POLK
BOB DYLAN
Stirling Castle, Fri 13 July 0.
Ne/er mind the Never Ending Tour — '.».inat abbot the Ne/er Ending Oueue below Stirling Castle? With ten rriinutes to go before the srioxr. a few thousand were still .vaiting to get in. The masses. adrriirably tolerant. featured enough grey heads and grandmothers to keep any neds frOm stori’ning the gates as the first strains of the opening number rang out. For those still trudging thrOugh the drizzle. it was Dylan's hesitant croaking to the pleasantly countrified two-step saving of Eli/abeth Cotten's “Babe It Ain't No
Lie' that y'all missed.
Farnously. no conseCutive Dylan sets are alike. allegedly. and his live arrangements ensure songs don't mimic their recorded versions. Give the man his due: too many bloody acts simply regurgitate their CDs. So
Maggie's Farm' is nearly full-tilt boogie (the treatment offered ‘Hrghway 81' in the encore. as well). wrth Dylan heaVily aspirating the final syllable of most lines. 'I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no mahhhhhhh.’ Tlerngl’lOUi the tune. Dylan — dressed in black. his gargoyle face in place — waggles a left knee in a hyphenated
version of the Twrst.
An old croaker returns
For some time now, he has unfortunately fancied himself a gurtar hero. so fans (as well as his indulgent band) are faced wrth a series of atonal solos. But is Dylan iust taking the piss? He also adopts a melodramatic srnging style at times that
both highlights and ridicules (perhaps for the sake of comic relief) the drama of his
lyrics. Like it or not. at least the idiosyncratic phrasing. whether in ‘ere a Rolling Stone' or “Mr. Tambourine Man‘ (where tam-bour-ine is spat out in staccato triplets). makes it mighty difficult for those gathered to engage in any sentimental
Sing-alongs.
‘Just Like a Woman' benefits from the shimmering pedal steel lines of Billy Campbell (his band is tight) and the bridge With its rnrnor key change manages to generate ~ amid the twrlight gloom — some genuine drama. But there is not a lot
of that during this soggy two-hour standing-room only concert in a not particularly
well-suited venue. After he flirted With mortality a few years back. you sense that
the Never Ending Tour will continue until the 80-year-old Dylan drops dead. Just as
most of his blues heroes have done before him. But Stirling's show. if uninspired and arguably self-indulgent. proves that the good Mr Zimmerman doesn‘t need a frame to negotiate any stage Just yet. (Barry Shelby)
Book now I The Dirty Three Liquid Room. Edinburgh. 4 Aug.
I Robbie Williams Hampden Park Glasgow. 4 8. 5 Aug. SOLD OUT
I Frank Black LIQLlld Room. Edinburgh. 6 Aug.
I . . . And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead Gaia. Edinburgh. 7 Aug.
I Low Liquid Room. Edinburgh. 7 Aug.
I The Bluetones
Liquid Room, Edinburgh.
9 Aug. I The Supernaturals
Liquid Room. Edinburgh,
10 Aug. I The Bluetones
King Tut's Wah Wah Hut.
Glasgow 10 Aug I Kevin McDermott
Liquid Room. Edinburgh.
1 1 Aug. I Alfie Liquid Room. Edinburgh. 12 Aug.
ape/x"
CATATDNIA
Lighthouse. Glasgow. Thu 5 Jul.
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Ligt‘it'VOu‘se.
Setting the scene ;" the xenue with 'l Ar". The Mob .. Carrie Oi". Ii'l': ‘.‘.e.sh rockersf their attention to some from their forthcoming; a'buri‘. Pare" Scissors Store. The soft—bailed 'Irriaginar, Friend' and the crunch;
'lmrriediate irrtie’
potential Singie fodder a'id '.'.e"e xec,
and
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'l‘tiit‘i'iti
much in the farriiiiav style — a fresh interpretation of their tried and tested
Music
Back for good
fOrmula. Another nexuie. ‘Dr.igs'. retti'r‘ to the sound <7? their ea'liei seemed to spark an eerie silence as work: the .1vria'itr.‘s of Wm Beyond its lyrics instilled themselves into the one. and even (“fernafwxit "(miter crowd. spring to mind.
New single ‘Storie Bi, Stone' and heavrer. guitar-driven “Village Idiots'. received favourable applause while old faVOurites 'Mulder & SCuIIy and “Road Rage' sent the audience into a wild
frenzy.
There does seem overall to be a
LOCAL LIVE
After the (lisanr iiztiintrrie'it of the lacklustre Elba/i". Corset," And Hesse.) it seems the long break has done Catatonia the '.'.'(>r7(l (if good and their refreshing sound might just l‘elii pump
back some energy into an ever-
stagnating industry (lain Dicksonl
TRIP FONTAINE/STIK FlNLAYS/AMBIENT DAYS Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Tue 10 Jul 000.
