MUSIC LIST
Edinburgh
I Marillion Playhouse Theatre. Greenside Place. 557 2590. 7.30pm. SOLD OUT. Last ofthree-night run. See Thurs 17.
I The Supremes Sheraton Hotel. Festival Square. Lothian Road. 2299131. 8pm. £30. 10% reduction on parties of tenor more. See Fri 18.
I The Television Personalities and The Thanes Speed 3. Venue. Calton Road. 557 3073. if not Speed 3‘s favourite group of all time. then at least theircurrent favourite. the TVPs have written some excellent songs in their quirky. whimsical way. Recommended.
I Hold The Frame and Hungry Years Lord Darnley. West Port. 229 4341 . 10pm. Free. High-energy poppy rock. hovering around Simple Minds territory.
I John Kenny and Band Music Box. Victoria Street. 220 1708. £1 after 9pm.
I Tam White and The Dexters Platform 1. Rutiand Street. See Sat 12.
I Little Wolves Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. £1 after9.30pm. I I'll Show llarry Blues Basement. Broughton Street. 556 7147.
I Just Add Water Ne’goeiants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9pm. Free. Good female singer fronting drum-machine and keyboard-based band. augmented by brass.
Glasgow
I Stilt Little Fingers/Asian Barrowland. Gallowgate. 4pm. Under 18s. £6. 7.30pm. SOLD OUT. OK Pogues — all is forgiven. Desperation time — SLF were terrible in the first place so why the comeback? To play some new songs? To introduce a new line-up? To move into the 1980s? To grow up? None of these. but simply to play a greatest hits package. and make a fast buck. Two thousand people have already shown that this is acceptable — but you won't find me there. As for Asian -a recent interview suggests they hate U2 more than i do — well done!
I The Supremes Pavilion Theatre. Renfield Street. 7.30pm. lfoniy. . . Great money-making ventures on Sun 20 Dec. part 2. Sorry. but forget this.
I The Honeymooners Rooftops. Sauehiehall Street. 332 5883. 10.30pm.
I River Detectives The Fixx. Miller Street. 9pm. Free.
I Big George and The Business La Taniere. Fox Street. 9pm. Free.
Edinburgh
I Ransom and Arizona Soundcheek Rock Club. Venue. Calton Road. 557 3073. 7.30pm. £1.50. Heavy rock/metal.
I Tam White and The Dexters Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. £1 after 9pm. See Sat 12.
I Giroset Music Box. Victoria Street. 220
Livingston
I Big Country Forum. Second of the boys‘ Christmas Scottish gigs.
MONDAY 21 Glasgow
I Wet Wet Wet SECC. Finnieston. 7.30pm. SOLD OUT. You will probably hear the screaming in Edinburgh! Not a bad year they have had. come tothink about it.
Edinburgh
I Lowlite (to be confirmed). Venue. Calton Road. 557 3073. 7.30pm. Often monotonous and droney modern rock. but their last single. ‘Eternity Road‘ was their most commercial effort to date. Bassist Will is fed up with Cocteau Twins comparisons — he invented that style of playing while in their ranks.
I G-Spot Tornado Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. 9.30pm. Free.
To celebrate the launch at their ne ‘The Cutter and The Clan’, Ridge Records threw a do tor Run Rig at the Calton Studios earlierthis month. The LP was played end-to-end overthe sound system, and there was the additional pressure at screenings at the video tor the stirring track ‘Alba’ (tor which they mimed between the columns of Calton Hill’s lolly), complete with English subtitles for those who don’t get the message of national pride straight away. Conversation with Peter Wishart (keyboards) and Iain Bayne (drums) afterwards nevertheless kept drilting back to Run Rig’s recent visit to East Germany and the open-air concer they played there, a festival organised by
' the youth wing of the Communist Party.
‘The crowd seemed to stretch lor miles,’ recalls Peter, and the ettect the Gaelic rockers had on the Eastern European audience was one that transcended barriers of language. Both agree that the trip was an eye-opener, lain particularly. ‘01 all the trips I’ve done abroad 1 think East Berlin altected me the most profoundly. There’s a lot at things I saw that we could learn an awful lot lrom. Over there the people are far more aware than we give them credit tor.’ Peter: ’You go to the airport and you’re left with all this worthless currency, which you can put into boxes
w LP, 1 which go stright to e dinistas, or
the ANC, or SWAPD. They’ve got such an understanding of international matters, which leaves even the Lelt in the UK solar behind.’
1 risk a verbal clout around the ear by telling them that when I first saw Run Rig, in Aberdeen in 1982, I’d lound it a terrible experience: the seemingly torced lolkiness, the teuchter lootball crowd atmosphere, the beard and Aran sweaters, even the lingers in the ears (or was that just memory playing evil tricks?)! Then the shock at seeing them support UZ at Murraytield, translormed into. . . well, an impressive, committed rock band.
lain doesn’t clout me - in tact, he agrees.
‘In my opinion in 1982 it was a tull-time hobby. Although we were taking it deadly seriously, in comparison with what it is now the professionalism has increased enormously. I remember how it was live years ago and, okay, it was a good night out, but now I think it’s a special night out.’
And did I imagine the lingers in the ears, or did it really happen?
