ROCK & BLUES
ROCK rues
RIDAY 21 Glasgow
I The Almighty. Baby‘s Got a Gun and Xentrix Barrowland. 244 Gallowgate. 552 4601. 7.30pm. £6.50 plus booking fee. Tickets from Just The Ticket. Virgin. Union Street. 226 4679. One ofScotland's most successful rock acts and fond of kicking up a ‘birrova racket‘ any day ofthe week. The Almighty are hardly compelling, but all right ifyou don‘t like your music to be too cerebral. Baby‘s Got a Gun. promoting an album and a single at the moment. are Billy Idol times four but with only a fraction of the entertainment value. Up and coming thrashers Xentrix add this support slot to their ever-punishing live agenda.
I The Big Dish. Kith and Kin and The Lost Soul Band Strathclyde University Union. 90John Street. 552 1895. 8pm. £7.50. Students and guests. Strathclyde University decided to postpone their Christmas Ball a week in order to catch up with The Big Dish. back after what seems an age of inactivity with a single ‘Miss America‘ out on llogmanay and an album to follow. No great musical departure however. despite the lengthy sabbatical— Stephen Lindsay seems as ponderous. plodding and ultimately as colourless as
I Bliss Allnighter Queen Margaret Union. University Gardens. 339 9784. 10pm. £12. Just how much are you willing to pay to party? Jerk epileptically through the wee small hours to lots of bleeps and twiddles. courtesy of Adrian and Lars from UFO and Nigel and Flash of Radio Mercury. Alternatively. try to spot the joins between the records and the ‘live techno wizardry" of special guests The Scientist and Kick Squad.
I The Catherine Wheel and MacArthur Park King Tut's Wah Wah llttt. 272a St Vincent Street. 221 5279. 10pm. £3.50. The Catherine Wheel strut off with this year's most gigs at King Tut‘s award. gracingthe Hut with their ringing melodies for the fourth time. MacArthur Park are tipped for great things commercially with comparisons ranging from llue and Cry to . . .er. that‘s allactually.
I Criminal Minds and Phoenix Venue. 490 Sauchiehall Street. 332 3872. 11pm. £3.50. Criminal Minds feature ex-Heavy Pettin' t personnel. while Phoenix recall the sounds of 70s rock bands like UFO.
I Dig George and the Business Furtong‘s Bar. 115b West Nile Street. 332 5777. 9pm. Free. Mini-residency for the blues trio.
I Hideaway Blues Band MacSorleys. Jamaica Street. 221 8499. 8.30pm. Free. Residency. Blues and soul.
Edinburgh
I The Pearllishers. Tom's New Shoes. Rejoin the Party. Justice. BonarHutchison. Dean Owens and Raymond Calton Studios, Calton Road. 556 7066. A showcase put on by Instant Muscle ofvarious actsthey have assisted in the last year. The Pearlfishers. formerly Hearts and Minds. are the band with the greatest experience. but Tom‘s New Shoes are shaping up to be a promising band. This evening also brings the debut ofJustice. featuring former lndian Giver Avril Jamieson.
I Spires X Floral Riot. Network. West Tollcross. 228 3252. 10.30pm—4am. See
preview.
I Rhythm Chillun Wilkie House. Cowgate. 10pm—3am. £3. The 50th gig forthe Edinburgh funksters. and they want to make sure everyone present remembers it. A special night. with grooves from the Cool Blast Sound System.
I Gargleblutl and The Probes Moray House Student Union. llolyrood Road. 556 8455. 9pm—2am. See preview.
I Free'n'Easy Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. £1 after9pm.
I The Peristalsis Brothers St James Oyster Bar. Calton Road. 557 2925. 9pm. Free. And for a special Christmas treat. the Brothers re-create Phil Spector‘s Wall of Sound — somehow. The presence of jelly and ice cream has also been hinted at.
I lied Hot and Blue Negociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9.30pm. Free.
I Hometown Trading Post. The Shore. 553 5153. 9pm. Free. Soft-rock. describedby one witness as being not unlike 10.000 Maniacs.
I Los Supremos Leith Oyster Bar. The Shore. 554 6294. 9pm. Free. Residency. Rock and blues covers.
I The Rootsies Duo Globe. West Port. 229 4553. 9.30pm. Free. Residency. Taking time out from The Rootsie Tootsie Blues Band. Jim Condie on guitar and Ron Tate on vocals and harmonica play blues. gospel and a sprinkle ofjazz.
