Music
ROCK
PRIMAL SCREAM
Corn Exchange, Edinburgh, Mon 16 Dec; Barrowland, Glasgow, Tue 17 Dec
It’s been quite a trip. Since they formed in the early 19805, Scotland’s own establishment-baiting, idiotic, drug-fuelled, gobshite and occasional musical-geniuses Primal Scream have kept us all on our toes.
Because the Scream have learned that the secret to longevity in this shit business is constant reinvention. First there was the shambly jangly Scream. Then rock’n’roll Scream. Then blissed-out dance Scream. Then rock Scream (mark ll) then bad acid trip Scream then angry shouty industrial metal Scream then electroclash disco Scream. What next — skifer folk Scream? Maybe not.
But through all that musical shape shifting, what the Scream have had is metaphorical (and literal) bollocks. But that’s not the only thing they’ve had. There's style, attitude and the uncanny ability to be almost simultaneously brilliant and shite. In a world populated by Coldplays, Stereophonicses, and Feeders, the ability to provoke extreme reactions in the record buying public is very welcome indeed.
Bobby Gillespie’s has always been a, ahem, scream. Mouthing off about some foreign policy crap he knows little about while off his face, Gillespie has always played the rock star as sloganeering twat to perfection. Which makes recent
DEATH COUNTRY
THE BLACK HEART PROCESSION
King Tut’s, Glasgow, Sun 15 Dec
Murder in the tropics; intrigue. ohs;es;s;ion and tragedy. . . . it's Just another record in the life of the Black Heart ProceSSion. Their fourth and most sspellhinding work to date. Amore de/ Tron/(2o is; also their first to pose 3:;s; a title other than a numeral and tells; the tale of a p; s;s;ionate (:i‘ime set to their trademark (:reeping piano tines; h< s;s;anova beats and torrid guitars; It's; a dark release ‘.'.’tlll divers;e instrumentation and haunting female hacking ‘.io<;a|s;. swaying from maraeas; and groove to six/ampy s;tring--|aden Io—fi, and one of the mos;t spine-(:hilling s;ing a-Iongs; you'll
ever hear.
TBHP were formed in San Diego. California in 1997' hi,’ Pall Jenkins; and Tohias; Nathaniel after they put their hand. Three Mile Pilot. on an open ended hiatus; Jenkins; ivoeals; guitars. synths and l)(3‘.‘.’ll(ll‘i|llg hots/ed s;a‘.'./i and Nathaniel
Dangerously unpredictable - and that’s just their interior designer
installments in the Primal Scream story a little worrying. To recap: they wrote a song called ‘Bomb the Pentagon’. Then someone did. Panicking that America would ban their new record, they changed it completely. This was after Gillespie, pre-September 11, had branded America international terrorists, and said Britain was part of its empire. Cop out big time.
Then there’s Evil Heat, a directionless mish-mash of an album, rehashing their historic highlights and really a bit rubbish. But live the band’s schizophrenic style is always prevalent. Go to a Scream gig and you’ll either have
()1 ASSK Jx‘xl
ipiano. guitar. bass; and organ: then ]()lll(}(l up ‘.'./|lll Joe
Plummer (drums) and Dimitri D/iens;u‘.'/es;ki imous;ta<:he toting tOuring partner in erimei and along ‘.'/|tlt nearhy reSiding friends; created the peculiar pop pi‘o(;es;s;ion we know today. Get s;et tor a s;pooking. lCamilla Piai
54 THE LIST 1? Dec 7,2." .7 .Jan 1”
None more black
the best or the worst time of your
life. Probably both. At the same time.
Which is worth experiencing, isn’t it? (Doug Johnstone)
' ‘ " it: it 6:41 ti .:1
Vim} If you want to get yer rocks off at the ‘Scream’s Edinburgh show then email promotions@list.co.uk by noon on 16 December 2002 and the first three people will get two tickets for the show at the Corn Exchange that very night. Remember to include a daytime telephone number. Usual List rules apply.
The natives do the Nativity
BT SCOTTISH ENSEMBLE Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Fri 13 Dec; Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Sat 14 Dec
The programme may he titled i’\’.'1ti‘./it\._ hut don't expect an; ‘.'.'el| '~.'.’()l'lt lit‘.’()tlt'lt(l'f; in the candlelight the year It is; mus;i<: ot the eari1. 20th (:entun, ‘.'.itii(:h l)l'(}‘~.'£i|lf3. Suk's; i‘fleo'ifaz‘ion on Saint ‘.'./(3iii(,‘i>s;/.'i‘s;. t rank Bridges; A Christmas; [Dance and Dies; f‘x.’.'1ta//s: hs, l :n/i gisxing mueh ot the ()hi'is;tm; s; s;pii'it.
