mm- the Dispatch
What’s a perfectly nice indie DJ like Vic Galloway doing in a place like lbiza? Living up the indie madness, that’s what.
I do end up in some strange places with work these days. None stranger than the Balearic party isle of Ibiza. Long seen as a haven for bangin' choons. the clubbing capital of the world is in transmon right now as pop- culture swings once more towards guitars and bands. All summer I've been darting back and forward to the white isle to play nights such as ‘Ibiza Rocks' and ‘Rogue Indie' in San Antonio.
It all sounds so glamorous. and to be honest, there are worse ways to earn a livmg, but this change is still very much underground over there as the mainstream continues to favour a ‘funky house'-only policy on the whole. I see the addition of indie to the island's vibe as a serious plus. rock'n'roll is dance music too! At times I did ask myself ‘what on earth are you doing here?‘ as I received yet another request for The Killers. What made me smile. however, was DJing in a club wearing shorts and T-shirt. flanked by dwarves and dancers in hot pants playing rock tunes at volume through sound-systems designed for techno. It's a weird thrill to unleash Ramones records on bemused lads with footballers’ haircuts!
If you‘ve never been. and I hadn't before. the island is an idyllic land of olive and orange groves. beautiful bays and extraordinary sunsets. If you can escape the Union Jack. egg'n’chips. lager-lager-Iager mentality of San Antonio you will find a multicultural retreat for the fun-loving which can also be relatively peaceful when it needs to be. I'll be back to DJ if I'm asked. and maybe a few more will make the journey too. Viva La Revolution!
I We Galloway presents on BBC Radio 1 from 7.30—9pm Thursdays; BBC Radio Scotland from 8- 70pm Mondays and Vic's Most Wanted from 6—7pm on Friday.
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DAVEY GRAHAM Oran Mor. Glasgow. Sun 24 Sep
Lauded by Bert Jansch and Eric Clapton, Davey Graham is the guitar hero‘s guitar hero. But despite his revolutionary impact on acoustic guitar playing and British folk music in the early 19603, Graham has remained a relatively obscure figure. 80 it’s cause for celebration that he has returned to public performance.
Born to a Guyanan mother and Scottish father, Graham was never one to limit his horizons. As a teenager in London he absorbed blues, jazz, folk and classic and travelled to Morocco in the early 605, where he devised the groundbreaking DADGAD tuning.
It was thanks to British blues godfather Alexis Korner that Graham had his first real breakthrough. For the young John Renbourn (appearing as Graham’s special guest in Glasgow) and his future partner in psych-folk legends Pentangle, Bert Jansch, hearing Graham ‘changed everything‘.
“Alexis and Davey did an EP together which had ‘Angi‘ on it,‘ says Renbourn. ‘lt's why Bert and l sounded like we did. Davey was our idol.’
The solo instrumental ‘Angi', released in 1962, became Graham’s signature tune and a rite of passage for
aspiring guitarists. Jansch recorded a version for his debut album and in 1966 the tune crossed over to a mass audience via Simon 8. Garfunkel.
Two albums Graham made in 1964 stand as his most lasting achievements. Folk Routes, New Routes, a collaboration with Shirley Collins, is a revelation. Graham provides remarkably inventive accompaniments to Collins' stark readings of English traditionals like ‘Nottamun Town’ and ‘Reynardine‘. his jazzy flourishes and vaguely Middle Eastern inflections.
His own album of that year, Folk, Blues and Beyond, was more eclectic still, with Graham looking towards not only American jazz and blues, but Eastern European, North African and Indian music.
Although Graham continued to cut important albums throughout the 19605, he emerged less frequently, his erratic habits exacerbated by drug problems.
Recent years, however, have seen his albums reissued, bringing him belated recognition and a new audience.
No-one can be sure exactly what to expect from a Graham performance. But as Jansch testifies, that’s the beauty of his approach: ‘He’s completely unpredictable and the audience will be treated to wherever his mind is at that moment . . . but I've never been less than blown away by his playing.‘ (Stewart Smith)
MICAH' P. HINSON ABC, Glasgow. Tue 3 Oct
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