‘I COME FROM A ROCK'N'ROLL BACKGROUND SO IT WAS TIME
TO RE-INJECT THE ROCK'
Hurricane force
Musician. barkeep. animator and general cultural raconteur, Greg Dulli, manages to fit in some rock’n’roll with the mighty Twilight Singers. Doug Johnstone reports.
rcg l)tilli liax c\pcricnccd plcnt} ol' xtormy \xcathci' iii liix lilc. 'l‘hc charixmatic l‘rontman
ol' 'l'hc twilight Singcrx. attd hclorc tltat ol'
xoiil grtingcrx .\l'ghan \\'higx. hax xpcnt 3t) )t‘;ii'x iit tltc iiiiixic hiixincxx. timc which hax xccn him lall iitto a coma al'tcr a light with a hotinccr in 'lc\;tx. xtrttgglc with drug addiction tor man_\ _\carx. and wititcxx tltc dcatlt ol lricndx lxtii‘t ('ohain and lilm dircctor 'l‘cd l)t‘mmc.
But nothing could‘\c prcpai'cd ltim l'or llurricanc Katrina. l)tilli wax in thc middlc ol rccordiitg hix lilth 'l‘\\ilight Singcrx alhtim. tltc xiipcrh l’riiir/i'r' li’rrriix. irt \c\\ ()rlcanx iwhci'c hc hax a hoinci whcn lic lct't to tour lztii‘opc \\ilh ltalian rock otitt'it .-\ltcrhotirx. Katrina hit whilc hc wax a\\a_\. xparing liix ltomc and xtudio. htit dc\axtating thc cit} hc lo\cx.
‘lt \\ax lltc worxt tltiitg l ltad c\cr xccnf lic xa_\x. "l’hc lllt‘ wax complctcl} xtickcd out iii a placc. 'l'hc trccx had drow ncd. tltc hirdx wci'c gonc. all thc animalx had dicd. It wax dcathl_\ titiict. It wax thc apoca|_\pxc.'
l)tilli'x prodticcr ltad to hrcak harricadcx and run pttllct‘ t‘llcclxptlllth lU l’L‘ll'lL‘\ c lllL‘ l'ttPLW. thcn lllk‘} \L‘l ahoui complcting thc album in tltc cit) which l)tilli rcl‘tixcd to abandon.
‘l‘hc placc wax tindci‘ ctirtcw.‘ hc xa}x. ‘il'hci‘c wax no ltoi watcr and thcrc wcrc a lot ol‘ rolling hlackoutx. \Vc had to tirc tip gcncratorx xo \\ c could work.‘
It wax worth it. ’iiii'i/t'r' [from is thc clc\cnth alhtlm ol l)tilli‘x carccr. aitd it'x among hix hcxt. Blcnding thc cincmatic atmoxphcricx ot' carl_\ 'l‘wilight Singcrx rccordx \\ ttlt tltc raw xotiltul rock ot lltc .A\l'ghan \Vhigx and with a dixtiitct litci‘.ir_\ hcnt to tltc l)t‘icx. thc
alhum dcalx witlt l)tilli'x rcalixation two _\'Cttl‘.\ ago that drug addiction wax driting him to an carly grarc. lt ix conl‘cxxional )c‘t charixittatic. hcautit'ul )ct tll\;tt'lltlllgl} trtithl‘ul.
l)tilli‘x lit‘c xccittx l'tillci' than c\'cr thcxc dayx. llc ix alwa} x producing othcr handx hc likcx or collaborating witlt ai‘tixtx. hix long—mootcd (itittcr 'lwinx projch with Mark l.ancgan ix xchcdulcd to xcc thc light nc\t _\car. llc ix acting occaxionall) iii hit ['8 tclc\'ixion \ct'icx /\’('.\i'rrr' .l/r'. llc alxo ownx two hats in l.ox .-\ngclcx. and whcn thix intcrvicw took placc hc wax tr} ing to hit} a third in Ncw ()rlcanx. And hc hax rcccntl} xtartcd animation claxxcx and i.x working on a xci‘ipt tor a cartoon. lndccd. l)tilli hangx otit with ax man} w ritcrx ax lic docx muxicians. and hax xtruck tip an tinlikcl} tricndxhip with our own ('hrix Brookmyrc.
But l'or now. at lcaxt. l)tilli ix hitching hi.x xatldlc hack on thc rock‘n'roll horxc. .-\n,\‘onc who'x xccn him in action will know l)tilli ix itioxt at homc on xtagc. whipping crow dx into a trcrv) with xomc old xchool rock trickx and a harrcl load of charm. 'l‘hc ’l‘wilight Singcrx pla}cd thcii‘ lier gig iii l8 monthx at thc SXSW l'cxti\al rcccntl}. xomcthing which wax u \\clcomc rcttirn tor l)tilli.
'l conic trom a rock‘n'roll background xo it wax tintc to rc-injcct thc rock.’ ltc x;i)'x. 'lt'x likc a hikc. man. )Utl gct tip thcrc and _\our loot might xlip oil the pcdal a couplc ot tiincx. but by thc xccond or third xong )oti‘rc doing w hcclicx.’
King Tut’s, Glasgow, Fri 7 Jul; T in the Park, Sat 8 Jul; Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Sun 27 Aug.
T in the Park Over 1 /() artists converge on a big clump of Perthshire pasture tor two days. We recommend Witnessing at least a tow moments of: lhe Who, Manu Chao. The Magic Niiirihers, Phoenix, My Rohot l rientl, Jenny Lewis (pictured). lO Machete, Eels. Cut Copy, Arctic Monkeys, Giant Drag, Snitrlisco, and of course. lhe Proclaimers. Ber/ado, Sat 8 8. Sun 5) Jul. (Rock 8 Pop)
Popup These dapper indie charrners mind their debut single ‘t ucy What You Trying to Say' this month helore heading out all over the htiggering place to promote it to the wrlling. See preview. page 67. Clutha Vaults. Glasgow, Thu 6 Jul; Avalanche Records, Glasgow, lhu 20 Jul. (Rock <3 Pop)
The “twilight Singers See preview, left. King Tut's, Fri / Jul; T in the Park, Sat 8 Jul. (Rock 8 Pop)
Plan 8 Mike Skinner seems worryingly old hat when this confrontational young upstart lay down itiddering rhyn’ies over nii folk strumming and heats. See preview, page 66. King Tut's, Glasgow, Thu 73 Jul (Rock «3 Pop)
Paper Cut Rock and Little Doses Quality Edinburgh club nights Goulag Beat and Spies in the Wires team up to welcome the return of the Capital's most celebrated soul boy. Jo Malik, who makes an appearance here with his new band. Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Thu 73 Jul. (Rock 8 Pop)
The Gossip The best soul singer to strut into town since The Bellrays/Basement Jaxx' mighty Lisa Kekaula is here. Beth Ditto's powerful pipes can make a truly special sound. See preview. page 66. ABC2. Glasgow, Wed 79 Jul. (Rock 8 Pop)
fl- 1/. l g THE LIST 63