Hylllt] in from the US to ]()Il‘. the t-ns;emh|e is; one of Britain's; illMl‘fSt {,oung tenors; Tot)» Spenee. [1053“ from making his; dehut ‘.'/|llt San l raneis;(:o Opera in l landel's; /'i."<:in.'1. he says: 'I cant think of a hettei ens;emh|e to s;ing the l’llt/l ‘.'.’llll. The piece i‘eguii'es; s;pii‘it. tleXIhiIitt. (l‘,ll£lllllfStll and a heautitul ssound troin hoth s;ingei and ens;emh|e.'
Not quite so ohx'ioiiat‘, ()hris;tinas;s;y. hut s;ti|i a to; to iis;ten to. is; .‘Se/i’inge/ 's; Hound. a s;et ot \.'£tl'|£ltl()ltf‘; on an lli/ahethan theme. hi, Heiiiamin tiiitten and his; (Z()lli(3llll)()l£ll‘, <;huins;. ineluding lippe't and Walton Peitoinied hi, the [ ns;enih|e at then BBC Pioins; (lehiit ill August. it was; oiigiiialh, ‘.'.’llll(3l‘i to (:elehiate the (:oronation ol the Queen in lflfiit. Spence l)l()l)£tt)l‘, s;peak:; toi inoie than hiiiis;elt when he says: ‘l'in lookrng toi‘.'.'ai‘(l to this; yeas's; toui exen more than I ‘.'.'a:; last ‘,e;ii"s;.' i()aio| Main.
t t t CTRONICA ROCK RADIO 4 AND THE FAINT
Barfly, Glasgow, Sat 14 Dec
Radio ~'- a'e " (“i-(2""‘a"'.. ".‘.'e“.e "art i"art>i' parknisi pr‘ei1-e"‘s;f exna'is; gtiita'isst ian‘i", Hans; oi‘ his; tour nunnager's; "‘ohi-e. ‘iiius; l'.e nee" s;i<;k ~ ‘.'.'e".e a. 'itee" sick. I z'xas; .’t hospital tas;t n-g'”. heeatiee I've got '.'.'a‘.ei' e" the :tilltlf‘). But t“e s;r::>.'.' goes; oi‘. an< are enioying i'..' One .‘xonder's; '.-.'ha'. BBC Radio -'- t." "ks; about hanng the:" nave ::<: opted hx the 7' "eat exponents; of New York's; vest/est '.°.'a\.e of iie‘x.’ ‘.'.ia\.'e. The, d hetter get
used to t.
Blind faith
The 'tétli‘C (:on‘es; ‘.’|{t the t'-.'.'is;ted_ diihhi, hr.- ianee of Ptihlie l'i‘age liiwvted's; 197E} (tltiti'l‘ tram o‘ the s;a'v‘e {tie and the post-punk years; area s;:'e"g "()lfé"(1-'t(l(l- i>e:"t. .'.i‘ether -t he the steel; ‘;ink of the Gang of Four or Taiking Hea:ls;' itook~"‘~:3g=.'.j. expernifents; t's; retro. m (:on‘naresl ts: i“ti<:t‘ at the "Mist: s;‘.'.'eei)ing our s; to :i;iiig centres; s;e::oi‘d .i'hai“ Got/xsn‘.’ s;et.n:is; t:;.i‘::lfi.. "an: and thorough;
(:utt "g edge. ‘I don't knoz'.’ i“.'.'e"-;:~ reacting aga"‘s;t the ii‘anstrea'i‘f s;a‘;.s; \.'.’ii‘ia"‘:;_ 'nut aé‘ of as; Pate as. "‘etal. it's; great that peopie like the Strokes; and the \.".’""te Stripes; are getti'g .ots; e" daunwe a i't‘ii‘e. Anything to get tn‘p B/k". e‘f t'ie "ado.'
Rad o -'- are joined e": tear hg. the Faint. a :>.i".<:.'t o‘ :t‘ESl} "eu ele-etroaxirtks; ‘i'on‘ Omaha. It's; -‘.ot electroclash is;;> Yas;t '.'.'eek t)..". :t t“ "e:; a s;"‘i'a't‘. Z"'ea.t. these (741";153810 stenenxi haek'xgaids; to (l'l‘.-L‘: ‘oi‘.'.ar;ls;. i'r‘ei, lt‘ét‘, in)? he get'. "g as; r‘.‘u<:h aii'ptag as; the Strokes; hut ti‘e; sure ,is; I'ietl deserxe
'u'd" (If) bl, ti'L