GO WILD IN THE CITY
Sounds of the
Karin Goodwin gets the lowdown on Hey You Get Off My Pavement, an innovative home-grown alternative to major music festivals, and finds there is a whole lot more going on in Glasgow this summer
he sun is shining for a change in
Glasgow. making the pavement outside
Mono, the laid-back cafe’ bar that‘s a fimi favourite with the city‘s arty crowd. a popular spot to hang out.
But. according to local historians. manager Paul Smith tells me. not everyone would always have been welcome here. ‘The pavements around us in the Merchant City were built by the tobacco merchants,’ he explains. ‘And they certainly didn’t do it for the public good — just for themselves. So they hired guys with canes who would thwack anyone who used their pavement.‘
Hence the name of Mono’s now annual summer music event — Hey You Get Off My Pavement. It‘s a fun-filled all-dayer on Sunday 5 August. featuring a mix of the hottest indie bands from across Glasgow and beyond.
And hidden in the catchy name is a nod to what makes this festival a little bit different from the hordes of others on the Scottish calendar this year. At this event there are no outside funders. certainly no sponsors. and any money that’s made after everyone involved has been paid goes to charity. Corporate rock it is not: this one’s for the people.
The idea was born just over a year ago. when Smith and fellow organiser lsla Angus decided that Mono. which is also home to independent record shop Monorail (run by musician Stephen Pastel) and hosts regular gigs. was well placed to offer a music event with a difference.
‘Everyone says their festival is “altemative” these days. so much so that it sounds like quite a boring idea.’ says Smith. ‘But I think the difference is that this is more about the
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CITY
community. We wanted to harness the ideas and creativity of the people that hang out at Mono. give smaller hands a chance to shine and let people see them at their best.‘
Surrounded by art galleries. studios. and independent quirky shops. and boasting many artists and musicians among their regulars and bar staff. there seemed to be a ready-made audience for the event. But it wasn’t one that could be put on without taking a few linancial risks. ‘We could have lost a lot of money] Smith grimaces. ‘Me and lsla were pretty stressed out the first year.‘
But last year‘s sell-out event. which featured bands including Arab Strap. Uncle John and Whitelock and ex-l)e|gados singer limma Pollock. was a huge success. The music went down well. as did the BBQ and outdoor bars. and the warm friendly atmosphere left a fuI/y glow long after the street decorations had been cleared away.
So it‘s not surprising that this time around Smith and Angus are more relaxed. They've got a great line-up planned too. packed full of local talent. covering a mixture of styles that they hope will suit all tastes and broaden horizons.
Included on the bill are the psychedelically- influenced The Aliens. comprised of former Beta
This pic: The Aliens: above Part Chimp
Band members (iordon .-\nderson. Robin Jones and John Maclean. whose album. .\\II‘UIlHHl\' [w Dogs. has been praised h} the critics. .'\l'ter a summer ol l’ls' l'esti\a| appearances the} will start a l‘S tour in September.
Hot on their heels are (ilasgow band Izriors. who made a splash at this _\ear's South by South West. and are tipped for mainstream success. So too are fellow (ilaswegians The Twilight Sad. signed to liat ('at. who. with their beautiful I) rics sung in broad Scottish accents. are attracting fans far and wide. They are joined b_\ _\et another band to come out of (ilasgow School ol :\rt. Mother and lhc Addicts. who ha\c I'ccci\cd lots of positive attention since they were lirst talent spotted a few years back.
Riotous Londoners l’an ('himp are also on the line-up. along with cult (ilasgow guitar band Dananananaykroyd. 'l'here w ill be some experimental folk on offer in the guise of Daniel Padden’s linsemble. and last but not least the baby of the pack. |‘)—_\'ear-old .Iohn Ii McKenna will be performing a I} rical acoustic set.
'l’rogramming is very difficult] admits Smith.
‘Wc want to make sure that we ha\e lots of
different bands and give people a really wide selection. but that sometimes means that we base to exclude some of our itn'tml'llt's. This year
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