HIP HOP/ELECTRONIC
Red Snapper King Tut's, Glasgow, Mon 6 Nov.
Red Snapper are full of surprises. The first thing that is a surprise when David Ayers answers the phone is his voice, the accent is a squeaky American one, not the cockney wideboy of his band mates. Also, surprisingly, they manage to create a kind of music which in general terms, can be defined as a variant of ‘funk' but doesn't resort to shameless retroism and ultimately naffness.
Most surprising, however, is that unlike many groups obsessed with pleasing the punters, Red Snapper are focused on pleasing themselves. Ayers chuckles when ask if he is ‘satisfied’ with how their new album has turned out. It is important to point out that the title of said platter is We Aim To Satisfy Red Snapper. ‘There was a lot of reasons why we chose that title,‘ explains Ayers. ‘First of all because it made us laugh and depending on how you looked at it we were being incredibly obsequious or terribly arrogant. The more prosaic answer is that our accountant was on holiday in Florida and he saw this big neon sign at this restaurant and it said the dish of the day was red snapper and the restaurant‘s motto was "our aim is to satisfy“.
The new record is also a host of surprises. The pulsing heartbeat at the centre of it all is still the staccato jazz funk rhythms and throbbing double bass of Ayers' cohorts, Richard Thair and Ali Friend, but as well as Ayers glacial guitar licks, Red Snapper have further bolstered their sound with strings, brass and more wild electronics.
That said, the record - co-produced by Primal Scream/David Holmes studio man Hugo Nicholson - is as ‘live’ a record as the band have ever made. ‘A lot of people have told us that they like what we do on record but they love what we do live. So we thought “how can we capture more of that“. I don't think its possible to
More than just a rock antiques roadshow
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Self-satisfied Red Snapper continue their plans for conversion reproduce what happens live, even a live album doesn’t capture everything, but you can get some of it down. We wanted to tap into that huge wall of sound we make.‘ The best example of how the band have captured this is on ‘They‘re Hanging Me Tonight‘ which is one gargantuan, rumbling, string-laden crescendo.
Another highlight is the vocal contribution from their new discovery Karim Kendra, who provides the vocals on two tracks including the albums finest, ‘Shellback’. ‘She was recommended to us by Gilles Peterson,‘ says Ayers. ‘She‘s from LA but living in London. She used to be a professional wrestler and has this amazing voice.‘
With Kendra and MC Det, the band‘s erstwhile rapper/MC in tow, Red Snapper will be touring the length and breadth of the country converting more followers to their jazzfunkhiphopdub gospel. You are recommended to get down to what could be a deeply religious experience. (Mark Robertson)
Maiden metal roadshow hits Scotland what can we expect at the SECC in Glasgow? 'It’s basically two hours of Olympic long Jump With explosions and a monster,’ says Dickinson With a laugh. ’We’re all running around like lunatics and down the front is rabid, all the young kids are gOing nuts.’
HaVing been around for 25 years now Iron Maiden are hardly yOung men, so you have to wonder about their abilities in the rock 'n' roll lifestyle department. Apparently not, according to Dickinson: 'I think the only time stamina really becomes a factor is ab0ut fOur in the morning after a gig,’ he says. 'Whereas before you'd carry on until eight o'clock, nowadays you go to bed.’
There’s no denying that there has
METAL
Iron Maiden SECC, Glasgow, Thu 2 Nov.
All right, I know what yOu're thinking »- Iron Maiden7 They’re a bit of a Joke aren't they7 A bunch of has-been metallers well past their sell-by date? Well, you’re entitled to yOur opinion, but there's a Whole bunch of people out there who don’t agree.
With Bruce Dickinson returning to restore the band’s classic line-up and a
new album under their belts, Iron Maiden have been on a humungOLis WOrld tOur and lovmg every minute of it ’The mm is gOing faiitastic,' says Dickinson, ’and record sales have been astOLinding; we’ve never sold more records in Our lives, I expected it to do well because it’s a good Maiden album, but I’ve been surprised at the amount of sales cos it means a whole new audience is buying our stuff.’
The band have always been keen on putting on a theatrical show, so as the
been a resurgence of interest in all things metally recently, so what does Dickinson reckon to n0isy yOung upstarts like Slipknot and Korn? ’It doesn't really affect what we do,’ he says. 'A lot of these bands from America are very manufactured and I don't see them being around in a few years.’ So how long can he see Maiden gOing for? ’I don’t anticipate us gomg much beyond 100 years old. Then we might make Our funeral album.’
(DOug Johnstone)
preview MUSIC
FOLK/WORLD
Alison McMorland Edinburgh Folk Club, Wed 15 Nov.
’I've sung more in Ireland than in Scotland over the last few years’ admits Alison McMorland, jUSt back from a ViSit to Micheal O’ SUilleabhain’s Limerick University centre for Irish mUSlC. Ireland’s gain has been Scotland’s loss, for the woman from Strathaven has always been one of our finest singers, a performer of great honesty and Sincerity, and that rare thing, taste. With a new album Cloudberry Day (her first for two decades) due for early December release on the LiVing Tradition label, peOple are soon going to hear a lot more of the singer so praised by everyone from Hamish Henderson to Dick Gaughan, but who remains largely unknown to the general public, and most contemporary folkies.
Though she teaches on the Scottish mUSIC course at Glasgow’s Royal Academy of Music, and has spent most of her life, here and in England — including a long spell among Cornwall’s ancient folk traditions — involved in community education and arts, and always incorporating song, she feels saddened that a once- universal ability to express ourselves in song can't now be taken for granted. ’I feel sorry for the way today’s young people think they have to be stars. It seems they don't have the same grassroots understanding of what Singing means. What the songs mean. I’ve always seen Singing in a context, it’s such a social thing — and not Just for the home. You get such a lot from Singing — and sharing it.’
’But I think there’s a desensitisation gomg on and I think it’s linked to status. They see all around them an explosion of performance, and peOple seem to believe that they can’t sing Without a microphone or a PA system. Or Without a band behind them. But Singing doesn’t need anything. The human v0ice itself is Just Such a lovely statement of the person.’
’For me, the song has to sung With passion. There's got to be spirit, life. It’s not a dead art. People I like to listen to have that emotional involvement. OtherWise, What is the pomt?’ (Norman Chalmers)
2—16 Nov 2000 THE “ST 47