Al l (x )LlNlli“. RYAN ADAMS Carling Academy, Glasgow, Wed 15 Feb
For all his affected posturing, prima donna whining and tendency to chuck the toys out of the pram at the least bit of bad press, it‘s easy to understand why some folks wouldn‘t even let Ryan Adams wash their car. But, filling that tousled haired, bleeding-hearted-rebel-at- large quota that exists in so many an unrequited bedroom romantic, detractors make an inordinate amount of impact on a man so widely eulogised. Sexier then Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, less ungainly than Conor Oberst, Adams is, to many, the sort of alt.country deity/ rock'n’roll fantasy that comes along only once in a generation.
Staggering from the wreck of hard living country rock prospect Whiskeytown in the late 905, Adams‘ solo career broke on the back of Grammy-nominated second long player Gold in 2001 - aided in no small way by the misplaced knee-jerk jingoism granted single ‘New York, New York’ post 9/11. Like a necro in a mortuary, thrown into the yes culture of the NY glitterati he was soon chalking up movie star bed notches,
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sharing apartment blocks with Strokes and stumbling out of bars at 3am into the scandal-hungry arms of the tabloid press.
Not that his productivity ever suffered for it. He's been writing and recording at a feverish rate, and his output has been relentlessly prolific, with no less than three albums released in 2005 alone. More dangerous than any substance has been Adams' ever-swelling ego, which most curiously produced 2004’s ill advised, if resplendently ballsy Rock N Roll LP - a questionable attempt to ape his idols from U2 to Nirvana in painfully self-depreciating style. He‘s slightly more astute at 31, and last year’s triumvirate culminated with 29 — a sparse, echoing, acoustic underscore to his 205 which was so full of that sophomoric abandon that has threatened to box in his prodigious talent.
With a knack for knocking out loveably scarred songs in just about any style that should take his fancy, what comes next is anyone’s guess. A fine American mess, Adams is only ever as reliable as his next erratic impulse. None could deny that the music world would be, at worst, less colourful for one true Southern rogue fewer. (Malcolm Jack)
\l‘.E,\?( \ VH- Qru 55f; JENNY LEWIS WITH THE WATSON TWINS Mono, Glasgow, Sun 12 Feb
Festival fever is kicking in
early for Vic Galloway. He'll be the one down the front
eating brown rice.
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l firmly recommend (reltrnri out of the City and trying (mini: festivities further afield this, year too. Last summer l spent a lot or time travelling around l'lfallfrlllq how beautitul Scotland If) and how many CClOlMEtllOllS are taking place Without the; usual hype Surrounding them, Br,- a little more adventurous. hemuxr: rnuSir; events in the Highland“. are incredibly well organized ‘f.’lll‘r tremendous almmphere. Persomlly, I'm going to lrr; incredibly busy this year Willi lily usual radio shows and lotr, of on and Off-air events for the BBC. There Will be DJ gigs r;-~.rr;r‘/i.'rl‘.r,-rr;. so maybe I'll see some of the more daring out there .
I Vic Gal/oway presents BBC Radio Scot/ands 'Arr' at
8.05— IOOOpm on /'/7()/V1€l/L and BBC Radio 7 at 7. FO~9pm on Thursdays.
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