MUSIC LIVE REVIEWS
THE LEVELLERS
Barrowland, Glasgow, 18 Sept.
Straight from the townships of South Africa, Prophets Of Oa City are on a truly old-school hip hop tip - heavy beats and scratching with all that ‘Throw your hands in the air’ bit and a bit of raggamuffin chanting, nicely counterpointed by the occasional vocal soul-flights of MC Ishmael. They play energetically, a set laced with good feeling and humour, the latter element leaving the stage with them. Say what you like about a Levellers concert (‘lt’s gonna be smelly in there, you know,’ seems a Iavourite, closely followed by ‘Tsssk, dear oh dear oh dear’) but you can’t say you came away empty-handed. No, ’cause at a Levellers show you get a little concert programme, ter free! (True, it does cite
the band’s new home-studio aftair in Brighton as a ‘subversive centre’ and contains a list of inspirations including ‘magical sunsets, motorbikes . . . and so many more things, some best not put down on paper.’ Phew, blimey!)
Not only that, you get a free film show! (‘Conscious Cinema’. No, straight up, that’s what it’s called. listen - ‘Fed up with the LIES and
TV? Us too. That’s why we set up CONSCIOUS CINEMA, a FAST and ROUGN monthly video aimed at getting the REAL news to the REAL people.’ The capitals are my own, but I think they help convey the tone.)
And I don’t believe all that stuff about there only being the one sort of Levellers fan either. (You know, the awkward boy who finds it hard to make friends with the girls ’cause he’s a bit graceless with his straggly hair and fanner’s boots, but put him in a crowd with others of his kind jumping up and down and punching and getting all sweaty and he’s happy as . . . Larry.) No, because there’s a whole mix here tonight. (Yeah, that’s right, there’s all these sixteen-year-old girls and boys, flushed and pissed out of their heads on cheap shit cider trying hard to stand again and keep from throwing up, and there are the couples running middle-age hard with their shirts untucked and trainers.) And, yeah, the band give it all they’ve got, crying ‘SUBVERSION, REBELLION, COMMUNITY’. (And the crowd say, ‘You got any skins?’ and go to the office in l the morning.) (Oamien Love)
um- oon GIOVANNI
Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 98ept. In commissioning the Glasgow-trained artist Peter Nowson to design its new production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Scottish Opera has made a bold move which has paid off brilliantly. Putting tresh yet valid perspective on familiar operas is never easy, yet what Nowson brings to this Don is the over-riding element in achieving just that. In this, his first foray into designing for the stage, never mind for opera, Nowson has created a set that is striking in its forthrightness and, in tandem with John Cox’s deft direction, creates a balanced look at Mozart’s interpretation of the Don Juan legend. Nowson’s larger than life structures, like something from a TV cartoon - The Flintstones has been suggested more than once - give way at the end for a hell heralded by an intensely red backdrop of naked female bodies, their writhing Iigures becoming the flames of Don Giovanni’s end. The artist who was official British War Artist in Bosnia, also brings a military feel to the opera in his choice of colour and costume design. Characters are sharply defined, the production gaining much tram caretul casting. As the Oon,,Peter Mattei is believany seductive, his physical height adding to his own view of his superiority over all else, and his voice silky smooth in La Ci Oarem. Yet, in his selfish desire to score conquest after conquest, he is also both repulsive and pitiful as he pursues the
shallowness of his rakish life. Alongside him is the strength of an unusually pregnant Oonna Elvira, beautifully sung by Joan Rodgers, who alone almost seems to reach him in terms other than those of a one-night stand.
As Leporello, Yanni Yannissis is the perfect toil for the Dan, the Scottish Opera orchestra supporting him superbly as he reels off the ever- growing list of his boss’s exploits. Zerlina and Masetto were similarly well played by Lisa Milne and Neal Davies and while the orchestra was unsettled at first, Nicholas McGegan soon brought them into their usual stride. (Carol Main)
Don Giovanni is at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow on 26 and 31 October and Edinburgh Festival Theatre on 22 and 24 November.
