Music
cos PSYCHEDELIA LOVE
Liquid Room, Edinburgh, Mon 3
Jun; King Tut’s, Glasgow, Tue 4 Jun
They killed John Lennon and then they went after the greatest American songwriter of the same generation. He predicted it in the
closing lines of ‘Red Telephone’ on
Forever Changes: ‘They’re locking them up today/They’re throwing away the key/ I wonder who it’ll be tomorrow, you or me?’
A rational reaction to the
aggression of the LAPD in 1969? Or
a call to arms to anyone who wanted to use rock music to reach for the body politic, to reach beyond the tired cliches of lightweights such as the Doors. Along with Beefheart and Zappa, Arthur Lee is a grade A rock’n’roll
saint, and he’s just got out of prison
after serving six years of an eleven year sentence incurred under
California’s draconian ‘three strikes
and you’re out’ law (all three were trivial offences).
So pick up your maracas baby, because one of rock music’s
Arthur Lee spreads a little Love
genuine geniuses is touring again and he’s kicking off his UK tour in Scotland. ‘The last gig I did in Scotland wasn’t so good, so I’m gonna give it my all. I’ve got a band that’s really high energy so I’m gonna give it my best shot this time,’ says Lee.
His band sounds like he might have recruited them for the California hippie cool of their names: Dave ‘Daddio’ Green, Dave Chappell, Rusty Squeezebox and Mike Randall. But Lee is known as a notoriously hard task master who expects little short of perfection from his musicians, so it’s doubtful that their rehearsals have been some kind of half-baked tribute band affair. ‘I’m looking forward to it so much I might even buy a ticket,’ the 57 year old cackles with that strangely familiar Memphis lilt.
Lee intends to make this tour a showcase for his early Love work with first time live versions of ‘Live And Let Live’ and ‘Bummer In The Summer’ from . . . Changes, but is there a new album or tour of original material on the horizon? ‘I wish I could do it tomorrow man. I wish I could do this whole tour with brand new music, but the band needs to rehearse the songs that Love are known by. That’s what the people wanna see man, but they are such a kick arse band, you’ll see.’
Lee has fond memories of Shack, the Scouse pop bashers who chummed with him on his last tour. ‘I love those guys man, and it is yet to be seen if I work with them again.’ But he has no truck with modern rock music: ‘I only listen to Beethoven, jazz and classical because it doesn’t take away from my creativity, I don’t want to be influenced by what’s going on today or what’s going on with rock: period. I try and keep away from all that so I’m conditioned to think that what I’m doing is fresh.’
After about fifteen minutes of chat there is little doubt that Lee is still as potty as a loo brush (and slightly paranoid to boot, having insisted on a ‘No Jail Talk’ clause in the pre-interview briefing), conditions no doubt brought on by a brilliant life well lived. He carries with him the truth known only
to the truly bonkers. (Paul Dale)
ROCK
JIMMY EAT WORLD Barrowland, Glasgow, Sat 25 May
Capitol’s punishment
Revenge is sweet. And if you're in a band. what better way to get revenge on the record company that dropped you than by signing to someone else and selling truckloads of records? Welcome to the stery of Jimmy Eat World. Back in 95 the Arizona emo rockers were snapped up fresh out of high school by Capitol Records. which subsequently dicked them around for a few years. half-heartedly promoted
40 THE LIST 23 May-(3 Jun 2002
two albums. then dropped them like a stone. Other bands might have gone back to the day robs. but Jimmy Eat World self-funded the recording of a third album. and the re8ulting A&R bidding war ended up with them signing a megabucks deal with Dreamworks.
Unbelievably. Capitol was among the hungry A&R pack looking to re-sign them. as Jim Adkins. the band's singer. explains. ‘They said they wanted to have a meeting but in the end we couldn‘t get it together.‘ he says with a chuckle. 'lt wOuId have been interesting thOugh. what the hell c0u|d they have told us? We were gonna go and just Sit there and watch them squirm. | wrsh we could have got that together.‘
Far from getting depressed about their labelless situation. the band were a picture of pOSitivity. 'lt still seemed that things were
gomg up.‘ says Adkins. “We never relied on Capitol much. so when they were gone it didn't feel like all of a Sudden there was this big void. If anything it brought us together. forced us to be more focused.‘
That eponymous third album was released towards the end of last year and. in the intervening time. there has been an amazing snowballing success for the band. Massive album sales. hit singles. awards and bigger and bigger sold-Out gigs have followed. but yOu won't find the band getting carried away with it all, no Sir.
'lt's awesome.‘ says Adkins. ‘but I'm Witl'iholding emotional investment in the Success because things could go wrong. All of a Sudden everyone in the UK c0u|d just start hating us for some reason.‘ With a sold-out Barrowland as proof. there's bugger all chance of that happening. (Doug Johnstonel
METAL RAMMSTEIN 0””
AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE co
RAGING SPEEDHORN O... SECC, Glasgow, Tue 14 May
More intense than being kicked in the nuts by Satan himself, Corbys fav0urite grindcore merchants Raging Speedhorn are the perfect openers for tonight's (iCDI'EIVIT'y. A deuble headed assault of shouting and bellowing from their i\.'.’lll frontmen make your teeth rattle and your ears bleed. Next up are American Head Charge. who resemble extras from the latest fix/ad Max movre and thrash around enthuSIastically. but SOund like a muddy dirge of samples. distortion and thrash nonsense.
There is something about Rammstein that is utterly German. Not orin do they srng entirely in their guttural native language rand wh‘, the hell shouldn't they’d. but also their music has the haunting presence of Nuremberg rallies as etl'iereal choirs collide with monolithic slabs of Teutonic rock. This is the sound of Valkyries r‘idzng into battle with or'Jera and industrial riffage as their battle cry
Rammstein: danger and insanity
And the stage show 'natclies this music of grandiose proportions: face mounted flame—thiower‘s. pillars of fire. surgical instruments. sledgehainnier‘s and extreme pyrotechnics. t-lighlights 'or should that be |owlrghts7= include the customary abuse of the keyboards: With a giant sper'n shooting phallris during 'Buck Dick'. and lead singer Till Lrndemann returning to the stage for the encore wrth flames licking i‘..:; whole body as he stands :§i()lt‘.il‘i‘. :r‘. at Jesus Christ pose. lhere's a palpable air of danger and insanity even in a venue of this rr‘agnrtude and Rarnrnstern niake tire 'netal pretenders know who's boss. This 2:; the car crash approach to rock theatrics: you know you shouldn't look. which makes \ou stare men harder. A guilty pleasure of the most disturbing nature. rl-lenry Northrnorei