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preview
ROCK Grandaddy QMU, Glasgow, Sun 28 Jan.
The year 2000 was quite a year for Grandaddy. Over the past twelve months, the unassuming and modest five piece band from Modesto, California have somehow transformed themselves from talented shuffling lo-fi contenders (albeit with beautiful songs) into a bona fide critical and commercial success. Their gorgeously fragile and panoramic second album, The Sophtware Slump, was many critics' best album of last year and the band embarked on a marathon of touring to promote it, spending most of the year on the road, and visiting Scotland no less than three times.
’Yeah, last year was really hectic,’ says guitarist Jim Fairchild from his home in the 'agricultural armpit' of California. ’It was a good year in terms of starting to see the results of doing a whole bunch of work, but it was also a really draining year and a very alcoholic year. I've spent the last four weeks trying to get my liver down from the size of a football to maybe the size of a grapefruit or whatever it's meant to be.’
Clearly gluttons for punishment, the band are about to hit the road yet again with another European tour, but how do they muster up the enthusiasm for yet another bout of crappy food, no sleep and constant booze abuse?
Actually, the past couple of days I've started to look forward to it,’ says Fairchild. ’We've started to kick around ideas for new visuals and new songs and we're kinda getting stoked about it.’ There’s no doubt that the band take their role as entertainers seriously, as Fairchild points out. ’People go to work for an hour or two to pay for that ticket, and I would hate for them to sit there and go, "Fuck I wasted that money, I could
Elbow corner the market in uplifting, mysterious gems
Exposure
We he ps you to fulfil that New Year’s resolution to seek out new and wonderful music. This issue: Elbow
‘An epic declaration of love and the realities of growing old with someone.’ Fantastic soundbite but what are you on about? This is Elbow singer Guy Garvey's description of his
42 THE “ST 18 Jan—l Feb 2001
band’s last single, the seven minute and 32 second crowning glory ‘Newborn’ on Uglyman records Uglyman? So are they? Perhaps, but Guy, Mark Potter lg'clllal'l, Craig Potter tkeyboardl, Rick Jupp (drumsl and Pete Turner «bassl might disagree. Anyway, they won't be Uglymen for much longer as they flock over to V2 Records after the release of their next EP, ‘Any Day Now’. It's all about the new. music, see
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Shit happens with Grandaddy
have spent it on anything and I spent it on that stupid Grandaddy set". If we’re up there bored stiff then it’s gonna become pretty apparent, so we definitely try to keep it entertaining for ourselves and everybody else.’
One result of this ethic is that Grandaddy are attracting a host of famous fans. David Bowie has been to see them several times, and at a New York gig, actress Liv Tyler and superwaif Kate Moss were on the guest list, something which these smalltown fellas find somewhat bemusing. 'They seemed like nice people,’ says Fairchild, ’but I dunno — coming backstage and seeing them there, that’s such a strange deal. I don’t even know if my mind can process that happening, you know?’
So did they forsee any of this showbiz jiggery-pokery when they started rehearsing in a dusty barn in the middle of nowhere back in 1995? ’No,’ laughs Fairchild. 'I was confident that everyone in the band was creatively ambitious, but I never thought any of this shit would happen.‘ (Doug Johnstone)
Oh, I get it. It’s that time of the year when Ibiza is closed for the winter shutdown and a new indie star is born. Well, yes, but the music rags have been tossing thesauruses at each other over this band when they haven’t been gomg bust.
So what part of Wales are they from then? Bury Heartfelt melancholy is universal these days Just take a look at the stargazmg of Coldplay
Coldplay? I've only just got over my bout of depression - tell me Elbow have got some happy tunes . . . The first line to 'Newborn’ is 'l'll be the corpse in your bathtub’, but I swear the song is magically uplifting and reminiscent of Radiohead before Radiohead stopped sounding like Radiohead. ‘Any Day Now’ scales in at a llQllI‘NElngl six minutes in length, and is a dark and mysterious church organ-fuelled treat
Elbow, Radiohead . . . what next? A group called The Toes. Coming soon. (Jason Cranwelll
3:3 E/bow p/ay King Tut’s, Glasgow, on Fri 26 Jan Any Day Now EP IS out now On Ug/yman/l/2
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Surface noise
All the Marxist, bookish, poll- winning antics in the wonderful world of music
STUART DAVID, ONE-TIME Belle & Sebastian man and now full-time commander-in-chief with Looper has his second novel published in April. The Peacock Manifesto, a black comedy set in Glasgow is the follow up to the much acclaimed Nalda Said. Looper have just signed a new deal with Mute records, the first fruits of which will be available in the coming year.
KING TUT'S HAS been declared 'Britain's most influential small venue' in a radio poll. Radio 1’s Lamatq Live polled listeners and the Glasgow tllll) beat competition like The Barfly in London to take the actolade
MANIC STREET PREACHERS release their sixth album Know Your Enemy on 26 March. They will also release two singles simultaneously on 5 March to promote the album and will announce UK dates shortly after their one-off show at the Karl Marx Theatre in Havana, Cuba later this month.
MARTYN BENNETT’S DATES at the Liqwd Room, Edinburgh on 9 March and the Arches, Glasgow on ll March have been cancelled due to illness
Just Announced
Leftfield Sound System Arches, Glasgow, 2 Feb, Divine Comedy LlQUld Room, Edinburgh, 14 Feb, Less Than Jake Barrowland, Glasgow, 1 1 Apr
Ani DiFranco Giveaway US singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco makes a welcome return to these
' shores to play Glasgow’s Old
Fruitmarket on Monday 29 January. We have three bundles of Ani caboodle to give away with copies of her last album Dilate, her last EP Swing Set and a pair of tickets for each winner. To enter simply tell us which country Ani comes from. Send your entries by Thursday 25 January to The List, 14 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1TE. See preview page 43
Stuart David