had to come and say "Fack’s sake, let ’em on"! Because managers all talk like Michael Came.’
Glasgow nostalgia does strike occasionally, Dougie admits. ’I always knew I missed the people, friends and family; but recently | realised that I miss the City itself, too,’ he muses. Still, a pied-a-terre in any crty he fanCies should be Within reach before long, eh? ’Not quite yet. But you never know your luck . . .’
There are those who wish TraVis little in the way of luck. Those who mutter words like ’workmanlike’ and ’dadrock', would accuse the foursome of making dull work of an already overused blueprint. 'The only thing that gets annoying is when people get personal. They can say what they like about what we do, that’s just their Opinion; but when they get personal about us, or about Franny, that can be hurtful.‘
Is he relieved that most of the flak Will ineVitably rain down on the frontman? ’lt’s important that we share the responSibility, that he has the three of us to back him up. It’s great that we all go through these experiences together and have a certain empathy. The bands that we really admire — The Beatles, or REM, or U2 — all have a shared history; I think it gives you a strength that bands put together from the back page of the Melody Maker don’t have.’
The fab four are set to make a triumphant return to a hometown that still holds them dear to its heart. So show them you care, sure — but have
your riot shield at the ready in case of a delayed appearance.
Travis play Glasgow Barrowland, Tue 5 Oct.
PICKLE
Three into one sometimes does go as leftfield dance label NINJA TUNE showcases an eclectic trio from their stable.
Words Mark Robertson
THE WORLD OF DANCE MUSIC IS A FICKLE ONE. The prevailing ten-second attention span, means this month’s epic trance floor-filler anthems are next month's bargain~bucket occupiers if you're not careful. Initially branded as nothing more than providers of the obligatory skinning-up soundtrack, Ninja Tune has, over the last few years, become one of the most consistent and innovative independent record labels in the country.
The label was founded and is still run by DJ/producer duo Matt Black and Jonathan Moore, better known as Coldcut — the men responsible for introducing both Yazz and Lisa Stansfield to the civilised world. They have more than redeemed themselves of these earlier crimes recently and Ninja Tune has truly become a label to rely on for top quality leftfield dance music in all its shapes and forms.
Billed as ranging from the ‘manic to the mellow, the far out to the smoothed out', those sensible types at Ninja Tune have gathered together three of their artists who all, conveniently enough, have brand spanking new material to show off, and sent them out on the road together. Not quite the hip hop remake of Summer Holiday, but surely something similar.
The three artists appearing at their forthcoming Glasgow show illustrate not only the diversity of the label, but the eclecticism
and innovation in UK hip hop today. Dynamic Syncopation are sometime Herbaliser collaborator Johnny Cuba and DJ, the Loop Professor. Their saucy, four-deck DJing antics will be on display, infusing elements of funk and jazz with hip hop — skills they have put to good work on their new album Dynamism.
Arguably the main draw, and a regular visitor to Scotland, is DJ Vadim, a creator of cut—and-paste hip hop of the highest order. His second album, USSR: Life From The Other Side sees a whole host of guest MCs making appearances, as he brings more playful, accessible elements into the mix.
At the other extreme is New Flesh For Old, three individuals pushing the envelope of hip hop dynamics. Think Wu Tang Clan and Afrika Bambaataa in a WWF-style wrestling match against Aphex Twin and John Coltrane.
DJ and group lynchpin Part 2 is troubled by the current state of hip hop. ’You look at any album and everyone guests the same people; they’ve all got Puff Daddy whoever, no individuality,’ he explains. 'We do our stuff in an extreme way in order to get a reaction. Wu Tang and Public Enemy got people’s attention in a similar way.’ And get a reaction they do, gathering positive reviews in much of the music press for their album Equilibrium.
Ninja Tune's Explosive Package Tour is at 13th Note Club, Glasgow, Fri 1 Oct.
23 Sep—7 Oct 1999 THE lIST13