Music
ltxll ill RAZORLIGHT
Barrowland, Glasgow, Thu 7 Oct
v; - One Johnny doesn’t a band make
There’s nothing like a cocky, shamelessly self-promoting frontman, the type that gives good quote and gets our knickers in a twist with every egotistical statement. Razorlight’s lanky haired frontman Johnny Borrell is the most recent prime example of this, rabbitting on for hours about his artistic vision and his ‘better than Dylan’ debut LP Up All Night, allegedly even forbidding any other member of the foursome to speak in interviews with him. So we set out to do the unthinkable and let one of the others have their say about life in what is often portrayed as a one man effort. Step forward bassist Carl Dalemo. The floor is all yours . . . Clearly unused to taking centre stage, however, Dalemo doesn’t get off to a good start during our chat. London racket blaring in the background, his answers are short and his voice barely audible at times, but ask him about the songwriting process and he perks up, clearly keen to set the record straight. ‘Well, usually Johnny writes them on acoustic guitar, then we arrange it together to make it into a Razorlight song. It’s not a rule that he has to write all of them though, it’s just that he is currently the most prolific writer in the band, but who knows, maybe I will be soon. It’s quite annoying when an article just has pictures of Johnny, because the band is not just him even if he’s the singer and writes the songs,’ he adds. ‘The three of us spend all of our time doing this as well so we want
some appreciation for that.’
From this moment on Dalemo is away, explaining how busy Razorlight have been since hit single ‘Golden Touch’ propelled them into the mainstream, and excitedly revealing their plans to release a brand new single before the end of the year, not to mention their forthcoming biggest headlining tour to date. ‘The shows will be amazing and, although we don’t have any time off at all, it feels great to be in this band at the moment. I wouldn’t change it for anything.’ Bravo to the bassist, the Guigsys of this
world salute you. (Camilla Pia)
JAZZ
BLAKE WILNER QUARTET
Henry‘s Jazz Cellar, Edinburgh, Wed 29 Sep
Where there’s a Wilner
Australian gurtarist Blake Wilner makes his Scottish debut in this gig. part of a Iengtht UK tour for the London-based quartet. He arrived in London in 1999 from his native Perth in Western Australia Via a stint in New YOrk. 'BaSically I came here because
I was limited in the time I could
50 THE LIST £3 Sep—T Oct 200-1
spend in New York because of the green card thing. and having an Aussie passport meant I could stay here and work. I then met my future wife. so that has kind of stranded me! I do love it here. though. and I couldn't see me Ieavrng.‘
Wilner's highly regarded quartet features Simon Allen (saxes). Oli Hayhurst (bass) and Chris Hutchings Idrumsl. He recorded his current CD. The Reprieve, wrth two of those players and another drummer.
'This particular edition has been together about a year and half. but I've had a quartet playing my mUSIC for five or SIX years now. I wrote all of the music on the album after movrng here. and we had a chance to play it on a tour last year before we recorded it. It worked well as a gig. and I think it hangs together well as an album too. It is really documenting where I am now.‘
He wrote the title track after reading Sartre. Writers Paul Auster and Charles Bukowski also inspired composrtions. as did composer John Adams and guitarist John Scofield. The two cover versions — Bob Marley's ‘Redemption Song' and Tom Waits' 'Take Me Home' — are also intriguing.
‘When I first came to London I worked in a book store and I used that time to catch up on my reading. so a lot of that was in my mind when I was writing. I would only consider covering a tune it something really appealed to me. ‘Redemption Song' is something I have always loved. and Tom Waits is just such an interesting writer I had to try it.
‘We'll be doing a lot from the album in Edinburgh. but I've also been writing material for the next disc. and we'll include some of those as well.‘
(Kenny Mathiesoni
. It’s the only way you'll ever hear them Strange as it rr‘a‘. sound for such a well resper‘ted band, the Bays have never released a rot‘ortl and never plan to. This it; solelr, about like rnusit‘, and l‘iilltllllllllt‘tlllllfl With the audience without produr‘t to push or (:orririit_>r(iial lllflll‘.£tl|' in
They don't lime to rattle throiidh any hits just a one off iinpro‘.i:;od audio experienci: Hell. they don't. even rehearse.
They are a low-key superband They once boasted lom '(Zosrriozy Middleton and lroiihlernan amongst their number. Now llltfll ever evoIVing lineup features bass. player Chris Taylor who's played With the likes of SpirituaIi/ed and Simply Red (don't let that put you off); Faithless and Massive Attack drummer Andy Gangadeen; Jamie Odell AKA Jimpster provrdes the analogue and digital synths and "rhythmic textures and Simon Richmond. the DJ and producer behind Palmskin Productions. mixes in ambient sounds. samples and audio FX.
" They don’t give a shit about genre While it's all funde up dance at its COre. they draw elements from dlSCO, house. techno. dub. ambient and drum 8. bass. It's the live DJf—X crossover that they do so well — a searriless live set that ebbs and flows With the crowd.
Watch a ‘Science Department’ that isn’t boring Odell and Richmond have dubbed themselves the SCience Department and they are the keepers of the weird and wonderful edge that sets the Bays apart from everyone else. Of COurse. they need the rhythmic heart in drummer Gangadeen and bassist Taylor but it's the indefinable elements that the Scrence Department add that take them to the next level.
5; They are festival favourites DeSpite their rejection of commercial marketing they've still headlined the dance stage at Glastonbury. they're regulars at the Big Chill and John Peel loves them. Sheer quality and their unique nature are enough to sway any true mUSIC fan. Big fat recording contracts? Who needs ‘em? (Henry Nonhmore)
a The Arches. Glasgow. Sun 3 Oct.