MUSIC LIST/ROCK
N’I'ENNEHTS
MAKING MUS/C HAPPEN
In
DUNDEE
FAT SAMS sun 17 sep THE SYNDICATE sun 24 sep SLIDE
BAR CHEVROLET wed 20 sep CITIZEN KANE wed 27 sep ADAM 81 2
EDINBURGH
THE VENUE tue 3 oct THE MEKONS
GLASGOW
ESOUIRE HOUSE thur 14 sep TANTARA BLADE thur 21 sep
THE ORGANISATION thur 28 sep REASON DETREE
NAPOLEANS tue 19 sep BABY'S GOT A GUN tue 26 sep FAREWELL PARADE LESLIE ROBERTSON
VIDEODROME sun 17 sep THE BELIEVERS GREEN ISAAC sun 24 sep LOVESTATE REASON DETREE sun 1 oct WILD RIVER APPLES sun 8 oct SUGARLOAF
KELTY ROCK CLUB mon 2 col THE MEKONS
PAISLE Y
ARTS CENTRE tue 19 sep AWATINAS
PEEBLES
CROSSKEYS HOTEL iri 15 sep SHIVER AND SHAKE
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TICKET DETAILS CONTACT VENUES
WHO’S NEXT?
Baby’s Got A Gun, Napoleon’s, Glasgow, Tue 19; Mayfair, Glasgow, Sun 24 (part of all-nighter); Venue, Edinburgh, Fri 29.
In little over a year, Baby’s Got A Gun have transformed themselves lrom an endearingly entertaining but directionless joke — which seemed to look no turther than the Sex Pistols and The Clash, with a dose of Led Zeppelin thrown in — into a credible band with a sense of purpose, and still retained their early energy. In recent gigs, singer Gary has had something at the sneering presence or a young John Lydon at times, but throws himself into his performance with considerably more energy. He was and is backed up by a guitarist (Richie) and rhythm section (the two Billys) that has developed more skill in the melodic hard rock they vigorously play.
‘At that time,’ says Gary, ‘we had no idea of where we were going, but you have to go through those things to know where you’re gonna be, and I don’t think Baby’s Got A Gun would be as good as they are now it we hadn’t done all those shitty little gigs and those shitty little songs that we went through.’
And the Babies’ apparent lightning attitude change? ’It’s hard to explain. You want to be in a band, but you don’t know what being in a band’s all about, and you end up being serious without knowing that you were serious.’
Does Gary, then, know what being in a band’s all about now? ‘I know what it’s about tor me. For me it’s to entertain, lirst and toremost. It’s about enjoyment, it's about fun, it’s about escapism, a lot of things. But it’s about good lun, and that should be the most important thing . . . Ialways wanted that bit more, I was always living in a dream, you just don’t know how to achieve it. And it’s only now I see how you can do it. And it’s just through hard
work and beliet.’
Never claiming that they’re totally original - ‘just lresh’ — they namecheck such lavourites as The Who, Led Zeppelin, T-Rex, the Sex Pistols, though they lind lew that can capture their admiration today. The thought at playing on a bill with The Who or the Stones should they play here on their new tours is not something they’d do at this stage in their careers, tor various reasons.
They did, with live days notice and only word or mouth tor recommendation, support Tin Machine in tront 0120004000 people at the Livingston Forum. And wowed them. ‘There were a lot at teenagers there who’d never seen a band like us belore.’ That one taste gave them a hankering tor big houses; they won’t be happy now until they’re playing to 70,000 people every show. Bowie himself was an undignilled let-down, and, alter attending the Meadowbank Simple Minds spectacular, Gary and Richie have lew kind words tor Simple Minds, Texas and The Silencers: ‘We must be the only band who doesn’t think they’re great because they’re Scottish.’
‘It might sound a cliche, but there wasn’t any band in Britain doing what we wanted to hear,’ Gary claims. ‘Even now, the only thing that excites me is “Tommy” by the Who, and that’s 20 years old.’ (Alastair Mabbott)
mixed bag here: most of the bandsleaning towards the rock end ofthc spectrum the highpoint probably being The Primevals' first gig in Glasgow for some time.
I War on Want Night Halt Bar. 160 Woodlands Road. 332 1210. 8pm. Donations. A charity night and special Sunday opening for the Halt. Line-upto be confirmed.
Edinburgh
I The J8 All Stars Calton Studios. (‘aiton Road. 556 7066. With James Brown still banged up in jail. the members ofhis backing band the 18‘s are out on their own. and a visit from some of the most illustrious names to have backed The Godfather is something not to be missed under any circumstances. Revolutionary bassist Bootsy Collins is off pursuing his solo career. but quite a few of the original 18's are in the 9-piece band currently on tour; names like Maceo Parker (ofMaceo and The Macks). Fred Wesley (who with George Clinton and Bootsy founded the Parliament-Funkadelic generation of funk). Hashi Agba and Pee Wee Ellis (playing sax on Van Morrison‘s upcoming tour). Recent renovation to Calton Studios will have doubled the capacity by the time The 113 All Stars play.
