WE HEAR TALES OF FLYING DRUMMERS, DWARVES AND GO-GO GIRLS
Main: System of a Down; Inset (L-R) Motley CrUe, Towers of London
Full metal racket
Whorey veterans, battle scarred nu metallers and schizophrenic Armenians are making June a month of rock. Henry Northmore looks up from the moshpit.
etal has heen thi'ntigh a rnllei‘enaster ride nl peaks and ti'ntighs since ‘Hlack Sahhathi. the Brunt rnekei's‘ seennd single. inaugurated the genre. .-\nd this l'ni‘tnighl }nii can plnt its ad\aneenient thi’nugh the ages from its dark ineeptinn tn its future.
\n niie epitnmised Nils hair metal like \liillc} (rile. Stupidl) pnpiilai‘ during their hesda}. theii turhn charged glam stnmp was hit and miss. hiit when the} hit paydirt the} hit it gnnd. \\ith Jll iiiillinii alhiini sales enming nii the hack til the slea/} '( iirls. (iirls. (iirls' and ‘l)l‘ l't‘c‘lg‘tltitli. their nde ll) tlL‘tllL‘l‘N lllL‘} ttl‘L‘ \ttl'L‘l} tltL‘ nnl} hand \xhnse career has heen reignited h} a hingi‘ap|i_\ The Hill. which goes snine \\tt_\ tn explaining the impnrtanee nl' their legend. ’l'ales nl ll_\ing drummers. d\\;ir\es and gn—gn girls ha\ e ahead} leaked ntit l'rnm their .r\nieriean dates. ‘l dnn't think \\ e\ e e\ er gnne inn lar htit the audience ha\e hlnxtn nui' minds a entiple nl times.~ sa}s hassist \ikki Sin. 'Snmenne asked me \that's the strangest thing I e\ er szm li\ e and l remeiiiher nne time \\ e \\ ere pla_\ing in l1ngland and there has this gu} hnldiiig a enws leg tip.~ \Vhatewi‘ their musical \Hll'lll. this shnuld he spectacular.
.\letal tnnk a hig kick in the halls \theii grunge ;ii‘i'i\ed. it struck hack in the late lllls with the rap rnek lltl inetal h}hrid. Hands like l’apa Rnaeh \\clll platinum \tnrlduide. althnugh lnllnn tips didn't fare as \kell l‘.\en hig hitters like Kni'ii and limp l))l/l'\ll \\ ere \ietinis nl‘the ltl\\ nl'diiniiiishing returns.
()ut nl' this melee came a hand tlial le\\ \\tltlltl lt;i\e e\er emisinned piissihle: S} stem iii a l)n\\n. their tunes
eniistrueted l'rniii s}nenpated tinie signatures. thrash guitars. sweetl} ei‘nniied elini‘iises and intricate .-\rinenian l’nlk.
‘l)arnn |.\la|;ikianl \\lin\ niir niain siiii;:v.i‘itei' listens In e\t‘i"\tliiiig l'rnni hlaek metal In the llee (ieesf
e\p|ains drummer .lnhii l)nliiiti)tiii in still. considered tnnes. ’lltal's uh} our music is sehi/nphrenic. \Vhat differentiates ll\ l'i'nm nther artists is we take all that and put it tngethei‘ in a \\a_\ that's not easil} digestihle htit is pi‘ett} in its \\a_\.‘
With their .v\rmenian haekgrnund the hand utter a rare iinte nl ethiiieit} in the \\tll‘ltl ill the rill. and add intelligent enmmeiit tn a sntind that cnmhines seducthe. \xarped heatit} and smile assault. lt’s heen a slim hui‘ii htii nn alhtiiii nuinher three l.lli':nii'ri:i'l the} are headlining l)nimingtnn and packing ntlt \enues the sim til. the Sl'.(‘(i.
'\\e still dnn’t understand \ih) we're so pnptilai'f sans l)n|ina_\an. ‘\\'e al\\a_\s kneu \te‘d have a great underground l‘nlltming hut we never knew that undergrnund \tnuld surface tn the level that it has.’
S}\lc‘lll nl‘ a l)n\\n's enmple\it} is \llttl‘pl} contrasted h_\ the route nne nld sehnnl histrinnies iii the Darkness. the rate huge next i'nck haiid tn emerge in iiti metal‘s \xake. :\lttnng thnse attempting tn replicate their success are e\eessi\e|_\ st}led punkers 'l’im'ei‘s of London. who ha\ e eannihalised metal's past. lnnking like a .S'nim/i III/x take nn .\li'itle_\ ('rtie. Reports suggest they are a riot li\ e. .\nd the) hip e the criminal records (in both senses) in hack this up.
Sn \\llCl'L‘ has this lead iis‘.’ We have the llt)tll‘)' nld rock of Paul l)i‘.r\nnn. the l'reakshim pantnmime til the (‘rtie. the enntraeting l‘nree nl' l’apa Rnaeh. the cryptic ittsttttlt)
nl' S}stem nl' a l)n\\ n and the sculpted pnttt nl'lnu'ers nl
l.nndnn. Metal is nnu a hrnad enntigh church for e\er_\nne tn l'le\ their picks. lt ma} e\*n|\'e hut ruck shims nn sign nl' d_\iiig: the gnds of metal still roam the earth.
See Rock & Pop listings, page 74 for full details.
REM Not once but twice. I tell you. Get your fill on the Green or head up to the bonnie banks. Either way ‘Drive' and ‘Fall on Me' will sound breathtaking. Glasgow Green, Tue 74 Jun; Loch Lomond, Bel/och. Sat 78 Jun.
Belle 8. Sebastian This small- scale show is a fundraiser for G8 Alternatives campaign where the band will be showcasing some new material. Arches. Glasgow, Wed 75 Jun. (Rock 8 Pop)
System of a Down See preview. left. SECG, Glasgow. Wed 75 Jun. (Rock 8 Pop)
880 Radio Scotland Live at Henry’s The Beeb moves in for two nights of recording for subsequent broadcast. featuring Graeme Stephen Sextet with guest Jim Mullen and the Colin Steele Qumtet (Thu). Kyle Eastwood with Ronnie Rae and Fionna Duncan with Jay Clayton (Fri). Henry's Jazz Cellar. Edinburgh, Thu 76wFri' 77 Jun. (Jazz)
Taj Mahal Old school guitar man who is among those who invented the whole notion of world music. See preview. page 68. Usher Hall. Edinburgh, Mon 20 Jun. (I 'o/k)
Fete de la Muslque Organisations from all over Scotland and beyond converge to celebrate the art. music and life of France. Various venues. Glasgow, and Edinburgh, Me 27 Jun. (Rock 8 Pop, Folk. Classical)
U2 A streamlined stage show and new material-heavy set suggests they're pretty content With their creative lot presently. This won't have the spectacle of previous gigs but they're worth witnessing at least once before they end up like the Stones. See feature. page 2/ . l-larnpden Park, Glasgow, Tue 27 Jun. (Rock 8 Pop)
Paul Towndrow Quartet The exciting Scottish alto saxophonist celebrates the release of his third album. Out of Town, Wllll his own quartet. Her if y '3 Jazz Cellar. Edinburgh, Thu 23 Jun. (Jazz;
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