MUSIC LIVE REVIEWS
V LIVE
THE JOE ELY BAND
King Tut’s, Glasgow, 2 Oct.
lt‘s regrettably rare to hear a support band who come across as more than padding for the main attraction, but on this occasion The Coalporters (formed by ex-Long Ryder Sid Griffin) fulfilled their role as musical hors d ’oeuvres to perfection. Not only did their melodic, easy-going rock (shades of REM, the Byrds, lots ofchunky piano and a distinct nod to Elvis Costello in the vocal line) whet the appetite for what was to follow, it proved pretty delectable in itself.
Joe Ely — stocky, black-haired, weathered-faced — looks like a no-nonsense kinda guy. and he certainly plays no-nonsense kinda music: straight servings of high-octane, country-tinged R&B, heavy on the geetars. which kept the joint happily jumping for a power-packed 90 minutes. The band’s proficiency matched the power, allowing the ornamentation behind the oomph to be heard, in particular Reese Wynans‘ meaty keyboard work and Ian Moore‘s virtuoso guitar-licks. The attention to detail paid off particularly in Ely‘s trademark mini-novel numbers like “The Road Goes on Forever (And the Party Never Ends)’. the tale of a small-town Bonnie and Clyde offthe new album LoveAnd Danger. Half-way through, the band retired for a breather, leaving Ely alone to strut his stuffon the acoustic and treat us to the classic comic Wild West anthem, "Me And Billy The Kid‘. Then back they came for a rousing finish— and roused the crowd certainly were. "1‘ve spent most of my life trying to move people.‘ said Ely before departing. “But finally I‘ve found an audience who‘ve moved me — thank you.‘ Just a line, perhaps. but it sounded sincere enough, and set the cap on a gig packed with fine sounds and equally fine humour. (Sue Wilson)
V LIVE
kdlang
Playhouse, Edinburgh, 28 Sept.
This gal’s got charisma— hunners ot
the stutt- and the mass adoration she’s
getting in Edinburgh lends a whole new
slant to the term ‘shang-a-Iang’. All the
same, perhaps certain iemale
members oi the audience should lay all
comments like ‘geeza ilash’ and ‘lt’s
all in the tlngering’. Good-looking lass
as she is, we don’t all want to bed her. With no support act in sight, there is
almost two hours oi pure kd. The tirst
three numbers strike up a talse sense
at swoon betore she strikes up her
‘ banter. And though the patter hasn‘t
f changed territlcally irom the Concert
| Hall gig in May, it’s etlective all the
, same. When someone voices their
I annoyance at not being allowed to dance, she replies, ‘Join the kd lang chair-dancing society. It’s a minimalist iorm oi square dance.’ Flirting away in
l tine style, she quells speculation about
' her sexuality by announcing that she is
, ‘a l-i-I-Liberace ian’.
' With her profound tongue in her
i check, she takes us ‘on a journey,
exploring the boundaries at country music’, but, as she says, ‘which
; country?’ We get a Cajun ‘Dldn’t l’ and
ha is.
an operatic/tlamenco/psychedelic/ God-knows-what ‘Big Boned Gal'. And during her usual stint iiaked out on the iloor tor ‘Johnny’, there’s a weil-wom shout at ‘taxl tor lang' from the
l audience. As she introduces her two
3 temale backing singers as Run PMS, we get the impression that she’s just a big wean having a swell time.
Love her or not, you can’t tail to be mesmerised by her gangly rhythms and mischievous grin. (And is it true she’s snagging Madonna these days?) (Lyn Mcilicol)
V LIVE T AFGHAN i WHIGS/BOYFRIED
Cathouse, Glasgow, 2 Oct. Stop press. Word is out; shom is in. You CAN play a tilth-covered melodious kinda groove and sport short 3 hair simultaneously. The Whigs' Greg Dulli has eschewed the tangle on his head but retained the knot in his heart. ' Granted, his guitarist buddies continue ; to shy irom shampoo and shearers, but they’ll catch up eventually. Greg's a hard actto tollow. Lucky old Boyiriend, then, that they’re never going to have to i do that. They shrivei in comparison, ; though there’s a certain empathy ' governing both bands’ outlooks. 5 Boytrlend songs scutt their toes and drag their heels along the pavement too. Sometimes girls aren’t nice to 3 them. And, er, singing bassist Mark 3 has cropped hair. i Boyfriend are irom Glasgow. They 3 don’t think they sound like Teenage i Fanclub, but then Suede don’t think they sound like Bowie, and Curve can’t i spot their link in the Mary Chain. Their | first single will include a track called ' ‘Hey Big Star’. This I believe not to be I entirely a coincidence.
