HOCKPOP KRISTIN HERSH
King Tut’s, Glasgow, 29 Apr oooo
l“ will
Kirsten Hersh works her black magic
Singer-songwriter, guitar, songs. The boredom inherent in most evenings
of this ilk never becomes an issue tonight, partly because Kristin Hersh is
a seasoned performer - she’s mastered the art of tuning up and simultaneously keeping the audience amused, telling stories of her travels in the UK and beyond, and, an obviously proud mother, reciting a few nominations for the ‘kids say the funniest things’ awards 2001 - but mostly because her forte has always been quite simply her songs, all
huggable with claws.
Tonight we’re given the full range, from her latest album Sunny Border Blue - from which the ruminations of ‘Spain’ stand out - back through some outstanding Throwing Muses moments such as ‘Cottonmouth’ and the sublime ‘Delicate Cutters’ from their debut, and back even further to Appalachian folk songs and her own father’s skewed ballads.
Hersb’s amazing voice, ranging from hushed lullaby to distinctive roar, always dominates her nevertheless interesting arrangements, and is capped by her characteristic hypnotic, piercing stare into the middle distance. It’s curious that for such a captivating, almost uplifting
performance, Hersh’s songs most commonly deal with slow-burning spite
over love gone wrong. ‘Have we hit rock bottom yet?’ she asks the audience half way through. Smiling shyly at the enthusiastic response, she continues to work her own, distinctively black magic.
(Jan F. Zeschky)
I Ozric Tentacles Liquid Room. Edinburgh 24 Ma}: chli'cw Ecrr}. (ilasgow. 25 Ma).
I Aereogramme and Life Without Buildings Liquid Room. Edinburgh. 25 Ma}.
I Echo And The Bunnymen (ial‘itgc. (ilasgow. 25 Ma).
I Deacon Blue Playhouse. Edinburgh. 25 Ma}; ('l}dc Auditorium. (ilasgow, 26 Ma):
I Deconstruction feat, Snuff, Pennywise, Lagwaggon Sli(‘(‘. (ilaxgou. 26 May.
I Gordon Giltrap l’lcaxancc (‘abarct Bar. Edinburgh. 26 Ma).
I The Donnas (iaragc. Glasgow 27 Ma);
» a Book now ,
POCK
DEGRASSI/SENATOR
13th Note Cafe. Glasgow. Mon 30 Apr.
>37 I‘d.
Music
It's Monday night and there are four bands from out ot tot-.n playing at the Note. sounds like a prelude to the gig from hell. With an audience composed greatly of the other bands and those good folks that drove them through to the capital it's sadly a little roomy in the Cafes downstairs basement. Perhaps extreme facial quining and satanic sacrificial offerings of attendees is an integral part of a Degrassi gig and therefore the real reasons behind the human
depletion.
So it's feur bands restricting themselxes to playing for orin about twenty minutes each. and it's all pleasantly enjoyable. Brutish. yes. but as With any concoction of influences that include perhaps Fugazr Sabbath. Danzig and the Rollins Band. it is never going to be any different. Subtlety as an agentla-topping piioiit; iust doesn’t exrst although Degrassi do manage to fuse a little tenderness into the proceedings as they grasp the dynamics of being quiet one
minute and ear bleedingly loud the next.
Pick of the bunch by the narrowest of margins has to be Senator. Less exr’)erimental than Degrassi but tonight they are more deviant, They don't JtllTlD around; it is an intensity of sound rather than physrcal achievement. simple. loud and packed Wllll the potential for devastating rock effectiveness. Punching the air wrth index finger and pinky extended whether in a post modern ironic sense Or not is only a natural reaction. (Craig Wylie)
ELIOT
King Tut‘s. Glasgow, Fri 27 Apr.
ll music was a Circus. Surely anyone in a rising indie band would have to be the tightrope walker. destined for either popular adulation or a merciless plunge into ‘COuldabeen' obscurity. This three-piece are still willing to try their luck. it seems. armed only wrth a repertOire of ‘proper' songs and a typically Scottish line in modest self-deprecation l'We're rubbish'. claims singer-songwriter Joe McAdam at one pOinti. They don't offer much new to a scene already boasting the likes of close musical relatives Travrs and Teenage Fanclub. but originality isn't really the point here. Eliot, then: trad. but not bad. (DaVid Pollock)
Ticket information: Tickets for most medium/large concerts can be bought from the following:
Glasgow: Virgin, Buchanan Galleries. 332 4400 - Credit card bookings from: Ticket Link: 287 5:31 1 8. Way Ahead: 1339 83813 Edinburgh: Virgin - Princes Street. 220 3234 - Ripping Records South Bridge. 226 7010 - Way Ahead 01/11 (3159 8383
I Disturbed Q.\ll '. Glasgow. 28 May.
