Whatever You Say, Say Nothing
In a trendy cafe in Kilmarnock, pop history is in the making. The Trash Can Sinatras. more reclusive than Michael Jackson (well, nearly). have finally got round to giving Craig McLean an exclusive and revealing interview. Maybe.
8 'l he l.ist ‘) 22 April WU}
0 that was your good question. 1 With none of the fanfare that attended the though they don‘t like to talk about it. ‘We “Where d‘you get your name ' simultaneous emergence of Teenage Fanclub. ; haven‘t said anything!‘ says Steve two hours from?” the singer asks the The Trashcans released their debut album. 1 after we‘d met. He’s not wrong. ‘We haven‘t interviewer. ‘What the fuck were the Cake. With none of the attendant coolness of given you any great quotes or anything . . . other questions like l“rchrissakes‘.’!‘ _ other Glasgow-ish b(l)ands. The Trash Cans . Interviews and videos. it‘s just not us. It‘s not a It‘s gone five in the afternoon and L quietly went about their thing. removed from . natural thing to do.‘ ‘Our motto is.‘ Frank will things are starting to disintegrate. Here in the the jockrock ‘scene‘. relying not on hypetastic I later state with only 50‘} sarciness. ‘Whatever La Toc ‘Bar Cafe‘ in Kilmarnock the chat has ' slavering to get the message across but on their l you say. say nothing . . .‘ splintered. sent flying by over-employment of winningly eloquent pop. If Roddy Frame was i Lucky for us. then. that their music speaks the bevvy-as-ice-breaker gambit. and by the losing the plot The Trash Can Sinatras had. no with easy tongue. Like Cake the soon-to-be- late arrival of the fourth quarter of our planned bother at all. found it. ! unveiled I've Sth [iijvt/u'ng is a breezy. conversational try-out. I‘ve a train to catch and On stage. the sight and sound is equally 7 uplifting affair. despite weathering blustery a bladder to empty but this is something of a riveting. Like his sister Eddi Reader. Frank ! lyrical storms. The outlooks‘s fair but there are coup. Frank Read. elusive singer with The Read is a whirling. wheeling performer. At clouds on the horizon. The new album is all Trash Can Sinatras. has finally rolled in. 273 King Tut‘s in Glasgow once. Frank was almost 3 about death. ‘lt‘s not.’ punctures Paul. ‘There‘s hours after the initial rendezvous with bass -. too drunk to stand. nearly fell off the stage. and l plenty on the first album that‘sjust as player Paul Livingstone and drummer Steve the band staggered off after fifteen minutes. At 1 depressing. You‘d be depressed if you came Douglas. Earlier Paul had answered a call to ; Fat Sam‘s in Dundee. he dangled from a girder i from lrvine.‘ the bar. just after 3pm. It was Frank. just up : over the crowd. bawling into his microphone. l ‘Hello. I‘m Harry. I‘ve had woman I‘ve had from his kip. ‘He says he‘ll come down when At the Music Box in Edinburgh. Frank trashed germs . . .‘ So goes the first line of ‘Hayfever‘. he gets his shit together.‘ says Paul. ‘That takes i the bass amp and fell into the drum-kit. Live The 'I‘rashcans‘ new single. A slightly him ages.‘ ? alive-o. foreboding lyric. no'.’
Why be so concerned with the whereabouts of g The lyrics. meanwhile. are keenly observed. ‘II‘S just about 21 guy . . 3 begins Paul. ‘lt‘s not the singer from a (for now) largely unheralded wryly insightful. punning and piercing. What a about a guy.‘ Steve interjects. ‘lt‘s about . . . 1 band‘.’ Because. despite the openness and bummer then. considering all this. that don‘t know what it‘s about and I don‘t want to
! accessibility of their music. The Trash Can i interviews with the band are a ho-hum and with know what it‘s about.‘ ‘What do you think it‘s l Sinatras are an enigma. They snuck out of the E the singer a no-no. Up until now . . . ‘Frank‘s l iihUUl?‘ PM” PFC-‘50S SWVC- 113’ - - - I (1011‘!
i west coast three years ago with the ‘()bscurity g not saying. “()h I don‘t do interviews because I know. it depends. I‘m telling you it depends on ; Knocks‘ FF. and without much ado about ! it‘s an artifical situation“.‘ offers Steve. ‘He‘s What I‘m “linking 1" the time 1 “Ci” "3
i anything got Single ()f The Week in NMIS. 3 nothing like that. It‘sjust that if he can get out ‘1 know what I think it‘s about.‘ says Paul
I Approximately one interview appeared in the of something he‘ll get out of it.‘ Frank Read. nmttcr-of—factly. ‘lI'S 'dbOUl Shilgging . . .
; national press. When The List arranged to talk | shadowy pop personality. is in factjust lazy. shagging in hay.‘
' to them around the time of ‘()bscurity Knocks‘. i not enigmatic. ()h. ‘Naw . . .‘ says a scunnered Steve.
one of the band phoned the office from a ‘ And he doesn‘t write all the lyrics anyway. They‘re an affable bunch. and as much has
' phonebox in London. He had l()p. I The Trash Can Sinatras are a great band. always shown through their music. whatever