it. (AM)
I Beats International: Dub Be Good to Me (Go Beat) ls Norman (‘ook the Johnny Marr of British dance music, i.e. a former member of a crucial band who hawks his services around with often alarming restllls'.’ An unremarkable reggae version of the SOS song. in which nothing really happens. Then, when something does (a few bars of rapping) it feels like a crass interruption. And that's it. l'nless you can be arsed with the three remixes. (AM)
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The List 9 — 22 February 1990 27