MUSIC LIVE REVIEWS
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"DOWNSTAIRS" GLASGOW'S NEWEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE PRESENTS IN NOVEMBER:-
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Tuesday 5th 363333 Thursday 7th {or u To.va Saturday 9th ZUT LA CHUTE! Tuesday 12th HARRY LACONIC
Thursday 14th [.3 arm-"P" Wm
lie: «4003 Bar:
Saturday 16th
Tuesday 19th
Thursday 21st l5 ShET‘W ‘ Saturday 23rd RICHIE HENDERSON Tuesday 26th NIGEL CLARK/ CHICK LYALL Thursday 28th [03 PM' Saturday 30th On stage at 9.00pm Food Available
MONTHLY 'CAJUN' NIGHT Sun 9th Nov
with CAJUN/CREOLE FOOD AND BUDWEISER PROMOTION
28-32 Cathedral Square
Beside Strathclyde University - Opposite Glasgow Cathedral
V LIVE
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CARTER USM
Barrowland, Glasgow, 2 Nov.
One mile across town, two Geordie basketcases turned teen trash icons are wooing one hall oi teenage Glasgow. Their names are Vic and Bob. Here in an enlarged sardine tin, two saddo Cockney smartarses turned teen crass icons are bludgeoning the other hall. Their names are. . . uh, can’t be bothered to trawl the depths oi the grey matter on that one.
The Senseless Things, have got this support band lark licked, taking every opportunity to ingratiate themselves by using the loolprooi ploy oi Mentioning The Name Di The Headline Band Wherever Possible. Warning belts are sounding, though — with a healthy percentage ol the crowd garbed in Things merchandise, there‘s no need ior such apologetic tactics. Despite a God-given grasp oi teensnot politics and an unswerving commitment to live work, they still aren’t pushing tor contention in the pop promotion race.
Then Cartertrundie onstage, smug and cheesy, and suddenly a host at trivial diversions become stimulating excursions into the lurthest realms oi aesthetic experience: a game at noughts and crosses on a steamed-up mirror, or tracing the progress oi spilled alcohol spreading across the iloor. Carter's repertoire is that unengaging. What irritates is their rank inability to write penetrating music. Good griei, I’m only asking tor one song to lodge in my brain lor longer than it takes to chant ‘Philip Schoiield, he’s a wanker, he’s a wanker', but instead it’s all glam disco drum machine, occasional barbed guitar and those miserable stabs at tunes- one long wallow in a bath at mediocrity.
i enter Barrowiand with a mind so open my brain has to be held in with a seatbelt. By the time I leave, I'm convinced Carter aren't worth the eliort oi switching oil the alarm clock, never mind getting out at bed lor. (Fiona Shepherd)
V LIVE
The Venue, Edinburgh, 3 Nov.
It's one oi those ‘quiet nights' at The Venue. Forty people, maybe, on a lreezing Sunday evening. Perhaps this was predictable; neither band are well-established. Top’s pulling power comes mainly irom radio play oltheir singles, and enthusiastic iriends in the press. They're getting the hype and the chances, but they still have to sway those who are just curious.
A wisp ol smoke heralds the arrival oi Ireland’s The Cranberries. They’re unpretentious, playing their simple set with feeling. Delores D’Reardon's voice is a moody siren’s wail, lilling
the hall, soaring over rippling guitars. Despite some ragged endings and the odd unremarkable song, they build warmth, passing some honestly touching moments. When they leave the stage, it ieels inevitable that they’ll return as headliners. Hopeluliy soon. 3
The stage undergoes some translormation to prepare ior Top. All at a sudden, there seems to be a lot oi hardware about: multiple mixing desks, whirly lights, non-whirly lights, strange boxes with suspicious iunctions. For a lew bizarre seconds, there appear to be more people in the road crew than the audience. Then the band amble in, three loose-jointed Liverpool guys. A hammering drum kicks them into the lirst song, ‘Bad Luck’, and the stage explodes with ‘ whirly lights and smoke. Top play pop, . pure and simple, but it loses something . in the live translation. Paul Cavanagh’s ; vocals are unenthusiastic, and Joe Fearon’s backing voice stays hidden in i the mix throughout.
People’s initial reaction, dancing, quickly becomes artiiicial, until they’re doing it just to get their money's worth. Top’s delivery becomes gradually more uninspired: they throw away their two best weapons, ‘No. 1 Dominator’ and ‘Buzzin” without much interest. Their last one, “She’s Got The World’, goes unannounced and Top vanish ottstage, painiully aware ol the lack oi demand ior an encore. Their set was iorty minutes long, ten minutes less than their support.
It‘s obvious who was on top here, and it wasn’tthe headliners. (Gavin Inglis)
36 The List 8- 21 November 1991