Elwn'flo'fl' ' “3' r_ .
" l s . -_ The Beeb has revived ‘Para Handy’ to be beamed out across Britain. Is this an image of Scotland we still want to be associated with or is it time to see more contemporary Scottish stories on television? If you’ve got something to say on this or any other subject, send us a letter and you could win a bottle of Jose Cuervo tequila and a funky baseball cap.
Crowded out
ldon’t get it. ljust don’t get it. What is it with Crowded House? Why is it they have hit singles and artistic credibility? They’re pisli — anti every music journalist knows that in their heart of hearts. When the NME put them on their cover l knew things were getting bad. And now The List. Is it payola or do people think they’re too nice to be stitched up good an proper like they ought to be? I’m not usually given to conspiracy theories, but in the case of Crowded House it’s the only explanation.
Johnny Wilton
Hamilton Drive
Glasgow
Looking north
I wasn’t surprised to read about the first shots across the bows in the National Theatre ‘debate’ (The List 23l) fired
; off by Edinburgh and Glasgow. lt’s ' hard to imagine a national theatre
lETTERS
without thinking ofthe South Bank in London so capturing public imagination for something other than a building was always going to be hard. National theatre ‘resource' doesn‘t have quite the same dog, but I hope the Scottish Arts Council can manage to keep all the options open long enough for them to be considered fully. But location of the ‘resource’ is always going to become a contentious issue at some stage. Before deciding on locations. I hope SAC will be absolutely clear about what national theatre should be. ls it to be a centre (possibly a movable centre. if the touring option is selected) ! ofexcellence, from which to develop : and promote Scottish drama for a British and European audience? lfso, locating the ‘resource’ in Edinburgh or i Glasgow makes sense, simply because i they are Scotland’s biggest and most accessible cities, with the highest profiles outside the country. If that’s f what we want, let battle commence. l Or is a national theatre about i developing drama for Scottish people, i to help develop a dramatic national lidentity which embraces all the gcountry‘s people? For that to happen, it seems crucial that the resource be based away from those two cities on ‘neutral gground’. Somewhere like Pitlochry {strikes me as an obvious choice — it {already has theatrical activity and is ggeographically in touch with both the Highlands and the Lowlands. It would .be a meeting place for Gaelic traditionalists and metropolitan trendies jon an equal footing. I believe a national theatre should be jplaced at the heart of Scotland and not ibe allowed to become simply a high- _profile vehicle to suck in the best [sponsorship and corporate hospitality opportunities. :Fiona Patterson iEyre Place Edinburgh
g flogging the limelight
’ I don’t want to be ageist about this and,
yes, I know that the fiftysomething
i Rolling Stones havejust released their
l best album in years, but isn't 36 a bit
_ late to be thinking ofa career in rock ’n’ roll? I refer, of course. to Pam
. . ; Hogg, the sometrrne clothes designer
who seems to have gone all Riot Grrrl. She’s started exposing her belly button in the name of pop at a time in her life when most people are trying to hide their thickening midriffs.
You have to admire her nerve. though, jacking in a reasonably successful design career to face the potential derision of the music industry. There’s always been a suspicion of people who switch from another profession to music and Pam certainly hasn't paid her dues. I'll remain sceptical until I hear Doll, but it seems significant that the singer is promoting herself before a note of music has been heard. Maybe it worked for Kylie but then she never pretended to be a British Patti Smith. Janey Williamson Park Road Glasgow
Dogged determination
So. the Dog-Faced Hermans played at the Venue last Saturday (along with Brittle Hip and Spaceheads). Unfortunately I’d been hit by a car earlier in the week and I can’t stand up for very long, so I phoned in advance to try to get a seat — and was assured there’d be plenty.
On arriving, the only seat was under the arse of the guy taking the money. However he insisted on me taking it, and stood for the duration. The music was great, and it’s the first time I‘ve been out since the accident. Maybe the guy at the Venue with long red hair and a beard deserves this week's bottle of tequila.
Brendan Pollit Saxe-Coburg Terrace Edinburgh
Eyes down
The magic wasn‘t very magic, was it? I stared at the damn thing. on and off, for about an hour but never did see whatever it was I was meant to. Anyway it all seems a bit Victorian to me — why bother now we have virtual reality, Internet. space simulators and Sonic. As a modem executive toy, the austereograru seems a bit austere to me. Karen Donald
Canaan Lane
I Edinburgh
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‘Despise' isn’t too strong a word for the way I feel about The Levellers' lumpen, cod-folk anthems and worse still, their ballads (check the execrable ‘Julie‘ if you don‘t believe me). I've never thought grubbiness as a fashion statement, as opposed to an unfortunate way of life, was particularly clever. But as possibly the last person on earth who‘d buy one of their records, We got to admit that they’ve remained true to their beliefs. The campaign against the Criminal Justice Bill has crystallised round them and their fans, giving a real purpose to teenage rebellion. Defeating the Bill is more important than shocking grannies and television presenters, with green spiked hair and swearie words. The Levellers have the attitude and now they've found a cause. Lend your support to their campaign, even if you can't stomach their music — they know what they’re talking about. Peter Sandwell Kier Street Glasgow
BUERVU “’ Thanks for the letter. Peter 1/ you 'd been 0 Let's fan we would probably rustled up a couple of bottles of scrum/2y, but seeing as you ’re not. there's a bottle of Jose Cueri'o tequila waiting in our Glasgow office.
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Giants of American Dance: Mark Morris, Lucinda C hilds. Merce Cunningham and George Balanchine kicking up a storm.
Camping Out: Lypsinka (left), Lily Savage The gentle art of cross dressing.
and Pricilla Queen of the Dessert —
Tokyo Shock Boys: Japan’s outrageous kings of comedy risk life and limb for a laugh at the Edinburgh Fringe. PLUS: The Waterboy’s Mike Scott, Jenny Saville. Ralph Steadman and Robert Lepage’s world premiere of The Seven Streams o/‘Rirer ()ta.
onorn voun 0on Now.
84 The List 29 July—l I August 1994
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