34 The List 9 — 22 October 1992
Seli-deprecating humour already? It
laldback shamble ot a pertormance too
; - come across this beiore, anyone? 0i
course, there’s always room in the lncestuous bed tor one more, but Boytrlend have a distance to go belore
: snittlng the songwriting calibre oi the
Fanclub.
Atghan Whigs are a terrillc band, I bet. it’s just that alter hours oi chain-smoking and chain-drinking, underachievement probably looks like a mighty desirable state oi being. So, iirst oii, they neglect their best song “Conjure Me‘. Friends, a more stimulating ball oi contusion has not littered through irom Checked Shirt Central all year. No matter, plenty more bleeding heart dlatribes where that came irom. It’s just that it’s all a bit lacklustre - no iury, no pathos, no tun, or not much anyway, because you can’t do justice to a decent emotional turmoil with one eye on the bar and the other on the lookout tor a roving member oi Pop Will Eat ltseil. (Fiona Shepherd)
|
Concerts listed are those at major venues, tor which tickets are on public sale at time at going at press.
ROCK
I GLASGOW BARROWLAND (226 4679) Magnum. 26 OctzJulian Cope. 28 Oct: lnspiral Carpets. 4 Nov; Ministry. 18 Nov; Wedding Present. 27 Nov; Faith No More. 4 Dec; Ned‘s Atomic Dustbin. 5 Dec; Little Angels. 13 Dec; B-52‘s. 15 Dec; Ramones. 17 Dec: Del Amitri. 22—23 Dec;
g Bjorn Again.3l Dec. IGLASGDW CONCERT
HALL (227 5511) Temptations and Three
Degrees. 26 Oct; Chuck
Berry. 6 Nov: Smokey
, Robinson. 9 Nov; Mary Black. 23 Nov. I GLASGOW PAVILION
(332 1846) Australian Doors. 28—29 Oct; Shakespeare's Sister. 31
Oct; Martin Stephenson. 2
Nov; The Stylistics, 14 Nov; Voice of Dr Hook. 16 Nov.
I GLASGOW SECC (031 5576969) Metallica. 27 Oct; Cliff Richard. 29—31 Oct: George Benson. 1 Nov; Tom Jones, 2 Nov; Simply Red. 3 Dec; Status Quo. 5 Dec; Jason Donovan. 6 Dec; Extreme. 11 Dec;Gary
Glitter.23—24 Dec. I EDINBURGH PLAYHDUSE
(557 2590) TemptationsFThree Degrees. 27 ()ctzThe Cure. 20—21 Nov; Curtis
' Stigers.4 Dec.
I EDINBURGH OUEEN'S HALL (668 2019) lnspiral Carpets. 3 Nov;Jimmy Rogers. 20 Nov.
I EDINBURGH USHER
' HALL(2281155)Mary ‘ Black,25 Nov.
JAZZ
I GLASGOW CITY HALL
(227 551 1)Tommy Smith
' Sextet. 29 Oct; Nigel , Clark, 1 Nov; Roy Hargrove.5Nov;John
Scofield. 14 Nov; Jimmy Rogers, 19 Nov; Chick Lya11,21 Nov;Tam White. 3 Dec; Kidd and Fame, 10 Dec; Tommy Smith, 21 Jan; Lyttelton
and Bilk, 4 Feb; Kevin MacKenzie, 6 Feb; Michel
Petrucciani. 13 Feb; Don Cherry, 25 Feb; Melanie O‘Reilly, 1] Mar;Tom Bancroft Orchestra, 20
Mar; Rebirth Brass Band.
