Rock & Blues
isceming lovers of fine music
should be developing the first
hints of froth around the mouth at the thought ofthis year's T In The Park. Mid-July in Strathclyde Park will see tens of thousands pouring through the gates for a weekend festival of fun. frolics and hopefully sun-fuelled star-gazing. The usual rumours about the line-up are flying thick and fast but absolutely nothing has been confirmed as yet. But who cares? Whatever the final list it will be the one gig of the year worth flogging your entire record collection for.
Elsewhere on the enormo-gig front. the fortunately inimitable Bon Jovi (lbrox Stadium. Glasgow. I l Jul) will be wowing the long-haired faithful in circumstances somewhat more conducive to their particular take on rock than their appearance last year when they brought central Glasgow to a standstill by doing a spot of ‘busking' on top of a well—known city centre record store.
Still on a rock theme. Deep Purple (Barrowland. Glasgow, 2 Mar) will be digging themselves out of the rnothballs much to the delight of the more mature seekers of classic metal while the schoolboys who never grew up, aka AC/DC (SECC. Glasgow, 1 Jun), are going back to a familiar topic, at least for them, with their world-wide ‘Ballbreaker' tour. Back in sunny Edinburgh. a woman who has more balls than tnost will be proving that she is simply the best. if you like that sort of thing. when Tina Turner (Murray/field, Edinburgh, 30 Jun) hits the stage for a spot of gutsy rock 'n' raunch. At the opposite end of the sex icon spectrum, arch wimp supremo Jarvis Cocker and his chint/y chums in the forrn of Pulp (lngliston. Edinburgh. 25 Feb) intend to hold forth on a variety of subjects dear to their fey little hearts. Truly. the geeks shall inherit the earth. Last but not least in the setting hearts a-lluttcr stakes. housewives' favourite Michael
I; i I
‘v'
Angus Young: contemplatan tho Ballbroaltor tour
8 The List 12-25 Jan I996
Bolton (SECC. Glasgow, 20 Mar) is venturing oop north for some of the MOR balladeering beloved of people who don't like Curtis Stigers ‘cos he doesn‘t have lovely. long hair anymore.
Moving down in scale but up in the hipsters' credibility stakes, Black Grape (Livingston Forum. 4 Feb) should be doing their rescheduled dates. providing head rapper Kermit has recovered from a recent bout of blood poisoning which caused lumps of his heart and liver to start flaking off. Having just made a full come-back from breaking his ankle at last year's T In The Park. rumours abound that the next album will be titled ll'x (irettl ll'lzeir You're Herr/III)". . . li’tI/I.'. ()n a gentler but possibly more odd note, Tori Amos (Usher Hall, Edinburgh. 27 Feb: GRC‘H, Glasgow, 2‘) Feb) will be striking the joanna keys and producing a feeling of frightened curiosity in many a male breast
In the ones to watch section we find Dublin lads Whipping Boy t King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, 5 Feb; Venue, Edinburgh, 6 Feb) touring for the first time on these shores and for the sake of lazy journalistic shorthand we will group together Northern Uproar (Venue, Edinburgh. 28 Jan); Cast (Garage, Glasgow, 2() Mar); Marion (Garage. Glasgow. 34 Mar) and Coast (Venue, Edinburgh, 9 Feb) under the heading of tykey Northern upstarts.
The old pros are headed up by fortner Pixies man Frank Black (Garage. Glasgow, 29 Jan) who is touring to promote his new album The Cult ()j'Ruy while folk with elephantine memories should mark their diaries for hip-hop Granddaddy Africa Bambatta (Venue, Edinburgh. 13 Feb) and dub tneister Lee Scratch Perry (Venue, Edinburgh. 23 Apr). Happy gigging. (Jonathan 'l‘rew)
Northern Uproar: tyltey Northern upstarts
Jazz, Classical & Country
he classical scene welcomes the
new year with an intriguing
newcomer at the beginning of February. when the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra combine forces to launch a short season of seven concerts in Glasgow (with a couple repeated in Edinburgh). under the title I Like 72) Be In America (7—17 Feb).
The programme includes orchestral concerts. a tribute to the great Broadway musicals. and a concert devoted to contemporary American music from the Paragon Ensemble. Sadly. plans to incorporatejazz and other American forms within the framework of the sertes had to be shelved this year. although The Mavericks (30 Jan) and Boxcar Willie (2—4 Feb) bring preparatory — and very different — tastes of one key American idiom. country, to the Glasgow Concert Hall, the principal venue for the series, in the run-up to the event.
Both orchestras continue their winter seasons, highlights of which include Alfred Brendel (Feb) and Peter Donohoe (Mar) playing Beethoven Concertos with the SCO. and Felicity Lott singing Poulenc‘s masterly 1x1 lbit‘ Hunrune with the RSNO (Mar). Look out. too, for a new work by Scottish composer Gordon MacPherson. for the RSNO. with the Terry Riley-ish title ()2: E (Feb), which may go down well with the rave crowd.
Brentlel also performs a mighty recital of three late Beethoven Sonatas at the Concert Hall in Glasgow (l2 Feb). in a Celebrity Recital series which will also feature Yehudi Menuhin conducting the same composer ( l4 Apr). a recital by the German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter (IX Apr), guitarist John Williams (9 May), and our own Evelyn Glennie ( l 7 May). The same venue will play host to
the illustrious Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra ( I I May), under the baton of Riccardo Muti, which may well be remembered as one of the great classical occasions.
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra celebrated its (it)th birthday in December (its future longevity. sadly, remains less certain). It has always been associated with an enlightened attitude toward contemporary music. and that is reflected in its Cutting Edge series of Glasgow concerts (Feb«Mar). which culminates in a concert devoted to Scottish or Scottish—based composers at the Henry Wood Hall (25 Mar).
The BT Scottish Ensemble will premiere another new work from their Composer-in—Residence. Dave (now seemineg trading as D. C.) Heath (Feb), while the Paragon Ensemble, Hebrides Ensemble Lllltl The Chamber Group of Scotland continttc to swim against the title of public indiftcrcncc toward contemporary music itt their ongoing concert seasons.
The final round ot‘Scottish Opera‘s 1995—96 season (Glasgow, Apr- May. Edinburgh, Jun) mixes the very familiar - Verdi‘s Lu 'l'rrrt'iurtz and Puccini's Tum/idol ~ with an opera which is seen rather less often, Gluck‘s Alt‘esre. Another rarity. Mozart's Kurt/e. receives a one—off performance at the Festival Theatre ( 16 Mar) in art Irish- Belgian co—prtxluction.
Tom Bancroft
Sadly. there isn‘t much to report on thejazz front as yet. Assembly Direct. who had a rough time in attracting large enough audiences for the opening half of their winter season, are still putting their programme together. although they were able to confirm that they will be touring the innovative and exciting Torn Bancroft Orchestra tmitl— Feb).
They do. however, plan to celebrate fifteen years ofja'zl. promotions at The Queen's Hall. which began with the old Platform organisation, and intend to ‘represent that in the progranmte'. They have. however. put back the start of their season until 2 Feb. and not the earlier date advertised in the venue's current brochure.
Elsewhere, those who are cotning include the Herb Miller Orchestra (3—4 Feb), and, rather tnore interestingly. mainstream saxophonist Spike Robinson (Moir llall, Glasgow (t Feb). followed by Howard Alden (March) and Ken Peplowski (April or May). (Kenny Mathieson)