MUSIC LIST
WEDNESDAY 4 Glasgow
0 Shelagh Buchanan Duo Duke of Tourainne. Ingram Street. Evening. Vocal/Piano.
o Duadros Nicholson Quintet Pythagoras. Sauchiehail Street. 8.15pm. Mainstream and modern.
Edinburgh
0 Driving Sideways Cavern. Cowgate. Evening. Boogie and blues based rock.
0 Charlie McNair’s Band Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. Evening. Trad/swing band.
0 Louisiana Ragtime Band Basin Street. Haymarket Terrace. Evening. Dixieland Music.
0 Take 3 Maxies Bistro. West Nicolson Street. 667 0845. Evening. Good Jazz as wallpaper.
0 Royal Mile Jazz Quartet The Rock Lounge Bar. 1/3 North Bank Street (Top 0‘ The Mound). 8—l().3()pm.
THURSDAY 5 I, Glasgow
0 Burton, Clark, Coutts La Taverna. Woodlands Road. Evening.
Edinburgh
0 Driving Sideways Clowns. High Street. 9—1 1pm. Blues and rock boogie band.
0 Spirits ol Rhythm Basin Street. Haymarkct Terrace. Evening. Edinburgh’s main trad jazz venue. 0 That Swing Thing Shore Bar. Leith. 9pm. Cabaret and 4tls‘ songs.
ROCK
FRIDAY 23 Glasgow
0 Chasar Shadows. Bath Street. 9pm. Free. Competent heavy metal band, who will sound exactly like you expect them to.
0 Centurion Doune. 9pm. Free. Recent winners of the Hobson‘s Alternative Festival !! You may be surprised to hear that they are another cliched and dull heavy metal band.
0 The Straight Men Riverside, Gorbals. 9pm. Free. Very popular rock band. who have recently recorded a cassette album called ‘Prime Time’ which has sold around four hundred copies on the strength of their gigs alone. This is a residency.
o The Brilliant Corners Subterraneans. Greenock. 10.30pm. Band who have enjoyed success with their album ‘What's In A Word' featuring in the top twenty independent albums of late. Should be of great‘ I saw it first‘ value, even if they are fairly predictable.
Edinburgh
0 The Christians Hoochie Coochie Club, WestTollcroas. 10.30pm. Three brothers called Christian from Liverpool and a man called. improbably enought. Priestman.
BAND PROFILE: THE NEW YORK PIG FUNKERS
In their central Edinburgh rehearsal studio— soonto incorporate a
POPU talisman... “ST!
- perhaps the most irresistibly lunky dance band in Scotland today agree to an interview, and, as it on cue, all power tails, leaving us huddled around a coal tire with barely enough light to make out each other’s laces. When I lind mysell back outside I make out the scrawled note ‘Lile's too short to take thing too seriously,’ says SEXY SAX SUCKER Carina‘. What really went on in that dark room?
One thing various voices assert lrom out at the gloom is that the New York Pig Funkers aren’t interested in talking about the past. So, as tar as we're concerned, their history begins with Hot House, a three-track 12in single released just belore Christmas, brimming with loot-tapping lunk and slightly rude chants. Comparisons with A Certain Ratio were inevitable alter a support slot, but a recent allusion to Frankie Goes To Hollywood has tell them contused.
The ‘lunky swine tever’ sound has thus tar been guitarless, an intentional break with tradition, and one that they leel has been important, their odd line-up (with its prominent percussion and brass section) giving a strong visual impact when playing live. Working with an eight-strong band poses obvious dilticulties, but the positive side is thatthe diverse tastes ol the members, and the democratic way they work, goes to make up their unique brew. They do things their own way, trying to lind a middle ground between experiment and accessibility. ‘Long, laconic’ lrontman Mitch is more likely to be lound behind his percussion stand these days than singing.
Immediate plans are to build up a new set (although the current set has
undergone lair mutation with the changing membership) and play more unusual venues in the luture. Then there's the possibility of a track on a Scottish compilation LP in late February. The single, which has sold 45 copies in New York solar, has already gained interest lorthe band lrom a London-based publishing company.
An unidentilied voice in the dark insists that an important thing about
The Pig Funkers is that they‘re ‘not posey’. It’s so dark in here that it’s hard to tell, but on stage they don’t dress or
act like they want to be Spandau ballet. What they certainly are is lriendly and relaxed — NICE, even -with a healthy attitude towards enjoying their music, combined with a serious concern for its quality.
They even said they wouldn't mind ill made the whole thing up. And who says lhaven‘t? (Mab)
from Hull. making big waves and a Melody Maker cover story with a contemporary blend ofgospel, soul and pop. Alternative cabaret tonight as well.
0 Exception Amphitheatre, Lothian Road. Personal appearance from three female singers from the same management stable as chart stars Mel and Kim, and roughly along the same lines.
o Hungry Years Clowns. High Street. 9pn. Free. .
O 800 Berlin Nicky Tam‘s. Victoria Street. 9pm. Free. Bands most nights. none so far confirmed.
0 Driving Sideways The Cavern. Cowgate. Rhythm ‘n' blues.
SATURDAY 24
Glasgow
0 Mary Klanl Baby Grand. Elmbank Gardens. 8pm. Free. Residency by popular local singer with an excellent voice. as featured on Wyoming's debut single ‘Outside Looking ln’.
0 Run Rig Queen Margaret Union. 9pm. £4. What could be more predictable than getting Run Rig to play at the students‘ celebration of
Burns‘ Night? I would suspect that cheap alcohol is a stronger motive for going than either the band or the occasion. Students and friends only. 0 The Christians Strathclydc University Union. 9pm. ‘A New Soul Salvation' says the front cover of Melody Maker on this band. Here’s hoping— and it will be well worth being there just to see if they're right. Once again. students and friends only.
Edinburgh
0 The Bhundu Boys Moray House Student Union. Holyrood Road. Students and guests only. The African pop group on everyone‘s lips at the moment. Their excellent LP Shabini. selling well. is a treat of bright. swirling guitar parts and tricky, hypnotic rhythms.
o The Booze Brothers Nicky Tam‘s. Victoria Street. 3pm. Free. Comedy. from a couple of bikers. apparently. o The Rootsle Tootsie Band Preservation Hall, Victoria Street. 9pm. Free. Rhythm 'n‘ Blues.
0 Last Orders Clowns. High Street. 9pm. Free.
o Bald Cormorant Lord Darnley. West Port. 3pm. Free. Sixties R&B. country-rock.jam atmosphere.
0 Bluelinger The Cavern. Cowgate. Blues-rock.
SUNDAY 25 Glasgow
0 The Brilliant Corners Rooftops. Sauchiehail Street. 10.30pm. £3.50. Continuing their mini Scottish tour.
Edinburgh
0 Tam White and The Dexters Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 9pm. Free. Tam leads his ten-piece rhythm ‘n‘ blues orchestra through their regular Sunday shebang. Recently played a show with R&B legend Zoot Money at the Queen‘s Hall.
0 Billy Jones Lord [)arnley. West Port. 9.30pm. Free. Pop/folk.
0 Snake Pete Party'l’he Cavern. Cowgate.
MONDAY 26 Edinburgh
0 A Girl Called Johnny The Venue. Calton Road. 10pm. Local.
The List 23 Jan — 5 Feb 27