MUSIC PREVIEW
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The Shaman I Last year, it was ~ estimated that over two million people in the United Kingdom were homeless. This statistic was too much to stomach for Andy Ross of Food Records, David Woolfson of Parliament Management and friend of the stars Jon Beast, who have set up a registered charity called Putting Our House In Order, which is responsible for a new version of (guess what?) ‘Gimme Shelter‘ (Food Records through EMI). Actually, it’s twelve versions of ‘Gimme Shelter‘ spread over four formats, but you’ll want to hear the lot, won’t you? The single is just the first salvo in a campaign which aims to: 1) raise public awareness of the homelessness crisis; 2) raise ‘no strings’ donations which help to cover the running costs of homelessness agencies and charities under threat of closure; 3) create a national register of homelessness agencies and charities, which does not exist at present; 4) provide ‘starter packs’ for homeless people who get housed, consisting of basic items like bedding, cutlery, etc. Numerous bands and artists have already committed themselves to supporting the campaign. The Scottish contingent so far comprises Deacon Blue, Colin Angus of The Shamen, Texas, Lesley Rankine of Silverfish, Jimmy Somerville and Gun, but no doubt more will sign up. Most staggerineg of all, music biz legend Allen Klein- the man who showed The Beatles what ‘hard’ actually means — has agreed to waive the royalties on ‘Gimme Shelter’, which he now owns. (’Scuse me, I must sit down.) A musical memorabilia auction is planned, as well as a week of gigs, which it is hoped will take in every college and university in the country. Another small initiative that Putting Our House in Order are setting up is an appeal to touring bands and their crews to collect up all the sachets of soap, shampoo, coffee, etc, that are provided by hotels but rarely used, and parcel
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Steve Reich
The audience ior music outwith the mainstream categories is never going to be a huge one, but the publishers oi an ambitious and unorthodox new quarterly journal believe they constitute a big enough group to make the venture a success.
The journal in question, ‘Unknown Public’, is no ordinary artelact; it
comes in a video cassette-size box with
a compact disc (or audio cassette) and a sheal oi Ioose-leai notes on the music. Publisher Laurence Aston and editor John Walters promise it will range widely in covering music that lails between the cracks, whether in
Making it publi
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the contemporary classical, jazz and improvised music, avant-garde rock, or any otherlields.
The idea is that the listener encounters the music directly, rather than through critical writing about it,
and the documentation is usually just a I
brlel note by the composer or artist, augmented by more polemical essays (on Steve Reich and John Cage in the first issue). The design is a little iussy at times, especially in the experimental typeiaces and layout at the Cage essay (which also has a short piano score by Howard Skempton dedicated to the late composer), but they are still working on relining it.
The debut issue is a very mixed bag, with music by Janet Beat, Steve Reich, Errolyn Walien, Django Bates, Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin, Billy Jenkins, and Jonathan Harvey, among others, but luture issues may be a little more thematically conceived.
Its viability, both artistic and
financial, will emerge overtime, and it
would be unwise to judge on a single issue, but it is an imaginative project, and one which promises to provide an outlet lor music which might otherwise struggle to be heard. (Kenny Mathieson)
Unknown Public costs £50 (with CD) or £40 (with cassette) per year, and is available on subscription only. Write tor details to Unknown Public Dept PR, FREEPDSHRG 2558), PO. Box 354, Reading, RGZ 7BR.
um:- Slainte!
The organisers oi Slainte, Cumbernauld Theatre’s Festival at Contemporary Celtic Culture are not worried about the weather, or the recession.
‘We always get a good response to
the lolk-reiated events we put on at this ‘
time oi year— usually the Battletleld
Band or a similar group,’ says Slainte’s
Alison MacKenzie. ‘Ol course, one at the reasons lor putting a series at shows together is because there is not a lot at theatre on otter at this time, but we’re also tapping a real enthusiasm iorthe Scottish tradition in the area and we’ve ended up with a three week event.
‘As you know there has been a bit of a revival oi interest in lolk music lately and we're now getting people trom Glasgow, Stirling, Falklrk, Airdrie-all overthe Central Belt.’
The Battletleld Band won’t be appearing at the Theatre until March, but leading Highland lolk-rock outiit Wollstone is one oi Slainte’s highlights.
Gaeldom is represented by a Mini Mod ol Gaelic choral singing, and a periormance by Mac-Talia, the impressive new grouping at some well known singers and instrumentalists: singers Arthur Cormack, Christine Primrose and Eilidh Mackenzie, with Alison Kinnaird on clarsach and Blair Douglas on keyboard and accordion.
lreland’s Sean Cannon is a
, tremendously gilted singer oi
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traditional song, and has been making his bread and butter with the revived Dubllners over the past lew years, but here he brings his solo periormance oi ballads, anecdotes and hilarity.
Songwriting guitarist Dougie MacLean is a popular periormer, and one oi Scotland’s iinest liddlers to boot. He has quite a lew Burns songs in his repertoire, and the Bard is lurther celebrated by Cumbernauld Folk Club's Burns Night Session in the Theatre Bar, and Cumbernauld’s second periormance oi ‘The Jolly Beggars’, Burns’ cantata on love and drink in 18th Century Mauchllne.
Ceilldhs, music from the Arran iolkies, Gaberlunzle, a Cralt Fair, Scottish storytellers, Celtic Warriors and monster puppets are some at the other olierings at the Fest.
Slainte! (Norman Chalmers)
See Folk listings ior lull details.
Perversal : of fortune
? Craig McLean finds Jesus
Jones ready to grab back
5 some of EMF’s glory with
the technology of the 90s.
Th is just in .' reports are coming through of the death ofrock. A global study by a team of experts has arri i'ed
- at this staggering conclusion after fire ' years of research. Concomitant with
the decline of western civilisation and the emergence of a post-Cold War ‘Hot Peace ', the 90s ha we seen the
disappearance of the inno vatory edge
of youth culture 's foremost torch bearer. Said the study team's leader. Dr Jesus H Jones, ‘Rock music is dying — despite having a lot of purpose. It has a lot of potential uses. and it is potentially one of the most exciting things in the world. But. through lack of originality, it is dying. '
And thesolution to this generational. cultural malaise."
Thank you, DrJones. Andflnally:
‘Technology and perversity. ' J
32 The List 15 - 28 January 1993