Music ROCK&POP
5 REASONS
TO GO SEE . . .THE GZA 1 He’s a genius The Genius, to be precise. GZA, (Gary Grice to his mum) is a founding member of The Wu Tang Clan, along with his cousin, producer The RZA, and gravelly-voiced rap heathen Ol’ Dirty Bastard (RIP). The Clan emerged out of Staten Island in the 1990s, recruited members including Method Man, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, and went on to become the greatest hip hop troupe, philosophical think tank and chess club of all time. GZA is credited as being the Wu’s spiritual head, and his slick lyrical style has brought him years of acclaim, both for albums such as Wu Tang’s seminal 36 Chambers, and his solo magnum opus, Liquid Swords. 2 He’s making Liquid Swords II . . . maybe. Work on the follow- up to the 1995 gold-selling original has been going on for some time. So long, in fact, there’s now a different record in the pipeline to fill the gap. ‘It’s coming this year, and it’s going to be amazing,’ the GZA tells The List. ‘At this moment my pen is on fire.’
3 He makes being a geek look cool Forget life in the projects, real inspiration is to be found, ‘in the library or DVD store,’ he reckons, after a recent visit to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. When not rapping, he likes to kick back over a nice game of chess. The person he’d most like to play? ‘Kasparov.’
4 He’s a normal guy ‘I’m grateful to be a regular person who does normal stuff like spend time with the family, watch TV, take the train,’ he says. ‘I don’t get treated like a hero and certainly wouldn’t want to be.’ Heck, he even likes Kanye. 5 He helped blaze a trail
The philosophising, Kung Fu- obsessed GZA of the 90s shone like few MCs before him, spearheading rap’s new wave, and creating some of the genre’s best ever records. If you have even a passing interesting in hip hop, The Genius is a must-see. (Jonny Ensall) ■ The Arches, Mon 13 Feb.
96 THE LIST 2 Feb–1 Mar 2012
■ Burial and Clocked Out Nice’n’Sleazy, 421 Sauchiehall Street, 333 0900. 8pm. £tbc. Metal and hardcore. FREE Danny Davis and Holly Ogilvie Black Sparrow, 241 North Street, 221 5530. 8pm. Singer- songwriters. ■ High Places The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, 565 1000. 8pm. £8. Quirky electronic pop from Ros Barber and Mary Pearson. Part of the Glasgow Film Festival. ■ Outfit and Coat Hooks Captain’s Rest, 185 Great Western Road, 332 7304. 8pm. £6. Synth-enhanced indie five-piece from Liverpool. FREE West Avenue and Jonny Jack Black Sparrow, 241 North Street, 221 5530. 8pm. Laid-back sounds. ■ The World Unseen, Stand for All, Audiodriver and Bitterpills Stairway Club, 95 Union Street, 221 1009. 8pm. £5. Rock bill. ■ Sweet Sweet Lies, Ten Gallon Bratz, The Wellgreen and The Bad Bad Men King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, 272a St Vincent Street, 221 5279. 8.30pm. £6. Folk, bluegrass and post- punk influences filter into the SSL sound. FREE The Rudiments Maggie May’s, 60 Trongate, 548 1350. 9pm. See Thu 2. Edinburgh FREE Henry Ibbs The Jazz Bar, 1 Chambers Street, 220 4298. 6pm. See Thu 2. ■ Masters in France Sneaky Pete’s, 73 Cowgate, 225 1757. 7pm. £5. See Wed 15. FREE Chris Finn, The Loafers and The Offenders Whistlebinkies, 4-6 South Bridge, 557 5114. 7.30pm. Funk and blues. ■ Click Clack Club The Third Door, 45–47 Lothian Street, 225 6313. 8pm. £3. Funky experimental music club. Featuring improv specialists Ego Ergo Aggro, ragga punk and rock’n’roll from the Kings of Cheeze, and trio The Casey Kays with vocalist extraordinaire Freddie King. ■ Midge Ure The Jam House, 5 Queen Street, 226 4380. 8pm. £15. Ultravox hits, solo work and covers from the man behind Band Aid. ■ Future Heroes The Jazz Bar, 1 Chambers Street, 220 4298. 11.30pm. £2–£3. See Thu 2.
