NORTHERN SOUL SOUL SAUCE The Counting House, Edinburgh, Sat 30 Jul
In an almighty coup for Scottish clubbing, Soul Sauce have brought the hugely influential and equally controversial Northern Soul aficionado Ian Levine out of retirement for an appearance at this celebration of soul.
Levine is easily as loathed as he is revered by the DJ community, holding as he does the dubious title of the most arrogant man in Northern Soul. He may be guilty of aiding and abetting the likes of Take That and the X- Factor but clubland’s debt to Levine lies in his uncovering of countless rare and forgotten soul gems that provided the all important soundtrack to Northern Soul’s legendary all-nighters.
‘Those records are fantastic,’ enthuses Levine of his first love. ‘Those obscure records that people made for nothing. They wanted to be a Marvin Gaye or a Supremes but because they had no budget what you
ECLECTIC
Myopia
Ian Levine (left)
got was this slightly leftfield, oddball version of Motown that would become Northern Soul.’
No small degree of animosity between Levine and the scene’s dogmatic purists lead the Wigan Casino and Blackpool Mecca DJ to hang up his headphones for a second time and even sell much of his collection in April 2003. Now claiming to have been begged into submission, he is reluctantly stepping back into the arena. ‘I am doing it. If you want to see me this is the only chance you’re going to get, because I’m not doing it again.’
With the aid of a friend’s collection, Levine is promising a stomping 605 set that will no doubt feature classics of the scene’s halcyon days as part of this special that boasts the full and glorious spectrum of soul.
But the saintly sinner of Northern Soul would like to make his stance perfectly clear: ‘I love the music but I hate the scene and I didn’t want to do it is basically the gist of it.’ (Mark Edmundson)
SHOOT TO KILL
Basura Blanca, Brunswick Hotel, Glasgow, Fri 22 Jul
Shoot to Kill is a new multimedia event with a conscience and some pretty shit-hot talent and ideas to boot. If you are, in the words of co-promoter Paul Bamford. 'fed up with the same old pay to play gig nights slapped together by unscrupulous promoters“. then Shoot to Kill may just fill your musical void. The night aims to provide a platform for up-and-coming Scottish bands. 1 local DJs. exciting new filmmakers and some of Scotland's most promising l visual artists. ‘We want to give as much value for money as possible with as much to interest as wide an audience as possible.’ says Bamford. Along with musical partner in crime. Graeme Mclnnes AKA DJ Whomac, their launch night already boasts a veritable smorgasbord of local talent including electronica whizzkid Satellite Dub, who hails from Greengairs. Tom Tom's Tuesday Club DJ Craig McKee and Glasgow band Myopia. who most recently supported the Others. ; Both Bamford and Mclnnes are eager to showcase films and artwork from as broad a range of local artists as possible. 'lmages have amazing power in bolstering the emotional impact of music.‘ says Bamford. With films already lined up from edgy local filmmakers Daniel Du Bois and Brian Limond. future events will showcase work from Glasgow School of Art graduates among 1 others. ‘Audiences are becoming more and more sophisticated and are demanding more than three local bands battering out the same songs to tired family members.‘ And if all that's not enough. according to Bamford: “We will be giving out a free fanzine on the night which will be for new writers to get their voices heard on subjects ranging from music to art and other general rants.‘ (Sandra Marron)
Name Daughters of the Kaos Who? Zena Blackwell and Becky Rosoman, promoters and record- spinners of the utterly unique Club Motherfucker in London. It's an unpretentious polysexual party featuring live bands and a rather weird and wonderful playlist where Sons & Daughters sidle up to Lady Sovereign and Girls Aloud sit alongside the Cure. Jay-Z and Le Tigre.
On Motherfucker
Zena Blackwell 'From the moment I walked into my first disco aged eight I have always loved going to clubs. Me and Beck started to get really bored of all the same rubbish gay indie haunts in London so two and a half years ago we set out to put on parties for us and our friends to go to and that became Motherfucker: frenzied. spontaneous, messy and amazing.‘
On their eclectic sets Blackwell ‘We don't have a fixed idea of what style we are going to play; we just chuck in everything that we like and it works. I guess. There are so many great bands around at the moment. like Clor, Be Your Own Pet. Saul Williams and Lo-fi-fnk. and that obviously makes it easier.’
On the future
Blackwell “It's going to be a pretty exciting few months for us. We're really looking forward to playing in Glasgow for the first time. and then we're compering at the Reading Festival, Potty Mouth [Club Motherfucker's sister night with an all-female music policy] is coming back in September and we're going to release a series of seven inches on our label Whoop! Whoop! I can't believe that some people start nights with ulterior motives because we just did it to have a laugh and play more female fronted music and we never envisaged that it would lead to all of this.‘ (Camilla Pia)
I Daughters of the Kaos play Utter Gutter, Riverside Club, Glasgow, Fri 29 July.
21 Jul—4 Aug 200:3 THE LIST 33