musicelistcouk
ROCK THE GOSSIP Barfly, Glasgow, Thu 28 Aug
Lock up your daughters, the Gossip are coming to town with their ragged, raw, sexy stripped down rock’n’roll. And if their last visit is anything to go by, don’t expect
them to move through quietly.
Originally from Searcy, Arkansas, the Gossip moved to Olympia, Washington, where they honed their stomping post-riot grrrl sound. Composed of Beth and Kathi on drums and vocals, and Nathan on guitar, the Gossip are currently touting their new album, Movement, on Kill Rock Stars, which was recorded by John Goodmanson, previously responsible for recordings by Sleater-Kinney
and Bikini Kill.
Beth's deep, soulful evangelist-esque vocals are central to the band’s allure and sound, and she serves as figurehead of the Gossip, which they describe as a noise, art movement. True to the punk DIY ethic, they produce fanzines and encourage fans to swap music through
their mix tape club.
PUNK POP NERVE King Tut’s, Glasgow, Wed 27 Aug
Excelling in fine art
It's been a difficult year for Glaswegian trio. Nerve. The self-proclaimed porn stars of punk. Jimmy (lead
vocals guitar). Pete ibassl and Ali
Thrusting the body politic in your face
The Gossip also have issues they want to address, although there’s no obvious correlation to their music. Beth is proudly ‘fat and lesbian' and makes an issue of it.
At their last London gig Beth responded to comments made by a female journo about her figure, stating it was hard enough for women in the music business without
having to endure sexism from their own gender. She then
stripped naked, jumped in the crowd, and demanded anyone who disagreed to ‘eat her pussy’.
During their last visit to Scotland for Ladyfest Glasgow, Beth got down to her undenivear during their set at the 13th Note Cafe and announced, in protest at the festival’s exclusion of body issue events: ‘We‘ve got the granny panties, you're gonna see the crack sweat!’
Talking about the Glasgow show Beth says: ‘It was a
good reason to do it. I talked to one of my friends about how it feels to feel confident enough or not confident enough about your body to do that . . . and that's what makes me want to do it. So sometimes I just do it because I need to do it for me.’
The Gossip: not for the faint-hearted. (Carolyn Rae)
(drums). have Survived personai losses and break-ups to finally foist their debut album on the general public Big. bearded and extremer affab’e drummer. Ali. otherWise known as ‘Big Alibar”. takes time out from his [1 ."t to explain how he and his ‘brothers Nen'e' are thrilled to be back. “.'.'<.-'~.e'- been writing this album for a 1.ea' an: a half. we've all had ups and don"t; which took its toll but we feel .'.'e".e come but wrth a set of mail, tariastit: songsf
Since Jimmy and Pete got toget'te' in 1996. the band have released feu' EPs. yet rt wasn't until 20(10tt‘at Al. Joined and the trio finally found the time to record their debut LP. WW," A'.‘ of Fa//ing Apart. Endless touring and their trademark energy -i‘uelled she‘s. s has wen them a deyoted f'ar‘base a" 1 their brand of brash pop punk frenetic solos and catchy memes
tit. I i‘ a Ta .
Braithwaite
Digital radio gaga
am \.-.r:ting this in a partieularly bedraggled state of bedraggled lledraggleiiient. l\.'.'ent_i, tour
hours on a tour bus should surely be a time (tonttutiiye to achiexing all sorts of ‘.'.'<)ritlerftl| lllllltlf‘r all the time in the world etc. Instead, it is only (I()ll(lll(ll‘.’(? to consuming all manner of unhealthy amounts of poisonous liquids and \.'.'at<:hing the type of mentally stimulating cinematic masterpitmes that are normally found on tour bi sses 'Ill this instance the selection included Corinna/trio and Blade. Ah, the life of the artist is a truly weary one indeed.
My return to Scots pastures was greeted by the arrival of a shiny new digital radio ia belated birthday gift from my wonderful motheri on my profoundly gadget starved door‘mat. I'm a firm believer in the radio as a means of hearing music. Maga/ines are all fair and well, but the descriptions tend to err on the side of indecipherable (present company excluded, of coursei and reviews more often than not reflect the Journalists relationship Willi the PR or band rather than the record
Regular radio station programming. particularly during daylight hours are. most of the time. a Robbie Williains-infested swamp of utter banalit‘ . which seamlessly inelds into handbag house hell when night time descends. Since my digital radio experience is barely an hour old. I can't really claim any expertise in this field but I can only FOJOICC at any expansion of choice in this countny. Talk of a new Rot‘)t)ie—Iess FM station in Scotland is exciting news too. but whether they stick to their remit remains to be seen. It seems par for the course for stations to completely ignore their guidelines and original remit and pay the negligible fines. kind of like footballers when they get done for drunk drrvrng. Well. kind of.
So anyway. praise be to digital radio. I've heard the Undertones and DMX in the last 20 minutes — hopefully the shape of things to come.
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