‘IT DOESN'T SHOW CONFIDENCE IN YOUR MUSIC IF YOU NEED TO STRIP OFF TO SELL IT'
Wholesome wisdom
She’s sitting near the very top of the pop Premiership, but as James Smart discovers, NATASHA BEDINGFIELD isn’t always willing to play ball.
ataxha Bedingl'ield co.xt .-\r.xena| the linglish
current .xingle ‘l Bruixe lia.xi|_\~ at 7am in a London hotel apparentl} dixrupted the xide'x heaut) .xleep. causing them to Io.xe laxt month'x \‘ital match againxt .\Ianche.xter l'nited. ‘Sonie conspiracy theorixtx' hax'e e\en .xiiggexted that the perxon \\ ho put the team in roomx .xo cloxe \xax a Man l'nited tan.‘ a member HI \lilIT [Did the “(ll/l" .Ilil‘l‘rtl'.
Thix .xort ol' hokuin reprexentx a rare moment ol‘
contro\ei'.x} tor liedinglield. a .xingei' \xho ix ahout ax likely to appear hall-naked \xith an alhino p}thon ax .xhe i.x to join Slipknot. ‘l'm the l'irxt \mnian to do I’ll.” not in a skimp} hikini.‘ xhe explains. ’I make strong deinandx ahout ho\\ I am reprexented. .\ delinite no-no ix haring the chext and leg at the xaine time? It doesn‘t .xho\\ conlidence in _\UUI' muxic il‘ \ou llc‘c‘tI It) .xll'lp HIT [U sc‘II ll: '
(‘ertainly Bedingl‘ield's muxic ix doing juxt tine. ('nii'rirtwi. her dehut alhum. \xent xiraight in at number one xhe i.x onl} the third Britiin \xoman to Time achieved the teat. at'ter .-\nnie I.enno\ and Bonnie T_\ler. It'x a contident and likeahle record that mixes pop and R&B and ahoundx \xith catch} tunex. There are moments of edginexx ‘l)rop Me in the Middle‘ i.x an entertaining collahoration \\itlt limineni cohort and I)-lZ memher Bi/arre hut a truer note ix struck by the asxured optimism ot the alhum‘x title track. The your lit'e \\ ith armx wide open.’
There is a hint of irony in the fact that. for all thix keen xell-delinition (and the praixe for independence that filled 'Single'l. ('nii‘rirtcii .xa\\ Bedingl'ield
I’remierxhip. The recording ol’ the \ideo l‘oi'
collahorate \\ ith a Ittisl ol production naniex in l..\ and London: \x'riterx \\ ho had pre\iouxl_\ norked l'oi‘ Madonna. (‘hrixtina Aguilera. .\lariah (are). Beyincc and Rohhie \Villianix. Thix committee-ui‘iticn approach to muxic increaxingI} delinex the pop market. expeciall} in the IS. Bedinglield ix happ§ to pla_\ hall. ‘The record compan) xuggexted thexe people to “ink \xitli.' xhe xa)x. ‘lt’x a great xign \xhen the conipan} imextx a lot ol inone} into )ou. I guexx l inuxt he doing xoniething right. The} xee xoineone that could go tar and I led reall} honoured. Although other people \\anted to get inxolxed it \\ ax \ei'} important to me that I \\ax \\riting the majorit} ot' it.‘
Thix approach ol‘ten createx lllL‘\\_\ alhunix. like (in en Stel‘ani‘x l...y\..\l.l)’. “here New Order xat alongxide the Neptunex and geniux occaxionall} xhone through the gloxx. In xuch a context. ('iiii‘ri'ltt'u'x coherence ix rather pleaxing. It alxo el‘l‘ortlcxxl} ti'unipx the likex ol (ieri Ilaliuell and Rachel Ste\enx. Bedinglield ma} lack a little ol their racinexx her l_\ricx ha\e heen admiringl} deconxtructed on ('hrixtian \xehxitex r hut her \\I]t)Ic‘xt)ltlc‘ \xixdoni ix xelling rather hetter than their hare inidrillx.
Il'x hard to knou. ol cotit‘xc. him ('nu'rillt'n‘x xpark comex l‘roni the girl herxell and hon much from the production team that xtandx hehind her. I’ast gigx ha\e heen \\ ell recehcd. although according to Bedinglield the hext ix xtill to come. ‘.\'o onex had the true .\'ata.xha e\perience )c‘t.‘ xhe e\claimx. 'It'll he keeping it real - it'll he ahout the muxicf
Carling Academy, Glasgow, Sun 6 Mar.
inucli ol
Chris Potter Quartet lob American saxophone star It aims up Will guitarist Wa‘tne Kiti'itx. Illll yoo'll have to travel to llt‘ztl this Scottish exclusive at the Al \c-i: It‘t :n Jazz Festival. Arts Centre. Aberdeen. Hi .1 Mar: (Jaw
Lemon Jelly Crack titlt‘H a Party Seven and a family sized box of Rll/ crackers and get down Wllll these honorary Edinl )llltllltflfS. last time it was bingo. so God only knows what they’ll have tor us this time. Usher Hall. {-r’linburgh. Sat :3 Mar; (Rock (‘3 popi
Mercury Rev premix-u. over. Barrow/and. Gl(l.‘§(}()l‘r. 8hr; s Mar. Week 8 pop)
The Streets Mike Skinner 's (pictured) beatilic hoo- hah is always vv/elconie round our house and this two night stint has his protege-s the Mitchell Brothers; ino. not those onesi in support (Jar/int; Academy G/(ISJOW, 7 i‘; 8 i‘xlar; (Rock 8 pop)
Bright Eyes and Rilo Kiley Two acts of quality on one bill: one you might know and one you'll know about soon enough. Rilo Kiley take a more cutesy (,oiiritiy trail than Conor Oberst's intense intentions but together, this is pretty much unbeatable. (St/U, Glasgow, Fri 7 7 Mar: (Rock a pop)
The Mars Volta Epic. Virtuostic madness from El Paso's most genial. it intense. Dr Who loving exports. Prog rock aesthetics may sOund like a load of nggy old cobblers on paper. but live it all kind of falls into place. Barrow/and. G/asgow. Fri 7 7 Mar. Rock 3 pop)
i' Les Ecossias The next wave of Scottish iazz is upon us. and this hard-hitting quintet featuring Theo Forrest. Philip Cardwell. Euan Stephenson. Euan Burton and Doug Hough are leading the way. Henh/‘s Jazz CeI/ar, Edinburgh, Sat
7 2 Mar; Tron Theatre, Glasgow. Sun 73 Mar. (Jam
1' THE LIST 69