Robert Dawson Scott among the city stickers. Well. can we count you in? Margo
MacDonald says no way. but that might just be the best news that Michael Kelly has had all year. Kelly is used to having his ideas laughed out ofcourt. His initial enthusiasm for a promotional campaign for Glasgow stemmed from a trip to New York where the Big Apple campaign was at its height. But ‘Listen. pal. we‘ve got tenements oot there wi‘ holes in the roof. so away and bile yer hecd‘ was the gist of the response he got from Glasgow District Council in 1982. The late lamented Sunday Standard was more encouraging; they even ran a competition for a new slogan which turned up the first stirrings ofthe smiling idea from a Mr Douglas Lawson. By 1983. Kelly had raised some start-up cash from local commerce and the Miles Better campaign staggered into life. Even then it was another year before the Council chipped in with any cash. I was living in London at the time the posters went up on the Underground. You could hear the hoots of derision from Tooting Bee to Cockfosters. But what Kelly recognised was that for Glaswegians Glasgow was already a great. sorry. magic place. It was only those outside who thought the streets were paved with homicidal alcoholics who
The gospel according to Michael. when it comes to Edinburgh. is very nearly the exact opposite. ‘Listen.' he says. as ifl wasn‘t. ‘when people come to book a venue for their next big conference they have a short list. Along with Paris. Hawaii. and so on. Edinburgh‘s always on it. Edinburgh doesn‘t have the image problem outside‘ What it does have is a problem ofgetting anything done. mostly because as soon as anyone suggests anything there are any number ofobjectors eager to stifle the initiative. It is ofcourse a lot easier to jump up and down rubbishing other people's ideas than thinking up some of your own. It is also a lot easier to forge ‘I‘m better than yous slogans (with the unfortunate corollary of “so up yours“) which don‘t require any involvement from the wordsmith than it is to say Count Me In and mean it. Ifyou‘ve got a Count Me In sticker in the back window of your car. there's a serious danger that Kelly will tap you on the shoulder and say ‘Listen.’ (he‘s very big on getting you to listen). ‘I‘m glad you want to be counted in because there is something I want you to do.‘ Norman MacFarlane please note. If
riveted ships together with their teeth.
that will stop the shilly-shallying over such hoary old issues as the hole in the ground, the opera house, the BBC headquarters. the Festival. the Western Approach road - to name but a few— then jolly good. But the nature of the mountain the campaign has to climb can be illustrated by this tale ofthe tourist industry.
One of the side effects of the Local Government Act of 1982 was a realignment ofresponsibility for promoting tourism. The Scottish Tourist Board had substantial sums ofCentral Government money available as grant aid to duly constituted Area Tourist Boards. To date. the tourist interests in Edinburgh have failed to constitute such a board. The Trade were against it because it would have meant putting their hands in their pockets; the City was against it because it would have meant surrendering overall control. The result is that several hundred thousand pounds which could have been spent on promoting the city has been gathering dust in the STB‘s bank account. Small wonder the Burrell has overtaken Edinburgh Castle as Number One tourist attraction.
So perhaps wisely. the Count Me In campaign has set itself limited objectives in the first instance. Kelly wants a conference centre and he wants it now for all those organisers who put Edinburgh on their short list and then find there‘s nowhere to go. For what it‘s worth. I reckon Kelly has identified Edinburgh‘s problem correctly. The slogan may not be the catchiest in the world (less still than the graphics) and while we may bemoan the passing ofother pithier
Issue No 40 1—14 May 1987
Cover
Sarah Jane Morris in The Sleep premiering at Mayfest
3 Julian Cope
Alastair Mabbott meets the much-reformed ‘Teardrop Explodes‘ rock star
4 Personal Services
Terry Jones and Julie Walters talk to Allan Hunter about the film
SHRTLIST
slogans like Edinburgh’s Capital. or the more knowing Edinburgh’s Slightly Superior (or the ruder. but truer. Edinburgh‘s Swankier— just say it aloud) remember that some advertising so-called ideas enter into the public consciousness precisely because they are so irredeemably naff. And you can tell Sid I said so.
THE JACKSON FIVE
The fifth. and possibly the last. of Ricky Demarco's fund-raising auctions for his new gallery space in Edinburgh will be marked by another gesture ofgoodwill when fellow gallery director William Jackson ofthe Scottish Gallery
ng Mayfestthe Glasgow
some galleries. I legible
makes his gallery available for the event for no fee.
No commission will be charged on the sale either. which will be taken by Alexander Meddows. the newly-appointed vice-chairman of Christies in Scotland. Demarco expects a record-breaking auction
from the 197 lot sale and to reach his target of£5().()0() raised through auctions and artists‘ donations. Viewing will be from 9am - 6pm and the sale will begin at 7.30pm on Thurs 30 April at the Scottish Gallery. 94 George Street. Edinburgh ()31 225 5955. Bids may be left with the gallery prior to the sale.
a" la “i a 5* p K; g 1,, ’5 i ’1 7w
and 4:"
building and textiles '
Duri galleries join iorces to 00"“‘3. "3'8 Chose“ ‘0 repsectively. There are publicise and promote their tows 0" 5'38!“ “88". one-person shows-tmm
exhibitions. No ‘otticial'
Their exhibition, the result
Scotland, at the Compass
tags are handed out— ("the little“ Photographic and Hillhead Library and programming is undertaken COMNi83i0" 9'" in tarther atield. Third Eye by each individual venue 360thde takes a" WWW“ Centre has brough the work and sponsorship comes 8'10"" “the 0W ""000" "'0 E at Margita Titlova from trom elsewhere. But an “"393 0t 89"" "N j Czechoslovakia and Joanna attempt is matte to iolnthe diflergntnhotoomphers. l Kirk from London. spirit at Maytest (though Snrlncbum Museum and i There are more. Over there are no blockbusters or "'9 People's 93'8" 100* ' twenty. Turn to the Art
even conspicuously large shows). Appropriately.
THIS LIST
back to times otllourlshing i industry- locomotive
5 Mayfest Special
17 pages of information about Glasgow‘s Festival. including interview with Sarah Janes Morris. day-by-day guide to events. map. venue guide. plus information about places to eat and drink
23
Listings Art 39 Music 45 Dance 37 Open 28 Film 23 Sport 38 Kids 37 Theatre 33 Media 55
56
Nightlife and Clubs Guide Books and Coming Soon section.
Page. Glasgow section for l allthe details.
CONTRIBUTORS
Publisher Robin Hodge.
Editors Nigel Billen. Sarah llcmming. Associate Editor Allan Hunter.
Design Simon Esterson. Advertising Robin Hodge. Sheila MacLean. Accounts Georgette Renwick. Richard Gray. Typesetting Jo Kennedy and IlewerTcxt. Production Editor Paul Keir. Art Alice Bain. Books Alan Taylor. Classical Music Carol Main. Dance Alice Bain. Film Allan Hunter. Trevor Johnston. Folk/Jazz Norman Chalmers. Kids Sally Kinnes. Media Nigel Billen. Sally Kinnes. Open Nigel Billen. Rock (Edinburgh) Alastair Mabbott. Rock (Glasgow) John Williamson. Listen! Alastair Mabbott. Sport Kenny Mathieson. Theatre Sarah Hemming. Camera Edinburgh Make-up Services. Cover: Sarah Jane Morris in The Sleep. Cover Design Nigel Billen and Paul Keir.
Published by The List Ltd. l-illigh Street. Edinburgh. 5581191.
2The List 1—1-1 May