The Farm muck out in Glasgow.
LISTINGS: GLASGOW 78 EDINBURGH 79
Muck-
spreading
In preparation for their Glasgow ‘Event‘. Andrea Baxter goes down
on The Farm.
Living up to their reputation for being lovable scally mop-top lads (well. they are from Liverpool. aren‘t they'.’). The Farm are nowhere to be found when I first try to interview them about their current ‘Iivent' club tour. the biggest they‘ve ever done. Manager and press officer go offin frantic pursuit and singer Peter I looton eventually phones me. hours late. with a rather feeble excuse. ‘l‘ve been round town opening supermarkets and that.‘ Now I know '(iroovy Train‘ made the Top Ten but surely not‘.’ ‘Well. actually. I‘ve been looking for a hat for me girlfriend. ‘cause I‘ve taken hers. I like wearing
girls‘ hats.‘
The band were originally supposed to tour in the autumn. but the success of the single meant pressure was put on them to record an album (out in February. with a ‘normal‘ Tall-date tour to accompany it). They took the unusual step of inviting fans who were miffed at the cancellation to write nasty letters to their record company. with prizes for the best -— or rather. the worst.
‘We only got a handful. unfortunately. They were just piles of abuse . . . personal abuse.‘ Like what'.’ ‘Well. Lazy Seouse (iits was the main phrase used.‘ So which is the most abusive region in Britain then l’eter‘.’ ‘Yorkshire is the worst. followed quite closely by (ilasgow. actually.‘
There‘s a surprise. eh‘.’
Nevertheless. it hasn‘t put them off appearing here. in conjunction with the Slam boys. for what they are determined will not be just another gig. ‘We just wanna have a good laff. . .‘ drawls Hooton. sounding fora moment like (‘illa Black. ‘and the most boring thing about tours is coming
out of the venue at half-ten and there‘s nowhere
to go and you have to try and arrange to go to sotne club. So we thought we‘ll come off stage and keep the club open for an hour or two. We‘ll be around afterwards to. . . er. mingle with the fans. yeah. mingle is probably the best expression to use.‘ Glasgow. lock up your daughters.
‘I think people are fed up with the normal thing . . . I think they want to see something different. even ifit‘s just the once. We might never do this again. but hopefully with Christmas coming tip there will be a real party atmosphere. Whether people like it or not. onlylime it'll/H’ll. . .‘
The Event will be one of the few chances to see all the members of the band together off-stage. ‘We never go out together. we hate each other.‘ llooton tells me cheerily. ‘We used to like each other but it‘s a bit like The Rolling Stones. we‘ve seen each other every day until it‘s like being
married.‘
The reason behind all this ennui is that the band are actually a lot older and more experienced than most of the youthful contenders ( Flowered Up. Northside and the like) they‘re being classed alongside in the ‘baggy‘ (‘that‘s the worst thing we‘ve ever been called‘) movement and they‘re well proud of it. ‘ln the mid-80s there were only really two groups who were anything like the
a thing and that was the Mondays and-The Farm.
;$/
a ' ’2 ’ I'
\
We actually played together in ‘86. ‘87— but they supported us. at the time we were a bit bigger than them in terms ofreputation. We were the only two bands doing that at the time. everybody else looked like bloody goths— no big deal. or anything. that was just the way it was. It was unfashionable then to look like us. it was all. you can‘t look like that on stage - and that was the most exciting thing about it.‘
Style is certainly important to them. Hooton vowing that any band member who wore ‘flares. hooded tops. Kickers‘ would be strongly reprimanded and anyone daring to grow a moustache would have it forciny shaved off. But despite all this whimsy. he maintains that The Farm are not just another gang of musical neds. stupid scallies who just want to get loaded. ‘A lot that gets written about us is nonsense. we‘re actually quite deep-thinking. well-educated. political people. Obviously The Farm need the media as much as the media need The Farm but anyone who writes “scally band“. they don‘t know what they‘re on about. We‘re not international jewel thieves.‘ There you have it: The Farm — they won‘t steal your diamonds.
The Eventis at The Plaza. Eglintmz Toll. Glasgow on 18 Dec. l()pm—3am. £7.50.
talking
LOU!
I Support for The Farm’s Glasgow gig (see main preview) comes in the shape of up 'n’ coming London group "7. recently signed to MCA. You may
neverhave heard ofthem. butyou will almost certainly have heard theirdebut
! single on Brainiak records.
‘Saturday's Angels'. Onthe turntable in all the best clubsforthe pasttwo
l
months. it's a piece ofvinyl
genius which skips between
indie and dance categories with a blatant disregard for both. It’s trance dance with guitars and whale noises (yes. honestly!). it's perhaps the best crossover record you'll hear this year. and it's now deleted. ltwill. however. be re-released by their new label inJanuary. Talking Loud predicts great things.
I On the Talking Loud turntablethis month. 1. Anthem: N-Joi
2. All Together Now: the Farm
3. Heaven (Demo): Zulu Syndicate
4. 24 Hours: Betty Boo
5. All I Want toeras is My Two Front teeth: Dred Zepphn
6. Little Fluffy CloudszThe Orb
7. Love Come Down: Eve Ganagher
8. Son of Chime: Orbital 9. Kinky Boots: Patrick MacNee and Honor Blackman
j 10.WOn'tChange:Sindecut
I In case you hadn't compliments? Any news noticed. Christmas is about new clubs orviews coming, the geese are about existing ones? Any getting fat. and all that sort suggestions WM"!!!
features? If you have. then we want to hearthem. Send your bright ideas to us c/o
otthing. So next issue we will. with astounding timing. give you details of
all the festive club The Clubs Pages. The List. happenings in and around 14 High Sim“. Edinburgh- Edinburgh and Glasgow, The sender of the bestone
will receive an exciting phone call from the Talking Loud editor. to make sure that the smart-alec isn't after heriob. Butseriously.
plus into about end-of-year events. Also, look outfor our definitive guide to the clubs. fashion and music of 1990. How was it foryou?
remember we can only act I Got any commenIS. . on yourideas if you Ietus complaints or. dare I say it. know what they are,
The List 7 — 20 December 1990 77