‘Oh aye. That wasn’t a blatant attempt to be tolky, by the way. That’s because Rory’s got such bad hearing and his monitors weren’t good enough. But we chopped his tinger oil, that sorted it out.’ (Mab)
Runners-up in recent demo tape competition run jointly by The Lisland McEwan‘s lager. Often compared with the Waterboys. getting a reputation for exciting live shows.
I Christian Sheraton Hotel. Festival Square. Lothian Road. 229 9131 . 8pm. £20 includes dinner. dancing and cabaret of Clem Dane and Carribean Steel Band. i told them there was no place for this kind ofthing in your raunchy rock listings. but they just wouldn‘t listen.
I Fools Gold Music Box. Victoria Street. 220 1708. 9.30pm. Free. Heavy rock.
I The Heaters Lord Darnley. West Port. 2294341. 10pm. Free.
Glasgow
I Wet Wet Wet SECC. Finnieston. 7.30pm. Very probably sold out by the time this is in print. and a second nightto cope with exceptional demand for tickets. I lan Donaldson/Julia Please/Taking the Filth Mayfair. Sauehiehall Street. 9pm. Di Y Guide to resurrecting a dying pop career: sign to Legend Records (home of Showaddywaddy. Snowy White. etc);
form a new band with the name yourold band had — H20; release a single sounding exactly like H20 ofold — a surefire flop; sack the band. take up a solocareer. re-instate all but one of the band; release a solo single — wouldn‘t a 60$‘cover be a good idea? A bigger flop; start playinglive at H 20‘s favourite venue. Hope that none of your old fans have gone to see Wet Wet Wet. And cross you fingers.
Everything is different - but nothing has changed. Go and see J uiia Please. At least they haven‘t been corrupted by record companies yet.
I The Band at Holy Joy and Babel i ienry Wood Hall. 9pm.
Edinburgh
I Blues ’n’ Trouble Preservation Hall, Victoria Street. 226 3816. £3. BB. King called them ’the best while blues band around‘. and since then, local gigs have been a lot fewer and far between than in the past. The first of two nights at the Pres, and it‘s well worth going along for one of them.
I Sheer Greed and Strategy Music Box, Victoria Street. 220 1708. £1.50. Another
Random Promotions Party Night. featuring two more of their fave acts.
I Christian Sheraton Hotel, Festival Square. Lothian Road. 2299131. 8pm. £20. See Mon 21.
I Cringe Oddfellows. Forrest Road, 220 1816. An appropriate reaction to Christian. i‘d have thought. See Thurs 17. I Big Blue World Auld Chase. Bonnyrigg. Pop/rock band from Edinburgh play for Nicaraguan Solidarity benefit.
I The Peristalsis Brothers Negociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9pm. Free. 505’ sounds.
WEDNESDAY 23 Glasgow '
I Third Party Rooftops, Sauehiehall Street. 10.30pm. £2.50. See Thurs 17.
Edinburgh
I Jesse Rae and The Thistles Music Box. Victoria Street. 220 i708. £2 advance. £2.50 on door. A rare gig for the man who brought kilts and metal helmets back into fashion after several centuries. See Guest list.
I Blues ’n’ Trouble Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. £3. See Tue 22. I G-Spot Tornado Auld Chase. Bonnyrigg. Benefit for Nicaragua. See Mon 21.
I Christian Sheraton Hotel. Festival Square. Lothian Road. 229 9131. 8pm. £20. See Mon 21 .
I The Peristalsis Brothers Boston Bean Co. St James Centre. 556 01 1 1 . 8.30pm. Free. 50‘s sounds.
I Revolver Lord Darnley. West Port. 229 4341. 10pm. Free.
I Tam White Négociants. Lothian Street. 2296313. 9pm. Free. See Wed 16.
CHRISTMAS EVE
Glasgow
I Gary Glitter/Westworld Barrowiand. Gallowgate. 7.30pm. it never failsto amaze me that anyone would pay to see Gary Glitter these days — but Westworld might be a better bet: OK the album wasa bore. but the singles at least show a vibrancy that many of their contemporaries would do well to investigate.
Edinburgh
I Deal lleights Cajun Aces (to be confirmed). Venue. Calton Road. 557 3073. 7.30pm. Excellent band who, despite being local lads. are steeped in the ca jun. creole and zydeco of the Southern swamps. Look out for their album Les Flammes d'I-Jnfer.
I Blues Brothers Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. 9.30pm. Free. I The Dan Blocker Experience Negociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9pm. Free. See Thurs 17.
CHRISTMAS DAY Glasgow
I The River Detectives Drawing Room. Clyde Street. 9pm. Don‘t say that they don‘t work hard — and this is a special event as it is a relatively rare chance to see the RD's with full electric band. instead of the usual electric set up. Better than the Christmas edition of EastEnders, for sure.
BOXING DAY
I Billy Forbes La Taniere , Fox Street. 3pm. Free.
I Zenith La Taniere, Fox Street. 9pm. Free.
I Jamie Barnes and Cochise Viva's. Union Street. 1pm.
Edinburgh
I G-Spot Tornado and guests. Lord Darnley. West Port, 229 4341. 10pm. Free. See Mon 21 .
I The Rootsle Tootsie Blues Band
The List 11 Dec 1987-7Jan 198843