Benton 3
SUCCESS
Fiona Shepherd previews a new Glasgow indie label with big ambitions.
Here are eight things you should know about Creeping Bent:
1. It’s a new Glasgow-based independent label which. unlike most new Glasgow-based independent labels. has not been conceived by a band in order to i put out their own single/album or by individuals wanting to release material by their friends‘ bands. It‘s the consumation of a long-term ambition harboured by Douglas McIntyre and Steven Lironi. who have spent the last fifteen years playing in various bands and waiting for the day when they could mobilise financially.
‘l was lying on Zuma beach.‘ says Douglas. somewhat bashfully. ‘and I remember thinking “it‘s time to do this“. That was five. six years ago. and it‘s only now I’ve got round to doing it. We've come to the realisation that we‘re never going to have enough money to do it properly — we‘d be as well just doing it.‘
2. The label aesthetic is similarly impetuous.
'We‘rejust going to try to capture what‘s good about a band and see how it develops from there. There is always something exciting about a band as they're developing.‘
‘There should be a big label in Glasgow. Look at the amount of Glasgow bands that went down to Creation and had success.’
3. Why Creeping Bent is needed.
‘There should be a big label in Glasgow.‘ states Douglas bluntly. ‘Look at the amount of Glasgow bands that went down to Creation and had success. If they had had an outlet up here . . . but there was no one in particular at that time.
‘We want it to be like. if any new band are happening and they want to put out a record. they'll automatically think of coming to Creeping Bent to do it.
‘But it‘s not going to be a Glasgow label or even a Scottish label. The ultimate aim is to have a label established in Scotland that‘s going to put out interesting things. lfthere‘s no good Scottish bands around at the time and there‘s one great Australian band then we‘ll put that out. It‘s just that I think there are interesting bands up here just now. I think the Scottish thing is going to happen again because it‘s had time to develop away from the glare of publicity.‘
4. Where it's coming from.
l
‘The kind of bands we identify with are things like
Subway Sect. The Fire Engines. The Pop Group, Suicide. Most of these bands never achieved great commercial success. We‘re trying to reverse that process and have people who are doing interesting things outwith any indentifiable mainstream but actually sell some records. We don‘t want to be doomed fatalists crying in our beer about why Subway Sect were never successful.‘
5. Their A & R policy.
‘Basically. it‘s got to have a mutant quality to it.‘ (i. The roster comprises groups who are the same.
but different.
The Leopards. named after a T—Rex song named after :1 spotted jungle creature. are the group Paul
Quinn‘s guitarist Mick Slaven has always wanted to
Mick Slaven of The Leopards
RENZO MAZZOLINI
ANNE QUINN
The Secret Goldfish
be in. Think raw guitar histrionies. think Magazine. think That Petrol Emotion at their most manic pop thrilling.
Spacehopper. named after a child’s bouncy toy. are a sonic treat for lovers of uncompromising guitar overload to make your ears bleed.
The Secret Goldfish. named after a Baby Lemonade song named after a popular household pet kept in hiding. feature Katy from late-80s buzzpop combo The Fizzbombs and ex-members ofjarring punkoid llailers The Mackenzies. are Creeping Bent's
‘Hopefully, by the end of next year, we’ll have put out a few albums. We just want to spend a whole year getting swallowed up in debt. If it collapses, it’ll collapse gloriously.’
concession to commercial appeal. They're a pop band ‘in much the same way that the Jesus and Mary Chain are a brilliant pop band‘.
The Revolutionary Army of Infant Jesus. named while on some powerful narcotics. are a studio-based collaborative project incorporating elements of dub. psychedelia and electro. with lyrics by Mark Stewart ofThe Pop Group.
7. The first releases early next year will be singles by The Leopards and Spacehopper.
‘That will be the initial clarion call. Hopefully. by the end of next year. we‘ll have put out a few albums. We just want to spend a whole year getting swallowed up in debt. If it collapses. it‘ll collapse gloriously.‘
8. There‘s a launch night. featuring bands on the label. It‘s called A Leap Into The Void. It's free. You just turn up. imbibe free liquor and get down to the punk disco sounds.
A Leap Into The Void. err-sponsored by The List. is held a! the Tramway bar. Glasgow on Mon 12.
The List 2—15 December 1994 39