Music
ROCK THE STROKES Corn Exchange, Edinburgh, Sat 23 Mar 000
The idea of the Strokes is brilliant. Five drop-dead gorgeous NY guys in charity shop chic bashing out simple new wave guitar pop genius without a care in the world. What could be better? The reality of the Strokes is a little more complicated. They’re a young band, scarcely out of rock kindergarten, and their inexorable rise to fame has catapulted them into a world of humungous gigs and showbiz buffoonery for which they seem ill prepared.
Because young bands, like young footballers, are prone to erratic performances. Sometimes brilliant, sometimes dodgy as hell, the Strokes and their dedication to a punk rock ethos are both to be applauded, but it also means that you’re going to have to put up with the odd stinker of a gig.
This rammed Corn Exchange outing isn’t exactly a stinker, but it sure as hell isn’t a great show either. Whether they’ve partied too hard after last night’s Barrowland bash is unknown, but someone has definitely slipped something sleepy in the band’s pre-gig cup of tea.
The signs are there from the off, as an incredibly sluggish ‘New York City Cops’ chugs along, the hysterical reception it receives out of step with events on stage. And it takes a long time to start getting any better.
‘Barely Legal’ and ‘Soma’ are similarly soporific, and the couple of new tunes that get an airing don’t inspire great hope for the band’s longevity.
But then towards the end of an inevitably brief set something happens and the band seem to wake up from their stupor to sprinkle some rock’n’roll magic around a barren and soulless Corn Exchange.
A rippling, aggressive ‘Last Night’ starts the fightback, closely followed by a taught, tense ‘Hard To Explain’, but by this point the band have already played most of their only album, and it all seems like a case of too little too late, especially for the princely sum of £15 a ticket.
Merely a stumbling block or a sign of things to come?
Not quite the master strokes
Rita-3 LATIN SOUL FUNK BIG BOSS MAN one. Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Mar
Nasser BOliSKlZl lvocals. keyboard). Trevor Harding :guatari. Scott lVlllSOll‘ idouble bass; and Nick N'cho's druiiisi have been together since ‘Eltiél knocking out their funked-up version c‘ (itl's nop all over Europe on the Blow Up ‘Ett)()l. Tonight in front of a shamefully sparse (t..(l=(?ll(2(} they are looking dapper. Bousida sports a rather special shirt baisley cravat covi‘oc and Harnwg "-as risked a cream two-
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MISTY MARTINEZ 0
13th Note Club, Glasgow, Thu 21 Mar
lVllSl‘,‘ Martiiie/ might haxe a banner behind her saying ‘l'm constantl, high on cocaine'. but unfortunately it's the most interesting thing about her. SOOll‘lllgl‘y ()l‘. a quest to disprove the theory that anyone who owns a sampler and g; rates about ‘.‘./llli(2 'l‘llllll)llllg into a microphone can ll‘ fact be Peaches. Misty has about as 'l‘thll charisma and stage presence as a wet rag. and the music to match. Next! No such fears ‘.'./|ill Gold Chains. OK. it‘s one ll‘ii'ill. a laptop and a sampler. but that's where
FROG ROCK THE WEIRD BEARDS 00 The Southern Bar, Edinburgh, Fri 22 Mar
Arid», "Tiny ‘.".’cod. the hunting >us lead singer of the laii‘ented Ultrasound has really cornered the ii‘arket i". big l“.(}l‘ fronting prog rock 'ispired bands. but if)"lgl‘:i Graeriie Manneririg. tne ieau singer of the \"Jeird Beards. certainly {yang iv" a ran for his ii‘oney
Th 1i" frst couple o" tunes have a pleasing Toydiai‘. atmosphere to then. exhibiting the said ll‘.lf3l(ll£tllf3'lll) of the bass player, the zlr'..'iiiiic-r and Méil‘l‘OF rig l‘.‘-'7lf$(}3l on lead guitar. l"ll‘.§lf3 begin to fat. apart with tlie vocal tracks. Were .53 noth'ng partctiiariy narrong ‘.'./lll‘. his ‘.:>ice: he Just cannot sec-Iii to settle on one. ()“e minute lie sounds like dad Fair. the next
piece slice of 60's Saville Row.
