lETTERj
Would you spend an evening with Smith and Hardee? Share a bun with Charlie Chuck? Or answer the call to stand on Jim Rose’s head? How sick is your sense of humour? Let us know and you could win a T-shirt and a bottle of Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila.
Bile Jim Rose suggests that what Edinburgh needs is a whole Festival of ‘sick-fuck freaks'. A novel idea maybe, but surely the success of his (literally) sickening sideshow relies on the novelty factor of tattooed degenerates skewering themselves, burning themselves and generally inflicting tortures on themselves in ways which are not to be tried at home by a Blue Peter audience. An entire Festival made up of such acts would quickly lose the novelty appeal which is vital for Jim Rose's ticket sales. He can philosophise all he wants about what happens when you ‘remove every safety net. every taboo‘, but the fact is his audience is interested in bile-swallowing for the same reasons it likes to read about Siamese twins in the Sunday Sport. l doff my cap to anyone prepared to eat light bulbs in the name of entertainment. but don‘t ask me to call it an. Andrew Thomas Lawrence Street Glasgow
Our Margi
Every year it’s the same, eh? Over- hyped and over-paid London comedians condescend to come to Edinburgh for three weeks in the hopes of persuading some over-paid TV producer to sign them up for a six-part series. And every year the media slavisth lap it all up, falling over themselves to devote their air time and column inches to the promoters.
I hoped The List had more sense but the appearance of Margi Clarke on the cover of the last issue proved otherwise. Is she really what you think the biggest arts festival in the world is all about?
Colin MacClachlan, Henderson Row. Edinburgh
Haggis
In the last issue (The List 207). your Fringe Club reviewer would have us believe that Teviot Row is Edinburgh's least salubrious Students‘ Union and that it is virtually moth balled outwith Festival time.
Teviot is the world‘s oldest purpose- built union and without doubt far surpasses any other students’ union in Edinburgh, if not Scotland. We may not
be as salubrious as the Balmoral Hotel, ,
but then again the Balmoral doesn’t have to cope with a couple of thousand pissed students every Friday night.
It was mentioned that new parts of the building. until now forgotten by ourselves, have been opened up for the first time. These areas may not have been opened up during the past
Festivals but they are certainly open during term time and we are fully aware of their existence. For example. Teviot. along with our other four union buildings. plays host to the UK‘s largest Freshers’ Week at the beginning of October. Among others. appearing in Teviot alone during Freshers' Week, will be the Doug Anthony Allstars and Jools Holland.
Teviot is also playing host to the Scottish and Newcastle National Comedy Network. Edinburgh University Students’ Association‘s Commitment to the Fringe is certainly impressive; the Pleasance. the Fringe Club at Teviot Row. the Acoustic Music Centre at Chambers Street and Potterrow are all established venues during the Festival and far from quiet the rest of the year.
And yes. we still do really good haggis.
Quentin Sommerville
President
EUSA
Mandela Centre
Bristo Square
Edinburgh
UK. Quentin. we believe you about the building but how about opening up for the first time a bottle of our very wonderful Jose C uervo tequila?
Single Virgin
Regarding the record fairs article (The List. 206) I thought I’d drop you a line before anyone else does to say that the ‘bog standard' ‘God Save the Queen’ single by the the Sex Pistols is on Virgin. not EMI and is only worth £5. not £15. The only Pistols product on EMl was. of course, ‘Anarchy in the UK'.
David Reilly
Reptile Records
St Mary‘s Street
Edinburgh
Skin deep
Regarding a recent edition of Birthrights. BBC 2‘s series on black culture in Britian. the programme was supposedly focusing on the influence of the black community on youth culture and music over the past 30 years.
A great idea! But wait; is it not unfortunate that the producers instead offered a rather bland palette of ragga and hip-h0p. Really, the massive input by classic Jah and US artists ofthe 60s and 708 might well never have
happened according to this programme. I
Why can‘t programme makers get their act together and do some proper research into a topic which is of great musical interest. For instance. the show brushed aside with smug indifference ska. rocksteady and early reggae; the pictures of mods for a couple of seconds explained nothing; and why was the skinhead cult. which did more than anything to ensure worldwide acclaim for many a Jamaican artist. not mentioned at all.
I suppose the sight of black and white skinheads dancing to reggae would be totally against the media view of blind ignorance to an important chapter in British musical history Marc Carapiet DJ Revival Reggae Club Keppochill Road Glasgow.
Post Script
Address your letters to: The list [aunts at:
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Fax them to: 031 557 8500
We will not print your full address or phone number. but you must inelude them. Deadline is the Friday before publication. Keep them pithy. as long letters may be cut. The best letter next issue will win a bottle of Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila and psychedelic T—shirt.
104 The List 20—26 August 1993
Printed by Scottish County Press, Sherwood Industrial Estate. Bonnyrigg. Midlothian. Tel: 031 663 2404.