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Mutuolly inclusive
As the first season of the Tennent’s Mutual gets underway, with gigs for Glasvegas in Dumfries and Hot Chip in Aberdeen, Malcolm Jack takes a
look under the hood of the new ‘co-creative’ initiative
on‘t worry if you‘re still scratching your
head at the concept of Tennent‘s Mutual
— the ‘experimental’ new ‘co-creative‘ music initiative. which launched its first line-up earlier this month — you’re in good company. and even Tennent’s' Senior Sponsorship Manager Elaine Forbes. one of the brains behind the scheme. admits it's 'not easy to explain it in a nutshell.‘
‘The important things to get across are: that Tennent‘s Mutual lives online on a daily basis. on the online hub. and it’s really about creating new and affordable live music provision in Scotland.‘ she explains. ‘lt’s Tennent’s working with the music community and music fans — who can sign up as members at www.1ennents mutual.com — to define which acts they'd like to see. where they’d like to see them. and crucially. how much theyd like to pay. Tennent's are subsidising the shows so that there are no booking fees. and all income goes back into the Tennent‘s Mutual fund.‘
Simple as that really. The first season — booked on the basis of 498] votes cast by the 3737 members signed tip so far. and bankrolled out of the £150.000 starter kitty Tennent‘s have put tip — has yielded shows by the likes of Glasvegas in Ayrshire and Dumfries. LCD Soundsystem’s
FUTURE MUSIC
James Murphy in Glasgow and lidinburgh and Hot (‘hip in Aberdeen.
Many of the top If) nominated acts — Arcade Fire. Radiohead and Daft Punk amongst them — were either unavailable or beyond the budget this time. But as Forbes points out. if people get involved and attend this year's shows in large numbers. swelling the available funds. there‘s no telling what shape the 2009 season might take.
‘l‘d like to think that people are optimistic about this. and see the potential in it.‘ she says. ‘If you like what we‘ve done. get online. sign up and garner support to do something new. The Tennent's Mutual has no fixed format right now. and next year it could be something completely different. There‘s nothing wrong with people thinking big about this. because who‘s to say that
next year it‘s not unachievable to get one of
those attists'."
Tennent’s Mutual kicks off with two warm- up shows featuring James Murphy and some excellent local supports at CCA, Glasgow, Sat 20 Sep and the Caves, Edinburgh, Sun 21 Sep with gigs from Teenage Fanclub, Glasvegas and more across the country. See www.list.co.uk/ articles/tennents-mutual
Claire Sawers has her pick of forthcoming album releases
Limbering up well in advance for the run-up to Christmas (yes. it's only September and we've already dropped the C- word). all manner of superstar acts are crawling out the woodwork to release long awaited albums. Oasis pave
production, on the same day as those round-bottomed Iovelies Beyoncé (RCA) and Jennifer Lopez (Greatest Hits. Epic) unveil theirs. Brian Eno and Mick Fleetwood have lent a hand on Dido's Safe Trip Home (Sony BMG. 3 Nov). the follow—up to her 10 million-selling Life For
brought 2006's whistle-along ‘Young Folks" return with Seaside Rock (Wichita. Nov). inspired by themes of 'boredom and water". and capturing the sound of a 70s childhood spent at Scandinavian seasides. ln similarly esoteric style. there's newies from wiggy drill 8. bass
artists with A Hundred MI/l/On Suns. (Polydor, 27 Oct). alongside The Killers. who follow up last year's Sawdust with Day and Age (Mercury. 24 NOV).
And it's not just the boys
while fellow New Yorker Meredith Godreau. AKA Gregory 8. the Hawk. releases her floaty. understated lo-fi pop debut. Deerhunterdeliver
virtuoso Squarepusher, who shows up with Just a Souvenir (Warp. 27 Oct). while Atlanta. Georgia's own
Moenie 8. Kitchie. (FatCat. 13 Oct).
fighting to make their way Elsewhere the beautifully the way with their seventh into Christmas stockings. The quirky Psapp return with The g. ‘ SIUdiO album 0’9 0“! Your Original art-disco diva Grace Came/'3 Back (Domino. 27 a k SOU/ (Big Brother. 6 Oct). Jones releases Hurricane Rent. while experimental folk Oct) hopefully featuring more followed by a parade of (Wall of SOund. 27 Oct). her darling. Juana Molina. trademark squeaky toys. while heavyweight acts who've first album in 19 years. delivers more warm Stockholm threesome Peter m, m
been a bit quiet of late. Piano featuring Sly 8. Robbie rockers Keane return with
electronica with Un Dia
Bjorn and John. who (Domino. 6 Oct).
Perfect Symmetry (Island). on the same day as Kaiser Chiefs unveil third album. Off With Their Heads (Polydor. both 13 Oct). Dundee uni alumni Snow Patrol continue the stampede by big bucks
24 THE LIST 18 Sep—2 Oct 2008
[/5 A‘LJ'flL“ CHfEFS Sneak previews of the debut
from School of Seven Bells. a trio of identical sisters and Secret Machines' ex-guitarist. reveal what is shaping up to be a dreamy. celestial masterpiece. Alp/‘nisms (Ghostly. 17 Nov)
Microcast/e (/lAD) at the end of October. Still not sure? Go safe then with Bob Dylan who is releasing more fresh material on Tell Tale Signs. volume eight of his “Bootleg Series' (Columbia. 6 Oct).