FESTIVAL MUSIC | Previews & Reviews
HOW I DO EDINBURGH MIGUEL MANTOVANI Miguel Mantovani is one of the Cuban Brothers, ‘born of the loins of 70s Havana’, and bringing a two-night frenzy of music, dance, comedy and ‘historical fact’ to the Fringe
Sum up your show in five words. Mind bummingly fantastic entertainment friends. For anyone still on the fence, what’s a surefire selling point? My youngest brother Domenico, aka Juan Erection, is currently the junior face of Gucci.
What part of the Edinburgh festival do you most look forward to? Breaking bread with old friends. Being back in my home city enjoying the energy and people.
What part of the Edinburgh festival do you dread? The only slight vexafications are young avant-garde theatre groups wronging everybody in their path on the Royal Mile. If you’re gonna do some street shit, showbiz dictates that it's at least a little entertaining, you crazy, silent, freeze-framing, gurning planks. What other shows do you want to go see? Andrew Maxwell, Lizzy Roper, Tony Law, Steve Frost and as much dance as I can see in five days. Any of my Korean, Japanese bros doing their thing in various performance capacities . . . that’s always dope.
What will you do on your days off? We are only doing two shows, flying in from performances in Ibiza and out to do a mini tour taking in Bestival, Bali and the Balearics so no days off this year . . . Allow it!
Best Edinburgh memory? Shazam! Our first Gilded Balloon shows in 1999, with Sacha Baron Cohen guest b-boying as Ali G nightly, and Phil Nichol on guitar; it was an amazing time for like-minded cats to jump in on each other's shows, whatever their respective expertise. Our shows didn't start till midnight so I was free to be a guest puppeteer with the Puppetry of the Penis lads which was beyond nonsense, and basically have it off in every manner imaginable. Fantastical times in the world’s greatest city at the finest arts festival in the universe, isn't it?
(Claire Sawers) ■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 21 & 22 Aug, 10.30pm, £15.
72 THE LIST FESTIVAL 14–25 Aug 2014
PREVIEW KING CREOSOTE, RM HUBBERT AND WITHERED HAND Local heroes of folk and flamenco-Fahey guitar
Picked from Scotland’s embarrassment of musical riches, three heavy hitters in the singer-songwriter and virtuoso-folk category play the Queen’s Hall. First up is Fife’s prolific King Creosote, aka Kenny Anderson, currently surfing a wave of great reviews on the back of his first film soundtrack, From Scotland With Love, and headline show at the Commonwealth Games cultural programme.
Next is Glasgow-based songwriter and guitar
shredder RM Hubbert (pictured), whose flamenco- meets-John Fahey guitar stylings won him the 2013 Scottish Album of the Year Award. He’ll appear along with label-mate and former Delgado, Emma Pollock.
Edinburgh’s own alt-rock troubadour Withered Hand has been joined at previous Fringe gigs by a rotating cast of luminaries. His latest album New Gods features a slew of guest appearances which gives us every indication he’ll bring another crop of interesting friends along this year. (Colin Robertson) ■ King Creosote, 15 Aug; RM Hubbert & Emma Pollock, 20 Aug; Withered Hand, 21 Aug, all at Queen's Hall, 668 2019, 8pm, £13–£16.
REVIEW SOWETO AFRO-POP OPERA Slow jams and joyful township song ●●●●● Decked out in sharp grey suits with crisp white shirts, the four tenors of this South African a cappella group look every inch the 90s R&B act, and while their Afro- Pop Opera confirms that they do love a good slow jam, they have more strings to their bow than that. Showcasing the folk and traditional songs sung
in the urban areas of Johannesburg, it is a tour-de- force of vocal harmonies as the singers and their accompanying band touch on traditional African, Motown, gospel, and opera styles. Their highly enjoyable hour-long set is made up
of renditions of township standards – including Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s ‘Nomathemba’ and Johnny Clegg’s ‘Asimbonanga’ – and although the tenors are the stars of the show here, the band is tight. Lush strings, drumming and accomplished trumpet playing bring the sound together.
With spontaneous dancing from audience and
band members alike, the performance is spirited and exudes a genuine sense of celebration and joy that ultimately can’t be manufactured. (Colin Robertson) ■ Underbelly, Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 25 Aug (not 12), 12.55pm, £13–£14.50 (£11–£12).
PREVIEW ABI ROBERTS' MUSICAL CID Comedians share iPod favourites
'There’s a definite link between stand-up comedy and music. Perhaps it’s a rhythm thing,’ explains Abi Roberts, comedian and star of her own Fringe comedy show, Twerk in Progress. She’s recounting a car journey with a group of her fellow comedians in 2011 that catalysed the idea behind her new music confessional comedy show Abi Roberts’ Musical CID. Each lunchtime slot features a different comedian
explaining how music has influenced their life and comedy, why they prefer listening on iPod, vinyl or cassettes, as well as performing some material. The lineup is hand-picked by Roberts, with highlights including Luisa Omielan of What Would Beyoncé Do? fame (14 Aug); TV and radio stand-up Nathan Caton (15 Aug), lovable miserablist Romesh Ranganathan (16 Aug) and Al ‘Pub Landlord’ Murray (18 Aug). There are also two unconfirmed mystery guests, and the promise of duets and more. ‘The way I look at it, the soundtrack to someone’s
life is a fingerprint,’ Abi adds, ‘It’s unique to them.’ (Maud Sampson) ■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 24 Aug, 12.30pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50).