A shambling Trip Fontaine takes to the stage. launching into a barrage of psychedelic pop. He really gets the small crowd going wrth his solo acoustic action; get this man a quality backing band and he'd raise the roof. The Stik Finlays all look about sixteen but rock like proper bastards: raw. harsh garage rock. Think Nirvana in their younger days. With a name like Ambient Days I had visions of some Orb inrannabes.
Fortunately. in reality the headliners are a consummate indie trio. with a selection of heartfelt guitar-based tunes flavOured by Britpop's darker side. 7()s rock and
even reggae at times.
Overall a very high standard of unsigned talent is marred slightly by the low turn out. Surely a reSuIt of being so soon after T in the Park. (Henry Northmorei
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 1 8 Wa, Ahead: 1339 8383 Edinburgh: Virgin - Princes Street. 220 3234 o Ripping Records Soiith Bridge. 228 7010 - Way Ahead 0141 3:39 83815
I Bad Manners Barrowland. Glasgow. 12 Aug.
I Ladyfest feat. Katastrophy Wite, Bis and Fake 13th Note Club. Glasgow. 12 Aug. I Ladyfest feat. Bangs, Electrelane, Sarah Dougher and Life Without Buildings 13th Note Cafe. Glasgow. 13 Aug.
I Ladyfest feat. Bratmobile, Angelica, Carol Laula and The Gossip 13th Note Cafe. Glasgow. 1.: Aug.
I Starsailor LIQLiid Room. Edinburgh. 1-1 I The Avalanches Liquid Room. Edinburgh. 15 Aug.
I Powderfinger quurd Room. Edinburgh. 17 Aug.
I Tim Finn Corn Exchange. Edinburgh. 17 Aug.
I Extreme 2001 feat. The Vandals and Less Than Jake. SECC. Glasgow. 18 Aug.
I Luke Vibert Gaia. Edinburgh. 19 Aug.
I Kathryn Williams Liquid Room Edinburgh. 19 Aug.
I Sparklehorse Gaia. Edinburgh. 20 Aug.
I Ben Folds Liquid Room. Edinburgh. 20 Aug.
I Stephen Malkmus Gaia. Edinburgh. 22 Aug. I The Spooks Barret-riand. Glasgow. 22 Aug.
I Stone Temple Pilots Barrowland. Glasgow. 23 Aug.
I Supergrass Corn Exchange. Edinburgh. 23 Aug.
I Space Liqaio‘ Room Edinburgh. 24 Aug.
I Lowgold Liquid Room. Edinburgh. 2:3 Aug.
I Gig On The Green Glasgow. 25 8t 28 Aug.
I Arab Strap quurd Room. Edinburgh. 26 Aug.
I My Vitriol Liquid Room. Edinburgh. 27 Aug.
I Rocket From The Crypt Gaia. Edinburgh. 28 Aug.
I Michael Franti and Spearhead The Liquid Room. Edinburgh. 29 Aug.
I Hear’say SECC. Glasgow. 31 Aug. 1 8i 2 Sep.
I Northern Soul Night Feat Edwin Starr Barrowland. Glasgow. 1 Sep.
I Tattoo The Planet: feat Slayer, Pantera, Cradle Of Filth SECC. Glasgow. 15 Sep.
I Al Stewart Renfrew Ferry. Glasgow. 20 Sep.
I Cast OMU. Glasgow. 23 Sep.
I Gorilla: Corn Exchange. Edinburgh. 24 Sep.
I New Found Glory Garage. Glasgow. 28 Sep.
I Walter Trout Renfrew Ferry Glasgow. 4 Oct.
I Shed Seven Barrowland. Glasgow. 6 Oct.
* Super Furry Animals Corn Exchange. Edinburgh. 6 Oct.
I Soft Cell Barrowland. Glasgow. 21 Oct.
I Air Barrowland. Glasgow. 28 8t 29 Oct. I U840 and The Pretenders. SECC. Glasgow. 29 Oct.
I Slipknot SECC. Glasgow. 8 Nov.
* Blink 182 SECC. GiaSQCW. 14 Nov.
I Willie Nelson SECC. Glasgow. 18 Nov.
I Joe Strummer Barrowland. Glasgow. 18 Nov.
I David Cassidy SECC. Glasgow. 18 Nov. I Willie Nelson Usher Hall, Edinburgh, '8 8. 19 Nev.
* Status Quo SECC. Glasgow. 21 Nov.
* Englebert Humperdinck SECC. 24 Nov.
I Steps SECC. Glasgow. 27 8 28 Nov.
‘ Marti Pellow SECC. Glasgow. 5 Dec.
I Jools Holland Clyde Auditororn. Glasgow. 8 Dec.
I Guns ‘N’ Roses SECC. Glasgow. 18 Dec. I Bjorn Again Clyde Auditorium Glasgow. 22 Dec: Barrowland. Glasgow. 23 Dec.
I S Club 7 SECC. G’asgow. 19 8 20 Jan.
.i—2 Aug 22:11:15 LIST 53