the bands
Here are five of the more exciting bands playing at Glasgow’s Intercity Crawl. See page 53 of the Glasgow music listings for full details of all the bands.
Snow Patrol
When the US lawyer’s letters start arriving through the letterbox, you know it’s time to let the other Polar Bear have exclusive rights to the name, so in the interests of global harmony, the Glasgow-based (via Belfast and Dundee) artists formerly known as Polar Bear became Snow Patrol. However, there’s no change in the aggressive guitar agenda for trio Gary Lightbody, Mark McClelland and newish drummer Johnny Quinn (who replaces Belle And Sebastian’s Richard Colburn behind the kit) whose driving alternative sound was enough to secure their choice as this year’s Stow College band. Their debut ’Starfighter Pilot’ EP was released earlier this summer on the college’s Electric Honey label and the trio now find themselves participating in all three Intercity Crawls around the country. (Fiona
Shepherd) ’Time Out are such wankers. They keep putting us down as “melodic Warm JEtS swamp rock”. Our press officer keeps
ringin’ ’em up. It’s this one Journalist who has written it about a million times. At least Lords Of Teutonic Cool isfunny’
The latter is another description
’50 what is The List?’ enquires Louis Jones, frontbloke from the Warm Jets. 'lt’s a kind of a Time Out for up here, Louis,’ I reply. Pause.
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Sean Dickson: high on fidelity
Monk and Canatella: DJs, guitarists, hip hop brothers, rappers and keen gardeners
dumped on the glam-spiked (dohl) north London quartet. Once the initial pigeon-holing is out of the way, they want to take on America. ’World domination means gomg everywhere,’ Jones explains. ’We’ve gone down well live there With our Englishness and American rock mix.’ Listen in and find your own genre. (Brian Donaldson)
Monk And Canatella
Monk and Canatella are Simon Russell and Jimmy Johnston. Russell worked as a programmer for Portishead’s Geoff Barrow while Johnston's the kind of guy who’s happier using his voice box than a box of electronic tricks. Along With a saxophonist, a guitarist and a DJ, they mix up a live set of sweeping vocals, rapping and melodies all underscored by ball-crushing breakbeats. A kind of indie dance hop, if you want a really clumsy handle.
'Distinct indie kids and hip hop kids are few and far between now,’ says Russell in a mice that would lapse into a coma if it were any more relaxed. 'PeOpIe are a bit more open-minded now.’ (Jonathan Trew)
Ultrasound All good things come to he who waits, apparently. Ultrasound singer Andrew 'Tiny’ Wood would probably agree. HaVing waited around in various bands for about ten years Without even a sniff at a record contract, he suddenly found himself in the centre of a mad A&R scramble when Ultrasound stunned audiences at the NME Brats showcase gigs in January, Nude emerged Victorious from the pack and Tiny emerged With a record deal and a distinct lack of rancour at his wait. Critics have compared Ultrasound to everyone from early Genesis and The Who to Pink Floyd. Perhaps. Better to let Tiny describe how he wants audiences to feel after seeing Ultrasound: ’euphorically confused' Sounds good. (Jonathan Trew)
intercity crawl MUSIC
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The High Fidelity
The Intercity Crawl will be a baptism of fire for The High Fidelity, marking their first live gigs. But who are ’they’? Ex- Soup Dragons mainman Sean Dickson and whoever he has drafted in to form his live band. The High Fidelity started in unassuming fashion in Sean’s bedroom but the debut EP has caused enough of a stir to signal a rebirth of sorts. Main track ’Addicted To A TV’, is an attitude-drenched rant on David Cronenberg’s favourite theme of the link between sex and technology, featuring a video made on a Hi8 camera, temporarily ’borrowed’, then returned to an unsuspecting retailer. The High Fidelity sounds like Dickson’s chance to indulge his dual interests of drivmg rock ’n’ roll and electronic experimentation — apparently every release is going to have an analogue side and a digital side. Make way for the hi-fi allstars. (Fiona Shepherd)
Warm Jets: not melodic swamp rock
12 Sep—ZS Sep 1997 THE [BT45