MUSIC LIST
REVIEW
P SIC
Alastair Mabbott burgers offwith Fini Tribe (below). On pages 26—28. Westbourne Music, Fatima Mansions and The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
LISTINGS: ROCK 31 JAZZ 32 FOLK 33 CLASSICAL 34
Behind the
Beef
Alastair Mabbott ducks down in Fini Tribe’s base of operations in
Leith.
Underground. with concealed lighting. white-painted stone walls and a few grand‘s worth of hardware in the corner. Fini Tribe‘s roomy workshop could stand in for the kind of BBC laboratory towards which Tom Baker would unerringly steer his Tardis. The personal touches provided by a hammock and two pretend guitars (built in the shape of Fini Tribe‘s star-shaped trademark) offset the ascetic ambience. but a battered blue police box would
be even better.
Built on the recording budget for Crossing 10k. Fini Tribe‘s first album for One Little Indian. it‘s the kind of hi-tech burrow one would head straight for in the event ofenvironmental breakdown. and the band have programmed a computer to drive a series of keyboards through a tangle of cables and devices so complex—looking it turns the brain to baby food just looking at it. Ironically. they can‘t seem to do anything about the flood that‘s threatening to engulf their
property.
Fittingly. both John and Philip of the Tribe are garbed in the regulation black one would expect ofa band with a reputation as ‘dancefloor terrorists‘ — rechristened ‘dancefloor therapists‘
that lunchtime. David seems more at home in something grey. woolly and less severe. with a black baseball cap perched on his shaved pate. conveying perhaps that Fini Tribe are loosening up and ready to shed their ‘art school types striking poses with welding gear‘ image. Their shows are still highly theatrical. but livelier. funnier (‘And more sexual.‘ they pipe up. hopefully). and more engaging to audiences than in the past. ‘We were really angry. but in a false way.‘ David recalls. ‘We came across as being scared. not knowing what we were doing.‘
The group‘s recent blast at the McDonalds fast food chain is uppermost in conversation. The single. ‘Animal Farm‘. revolving around its ‘Old McDonald had a farm‘ refrain. didn‘t sell in
sufficient quantities to reach the charts. but the accompanying poster campaign — huge red posters joyously emblazoned with ‘FUCK OFF. MCDONALDS‘ above the chain‘s logo — got them publicity and became hot sellers. even though only 75 were ever put up (in London) before ‘cease and desist’ orders put a stop to their activities. Fini Tribe still see the venture as a success.
‘People realised what we were about.‘ says John. ‘We had a direction. and people knew we had something to say. And that was good for us — at last — because we didn‘t realise ourselves. We had our feelings about the world. but we didn‘t really put them across.‘
Crossing 10k attacks Big Money people through a babble ofsampled voices layered over busy. synthesised rhythm tracks. I can‘t distinguish any significant difference from their first album. Noise. Lust and Fun. but they assure me it‘s more advanced and interesting. with a heftier dose of the Tribe‘s humour in it.
‘lt‘s an anti-consumerism album.’ offers Philip. ‘People go taking what they can get rather than what they need.‘
So. comes the obvious retort. aren’t people going to respond by not consuming the album?
‘Well. that's always a problem you have ifyou want to produce anything that‘s environmentally friendly — you still want people to consume it. How do you get round that'?‘ A long pause ensues. ‘But also it‘s music as well. so it has more point to it than just a message.‘ >
There are difficult times ahead for Fini Tribe if they‘re not to be mired in the same ideological swamp as the Green movement. At least they’re in good company.
Fini Tribe play at Glasgow College of Technology on Fri 3 and Wilkie House. Edinburgh on Wed 14
Feb.
I DELAYS! DELAYS! Regular readers. which you all are. will have been waiting expectantly to hear the winners at our demo tape competition, due to be announced this issue. but judging has been held up by the sheer number olentries that tlooded in. One olthe iudges’ cassette decks even suttered a nervous breakdown atthe midway point. delaying matters even lurther. One comtorting note is that the overall standard is higher this yearthan belore (yes.
we know they all saythat.
but in this case it‘s true) . .. I TO CELEBRATEthe splitting oltheir wavelengths (it‘s a complicated concept. and we skived oil our ‘Everyday Electronics' correspondence course. so be sure and ask an adult betore you try it
. yourselves). Radio Forth
are putting on a series at gigs at the Edinburgh nightclub Buster Browns. on Market Street behind Waverley Station. Fish. pictured here after ignoring
will be ‘Live atBusters’. broadcast every Saturday between noon and 2pm. and will also include the RPM band brought together by celebrated Edinburgh guitarist Stuart Nisbet. The lirst show in the series will be recorded at Busters on Sat 10, when llue and Cry will be supported by Colours. Tickets are only available lrom Radio Forth. Forth Street. In the meantime. what‘s all this about Pat Kane. Tommy Smith and the kid's game ‘Operation‘? We think we should be told.
I NOISEBOX is a new venture intended to bring bands into and out at
the care labels on his Uncle Sam jacket. will be part at the mainly-Scottish season. as will Hue and Cry. The Silencers, The River Detectives. Gun. It Bites
and Colours. the new signing to WEA. The resulting RFM radio show
Cumbemauld. the lirst gig beingthe Barky Barky and Blackwood date listed this
I HAVE WE TOLD YOU about Dave Massey ol Chrysalis Music. the record label's publishing wing? Not tor a while. anyway. Chrysalis have a number at Scottish acts on their roster -Wet Wet Wet, Run Rig. The Almighty— and. believe it or not. are still actively seeking Scottish bands. A tape to Dave at 12 Stratlord
issue. OrganiserJim Brady has high hopes torits success, as the town. with a quarter oi its population under25. would seem ideal tor regular gigs. Alter an unenthusiastic reception lrom the Cumbemauld Theatre. Noisebox are checking out pubs and clubs around town, but emphasise that the bands
that they would like to bring Place. London W1 N 9AF. it in to Cumbemauld are i you leel that way inclined. ‘those atabout the stage at IALL IS NOT ROSYinthe
theirtirst album. We almost got Del Amitri until their record company realised ; they've been strenuously they were about to be huge.‘ Q avoiding each other’s
Jim says. but this shouldn't company. even whilst in the stop anyone who wants to same bar at the same time. play there trom at least Could the injustice at getting intouch on 0236 having two excellent LPs 723657 and sticking a tape llop on them be taking its inaJitty bag. -‘ toll?
Win garden, it we can believe accounts that
The List 26 January — 8 February 1990 25