International football: a wonderful opportunity for people of all nations to come together and watch a great sporting spectacle or an excuse for cheap nationalism? Is the World Cup the real folk festival? Write a letter to The List on any subject and you could win a bottle of Jose Cuervo tequila.
Acoustic reverberation
Re: Paul Campion's letter in The List (226). Although I agree that Sound City has probably succeeded in achieving what it set out to do. your letter raised other points and contained several factual errors which I feel compelled to comment on. I had originally intended to comment on most of the points you made but in order to make this letter a reasonable size. l've restricted myself to the most important.
We did a ten-day British tour in April. every show of which was promoted by a nonprofit-making promoter, and dozens of gigs across Europe last year. some three quarters of which were run by non-profit promoters. So you're assertion that there is no such thing and that anyone who thinks they exist is naive came as a surprise to me. The suggestion that financial profit is the only motive for putting on gigs. and by implication for playing at them, is
LETTERS
ridiculous. If it were the case, you and I would not be making the type of music we do.
Being in a band is not hard work. It may be frustrating. time consuming and use up a great deal of your energy. but try spending a couple of months as a brickie‘s labourer and then come back and tell me how much hard work it is being in AC. Acoustics.
You state that anybody can get decent supports. This is a fallacy. You say that
'you have been working hard for five
years and then fail to acknowledge that it may well be that longevity and experience that allows you to fill so many support slots in the city. There are those of us who can get as many gigs as we can or wish to do. but we are
‘a small proportion. It is a fact that there
are not enough good supports to go round. A promoter who relies on good turnouts to survive has little choice but to use proven bands like yourselves. Getting to play on those bills certainly requires more than a bit of common sense. If this isn’t the case. why weren't you doing those supports five years ago? Are we to assume that AC. Acoustics have only gained common sense over the last year and a half?
I hope these observations are taken positively as they are meant. Angus McPhee Glue/Feeble Records/Glasgow Music Collective Kingsheath Avenue Glasgow
Lucky break?
Were you simply championing the underdog or was the Cup Final preview (The List 227). which focused entirely
. on eventual winners Dundee United. an
example of features-planning by seance. If the magazine does in fact have the power to predict the winners of major sporting events. I hope you will consider introducing a racing tips column immediately.
Peter Thompson
Argyle Street
Glasgow
Like all good journalists, we absolutely refuse to reveal our sources on this one. However. we can say we were quietly
NEXT ISSUE OUT THURSDAY 16 JUNE
confident that The List had backed tlte right team. Also. Walter Smith was too busy writing out P45s to give us an interview.
Stubbed out
It is all very well providing an Eating Out Guide (The List 226). but I cannot be the only person who wants to know ifsmoke-free areas are provided. Meals can be ruined if you are unlucky enough to be seated next to a smoker and many restaurants are unhelpful. So please. next time. include a code which lets us know whether this service is available.
Helen Millier
Kelvinside Terrace South
Glasgow
' JOSE i
» CUERVD
Sadly very few restaurants provide smoke-free areas. despite there being so ntany min-smokers who enjoy eating in a smoke-free atmosphere. A handful of restaurants mentioned that they had non-smoking areas and we generally mentioned the fact. but its safe to assume ntost don 't. lj‘airlines can do it. why not restaurants." Have a bottle of tequila. which awaits in our Glasgow
office.
Discriminatrng diner
The excellent Eating Out Guide (The List 226) would have been improved greatly if it had advised us on the quality of welcome which particular groups of people can expect to find when they visit recommended eating places.
As a gay man. I prefer to spend my money in restaurants where I am allowed to relax and enjoy myself with other gay men. Those restaurants where same-sex hand-holding and camp laughter are frowned upon or forbidden can do without my business.
Likewise. it would be helpful for black people to know where they can
expect to be pushed into comers next to the loo or. alternatively. where racist behaviour from other customers will not be tolerated.
People with disabilities would also want to know how they will be received. which restaurants will allow people with guide dogs and have reasonable access into the building.
It doesn’t matter how good the food is, it soon loses all its taste when you have some bigots breathing down your necks. If your guide was to monitor standards of friendliness. eating out would become a pleasurable experience for everyone.
Bob Cant Albert Street Edinburgh
Address your letters to The List Letters at:
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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 overlon g letters may be cut. The best letter next issue will win a bottle of Jose Cuervo tequila and a natty baseball cap.
Annie l.eibo\yit/.: Classic portraits from the Rolling Stones snappettse.
'l’hrcc (‘olotn's White: The second instalment ol~ Kieslowski‘s l‘ilm lt‘icolotn'.
Diploma Shows: We have seen the future of Scottish art and it‘s name is . . .
PLUS: \litli ('irctts. Jeanette \\'interson. Scottish Ballet. Sister Sledge. ('arlccn t\llLlL‘l'.\Ull. (ialliano.
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'92 The List 3-16 June 1994
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