MUSIC LIVE REVIEWS
T In the Park, the Tennents lee Festlval
EDI- ELECTRAFIXIDN
‘King Tut’s, Glasgow, 4 July.
‘Glasgow, you haven’t heard these songs before, but act like you have.’ Okay, let’s be honest. There’s no escaping the baggage everyone, on stage and off, brings along tonight. Bastard big bunnies squat heavy on all our shoulders.
Flash back six years. Echo And The Bunnymen prepare to step into a shimmering South American football stadium and play to a crowd of thousands: people who have followed them for a decade, scrutinising every cryptic phrase. Forward to 1994 and Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant, having just watched Brazil beat America in the World Cup, prepare to take to a tiny Glasgow stage, close enough to taste the beer on the breaths of the 300 or so people packing the place out. It’s Electrafixion’s third gig, and, with the possible exception of McCulloch, no one knows the words. It’s a glorious risk.
Mac looks great. If he’s changed at all, it’s in that he now looks slightly more like Bowie, especially when dragging on a cigarette. Bastard. Seeing him, with a very McCulloch haircut and his old pink guitar, sets memories tumbling - like, ‘for all the beauty, romance and resonance of their music, the Bunnymen had some right lads as fans.’ And they’re here again, the sort of people who, no matter how they try, can’t meet a friend with a handshake, but hail them with a punch in the arm and an ‘alwight, wankah?’ - and thus they
greet the band.
Electrafixion wisely ignore history’s
. weight without attempting to avoid it. ‘Zephyr’ rides in on ascending guitar chops, carried along on rolling ‘Rawhide’ bass loops to a great screaming chorus and some phenomenally sick solo work from
Will, bent over behind his ’67 John Cale cut.
. Inasmuch as any music based upon the interplay between McCulloch’s vocal and guitar and Sergeant’s spiralling leads can fail to sound like the Bunnymen, this is it. Harder, faster and louder, while obviously the
I products of men learned in the dynamics of song construction, there are undeniably ghosts present, but,
dammit, it works so well. On this evidence, it’s conceivably worthwhile stocking up on hair gel and Gitanes again. (Damien Love)
rm:- ooc FACED HERMANS
The Venue, Edinburgh, 9 July. Declaration of interest: I am a Hermans fan - have been since the first, heady, days of ‘Bella Ciao’ and the ‘Hum Of Life’ album. In a previous incarnation, they even played at my wedding. Could their last ever appearance in their home city live up to my memories? The new live CD, ‘Bump & Swing’, certainly promised so, but those who can delight may also disappoint.
No problem there, though. The frantic, radge rock that the Hennans have distilled from sources as diverse as Drnette Colman and Lydia lunch is alive, kicking and delighting dancing
I figures in a blistering set of new
; material. If only all music were this
i daring. Witness ‘Ethiopia’, with singer
; Marion’s blarty trumpet soaring out between jagged clashes of bass and Andy’s patent chicken-backer guitar
; sound. Then the song dissolves
mellifluously into a Spaghetti Western theme and back to stop-start heaven
and gorgeous rising bass lines.
‘Women And Girls’ demonstrates the
band’s ability to combine furious noise
with intense musicianship as the vocals switch from lulling gentleness
_ to abrasive rant within the space of a
bar. Then suddenly the tune
modulates from minor to major key
i and swoops off into another plane,
grabbing you from the toes upwards. Those who say the Hermans are
1 consistently too loud and furious are
; sadly mistaken, as the long slow
swing of ‘Keep Your Laws/Off My Body
demonstrates. Marion’s vocals slip
succinctly over a chunky guitar riff
and drums ’n’ bass vibe that builds
and builds to a soaring peak. Of
course, there is noise terror in any
Hermans gig. ‘Peace Warriors’ dares
: to be extreme. Not thrashed-out wall
of sound extreme, but a carefully
meshed entanglement of noises that
spit and spin off each other in
controlled mayhem. The Dog Faced
1 have spoken: music is a better noise.
(Thom Dibdin)
1 Bump and Swing is on Konkurrel
l (K135) distributed by SRD in the UK.
V BOOK NOW BOOK NOW
Concerts listed are those at major venues, for which tickets are on public sale at time of going to press.
ROCK
I GLASGOW HARRDWLAND (226 4679) Ice Cube. 26 Aug; Ride. 17 Sept; Pretenders. 27 Sept; The Mission. 19 ()ct; Australian Doors. 22 Oct; Stone Temple Pilots. 23 Oct.
I GLASGOW CONCERT HALL (227 5511) Blues Brothers Tribute. 28 Aug; Judy Collins. 6 Sept: David Byme. 14 Sept; Frankie Valli. 22 Sept; Solid Gold Rock ‘n' Roll. 14 Oct; The Hollies. 21 Oct; Nanci Griffith. 23—26 Oct; Hank Marvin and Brian Bennett. 30 Oct; Brenda Lee. 9 Nov; David Essex. 22 Nov.
I GLASGOW PLAZA (031 557 6969) Radiohead. 27 Sept; Ozric Tentacles. 10 ()ct.
I GLASGOW SECC (248 9999) Barry Manilow. 3 Nov; Cliff Richard. 4—6 Dec; Gary Glitter. 8 Dec; Dina Carroll. 10 Dec; M People. 12 Dec.
I STRATHCLYDE COUNTRY PARK (031 557 6969) T in the Park Festival. 30«3l Jul.
I EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE (529 (1000) Horse. 9 Aug; The Hollies. 23 Oct; Penguin Cafe Orchestra. 6 Nov; Sixties Show. 13 Nov; Rocky Horror Show. 22—26 Nov.
I EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE (557 2590) Ryuichi Sakamoto. 30 Aug; 1.y1el.ovett. 1 Sept; David Byme. 11 Sept.
I EDINBURGH OUEEN’S HALL (668 2019) Jools Holland Big Band. 19-28 Aug.
I EDINBURGH USHER HALL (228 1155) Solid Gold Rock ‘n' Roll. 15 ()ct; Hank Marvin and Brian Bennett. 26 ()ct.
I EDINBURGH INGLISTON SHOWGROUND (557 6969) Rosette. 15 Nov.
I STIRLING CASTLE ESPLANADE (031 557 6969) UB 40. 18 Aug; Runrig. 20 Aug.
JAZZ
I EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE (529 6000) Ted Heath Orchestra. 8 Aug; George Shearing. 10 Aug. I EDINBURGH USHER HALL(228 1155)Chris Barber. 19 Dec.
I EDINBURGH DUEEN’S HALL (668 2019) ElJF Opening Concert. 6 Aug; Andrew Speight. 7 Aug; Ella Fitzgerald Songbook. 9 Aug; EIJF Gala Concert. 11 Aug; Grand Union Band. 15—17 Aug; Carol Kidd. 29 Aug; Phil Bancroft Octet. 30 Aug;
Gary Thomas. 3| Aug; Georgie Fame. 1 Sept; Craig McMurdo. 2 Sept: Bheki Mseleku. 2 Sept; Mulgrew Miller. 3 Sept; Omar and Tony Remy Band. 3 Sept.
I GLASGOW CONCERT HALL (227 5511) Pasadena Roof Orchestra. 9 Sept; Joe l.oss Orchestra. 15 Sept; Glenn Miller Orchestra. 24 Nov.
1 FOLK
I GLASGOW CONCERT HALL (227 5511) Ali Bain and Phil Cunningham. 5 Sept.
I EDINBURGH
PLAYIIDUSE (557 2590)
Capercaillie. 31 Aug.
I EDINBURGH DUEEN’S ‘ HALL (668 2019) Mac-
Talla. 18 Aug; Altan. 19 Aug: Battlefield Band. 20~21 Aug; Boys of the Lough. 26—28 Aug.
9 LIGHT
I EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE (529 6000) Sydney Devine. 12 Nov. I EDINBURGH USHER HALL (228 1155) Joe Longthorne. 1 Oct; Jack Jones. 22 Oct; Daniel O'Donnell. 6—8. 10—11
Dec.
I GLASGOW CONCERT HALL (227 5511) Guy Mitchell. 18 Sept; Shirley Bassey. 19 Sept; Joe Longthorne. 2 Oct; Val Doonican. 18 Oct (2.30pm); Jack Jones. 18 Oct; Tom Jones. 15— 16 Nov; Dominic Kirwan. 20 Nov; Honky Tonk Ladies. l l Apr.
I GLASGOW PAVILION (332 1846) Sydney Devine. 16—19 Nov.
CLASSICAL
I GLASGOW CONCERT HALL (227 5511) NYOS. 3 Aug; Montserrat Caballe. 19 Aug; The Flying Dutchman. 26 Aug; GIGS. 31- 11 Sept; Galvvay and Robles. 12 Sept; Tokyo Philharmonic. 19 ()ct'. Gothenberg SO. 3
Nov; Bernard D‘Ascoli. 14 Nov; Borromeo Qrt. 18 Nov; Emma Johnson. 6 Dec; John Williams. 24 Jan; Novosibirsk Philharmonic. 12 Feb; Leif ()ve Andsnes. 22 Feb; Stuttgart Philharmonic. 28 Mar; Joshua Bell. 2 Apr; Melos
Ensemble. 4 May; lvo
Pogorelich. 2 Jun; Cecilia Bartoli. 7 Jun; Jessye Norman. 6 Jul.
I GLASGOW RSAMD (332 5057) Glasgow Fest of British Youth Orchestras. l3 Aug—3 Sept.
I EDINBURGH FESTIVAL
THEATRE (529 6000)
Michael Nyman Band. 6 Aug; Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. 7 Aug; Fidelio. 15. 17 Aug: Ute Lemper.
j 22 Aug; Australian ()pera.
25~27 Aug; British Youth Opera. 7— 10 Sept; Misa Flamenca. 18 Sept; Kings College Choir. 25 Sept; Israel in Egypt. 2 Oct; Lithuanian NPO. 30 ()ct; Vienna Boys Choir. 27 Nov; Scottish Opera. 29 Nov—10 Dec; Messiah. 11 Dec.
I EDINBURGH KING’S THEATRE (220 4349) Romanian National Opera. 11~-l5 ()ct.
I EDINBURGH DUEEN’S HALL (668 2019) ElF Morning Concerts. 15 Aug-3 Sept; ("appella Nova. 17 Aug; Lindsay Quartet. 14 Nov; Mitsuko Uchida. 5 Dec; Brindisi Quartet. 23 Jan; Vellinger Quartet. 13 Mar.
I SUBSCRIPTION
' SEASONS Programme
details and tickets for RSNO. SCO. BBC SSO and CGPO concerts are available from Ticketcentre. Glasgow (227 5511); Usher Hall. Edinburgh (228 1155); Queen's Hall. Edinburgh (668 2019). Tickets for Scottish Opera from Theatre Royal. Glasgow (332 9000); Festival Theatre. Edinburgh 1529 6001)).
L
fill oi
David Byrne
T in the Park, July 30th and 31st at Strathclyde Park
4D The List 15—28 July 1994