Roots Manuva: rhyming
“(it There was plenty to get vinyl junkies foaming about. Stalwarts returning with quality offerings of note included The Beta Band. The Charlatans. New Order. Basement Jaxx. Radiohead, Arab Strap and an exemplary platter from Mogwal. Best not forget Super Furry Animals. who produced the first ever DVD album release with the quite beautiful Rings Around The World. As far as compilations went Leaf's The Complete Death Of Cool. The Stanton Warriors’ Session and Ninja Tune‘s Listen Now! were absolute beauties with Missy Elliot, Jay-Z and our own Roots Manuva. setting the hip hop heather alight.
Dance
Of the 36 dance shows The List sat through at this year‘s Edinburgh Festival and Fringe. a mere fifteen were worth watching. Happily the average for the rest of the year came in considerably higher. Despite its recent troubles. Scottish Ballet managed to deliver two respectable works: Carmen in May and a contemporary- tinged Mixed Programme in September. while our other national company. Scottish Dance Theatre continued to grow with its autumn double- bill. Elsewhere. star turns came courtesy of Akram Khan at Tramway in February. talented
young pups NDT 2 in May. Mikhail Baryshnikov's PASTForward at the EIF and the ever-wonderful Rambert and Mark Morris Dance Company in October and November.
Shopping
S'Q'ITZ In the world of retail therapy. Glasgow continued to shine. Buchanan Street in particular not only got blue lighting but new arrivals in the shape of Urban Outfitters and Miss Sixty. while out at Braehead. Ikea opened its largest UK outlet. In Edinburgh, new stores seemed to prefer opening outwith the city centre as H&M and Borders set up shop at Fort Kinnaird with Ocean Terminal in Leith. continuing the trend.
Fashion-wise you c0uld take your pick of numerous retro styles. Batwing jumpers and yellow and blue eyeliner meant the 80s were back in town. while the fash pack also tried to persuade us to buy into military chic. 508 style and the Mafia-wife look. Moulin Rouge made its mark on the high street as bustiers. velvet and lace filled the shops. and the original style icon Madonna started a c0pycat trend for T—shirts with other people's name on.
Scotland's very own fashion festival Intervention at the Arches was bigger and better than eve. Isobel Mowat walked away with the title of New Scottish Designer Of The Year. and Caroline Sievwright picked up the Student Designer award. Meanwhile. innovative interiors were guaranteed from the likes of metal-fixated ArcAngels and the sweets reproduced as furniture tactics of Stargoyl.
Theatre
till Among some clever revivals were a new version of Buchner's Woyzeck by David Harrower. which glowed with a kind of malignant energy. and Liam Brennan's astonishing Hamlet. which added a level of humour to the Dane not seen in years. without impeding the play's tragic dynamic. These were both early in the year. but the post-Edinburgh Festival revivals of Glengarry Glen Ross and Comedy Of Errors boosted the repertOry reputation of the Royal Lyceum. High standards were also set by the permanent company at Dundee Rep. which '. presented some real \‘ pearls over the
Gagarin Way: storming
80$ fashion: recycling
course of the year. with the particular highlight being visnting Lithuanian director Rimas Tuminas' interpretation of The Seagull. as weird and startling a Chekhov as you‘re ever likely to see. The Byre Theatre finally reopened in new and very plush premises. and with a challenging mid-summer Sondheim, into The Woods.
at Further back. some interesting new work included Suspect Cultures Casanova. a production which. like so much of this company's work. improved with age. and Naomi Wallace's superb The Trestle At Pope Lick Creek.
m The Edinburgh Festival produced an abundance of
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ArcAngels: ironing
.8 .lm‘ .KK‘? THE LIST 17