INDIE IAN BROWN Barrowland, Glasgow, Thu 28 Feb
‘lt’s not where you’re from, it’s where you’re at’, Ian Brown once quipped sagely. At the time, of course, he was the fresh-faced lead singer of The Stone Roses, a band who could surely have taught every bunch of sharply-dressed oiks to grace the NME’s cover in the last year a thing or two about being the saviours of rock’n’roll. Lest we forget, though, it’s now 2002 and a whole decade has begun and ended since the Roses‘ era-defining debut album made its way into the hearts and minds of every floppy-trousered youth in the nation. 80, as he approaches 40 and finally decides to tour his third solo album Music Of The Spheres, does anyone still care where the head of the opinionated but increasingly media-shy one-time King Monkey is ‘at’?
If you’re one of the punters who helped sell out this gig, of course, that’s a bloody silly question. Even though Oasis quickly supplanted
Brown’s old band as the Manc scally- rockers of choice as the Roses descended into a heartbreaking morass of walkouts, broken friendships, alleged drug addictions and a truly shitty live farewell at Reading 96, there still remained a silent majority of fans who would remain faithful in the hope that any of the band could ever rescale past heights on their own. Optimism initially lay with Brown’s one-time best mate John Squire - ‘arty type’ and Jimmy Page of his generation - but he soon dashed it with the increasingly ambitionless jangle-pop of The Seahorses. Meanwhile, Mani took a sideways step and joined Primal Scream, while Reni sank further than they ever rose, effectively passing the buck of expectation to Brown alone. His first solo album Unfinished Monkey Business took a pounding as he struggled to find his musical feet and Golden Greats, the follow-up, attracted more publicity for over-hyped accusations of homophobia and the spot of bird he did following an apparent air-rage incident. What is apparent however
ROCK A Garage, Glasgow, Wed 20 Feb
They might not tell you this in the
rock‘n'roll guide to stardom but patience
is a necessary Virtue . . . Just ask Darius
Danesh. Thankfully Britrockers A haven't
gone anywhere near the tuneless
Cheese of the incorrigible Scot. and have
instead worked duretly and steadily on an album that will rocket them to the fame they deseme.
The mighty Hi-Fi Serious is the s0und of a rejuvenated band. back from the brink and ready to take their powerful blend of beats and rock riffen; to stadium status. But isn't this the stuff that US bands knock out in their sleep nowadays”? ‘It is a bit annoying but we've got a lot to thank them for really.‘ Mark Chapman, guitarist. laughs. ‘We arrived in the middle of the whole Britnop thing. but now I think it's finally the right time for us. Also there's more Substance in our lTlUSlC than a lot of these other bands. and .rre've made good songs that will last: they're not throwaway .'
The A of 2002 seem to be the
44 THE LIST '~1 2h let; 2’73.”
all along.
embodiment of self-belief. positiVIty and ambition compared to the forgotten rock Outfit that limped through the nineties ‘~.‘.’|lll()Lll Success. This desne to aclnexe runs right through Hi-F/ Serious and the Vitriolic attack on demeaning jobs that is new track 'Starhucks'. Anti- globalisation statement or Just pissed off ‘.‘.’llll your boss? Chapman laughs. ‘It's not a real big anti-capitalist rant because the irony is that if it all goes
Keeping up with the Browns
is that there is enough of the inherent old swagger remaining to convince us that the Holy Grail of the Roses’ enigmatic appeal was on Brown’s mantelpiece
Now, it seems, the critical rehabilitation is complete: rave reviews for the new album, Brit and Carling Award nominations as best solo artist and - when he talks - the same eloquently uncompromising attitude he had in his twenties. After all, you’d never catch Liam Gallagher referencing Situationist philosophies in interviews, just as you can’t imagine the man who insisted the Royal Family should turn over their stately homes to the homeless (Brown) dedicating a song to Princess Di onstage (Gallagher).
So why should we care? Easy. Because Brown - through a cloud of dope, the mellowing that comes with marriage and fatherhood, and all the bullshit of the last few years - obviously still cares so much that it would be plain rude not to try and keep up. (David Pollock)
A is for ambition
wrong we'll probably be working there anyway. It's Just about deing what yOu want in life'
So what would you say to those peeple who wrote you off last time? ‘Here we are deing what we've always done and IOVing it!‘ Whether it's Emo. garage rock or disco-punk. A are a band you can ignore for no longer. and not even a grievance in Sight.
(Camilla Pia)
music@list.co.uk
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Music news now
FROM BOOKING A DIXIELAND jazz brass band for a support act at the Barrowland, to Stuart Murdoch running for the post of rector at Glasgow University, Belle & Sebastian have never liked to do things normally.
To promote the live date at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall on 1 April, Murdoch has organised a treasure hunt for fans. Here’s the word from the man himself. . .
‘There is to be a treasure hunt. In the cities of Edinburgh, Manchester and London there will be hidden three trophies. If you find one of these trophies, you and a friend will be able to come to whichever B&S British show you want, all three if you so desire. And at one of the shows you can come back and have a beer with us if you’d like, as well.
All you have to do is find one of the things! But I’m not going to make it that easy. It’s going to be a wee bit of a task, and you’re going to have to know something about the city in which you are looking.
You are going to have to find letters. I will give you a clue as to the location of each letter. When you have found them all, unscramble the letters and get the final clue that ought to lead you to the loot!
More details, and the clues to follow in the next couple of weeks. I trust there will be a few you that will make the effort. And | tell you this, whoever finds the London one will really have had to strain their brains! But we’ll see. . . ’ Consult http://www.banchory .net/belleandsebastian/news .html for more info and clues. SUB CITY RADIO. GLASGOW UniverSity's radio station :s back on air this month. From 9 Februan to 9 March the station broadcasting on 106.7FM. AFTER GAINING AIRPLAY with the like of Steve Lamaq and John Peel, electronic beats and breaks man Bendy Toy has his debut Radio 1 session aired on the Session In Scotland on Thursday 28 February.