THOSE WHO LIVE BY THE CATCHPHRASE ARE DESTINED TO DIE BY IT
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Not so safe
GOLDIE LOOKIN CHAIN’s DIY hip hop is winning over the nation but, as Mark Edmunson asks, are they doing music more harm than good?
e met when we was all on community
service. We were supposed to be on
recycling duty. but it was just eight ol‘ us driving around in the van gelling stoned. like.‘ I‘m not exactly surprised by Dwayne Xain‘s reply here. he‘s talked amiable rubbish throughout our interview and this scenario seems altogether too probable.
Xain is the man behind the cuts of chav chic envoys. (ioldie Lookin (‘hain. With their second single making the top three in the charts and their debut album Greatest Hits presently l'lying oll‘ the shelves and into schemes and student bedrooms alike. I find myself asking whether I missed the joke. To me. (il.(“s success has little to do with music and everything to do with at lowest common denominator appeal: anyone can be in on the low-brow laughs by simply repeating the retarded idiom ‘Sal‘e as luck.
Of course. as pop music goes. (il.(“s output isn‘t much worse than a good deal ol the American hip hop that‘s been clogging up the charts in this brave new millennium. Those merry scenesters at Radio One must take some credit for these grubby clowns‘ ascendance. The fact that (il.(‘ should find themselves on the same label as the Darkness calls for comparison in their shared dependence on stereotype hype.
Here the Newport clarts have at least gone the distance: from clothes through to website and PR. their image has proved top draw (pun intended). Picketing a local Tesco for its boycott ol‘ Greatest Hits and convincing Heat that they were collaborating with (‘harlotte (‘hurch on ‘Stick it in (‘ider' were inspired stunts indeed. The fact that the whole (il.(‘ phenomenon grew quite organically out of (‘l)-R releases. shared and copied throughout Newport.
should again bring the boys some ‘props‘ but the humour is just too base to really be considered satire.
By all accounts Newport's linest are the real deal on stage however. and for a band ol‘ self-styled chancers they‘ve proved themselves hard working on the festival from this summer. But those who live by the catchphrase are destined to die by it. and when shouting ‘You knows it‘ grows old the (il.(‘ may lind themselves singing student unions for their supper.
My concern is that come (il.(“s decline there may be a backlash against a number ol‘ regional British hip hop scenes that have been wrangling between being taken seriously and appearing too earnest for long
enough. l‘urthermore. (il.(‘ seem representative ol‘ a
growing trend in British pop music: a lazy l)lY element that. while encouraging the musically inclined to get out there and ‘do for sell". also appear to shun questions of quality control. Much ol' the music and lyrical flow on (irmtmt Hits is no better than that featured on Morris Minor & the Majors‘ l‘)87 stinker ‘Stutter Rap (No Sleep Till Bedtime)‘.
I should say in their del‘ence that I‘ve always argued
that liminem is a rubbish rapper with tuneless hooks
and he‘s still huge. All the same. I don‘t see the lasting
appeal of (il.(‘ *- they. ‘l‘m gonna change my name to Brian McFadden & Whitelock‘ claims Xain on his plans come the end of the ‘An ()unce Don‘t (‘ome l‘or liree' tour. ‘We‘re gonna buy a big shed . . . and eight milking machines .
and to be fair to the Chain. neither do
. and eventually some cattle. You can‘t knock a hit of
heavy machinery. you know.'Ask the Wurzels.’
Garage, Glasgow, Sat 9 Oct. The band are doing a signing session at Avalanche Records, 1pm.
Idlewild This is a lone date for this year as the Edinburgh quintet complete their new Tony ‘Beck' Hotter produced album which will see the light of day in early 2005. Town Hall, Falkirk, Fri 8 Oct.
Muzikas Ensemble A tremendous group that emerged from the ‘dance house' revival in Hungary over the last quarter of a century, as did guest vocalist Marta Sebestyen, one of the world's greatest traditional singers. And they bring some dancers too. Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, Fri 8 Oct.
Gilad Atzmon The Israeli-born saxophonist is a powerful and expressive musician as well as an outspoken observer of world events, and has just released Re- Arranging the 20th Century, his latest album with his Orient House Ensemble. Henry's Jag Cellar, Edinburgh, Wed 13 Oct; the Arches, Glasgow, Thu 14 Oct.
Franz Ferdinand The crowning gl0ry on what can only be described as an astronomical year for FF (pictured) as they celebrate with three hometown hoe downs. Barrow/and, Glasgow, Fri 15 8 Sat 16 Oct (matinee Sat). - ‘ Jay Clayton & Brian Kellock The very highly regarded American singer Jay Clayton has never pedormed in Scotland before, and this is a welcome chance to rectify that omission. She will team up with pianist Brian Kellock in what should be a memorable occasion. Henry’s Jag Cellar, Edinburgh, Fri 15 Oct.
'2‘ The Finn Brothers Through Split Endz. Crowded House and various solo projects they've been setting hearts aflutter for over quarter of a century. And here together, they plan to draw on the best of all that material. Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Sat 16 Oct; Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Sun 17 Oct.
7-21 Oct 2004 THE LIST 71