MUSIC LIVE REVIEWS
l
A HOUSE
Evol Club, Wilkie House, 6 March.
An eight-legged octopus ol llying elbows and llailing knees, speedlreak rockers pummelling out rilts and rants, seething ‘I wanna kill something, I wanna kill something . . .’ So it is with A House at Wilkie House. We get the excellent intricacies of their ott-kilter pop in all its eloquent excess. We get bullish rhythms, the Dubliners clinging limpet-like to the maxim thatthe rigorous is vigorous, the slack is cack. We get the'scented layers at their latest and greatest ‘I Am The Greatest’ album blasted wide open by a volley ol serious rock wig-outs.
Any glimmmers ol llulty poppiness are just, well, glimmers. The lighter moments from the last album- ‘Cottonpickers’, ‘I Am Atraid' — are abandoned in tavour ot lull-on tervour and lever. As a teaser, ‘You’re Too Young’ llourishes up acoustic guitars and violins as a prelude to interludes ot youthlul zest that preach the virtues at that sellsame zesttul youth. All the
1 while, skinhead dynamo guitarist
Fergal Bunbury invests much purposelul sawing and tugging in the savaging at his instrument. Then comes ‘Take It Easy On Me', another singalong jingle magniticently trashed by the buzzing lrizziness of A House’s shit-kicker power generator.
It's not just the new album that comes encased in a breathless rock rush. ‘I Want Too Much’, the title track of their second album lor East West, is all mad-dog howl, genetically-altered wah-wah, tribal drums, primal bass, blaring mayhem. Honest. Almost likewise the album’s ‘Bring Down The Beast', ‘possibly one at the best songs everwritten,’ trontman Dave Couse assures us. We believe him, especially when the song crescendos, as many A House songs do, into a climactic thump ot drums, pomp and brilliance.
And as lorthe almighty ‘Endless Art': legends intoned by Dave, gloriously, impassively over a gloriously, massively deranged orchestral pzazz ol buzzsaw guitars. With wings on. (Craig McLean)
V LIVE ELEPHANT NOISE
Music Box, Edinburgh, 1 March. There is, I'm convinced, an audience out there waiting lor Elephant Noise.
"It’s one at the hardest to deline, as it’s
made up at people who don’t trouble themselves with what the music press says, maybe don’t go out as much as they did, but listen to evening radio shows and know what they like when they hear it. The band certainly went down a storm in tonight's hometown showcase.
The idea at Elephant Noise-some mad clash between The Monkees, The Smiths and King Crimson, perhaps— has always surpassed anything they’ve achieved solar. They’re ettective tar as long as they can keep up their mystique -which, with two unrepentant poseurs (trontman Neil Barber and the excellent lead guitarist Stuart Allardyce) down the lront is hard enough — but it crashes down when the saccharine count gets out of control.
They go the whole hog on ‘New Town Tom’ and ‘This Song Is Our Eriend', which bear cheap'n’cheerlul melodies (now bolstered by The Alice House’s old singer, Fiona) around which everything clicks all too smoothly, but
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no hidden depths or unexplored corners. Everything is out on display, and the songs are everything they
: appearto be and less.
But they have a harder side - equally well-worked but played with more conviction —where the guitars, bass and drums lock on to a compulsive ritt and Allardyce exercises his battery 01 pedals in short, sharp bursts. It’s , during these that the Iistener’steet : pump mostvigorously and hopes rise . that Elephant Noise are inching closer
to the elusive completeness they’ve ‘ been pursuing torthree years. (Alastair Mabbott)
\ or.
j majorvenues, lorwhich tickets are on public sale at time 01 going otpress.
ROCK
I GLASGOW BARROWLAND (226 4679) Charlatans. 5 Apr; Levellers. 1 May: .\'ick (‘ave.6.\'1ay: (‘arterfi—9 May.
I GLASGOW CELTIC PARK 3 (227 551 l ) Prince. 26’Jun: Bryan Adams. 11.1ul.
I GLASGOW CITY HALL
(227 551 I )Iori Amos. 7
Apr.
