Although East 17 had a botched revival attempt last year. the recently reformed New Kids on the Block and Boyzone are certain to have more luck. with Scottish dates. this fortnight and June respectively. These shows remind
of the magnetic affect of something familiar and
comforting in rough times. but also that the thirst for a singalong chorus rarely leaves us. (iirlbands. boybands. divas. indie-rockers: pop doesn‘t confine itself to narrow parameters either. Pop is the essence of any good song written with these purest of intentions. A notion not wasted on two big Scottish comebacks this year: The View and Franz Ferdinand. Both sticking firmly by
Franz Ferdinand, left: The View
“it
their polished pop songcrafting guns. the l)undonian dirty jean wearers return with Which Bitch." (Feb). featuring pride o‘ Paisley. Paolo Nutini. while FF's much anticipated third album 'limight: Fran: I'i'rrlinuml will be followed by a UK tour.
While Katy Perry or Lilly Allen may have few lyrical insights on global finance. pop‘s cache currently is as high as ever. But don‘t just take my word for it. ‘Serious‘ songwriter (‘hris Martin is trying to write a song for Girls Aloud. and. rather bravely (or is that foolish'.’). has booked them to support (‘oldplay‘s Wembley show this summer. Good luck following them. Chris.
Franz Ferdinand and Late ()f The Pier are essentially Xenomania with guitars and synths. and don‘t tell me MUMT. Friendly Fires. Black Kids and Hercules and Love Affair — all behind some of 2008‘s most critically acclaimed albums — have not pillaged from great past pop acts.
Jack Savidge. Friendly Fires drummer. and a key player in the current 80s electropop revival agrees: ‘Sugababes are pop. just as Snoop Dogg or Limp Bizkit are pop. just as anything in the top ten is pop. Pop relies on other genres to provide the base metals it then turns into popular gold. which is why it will outlast us and everyone we know. I‘m always
Pop is aimed song written yinth pyrest Intentions
being emotionally ambushed by pop.‘ he adds. ‘A tune you dismissed as total dross sneaks tip and leaves you in tears. I can remember it with Wheatus’ "Teenage Dirtbag’. l‘d previously hated it but it caught me at a vulnerable moment — l was streaming tears. Same thing happened with ‘Always‘ by Bon Jovi last week. actually.‘
So what about the future‘.’ Most
tip and coming indie acts I have interviewed recently don‘t want to be Radiohead or Red Hot (‘hili Peppers. they idolise Michael Jackson or Prince. Paul Usher. Magistrates frontman. is one.
“Anyone learning an instrument will always try to be clever and do the most difficult thing possible. like play in a really awkward time signature. but as you progress you realise it‘s actually much harder to write a good pop song. That was our challenge. all the music that inspired us was really great pop.’
I used to be a snob. I‘ll admit. I spent my teenage years pooh— poohing the Spice Girls and listening to Sonic Youth. obscure Japanese noise. French chansons. post-rock and alt.country. Rather
obnoxiously. I thought listening to ‘real music. made me a more enlightened person. Yes. it’s important to get a broad musical
grounding. but it took years of
inner wrangling to admit a pop song could be as cleverly constructed as anything Will ()ldham or PJ Harvey came up with. let alone listen to one. Destiny's (‘hild‘s ‘Survivor’ saved me -- oh. that bassline — but records like that were still rarities in those days. Today‘s pop-picker kids have no such excuse. Modern pop has really never been better. and if anything's going to haul us otlt of cold. dark and poverty- stricken days of depression it’s this. (iet sttick in.
FOOD
A TASTER OF 2009
Donald Reid forecasts the shining stars of 2009 in restaurant land
There's a general expectation that we'll be reporting on closures rather than openings in 2009. but den't be so sure. Judging by the stream of new places in the ast few months -— far outweighing the number of farewells — doom and gloom clearly isn't on every lllUlltl.
The 2009 Michelin Guide is released in late January. There was (.llSEll)f)()|l‘llll()lll a year ago when no new stars were awarded in Glasgow or Edinburgh. so expect feverish speculation.
It'll be during the course of 2009 that the hunt for further stars will really heat up. Martin Wishart's second restaurant at Cameron House by Loch Lomond opened late last year. and promises to make its mark among Glasgow's fine—dining set. Meanwhile. Manchester's maverick Michelin-star chef Paul Kitching Wlll open a restaurant and boutique hotel on Royal Terrace. Edinburgh. He's stated he has
his sights on two stars.
Also in Edinburgh. a Hotel du Vin has lllSl opened on anto Place. There's more evidence of small local chains drivmg forward where others are less confident to tread with Petit Paris opening a third spot iplus basement shopl on Brougnton Street.
Edinburgh had a few 2008 comeback kids and this year iooks like Glasgow's turn. With Gordon Yuill lMerrylee Road Bar 8. Kitchen: and Ferrier Richardson tat Catch 22i back in the picture. Look for changes too in the Beanscene chain. taken over last year by Fiona Hamilton of Fif; & Ally, with possible additional sites in Aberdeen. Dundee and Perth. li‘ other nets/s. February sees the opening of a new cookschool with restaurant at Braehead Foods' headquarters I". Kilmarnock.
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
Scottish Food Fortnight Producers. retailers. restaurateurs. farm shops. farmers' markets and hoteliers across the country host events to promote quality Scottish produce. Yum. 5—20 Sep.
Coldplay and Jay 2
Many have marvelled at the combination of blinging rap megalith and a geeky rock right-ons but this will actually be their second collaborative effort. Hampden Park, Glasgow, I 6 Sep.
The Wigtown Book Festival
The tiny Borders town becomes the centre of attention for a moment as it welcomes some of the biggest and best names in literature from all over the world. Wigtown, 25 See—4 Oct.
New Nick Cave novel
Over a decade after his debut work of fiction, And the Ass Saw the Angel. Nick returns wrth more scurrilous prose with The Death of Bunny Munro. Canongate, Sep.
Scottish International Storytelling Festival
Exploring the idea of ‘homeland', bringing together a global array of storytellers . Storytelling Get me, Edinburgh,
23 Oct—I Nov.
Glasgay!
The celebration of queer culture and beyond Wlll again prove its credentials as a a place to find cutting edge comedy. music, film. theatre. Visual art. clubbing and more. Glasgow. i2 Oct—8 Nov.
“ H.’ .ltit‘ flirt“ THE LIST 27