I Everclear Barrowland. (ilasgou. 28 Ma);
I Henry Rollins Pavilion. Glasgow. 28 Ma}.
I Cast Liquid Room. Edinburgh. 2‘) Ma)". (iaragc. Glasgow. 3() Ma).
I Papa Roach Barron land. (ilasgou. 30 Ma}; S()Ll) ()l'T
I Mary Chapin Carpenter Ro) .il (‘onccrt Hall. (ilasgoxx. 3() Ma}.
I Mark Eitzel \L‘nuc. Edinburgh. 4 Jun.
I Travis Barrouland. (ilasgow. 6 Jun.
I Tindersticks Liquid Room. Edinburgh. 6 Jun. I Incubus Burro“ land. (ilaxgoxx. 7 Jun.
I Tool Barrowland. Glasgow. 8 Jun.
I Belle & Sebastian Quccns Hall. Dunoon. 9 Jun; (‘ity llall. l’crth. ll) Jun; (‘arncgic Hall. l)unl'crmlinc. ll Jun.
I Neil Young and Crazy Horse Sli(‘(‘. (ilasgtm. l()Jun.
I Rae 8. Christian Liquid Room. Edinburgh. ll) Jun.
I Astrid (‘otticrs
'I'hcau'c. (ilasgtm. ll) Jun.
I Semisonic (‘lydc Auditorium. Glasgow. 1 1 Jun.
I Reel Big Fish (iaragc. (ilasgow. l 1 Jun. I Limp Bizkit SE(‘('. Glasgow. ll Jun. SOLD ()l'T
I Roxy Music Sli(‘(‘. (ilasgou. ll Jun.
I Guns ‘N’ Roses SECC. (ilasgtm. l2 Jun. 801.!) ()l'T
I Judas Priest Barron land. (ilasgim'. l3 Jun.
I The Proclaimers
Liquid Room. Edinburgh.
l-l Jun; (iaragc. (ilasgoxi, l5 Jun.
I The Wildhearts (iaragc. Glasgow, 15 Jun. I Belle & Sebastian Barrowland. (ilasgou. 15 8: I6Jun.
I Goldfrapp Liquid
Room. Edinburgh. l7 Jun.
I Irn Bru Live &
Loud Bcllahouston Park.
Glasgow. l7 Jun.
I Willard Grant Conspiracy ('ounting Home. Edinburgh. 17 Jun.
I The Bathers Liquid
Room. Edinburgh. l‘) Jun.
I Super Furry Animals Barrowland. Glasgow. 23 Jun.
I Gorilla: Corn Exchange. Edinburgh. 27 Jun.
I Suzanne Vega Liquid Room. Edinburgh. 27 Jun; King Tut's. (ilasgtm. 28 Jun.
I Nashville Pussy (iaragc. (ilasgtm. 2 Jul. I Robert Cray Royal (‘onL‘L‘l‘I llall. Glasgow. 2 Jul.
I Vonda Shepard Royal (‘onccrt Hall. (ilasgow. 3 Jul.
I David Byrne Queen's llall. Edinburgh. 4 Jul.
I BB King Princcs Slrcct (iardcns. Edinburgh. 8 Jul.
I Isaac Hayes Thcatrc Royal. (ilasgou. 7 Jul.
I T in the Park Kinross, Balado. 7 3; 8 Jul.
I Megadeth and Boiler Room
Barrou land. Glasgow 9 Jul.
I Bob Dylan Stirling
(’asllc. l3 Jul.
I Beach Boys and Status Ouo Edinburgh (‘astlu 1‘) Jul.
I Saw Doctors Barrowland. (ilasgow. 20 Jul.
I Mark Knopfler ('lydc Auditorium. (ilasgrm. 20 Jul.
I Tom Jones Edinburgh ('astlc. Edinburgh. 20 & 2| Jul. I The Eagles Hampdcn Park. (ilasgow. 22 Jul.
I Robbie Williams llampdcn Park Glasgow. 3 & 4 Aug. S()Ll) ()LT I Extreme 2001 feat. Pitchshifter and The Ataris SE('('. (ilasgou. l8 Aug. I Gig On The Green Glasgow. 25 6k 26 Aug. I Shed Seven
Barrrm land. Glasgow 7 Oct.
10—24 May 27/11 THE LIST 53