ECLECTIC ROCK CORNERSHOP QMU, Glasgow, Sun 21 Apr
‘For me personally it was Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers. I used to love the fact that they did things on their own terms and they didn’t sound too technically able, they must have been one of the first punk bands, they were making this noise that sounded like they were falling down stairs in 1975.’ The thin faced other half of Cornershop and Clinton, Ben Ayres, is talking about the music that made him want to be in a band.
Indicating one’s influences can either highlight a total lack of taste or pave the way for accusations of plagiarism, but listen to any tune on Cornershop’s new album Handcream ForA Generation and the eclectic banality of a million charity shop bought LPs roars back, rifling through the treasures of the past has always been the name of their game.
‘We do check out a lot of old records, sometimes for reasons that don’t really make sense, sometimes to borrow a sample, sometimes just a bassline, I mean I’ve got some mad records but Tjinder’s got some absolutely bonkers ones.’
Tjinder Singh, the shy retiring frontman of Cornershop has declined to be interviewed, although anyone who saw the British tour that accompanied their
1997 breakthrough album ‘When I Was Born For The 7th Time’ will maybe not find this so surprising as these boys are not the most confident of performers.
Singh sang as if he has just filled his underpants while Ayres fiddled with various instruments behind him, that was however five years ago. Nowadays people like Noel Gallagher and Guigsy queue up to work with them - “Guigsy has been a good mate since we toured with Oasis in America in 1998 and Noel as well, Noel is a busy man but he’s always been really nice to us and we’ve always got on really well with him.
JAZ? DAVID S WARE QUARTET Tolbooth, Stirling, Thu 25 Apr
The annual Le Weekend festival of improyrsed and experimental musrt: comes around a little earlier this year at the handsomely returhished Tolhooth. and gets off to what should he a flying start wrth an appearance hy one of the leading tree jaxx and improvrsed musir: ensemhles on the current US seene. the [)avrd S Ware Quartet.
Ware's hrg, room-filling tenor sax sound and turbulent tiow of ideas take no prisoners. and his musre is not for those who find themselves uneomtortahle Willi sonie density or emotional intensity. He has led his excellent guartet tor a do/en years. wrth preerous few changes of personnel. other than oeeasional svrrtehes in the drum (:harr.
He has established £15;f§()(2!£lll().’lf3 wrth artists ranging from Cecil Taylor to Sonic Youth lit the course of three deeades ol Involvement Ill the (for want of a better desenptrom free 1a// area ot
the music. lhe saxophonist. though. has deserrhed his musrt: as rooted in were fundamental energies.
'Improyrsed musrt: has Its own tradition. Its own school. It's not an "(lllylillllg(1008“il'£i(l|l!()li. hut that is how It has heen construed hy people who don't exactly .rnderstand what It is. The (:reative spirit of what
The cream of the ‘shop
That tour was great, we were amazed how much they [Oasis] were into what we were doing, most nights they would come out and sit on the stage and just watch us.’ Time and experience has bound to have honed their live shows so this should be a surprise treat. Famous for endorsing dodgy garage (as in 60’s) bands this Canadian-born guitarist is not going to let the interview end without doing it again - ‘for the support on our new tour we’ve chosen Jeffrey Lewis, he was a mate of Mouldy Peaches and he’s absolutely brilliant, so come!’ (Paul Dale)
Free associations from Ware
improVIsatIon Is has heen lost it's a lost art.
‘I don't mean by that that people aren't improvrsing, it's the meaning behind It that's lost. And that meaning rs (:onneeted wrth our exrstenee. the force that has us here Is an improvrsrng power lite Itself is nnprovrsatronf (Kenny Mathieson)
Surface noise
All the tributes, refutes, and galoots from the wonderful world of music
A lRIBUll ()ONCi-lll' ll; 8 heen organised to ::e’ehrate the lite and music of the late Stuart Adamson at tl‘e Barre-sland on (it May lhe remauirng "ltktlihtElS of Adamson's tormev hands. the Skids and Big (Iountry. ‘.'.'1I§ perform as will a seietton of stars Ill(llll(ill‘.(] llug't‘ (lom‘.'.'ei|. l’ete \"~.’\,'lre. Stexe llarlei, and Midge Ute alongside Adan‘son's t.'.e Children Calla'n and Kirsten
60$ PSYCHEDELIC troubadors Love have announced a second date after their King Tut’s show sold out in jig time. They play 3 June at Edinburgh’s Liquid Room. Tickets are on sale now.
llli l All-8i HUMOUR AROUND Glasgo\.'.' is that He original o‘.'.'ners of the ’Iét": Note are hunting for a .enae zr‘ the City’s .'.'est end to relaunch the :nuh after rt :nt hust earle' this l.ea.'. A TERRITORIAL ARMY HALL in Leith’s Dalmeny Street has been earmarked as the new location for the Bongo Club. Developers have now gained planning permission for the current site at New Street. lll()8l ()l YOU too SKINl l() head for (Iél'tltxt Sands furs "tenth "1a, he l)itk£if§t:fl to kno‘n. anout the rather :irstasfefuzl, trtteu All lhe Msngos l’artzes lhe exent. naseu at a flat in (ilasgon. o‘er the same ‘.'.-f:(:-l\-(}t‘:' as A“ lo'norro'.-."s l’artres 1%) .7“ Alm- ".as (Iayto, the l letter (Iolzeeto's and Sexerah l7’;i,"‘gl as as scores o‘ esse' «19.2": Y‘;t"‘<3f1.
See next :ss:.»;: trt' ve'.,e:-.'.
BIG BIG COUNTRY RETURNS to Glasgow from 25 April to 19 May. Acts confirmed to play at this celebration of Americana and more include Natalie Merchant, Lambchop, Jim White, Nickel Creek and the Cash Brothers. The whole shebang kicks off this issue with Catie Curtis (pictured) at St Andrew’s In The Square, on 25 April. See next issue for full preview.
till i \X‘Il l). Alllil ll Altllltfilt Baker. lhe l’.tri\rns.>ns. \/<‘:\ Hm .l"(l ltlerca", He: we the LtIé‘Sl additions to the l .n tt‘e Park me up for 138. l-1.ltr|‘..
u, Aw. .‘ THE LIST 51