MUSIC LIVE REVIEWS
KD LANG
Glusgmi' Royal ('oiit'crl Hull, Fri 26 April.
The stage set delivers some crucial hints. It's not just that the drapes are as silky as The Voice (sorry. kd — capital letters essential). It's not just the deep pink and white colour scheme. It's more the way each audience member is personally drawn into that camp little semi-circle by an overwhelming feeling of warmth.
The world's most adored lesbian exudes warmth from every- pore. It's there iii the way she delivers her ironic little between-song asides; iii the way she lovineg introduces the band members; in the way she dances. as gawky as it is graceful; in the way she responds to the adulation that radiates front a packed house.
Some may have come to lap tip the flirtatious charisma. but what noone can ignore is The Voice. ()iitstanding on record. it‘s an even more splendid beast in the flesh — sleek and capricious and soaring on muIti-coloured wings — always poised in that trembling balance between vulnerability and p()\\'Cr,
The sound quality is as tremendous as it should be. and all the backing musicians get their due chance to shine. The only serious flaw is the show's structure. Iang's canon is an eclectic one. encompassing soul. funk. torch ballads. jazzy pop. kitscliy cover versions arid ofcourse country. and her set quite rightly feasts on diversity. But while the latest album .-l/l liiu ('uii [fur is well represented. key songs from her huge hit album Inge/me are conspicuously absent. and the glorious 'Miss Chatelaine‘ gets indifferent treatment. After a sublime rendition of ‘Barefoot'. there are a touch too many meandering introductions. and some odd choices of song. letting the momentum slacken.
These are minor blemishes. though. on a thoroughly rosy-checked show. As one of the many female liecklers informs Ms lang. “we love you. kd' It's impossible not to. (Andrew Burnett
50 The List 3-H) May 1996
OCTOPUS
King Tut’s Wan Wah Hut, Glasgow, Sun 21 April.
Octopus kick off like a John Woo movie, bursting onto the stage in a whirl of frantic noise. Their second song ‘Restless’ sums them up neatly — an itch of frustrated guitars scratched into an insistent melody. After moving down to London and signing to Food Records, they’re back playing to a local crowd and the band’s obvious enjoyment makes all the difference to their performance.
The Octopus sound is anchored by a formidable line of guitars but with ambitions beyond the moribund rock clichés of so many Northern bands. Adding horns and a mouthie edges them almost into the manic territory of Les Negresses Vertes, as they weave drunken rhythms through tunes such as ‘Adrenilena’, creating a woozy
glamour akin to walking home at six in the morning after a wild party. Their music is redolent of those times in your life when you know something’s about to change, but you don’t know how or when.
The blissful ‘Wait and See’ keys the expectation up to fever pitch before relaxing into the more mellow ‘Saved’, a swell song which suffers a little from muddy sound. It’s a dangerous tactic, like tuning a guitar string tighter and tighter but — at least in this short support set — they pull it off, the songs never toppling into bathos or frustration. They clearly have their musical roots in 605 psychedelia, but Octopus have the confidence and imagination to transform their sources into a fast and exciting new mixture. Watch them explode. (Andrea l Mullaney)
MAGICDRIVE
Potterrow, Edinburgh, Tue 23 April. There can’t be too many new bands who can open a set with 40 seconds of ‘Ia la la’ and still come out at the other end reeking of roses. Magicdrive are such a band. What allows them to stand out from most other wannabe indie-pop guitar combos is largely down to one thing. An oboe. In the hands of Kate Oreive, this much- maligned instrument enables Magicdrive to channel their wall of sound into something more economical and ultimately very rich indeed. She, along with co-backing vocalist Jane Bordwell, may bear T- shirts daubed with ‘Groupie’ but it is they who may soon be the object of others’ obscure adoration.
Yes, they may be tempted to borrow over-liberally from the 852’s, Madness, Pulp and just about any other act with an ironic sensibility, but when it encroaches upon the point when it may teeter into tiresome mode, it is skilfully counteracted by an ability to thrash with the best of them. And, by jiminy, the mix feels right.