They rock out. feet shuttle. this is a disease of good music. "Sell Your SOuI' c0iild be claSSic mid-period Georgie Fame. ‘Humanise' and ‘Big Boss Man” are belted Out with an Edwin Starr relish. 'Sea Groove' and 'Money' clatter like a back alley brawl between Bobby Hughes and Buddy Rich. Mongo Santamaria's ‘Cloud Nine' dashes breathlessly from these consummate muSicians who are playing hard and fast like their life depended on it. You missed quite a night my friend. iPaul Dale.
his resemblance to the support act stops. Where Martinez is a shambling mess. Topher LaFata (for Gold Chains is hel is on a one- man crusade to fuse the best of bragaddocio- tilled hip hop with intricate. glitchy electronica.
Doesn't SOtltld too appeallng. but in these hands. on tracks Such as the hyped-up Number One Face (sample line: ‘I got a bass degree. it's my PhD) and the Stereolab- sampling. all conSuming Flock The Parti. LaFata — bounding about stage like a hyperactive kid — comes on like the bastard offspring of Run DMC and Kid 606. Who rocks the parti’? Gold Chains rocks the parti . . . (Leon McDermottl
The beards are slowly growing
The band plays for a remarkably long time and they plod on Will] a mixture of prog epics and iiiterchaiigeable rock dirges. Some serious rehearsal time and fine tuning of their stronger material could make the Weird Beards an
Hopefully the former, for rock’n’roll’s sake. (Doug Johnstone) he's Spica Tao's DUA'Kl St Hubbii‘s.
I Gomez (‘oi'n lixchangc. lidiiihui'gh. l3 Apr.
I Ricky Ross (‘iiiiiciz (ilaxgim. l5 Apr.
I Fenix TX (iai‘agc. (ilaxgim. l5 Apr.
I The Christians ('ullicr ’l‘hcalt'c. (ilaxgim. 17 Apr.
I Simple Minds ('hilc Auditorium. (ilaxgim. l7 ck lh’ Apr. S()l.l) ()l "l‘.
I The Handsome Family Liquid Room. lidiiihurgli. l‘) Apr.
I Cornershop ()fxtl '. (ilasgou. 31 Apr.
I The Yeah Yeah Yeahs l3lh \olc ('lult. (iltlsgtm. 30 Apr.
I Sophie Ellis Bextor ()uccn'x Hall. lidinhurgh. 33 Apr. SUI ,l) ()l "l.
I Loudon Wainright III l’a\ illioii. (ilaxgou. 32 Apr.
I Cheap Trick ( i;ll';lj._'t‘.
(ilaxgim. 23 Apr.
46 THE LIST ~ .
Ticket information: Tick
Glasgow: Virgin tiarfiia Edinburgh: Virgin Princes
I . . . And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead ()Xll'. (ilaxgou, 3-1 .-\pi'.
I The New Year lfiili \iilc ('luh. (ilaxgim. 34 Apr.
I Smog illltl James Yorkston lfiili .\'iiic (‘liih (ilaxgim. 2“ Apr. I Teenage Fanclub and Jad Fair RL‘llll'L‘“ l‘t‘l'l'}. (ilaxgim. 3b .-\pi". [.iquid Rooms. lidinhuigh. 3% Apr.
I Johnny Clarke and Don Letts Kin}: 'l‘iil's.
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Rooms. Iidinhui‘gh. -7 Apr.
I Phillip Glass and Susumu Yokota l{ii};tl ('iiltt‘cl'l Hall. (ilaxgon, 3b Apr; (‘lllL‘L‘llx Hall. lidiiihiii'gh. 23 Apr.
I ESG and Richie Hawtin liai'l‘im land. (ilasgim. 3b .'\[ll'.
I Evan Dando and Eugene Kelly \L-iiiit:
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lidiiihui'gh. lb .-\pi‘: chli‘cu l‘ci'i'}. (ilaxgim. 2" Apr.
I Madlib illltl Peanut Butter Wolf Rciil'rcix l‘t‘i'i'}. (ilasgim. 37 Apr; La Belle .Nngclc. lidinhui'gli. 33 .-\pi'.