I Gordon Campbell Blue Lagoon. Angle Park Terrace. 337 9922. Free. Residency. Known chiefly for his work at R.E. L. Studios and West Lothian College Music Management Course. Campbell is also an experienced and accomplished songwriter.
SATURDAY 22 Glasgow
I Gary Glitter SECC. Finnieston Quay. 248 3000. £9.50 plus booking fee. Tickets from Just the Ticket. Virgin. Union Street. 226 4679. By now a staple part of the tack merchant‘s Christmas diet ~ a city dons its sparkly gold flared jumpsuits and silver metallic platform boots to pay homage to the King ofOlam Disposability. Gary‘s outlandish. ahem. stage sensibility is so hilarious. we can almost forgive him for being past it. but if it‘s really impossible to leave the 70s to rest. wouldn‘t it be more rewarding to go grave-robbing with S-Express?
I The Soup Dragons. Shack and The Stereo MCS Barrowland. 244 Gallowgate . 552 4601. SOLD OUT. The Soupies‘ public face may be defiant and abrasive — l‘ve yet to hear Sean ‘Mr Affable‘ Dickson give a pleasant interview — but even though they still seem content to wallow in re-issue/cover version cash-in territory. they do make highly infectious indie pop records and turn in a great live set - honest. Megagroovy support acts too. you lucky ticket-holders.
I The Lost Soul Band and A Boy Called Bob KingTut‘s Wah Wah llut. 272a St Vincent Street. 221 5279. 10pm. £3.50. See preview.
I The Boo Radleys llalt Bar. too Woodlands Road. 332 1210. 9.30pm. Free. The llalt Bar are adamant that this gig is going ahead. despite last week's ill-fated Videodrome date. The last time these god-like Liverpudlians played their narcotic fusion of melody and cacgphony at the Halt. no one had heard of th‘em.but now with a well-received LP and EP behind them . . . let‘sjust say arrive early and wear cool clothing.
I Nomad Tunnel. 84 Mitchell Street. 204 1000.11pm.£6.
I Battle ol the Bands Studio. 12 Shuttle Street. Paisley. 889 6867. 6pm. £1 .50. Featuring Way Out. Rich Free Fall.The Opals. Painted Harlem and The Suns.
I One World Blackfriars. 36 Bell Street. 552 5924. 9.30pm. Free. Typical Glasgow guitar rock — except they‘re from Cumbernauld.
I Big George and the Business Furlong‘s Bar. 115b West Nile Street. 332 5777. 4pm
l
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and 9pm. Free. Two sets as usual on a Saturday.
Edinburgh
I The Silencers and The Liberties Amphitheatre. Lothian Road. Noon-2pm. The last of the lunchtime gigs set up by Radio Forth. Tickets can be obtained from The Amphitheatre and by calling Radio Forth at the prescribed times. Little has been heard from The Silencers since the acclaimed Bluesfor Buddah album. but The Liberties have been busily consolidating the ground captured by their debut album. Distracted. I Baby's Got a Gun and Mansell Storm Venue. Calton Road. 557 3073. A combined Christmas show and promotional gig for the Babes‘ album Up. a slab 0‘ solid rockin‘. Support Mansell Storm are still counting their blessings after their van rolled over three times. wrecking their equipment but leaving them unhurt.
I Sharlot and The Rogues. Finnegan's Footstompers and Crunchy Joseph Basin Street. llaymarket Terrace, 337 1006. Doors open 7.30pm. Free. Those who remember the heady days of Sharlot and The Rogues will no doubt be cancelling all their previous plans for the evening to rush along here for their reunion. The rest. who hadn‘t realised they‘d ever split up. well . . .
I The Untouchables Platform One. Rutland Street. 225 2433. The Untouchables would seem to be Bluefinger with reshuffled personnel and a new name. i imagine we can expect 50s- and 60s-inl1uenced rock‘n‘roll in a similar vein to the old group.
I The TCS Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. £1 after 9pm. Free. Soul and R&B. the kind favoured by The Blues Brothers Belushi and Aykroyd.
I The Junkyard Angels St James Oyster Bar. Calton Road. 557 2925. 9pm. Free. Oyster Bar favourite Sandyman joins forces with various members ofThe Lost Soul Band (see Preview) for a folky. harmonious acoustic set.
