MUSIC/ROCK

mgstc

ROCK

Glasgow

I Blue Avenue. The Basement andPhoenix Knightswood Scout Hall. 10pm. £2. One day someotze will have the sense to switch of‘the vhic soul' life-support machine

but unt "' “1 Blue Avenue—not a blues

l,- “isl, stated on these pages—

v " attempt to resuscitate a ' and virtually guarantee tence in Glasgow(if

. -:n when theyplay

In .6 this.

I‘m. .ick Burgh Hall. 8pm. £1.

Afro-j» . ...on.

I The Ralltown Bottlers Cafe Bar. Glasgow‘s Glasgow. The Arches. .‘vtidland Street. 204 3993. 10pm. £3. Tickets from the Ticket Centre. Candleriggs or on the door. This busking band play a mixture of jazz. skiffle and blues. Whether that means they‘ve got an eclectic sound or they‘re just plain confused is for the individual to decide.

I Zenith Studio. 12 Shuttle Street. Paisley. 889 6867. 9.45pm. Free.

I Phllanders Tricycle Traders. Glassford Street. 552 5826. 10pm. Free. Glasgow three-piece.

Edinburgh

I The Liberties. Kith and Kin and The Humplt Family Calton Studios. Calton Road. 556 7066. See panel. The Liberties are the leading lights tonight. thanks to their new Chrysalis LP. Distracted. Kith and Kin. with their roots-inflected rock. are attracting a lot ofattention as well. especially after their spot on the big stage at A Day for Scotland. The massed ranks ofThe Humpff Family come fresh from the List Festival binge. where they vented their good ol‘ C&W sounds on the throng. I Tom Robinson Assembly Rooms. George Street. 226 2428. 11.45pm. £6.50 (£5.50). You can‘t keep him away from the Fringe. and this year he‘s brought his TRB colleagues Danny Kustow and Mark Ambler. This year‘s show is Momtlz’ghting. and its run finishes tomorrow.

I Rhythm Chillun Fringe Club. Teviot Row. Bristo Square. 226 5257 (day). 667 2091 (night). Midnight. Free with Fringe Club membership. Steadily improving brew of rock and funk with the eyes ofa few major record companies on them. Their recent support slot for Keith LeBlanc upstaged the main attraction by a long way.

I Big George and The Business Leadbelly‘s. South Clerk Street. 662 4731. 10pm. The semi-legendary Glaswegian singer and guitarist brings his power trio for a two-night residency. Searing solos and blues of a (slightly) more reflective nature.

I BluellngerTrading Post. The Shore. 553

FRIDAY 17

AT LIBERTY

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Only last year, Alison MacFarlane, Colin MacFarlane. Richie Henderson and Stuart Nisbet were playing for Edinburgh drinkers as The Dan Blocker Experience. Gifted musicians with long experience and tongues in cheeks, they sent up the CBW image with cover versions of country classics. bootlace ties a-dangling.

The difference now is that, as The Liberties, they don’t set out to be ‘an acknowledged country band’ and they write all their own material (except for their tamed country versions of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, ‘Satellite of Love’ and Joe Brown and The Bruwers‘ ‘Pictures of You‘). ‘In The Liberties,’ claims guitarist and singer Colin, ‘we set out to write songs and perform them

the way the songs suggest.‘

‘Perhaps over here it’s perceived as country,‘ says Alison, ‘but it you took that across to America I reckon they’d have a very different attitude.‘

‘We’re trying hard not to make it sound like a country band,’ states Richie, to a chorus of disagreement from the others.

‘No, we're not shying away from it at all,’ objects Colin. ‘ll that was the case we’d lose the pedal steel very sharpish.’

Their debut LP, ‘Dlstracted’, on Chrysalis, bears out theirclalms, but the chords and sounds oi country are deeply entrenched in their music. It’s a reireshlng listen, in that The Liberties don’t leel the need to don stetsons or barrel-loads oi slushy sentiment to get their songs across.’

‘The thing is,’ Stuart points out, ‘the next album might be awash in Fairllghts. We’re songwriters primarily, and just because we‘ve been working together in a country lormat, it was the natural tool for writing. There’s no guarantee that the next album won‘t be technolreak.‘

Doubtiul. But an interesting thought all the same. (Alastair Mabbott)

The Liberties, Klth and Kin and The Humptt Family play Calton Studios, Edinburgh on Fri 17.

5153. 9pm. Free. Rock'n'roll-inlluenced pop from an experienced and hard-working Edinburgh band which has been a steady live draw for a few vears now. i

I The Rivals Negociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9.45pm. Free. Melodic blues- and country-influenced material. with some gently-paced mainstream rock too. I The Rootsies Duo Globe. West Port. 229 4553. 9pm. Free. Residency. Jim Condie on guitar and Ron Tate on vocalsand harmonica play blues. gospel and a smatteringofjazz.

