HE'S AN INTRIGUING CHARACTER, ALL BIG HAIR, BIG LIPS AND BIG IDEAS
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Mark Edmundson meets Example, the latest talent to emerge from Mike Skinner’s The Beats stable and finds a rap superstar in waiting
\clt lol‘ seasoned trend-spotters and taste makers like those here at The list it isn't easy to predict \sliich artists will strike a chord with the masses. \\ ho \yill stall bel‘ore take-oil and who \y ill crash and burn. llaying conquered press and public with his late- iiiglit tales ol inner city angst. Mike Skinner ol‘ The Streets launched The Beats record label. and. l'olloys'ing success yyitli the likes ol‘ The Mitchell Brothers may haye l'ound a suitable heir to his urban poetics in straight-talking rap machine lixample. Styling himsell on the charismatic simplicity ol‘ Slick Rick and rhythmic \yordplay ol‘ lay-7.. lilliot (ileaye tyy hose initials lend him the moniker) was a childhood poetry champ in his natiye l‘ulham bet'ore cutting his teeth as a garage .\l(' and mm. like Skinner. boasts a wry British. matter-oli—l‘act \y ideness. ‘I think it's a case ot not being that t'ussed.‘ says I‘.\;tlll[llL‘ ot' his laisse/-t’aire image. 'I think industry success kind ol~ comes round and hits a lot ol artists all
ol‘ a sudden. yyhereas because I ptit otit records mysell
like three years ago. l'y‘e sort of groyyn more steadily. 'l‘yyo years ago l was doing intery ieyy's on Kim so noyy \y hen you get a record ol' the neck on Radio One it hasn't just come out of the blue. you're not a one hit \yonder. you leel y‘ou‘ye actually worked for it. I‘m not saying it doesn‘t al‘t‘eet me. it's e\citing and daunting but it doesn‘t feel like I shouldn‘t be theref The striking character a all big hair. big lips and big ideas works hard and e\clusiy'ely with producer Riisher \y'ho cral'ts three-minute pockets ol~ pure
Kany e hip pop in his intelligent. choppy application ot‘
sometimes oy‘erly' l‘ainiliar samples. The resulting output has brought the pair radio airplay. support slots lor the likes ol Plan B. The Rifles and .ltlsl .lack. and mm a headline tour. 'We'y'e not had a WP 40 _\’ct.‘ admits the sell-assured rapper/stingys'riter. ‘but \ye'rc mining in the right direction‘.
lisample is not a man in any immediate hurry but one with a game plan who is prepared to accept an unol’l‘icial popularity. tor. while his album ll/mr lli' .llui/t' has not enjoyed astronomical sales it has lured well in illegal doyynloads. and audience participation at his gigs is testament to a wider acceptance and appreciation of his lyrics.
"l‘o be honest. most other people in the l'K. especially in the urban music scene. don't \york that hard at all.‘ says the perlormer (it his sell-induced Iyy'o-year plan that takes in two albums and two mis- tapes. and which he is already hallway to realising. 'But 1 just think you‘ye got to keep people interested all the time so that you don't tall oil the mapf
He goes on: 'l‘m really confident in Rusher‘s ability to make great music and my ability ys rite catchy hooks. and I think the bands \s ho sury iye are the ones \\ ho keep building their tan base and keep \yriting great songs. l'm yyell ays are that yse‘re not as big as l)i//ec or Kano. but my ambition has ney'er been to be bigger or better than anyone else. he alysays yyantcd to just be a stand-alone artist: be it alternatiye. indie. hip hop. pop. yy'hatey'er. l beliey'e longey'ity comes doys n to your ability to write a good song'
The Arches, Glasgow, Fri 16 Nov.
Jesu and Mono lne lux.’ of My Bloody Valentine meets the heaviosity of Black Salihath. think a more tux/ed out Mogwai. Oran Mor, Glasgow, In 76 Nov. (Rock 8. Pop)
Blind Summit, The Dials, Decartes and Little Doses New FOund Sound host new live mUSlC on Edinburgh weekends. This smart bill of indie is yust for starters. PO Na Na. Edinburgh. Fri 76 Nov. (Rock 8 Pop)
Example See provrew, left. Arches. Glasgow. Fri 18 Nov. (Rock 8 Pop)
Ben TD, The Poems and DoI Eoin An excellent line up of folksy, homespun pop s arring the country pop of The Poems. led by Karine Polwart's sister Kerry. Stereo. G/asgow. Sat I 7 Nov. (Rock 8 Pop)
‘. Firewater Records Launch Night The Glasgow venue goes one better than putting on gigs for new hands: it starts its own label to release their reCOrdS. A damn fine idea. Firewater. G/asgow. Fri 23 Nov. (Flock 8 Pop)
Boss Sounds Festival Yes. it's a long way to travel but a line-up lll<€ this doesn't come up everyday as Prince Buster. Gregow lsaacs. Max Romeo and many more descend on the Toon for this very speCial festival. Carling Academy. Newcastle, Fr/ 23—Sun 25 Nov. (Folk;
:1? David Patrick’s Tetragom Edinburgh-based pianist Patrick welcomes another great UK sax0phonist. Stan Sulzmann. as a guest for these Scottish dates. The Jazz Bar. Edinburgh, Wed 28 Nov. (JaZZ)
tit Amy Winehouse Jaked or sober. Amy remains in our cold. cold hearts thanks in no small part to that bloody marvellous voice. Barrow/and. Glasgow, Fri 76 8 Sat 7 7 Nov. (Rock 8 Pop)
hi. 7 THE LIST 59