Third time lucky
After a couple of false starts, The Scottish Dance Music Awards are finally about to take place. Joe Lampard talked to organisers and grateful winners to discover exactly what it all means.
Controversy has dogged the awards from the outset with accusations of prizes being awarded according to loyal advertising in Clubscene magazine. Bill
successful record label. and now the awards ceremony itself. is diplomatically tight-lipped on the subject.
and from Clubscene. There was a big response and we were really happy because there were entries from all over Scotland. it had nothing to do with what was advenised.‘
On the awards show itself. Bill was typically enthusiastic. ‘We‘ve managed to get a good mix of bands playing — from the more commercial end of dance. like TTF. to harder-edged techno. like Ultrasonic. All ofthe bands were chosen for a specific reason. they've all got nice big bouncy tunes that the public like and we‘re also getting a chance to highlight some newer talent as well.‘
Clubscene Magazine was established in June |99l and has been paramount in helping to build the Scottish dance scene and. with the formation of their own label in March l992. it has been giving young Scottish acts a chance to get noticed. Their first
reached Number Five in the Scottish chan. Since then the label's been growing and growing. with ever increasing signings and successful releases. Although a recipient of two awards, TTF‘s John is surprised by the results.
‘Certain categories i felt we should have won we didn't. i would rather have won best single than best techno band.‘ TTF have just released ‘The Power Zone EP' on Jive records. had a sell-out gig at The
Grainger who runs the magazine as well as the highly '
‘The voting forms were taken from the Scottish Sun
signing was The Time Frequency. who's debut single
Barrowlands and are planning a show at the SECC in Aberdeen in August followed by a possible show at Glasgow‘s SECC in November. Ever onwards and upwards.
Despite reservations regarding his awards. John is less unsure about the positive effects of the event's organisers. Clubscene.
‘lt's been very good for Scotland. they‘ve united it and helped push forward the music scene and they‘ve given a lot of people chances who haven't or wouldn‘t have had a chance.‘
Dymension. the label's newest signing. further illustrate this point.
‘Years ago. when l was about sixteen or so. Bill (Grainger) used to have a late night dance show on Radio Clyde which I used to listen to all the time.‘ remembers Dymension‘s Dave Livingston, ‘One night after the show i gave him a phone and asked if he‘d be interested in listening to a couple of tunes l'd been working on. He asked me to come up with a tune which he Used as filler music. So when Hazel (Dymensions singer and lyric writer) came along we
swath"
fins“
Dymenslon got some tunes together and Bill was the first person i sent the tape to.’
The band have just released their debut single ‘Don't Stop‘ and are currently working on their follow up.
One ofthe DJs for the night. Joe Deacon. veteran DJ who after a sixteen year DJing career has been at The Metro in Saltcoats for four years. is now the surprised and delighted winner of the Best Club [)J award.
‘l was totally shocked at winning.‘ he claims modestly. ‘l‘m basically not a mixing DJ. ljust play the tunes that the kids want and that‘s why l‘m succesful. A lot of DJsjust play for themselves and that‘s wrong. People pay money to be entertained and you should play what they want. not what you want.‘
The Scottish Dance Music Awards take place at Marco is Forum. Livingston. on Sat I 2. Info hotline.‘
0374 185900. ticket sales: 0506 54305, coach
in onnation: 0236 72 7454.
I :— Chaos theory
Glasgow may no longer be Europe’s City of Culture, but one small part of Sauchiehaii Street, imbued by the sense of aesthetic adventure that 1990 engendered, is very much keeping the cosmopolitan torch bumlng, the urban vibes flowing. Espresso Bongo started life as a
1L Sunday afternoon experiment at
Glasgow’s infamous home of beatniks, bohemians and beautiful, lilco’s. The ' idea, according to owner Marc Goldinger, was to emphasise ‘the spirit of spontaneity and fun that still thrives in Glasgow. I wanted to leave a whole broad spectrum of entertainment so no-one left disappointed.’
iiunning all afternoon and well into the evening (after which most tumble, off to the world party of Club llavana), E8 is a sort of clubby performance art, open mic cabaret. Anything can happen, and so far that’s included
welcome to loin in.
table-top dancing and musical marches up Sauchiehall Street. Amidst the splatter-feast of comediennes, punk poets, funk bands and assembled-on-the-spot jazz quintets, there is a core of familiar names including The lilghtcrawlers, Angel Heart, The Funkcollectlve and The Fred Cuimby Quartet. (in the day, however, anyone with sufficient chutzpah and a talent to tout is
‘There’s so much natural talent in Glasgow right now, i lust wanted to provide a forum where it could be
seen without too much pressure,’ continues Marc. lie should know. He’s also the nouveau guru behind the city’s newest indie label, the up and running Walking Man, who’ve already ripped up lfouseland’s dance floors with Frendzy’s ‘Can’t Stop’ and, out next week, DJ llarrl’s ‘Strictly Drum and Bass’. The post-19!) renaissance continues. (Calvin Bush)
'Expresso Bongo starts at lilco’s on 6 June and runs weekly from 4-9.30pm. On 20 June there’ll be a link up with Club llavana to celebrate its first birthday.
62 The List 4-l7 June I993