It’s that Mayfest time of year when you can gorge yourself for three solid weeks on theatre, comedy and music. How does the
programme measure up this year and have you any suggestions for improvements in the future? Do you want to see more visiting international names or better representation of local artists and performers. We declare the debate on Mayfest’s future well and truly open. If you’ve got something to say, send us a letter on any subject and you could win a bottle of tequila.
Unsung heroes
Hoorah! At last Glasgow is the proud destination for the music industry gravy train that is Sound City. So deserving, a city where the same 30 or so tired and boring bands plav two safe gigs a month in dull, crap venues to a few of their chums. A city where reptilian promoters ensure that no one except the latest Kingsreach Towers favourites can get decent supports. A city where small non-profitmaking promoters such as Glasgow Music Collective and others constantly lose money putting on gigs by hot, fresh talent like God Is My Co- Pilot, Tsunami. Dawson. Lugworrn,
LETTERS
Gunshot, etc, because The List won't list ‘em, the press won’t print it, and hey, the kids would rather buy AC Acoustics CDs instead (just like NME told them to).
Your coverage of Sound City was nothing short of docile, back-slap- happy brown-nosing. 1 hope Glasgow still has the cynicism left to send this carnival of self-congratulatory music industry masturbation back to London with a sting in its pocket and a knife in its back.
Kirsteen Dalziel Bank Street Glasgow
We do list everything we can find out about and we devote as much .space as possible to fresh talent. Glasgow may not be perfect but. as the success of Sound City shows. it has a much stronger live music scene than most other places in Britain.
?0h,Joy
Thanks to The List and the Cameo for organising the free showing of The Joy Luck Club — it’s an excellent adaptation i of Amy Tan’s brilliant book and so philanthropic of you to bring cultural entertainment to the impoverished masses in this way. Of course as soon as it finished I rushed home to bond with my mother and ask her about Edinburgh in the olden days; strangely she thought I’d gone barking mad —
3 maybe 1 should try again after we've
i shared a bottle of tequila?
lsobel Murray
Dublin Street
Edinburgh
Philanthropic we may be. but not enough to give away good tequila at the drop of a compliment. Glad you enjoyed the screening. however.
Jealous glrl
Reading about all the bands that were playing during the Sound City week in Glasgow made me quite jealous. Edinburgh prides itselfon being the Festival City, but when it comes to rock ’n’ roll, it‘s nowhere. Then I heard that the city council is stumping up over £100,000 to invest in the local music industry. What about a bit of dosh spent
on this side of the country please?
It's quite clear to me that Edinburgh is missing out on touring bands because of the lack of venues. Sound City aside, it's depressing the number of times I've read previews of bands 1 want to see in The List, only to find they‘re playing Glasgow only. [four district council was prepared to put even a fraction ofthat money into developing new venues, it would be money well spent. The huge number of indie clubs springing up shows that there is an appetite for going out and listening to music — it's just a shame it can’t be live music. What about the Assembly Rooms — a criminally under— used venue for 49 weeks of the year. It‘s not ideal for every hand, but it's worked successfully in the past. The council owns the building so surely if it had the will it could help encourage promoters to put on gigs there.
Janet MacDonald Howe Street Edinburgh
We agree that it 's a shame when bands miss out Edinburgh when they tour and making greater use of the Assembly Rooms is an interesting idea. There is a bottle of tequila with your name on it in our Edinburgh office.
Short changed
Asking punters to act as extras on a film set would make assembling Ben Hur-style crowd scenes rather difficult. Television comedy producers realise that if you're going to ask audiences to laugh on cue, repeatedly, you're going to have to let them in for free. So how did Sound City get away with charging £9 to .see bands at the Tramway? The bills were enticing, I guess. Until Hole cancelled — what a historic gig if they had played — the prospect of seeing them on the same stage as The Charlatans and Whiteout was attractive, but it’s not as ifwe were getting full sets by each band. Credit to the organisers for putting together some great line ups. But surely Radio 1 was
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Blur: (iirls and boys who do quintessential linglish pop.
getting some very cheap programming. the bands were getting nationwide exposure on pn'metime radio, while the kids had to pay full price. Hardly fair, 1 would suggest.
Peter Thompson
Hillhead Street
Glasgow
Ugly side of The Beautiful South
It‘s not surprising Briana Corrigan couldn‘t stomach being part of the laddish band The Beautiful South, at least if there’s any truth in the image they have been perpetuating in every promotional interview, including one with The List, for the new album. I wonder how long new recruit Jacqueline Abbott will last. It sounds as ifbeing part ofthe South's touring entourage would be like cheerleading at a football match and then being expected to share the team bath afterwards.
I'd find it easier to accept that Paul Heaton is using the voice of characters in songs like ‘Mini-Correct‘, if he didn't then talk like a misogynist in interviews. (Only your writer knows exactly which ‘gynaelogical slur’ he used on the Queen, but we get the idea.) Maybe Heaton is misunderstood, but it sounds rather as if Briana had it about right.
Lucy Pearson Montgomery Street Edinburgh
Address your letters to The list letters at:
14 High Street
Edinburgh EH1 lTE
Of
Old Athenaeum Theatre
179 Buchanan Street
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Of
Fax them to: 031 557 8500
We will not print your full address or phone number but you must include them. Deadline is the Friday before publication. Keep them pithy. as orerlong letters may be cut. The best letter next issue will win a bottle of Jose C uervo tequila and a natty baseball cap.
\thil‘s litiling (illlk‘l'l.( ii'ulie'.’ .lttlielle l.e\\ is Johnny Depp (lel‘l ). milkshakes and the ll} slunetional llnniI}. that‘s \\ hat. '
.\l;r\ lest: .\ country hoe t|o\\ n and the best of the rest in \\'eel\s t\\o and three.
PLUS: (iei'urtl Departlieu in (i(’l'lllllI(I/. Michael Keaton in The Paper. (Bury \\ ilniot Ill ('u/mt'u/u'inu and the Stone Temple Pilots land in (ilasgotv.
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92 The List 22 April-5 May 1994
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