ROCK THE GUTTEH TWINS Oran Mor, Glasgow. Mon 7 Apr
For a legendary hellraiser, Mark Lanegan is surprisingly perky considering it’s early morning after a show in Amsterdam. I say ‘perky’, it's all relative, he’s still monosyllabic, menacing, moody and terse. So how was last night’s gig, Mark?
‘Good.’
Yeah?
‘Yeah.’ Huge pause. ‘Good.’
The show in question was by The Gutter Twins, an erstwhile post-grunge supergroup, no less, featuring Lanegan and fellow veteran of the scene Greg Dulli, formerly of The Afghan Whigs.
Although Lanegan and Dulli have been friends for many years, The Gutter Twins is their first proper collaboration, and has produced a fantastic album, Satumalia, which blends Lanegan's bluesy, gravely musings with Dulli’s more expansive soul-flecked rock, the pair sharing songwriting and singing duties. Considering both artists’ long history in the business, it’s a surprisingly forward-looking record, but that was
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apparently the point.
‘I've always tried to make timeless records outside of whatever was the current trend, and Greg’s done the same,’ Lanegan growls. ‘That’s part of what attracted me to working with him, that we’re not stuck in the past'
Lanegan claims that working with such a close friend made both of them raise their games in the studio. So did either of them veto something the other one brought in?
‘That happened,’ Lanegan cackles, ‘but it was really rare, because we were both conscious of wanting to make a good record. We also wanted it to be its own thing, and I think we achieved that.’
Lanegan and Dulli have both seen plenty of the darker side of the rock star dream, drug addiction, violence and controversy courting their colourful careers. Lanegan remains tight-lipped on the details, but says he’s happy just to be here still making music.
‘If you’d told me at 20 that I'd still be around today, that would’ve seemed like an impossibility, same goes for Greg,’ he says. ‘But somehow we’ve got here.’ (Doug Johnstone)
2’ a. 3 v JAZZ
JOHN TAYLOR AND GWILYM SIMCOCK Strathclyde Suite, Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Thu 3 Apr; Queen‘s Hall, Edinburgh, Fri 4 Apr
This concert marks a new venture in Jazz promotion in Scotland. Singer Todd GOr'don reckons he has spotted a gap in the Current market for promotions at venues of this size. and sees his Jazz International series as complementary to Assembly Directs work at The Lot and Glasgow Jazz gigs at the City Hall's Rectal Rooms. as well as irxhcuse uenue prerttotions.
The singer's first patch 3* T'Our offerings WI“ culminate in his own pertprmance with the MarCus Pope Big Band at the Glasgow Jazz Festival in June. when they Wlll rex'isit the Classic Sinatra-Basie sessons. Later this trierttlt. ECM artists Enrco Rania and Stefano Botlani will team up at the Queen's Hall. and in May guitarist Mart:n Taler and singer Alis0n Burns do likewise at the Edinburgh venue and the Cit; Hal's in Glasgow,
He launches wsth this inzrguing double oili featuring two great English pia'tzsts at the opposite ends of their careers. Indeed. Gmlym Simcoc‘k recognises John Ta;,lor as both a teacher and mentor as weH as a palpabie influence in his own Cla‘,'il‘g, The tv.c pianists will play s0lo sets befOre teamng up for a concluding duet.
Simcock is a new kid 0n the dock. Cut .s already regarded as a rising torce in British Jazz. His last appearance here was pedormng With the Scottish Ensemble. and it wil be gooo to get a chance to hear him in a solo sett'ng. not to mention the mouth-tuaterng prosoect of that duet. i’Kenny Mathieson,
METHOD MAN REDMAN AND LUCKYMé
Carling Academy. Glasgow.
Sat 29 Mar
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LuckyMe's , Dom Flanagan o
The result has become known as ‘beat intisirf a term coined in a r:oinpilation CD entitled Boat Dime/mom; on Ainstmrlarn's Rush Hour thr; ’i{:i|lllllll release for llllS new sound. The music's popularity is grov/ing and the lads have scOred a number of gigs including an upcoming Support slot for the legendar/ Redman and Method Man which has got Flanagan all of a fluster.
‘Hip hop is my first lore. It's all I think about. all da/ I'm thinking about being a rapper. It's still my dream gig to do a support for Redman and Method Man. a big. high profile gig and frankly that's the culture that I want to relate to With the music I'm making'
The platinum-selling megastars from east coast USA and the young gun knob tmddlers from the west coast of Scotland might appear On paper as the mother of all contrasts. but if y0u ever needed a common denominator then hip hop is it. (Richie Meldrum)
27 Mar-1 0 Apr 2008 THI LIOT .7