ROCK
Steve Forbert
Glasgow: The Renfiew Ferry, Tue 1 Jun.
Steve Forbert knows all about frustration. The slow-spoken, Mississippi-bred singer-songwriter cut an oddly maverick figure in the 705 punk scene around CBGB’s in New York. He opened for Talking Heads and John Cale with just his acoustic guitar and the sort of wordy, poetic songs that often see him likened to Dylan, although the pre-Born To Run Bruce Springsteen is closer kin.
He was picked up by Columbia as the next big thing, and cut four albums, beginning with the sparkling Alive On Arrival in 1978. Four years later, it all ground to a shuddering halt, and Forbert spent six years in the wilderness.
'I just ran into a dead end with Columbia, and it took me a long time to get my freedom,’ he says. ‘I moved to Nashville and went back to playing wherever I could get a gig while the lawyers argued it out. It meant a going back to the start process, but then that is true with every record anyway.’
Forbert picked up his recording career in the late 805, and has continued to record and perform on a steady basis ever since. His
current album Here’s Your Pizza, is a live set from the late 805. He is respected by both his own peers, and the alternative fringes of the 905 rock and country movements. His 1996 album Rocking Horse Head was recorded with members of alt-country Gods, Wilco.
Such respect from the younger generation has a lot to do with his refusal to conform to industry expectations. His particular brand of literate songwriting and tremulous vocals have swum against the tide of
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CLASSlCAL I Royal Scottish National Orchestra Proms
Ask a member of the RSNO what's speCial ab0ut their annual Proms and the likely answer is 'finishing work in daylight hours' For people whose usual focus of activin is a Winter series of evening concerts, the lightness of summer is very welcome It is also a very suitable season for the Proms, concerts v-rhere the ('lftjilitiSlS is very much on the popular repertoire, much of it lighthearted and cheerful This year's Proms (ever a huge variety of symphonic mlJSlt from The Planets
Proms strikes Bach: the RSNO
and Swan lake to the film iiiiist from Titanic and Star Lila/s There are twenty concerts in total, iritiizdiiirj performances in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen
Venturing into a harotiiie territory which is not usually the j).'(i‘.’:l‘.(t‘ ')l the RSNO Is Classics by Ca'idleliiiht, an evening where Bath, Handel and Pachelbel are to the fore Sofoist in Bach's 'Brandenhiirr; (f Mix-0's; No ‘2' John Grant, 2:.»ho has. v of Principal Flute ‘.'.’i7." tr~-:- lit“:'tl}: f ,i
twelve years ‘l'ii. Victiiaiy STEIJ'Li'H'l l’l VITIUiilly ali a" ti::, ~, lam. concerts,‘ he says ‘Biit in;- '1': we is:
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Mississippi rover: Steve Forbert
prevailing fashions for most of his career. Not that he’s going to spend too long in self-analysis.
'I don’t really think about it. I know who I relate to — people like Sam Phillips and Lucinda Williams, and I relate to Morrissey too,’ he says. ‘I can relate to Iggy Pop — it just doesn't matter to me. I wanted to sing songs. I never got into music to try to analyse it or fit into something, to me it's just about what is the next song.’ (Kenny Mathieson)
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.itiiotl‘er treat tlzis year is Rimsky- Kors‘akox's Schenerazade. Alexander
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; i"~'l'..‘t’. \\’~;>'\.e done Scheherazade mt“: Ettore] says .‘oivi Grant, 'and energetic' another Enigma faces them .' stand, the players of .he :>rt'iestra in:glit find things just a little r'ei‘etitiu'e7 'People might think that -t t(-.ll(l get a 'o:t dull, but actually it gets more challenging,’ says Grant ‘It never gets boring because you i‘eiiieinher what you did last time and try It; riiake it different. it's not difficult to Ul'l'lt’l freshness, because as long as you enjoy the job, you're always lupin/i to do better lCai‘ol Main) 4:32 conspire: s Choice Glasgow Royal 'lgil’ Edinburgh
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preview MUSIC Personal Stereo
This issue: ex-Wonderstuff frontman Miles Hunt
What was the last album you bought? I've been looking for an album by Eric Burdon's War, which contains a track called ’They Can't Take Our Music’. I had been played it at a bar run by Vietnam vets in DetrOit last month. They got all misty eyed, and it’s an occasion in my life that I won't forget in a hurry. Still can’t find the fucking record though. Name a great new band you've discovered? The Amazing Meet Project from New Jersey. They're signed to Gig Records, the label that puts out my shit. They are kind of reminiscent of Tyrannosaurus Rex — y‘know, the sexy acoustic stuff Bolan did before the Les Paul.
Name an album that's an unrecognised classic Shudder To Think's Pony Express Record. All other albums ever made in the history of rock pale in its genius. Which artist first made you want to make music? My Dad. He was a jazz drummer. His love of music has and always Wlll define him. He taught me how to listen to mUSIC, in much the same way that a great English teacher can teach you how to read a book that yOu w0uld have given up on for fear of not understanding, He bought my brother and l records that he didn't like particularly, but considered them socially important to Our generation. I was twelve when he gave me Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols for Christmas.
Name a non-musical influence on your music? The mOVies of Woody Allen, Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, Ethan and Joel Coen. The books of Charles Bukowski, John Fante, Leonard Cohen and Albert Camus
Name a song you wish you'd written 'Wonderful Lie' by Paul Westerberg. It's from his new album SUicaine Gratification.
As a teenager, which pop star posters did you have on your bedroom wall? Lydon, Weller, Strummer & Jones, Tom Robinson.
In the film of your life, what's playing over the closing credits? There will be no film of my life, I’m haying that written into my Will. My estate will sue should any fucker give it a go! It’s mine and I'm taking it With me when I go. The records you can have,
552525 Miles Hunt plays The Attic. Edinburgh. Fri 4 Jun, King Tut 's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow Sat 5 Jun. His new album, Hairy On T he Inside. IS out now on Gig Records
27 May—10 Jun 1999 THE UST39