BOOK NOW JAZZ
Concerts listed are those at major venues, for which tickets are on public sale at time of going to press.
ROCK
I GLASGOW BARROWLANO (226 4679)
3 Big Country. 7 ()ct; Black
PROPAGANDA coming at you from your
Grape. 8 Oct; Hawkwind. )2 ()et; D2Ream. )3 ()ct:
Pure. l4 ()ct'. Squeeze. )5
()ct; Underworld. 19 ()ct; Australian Doors. 20 ()ct: Wildhearts. 22 Oct;
Radiohead. 3) ()ct; Therapy'.’. 4 Nov; Iron
Maiden. 5 Nov; Shamen. 6 Nov; Charlatans. 7 Nov; Human League. l0 Nov; Deep Purple. 2 Mar.
I GLASGOW CONCERT HALL (227 55) l ) Elkie Brooks. )0 ()ct; Art
Garfunkel. II Oct: Alison
Moyet. )8 ()ct; Joan Baez.
30 ()ct; Mary Black. 3) ()ct; Bootleg Beatles.
’ 18— 19 Dec.
I GLASGOW GARAGE (332 1 I20) Echobelly. 6 ()ct; Marion. 9 ()ct; Bluetones. l3 ()ct.
I GLASGOW PAVILION (332 1846) Mike Scott. )5 ()ct: Edwyn Collins. 23 ()ct1T-Rextasy. 25 ()ct; Abba Voulez-Vous. 26 ()ct; Jesse Garron. 27 ()ct: Ray Davies. 3 Nov.
I GLASGOW PLAZA (556 5555) The Boo Radleys‘. l6 ()ct; Menswear. l8 ()ct; Sleeper. )9 ()et‘. Candy Duller. 29 Nov.
I GLASGOW SECC (248 9999) Celine Dion. 27 Oct; Faith No More. 25 Nov; The Beautiful South. 29 Nov; Status Quo. 2 Dec; Gary Glitter. )0 Dec; Blur.ll Dec.
I GLASGOW THEATRE RUYAL (332 9000) Hank Marvin. )0 Dec.
I EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE (5296000) Elkie Brooks. 8 ()ct; Mary Black. 20 ()ct; Louden Wainwright Ill. )2 Nov. I EDINBURGH QUEEN’S HALL (668 20l9) Maggie Bell. )0 ()ct; Janis Ian. II Oct; Ga Ga. 20 ()et; Edwyn Collins. 2-) ()ct; Bull‘an Tom. 7 Nov.
I EDINBURGH USHER HALL (228 1 I55) Big Country. 8 ()ct; Squeeze. )2 ()ct; Human League. )0 Nov; Bootleg Beatles. )6 Dec.
COUNTRY
I GLASGOW CONCERT HALL (227 55) I) Dominic Kirwan. 20 ()ct; Charlie Landsborough. 23 Nov.
'I GLASGOW PAVILION
(332 I846) Forever in Blue Jeans. 4 Nov; Sydney Devine. 23—25 Nov.
I GLASGOW SECC (248 9999) Everly Bros. 24
()ct.
I EDINBURGH USHER HALL (228 1 I55) Nanci Griffith. 17 ()ct'. Everly Brothers. 25 ()ct; Charlie Landsborough. )8 Nov; Daniel O‘Donnell. 9—12 Dec.
I GLASGOW CONCERT HALL (227 55) l) Labeque Sisters and Gonzalo Rubalcaba. )9 Nov.
I cusoow nsmo (332 5
5057) Tommy Smith‘s Azure. )4 ()ct; Suzanne Bonnar. 4 Nov.
I EDINBURGH FESTIVAL
THEATRE (529 6(X)()) Tuck
and Patti. 5 Nov.
