The best letter each issue wins a bottle of wonderful Jose Cuervo Golden Tequila and a psychedelic T-shirt.
Steamroller
The proposed local government reform and proto-water privatisation moves are yet more examples of the Westminster govemment‘s arrogant contempt for Scotland. It is depressing how this demonstrably unpopular and minority government in Scotland can steamroller its dogma into practice against the will of the Scottish people.
Perhaps this time COSLA will do what they should have done over the Poll Tax: refuse to co-operate. If they did this, I suspect the government would withhold all central funding in an effort to break the will of the councils. This would leave them with no choice but to save the missing money by closing down the bulk of their services.
Such action might bring the Scots to their senses. It would certainly create the public anger needed to sweep away the Union and return democracy to Scodand.
David Ford Haymarket Terrace Edinburgh
The Good or The Bad?
Why does The List devote so much space to such an over-rated artist? Peter Howson may be prolific but the talent which was in evidence in his early work has become increasingly hard to discern.
The tendency towards caricature in his recent large-scale crowd scenes has become so pronounced that the paintings now appear little more than second rate versions of the illustrations which adorn fantasy book covers. They have about the same relationship to reality.
Howson is not reflecting life as it is lived in Glasgow today. It is doubtful if he is reflecting life as it ever was lived
m , i
LETTER;
anywhere. Sure. it can be a nasty. brutish and short existence but there is always at least a spark of humanity in any art worthy of its name. Something conspicuously absent in Howson‘s efforts.
Clare MacLeod
Crow Road
Glasgow
Flower power
Bloomin‘ Bellamy? He’s a bloomin‘ poser. that’s what he is: I’ve seen his bloomin‘ mug blearing heartin out of more photo opportunities than I‘ve had hot vegetarian lasagnes. Still. he has
'got guts as anyone who remembers him
sharing the stage at The Venue in Edinburgh with Robbie The Pict will tell you!
What worries me is a strange juxtaposition which occurred in the last issue of The List. where Big Dave (Bellamy. not comic character) is featured on the TV Preview. There he is, all smiles and garlic, sounding off about alternative medicine. ‘He’s more concerned about the big pharmacists’ sudden conversion to homoeopathy‘ according to the article. And so he should be. The Channel Hopping article says on the opposite page that a placebo is better than a homoeopathic pill.
I understand that homoeopathy involves very small quantities of remedy. So the companies must be making a killing. As I don‘t believe in it though, ifyou give me the tequila. I promise to drink it in very large quantities.
Andy Dougan
Union Street
Edinburgh
You mean that Bellamy can actually sing? Have a bottle of very wonde;ful Tequila on us. just so long as you promise not to drink it all at once.
Lack of vision? We have just returned from Aberdeen where we went to the VISION outdoor
rave. Sadly, we are very disappointed and angry about the way the event was organised and presented. The impressive flyer heralded the ‘largest UK all-night dance party'. Unfortunately the ‘tens of thousands’ of people expected never turned up. and made this possibly the smallest and worse organised UK all-night rip-off.
We were promised two massive arenas and a 20ft-high stage. There was only one very large arena and a oft-high stage. The DJs and decks were hidden behind equipment and scaffolding. Three projection screens displayed moving fractals and the word VISION. Hardly the ‘full vision’ promised. There were no huge dance risers or caged walkways as advertised. only a wooden platform. Spring water cost £2 for a small bottle, hardly a ‘reasonable‘ price. There was no chill-out area and there were many glum and tired faces around the outside of the tent. with people huddled inside trying to sleep.
It is only fair to say that out of the 5000 or so people there. perhaps 2000 did experience a good. all-night rave. The music pumped out and the bands who did turn up performed well. especially The Ether a local Edinburgh/Aberdeen group.
This event was wrongly advertised. with many false claims made on the publicity. It would be good to have another massive rave up here in Scotland but organised by people who know Scotland. the ravers and the score up here.
Names and addresses supplied.
Vision organisers reply:
Your reader 's discontent is only partially justified. Yes, there were many production items (risers etc) still loaded on trucks — we simply ran out of time due to:
I. possession of the site only being given to us on the Tuesday before. ie one week late.
2. the Council taking us to court twice for interim interdicts re emergency access; a massive time-consuming exercise.
Your reader is wrong. there were
I 0. 000 people there and wit/tout the adverse publicity by bot/t the council and rival promoters we would have had another 5/10. 000. The catering was overpriced and not in accordance with
NEXT ISSUE our THURSDAY 29 JUI.Y
PLUS: Rappy. jar/y 'I‘alkin Loud combo. (ialliano (left)
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And guess who‘s still maga/ine ol~ the year?
our agreement with the caterers.
We have had few cmnplaints as strong as this. All DJs and acts were present. The sound system was far superior to anything I 've seen at events in Scotland. The ticket price was right (£10 cheaper than the rest). But. yes. I agree much more ('IHIIII h/n‘P hannened and .. "'
Pointless
Do you ever get days when you think ‘What’s the point?‘ [Frequently — Ed] I had one last Saturday. at the Stepping Stones in Edinburgh. A new play was being presented by a new theatre company. The direction and acting were tight. truthful and engaging. Subject matter interesting. excellent script. well received by the audience. The only problem being there was only six of them. not including myself.
What’s going on? Can we only take chances with the theatre we go to for three weeks in August? Must there be a direct correlation between publicity budget/marketing staff and audience numbers? Or was Edinburgh‘s theatre- going population sitting in the pub bemoaning the fact that nothing ever happens in the theatre outwith the Fflnge?
Things are happening. but they must be supported. or companies like Third Rail will collapse. And that would be a pity. because it‘s this type ofcompany who are working to keep Scottish Theatre alive.
Jo Laidlaw
Rosslyn Crescent
Lcith
Post Script
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_ publication. Keep them pithy. as long
letters may be cut. The best letter next issue will win a bottle ofJose Cuervo Gold Tequila.
L72: Dublin‘s hottest foursome bring the Zoom/2a tour to Scotland. Exclusive
preview. ' Movies on a budget: Celluloid masterpieces on a shoestring at home and abroad. .la/./. on a summer‘s fortnight: ln-dcpth preview of the lidinburgh International .la/I. Festival.
75 The List l6—29 July I993
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