Music
ROLL‘lN/G. STONES
.0. IDLEWILD coo SECC, Glasgow, Mon 1 Sep
How can you really have an honest reaction to a Rolling Stones gig? I mean. come on. These people were around for the genesis of rock‘n'roll and have strode, stumbled and staggered through its most fertile and fallow periods. So tonight it proves incredibly difficult not to be caught up in the whole idea being in the presence of rock royalty.
And ldlewild are acutely aware of this. ‘lt’s not easy opening for the Rolling Stones,‘ declares Roddy Woomble meekly. ldlewild know to choose their battles carefully and are clearly aware that this is not one of them. They are zippy, charming, suitably humble and chew into their songs with vigour, despite the faintly ridiculous surroundings. Maybe one day Woomble might even manage to get his coat on properly. They have youth on their side after all.
But age is not something to Help! The aged. get hung up on; beauty, as we all know, is in the eye of the beholder. Best keep your bifocals off when gazing towards the gigantic video screens though, as some on stage have aged less like fine wines and more like mouldy peaches. Keef Richards and Ronnie Wood now resemble a pair of glammed up wayward grannies, the kind you find at weddings, flashing their knickers to the father of the bride, necking all the champagne and farting during the speeches.
Tonight is the 102nd show of the Forty Licks tour and for the greater part of it, Mick Jagger enjoys devastating elasticity which belies his pensionable status. For a man parodied into oblivion over the years, his white James Brown shuffles, jiggles and spastic jolts see him succeed in doing the best impersonation of himself witnessed in many years. And while Keef may look mildly disturbing in spangly headband and silver bomber jacket, every time he cranks up the opening to ‘Tumbling Dice', ‘Brown Sugar’ or tonight‘s set highlight, ‘You Can‘t Always Get What You Want', it sends requisite shivers to the right places, even if it soon gets swamped in a barrage of those most unnecessary pieces of musical furniture: brass, backing singers and endless piano trills.
The secret to the Stones’ success probably doesn‘t lie in yoga, vegan food, illicit chemicals or even a bunch of ageing paintings somewhere in Keef‘s attic. Mostly, it’s because they have a hardcore of fans worldwide that still obsess on their every move, even now (I know - I spoke to them). Perhaps this explains the tedious extended ‘jams‘ and album track-heavy muso set which — for a band that could comfortably sustain a two-day, let alone two-hour, greatest hits set - is frustratingly punctuated with as many troughs as peaks.
Having not managed to either burn out or fade away after four decades, there seems little point in the Rolling Stones stopping until frailty, senility or the Grim Reaper tears them away from centre stage. Christ, that’s him here now . . . oh no, sorry, that's just Keef. (Mark Robertson)
For our fortnightly delve into the ‘ ' "rt" '
bucket marked ‘new pop treats‘, -- ~- ' *' -~ ' we pull out these highly hyped ..: a " H 1'» v 2. ' purveyors of arty guitar pop and self-proclaimed ‘new Scottish genty‘, Franz Ferdinand.
Alex Kapranos (vocals/guitar) . = : :3' ".:'I I.:- 2'
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48 THE LIST -2~':‘ 82-: ._
HEATHER NOVA
She’s got her sea legs As W as (:hrldhced tales do. Nana's heats anyone eise's hands dos." for the first 16 years of her He. s'te .ed on a boat sallrrtg; around her ham:- Bermuda with l‘er mush. dad. sister. brothe'. dad and (:a‘. ‘l uric", I have a nice ‘ar'vryf Nova has sa:d
of course. ‘."~'s has noun". to do math the go you'll see. but what a great story, en?
She has a good eye for a film . . . Noya arrrved on :lr', Ear‘d at the Rhode Island School of Pertorrnrng Arts. where she x'xrote songs to seundtraek her own lems. Srnce then, she's appeared on the SOundtrack of everythrnd from / am Sam to The Craft. by way of the unrmpeachable Dawson '3; Creek
. . . and a good ear for a tune (almost) One of the many reasons why the forthcomrng album. Storm, deserves your attentron rs the fact rt's co-produeed and played on by the :nrghty Mercury Rev. They're not Nova's f:rst superstar (:OIlat'>0rators. though, as Bernard Butler and the Pattr Srnrth Group's Lenny Kaye have also helped out ill the past. Alas. the appearance of Bryan Adams rn that lrst does sour the rnrlk somewhat.
She’s in touch with her gentler side Mostly recorded up a snowstorm wracked rnountarn rn \‘Joodstock. Storm Druth Nora's lovelern u-xrsttuiness to tales of ernotronally frantre srtuatrons. C )uld there be a better to experrerve :t than at thrs strupped-down aCOUSttC Show?
Yet she's more hardcore than Jackass The yrdeo for Novas 2001 Srngle ‘I'm No Angel’ .uas banned by MTV UK because rt featured No/a engagrng m the Uber-dangerOus act of trghtrope walklng. Qufie rlght ZOO. MUSI we Subject Ou' rods to he frlt'n? PreSumably skateboardrng Into a nyer of human Slurry y/0uld have guaranteed her round-tne-dock arrplay. “Dan/rd Pollock,
Heather Nova plays the LlQU/d Room, Ed/nburgh, Tue 9 Sep.