ELECTRONIC
Skint Tour
Edinburgh: Potterrow, Mon 22 Feb; Glasgow: King Tut's, Tue 23 Feb.
Odd cove, Johnny Dance Music. You’d think that an art form whose raison d'étre was to encourage nothing more than the shaking of thangs and the working of booties would be the broadest of churches, but in fact the opposite is true. The dance scene is full of cliques and factions, sneering snootin at anyone who doesn't have their ear to the (under)ground or finger on the pulse.
Possible rule proving exceptions are the good people at Skint Records, where eclecticism and populism go hand in hand — a policy that has reaped massive rewards in the all conquering shape of Fatboy Slim. The Skint tour, featuring Space Raiders (Happy Mondays meet Lo-Fidelity Allstars) and Indian Ropeman (phat basslines and sitar funk) as well as 015 Danielsan and Sparky Lightbourne, is a party to which everyone is invited.
ROCK
Skint alive: Space Raiders
Mark Hornby from the Raiders is ready to thumb his nose at the band’s fashion conscious detractors: ’A lot of the purists think that the way that we do it is a real scam, and we get tagged as a novelty act. But then we met Mick Jones from the Clash in Spain. He was well up for it, telling us we had nerve. To hear something like that from somebody who’s done as much as him . . . that kept our faith in it and we'll keep on doin' it the way we want to do it.’
If the mellow groove of current single ’Laid Back’ and the inspired lunacy of forthcoming debut album Don’t Be Daft are any indication, then the band's guns are clearly worth sticking to. They are also relishing taking their show on the road and adding a Bentley Rhythm Ace-style dressing up element.
’We were playing the other night and I turned around and Martin and Gary were both in ridiculous costumes and I thought I was in Funkadelic for a minute,’ laughs Mark. ’We hadn’t played live for a while, but I just thought "This is the life!" Martin’s got a term for it: enterfunkintainment.’ (Rob Fraser)
.vriovement to make it fuckable and
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Hat's all folks: Ani DiFranco
Am DiFranco Glasgow: Garage, Tue 23 Feb. On the (‘over of her torrent alhi.rii, Ani DlFfdllCO is photor‘rra;)l:e(i from [ll/‘U‘Jt” Arm raised toward the rariiera, lire: palm made huge 'oy l1{?l'\,;)i*('..\.'€‘, thr- tltle Up Up Up Up Up Ur) spam wrist to fingers
DiFranco might well give herseit a bio hand. At 28, the Singer-songwriter l‘. a millionaire and a feminist l(,0ll owns a record label, Riohteoizs Babe, which allows her to release the fruits of a seemingly ll(‘\’(‘l-z”l‘.(ill‘(,‘ ('i'rlilVO bloom, including Up Up Ur; iii" Ur: Ur) her eleventh album :ii 'l.i‘t" ~,/(?rrr‘) DiFranco has a work ethir '.’.’ll.{ll pills British iiidie’s slothful hi4; hitters to shame and an ethos whith shows up Girl Power —- wliir‘h t‘alis 'i watering down of ‘.’J()lll(".".'S
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palatable for inen' A for the shallow and ryniral marketing ploy it is DiFranto refuses to be grouped With these other s:rider—songwriters who are mutinely desrribed as strong women, Tyleiitiori Jew-.el, Alariis or PJ Harvey and she'll dismiss them for their refusal to emorar‘e feminism However, it’s easy to be Cychll about her own in-your- lace SCi’ille Releasing records on her own label ensures instant indie Cred,
but also earns her more money per
album sold. erewrse, she may sneer at the Shire Girls, but her Girls Kick Ass' Tshirts are hardly the stuff of Susan T-aludi's bark/ash
Still, it's hard to argue \"Jllll the folk- r‘unk authenticity of the ll‘ltlSlC or her formidable creative drive Ani DiFranco is one sister it's worth swrngino out for. (Peter Ross)
preview "08!:
Personal Stereo This issue: Fran Healy from Travis
Last album you bought?
The Air album today before getting on the tube to come home.
Tell us about a great new band you've discovered. - Someone on our Website was saying that their band, The Womb, sound like the dark underbelly of Travis. John Peel has played their demo and replies to the message board were favourable, but We not heard them myself, so watch this space. Good name, though. You can see the inkies having a field day — 'Boom Boom Shake Shake The Womb’ etc.
Record or artist that first made you want to make music?
Roy Orbison playing ’Pretty Woman’ on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross when l was 14. I changed my Christmas present to my first guitar after that. Song you wish you'd written? Chopin’s ’Flight Of The Butterfly'.
In the film of your life, what's playing over the closing credits?
’Tomorrow' from the Annie soundtrack.
Name a band which has influenced you that people would be surprised by.
The Cramps.
Name a non-musical influence on your music.
Chris Morris, Damien Hirst and Big Train. Cutting-edge genius.
What do you listen to when you're getting ready to go out?
’Outside' by Big George.
Robbie Williams - arse or the world's greatest entertainer?
We met Robbie the other week in the studio we were working in and he was an arse, but nothing to write home about — or in The List for that matter. I think Robbie suffers, like a lot of big stars, from having everyone around him telling him he’s the ’802’ so it’s no surprise really. I don't have that problem yet, but please tell me if I turn into Super Arse.
Which pop star posters did you have on you bedroom wall?
Madonna from the ages of twelve to fifteen. From fifteen to twenty it was REM Green World Tour ’89 and The Smiths.
What's the most embarrassing record in your collection?
Glass Onion EP, by us before we saw Paris Texas. And before my balls dropped by the sound of it.
If you owned a record label, who would be the first band you'd drop? Gay Dad, but wouldn’t we all.
e 'Writing To Reach You’ is released on Independiente, Mon 7 Mar. See review, page 43.
l8 Feb-4 Mar 1999 THE U81“