Music
ROCK POP MONICA QUEEN, BILL WELLS AND TRANSELEMENT King Tut’s, Glasgow, Fri 7 Jun 0000
A droning cello, looping back on itself as a sampler chews up and spits out the sounds. That’ll be tRANSELEMENt then? No, surprisingly not, a running order change means that onstage is Bill Wells, master of the freeform and whose name carries the mandatory suffix ‘jazz maverick’. Stranger still, partnering him is one Isobel Campbell, recently having departed Belle and Sebastian mid-US tour.
No breathy vocals, nor selections from her forthcoming album (with Wells) of Billie Holiday standards. Instead, cello in hand, she delivers an improvised sequence of scales and snippets of vaguely familiar tunes, occasionally played pizzicato. Wells’ sampler provides the fortissimo with an often deafening wall of noise. So, what more suitable outlet for all this than Glasgow’s Creeping Bent label, which epitomises the term ‘eclectic’.
Perhaps unsurprisingly there are no Belle and Sebastian covers on show; a theme continued by that band’s occasional hired hand, Monica Queen, who instead concentrates on her recent 10 Sorrowful Mysteries album. Performing in candlelit half-darkness, the stripped-down set and Queen’s plaintive vocal, from ‘l’m Sorry Darling’ through to the sublime ‘77x’, is a melange of bittersweet Americana.
Try and pigeonhole tRANSELEMENt, however and you have a job on your hands. An all-seated quartet with an array of samplers, they’re not all they seem. From the almost-medieval “Wet Deck’ to the rather more contemporary stop-start rhythms of ‘September in June’ they constantly change and confound; a touch of flamenco here, some decidedly prog rock stylings there. Their mix of musical genres from avant-garde to pop pretty much encapsulates the label. Looks like Bent is the new straight.
(Stuart McHugh)
Monica Queen enthralls
ROCK MCLUSKY AND SENATOR The Venue, Edinburgh, Tue 11 Jun oooo
With Fugazi’s Barrowland gig cancelled, we’re left with this couple of British imitations of the real thing to keep us in face-ripping riffage, and a decent stab they make of it too. Local three-piece shouters Senator are improving all the time, and take the more juddering, jolting approach, clattering their way around the stage and somehow discovering small caches of melody hidden amongst the metal madness.
McLusky, on the other hand, are a much more straightforward kettle of grungy punk fish, and seem intent on out-Mudhoneying Mudhoney, so frantically enraged are they. The Cardiff trio have a handful of decent enough tunes, with frantic opener ‘Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues’ and recent chest-beating single ‘To Hell with Good Intentions’ standing out from the crowd. But the band seem ultimately somehow lacking in onstage charisma, without which it’s hard to see them making much mark on a world that so obviously fuels their rage. (Doug Johnstone)
"V i. r'-_' 7:‘.‘ 'V
ROCK/ELECTRONICA TORQAMADA AND TEXLAI-IOMA Nice’n’Sleazy, Glasgow, 15 Jun 0...
It‘s a tall order for this trio — opening armed with only a laptop and a couple of keyboards for company — but they acquit themselves well. Deep bass crunches. one or two almost cheesy bleepathons. and gifted use of some xylophone samples; the effect. then. is something like Boards Of Canada. without quite as much righteous inspiration.
Don‘t tell us that's your real hair! Of course it is. because Torqamada are
ROCK
BRUTAL GOOSE CLOSER AND SKAPPAH-IELO Soundgarden@Starka, Motherwell, Thu 14 Jun 0000
They‘re only playing their second gig. but being an offshoot of other bands Skappah-Flo are practised songwriters. At times excessively loud — starting off like an instrumental Aereogramme — they also have some slow quiet moves with well-worked harmonies.
Closer. meanwhile. have been around a bit. Having moved from poppty roots, they‘ve settled what's often termed ‘angular': jerky. fast and loud. There's a tune or two that could be honed; is Mr Albini in the house?
The venue's soundman deserts his post to take on vocal duties with local heroes Brutal Goose. Very metal. and
POP BRIAN WILSON
AC/DC dressed in Ramones chic and their one purpose in life is to mess people up just like their Spanish Inquisition-leading namesake. The beer-spraying, the devil horns and the impromptu rambles through the audience . . . the parts are played with such a whooping. wanton panache that it all goes way beyond irony. Put it like this. if the Hives deserve daytime airplay and sell out gigs. then this lot are surely due a castle on a desert island and an army of sylph-like virgins to serve their every whim. Because that's how real rock stars are meant to live. ain't it? (David Pollock)
too metal for your reviewer. They're a shouty stoner take on AC/DC or Iron Maiden and the audience love them. Harder to say how much they love Lapsus Linguae. Simply because ‘banter' betwixt group and fans is integral to the show. Penelope Collegefriend enters the crowd a mere ten seconds into 'The Strang‘ and remonstrates: ‘This is supposed to be poignant!‘ to the chatterers during one of their piano interludes. before the band explode into the massive punk/prog hybrid of 'Parade'. Unfortunately equipment and. ultimately. their set begin to fall apart. meaning that only some band/ punter wrestling and gratuitous nudity are left in their bag of tricks.
