Music
POP MCALMONT AND BUTLER Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow, Mon 30 Sep
The Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau of pop
The rumour mill started grinding in earnest a year ago. Vocalist David McAImont and ex-Suede guitarist Bernard Butler — the combined force behind sublime 1995 hit ‘Yes’ and a relatively successful album The Sound of. . . - had been spotted attending gigs together. There was even talk of a second album. Surely hell would freeze over before McAImont and Butler — whose brief collaboration imploded due to an acrimonious, public falling out even as their record was cooling on the presses — could bear to set foot in the same recording studio.
Yet, recent months have seen the single ‘Falling‘ (another catchy Spector- ish offering) swoop and soar all over the radio and lodge itself firmly in the Top 40. There was a well—received appearance at the V2000 festival, while an eclectic album Bring it Back — largely recorded in Butler's attic — has been released to wide acclaim. So, what on earth happened to bring these fickle divas back together?
‘David and l are both suffering from serious illnesses and may not get another chance to record,‘ quips Butler, a reference to his assertion that he wanted to renew his collaboration with the singer before he died. 80, has he forgiven McAImont for slagging him off in the hallowed pages of the NME?
‘Look, the music press are obsessed with the fact that we fell out, but David and I think it’s really funny, now. There was a sense of unfinished business for both of us. It pisses me off when people complain that the first album was just two singles and a lot of padding because there was never meant to be an album - we just enjoyed winding each other up, musically. This time round we deliberately set out to make a powerful, beautiful, brash statement.’
On the commercial success of the new material, Butler is characteristically unfazed. ‘I hate the idea that alternative music shouldn’t reach out to people in Sunderland, but I’m also a firm believer in the idea that if you release trash, people will buy trash. We wanted to make an intelligent pop record and luckily there‘s an energy between David and I that tends to produce intelligent, passionate music. We‘re really the only ones doing that.’
Doubtless the people of Sunderland are exceedingly grateful.
(Allan Radcliffe)
Glasgow: Virgin E~1 . ' i .i .- - Edinburgh: Virgin i'i'
48 THE LIST 19 Sep—3 Oct 200’
ROCK HIVII ‘.'.’
THE LIBERTINES
JEM ROLLS
JENNY LINDSAY
La Belle Angele, Edinburgh, Tue 3 Sep O...
the l iheitines are the cockney Strokes. That's the gist of their press (‘<>‘.'eiage so far. hut it doesn't really do trezn j;ist.<:e. although for this show at least tl‘ei, demonstrate a similar penchant for odd support acts.
While the Strokes gave us Moldy Peaches and Stereo Total. tonight we get performance poetry from Big ' lvleut'i's .Jen: Rolls and fiery The spirit of Chas ‘n’ Dave lives on (iitlf3‘.'.’(}§ll£lll Jenny l indsay. Rolls used to he ‘lati'iates ‘.'.’lIIl the Libertines in londori. and "iixes aniiahle enough l)f)(?Il‘, ‘.'.':tl‘ anecdotes of shamholic. hwy, a<i".<:-r‘tures ‘.'.«'ith the night's ".(?£l(iil"(‘:'f§ to an .nitially nonplussed. :xi'. exerntcally appreciative. crowd.
.leriii, l -ndsaj. is a nepxous hall of ting)". eiieigj. when she hits the stage.
but for so'n-aoi‘e relatively new to
With a songwriter ethic firmly based on traditional English pop a la Bu/xcocks. the Jam and Supergrass. the four London lads are nonetheless fresh as a punk-spattered daisy. And as they approach their flailing. drunken live shows with an idiotic glee. you can't help hut be drawn into their cartoon punk world. Songs like the rioIOus single ‘What a Waster' and ‘Up the Bracket' are full-stearn-ahead pop onslaughts. while ‘Boys in the Band' is more knockahout slapstick. but no less infectious for that. Less the cockney Strokes, more the punk rock Kinks. (Doug Johnstonel
l;(1-":>'l“£il‘(3(} she puts in an assured .izspiap. Hazing said that. targeting '.'.'ats l'l suits and pisned up neds isn't exactly. o'ginal. hut she shows heaps r;‘ lilftl“‘.f;(? anyhow.
\‘Jliiie l =n:isa=, is all furious rage. the l he'tnes we all innocent. duinh joy.
.Ll Asst: .piti BBC SCOTTISH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Tramway, Glasgow, Sat 21 Sep
It's that il'l‘t‘ of year again when the major orchestras and ensembles start to warn-at the resaits :>f their many months of plotting and scheming to delight >'.e.' the unintei season.
i is: :it" and l‘ar‘tlh drawing hreath between their appearances at the Proms .iil‘tl l anhiiigh l estr\.'ai is the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra who give a '::r >I"I resei ricitvart' of the somewhat provocative (:‘iavin Bryars as part of Radio Vs New and Nov. series.
.'.'<>'i(l premiere is his new Douh/e Br ss Concerto. with the
fat rim: ,.is lliuirtan M: l '(}l as soloist and he ss voices from the Dunedin Consort. l-‘iasrvd fzn twasses Hrj,ar's has known. either personally or hy reputation. the piece .;onta'ris, 'ie says "a nuinher of musical allusions and references to particuiai instruments. l‘he orchestration is quite light throughout. so that the
s siting (iiialitj. of the douhle hass can emerge.' With singing in mind. the
pi: igiiaiiiine also includes ()ne /ast Bar, the/i Joe can Sing. not actually for wires hut a l>(?.'{‘,tli1,f;l()l‘i()llf;(?llll)l(}, and [he Porgy/i Fragment. a string piece .'.hi<:li orid itales 'i .t" unpuhlished manuscript hy Wagner. (Carol Milllll
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Ticket information: Tickets for most medium/large concerts can be bought from the following:
- Credit card bookings from: lr.:k-..-t i l‘lxi as; 551 1 8. Way Ahead: .532) sass 1- Ripping Records t; iii .i.;-.:-.
2.76.; - Way Ahead mm 33083813