Story of the booze

It brings us tears of joy when we think of poor Boris Yeltsin drunk and disorderly at governmental gatherings across the globe. With vodka oozing from every pore, he stumbles towards some female head of state with nothing but dastardly thoughts coursing through his muddled mind. Yet, as Channel 4's True Stories investigates (Sat 9 Sep, 7.45pm), this particular demon spirit is crippling a once-proud nation which previously partied with the best of them but has become blind

to the proof of its own folly.

Don’t do that, do this. Fifteen days of unmissable stuff.

THURSDAY 7 Das Rheingold Scottish Opera takes on Wagner’s m.ghty Ring Cycle, which stOrrheo the Edinburgh Festivai and w2|l co the same here in the West. Three more segments ww! follow between how and 2003. Theatre Royal, Glasgow.

FRIDAY 8 Justin Carter and Shaz Kerr V sua at sts " resoehce at Cove Park, Carter and (er' show us ther Renaissance WO’K wt" temporary ivr‘g structures and a reconstructeo oocmehtary. See preview 67. Tram/ray Glasgow.

SATURDAY 9 Melanie C Planet Spice gravitates north .h the shape of Melanie

2 THE LIST 7—2‘. Sep 2000

Get a pizza the action

It must be, oh, at least a fortnight since we had a festival round these parts, so it’s all to the good that the Italian Institute has organised Italian Scottish Identities And Connections to keep us off the streets. Taking place in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Monday li—Sunday 17 September, the event brings together

photography (such as Owen Logan’s

Blood Lines, pictured, at the Italian Cultural Institute in Edinburgh), film, theatre, music and, of course, food.

"\

Photographed on a stage in Poland by Poppy Szaybo, the little accordionist is learning to be part of the great Romany nation, tied together across frontiers by blood, language, common culture and a pervasive need to make music. You can see an exhibition of Poppy's work in

Glasgow's Tron Theatre during Open Roads 2000, the major festival of Gypsy and Traveller culture she has organised

(Old Fruitmarket and various

Glasgow venues, Monday

11—Sunday 17 September, see Folk listings), and that brings wild

groups and soloists to Glasgow from Ireland, Hungary, Poland,

Russia, Norway, Rumania, and

even Rajasthan. Not from gypsy or traveller stock

herself 1- she’s based in

London, teaches traveller

children.

father Polish, a

was little and we '

staying in Poland . remember people shouting at my mu I

calling her a Gypsy. " smiles. 'I think that' 2‘

when I started to identify with them.‘

C aka Spo'ty, g|V|."‘.g us all the hits from million-selling album Northern Star and continumg to convmce us that she is the new Madonna. See preVIew, page 38. Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow. SUNDAY 10 Jerry Dammers At Dr No's Two Tone .egeno Jerry Dampers makes a very Soeca appearance v. t". a DJ r‘g '7“ x of s-<a, funk, hp "-00 ano lung'e. Ednoargr‘ ‘ar‘s car catch h m a COJD e 0" nights ea" er at The Bongo C Jo See orewew, page 56. \rce ’h’ Sleazy Glasgow. MONDAY 11 Time Gentlemen Please 1999 Perr:er Winner AI Murray comes Out from behind the bar and onto the box for an impressive sitcom set in a traditiona- alehouse doing its damnedest to resist modernsat on. Hilarity ensues. See preView, page 96. Sky One.

AI Murray, Mon 11

TUESDAY 12 DeUS Ex A revolution in frst person shooting comes With th-s fiuio' ano Cunnineg inventive PC game. Weapons, routes and realistic

ehv ronments are there to be mastered ‘Or those wishing to enhance their [newno'ual expertse. See revew, page 98. PC.

WEDNESDAY 13 Martin Millar Thzs Giasgow-oorn, Brixtoe-baseo Cu:t writer re-issues his depot l/li/k, Sulphate And A/by Starvation. Not for the faint 0‘ heart or the conservative of taste. See reView, page 90. /MP.

THURSDAY 14 lnfesticons Turning the hp hop biueprr‘t oh its head and prov-rig there’s mom to the genre than pitches, orve-bys and |.v:r" large, New Yor<’s poet/rapper Mike Lado spearheaos the infest cons' guest to