25 Mar.
I GLASGOW MITCHELL THEATRE (227 5511)Terry Lightfoot, 23 Oct; Ronnie Scott, 24 Oct.
I EDINBURGH OUEEN'S
HALL (668 2019) Maceo Parker. 23 Oct; Tommy
‘ Smith Sextet. 30 Oct; Roy
Hargrove. 6 Nov; John Scofield. 13 Nov; Jimmy Rogers, 20 Nov; Kidd and Fame. 11 Dec; Lyttelton and Bilk, 5 Feb; Michel Petrucciani, 12 Feb; Don Cherry, 26 Feb; Cauld Blast Orchestra. 5 Mar;
Tom Bancroft Orchestra. 19 Mar; Rebirth Brass Band. 26 Mar.
FOLK
7 I GLASGOW CONCERT
HALL (227 551 l ) The Chieftains. 30 Oct.
I GLASGOW PAVILION (332 1846) Ronnie Brown. 7 Nov.
I EDINBURGH KING'S THEATRE (220 4349) Ronnie Brown. 8 Nov.
LIGHT
I GLASGOW CONCERT HALL (227 5511)Val Doonican. 26 Oct; Jack Jones.8Nov; Glenn Miller Orchestra UK. 16 Nov.
I GLASGOW PAVILION (332 1846) Lena Martell. 4—6 Nov; Charley Pride. 12—13 Nov.
I GLASGOW SECC (031 557 6969) Shirley Bassey. 2 Dec.
I EDINBURGH KING'S THEATRE (220 4349) Hooray for Hollywood. 15 Nov.
I EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE (557 2590) RAF Bands. 31 Oct; Lena Martell. 7 Nov; Magic of the Musicals. 18 Nov.
CLASSICAL
I GLASGOW CONCERT
; HALL(2275511)ECCO. 11 Nov; Oslo Phil. 12Nov;
LSO, 15 Nov: Tokyo Quartet. 29 Nov; Rostal
and Schacfer. 1 Dec: : Shura Cherkassky. 2 Dec:
Polish CO. 1 Feb;John Williams. 10 Feb; Vienna SO. 4 Mar; Philharmonia. 22 Mar; ltzhak l’erlman.
20Apr;StPetersburg
‘ Phil,11 May.
IGLASGOWRSAMD(332 5057) Scivcwright. 23 Oct: Scottish Ensemble.23
Oct. 4 Dee; BBCSS().24 Oct. 27 Mar. 17 Apr; Hebrides Ensemble. 25 Oct; Cushing and Fenyo. 30 Oct: Acad Orch. 5 Nov; St. Petersburg Exchange. 6 Nov; SEMC. 6—7 Nov. 11—12 Dec; Paragon Ensemble. 8 Nov; SCO Brass. 6 Dec. 12 Mar: John Kitchen. 13 Nov; Voices. 15 Nov; Evelyn Glennie. 17 Nov; Acad Strings. 20 Nov; Soundstrata. 20 Nov; John Currie Singers. 22 Nov; Acad Wind ()rch. 26 Nov; Michael Roll. 27 Nov; GCO. 29 Nov; King‘s
Consort. 4 Dec; Acad
Elijah. 3 Apr.
Cont Ensemble. 101)ec: SCO Chamber Ensemble. 11 Dec; Carol Concert. 15 Dec1Acad Brass. 18 Dec I EDINBURGH OUEEN'S
'HALL(6682()19) BB(‘
550. 24 Oct; Scottish Ensemble. 25 Oct. 6 Dec. 14 Feb. 25 Apr; llebrides Ensemble. 26 Oct; Scottish Chamber Choir. 31 Oct; Paragon Ensemble. 9 Nov; Artur Pizarro, 30 Nov.
I EDINBURGH USHER HALL(2281155)ERCU Messiah. 2Jan‘. ERCL'
J