M Neugenius
When you go through as many name changes as Eugene Kelly’s bands have. it’s perhaps not surprising that people assume, on hearing nowt for a couple of years. they must have either split up or metamorphosed once more. Formerly the Vaselines, then Captain America and now Eugenius, Kelly’s combos have had a knack of being almost there and thereabouts, tickling the nation’s consciousness without steamrolling towards anything like householdnamedom.
A familiar tale of music biz shenanigans put the proverbial spoke in the Eugenius’s wheel and only now is the follow-up to Mary Queen Of Scots set for release. ‘The problems actually made it easier for me because I’ve had a lot of time tojust sit and watch TV and play the guitar.’ explains Kelly. ‘There are probably more songs written for the new album than we’ve had before but we’ve got a lot of work to do to get back into people’s consciousness.’
Channel-hopping at home has been alternated with ocean-leaping to collaborate with Evan Dando in America. Having supported the Lemonheads with Captain America, a close allegiance has grown with the head lemon, to the point where Kelly defends him
against all the vitriolic spite the music press has chucked at him in recent times. ‘It’s a shame (about Evan) because he was really hip a couple of years ago,’ remarks Kelly. ‘All it took was for him to cut his hair and hang out with Oasis and suddenly he’s seen as this kind of idiot. But I’ll stick up for him forever because I think he’s great.’
Also great may be the timing for Eugenius’s jagged new single
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Eugenius: been away and come back again
‘Womb Boy Returns’ on Edinburgh’s Human Condition Records. ‘We used to think we might sneak into-the top 40 for about a week.’ observes Kelly. ‘Now you look at Top Of The Pops and there are all these guitar bands. It feels like we’ve been away for about five years.’ (Brian Donaldson)
Eugenius, Chicane and Foil play Nice 'n’ Sleazy, Glasgow, Thurs 17 Oct.
On a lyrikal tip
It’s a tough one. You’re an accomplished young dancer with hip-hop in your soul. You love theatre, but you want to create a show that your peers will feel at home with. The solution? For .Ionzi D, rapper, rhymer and graduate of the London Contemporary Dance School. the answer is Lyrikal Fearta.
A series of sketches using dance, music and verse. Lyrikal Fearta attempts to bring theatre to a hip- hop arena. ‘Theatre has different
norms and values to the hip-hop crowd I hang out with,’ explains Jonzi. ‘They would come to a contemporary dance event, but I wanted to offer them something more accessible.’
An East End boy born of Grenadan parents, Jonzi is hip to the trap that fellow poet Lemn Sissay complains of: that politically-sussed black performers are expected to speak from a soapbox, not about falling in love. He works from feelings — tension, bewilderment, anger — and creates scenes around them: aggro from racist boneheads, rip—offs by snide concert promoters and your mate’s girl coming on to you. ‘Mr Aeroplane Man’ is a lightning tour
of the Caribbean. US and Africa looking fora homeland. Can white audiences appreciate that sense of displacement?
‘Oh. totally.’ he chuckles. ‘I know Irish people born in London. they feel detached from London, but when they go “home”. they don’t belong there either.’ Fresh from a fortnight in Gambia. his voice softens. ‘In Gambia Ijust felt 100 per cent love. There’s a real rich future there. a sense of “let’s respect each other”. I almost want to go back and rewrite that rhyme.’ Go on, catch Jonzi before he makes up his mind to do it. (Catriona Smith)
Lyrikal F earta and Jonzi D are at the C CA, Glasgow, Thurs 17 Oct.
1 0 day weekend
The Sound of sflents
Experimental cinema gets a chance to leap from under the bushel of ‘specialist’ viewing and into the eyes of a wider audience at ‘Score’. an innovative screening being organised by the National Film Theatre (NFT) at the GFI’. Glasgow. Five short experimental films have been given a thoroughly 90s make-over with the addition of soundtracks by underground dance artists.
Cinema has always provided inspiration for the techno generation. from naming bands after Star Wars characters to him Barry. This is a chance for the musicians to return the compliment.
‘Experimental film is being ignored. but I think that people of my age group would really get into it,’ says 24-year-old Nichola Bath of the NET and brains behind the experiment. ‘Rather than having the normal boring tour where you trot out some experimental films and take them round the country. I thought why not take a new angle and spark people’s involvement by getting people from the dance music scene to do something.’
The five hands involved. Two Lone Swordsmen, Biocom. Deli. Slab and Wishmountain. were offered a variety of films from the NF'T’s extensive archives. Their choices, ranging from Maya Deren’s Meshes Of The Afternoon (I943) to Jan Svankmajer’s A Quiet Week In The House ( I969). reflect the different way in which they chose to interpret the project. ‘Matt Herbert of Wishmountain has almost subverted what we asked him to do.’ says Bath. ‘His film was originally silent and he hasjust put sound in particular places. It is completely opposite to Andrew Weatherall of Two Lone Swordsmen who has taken his film as ajumping-off point to produce something which is really provocative and intense. (Thom Dibdin)
Score is at the OFT. Glasgow; Sat [2, 5.45pm.
Maya neren’s Meshes 0! The Atternoon