‘THERE'S A SPECIAL ENERGY YOU GET WHEN THOUSANDS OF YOU ARE ALL ON THE SAME BUZZ'
Faith, scope and clarity
It takes something special to fashion a career in dance. Mark Edmundson gets the lowdown from FAITHLESS’ Sister Bliss.
he} l‘orined almost a deeade ago. .\'o Rim/s itheir l'ourth and most reeent alhum) reeentl} topped the eharts. and this l‘ortnight marks their return to some seriousl) si/eahle l'ls' arenas. So didn‘t an_\one tell l-‘aithless that danee musie is dead’.’ ’I’ot' a t'ourth alhum it‘s ama/ing. eonsidering the tiekle nature ol' danee and pop musie no\\ada_\s.‘ admits tlte hand's knoh tuiddlet‘. Sister Bliss. 'Alter the stl-t‘allt‘d death til dilllt‘t‘ it‘s been more difficult l'or next hands ol‘ our kind to hreak through. 'I'haitklull} \\ e'\ e a reth good grass roots support.‘ In I‘NS. the dirt} pop tranee ol‘ ‘Insomnia‘ spoke to a generation ol‘ eluhgoers \\ ho toda) ma} he more trouhled \\ith mortgage rates and hahies‘ names than elimhing tip the “MB alter too hig a \teekend. But “line the eluhs might ha\e ehanged and so man) danee artists gone haek to their da_\ iohs. there is one name still making that e\er more halitiling trip to ll.\l\' more l‘ruitl‘uI. l-aithless eased into that eol‘l'ee tahle niehe some _\ear.s ago and appear to still he quite eomt‘ortahle there: a hastion ot‘ middle-ollthe-road eleetroniea: ma) he adding a little \\ater to the \xhisk}. htit at least keeping it t‘lo\\ iitg.
B_\ these means l‘aithless ha\ e heeome that rarest ol’
things a eareer danee aet. 'l‘heir longe\it_\ is ehallenged onl} h} the l’i'odig) a group that time aehie\ ed similarl} e\tended heights h_\ an alternatix e path. eourting eontro\ers_\ to retain their )tititlt and appear dangerous. |{\ en artists \\ hose initial output
eauses a .stir. tlike M} Io. supporting liaithless on their
eurrent tour) rarel) knoek out more than one alhum hel‘ore the \\;thl‘s settle.
84 THE LIST .‘
‘You used to he ahle to guarantee a ehart hit \\llil something that had heen massiVe in the eluhs.‘ reealls Sister Bliss. ‘Btit danee nots easts a mueh \tider net. There‘s less mone) to he made. so hopel'ull} those people with the passion lot‘ the musie \\ ill he the ones hanging in there and the gu_\s that are just in it tor the mone} \\ ill just liuek ot‘l'.‘
liaithless eouldn‘t ha\e made it thus tar \tithout getting the lixe thing rightflt‘s one thing to make a lotel) reeord.~ e\plains Bliss. "translating that into a lixe thing with one and a hall hours to get )our point aeross is quite another. We tend to strip it haek. make it a lot more ra\\. .\ lixe e\perieitee is special: \\ e don't just pla} it louderf
.\loh_\. (iroo\ e .-\rmada and Basement .|a\\ hate also come good in the li\ e arena ot eourse perhaps a grim ing neeessit} in the stiittittt‘i"s l'ren/_\ ol' testitals. It _\ou \\ ant to appeal to the masses it‘s no use hiding hehind a sampler in the Slam tent. _\ou‘\e got to he airing )titti' plumes on the main stage. Something l-‘aithless have eome to relish.
‘II is harder \\ hen )ou're tilling a hig stage. htit I think l-‘aithless suits that arena. l jtist lo\e enormous gigs. I think there's a speeial energ} )ou get as a speetatoi‘ \\ hen _\ou‘re part ot~ all these thousands ot~ people. all on the same hu//. It's a eolleetite phenomenon that _\ou don‘t get to experienee \er} ol'ten unless )ou go to the foothill]. lt's \xieked to think that l-‘aithless ean toueh all these thousands ot~ [k‘tlplL‘ all at once..
SECC, Glasgow, Wed 15 Dec.
Jimmy Edgar Detmit's latest poi, \‘Joiitter mixes hip hop anti
technt‘i. has his t‘»*.'.'ii fashioi‘ lal W and used to [Tl in strip ttlahs. Set- preview Ar? Ssritxii’. (Enlisgt‘it, 8.13 J Oct}. 'Ht‘gk .‘L I ’1‘!"
The Beastie Boys llw hip hop veterans return. See ttattiio SlfCC. Ci/asgoit; f‘)‘t1r‘1[)t.\t flock 8. Pop
The Bad Plus This fine US trio play off-thewall itL'x. inclut’ling interpretations of Brick Sahhath, Blondie and Nirvana. Outxan's Ha/l. Edinburgh. Sun 5) Dec. Ala/z;
Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra More cutting edge experiments lll free lllll)l()‘/li§£tllt)ll from this imaginative outfit. including some innovative small group segments that may allow the audience to participate directly in the music. (SC/t. Glasgow, Tues 7 Dec. (Ja/m
Phil Bancroft Quartet A tuitl‘ier opportunity for the .saXOphonist to develop an already high level of group interplay in even more creative directions With this excellent quartet. featuring guitarist Mike Walker. haSSist Steve Watts and drun'imer Thomas Stronen. Henry '3 Jazz Cel/ar, Edinburgh. Wed 8 Dec. fJa/zi
Here The Magnificents (pictured). Hohoken. S‘NIllllllOt One and Dirty Hospital star lll this hotpotch of pop. poetry. theatre and art. The performance side of things is curated by Fringe First Winner Laura Cameron Lewis. Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Fri IO Dec. (Rock (3 Pop)
The Pogues The Omen rogues are back With their original line-up for the first time in almost two decades. Expect classic songs. Celtic flags and a very drunk Shane MacGowan. Carling Academy. G/asgow. 73—74 Dec. See Five Reasons. (Folk 8. Wor/d and Rock 8 Pop/
Laibach Nazi uniforms and Status Ouo covers. anyone? See oreView. opposite. Oil/7U. G/asgow. Wed 7 5 Dec. (Rock 8 Pop;
Faithless See DFGVIQW. left. SECC, G/asgow. Wed 75 Dec. (Rock 8 Pop)