Fortunately. the audience love them too. Motherwell: rock city? Could be. (Stuart McHugh)
Edinburgh Playhouse, Wed 13 Jun ooooo The air is unwonhy. The walls are mundane. The applause is vulgar. How could it be otherwise in the presence of such genius? I'm not even talking about the second half rendition of Pet Sounds. That's an accomplishment for which words have no power. It is Niagra Falls. the pyramids. a solar eclipse. To be in the same room as the man who wrote ‘God Only Knows' would be something. But here he is and he is singing it. And ‘Caroline No'. And 'You Still Believe in Me‘. And . . . But. as I say. this slice of perfection is sandwiched between a first half of immaculate 608 pop — including an absolutely stunning 'Heroes and Villains' —
and a finale of hit after hit after hit.
Wilson can't reach every note. but then he wrote notes that no one has ever sung before or since: and he still reaches enough of them. His ten-piece band. though, are superb. avoiding both cabaret pastiche and clumsy updating. recreating not just the notes. but the sound; not just the sound but the emotion. It is the best gig in this or any other universe. (Mark Fisher)
Ticket information: Tickets for most medium/large concerts can be bought from the following:
Glasgow: Virgin Buchanan Galleries. 332 4400 - Credit card bookings from: Ticket Link: 287 551 1 8. Way Ahead: 339 8383 Edinburgh: Virgin Princes Street. 220 3234 - Ripping Records SOthh Bridge. 226 7010 - Way Ahead 0141 339 8383
I Siouxsie And The Banshees Barrowland. Glasgow. 5 Jul.
I Roger McGuinn (‘ouieiz Glasgow. 8 Jul.
I My Vitriol Liquid Room. Edinburgh. ll) Jul.
I T in the Park Balado, 13 8; 14 Jul.
I Pet Shop Boys Playhouse. Edinburgh. l5 Jul.
I Iggy Pop Barrowland.
Glasgow. 17 Jul. I Suicidal Tendencies Garage. Glasgow. 2| Jul.
I Paul Heaton Garage. Glasgow. 22 Jul.
* Biffy Clyro and Hell is
for Heroes Garage. Glasgow.
2.3 Jul.
* Fun Lovin’ Criminals (‘in Halls. Perth. 24 Jul.
I Paul Simon Edinburgh (’astle. 25 Jul.
I Burt Bacharrach Playhouse. Edinburgh. 2‘) Jul. I Van Morrison Sli(‘(‘. Glasgow. 2 Aug.
I JJ Gilmour Liquid Room. Edinburgh. 3 Aug.
* Sounds of Simon and Garfunkel Liquid Room. Edinburgh. 4 Aug.
I Indigo Girls Queens Hall. Edinburgh. 7 Aug.
I DJ Shadow (‘orn Exchange. Edinburgh. 7 Aug.
* Turin Brakes Queens Hall. Edinburgh. 7 Aug.
I The Divine Comedy
Queens Hall. Edinburgh. 8 Aug.
* Blak Twang Liquid Room.
Edinburgh. 1 1 Aug.
* Natalie lmbruglia (‘orn Exchange. Edinburgh. l3 Aug. I McAltmont and Butler Liquid Room. Edinburgh.
lo Aug.
I Roddy Frame Liquid Room. Edinburgh. 17 Aug.
I Badly Drawn Boy (‘orn Exchange. Edinburgh. ll) Aug. I Elvis Costello (‘om Exchange. Edinburgh. 20 Aug. I Counting Crows (‘om Exchange. Edinburgh. 21 Aug; Barrowland. Glasgow. 22 Aug. I Doves (‘orn Exchange. Edinburgh. 22 Aug.
I Faithless Royal Highland Centre. Edinburgh. 23 Aug.
I Love with Arthur Lee Liquid Room. Edinburgh.
23 Aug.
I Gig on the Green Glasgow. 24 8; 25 Aug.
I Julian Cope Liquid Room.
Edinburgh. 25 Aug.
I Nickleback Sii(‘(‘. Glasgow. 26 Aug.
* Mull Historical Society Queens Hall. Edinburgh.
27 Aug.
I The Damned Renl‘rew Eerry. Glasgow. 28 Aug.
I Ocean Colour Scene Playhouse. Edinburgh. 4 Sep. I Korn SECC‘. Glasgow.
1 1 Sep.
I The Divine Comedy and Ben Folds Barrowland. Glasgow. 1 ()et.
I A-ha (‘lyde Auditorium. Glasgow. l5 ()et
I John Martyn Liquid Room. Edinburgh. lb’ ()et.
I Suede Barrowland. Glasgow. 2() ()et.
* Fishbone Garage. Glasgow, 15 Nov.
I Moby SE('(‘. Glasgow,
3() Nov.
I David Gray Sli(‘(‘. Glasgow. 2 SOLD ()l'T &
3 Dee.
I Madness SE(‘(‘. Glasgow. l5 Dee.
I The Almighty Garage.
Glasgow. 2| Dee.
20 Jun—:1 .Jul 9.002 THE LIST 43