FESTIVAL MUSIC

gigs orecitals

3 and had their roots in civil disillusion.

The Williams Fairey brass band whom he approached to put his plan into action are undoubtedly the best in the country, valiant victors of a harsh competition scene where dozens of bands play the same songs while judges sit behind screens. Think Strictly Ballroom and

BRASS CLUB PREVIEW

Brassneck beats

What do you get if you cross acid house with brass bands? ACID BRASS, of course.

You've got to laugh at the incongruity of it all. Imagine 30 members of the Williams Fairey brass band, all suited up in regulation competition garb and thumping out acid house classics as part of the Flux festival. Coronets taking the synth line of The KLF's ’What Time is Love’ while a beefy tuba parps out the bass; all smiles as they blow their way through 808 State’s 'Pacific State' and A Guy Called Gerald's ’Voodoo Ray’.

When they first played Scotland at the end of June in Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens, the grass was strewn with club types, basking in the sun and smirking at the inspired insanity of it all. But they’re not doing it for the comedy value; this is serious cultural socio-experiment that juxtaposes two diverse musical styles. Or it is according to Jeremy Deller who came up with the idea. He convinced the band that the two forms had a lot in common: both flourished in the north of England, were regulars at outdoor festivals

you're halfway there.

’Once you hear it you realise it’s not a novelty thing,’

Acid Brass: where there's Flux there's brass

says Deller. 'There are chuckles because you recognise

(Rory Weller)

those tunes in a different environment and it’s funny because it does work. The band don’t feel they're having the piss taken out of them, they enjoy it and don’t have to make any compromises as musicians.’

I Add Brass (Fringe) Flux, laffacake (Venue 7) 226 5138, 23

Aug, 8pm, £9.

MUSIC PREVIEW

Richard Wood/ Barra MacNeils

Two fiddle-driven bands from the Canadian l\«laritimes are playing consecutive nights in the Grouse House. From Cape Breton, family foursome the Barra MacNeils have, for de<ades, fused their traditional Scots- derived instiumental skills With relaxed songs and a glosSy professionalism Their latest iecording (The Traditional Album, lona Records) shows them in great, mature form

in contrast, and in leathers, Prince Edward Island's young lion, Richard Wood, leads his trio, which, With the departure of young piano star Daria Chaisson and the arrival of Brad Fremlin on keyboards and drums, Wood describes as ’movmg more towards a celtic percussion thing’.

GUitarist Gordon Belcher adds a couple of songs to their set, in what I hear is an essentially acoustic country style. Interestingly, Wood feels that ’over here they're regarded as Irish pub songs

OhVious comparisons are made between Wood and youthful chart- topping Cape Breton fiddler Ashley Maclsaac, but how different are their approaches? Wood feels that ’Ashley and his band are more grunge/rock, even though they play a lot of traditional tunes. I see myself as doing a lot more writing. It's original, fresh.

' My main style is Celtic/Irish, but they’re

new tunes. On the new album, | The Fire Dance, there’s a bit of everything. A little bit of blues, jazz . . . even disco. You could call it worldbeat.' Norman Chalmers.

I Richard Wood (Fringe) Famous Grouse House, Chambers Street (Venue 34) 226 5606, 26 Aug,

9.45pm. f 7 (£5), The Barra MacNei/s, venue as above, 27 Aug, two concerts, 7.30pm and midnight, f8 (f6).

I lumpy. Hit list , > If music be the food arm contraceptive sales going-‘tof' ~. rocket after listening to this lot ~ . Arab Strap. Jock Scot and The ' Leopards Welcome to a disturbing side of Scottish culture with the ' Strap's sordid mumblings, Scot‘s idiosyncratic and bitter poetry and The Leopards' guitars baring their _ teeth. Arab Strap/Jock Scot/Leopards? (Planet Pop) Cas Rock, West Port; 1 229 4341, 8pm, £5.

Add Brass See preview, left. _

Richard Wood and the Barra f Mcuells See preview, left. _ 5 Ruby Fruit Jungle Musical magpies, ,7 this all girl band take all the best from the musical traditions of every 4, continent and cut them up to their . _~ own formula. Your pants will swing I ; like a monkey on a chandelier. Ruby 3 Fruit Jungle (Fringe) Spiegeltent (Venue 87) 558 8010, 22-25'Aug, ._

2pm, £6 (£4). '

Heaven 17 Perfect pop was the ultimate aim of Heaven 17 and in the mid 805, they Synth whipped the opposition with the likes of ‘Temptation' and 'Come Live With, .,, Me.‘ Older and wiser, they can still navigate a keyboard with their eyes . closed. Heaven 17 (Fringe) Flux, laffacake (Venue 7) 226 5138, 24 & 25 Aug, 8pm, f 12.

Sola Those with a fondness for music which blurs the distinctions between the Cocteaus and Clannad will enjoy this. Think dance meets Celtic tradition and then put a huge groove down the middle. So/a (Fringe) Fringe Club (Venue 2) 226 5138, 22 Aug, midnight, free with Fringe Club membership.

Die Walkfire Act lll Bryn Terfel

makes his Wagnerian debut as Wotan along with the great soprano Jane Eaglen as Bronnhilde. Pundits reckon that Terfel could be one of the all time Wagnerian greats so anticipation is riding high for this concert. Die Walki‘Jre Act III (International Festival) Usher Hall, 473 2000, 28 Aug, 7.30pm, . £5—f29.

22—28 Aug 1997 THE U8T81