R21(If‘.lll£tlllll()\'. lchaikot'sky and SYlt'KlOV. along with a more penetrative insight into Russian culture \ia rousing renditions of traditional folk songs. Vodka is entirer optional.

iJan Fl Zeschkyw

I [De/narco-

Rocket (:‘Apex Hotels. 226 ($995). lZ—lTAi/g. 8.30pm. 537 /f‘:3i.

POP ROCK

LITTLE FRIEND] FJAERE

Duo make friends 000

FOURREASONS

k

to go see Chris Brokaw

He once put the ‘ow!’ in ‘slow’. Brokaw was one third of NY band Codeine. They extolled the Virtues in taking your time. a Husker Du guitar-rock on downers. Wound down to a deathly pace. they truly lived up to their name. Seek Out their debut Frigi'd Stars yeti won't be disappomted.

He put the ‘me’ in ‘Come’. He left Codeine in 1992 to drum for Come and has since worked with Evan Dando and the New Year more recently.

He puts the ‘aaaaarrh!’ in ‘guitar’. On his newest solo album Red Cities he carefully constructs 14 dextrous instrumental workouts from rust six stings and numerous percussion instruments. but this is no noodle fest: there's real tunes and real energy here.

He puts the ‘ill’ in ‘great triple bill’. Now here's a line up yetir mother w0uld be proud of. with our own pair of home- grown pla:ntive guitar heroes the James Orr Complex and Mogwai's Stuart Braithv-Jaite in suppon.

La Be/le Ange/e. 226 7070. 9 Aug. 7.30pm. £7.

'A little Tinkerbell on your shoulder” is how LA based l. ittle f‘l'l(}ll(i describe themselxes. l'iaere looks like a cross betxzeen Patti Smith and Phoebe Bouffet but is a better singer than erther. and a prett‘, good guitarist too. Frankie accompanies ‘-.'.’ltl‘. narinoi‘ies. nimble saxophone. and a ‘.£ll'l()i\, of other Instruments. The songs reach the standard of the atoremeritionetl punk poetess or‘. occasion. but are just as often pedestrian. Over the coming ‘.'.ieeks. the; 'll feature guests such as Dane: Scott of the Pearlfishers. ano ; different set each night. Little l r'lend ‘.'.'or‘;'t be to eteryone's taste. but some ‘.'./ill find this shoz': great company i[)a‘.’i<t Hoheitsonl I Cameo Ha," Hole. urifii’ Po Aug .l(),'>r't.

.‘U'. {)0’ .')i.

r Oi k SCOTTISH POLITICAL SONG:

THEM AND US

Music and politics mix

'Ouo life. the '.'./arld 's mine' n'xr‘ote llamrsn l~lenderson in his 'T—‘lyting 0' Life and Death'. his own death this year robbing contemporan. Scottish political song of its father—figure. The poet. polymat'n. and academic ‘.'.’ltll a profound Insight into the pox'xer of traditional song and stoij. had already fSll()’.'.’l‘- us. in his refusal of an MBF fron‘. the Thatcher government. his understanding that all life. all the world. is political.

In his memon'. an t :n memory of Norman Buchan and ceiintless thousands of souls geing back to Burns and beyond. the Centre for Politicai Song at Glasgox'.’ Caledonian University is behind the major series of Scots song concerts presented this year hy the 'proper" ftEfSil‘Jh And remember. Henderson's early otl's 'l’ecpie's testinal' is no'.'.i the sprawling l'ringe. a sad venality now obscuring its faf icaf roots.

lhe eight. hour lortg concerts cover f3lli)](}’_jif3

52 THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE '- . l

‘lne l aittlf 'l'ne .Jacoprtes'. ‘(Iainpaigns ar‘n ()aases'. one on Henderson. Matt McC‘nnn and E ‘.'.‘an MacCo 'lhen‘. and Us an

intiodi.<:‘.oi§. taster to

such as

'l reedoin.

i. and first up.

the '.'.ho. 3 hangixn. Among those peitoiiniitg are

(3|; sgo'.'."s uncomi>ron‘ising so<:.a.is‘. Arthur Jol‘r‘.s‘.o".e. peerless Gaelic snge" ar‘d piper Rona L_;gn‘.foot. and Fnoc'tKer‘t t'oui‘ner "teinher of th} legendary. seminal folk group. he Fxrles. 'NOt'lltétt‘: (:ltét-t‘iti'Si

I [he Hal). «573 (WOO. (id/Aug. 'if)..’3(l;>rr‘.

