PREVIEW nusw
long before anyone heard of Ian
Brown or Shaun Ryder. 'I‘oday. whilst the Mondays party on and the Roses rethink. the lnspirals are the current. genuine Northern article. ‘I‘m sure there‘ll always be a “scene” in Manchester.‘ Clint (describing himself as ‘an occasionally drunk organist with lovely hair‘) insists. ‘lt‘s just that the magnifying glass has gone off it now. To me. that‘s a relief. Nobody wants us simply because we‘re from Manchester now. We‘ve toured America twice and they loved us. and they don‘t know where Manchester is. It‘s got beyond that regional thing. I hope. We make decent. varied music of a high standard and that‘s enough. We knew the second album was a risk. because it wasn‘t what people I expected from a “Manchester” band j
at that time. But we were arrogantly confident ofour own ability. We‘ve always said that we‘re not part of this indie-dance-crossover-Madchester- baggy-whatever-it-is scene. and Beast Inside is our way of proving it. We couldn‘t care less about trends.‘
But they‘re setting them. Walk across George Square without seeing a Cool as F”k T-shirt. and I‘ll give you my Cow (the band‘s label) coffee mug free ofcharge. In fact. the only question that had young Clint ruffled when he took the chair on Star Test (where you‘re interrogated by a computerised psycho-analyst who talks like Katharine Hepburn) was ‘Is Carpets merchandise more popular than your music'." Boon dismissed the question then with a snort. and. rightly. he does the same now.
‘NaW. that‘s bullshit. The music‘s
Inspiral Carpets: rock hard
first. It got me off my guard. that programme. I‘d never watched it. I had no idea what it would be like. There‘s nobody in that room but you and that machine. It‘s dead weird. It‘s a big computer; the voice is sortie woman offCapital Radio but the questions are programmed in advance. The only thing that‘s rigged is the phone-in poll as to whether you‘re telling the truth or not. They fixed it so it said I was lying and used that as an excuse to show a Happy Mondays video. 'l‘hat was the only thing that annoyed us. But I‘d do it again though. i may be almost past it. man. but I‘m a publicity freak. me
Curiouser and curiouser. 'I‘he Carpet People are in town.
Inspiral Carpets play 1/165. If. ( '. ( Glasgow on I’ri [4.
' Banzai—l
The List H - I‘lunc I‘Nl
I All kinds of duplicity and strange goings-on in the Love and Money camp as James Grunt and co prepare to unveil their third studio album. First. the carrot-dangler pre-LP single ‘Wintcr‘ — ads placed in the press. etc — is withdrawn at the last gasp to be replaced by a totally dissimilar track. ‘My love Lives In A Dead 1 louse‘. Then. an album sampler cassette. sent as bait to weary music journalists around Britain. claims to feature ‘four brand new Love and Money songs'. ()dd. then. that the third tune on the tape. ‘Angeline'. has been
knockingaround forages .
and actually appeared on the B-side ofthe ‘Strange Kind Of Love' (‘D-singlc in 198‘). then cunningly titled ‘Waiting For Angeline‘. ()ops. ..
I Edinburgh's Oh Dear Management supremo. the dcep-vowelled Dave ‘Rambo‘ Ramsden — one-time lndian (iivcrs manager. now chaperoning the Ruby Suit towards an elusive record deal — hasa mysterious new band. Full ()nl. on his books. The group‘s current demo. a 'I‘ackhead-like frenzy of screechy guitar and soulful vox. features a Barry White soundalike purring ‘Ciet on the floor. and dance sortie more'. at regular intervals. Now that couldn‘t just be young Rambo himself lending a hand at the mike. or could it'.’ We think we should be told.
I Could it be that Spirea X are lacking the required confidence to put their recently altered line-up out on the road'.’ Since they pulled out ofthc support slot for Ride in Aberdeen. it's been announced that the band's place has been taken in the lrn Bru Rox Week in the Third liye Centre by The (iroovy Little Numbers.
I "you've bought your List by Friday lunchtime (and you live in Glasgow), then you‘ve just time to gnash along to ()ur Price to catch those infinitely exciting Inspiral Carpets. who will be signing copies oftheir current LP. The Beast Inside. between 2pm and 3pm. If you‘ve missed that. you‘ll have to make do with our interview on these very pages. 'l‘hat‘ll teach you to leave buying your (.13! till the weekend.
I Alternatively, it you live on the east of the country. Runrigwill be signing copies of their new album. The [he ll'heel. at ll.\l\'. Princes Street on l-ri lJat 1pm.