Friday 17 Glasgow ■ Jericho Bay The Garage, 490 Sauchiehall Street, 332 1120. 7pm. £6. EP launch for this euphoric rock band of brothers from Glasgow. ■ Knock On Effect and Dirty Looks O2 Academy 2, 121 Eglinton Street, 0844 477 2000. 7pm. Over-14s show. Greenock indie rock’n’rollers headline. ✽✽ Lydia Lunch & Big Sexy Noise and Louise McVey & Cracks in the Concrete Stereo, 20-28 Renfield Lane, 222 2254. 7pm. £11. Full band show from the New York no wave legend, still kicking hard after all these years. ■ The Recovery, Heavy Smoke, Johnny & the Bomb and Witness the Fall O2 ABC2, 330 Sauchiehall Street, 332 2232. 7pm. £8. Over-14s show. Melodic hardcore sounds. The headliners’ ‘The Ones for the Lovers’ EP is available for download. ■ Beth Jeans Houghton, Goodnight Lenin and Open Swimmer Captain’s Rest, 185 Great Western Road, 332 7304. 8pm. £7. Precocious, oddball Britfolk chanteuse who alleges she was born in Transylvania to a pack of wolves. ■ Blues Brothers UK The Ferry, 25 Anderston Quay, 01698 360085. 8pm. £16.50 in advance; £18 on door; £30.45 with early dinner at 6. The ever popular Blues Brothers revue show recreated with a ten-piece backing band.
■ Citizen Death, Insomniac, Silvertrace and Cemtex The 13th Note Café/Bar, 50–60 King Street, 553 1638. 8pm. Metal. ■ Pay the Price, Heavy Hands and Set Astray Stairway Club, 95 Union Street, 221 1009. 8pm. £5. Hardcore bill. Edinburgh FREE Rossco Galloway The Jazz Bar, 1 Chambers Street, 220 4298. 6pm. See Fri 3. ■ Dizzy Dubstep Cabaret Voltaire, 36–38 Blair Street, 247 4704. 7pm. £5. Unplugged Scotland presents this night of unsigned dubstep acts including Tisoki, Fragile Chaos, IAmDino, The Mighty Cream and Preacherman. ■ Frantic Chant, The Valkarys and The Holy Ghosts Sneaky Pete’s, 73 Cowgate, 225 1757. 7pm. £5. Indie with a psychedelic edge. ■ Lee Paterson, Media Whores and Dignan, Dowell & White Whistlebinkies, 4-6 South Bridge, 557 5114. 7pm. Free before midnight; £4 after. Singer-songwriter and rock action. ■ Skinner Electric Circus, 36–39 Market Street, 226 4224. 7pm. £12.50. A collective of Glasgow musicians fronted by Grahame ‘Skin’ Skinner, and including Campbell Owens (Aztec Camera) and Douglas McIntyre (Love & Money), playing the music of his old bands Hipsway and Cowboy Mouth. ■ Steve Hackett The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 7pm. £22. The one-time Genesis guitarist plays tracks from his new album Beyond the Shrouded Horizon. ■ Bleech and Ste McCabe The Voodoo Rooms, 19a West Register Street, 556 7060. 8pm. £5 in advance; £6 on the door. Grunge from Bleech and electro punk from Ste McCabe at this Limbo night. FREE The UnbeLeithables The West End Hotel, 35 Palmerston Place, 225 3656. 8pm. Fun eclectic covers from this Edinburgh band.
Saturday 18 Glasgow ■ Glasgow: Symphony of a Great City CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 5.30pm. £5. Live improvisation of sound and image from a group of four sound designers, collectively known as Synchresis. The film is 15 mins but will be shown three times with short intervals and discussion. Part of the Glasgow Film Festival. ■ Sonny Marvello, Waiting for Go, Model Jet Pilot and Chloe Latimer g2, 490 Sauchiehall Street, 353 3111. 6.30pm. £5. Over-14s show. Musical mischief from bowler-hatted indie troubadours Sonny Marvello. ■ Field Music and Stealing Sheep Stereo, 20-28 Renfield Lane, 222 2254. 7pm. £8.50. Field Music hail from the same North East scene as Futureheads and Maximo Park but cite more diverse influences, ranging from Big Star to Thelonious Monk. ■ John Wean Òran Mór, 731-735 Great Western Road, 357 6200. 7pm. £6. See Fri 3. ■ Real Estate The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, 565 1000. 7pm. £12. Psychedelic pop sounds from New Jersey in the vein of Modest Mouse and Yo La Tengo. See preview, page 83. ■ Serafina & Sam Steer: A Focus Left Special The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, 565 1000. 7pm. £6 (£4). Victoriana-folk stories, haunting melodies and captivating wordsmithery from Multi-instrumentalist and multi- talented harpist Serafina Steer. Part of the Glasgow Film Festival. ■ Viva Stereo, FOUND and Lonely Tourist O2 ABC2, 330 Sauchiehall Street, 332 2232. 7pm. £6. Local indie band with a couple of albums under their belt are joined by Edinburgh folktronica trio.
