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The Kinks, The Smiths, The Jam . . . Blur. Do they cut it as inheritors of the English pop mantle or is Parklife simply a cut and paste job of influences? Do you care? Tell us what you think of the band everyone’s talking about, or any other subject under the sun, and you could win a bottle of Jose Cuervo tequila.
Acoustic session
Oh dear, oh dear. Kirsten you old indie train spotter you. This kind of nonsense is getting really rather tedious. don‘t you think.
1. How anybody can consider Sound City to be a failure continues to be a mystery to me. What would be sad is if the achievements made by many, many local bands remain unexploited by the bands themselves — as is so often the case. It‘s a fact — the majority of bands do actually get their proverbial rocks off by feeling sorry for themselves rather than making music and fighting
hard for that music to be heard. Nobody
gives anybody any prizes or respect for
sitting on their arses. You are obviously
familiar only with bands who have made nothing of Sound City — I am familiar with many who have.
2. There is no such thing as a non-
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LETTERS
profit making promoter '— don‘t be so naive.
3. Not all gigs are well-attended. Why? Because not all bands are as popular as you would perhaps like them to be. What do you propose — forced attendances at gigs? It has taken A.C. Acoustics five years of hard work to play two sell out gigs at King Tut's.
4. Anybody can get decent supports. Our support to PJ. Harvey at Barrowland was prior to us having any press or any sign of a record deal. It simply requires a bit of common sense. Sometimes I wonder if a person's brain dies when they pick up a guitar.
5. Dawson are hardly “fresh young talent‘. They are a critically-acclaimed band who do things the way they choose to do them, and are no more or less justified in their methods than any other band. Tsunami? Anybody going to see them at the Phoenix festival this year? Gunshot — hardly the victims of a disinterested industry.
6. I can‘t imagine a greater tragedy than sending this so called Sound City self-congratulatory carnival back to London. So many bands would have a much longer road ahead of them than they do now.
7. Why are people so unsupportive of bands from Scotland who achieve a degree of success? Those of us that are ambassadors for Scottish music help to maintain an industry spotlight on Scotland. As a result Scottish bands probably have more opportunity than bands in the majority of cities in England. We owe much to the incredible lineage of Scottish music and if that lineage can be maintained. then I think everybody will have something to be proud of. Motor Life Company, Long Fin Killie. The Supematurals. Shn'ek. Spacehopper. Big Burd et al will be next. I hope so — don‘t you.
8. 1 take it the bottle of tequila is out of the window. I wouldn't wish to be accused of engaging in back-slapping, brown-nosing corporate manipulation. now would 1?
Paul Campion
A.C. Acoustics
PO Box 76
Glasgow
Thanks for this comprehensive rebuttal of the letter in the last issue (225). The
cynics will say its easy to be postive when you ’ve signed a record deal. but I guess that ’s your point — don 't knock bands just because they 're sturcessful. I agree that accepting a tequila bottle- shaped bribe would compromise AC. Acoustics' position, so you're not getting it.
Club gripe
I’ve always really liked The List's great articles, reviews and all. But I’ve got one major gripe that I‘ve actually had since I first picked up a copy. The Glasgow clubs section are repetitive. occasionally confusing and often vague. What are ‘happy sounds'. ‘credible assortrnents of sweet student sounds’ and the ever popular ‘crap student' night. I really couldn‘t care less what you think of the music, I'd much rather know what kind of music is in store for me.
I’ve often found that listings are weeks out-of—date for clubs that aren't often having one-off nights. Maybe not lumping regular and one-off listings together would help. Also ‘gay‘ doesn't say anything about the kind of music (that's another pet peeve of mine). It‘s a shame to have such a great listings guide neglect such an important set of listings. Aside from this. keep up the good work.
Kathie Glasgow
Thanks for the letter — we 're always happy to receive constructive criticism and there 's a bottle ofJose Cuervo waiting for you in our Glasgow office. We do try to change and update the Clubs listings every issue but the curfew makes it much harder to get round as many clubs each night as we would like. Club runners can also be notoriously difficult to get hold of during the week which makes it even harder to check details — arty runners
reading this. please do keep us
informed ofwhat you 've got coming up. Your point about the music in gay clubs isfair and we'll include more details in future issues.
Theatre for all
It‘s hard to know what to make of the Edinburgh Festival Theatre‘s programme which flopped open when I picked up my copy of The List (225). It‘s bold. it‘s brash and it‘s brimming with surely the most diverse selection ofevents ever assembled under one roof. Michael Nyman Band. Enid Blyton‘s Noddy. The Krankies. ()rphe’e et liuridice; I guess that's what they call something for everyone. I just hope everyone comes. Director Paul lles should be congratulated on his attempt with this programme to show potential audiences that the theatre will he genuinely populist. rather than simply paying lip-service to ‘access to all‘. If the inside of the building is as spectacular as the glass-fronted exterior. I‘m sure the people of Edinburgh will be seduced. Maybe it will encourage Scottish ()pera audiences to try Lily Savage and fans of The Hollies to give Evelyn Glennie a listen. Here’s to the success of a real variety theatre.
Peter Fanshaw
Montcith Terrace
Edinburgh
Address your letters to The List Letters at:
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Fax them to: ()3] 557 8500
We will not print your/iii! address or phone number but you must include them. Deadline is the Friday before publication. Keep them pithy. as overlong letters may be cut. 'I he best letter next issue will win a bottle of Jose Cuervo tequila and a natty baseball cap.
NEXT ISSUE OUT THURSDAY 19 MAY
The (ireat ()utdoors: It‘s Spring. it‘s warm (kind of). there ‘s stuff out there. We‘re going to tell you about it.
limmylou Harris: The swoonsome country diva who used to know‘ (iram Parsons.
Scottish (‘up Final: llampden showdtm'n. Dundee United v Rangers.
(‘ream substitutc'.’: Bruce. Baker and Moore hit the road.
PLUS: Brian (‘ox is The Negotiator. Jeanette Winterston. The Autcurs. Robbie (‘oltranc docs Mark Twain. Brand New Heavies (left) and all the fun of the lzdinburgh (‘hiltlrcn‘s l‘eslival.
ORDER YOUR AL FRESOO OOPY NOW
CO The List 6—19 May 1994
Printed by Scottish County Press. Sherwood Industrial Estate. Bonnyrigg, Midlothian. Tel: 031 663 2404.