ROCK
ELECTRIC SIX Venue, Edinburgh, Fri 7 Feb
Electric Six are daft. How daft? Here’s how our phone interview with the band’s guitarist Surge Joebot (presumably not the name his Ma gave him) begins:
The List: ‘Hello, is that Surge Joebot?’ Joebot: ‘Yeah hi [splashing sounds in the background]. Is that Doug?’
TL: ‘Yeah. What are you up to?’
J: ‘Not much [more splashing]. I’m just
taking a bath.’ “a; TL: ‘You’re actually in
the bath?’
J: ‘Yeah, sure.’ r TL: ‘00 you often take baths during
interviews?’
A Six in the bath is worth two in the charts
J: ‘I think this is the first time. But so far, from the way it’s going, I think I’m going to make a habit of it . . .’ To anyone who’s heard the Detroit band’s superb disco metal chart-busting single ‘Danger! High
Voltage’, this silliness will come as no surprise. This is even more true if you’ve seen the disturbingly
wonky video featuring two posh people with throbbing, glowing genitals shouting atop a moose with
throbbing, glowing udders.
Along with bandmates Dick Valentine, Rock’n’Roll Indian, M, Tait Nucleus and Disco (yes, quite), Joebot is responsible for giving the top ten the biggest kick up the arse in ages. And ‘Danger! High Voltage‘, featuring backing yells from fellow Detroiter Jack White (something Joebot vehemently denies for some reason) is an excellent taster for the delights of the band’s debut album due out later this year, the recording of which Joebot describes as ‘like taking a shit: you wanna do it as quickly as you can, but at the same time you’re not leaving the bathroom until you’re done’.
Originally called the Wildbunch until threatened with legal action, Electric Six are part of the ultra-hip Detroit scene at the moment - not that you’ll get any information from them about it. How did the band come about in the first place, Surge?
‘To tell you the truth, I just went out one night drinking and I think somebody slipped me something,’ he
says. ‘When I came to the next morning I was in a band practice session with a guitar strapped on me and
that was it.’
Electric Six - brilliantly daft and daftly brilliant. Go and see them. (Doug Johnstone)
(ll ASSICAL
MR MCFALL’S CHAMBER
Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Wed 12 Feb; Royal Concert Hall, Strathclyde Suite, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Fri 14 Feb
'Composed of elements drawn from various sources' is how the Penguin dictionary defines ‘eclectic'. As a description of Mr McFall's Chamber. it could hardly be more accurate. The group's programming policy is simple. Mr (Roberti McFall says: 'We tend to throw a lot of things together and then try to find a shape. We're constantly trying to find a variety and mixture of styles. and
lRAVE HS
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McFall’s current affairs
opportunities to take on board a lot of new work."
Their forthcoming programme. entitled Crosscurrents. certainly bears out all McFaII says. There is a world premiere of a commission from Edinburgh University graduate Cecilia McDowall. a new yiola. yideo collaboration as well as solo pieces and new arrangements of Jaco Pastorius and Frank Zappa. The rev-rorking of the latter's Outside Now Again from The Perfect Stranger. featuring guest percussionist Alan Emslie on Vibraphone. promises to be a really stunning highlight. ‘The title. Crosscuri‘ents'. explains McFall.
"refers to the fact that several of the pieces have reference to water. or to swirling. It also has reference to the intenveawng of musical genres.‘
Core instruments are those of the straight string quartet line-up of two yiolins. yiola and cello. with the addition of bass guitar. piano and percussion. The smaller scale solo items give scope to hear individuals such as cellist Su-a Lee in Sally Beamish's exquisite Gala Water and pianist Graeme McNaught in John Cages Water Music. described by McFali as ‘a \.'-./ay-out piece involving prepared piano. radio. bucket of water and duck decoy.’ Another indiyidual voice will be that of composer Matilda Brown. who is writing for bass guitar. piano and drums.
With the disarming calmness of someone who is used to the predictability of the uiipredictable. lvlcFall says: "There are a lot of unknown factors and we Just don't know how it's going to work out. The new commission was meant to come yesterday. but we haven't got the music yet. All I know is that it's tango- influenced. But it's all shaping up nicely' (Carol Main)
Music
5 REASONS TO GO SEE . . .
SUM
Cos they love Iron Maiden and dinnae give a fuck who knows it. Heavy metallic riffs tear their way thr0ugh everything they produce. Citing the much maligned Maiden (remember ‘Run to the Hills’, ‘The Trooper“? Bonafide classics. no messing) as one of their greatest influences and with rip roaring, heavy- stomping metal pastiches ‘Reign in Pain' and ‘WWVII Part ll', they rock like proper bastards.
:22 They genuinely know how to have fun. From their infectious pop punk slam-alongs to their self-parodying antics. from their new album's (Does This Look Infected?) mock-horror cover to their ‘Surn on yOur Face‘ lOur title. these are four mates up for a laugh. Their live shows are similarly piss-taking as they exhaust all the rock cliches with joyous abandon: backdrops. flaming drums sticks and plenty of solos.
Da Kids love ’ em. As we all know by the multitude of black clad. band-hoodie sporting teens that are now cluttering up our shopping centres. metal is in. big style. And with pop hooks as slick as Britney's — just check ‘In Too Deep‘. 'Motivation' and thunderous rap beast “Fat Lip' - it's no wonder.
42- They ain’t American. They may sound like Green Day's underage brothers crashing the local frat party and draining the nearest beer keg. but they hail from the colder climes of Canada. A four- man army proving it ain't all Bryan Adams and Nickleback oop north.
5 They’re snotty nosed punks and proud of it. Got a problem with that? (Henry Northmore)
lift Sum 47 play Braehead Arena, Glasgow, Mon 3 Feb
30 Jat‘ '3 let? L‘OiXS THE LIST 45