IT'S THE KIND OF RECORD EVAN DANDO WOULD BE MAKING IF HE EVER GOT
HIS ACT TOGETHER
The resurrection man
After a decade in the musical wilderness, indie legend EUGENE KELLY returns invigorated and downright excitable. Doug Johnstone welcomes him back.
ant to become an enigmatic. legendary
figure in Scottish indie circles‘.’ Simply
don‘t do anything for ten years. At least. that‘s how it’s worked out for liugene Kelly. It‘s been a decade since the last proper record release from the former frontman of the Vaselines. ('aptain America and liugenius. and in that time his reputation has grown exponentially.
"l‘hat‘s great.‘ laughs Kelly. 'Because you think if you're going to not do things then people are going to forget about yott. It‘s good that people remember tne at all. I‘d like people to think I‘m enigmatically sitting tip in my castle in the Highlands wearing a smoking jacket. with a big plan of liurope in front of me with a knife sticking in it.‘
In actual fact. Kelly hasn't been doing nothing. it just looks that way from the outside. litrgenius trundled on into the late 90s before dissolving. alter which time Kelly did take a couple of years off. But for the last few years he has been writing and recording new material. as well as getting involved with several record labels. only for the process to fall through umpteen times.
Now. though. he has a debut solo album out. appropriately entitled Man Alive. Kelly comes from the same school of indie that spawned everything from Teenage lianclub to Nirvana. and Mun Alive sounds like a maturing version of that mindset. Amidst strttmmy. acerbic tttnes and heartfelt melanchon there are flecks of country rock. and the overall impression is that‘s it's the kind of record livan Dando would be making if he ever got his act together.
‘The title‘s all about feeling reborn.‘ says Kelly. ‘My music now is just a chance to reflect and take it easy.
58 THE LIST ’2? Sep 0 ()(t 1200‘)
let the words he more important than the music. ljtist tried to write decent lyrics and not have hidden meanings in there.~
Lyrically. Man Alive is superb. 'l‘m Done with l)rugs‘ is a great opener. a declaration of skins shed.
new leaves turned over. and as acute an examination of
growing old gracefully as you‘ll hear. The album as a whole is reflective. but then Kelly has plenty to reflect upon. His main claim to fame is that the Vaselines were Kurt (‘obain‘s favourite band. with Nirvana covering do/ens of their tttnes and (‘obain tirelessly championing everything Kelly did for several years. But all that was close to 15 years ago. so does he get grumpy when people like ttte still bring it up'.’
Surprisingly. his answer is no.
'11 seems a lifetime ago; a different world.~ he says. ‘It stays alive in other people’s minds more than mine. I can‘t escape it. but I wouldn‘t want to. But it was such a long time ago. its bizarre.
'I just wonder what the hell I‘ve done with my time.‘
And the enduring popularity of Nirvana has meant that several new generations of indie kids continue to discover the one-and-only Vaselines album. Hum Drim.
"that record was recorded in l987.‘ Kelly laughs. ‘I mean. that's when l was a kid. I think if you‘ve done
something that lasts. that‘s great. You can be proud of
that. bill it seems odd to be constantly talking about something that was so long ago.‘
With more records like Muir Alive. Kelly won’t be talking about the past forever. Mono, Glasgow, Thu 29 Sep. Man Alive is Mon 26 Sep on Rev-ola.
a THE BS PP, " & FOLK
The Magic Numbers The missing link between the Beach Boys and the Wedding Present continue seep into the hearts of the nation. See feature, page 20. Barrow/and, Glasgow. Wed 5 Oct. (Rock 8 Pop)
Roswell Rudd 8x MALIcool with 886880 The 8803 Africa Lives! series brings an unexpected chance to hear jazz trombonist Roswell Rudd and his band MALlcool in this special collaboration with the orchestra. Tramway, Glasgow, Sat 24 Sep. (Jazz)
. Raising Kain, Drive By Argument, The Rushes, Absent and Thee Comrades Well-beefy bill of local yokels who know their way about a raucous rock riot. Also the inaugural night of new indie club I Fly Spitfires. Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh. Sun 25 Sep. (Rock & Pop)
Spoon Picture the scene . . . Wilco meets Prince in a drafty New York loft and jam out some stomping songs. The result is Spoon‘s absolutely tremendous new album Gimme Fiction. See Exposure, page 60. King Tut’s, Glasgow, Wed 28 Sep. (Rock & Pop)
Data Panik, The 19903 and Beatroot A launching pad for everyone from Mogwai, to Kapranos. and after nearly eight years, cheer wildly as Club Beatroot returns with Bis bods Data Panik and John Yummyfur and Michael V Twin's new guise the 19903 on show. Stereo, Glasgow, Wed 28 Sep. (Rock & Pop)
Amamdou and Miriam Making their Scottish debut, the duo refine the music of their homeland. Mali with hugely emotive folk songs. King Tut's. Glasgow, Sat 7 Oct. (Folk)
Art Brut This mob understand the importance of putting the tongue in the cheek and have high and low culture happily going at it on stage at their boisterous, self-conscious live shows. ABC, Glasgow, Sun 2 Oct. (Rock & Pop)
2.’ Sci) t» ()t l .)tlt).‘»
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