I Las Filipinas BB's Basement Bar. Barony Street (off Broughton Street).556 8240. 5—7pm. 8—-l 1pm. Free. Residency. every night except Sunday. Warm. ' enjoyable acou* tic folk front the Philippines. A variety ofinternational styles is promised.

I Live music Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. 9.45pm.

SATURDAY 18 Glasgow

I Shack King Tut's Walt Walt 1111!. 272a St Vincent Street. 221 5279. 10pm. £3. Until recently. Shack were unable toescape Pale Fountains comparisons. fronted as they are by ex-Fountain Michael llead. Although the parallel is intrinsically no

disgrace. it also meant they were passed over by a public in search of a dance beat. These days. along with bands like My Jealous God and Blur. they‘ve pillaged the indie dance scene for its more traditional pop values and subsequently spruced up their sound. as evidenced on their sparkling single ‘I Know You Well‘.

I Yothu Yindi Third Eye Centre. 346—354 Sauchiehall Street. 332 0522. 9pm. £3.50 (£2.50). Part of the Third Eye‘s Aboriginal season. Yothu Yindi (whose name translates as Children of the Earth) feature six Aboriginal and two European musicians. helping to explain their hybrid of Western rock and traditional Australian tribal influences.

I Mr Monday and Dream Frequency Atlantis. Sub Club. 22 Jamaica Street. 248

4600. 11pm. £5. Two top house acts plus

guest DJ Graham Park from London's Brain club.

I The Railtown Bottlers Cafe Bar. Glasgow‘s Glasgow. The Arches. Midland Street. 204 3993. See Fri 17.

I Loose Cut Traders. Glassford Street. 552

5826. 10pm. Free. Bluesy rock. rocky

blues. call it what you will. I Stuart McLean Shelter. 7 Renfrew Court. 332 6231. 10.30pm. Free. Acoustic

SCI.

I The Henry Brothers Blackfriars. 36 Bell Street. 552 592-1. 9.30pm. Free.

I Glasgow Studio, 12 Shuttle Street. Paisley, 889 6867. 9.45pm. Free. Heavy rock.

I Jam Session Studio. 12 Shuttle Street, Paisley. 889 6867. 3pm. Free.

I Mercy Me Minstrels, 66 Broomielaw, 204 3698. 9.30pm. Free.

I The Supematurals Halt Bar. 160 Woodlands Road, 332 1210. 9pm. Free. ’Crud-free pop-rock‘ is their chosen description.

Edinburgh

I Loud Bedrock Club. Venue. Calton Road. 557 3073. Loud. fronted by former New Model Army member Chris McLaughlin. peddle an effective driving rock sound saddled by portentous, overloaded lyrics. Parallels with Killing Joke are obvious, but judging from the advance tracks on their upcoming China Records album, they fall a long way short. (Oddly enough, I’ve just discovered the album has in fact been produced by Killing Joke‘sJaz Coleman).

I The Spooks Fringe Club, Teviot Row. Bristo Square. 226 5257 (day), 667 2091 (night). 9pm. Free with Fringe Club membership. Edinburgh‘s wacky answer to The Monkees bring their multi—media Bikini Club to the Fringe. Sharp. funny pastiches of moptopmania. If you‘re in the mood. they can be a delight.

I Tom Robinson Assembly Rooms. George Street. 226 2428. 11.45pm. £6.50 (£5.50). See Fri 17. Final night.

I Big George and the Business Leadbelly‘s, South Clerk Street. 662 4731. 10pm. See Fri 17.

I The Thanes Basin Street, Haymarket Terrace, 337 1006. The Thanes could be a genuine mid-60s beat-boom garage band until you look at the sleeve of theirtrebly new 10in platter on Nightshift. Better Look Behind You, and find it was recorded considerably more recently: 1988. in fact. The Thanes‘ attention to detail has grown out of a total immersion in their beloved 60$ predecessors, and. in beat-group circles. they are hailed worldwide (seriously!)

I Bluelinger Platform One. Caledonian Hotel. Rutland Street. 225 2433. 9pm. See Fri 17.

I Excellent Rain Negociants. Lothian Street. 225 6313. 9.45pm. Free. Formerly

Swing Shift. now with a drum machine and more sequencing. We should be hearinga single from them soon.

I Ranacanteen Diverse Attractions. Riddles Court. 225 8961. 10.50pm. £2.

I Steve Hooker Preservation Hall. Victoria Street. 226 3816. £1 after 9pm.

I The Nighthawks St James Oyster Bar. Calton Road. 557 2925. 9pm. Free.

I Las Filipinas BB‘s Basement Bar. Barony Street (off Broughton Street). 556 8240. 5—7pm. 8—1 1pm. Free. Residency. every night except Sunday. Sce Fri 17.

Glasgow

I Drunken Slate. DAM. and Crisis Videodronie. 33—39 York Street. 221

The List 17 23 August 199089