: it. '
MARC ALMOND
Death Disco, Melting Pot and Traxx at the Arches, Glasgow. Sat 18 Oct
The Arches once again lines up three of its finest clubs in one. Melting Pot and Traxx will have the might of Francois K and Stay Pullen, respectively, gracing their turntables. Yet only one man will be stealing the headlines before the night. Death Disco is weighing in with its own contender, the not insubstantial Marc Almond.
Here's a quick career resume, for those kids who haven’t done their homework. Almond formed a group called Soft Cell (you might‘ve heard of them) in Leeds in 1980, along with fellow art student Dave Ball. Fame and success soon tracked them down before they finally split. From there, Almond went solo in 1987 (with the scarin titled Mother Fist and Her Five Daughters), confirmed his torch-singer roots by releasing a Jacques Brel tribute album and singing with Gene Pitney. He’s also briefly had Madonna as a flatmate, worked with Nick Cave, Nico and Ferry Corstan, and descended into what they call ‘drink and drugs hell’ (now recovered).
It‘s a full life for a man who claims: ‘I don’t think I had any clear aspirations at the start, I just fell out of bed each day and went with it.’ It's the minimal synthesiser grind of Soft Cell that has resurrected him as a cult hero for the 805- worshipping underground. Now he lives in Moscow. ‘It‘s edgy, exciting, unpredictable,’ he says. ‘For me it‘s one of the
last great mysteries, so full of contradictions’. And he‘s using the city as inspiration for his forthcoming Heart On Snow album. Has he considered using this reborn kudos to make a concerted effort at a
comeback?
‘A “concerted effort at a comeback”. What does that mean?‘ he muses, his forthright, take no shit personality even brimming over via email. ‘From where, to where? At this point in my career pop holds no place for me, you have your time as a pop star and then it fades away and the best you can do is keep finding self-satisfaction as an artist. I never
Energy man Shortee Blitz
78 me LlS1’n; \;\\’\‘_.~.M.
‘I partied hard and look at me.’ Marc Almond
compromised enough to keep selling huge amounts of records. I don’t ever want to be a celebrity, to sit on quiz shows or appear on TV without singing. So many people today want to be just famous, as
though that in itself is enough, but it’s just not me.’
HIP HOP Rats
DIGGITY
The Establishment, Edinburgh. Sat 18 Oct
Dl/XOO Rascal met, hot ham: hgm quilt? tho sumo impact on the (:hgirtr; as he has; oh thtt- critics. hut hit: hop and R&B are llltTl'OéifSllltll‘. I/(ttXY‘lil‘it; tho (l()llllll£illl tortttt- ll‘. glolmt 'lltifSKi. Earlier this mouth lot the first tum;- mor — all the acts; lll the US Tot; Tim were Afro-American artists. Although he hasn't (juitt: hoop. them from (lax one. Kiss PM DJ and Twice as; Nico l(‘:$l(l(3lli Shorteo Bllt/ has been lll the thick of the 90:; hip
No final words of wisdom for the clubbers of today, then? ‘Just expect great music, no mixing and a good time at the Arches, ‘cos that’s what I intend to have,‘ he says. ‘Other than that, who am | to advise people about anything? I partied hard and look at me. You can draw your own conclusions on that one.’ (David Pollock)
hop f;(l(}ll(} Ill Illé: UK Hm"; l)(3£1ll)())<(:(l(il()ll(]f;|(lfrSUM/H;[)(itj
and Dr Dre. DJml with Run DMC. Dr:
l (l Soul, tht; l ugmaf; {ill/l Jnru 3H2 Dél'lléijél. gautl picky-(l up am 1‘: ’zfilhlétl rocotjhitioh mth a MOBO gum/1 luv 803;! Clul: DJ tl‘sif; ,uii‘. This 'gw: 2M, uor'th of Illf: homo-i should aw: Blil/ shot. off llifi io.(: for thé: UK and US scones, although llf: rulu‘égof; to in: ()lgthlll‘tOinl. 'll'fl{)C‘Yllléll1‘1MIAi of
(Eptjnthi'tgf h<; 33;},53 Agata-1m time‘s
'll‘, farm, at the high'._' Am .'.”"u:it makes; hi5; DJ sets so special? Shor'tu; f3LiIJl)ll(:f3 Just ’fl‘tf: nor/i.
"Erlerg,.' rJames S'wartt
The latest club news
RIGHT, WE'LL START WITH the bad news. The Valve Soundsystem, planned for the Barrowland, Glasgow. 24 Oct with Lemon D and Dilinja, has cancelled. And so has the Sativae Recordings Night at Ego, Edinburgh, 31 Oct. Sativae is searching for a new venue and its mind-expanding techno parties should be back in the future (and it has some killer guests lined up).
IX) Y( )U l ()Vl [)Hl JM 5". l-if‘t.‘ it \Ntril hunt}; (I “illillltlfr l', H- 22., <ji:l lll.’():\.'(:ll. INHfS’LWTl'f,"[)'1.l"‘2 Hum; ()iszliiiésziliou Y‘, (i 'll’.'. (;()lll()(lll‘,’ hum; mt-t 11;) tn :1 t;(2lo(:tiou of li:;ttiih<j jiluuw. tn promote tht: (mum: NU}; {NV i()()Klll(_} tor folk min {I “in!
kilosxltxky; of tiii: .‘f .'.ll’; .irw (2()llllllllltf‘l ti; 'huvjixfu'ii'w; fixw zl‘.‘v.'ir<3rit::;t; of ’Illl'll turn. w f3t;otl;mrl' 5301? ,(,';.iri:'i1.'/,.i:'l" tjlill)lll(;f; Ul 3.1:!) twat/in. l’lx’. [)Jlllfjl)’()l()(lll"f’>ll{l'l'1.'.'(ll‘f" got l!l‘.()l‘.’(:(l coittgiht SCUHlfilKiltlllhllVil/(l‘fii(5 hotm;ul.<;om for mom NW, TIRED OF BEING LEFT OUT the loop when it comes to all things Subbie? Well fear not — its website is now up and firing on all cylinders. Go to www.subclub.co.uk and never miss your favourite night again.
AND ll “(UH FANCY Cl ll (Milli; out now; of trv: minimal. um‘f. u.‘ DJ“, Il‘. Ill‘:'r<_l1’)'.'.’.". .‘mrl’l, l.'/",":':‘ 1'. Hrzlihfwfl, Ns(l}l‘.'.l".(t'{l '1" Hunt”: Street :8 just tlw; ticket (I'm: /«'1'.".',. (Eamon. Sat '. No; Pkg/trig: hardcore, techrv, arm £t(,l’l the i'izmt attractml‘ inn '0 hr: flux: Y()fr\’.'l£l"1’;’;”t i‘;<}‘:"’l am Haw: 0‘ Irifltifgl'ml Straw/it"? '(;/,or’l',. l/lr’ It'll", 00‘: l‘ ,0 . MIC," ’,’?":’,r’ l") it out for fin-r; .24; '41.": :1 pair guest fist {men-3 all; for (gnu/2. Just mml j/griir;tioi=$ynzl li’. marking ,ouv 'hrrxxj’y;
it'l’} T"‘,‘ fl"). ' itl'l"; out the ':;it .71? U: 1,717,“: 0" 2'20
guest list.