I EDINBURGH OUEEN’S
HALL (668 2019) Tommy Smith‘s Azure. )3 Oct: The Jazz Crusaders. 20 ()ct; Dick Lee. 27 ()ct; Suzanne Bonnar. 3 Nov; Dave Milligan. )0 Nov: Spyro Gyra. l5 Nov;
h’loscow Art Trio. I7 Nov; Mose Allison. 24 Nov; Labeque Sisters and
Gonzalo Rubalcaba. l8
Nov; Candy Duller. 1
Dec.
I EDINBURGH USHER HALL (228 H55) Glenn Miller Orchestra. 2] Nov: Chris Barber Band with Ball and Bilk. )8 Dec.
FOLK
I GLASGOW CONCERT
HALL (227 551 l ) Christ Moore, l3 ()ct; Joan Baez. 30 ()ct; Mary Black. 3l Oct.
I EDINBURGH FESTIVAL
THEATRE (5296000) Christy Moore. 15 ()ct; Battlefield Band. 22 ()ct;
Capercaillie. 23 ()ct; Mary Black. 29 ()ct: Boys
of the Lough. 26 Nov.
I EDINBURGH KING’S
THEATRE (220 43-19)
7 Ronnie Browne. 29 ()et.
; I EDINBURGH OUEEN’S
HALL (668 20 l 9)
, Rumillajta. 22 ()ct.
: I EDINBURGH USHER
: HALL (228 l I55) Scottish Fiddle ()rchestra. 28 ()ct.
; LIGHT
I GLASGOW CONCERT HALL (227 55) l ) Joe l.ongthorne. l5—l6 ()ct; Howard Keel. 2l ()ct; Neil Sedaka. )3 Nov; West End Gala. 3 Dec; Connie Francis. )9 May. I GLASGOW PAVILION (332 I846) The Magic ol‘
l l
Jolson. 22 ()ct; Dean Park. 28 ()ct: Max Bygraves. l Nov; Brenda Coehrane. )9 Nov; Brendan Shine. 2| Nov. I EDINBURGH USHER HALL(228 l I55) Joe Longthorne. 2| ()ct; Neil Sedaka. )0 Nov.
CLASSICAL
I GLASGOW CONCERT HALL (227 55! l) Montserrat Caballe. 6 ()et; St l’etersburgli Phil. 3 4 ()ct; ()pera Gala. 5 ()cl; Montserrat Caballe. 6 ()et; RAF Bands. 27 Oct: Children's Classics. 28 ()CI; RI.P(). l6 Nov; Vienna Boys Choir. 22 Nov; Messiah l‘or All. 28 Nov; RI’(). )6 Dec.
I GLASGOW RSAMD (332 5057) Hebrides Ensemble. 29 Oct. 25 Feb. 5 May.
I EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE (529 6000) Music Theatre London. 25—28 Oct.
I EDINBURGH UUEEN’S HALL (668 20l9) ECB. 7 ()ct; Philharmonia. 8 ()ct; Chamber Group. l6 ()ct; Jeremy Carter. )8 ()ct; Maria Campos. 2) ()ct'. King's Consort. 26 ()ct: Hebrides Ensemble. 3) ()ct; [anionia Trio. 13 Nov; Prazak Quartet. 4 Dec: Friedman Tribute. Dec; Juliane Banse. 22 Jan; Quator Ysaye. 19 Feb; Hebrides Ensemble. 27 Feb; Grieg Trio. l l Mar; Hebrides Ensemble. 6 May.
I EDINBURGH USHER HALL(228 ll55) Children‘s Classics. 29 ()ct.
I SUBSCRIPTION SEASONS Programme details and tickets for RSNO. SC(). BBC SSO and CGPO concerts are available from Ticketcentre. Glasgow (227 55) I); Usher Hall. Edinburgh (228 l I55);
; Queen's Hall.Edinburgh (668 20l9). Tickets lor
Echobelly play Glasgow Garage, 6 Oct
Scottish ()pera from Theatre Royal. Glasgow (332 9000); Festival Theatre. Edinburgh (529 6000).
38 The List 22 Sept-5 Oct 1995