■ Gary Ovens, Ewan Butler, Michael Sharpe, Kris Tennant and Greg Pearson Pivo Pivo, 15 Waterloo Street, 564 8100. 7.30pm. £5. Indie/acoustic showcase. ■ The Loft Monster, Cheap Deal and The Little Illusions The Buff Club, 142 Bath Lane, 046 0966. 7.30pm. £5. Laid Bare gig as three great bands show their support for Alzheimer Scotland, plus if you purchase your ticket in advance you’ll be entered into the Grand Prize Draw to win a ‘fab’ prize. ■ Attack! Attack!, Itchy Poopzkid and The Detours Stairway Club, 95 Union Street, 221 1009. 8pm. £8. Not to be confused with the US band of the same name, this Attack! Attack! are a Welsh screamo outfit. ■ Black Operations, Drunk in Hell, Headless Kross and Prolife The 13th Note Café/Bar, 50–60 King Street, 553 1638. 8pm. Sludge/stoner/doom metal bill. ■ Nevada Base and Miniature Dinosaurs Flat 0/1, 162 Bath Street, 331 6227. 8pm. Indie electro pop. ■ The New Age Jam The Ferry, 25 Anderston Quay, 01698 360085. 8pm. £8.50 in advance; £10 on door; £22.45 with early dinner at 6. Jam tribute act. FREE Pat Hull Tchai-Ovna House of Tea, 42 Otago Lane, 357 4524. 8pm. Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter. ■ The Pheromoans, Hookworms, Broken Arm and Scratchcard Lung Nice’n’Sleazy, 421 Sauchiehall Street, 333 0900. 8pm. £5. Lo-fi garage punkas from London town. ■ Rafiki, The Beatin’ Generals, Ripley, Rolled Up 20s and Colin James Murphy Maggie May’s, 60 Trongate, 548 1350. 8pm. £5. Indievous night of indie rock acts. ■ Randolph’s Leap, Donna Maccioca and Kith & Kin Captain’s Rest, 185 Great Western Road, 332 7304. 8pm. £5. Indie folk singer-songwriter supported by Amplifico frontwoman. FREE The Collectors McChuills, 40 High Street, 552 2135. 8.30pm. Mod, garage and R&B covers from this Glaswegian quintet. ■ Phantom Limb King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, 272a St Vincent Street, 221 5279. 8.30pm. £6.50. Mellow southern soul and country blues combo. With support from Yaya Club, Baby Taylor and Martin McLaughlin Edinburgh ■ Ged Hanley Trio, The Blackjack Blues Band, Modus and U-Know- Hoo Whistlebinkies, 4-6 South Bridge, 557 5114. 5pm. Free before midnight; £4 after. Covers, blues, indie and funk rock. FREE Camii Sinclair The Jazz Bar, 1 Chambers Street, 220 4298. 6pm. See Sat 4. FREE Henry Ibbs The Ale House, 18–22 Clerk Street, 629 0275. 9.30pm. See Thu 2. ■ Ben Howard The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 7pm. £13. Thoughtful acoustic sounds from the Devon-born songsmith who has previously supported Xavier Rudd and Fink and is now headlining in his own right. ■ Blues Brothers UK The HMV Picture House, 31 Lothian Road, 0844 847 1740. 7pm. £13. See Fri 17. ■ Sonic Thrill, Hold the Suspect and Wildtype Electric Circus, 36–39 Market Street, 226 4224. 7pm. £5. Bombastic rock/metal with a modern take on 80s metal legends (Whitesnake, Motley Crue et al). FREE Stewart MacLennan Henderson’s Vegetarian Restaurant, 94 Hanover Street, 225 2131. 7pm. See Sat 4. ■ Back For Good The Edinburgh Playhouse, 18-22 Greenside Place, 0844 847 1660. 7.30pm. £19–£24. Take That tribute act. ■ Rob St John, Hiva Oa and Cheer The Banshee Labyrinth, 29–35 Niddry Street, 558 8209. 8pm. £5 (includes exclusive three-track download EP).