I Pharoah Sanders liquid Rooms. lidinhui‘gh. 3b .-\pi': ()Id l‘i'iiitiiiarltct. (ill|\“_'ll\\. 3.“ .-\pl'.
I Do Make Say Think King: 'l'ut‘x. (ilaxgim, 2", .-\pi'.
I Chuck D (Spoken Word Show) ()ltl l’i'uilniai‘kcl. (ilaxguu. 3— .\pr: (icorgt' Squai'c 'l'ht‘ali't‘. lidinhurgh. 25’ Apr.
I Terry Callier chli‘cii l-t'i'i‘}. (ilaxgim. 33 .'\[)l’.
I The Cinematic Orchestra (it-iii‘gc Squai‘t' ‘l'licalrc. lidinhurgh. 2” Apt". (ilaxgmx l‘ilin
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I Adrian Sherwood ('(':\. (ilaxgim. 28 Apr.
I Scion and Mitch & Wilkes MAS. (ilaxgim. 28 Apr.
I Hamell on Trial La Belle Angle. lidinhurgh. 27 Apr; King 'l'iit'x. (ilaxgim. 28 Apr.
I Arab Strap and Stuart Braithwaite Rcid llall. lidiiihiii'gh. 37 Apr: St Andre“ \ Square. (ilaxgim. 28 Apr.
I Osunlade
lliiiic} comb. lidinhui'gh. 37 Apr.
I Brian Auger And The Oblivion Express l.a lh‘llc .'\ll:_'L‘lC. lidinhurgh. lb .-\pi'.
I Radio Boy and Pole \L‘iiuc. lidinhurgh. 37 Apr. I Richie Hawtin and Luke Slater \‘cnuc. lidinhurgh. 38 Apr.
I Here And Now t‘ciii. Adam Ant, ABC and Toyah Sli('('. (ilasgim.
-nterest;ng proigiposition. iPaul Dalei
38 Apr.
I Doves Barron land. (ilasgim. I Ha).
I Idlewild Queen's llall. lidinhurgh.331a}.S()l.l) ()l'l
I Del Amitri
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I Royksopp (iaragc. (ilaxgou. 8 Ma}.
I Hundred Reasons (‘).\ll '. (ilasgim. 9 Ha}.
I WilCO QMl '. (ilasgim. l | Ma}.
I Westlife Sli(‘(‘. (ilaxgim. 7-H .\la_\. S()I.l) ()l "I‘
I Lambchop ()lil liruitinai'kcl. (ilasgim, l I .\la}.
I Bad Religion
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I Indigo Girls Qiiccii‘x llall. lidinhui'gh. l3 .\l;i_\. I Rammstein Sli(‘(‘. (ilaxgim. 14 Ma}.
I Barry Manilow
ets for most medium/large concerts can be bought from the following:
lfitl - Credit card bookings from: l'ickel link: 28/ 53551 ‘- 8. \Vél‘, Ahead: ($39 8.381% $12.33. - Ripping Records South Bridge. 2% £010 - Way Ahead OH: 333) 838d
('l)dc .-\iiditoi'iuiii. (ilaxgim. l5 & lb Ma}. 801.!) (HT.
I Beverly Knight Archcx. (ilil\:_'t)\\. lb Ha}. I Kylie Minogue Sl{('('. (ilaxgim, I7 1‘) Ma). S( )[.l) ()l'l.
I Jimmy Eat World Barrim land. (ilaxgim. 25 Ma}.
I Gabrielle Sli(‘(‘. (ilasgim. 5 Jun.
I Live & Loud llcllahouxlon Park. (ilaxgim. Hi Jim.
I Pulp Row l\lC l'iil‘t'fl. \cai‘ lilgin. ll .lllll.
I Rod Stewart Sli(‘(‘. (ilaxgoii. 23 k 33 .lun. S()l,l) ()l "l‘.
I Aimee Mann Liquid Room. lidinhui'gh. (i hi]. I Hear’Say Sl-Z(‘(‘. (ilasgim. ‘) Scp.
I Elton John Sli(‘(‘. (ilil\:_'tl\\. 7 l)L‘L‘.
I The Almighty
(iai‘agc. (ilil\:lll\\. 3| Doc.