Vic Galloway revisits his packed summer diary.
Now the Edinburgh Festival has shuddered to a halt and reality returned. I can't help thinking I‘ve seen very little of the event but still managed to have an incredibly busy summer. Usually I put time aside to see a cross-section of oddities. but this year it‘s just been solid music (and a dreadful film about Brian Jones!) I've seen some great shows from the likes of Pixies, Franz Ferdinand. Dungen. James Yorkston, Fuck-- Off Machete and the Very. It's hard to remember the time when ‘popular' music wasn‘t a part of Edinburgh in August. but now fits in perfectly with the festivities.
I've also been buzzing around the country in the BBC Radio Scotland Camper Van (no really, it exists!) with Bryan Burnett. having a ridiculously good time on Vic & Bryan ’8 Big Scott/sh Adventure. a six week series that broadcast live from Glasgow. Oban. lnverness. Aberdeen. Dundee and Edinburgh. As well as hearing loads of good local acts. I've had the chance to fly a two-sealer plane. climb Europe‘s largest indoor ice—wall, go white water rafting and visit a seal colony. It's a hard job but someone's got to do it. and there were countless times when I stood back to realise how beautiful Scotland really is. The Radio 1 show has been out and about too ~— the Belladrum/ Tartan Heart Festival in Beauly was superb, possibly the greatest setting and atmOSphere I've experienced in Scotland at an outd00r event of that size. Watching the Bees skanking away in front of 5000 people in the confines of a natural amphitheatre and walled garden will stay with me for a long while.
It's been a hectic but wonderful couple of months. I'm not bragging. it’s a celebratory outpouring. At least I'm not boring you with tales of wack, celebrity parties — not that I'm ever invited! Onwards into autumn. my friends!
We Galloway presents BBC Radio Scotland's 'Air' at 8. 05— 70pm on Mondays and BBC Radio I at 7.30—me on Thursdays.
62 THE LIST 8 ’2? Sep 7005)
JAZZ
GLASGOW IMPROVISERS’ ORCHESTRA WITH THE DRESDEN ENSEMBLE
CCA, Glasgow, Thu 8—Sat 10 Sep
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The project linking the Glasgow |mprovrsers' Orchestra wrth likeminded colleagues in Dresden takes a major step ton/yard this week. A contingent of ten musicrans from the German city, led by percussionist Gunter Sommer. will be in Glasgow working with the GIO in workshops all week. The project includes two public concerts at the CCA. Saxophonist Raymond MacDonald explains how it wrll work.
INDIE HOLLY GOLIGHTLY Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Sat 17 Sep
Despite an incredibly prolific recording career, both as a member of all-girl garage band thee Headcoatees and as a solo artist, most were unaware of Holly Golightly until her appearance on the White Stripes’ Elephant LP in 2003. This collaboration and subsequent support slots with the Detroit duo sparked so much interest in the London- based songwriter’s sultry tones that earlier this year, Damaged Goods reissued her entire back catalogue alongside a 17-track compilation entitled My First Holly Golightly Album, 3 selection of live favourites spanning ten years of record-making.
About to embark on her biggest British tour to date, how does Golightly feel about this belated attention to her past work? ‘I am really excited about it,’ she explains. ‘I mean, obviously the White Stripes track brought me attention from a much wider audience and I’ve got a strong US fanbase, but over the years people in the UK have come to my music in really odd ways and it’s been by word of mouth, which is the best way for me because I like playing in small places and meeting people.’
So while the mainstream were coasting on a baggy scene comedown and gearing up for grunge, Golightly founded thee Headcoatees with wayward indie legend Billy Childish back in 1991, and it was to be the start of a musical journey that would go on to see her working with such alternative luminaries as Mudhoney, Rocket From the Crypt and the Greenhornes. However, the dry witted vocalist claims it all came about by accident. ‘I never had any aspirations to be a musician,’ she chuckles. ‘At school I played a few instruments like everyone else but didn’t pick up a guitar for years afterwards or really focus properly on writing songs until my riding accident about four years ago which stopped me from working with horses and do music full-time. Basically, I had no idea that I would ever do this and if someone had said to me when I was a kid that I’d sing in front of hundreds of people I would have scoffed.’
(Camilla Pia)
‘The Thursday night gig wrll involve the two ensembles performing separately. On Saturday night the two groups will collaborate to produce an entirely new piece of work. We will start the week as two separate groups and the aim is to merge and perform as a cohesive ensemble on the Saturday night, and we have tried to ensure that the instrumentation of the two groups is complementary.
‘In a sense we are merging two large ensembles into one using semi-structured free improvisation as the overarching concept. It is a fascinating. enjoyable and highly rewarding process. Playing music within a true improvisatory framework necessitates quick thinking. spontaneity and a musical honesty that can be passionate. exhilarating and. from a communicative perspective. very movrng and powerful.‘
The project is part of Saxony in the UK. and the Goethe Institute in Glasgow has been instrumental in making it happen. It is part of an ongoing collaborative exchange that will culminate in the Glasgow group making a reciprocal visit to Dresden. GIO will also use the Thursday concert to launch their latest recording, Which Way Did He Go. featuring Maggie Nicols.
‘The abiding concern of the band has been to explore free improvisation in a large group context. which many people think is impossible. The new CD with Maggie Nicols makes a strong case in favour of our argument as it contains four completely undirected improvisations.‘ (Kenny Mathieson)