Music OUTSIDE THE FESTIVALS
PREVIEW SHONEN KNIFE Japanese lo-fi punk girl group return to the UK
‘We have been to Edinburgh a few times but all of them were in the 90s. The first time was with the Nirvana tour, I think,’ says Naoko Yamano, guitarist and lead vocalist of Shonen Knife. Yamano, the only remaining member of the
original 1981 line-up, is referring to the time her cult Japanese three-piece opened for the Seattle icons just prior to the bombshell that was Nevermind. This is the kind of stuff that comes up in conversation as if it ain’t no thing. The fact that their merits have been heralded by Sonic Youth, Fugazi, John Peel and Kurt Cobain doesn’t faze the pop- punk veteran.
Personally, I first saw Shonen Knife’s sunshine- infused, pop-centric garage rock live at the Matt Groening-curated All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival at Butlins in 2010. The amount of musicians who turned out for their set (and cheered like my mother does at the sight of Donny Osmond) seems further testament to the respect the trio are afforded, almost 20 albums into their career. And the albums keep on coming. ‘We are about to
release a cover album of Ramones songs, Osaka Ramones. The end of this year is our 30th anniversary so we wanted to do something special to celebrate that.’ (Lauren Mayberry) ■ Nice'n'Sleazy, Glasgow, Tue 16 Aug, with Isosceles; also Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 225 1757, 15 Aug, 7pm, £10, part of The Edge Festival.
SOUND ENGINEERING COURSE, AT A BARGAIN PRICE CHEM19 SOUNDLAB With the backing of Creative Scotland, the Blantyre-based Chem19 music studio (left) is offering a brand new ten-month course for aspiring young engineers. Emma Pollock, one of the founders of the studio’s parent Chemikal Underground label, explains more. What’s the thinking behind Soundlab? ‘We get so many requests for work experience and we don’t do it as a rule, because it’s not that useful for a student to just sit in the corner and watch a producer at work. So this is something for those who show a real aptitude and discipline, regardless of whether they’ve done an academic course or not.’ What will the students be taught? ‘We want to start with an assumption they’ll know the basics of multi-track recording, which is a simple thing in theory, but full of complicated detail that you can’t actually get to grips with unless you’re in front of a recording desk. We don’t want to mimic other courses, it’ll be explained very much from Chem19’s point of view. In London the engineer’s the guy who operates the machinery, whereas in smaller Scottish studios it’s a much more creative role, so students will be shown a way of working that’s as artistic as it is technical.’ What will they take away from the course? ‘That’s a difficult one to answer. In the arts courses don’t necessarily give you a defined skill-set. It’s an opportunity to develop hands-on, problem-solving experience under supervision, and after that it’s really up to the individual’s own determination and ability to use what they’ve learned.’ (David Pollock) ■ Applications for Soundlab close on Fri 9 Sep. The course is open to 18 to 25-year-olds, priced at £50 for all 17 sessions. Full info is available at chem19.co.uk
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HITLIST THE BEST MUSIC
Haarfest The Kingdom of Fife is home to another weekend festival from the Fence Collective, featuring performances by King Creosote, The Pictish Trail, FOUND and others, in a handful of locations across the fishing villages of Anstruther and Cellardyke. Various venues, Anstruther & Cellardyke, Thu 11 Aug–Sun 14 Aug. (Rock & Pop)
Shonen Knife See our preview of the Japanese pop-punkers, left. With Isosceles, Nice’n’Sleazy, Glasgow, Tue 16 Aug; also Sneaky Pete’s, 225 1757, 15 Aug, 7pm, £10, part of The Edge. (Rock & Pop)
Kelburn Brazilian Festival A bright and riotous burst of colour in the countryside, with capoeira, carnival parades, samba workshops and live music, including Senegalese/ Scottish Afrobeat group Samba Sene and Divan (see below for their Edinburgh Festival dates too). Kelburn Castle and Country Centre, Fairlie, Sat 13 & Sun 14 Aug; Samba Sene & Diwan: Africa Calling, until 22 Aug (not 11–14), Assembly George Square, 623 3030, 2.30pm, £10 (£8). (Rock & Pop)
Golden Grrrls Fuzzy guitar pop from the Glasgow trio. With Palms, The 13th Note Café/Bar, Thu 18 Aug. (Rock & Pop)
Chad VanGaalen Canadian bedroom musician and creator of his own psychedelic animated videos. Read our interview with Chad (pictured, above) in the next issue, out 18 August. To win tickets, see page 125. Captain’s Rest, Glasgow, Thu 18 Aug; Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 225 1757, Fri 19 Aug, 7pm, £7, part of The Edge. (Rock & Pop)
Piping Live! The annual festival wraps up this week, with percussion workshops, tours of the Museum of Piping, live performances and more. Various venues, Glasgow, until Sat 13 Aug. (Folk)
11–18 Aug 2011 THE LIST 123