I 801 Negociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9.30pm. Free. No! Public Enemy‘s Security of the First World. that‘s about all we can say.
I The Rootsie Tootsie Blues Band Trading Post. The Shore. 553 5153. 9pm. Free. Rockin‘ blues band. incorporating (naturally enough) The Rootsies Duo.
I The Strat Boys Globe. West Port. 229 4553. 9.30pm. Free. Residency. Rock and blues covers.
SUNDAY 23 Glasgow
I Gary Glitter SECC. Finnieston Quay. 248 3000. £9.50 plus booking fee. Tickets from Just the Ticket. Virgin. Union Street. 226 4679. See Sat 22.
I The Trash Can Sinatras King Tut‘s Wah Wah llut. 272a St Vincent Street. 221 5279. 8pm. £4. Ever-popular on home ground so it‘s very likely to be a full house tonight for one of Scotland's less cringeworthy exports. While Roddy Frame latterly seems content to slow things down to an uninspired plod. the Sinatras with their driving pop hooks serve as a reminder of the direction he could and perhaps should have gone in.
I The Bachelor Pad. llarpers and Perspex White Out Stigma. Tuxedo Princess. Anderston Quay. 204 1 150. 9pm £3. Stigma‘s Christmas bash features Glasgow‘s favourite exponents of manic psychedelia and general insanity The Bachelor Pad. back from the brink of reclusion and ably supported by two worthwhile local bands. Despite sounding like a brand of lager. llarpers are described as ‘The Stone Roses with balls‘ (pardon?!) The more intriguingly named Perspex White Out. on the other hand. wouldn‘t go amiss alongside Teenage
Fanclub.
I The Humptl Family Mayfair. 490 Sauchiehall Street. 332 3872. 8pm. Hillbilly madness from Scotland‘s most curious clan. So. the current line-up were fortuitously on hand to carry on the great thigh-slapping tradition of the original Humpff Family when they were accidentally struck down by a ‘freak power surge‘ during their 63rd anniversary concert in Garthamlock'? — I‘ll bet.
I Angel Heart and Willard Graze The Venue. 490$auchiehall Street. 332 3872. 10pm. £3.50. In the past few months. Angel Heart have arrived at a settled line-up. giving up the day jobs and generally ‘making a go of it‘. Their music remains as diverse (or should that be confused?) as ever.
I Carol Laula. The Honeychurch and Murmur Studio. 12 Shuttle Street. Paisley. 889 6867. 8pm. £2. Acoustic meande rings and pained facial contortions from the woman who tries too hard. supported in this case by two local up-and-comers.
I Dig George and the Businessiarvie‘s. Kclso Street. Yoker. 941 2855. 8.30pm. Free.
Edinburgh
I Dundertunit and Dr Phibes and The House oi Wax Equations Moshpit. Venue. Calton Road. 557 3073. Dunderfunk are the local entries in the funk metal stakes. and although they may not have the authority ofobvious influences The Red Hot Chili Peppers yet. they‘re on their way and building up a following already. Live. I‘ve no doubt they‘ll be better by far than their promising tape. Arrive early for Dr Phibes and The House of Wax Equations. who are being latched on to by Tackhead fans and radical dance types. and should be investigated.
I Bo’Weevil Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. £1 after 9pm. Rockin' blues.
I Guaranteed Pure Rutland No l.Rut|and Street. 229 3402. Residency.
I Blade Serenade St James Oyster Bar. Calton Road. 557 2925. 9pm. Free. Residency.
I The Spanners Trading Post. The Shore. 553 5153. 9pm. Free. A duo with drum machine. keyboards and guitars doing a whole range of covers —— up to and including the Harman Pa! tttne. it seems.
CHRISTMAS EVE Glasgow
I Gary Glitter SECC. Finnieston Quay. 248 3000. £9.50 plus booking fee. Tickets from Just The Ticket. Virgin. Union Street. 226 4679. See Sat 22.
Edinburgh
I Kith and Kin Venue. Calton Road. 557 3073. Open till 4am. The diversity ofKith and Kin's tastes is showing up more and more in their music — from experiments in cajun dub to mainstream rock songs that some of our best and brightest would be proud to have written. Dancefloor-filling a speciality. There‘s also talk ofan ‘alternative karaoke' session tonight too. I The Untouchables Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. 9.30pm. Free. See Sat 22.
The List 21 December 1990— 10January 199135