I GLASGOW CONCERT
HALL (227 551 l ) Drum
Beat. 3 Apr; Four Tops.
14 Apr.
I GLASGOW PAVILION
(332 1846) (iary Numan.
27 Mar: Iirrol Brown. 15
Apr;(‘har1ey Pride. 17
Apr. Because olllooding.
concerts may be moved to
ditterentvenues or postponed. Call Pavilion to check.
I GLASGOW PLAZA ((131
557 6969) EMT", 27 Apr.
I GLASGOW SECC(()31
557 6969) Rush. 15 Apr;
Diana Ross, lllJun;
Roxette. lSJul;(‘lilt Richard. 29—31 ()ctz'l‘om Jones. 2 .\'ov.
I LIVINGSTON FORUM
(557 6969) The Beautiful
South. 21 Apr.
(557 259()) Lyle Lovett. 1-1 Jun; (‘rovvded House. 19 Junzlirasure.7Jul. v I EDINBURGH DUEEN'S
f HALL(66H2lll9)'1‘ori Amos. H Apr; IiMI‘. 26 2' Apr.
JAZZ & FOLK
I GLASGOW CONCERT HALL (227 551 l ) Poster ck Allen. 3(1Mar: Marian Montgomery. 1-1—15Apr; Sonny Rollins. 21 Apr: The I‘ureys. 24 Apr: Syd Lawrence ()rehestra. 22 May.
I EDINBURGH OUEEN'S HALL (668 2019) Savourna Stevenson 6.: 1)e1)annan. ‘ 10 Apr; Deborah
Henson-Conant. 12 Apr:
'I'he McCalmans. 15Apr;
Mulligan Roadshow. 17
Apr; (‘lan Alba. 19 Apr:
()rnette (‘oleman cfi
Prime Time. 27 Apr.
l V BOOK NOW
Concerts listed are those at
I EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE
I EDINBURGH USHER HALL(22S 1155)Katia Laheque & John McLaughlin 'I‘rio. 2ll.1un.
LIGHT
I GLASGOW CONCERT HALL(227 55111'1‘he Musicals. 3 May;1esus (‘hrist Superstar Concert.
3 ~lMay.
: IEDINBURGH PLAYHDUSE (557 259ll).lames1.ast.
4—5 Sep.
CLASSICAL
IGLASGDW CONCERT HALL(227 551 I ) Micluri. 2‘) Mar; ()pei'a ( iala. 5
.-\pr;BB('Young
Musician I-‘inal. lll Apr: Phoenix (‘hoirx 26‘. 3t) Apr; Philharmonic of
Novosibirsk. 23 May.
I cursoow nsmo’ m:
5(157).1unior()rch.29
Mar; Scottish linsemhlc. lllApr'; S('() IITilss. ll
Apr. I EDINBURGH DUEEN'S HALL ( (ith 201”) Scottish
()per‘a Pops. 28 Mar; All'red Brendel. 11 Apr:
Scottish linsemhle. 12
Apr; .\'at Youth ()rch. 16 Apr: lively n (ilennie ck Anna Steiger. 29 Apr.
I EDINBURGH USHER HALL(22's’ l l55)\"ei'di’s Requiem(1iR(‘l').9 May: S(‘() Rattle. 16Jun. I SUBSCRIPTION
SEASONS Programme
detailsand tickets for Royal Scottish ()rehestr'a. Scottish ('hamher ()rchestra. BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. and (‘ity ot(ilasgou Philharmonic ( )rchestra are available from '1'icketcentre. (ilasgovv (227 5511):1'sherllall. 1idinhurgh(22S 1155): Queens Hall. lidinhurgh (668 2lll‘)). 'I'ic‘kcls Im‘ Scottish ()pera from Theatre Royal. (ilasgovv
phi) Mclrityru presents TOM
PLUS SPECIAL GUEST
'u/ia fordham
JOHN O’KANE . GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL
MONDAY APRIL 6TH 1992
Doors 7.30pm. Tickets £10.50, £9.50 available from Box Office tel: 041 227 5511
The album 'Swept' OUT NOW