ROCK Rico Edinburgh: Attic, Tue 25 Jul.
Listen to Sanctuary Medicines, the debut album from Rico, and you’ll be tempted to employ that yankified phrase - here's a young man with ’issues’. The album, released last year, is a dark and scary misanthropic trawl through the mind of one Rico Capuano, a 26-
year-old musician, singer, songwriter and producer from Paisley.
In the opening industrial stomp of ’Shave Your Head’, Rico can be heard screaming ’this ain't the 605 anymore’, and later, on the reggae- tinged 'This + That', he starts off, ’fuck rock ’n' roll, fuck losing your soul’, before reciting a long list of personal bugbears. And swearing a lot.
On meeting the man, however, it turns out that he leaves all his personal demons behind when he steps out of the studio or off the stage, and he is, in fact, very genial company. So how did such a dark record come about?
'The idea behind Sanctuary Medicines was that everybody has some kind of crutch that they use to get them through life, whether it's booze, drugs, going fishing or whatever,’ he explains. ’This music is my crutch, this is the place I go when I’m having bad times.’
Having played and recorded virtually every instrument himself in a converted garage, Rico clearly isn’t one for collaborations. 'I used to be in
a couple of democratic bands but I felt that ideas just got
at“.
The two-legged, Paisley noise machine: Rico
Float. Intended as a stopgap between albums, the EP
diluted — I'd rather do something that's more focused. I just got sick of working with people, to be honest.’
Superficially, Rico has been compared to Nine Inch Nails (one angry bloke playing everything, loud guitars, programmed electronics etc), but musically there’s much more to this self-effacing man, the album sounding quite often like Tricky fronting Rage Against The Machine. Rico's first ever gig was Public Image Ltd, he loves the new David Holmes album, and when asked who he'd most like to remix one of his songs, he replies without hesitation: ‘Tom Waits, because he tells a story so well. He could do whatever he fucking wants with any of my songs.’
This eclecticism can be seen on Rico’s forthcoming EP,
contains a handful of radically re-recorded songs from Sanctuary Medicines. For this release, Rico has decided to have a go at this collaboration malarkey, and has worked with, among others, Tim Goldsworthy, whose previous credits include Primal Scream and U.N.K.L.E. ‘Other songs were recorded with the live band,’ he says, 'where we just fucked about with them. They’re all totally different takes from the album versions.’
Which versions we get when Rico plays at the Attic later this month remains to be seen, but whichever, expect pumped-up adrenaline and destructive mayhem on stage. But just remember, he's a nice bloke really. (Doug Johnstone)
f/oat is out 24 Jul on Chrysalis.
', 1i
Miles' main man Margitza
FESTIVAL JAZZ Rick Margitza
Edinburgh: La Belle Angele, Mon 31 Jul. Rick Margit/a studied both piano and
oboe until he heard a Charlie Parker record when he was still in school, and decided right then that ja// was for him He bought a tenor saxophone, and absorbed a lot of valuable lessons His big breaks arrived simultaneously A tape of his playing was brought to the attention of lvliles Davis, and the trumpeter took to the saxophonist's uncluttered lyricism immediately He spent time in lvliles's band in 1988 9 the is heard on Armand/a, and signed to Blue Note in 198‘), prowdmg a shots/case for his own music
Almost as guic kly as it happened, the wheel spun again Blue Note dropped a third of their artists in the early 90s, including lslargit/a, and he was back 'among the masses again' He has
continued to play and perform, notably on the European circuit, and has recorded several more albums, inc hiding a brand new one for Palmetto, Heart Of Hearts His playing reflects a thoughtful musical philosophy
’I can play fast tempos, but I tend to avoid them,’ says Margit/a 'With Miles, I learned to appreciate the drama of not playing so much I like to think more like a composer, in terms of things like leaVing space for more of a dialogue with the other players, or giving shape to a solo, and using elements from other types of music rather than running through bebop (ll( hes or \‘vhatever '
l'hose keen to hear him \‘.lll be spoilt for choice as Margit/a will play ‘.‘.’llll The l‘r:o at llenry's ('ellar Bar on Sunday it) July, while h's own guaitet date \‘.’lll also feature special guest l'omrny Smith i'Kenny Mathiesont
preview MUSIC
ROCK/POP
The Saw Doctors Edinburgh: Corn Exchange, Fri 21 Jul.
Ireland has long been a hotbed of musical talent But whereas it once turned out the likes of U2 and The Pogues, today's pop Paddys come in the form of B'witched, Boy/one and V‘Jestlife lhe guestion that has to be asked is, what went wrong?
’I don't know, I suppose it al' jtlSl goes in \.*.'a\.'es,' surmises Saw Doctors guitarist lec) Moran ‘lhere was more of an earthiness about a lot of the music ten years ago and now it's Just manufactured lhere's distinc tively Irish about it '
With t\.‘.e|ve years of live gigs and four albums under their belts, it's safe to say the only manufactured thing about the Saw Doctors, is instrume"ts ‘.'.llll)l)lll() the (l()\.‘.(l into a feel-good lien/y has made t"‘-e loveable Irisi'ii'ie't one of Jritain's most popular bands, and international audiences iil‘:(itl(ll.'l(; one his Jodie loste'i haue a'so caiignt onto their appeai 'lt's atria/inc} l‘.()\.‘. the music just seems to \.'.o"l. across all the borders,’ says luloran ‘lhe Scottish (rounds are particularly ‘.'.ild, but generally get guzte an enthusiastic audience ‘.'.heie‘.'ei' go
lhe band's hybrid fiddle rock has carried them far, but last year saw their numbers swell from four to seven, ‘.'.|lll the introduction of keyboards, trumpet and saxophone brought in the brass was so people could come back and see a shoe. more than once,’ explains Moran "They'll get something different each time, a few new songs and a different favour'
Their fifth album Villains, due out this autumn, will also benefit from the new line-up, and shock horror technology ’We're broaching the subject of computers and learning how to do some seguencmg,’ says Moran 'But the live gig is totally different We're really treating them as two separate art forms '
Stalwart fans \Vlll notice that an old favourite has slipped from their live set, namely the Bangles homage 'l'd Love To Snog Susanna Hoffs’. ’I think maybe it needs to be re-written,’ suggests Moran ’We should do an Andrea Corr one now you'd have a lot of people sympathising with that kind of idea ' (Kelly Apteri
nothing
ll‘.(‘.l
lheir reputation ‘oi
‘l'he main reason we
Swiming against a tide of plastic pop paddys: The Saw Doctors
20 Jt.;
J ALA; .2000 THE “ST 61