Do we really need another bloody festival? The answer is, well, yes if it’s doing something new and exciting. TRIPTYCH does this, bringing the worlds of rock music, experimental music and clubbing together like never before. The principles behind the three-city festival are simple: gather up a range of established quality international artists and DJs, team them up with some of our own home-grown talent and get them to do one, two, sometimes three shows over a weekend. We’ve drafted in some of the Scottish music and clubs world to tell you why the fuss is justified. Next issue we’ll run more coverage and comprehensive fisfings.
Tickets available from Fopp Records, Union Street, Glasgow, 0141 222 2128; Byres Road, Glasgow, 0141 357 0774; Cockburn Street, Edinburgh, 0131 220 0133. And Ticket Scotland credit card bookings, 0870 220 1116. Website: www.redt.co.uk/triptych
14 THE LIST 12—26 Apr 2001
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Lupine Howl
Sean Cook is a man reborn. Following his expulsion from Spiritualized alongside fellow bandmates Mike Mooney and Damon Reece by the ever-more-egotistical Jason Pierce. they were quick to establish Lupine Howl. partly in defiance and partly in need to experiment for themselves. The results are brazenly on display on The Carnivorous Lunar Aetii'ities 0f Lupine Howl, a psychedelic mouthful of a debut album.
‘There was a certain sense that we had to do something different} Cook says. 'There was no defined template. just a sense of experimentation and spontaneity.‘ This is underlined in the album‘s assault of varied instrumentation. loops and beats. and Cook’s brain-frazzled lyrics. which he admits were inspired by a new-found fondness for hedonism.
‘l'd been in Spiritualized and in a relationship for a long time and both happened to end at the same time. I‘d invested ten years of my life and the upshot was nothing. So the hedonism in the lyrics
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is really based on the pointlessness of me worrying any more.”
Nevertheless, he admits it was daunting playing live as Lupine Howl for the first time. “Not so much playing the music as me singing. It was something I‘d not done before so it was a baptism of fire. in front of a packed club with someone from the NME writing a review there.
‘Live. we‘re recognisable to the album but more improvised. generally more powerful and raucous. We go back to a basic punk ethic. which is another release from Spiritualized.‘
So having finally found expression outside of Pierce's band, can Cook find a single ounce of respect for him? ‘l‘d have to say no. after everything we went through and how the band slowly fell apart. Ultimately. if you’re treated like a donkey — like we were — it kind of rules out any respect.’
But now Lupine Howl demand it. Proof then, that every dog has its day. (Jan F. Zeschky)
Lupine Howl play the Attic, Edinburgh, Sun 29 Apr.