And such savoir-faire. The waggly- headed David Robertson introduces songs with titles such as ‘I Fell In Love With A Japanese Schoolgirl’ without
the merest hint of a smirk, while bass- tickler and Black Magic Box polo- necked Oavid Jack raises just a single smile on feeling Jeff Hallam’s wayward drumstick bounce off his bonce.
Their one major worry may be in finding a way to dilute their talent into a marketable product. A tendency to cram too many ideas into a two and a half minute tune may have a problem in crossing over, even in this postpostmodern age. Yet, fear not. Those who chart their progress may
up the charts. (Brian Donaldson)
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Concerts listed are those at major venues, for which tickets are on public sale at time of
going to press.
; ROCK
I GLASGOW ARCHES (556
5555) The Cardigans. l7 May; Sleeper. 2o May.
I GLASGOW BARRDWLAND tZZo 467% Manic Street Preachers. 33 May". Sleeper. It» May; Ash. 3S May; Iilvis Costello. Zl Jill.
I GLASGOW CONCERT HALL (227 55I I I llai‘old Melvin. I .ltin; Judith Durham. 3 Ion; liverything Btit 'I'he (iii'l. 33 Jun; .laeksoii Brow iie. I.‘~- 14 lid; The Hollies. ‘I \tiy‘.
I GLASGOW GARAGE i333 I I20) 'I‘i'aiisglobal l'iidergi'ound. 22 May; \Vhipping Boy. 34 May. Dodgy. 35 May; [log l".at Dog. I ltltl; Michelle Shocked. 4 Jun; I'reak Power. (i .ltiii.
I GLASGOW IBROX STADIUM (55‘) SRSM Bon .lovi. ll .ltiI: Biyaii Adams. 2t) .ltil.
I GLASGOW PAVILION
I55: ISJot (ilaiii Rock
Special. I7 \lay‘. Sixties (ioltl. ll May.
I GLASGOW SECC i248 0900i The (fine. 22 .\la_v: :\('/I)('. I .ltiii; Boy/one. (i In]; Sex Pistols. l(i .lllI; IiiISI I7. :I) Still; (it‘lllle Dion. 1‘) All) Noyl
JAZZ
I GLASGOW CITY HALL (227 55 I l l Ronnie Scott. 2S Jun; 'I‘Iieo Travis. 3‘) Jun: Steve Hamilton. 30 Jun; Bill Wells ()etet. I .ItiI; Alan Barnes Se\tet. 3 lid; The Hungry Ants. 5 Jul; liIIa l-‘it/gerald Songbook. -I In]; l'lf \Vakeiiitis. 4 ltd; Date ()‘Iliggiiis. 5 Jul; .lean 'l'oussaint. (i .ltil.
I GLASGOW CONCERT HALL (227' 55l I l I.alo Seliifi'iii. IS .ltiii; (ieorgc Benson. 3 In].
I GLASGOW OLD FRUITMARKET 22“ 55 I l i .‘\Iartiii Taylor and (‘laii'e Martin. 38 Jun; .\le(‘oy 'l'yiiei‘ and Michael Breeker. 3‘) Jun; Iain-es Morrison. 3" .ltlll'. Ray Brown 'I’rio. .‘yll Inn; \at .-\dderIey Quintet. I .ltiI; Ron ('artei' Quintet. I .luI; .-\uld Alliance Ian. 3 Jul; 'I‘oiiiiiiy Siiiitli. 4 Jul: Mike Stern. 5 Jul; \it‘lItIWILIL‘h—CIS. .ltlIL
(ion/an Rtibalcaba. (i .lul'.
lioui‘tli World. (i .ltil;
liiiipii'e State Se\tet. 7 .ltil;
Mingus Big Band. 7 llll. I GLASGOW THEATRE ROYAL (333 «ioooi BB(‘ Big Band. I .lul; (‘hris‘ Barber. 3 .ltil'. \‘y'onderfiil \Voi'ltl of I .ottis .-\rnistroiig. 7 .luI.
I EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE tilt) (room
Pasadena Root ( )t'cliestra.
3 In”; Hot l'oot Iii
(‘I'LIIIITCI'I'IL‘N —1 Dee; Sltlltls
' FOLK
(Jim. 7' Dee; literiial. Ill Dee.
I STRATHCLYOE COUNTRY PARK it) I H 55‘ (mm 'l' in the Park with Radiohead. .-\lanis Moriss‘ette. The Prodigy. Ptilp. Black Grape. and more. I.‘~ II In].
I EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE 153‘) (loot). Richard 'I‘lioiiipson. 22 May; I‘t‘l'l‘} ('ross 'l‘he Mersey. 27 May I III”. I EDINBURGH INGLISTON (.557 (i969) \I People. I: .ltiii.
I EDINBURGH MURRAYFIELD STADIUM (557 mm)» 'Iiiia 'I'tiriier. 3t! .luii.
I EDINBURGH QUEEN’S ((iIiS :(I I 9! Slt‘ept‘l'. 27 May.
I EDINBURGH USHER HALL CBS I I55t Si\ties (ioId. 37' May.
COUNTRY
I GLASGOW CONCERT HALL t 337 5.5 I I Kris Kristofferson. ll .ltiii; Billie .Ioe Spears. :l \tw I GLASGOW OLD FRUITMARKET i227 5511' ('aroI I.atila. .‘il May; The (’oal Porters. .‘\I May; Kinky l'rietliiiaii. 1 Ion: .-\teha. I .lun; .lohii Priiie. 3 Jun; .loliii Berry. 0 Jun; Raymond l5i'oggatt. T .ltiii; Nick I.ow e. b Jun; Stephen Brutoii. S .lttll.
I EDINBURGH LYCEUM
eventually be witness to a progression :32» «min. int I)L‘.\Ielll. it
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Ilat'Ieiii. It) ,liiI‘. Thank You. .\Il (iershwiii. '
I GLASGOW CONCERT HALL t 22" .55 I I » ('Iaiiiiad. le .\Iay: 'I‘Iie l)tll‘lllle‘l\. I3 III”.
I EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE L530 (iIlIlIlt Richard 'I’lioiiipsoii. :3 May; l)IlI‘Illlt‘l'\. Ill .ltlll
CLASSICAL
I GLASGOW CONCERT
- HALLIZZ" 55 I I i l'.‘.t‘i_\ll
(ileiiiiic. I“ \Iay; Saiali Bitghliiiaii. 3“ \Iay;
t Napoleon. In May; I .-slej.
(iaii'ett. 3 Ion; RSNH Scottish Power I’roiiis. ll 2‘) Jun.
I GLASGOW RSAMD *1:
5H5"! \Iitltlay ('oiieei’t I"
\Iay: .luiiioi .:\e.i\I.-ttiy
(‘( ), I ,liiii; (ilasgiiw ('t ). S .luii: (iiasgow Siiitonta, I5 .ltlll. St \Iat'ys ('oiieei't. lo .ltiii; .ltiiiioi Academy ()i’ehestia. _‘_‘ .ltiii; Ia Bolieiiie. 2-: :5. I" IS Ian.
I EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATREI52U (Milli .-\iii.idigi. :5 \I.:y; \Ioldayiaii l lpeia. .‘(i .\Iay1Sa:'i: Iliio,\.ltil‘.
The (‘ai‘diiiall's \Iiisiek.
I: IN.
I EDINBURGH
1 INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
2:5 5‘5ti- \ai‘ious
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I EDINBURGH OUEEN’S S t(i(i.\ :Ill‘h
lidiiihtii'gh ,-\eatletiiy. I" May: liiideIIioii Qt. II .\Ia_\; Nicholas -\shtoii. 35 May.
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