I Bo’Weevil Preservation Hall. Victoria
Street. 226 3816. £1 after 9pm. Rockin‘ blues.
I The Rootsies Duo Sessions (the old Cavern). Cowgate. 226 5641. 4pm. Free. See Fri 15.
I The Rootsies Duo Oasis. Victoria Street. 9pm. Free. See Fri 15.
MONDAY 25 Edinburgh
I Lothian Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 2263816. 9.30pm. Free. Heavy rock.
I The Kitchen Devils Negociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9.45pm. Free.
I Ian Foster St James Oyster Bar. Calton Road. 557 2925. 9pm. Free. Dylanish folk. I Seven Eleven Oasis. Victoria Street. 8.30pm. Free. Rock and blues classics.
TUESDAY 26 Glasgow
I The The Barrowland. 244 Gallowgate. 552 4601. 7.30pm. SOLD OUT. Even if Mindhomb was a slightly disappointing album. The The's first major tour with a stunning line up should be worth seeing— at all costs.
I Vatican Shotgun Scare and Dexter Slim and the Pickups Saints and Sinners. 272
St.Vincent Street. 221 5279. 9pm. Continuing sc ries of Glasgow/Edinbu rgh exchanges.
I Farewell Parade and Lezli Napoleons. 128 Merrylee Road. 637 5238. 9pm. Free. I Bobby Wishart Halt Bar. 160 Woodlands Road. 332 1210. 9pm. Free.
Edinburgh
I The Bootsie Tootsie Blues Band Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. 9.30pm. Free. Rockin’blucs.
I The Tex Fillet Five Negociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9.45pm. Free. Spoof country.
I Los Supremos St James Oyster Bar. Calton Road. 557 2925. 9pm. Free. See Tues 19.
I lloakie Finoakie Oasis. Victoria Street. 8.30pm. Southern Hillbilly.
WEDNESDAY 27
Glasgow
I One Nation and The Believers Fury Murrys. 96 Maxwell Street. 221 651 l. 10.30pm. £3. Soulful act fronted by the oddly named Kipper. who have a respectable if not outstanding debut album on IRS.
I Naitan Halt Bar. 160 Woodlands Road. 332 1210. 9pm. Free. Regular folk night. I Boxing Clever (TBC) Glasgow University Union, University Avenue. 339 8247. Good pop band. who have just released their debut single through Fast Forward.
Edinburgh
I The Stranglers Playhouse Theatre. Grecnside P1ace.557 2590. £9. £8. The offshoot R&B band The Purple Helmets seems to be getting more interest than The Stranglersthemselves. Is this a fair reflection on The Stranglers these days? I Dawn After Dark Venue. Calton Road. 557 3073. Semi-gothic rock from a band often mentioned in the same breath as Under Neath What. ifyou saw them when they were up. Playing to support theirlive album Live. Hard ‘n' Groovin'.
I Vatican Shotgun Scare and Dexter Slim and The Pickups Finsbury Park. South St Andrew Street. 556 1020. Another in the series of McEwans gigs for bands for local bands. Plus the legendary demo disco.
I The Bootsies Duo Snatchers. High Street. 225 7191. 9pm. Free. See Fri 15.
I Live band Negociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9.45pm. Free. Unconfirmed.
I Kevin Tait Trader Vic‘s. Victoria Street. 225 6569. Free.
THURSDAY 28
Glasgow
I Runrig Barrowland. 244 Gallowgate, 552 4601. 7.30pm. Tour to support their first studio album on Chrysalis. Sure to be a sell out.
I liaison D’Etre Esquire House. 1487 Great Western Road. 334 9491 . 9pm. Free.
I Dawn After Dark The Venue. 470 Sauchiehall Street. 332 3872. 9pm. £4. See Wed 27.
I The Steve Doherty Band Bruce Hotel, Town Centre. East Kilbride. 9pm. See Sat 16.
Edinburgh
I Fjaere Nilssen Negociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9.45pm. Free. See Fri 15. I Seven Eleven Trader Vic‘s. Victoria Street. 225 6569. Free. Blues and rock classics.
I The Rootsies Duo Ryrie's. Haymarket Terrace. 337 7582. 9pm. Free. See Fri 15. I The Brothers Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. 9.30pm. Free. Residency.
4D The-Eis‘t‘15 — 28 September 1989