CAPTAIN SHIFTY
Age: Mere toddlers at eighteen months.
Place at birth: Edinburgh.
Distinguishing marks: A grooving collective of cats in hats sporting natty threads. Most venues need to build extensions to accommodate all the members.
Influences: Anyone and anything that’s ‘got the funk’, from Sly Stone to Galliano to Average White Band (possibly), 70$ kitsch and Dr Seuss. Previous Form: No releases yet; they’re waiting for the right vibe.
What to say: ‘Take a sup from their funky stew’. ‘May the cosmic funk be with you’, etc.
What not to say: ‘What’s that? It’s got a good beat!’
Bookies’ odds on success: Depends how adept they are at posing in the right clubs and drinking cappuccino. ’cos it’s a style thang, y’know?
SPACEHDPPER
Age: Two-and-a-half-years in current line-up. Place of Birth: Glasgow.
Distinguishing marks: Four-piece who trade in existential angst, wear dark colours but skip the poetry.
Influences: The sound of the American art punk underground — Sonic Youth especially — and any other belligerent racketeers who get off on undulating sheets of noise.
Previous form: You’ll have to wait till February for their debut single, the first release on Glasgow’s Creeping Bent records. Lash yourself to something solid.
What to say: ‘Rock ’n’ roll as cathartic epiphany. Pass the razor blades.’
What not to say: ‘My ears hurt.’
Bookies’ odds on success: Promising, if they can get the exposure or spearhead a new ‘scene’.
THE SUPEBNATUBALS
Age: Eighteen months — my, how they’ve grown! Place of birth: Planet Pop (but also rumoured to have family in Glasgow).
Distinguishing marks: Impossible to miss in a crowd in their dressing-up box chic — the loudest shirts in pop, flares and kipper ties from five lads who should know better. Keyboard player has a tendency to ‘artistically interpret’ the music in dance when he doesn’t have a refrain to plonk. The others confine themselves to high-kicks. Influences: As they’ve said themselves — the 505, 605. 703 and 805. Mainly Britpop that stands apart from fashion. Scottish-accented vocals manage not to sound crass.
Previous form: Two tapes Big 7 and Dark Star sold at gigs and a CD mini-album Sitting In The Sun in the shops with fab teddy bear cover. What to say: ‘Splicing the immediacy of pop with the universal cabaret ethic. One in the eye for the style-self-conscious.’
What not to say: ‘That’s those slacks I handed into Oxfam last week.’
Buckles odds on success: Could come up on the outside lane if they can extend their live reputation.
Age: A giggly infant of eighteen months.
Place of Birth: Glasgow.
Distinguishing marks: Fempunks with a shock of dyed, cropped hair and bovver boots but they make the effort to dress up in flouncy frocks for
The Supernaturals: Dressing up box chic
their gigs and boast a pseudo-lesbian chic. By their brevity ye shall know them ~ can lit about ten songs into a live-minute set.
Influences: All the essential Riot (jrrrl reference points — Slits. Raincoats. Kim (lordon (they‘ve played with Raincoats and Free Kitten) but songs are not their strong point.
Previous form: True to their lo-li roots they’ve put out their own single ‘Ncgative Delinquent Autopsy’ on Piao! Records.
What to say: ‘A spiky ripostc to the male musical hegemony. Riot on!’
What not to say: ‘Who left the cats ottt'.” Bookies’ odds on success: iiriends in high places (well . . .The Pastels anyway). but that might not be enough.
Age: One-ycar-old. but advanced for their age. Place of birth: Shotts.
Distinguishing marks: Spacey four-piece embellished occasionally by brass section and heavenly flute.
Influences: Seem to consume anything glorious that passes their way. including Love. Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd. Can. The l’rlsmtcr, Spiritualised and other astral icons.
Previous form: Nothing yet, but their lirst recording is expected to have the backing of some record company dosh.
What to say: ‘I-ligh on life. Come on up. the view is terrific.’
What not to say: ’Is this what they call sonic cathedrals, thcn‘?’ ' Bookies’ odds on success: If they were London-based, they’d have been snapped up months ago. Could definitely make a splash in indie circles.
H “I‘l’I'u 3,8,0; 0
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15 The List 27 Jan-9 Feb 1995
Existential angst: Sarah from Spacehopper