' Nine out of ten temptresses say they preferred Parsifal

OPERA PARSIFAL This is the big one

(:OME l)Y (:i’t Wt JERRY SPRINGER: THE OPERA

Talk to the hand cos’

the face ain‘t listenin’ O...

Jew, Springer: fibe- Ope'a is a success ()l‘t} reason: it manages to he f.irtn:er than the .nvtiall‘, altsilrd but abscrdl‘, :iexer concept.

for

musrca. actea ke a comedy. posed 'Iooselp to a 'trg" bros; conceot and ‘:iied .'.’li." some o‘ the snut‘. est cr‘el'ners ., :irezrged from fine cornea“; pond. Theo-cg; ::rrin.no!o;;', and scato.og‘, are rare-l,

suci‘ pernercd and

plausible pals.

The first half is (ESSfSOllilélH‘, an episode of the original shoz'x and exeryone's here: the confused. the seedy the sexuth repressed. the doz'rn right stupid: all sour little morsels in a slice of repugnant /\ll‘(l‘l'l(l£tll pie. The difference is there's lbrettos instead of shoutii‘g matches and cod-balet replacing cl‘air fights. The second half descends into deeper darker. more ‘.'.’l()k(}(l places altzxtether: the soul of Mr Springer and. Ell)l)t‘()l)l'l£l’.(}!". enough. hell. llalf the fun :s .'.'l°.lt(}f353 ng just how rude those l.brettos can be. You can aln‘ost hear

Bernard Manning reaching for hrs Profanasaurus in \.'./onderrnent. That said. anyone traumatised by a chorus of chick-with- a (lick--\.'/ith-a-heart' should perhaps seek out other entertainment. Remember. this is an opera. You will marvel at those high notes and wonder ‘.'.'hether if it is really necessary that someone shriek so loudly for so long. The operatic e ements do hon-never. allow you to suspend your disbelief that little bit further while cunnineg papering over any cracks in the dialogue. The vocal performances are such that they could get array with anything and

l‘ \".’agner ban pad his x'xay there unioud oe no Parsw'l'r. Tl‘ s is not because the hugely influential composer didn't want an audience for his frnaf opera. Rather. ne ‘e't people should experience his Buhnenweilifestsprel sacred fest.\.al drama in Bitfltitlttl. at the special theatre he desgned S( that his operas could be staged and beart' to maxiniunt effect. l dritpurgn :s only nox'.’ “OW-“l unhere others have gone before the New YOrk

Me‘. '.'.'as t'ri‘st and even infrznged the copyright

Even thong”. hers henind it. the "ealisat and Sal otirg's Osterfestsn conzltictor (Elatidio /\l)l;£t(f(). s; ys. 'heyoi‘d a'i‘,t'iirtg ‘.'.'e

that Abhado '.‘.'ould hane forgotten ahout the idea. but he hazi'n'f.

freaked. l:t:trrf.ed'.

l’.’tr':;."a«. .'."lll(1il (ll‘£l".‘.'f; froin /\'tlt.irian :egev‘n and fine searcn for the HO‘. (trail. .s es:

".e doi‘e before.

director l’ete' Steii‘ and iii:- [Ken the top ticket price of S‘t()() is unitrecedenfed. I thought \".'hen i! hit me. I woke up completely

and this Parslr‘a/ promises a once in a lifetime opportunity. or‘ of :ne co~prodcctron between Edinburgh International Festival etc has takei‘ E If Diector Brian McMaster b1. surprise. The combination of

‘arxilous (-‘rustat lvlar‘ler .Jiigeridorchester is. he

;en‘.:ali\ {it‘- Eastertide

opera. but is about (Il‘rsstiai‘ religion I" a .‘.'<>i’:t o" nut“. l th’flllltZ'f; of the ()ltrzstian knights who keep the grail are the err? sorcerer. Kirngsoi and the bea.itsf;.: tentptiess. Kuhn", played l)‘. the l ifhuanian lllO/‘XO Violeta

Ul".l{tl‘.{t. already familiar

l:iiiiouig". l’aisfal is the Air‘eiican lnoinas Mose-r and A'n‘o'tas.

for K.ii‘.:rij,'s chaiins, is Alpert l)o’i'n-::n. utlaio Marin

I / t‘.‘i.'“.'tl [fltft'l‘f'tl

~1r'.'¥.7’fl/l(}. '576. 7“

:"oo.

.2211”. the roe througlt her film (tt)(it.ll‘t?'7f{1t‘\, ;:oilar>oration With Placido Domingo. In the good gut. ‘.'.no loses out through falling