The Longpigs
NME Stage, Sat 12 Jul.
To say the Longpigs were a smash at last year’s T in the Park would be speaking quite literally. As the strains of 'She Said' began to fade, leadman Crispin Hunt took it upon himself to indulge in a Rickenbacker/King Tut's tent stagefloor interface. Repeatedly. ’There’s nothing like a wanton piece of destruction of material goods,’ he confesses. ’l was hideously upset about it afterwards but at the time it needed to be done. It's a massive kick smashing up a couple of thousand quid's worth of Rickenbacker - better than a bungee jump.’
This year, the Sheffield quartet are moving up in the world, on the back of a string of smasheroonie singles and a consolidating album The Sun ls Often Out, by gaining a top slot on the NME Stage behind Shed Seven and Placebo. But you won’t find Hunt schmoozing with his fellow performers and the lounge liggers in that cesspool of filthy vice and flavoured vodka known as 'the backstage area.’
'I don't like spending time backstage as it tends to be Robbie Williams being followed around by photographers, so i usually just go out and watch the
The Longpigs: bringing home the bacon. Ho ho!
bands,’ admits Hunt. 'Festivals need to celebrate things other than rock 'n’ roll otherwise they end up being like an appalling Euro-rock festival while Glastonbury still feigns to be the peace and love thing. T in the Park is a Scottish celebration, so it’s got another excuse apart from rock music and pretty girls.’
Having returned from the States where they supported Suede, the reformed Echo and the Bunnymen and U2 - ’that was huge and enormous and fuckin’ massive' — as well as headlining a couple of dates themselves, Hunt is well placed to opine on the latest Brits Are Coming instalment.
'A lot of English bands have done quite badly in America recently but they were very colloquial types,’ he states. ‘Blur are doing well now because they're making rock but when they were singing about fish 'n' chips and going to the football, I’m not sure it made a lot of sense to a hick in Omaha.’
Now, Hunt is convinced the Longpigs will be making sense to everyone by the time their second album comes around to being stacked on record shop shelves. ’We’ve just starting working on it, but it'll be a masterpiece when it comes out,’ predicts the lead Longpig with a chuckle. ’It's going to be a punk/soul quadruple concept album.’ The hicks around the world await. (Brian Donaldson) T
hm: Tenor NME Stage, Sat 12 Jul.
Part man, part keyboard and complete cult, Jimi Tenor is the Finn with a taste for electronica. A connoisseur of synthesised sqmggles, Tenor has a musical palette ranging from the gourmet delights of Kraftwerk style musings to highly processed lounge cheese. A man of sophistication and Joe 90 glasses, he fled his native Finland for the bright lights of Barcelona, where he started his sunglasses collection, and New York, where he photographed Katie the S60|bs lady. Confused? You will be.
So, Jimi, what’s the Jimi Tenor experience like live? After all, it's just you and your keyboard isn't it?
‘Actually, I have a band; there's two girls on bass and drums, a little brass section With baritone sax and trombone, and drum machines.’
OK, one-nil to Tenor. You often get tagged as a dance artist. Are you happy with that tag?
’lt’s fine. I’d rather have that than
Tenor.
Jimi Tenor: not nostalgic, yet
something else like an indie tag,’ sighs 'I'm not that comfortable playing this gig stuff at band venues. I'm more used to playing at parties.’
So y0u’re more of a clubber?
'At the moment it's difficult to go with the band to any of the clubs because they don’t have any . . .' Tenor pauses, assesses my likely technological knowledge. 'Well, there are problems.’
I hear you’ve taken pictures of someone called Bobby the Midget on ketamine?
'Yeah.’
Er, what was that all about?
'At the time, I was taking a lot of pictures in New York of unusual people. Bobby was just one of them along with the fat lady and the tattooed man,’ drawls Tenor sounding increasingly bored. 'It was just a day job. It wasn’t glamorous or anything.’
No, course not. How do you want people to feel after listening to you?
'Ho, ho,’ he deadpans. 'Hopefully, happy. Always positive but obviously not nostalgic. Yet. Heh heh. Heh heh.’
Um, l see. Does it help to have a keen appreciation of kitsch?
‘It could help but it is not necessary. You have to have a certain sense of
humour I guess.’ T Quite. (Jonathan Trew)
'12 IN 1m: max
T in the Park is at Balado, Perthshire on Sat 12 and Sun 13 Jul. The new site, set against the Ochil Hills, is an hour's travel from Glasgow and Edinburgh.
First of all, the bad news: there are no weekend tickets to be had for love, money or promises of bizarre sexual encounters with specially bred lustweasels. The good news is that day tickets are still available from the following outlets:
Way-A-Head credit card hotline 0141 339 8383
GLASGOW
Tower: Argyle Street, 0141 204 2525. Ticketcentre: Candleriggs,
0141 287 7777.
SECC: Finnieston, 0141 287 7777.
EDINBURGH The Playhouse: Greenside Place, 0131557 2692.
Having got your ticket, you'll be looking for somewhere to stay. The official T in the Park site is already sold out and if you don't already have a ticket for it then don't turn up there — you won’t get to stay. Don’t try off- the-piste camping, you’ll be moved on at best and shot and buried in a silage pit at worst. However, fret not. Glendevon Campsite, a registered campsite situated approximately fifteen minute's drive from Kinross, is welcoming T in the Park campers with open arms from Fri 11—Mon 14 Jul.
Facilities include a fully licensed bar and restaurant, toilets, snack bar and shops. Car parking is available as are sites for caravans and camper vans. It costs £10 per person for the entire weekend and details on how to purchase tickets can be had on 01259 781208. Shuttle buses from T in the Park will run to and from Glendevon Campsite from Fri 11 Jul—Mon 14 Jul.
As ever, don't make a mess or leave your junk behind you. The countryside around T in the Park is beautiful working farm land — it’s best kept that way. If you’re camping please bring phosphate-free soap, shampoo, toothpaste and washing-up liquid. Phosphates damage the environment and the area around Kinross is environmentally sensitive. If you must go to T in the Park by car, and there is no real reason why you should, given the shuttle buses available, then car share. Cars with three or more occupants will enjoy reduced parking
rates. T Er, that's it. Have fun.
For full . T in the Park line-up see next issue of The List, out , on 1 0 July .
27 Jun—10 Jul 1997 THE U3T13