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Y H P A R G O T O H P O S S U R A T N A ©
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list.co.uk/music Reviews | MUSIC
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N O E R D N A O T V
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H C N L C Y N N A D
MADCHESTER REVIVAL THE STONE ROSES Glasgow Green, Sat 15 Jun ●●●●●
‘The best band in the world in the second-best city in the world,’ was how Mani signed off from this soggy but poignant return to the scene of one of band’s greatest triumphs, adding ‘We wish we was Glaswegian.’ 23 years to the month after the original line-up of the band played their final show on UK soil until 2012 right here, the talk amongst those who were there was of Roses legend dictating how that date – and not in fact the more celebrated Spike Island – was the finest of their original reign.
This all-dayer might not earn a similar accolade in Stone Roses v3.0 folklore, partly down to the rain and the reduced sense that the earth was tipping on a generation-defining axis this time round, but it was still pretty great, as acknowledged by the band’s own euphoric, back-slapping bow at the end. They had just led us through a set minimally altered from last year’s reunion dates. New additions of old songs were mostly welcome (the breezy ‘Elephant Stone’ was, not so much the meandering ‘Breaking Into Heaven’), although some might have been mildly disappointed at another summer passing with no new material. (David Pollock)
ANTHEMIC STADIUM ROCK BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Hampden Park, Glasgow, Tue 18 Jun. ●●●●●
It’s hard to get away from comparing three and a half hours in the company of Bruce Springsteen to a religious experience. But seriously, how could anyone fail to be utterly uplifted by what we were seeing and hearing? What about the bit where Bruce grabbed the young boy out of his dad’s arms at the front of the stage and let him enjoy a hesitant but spirited duet on ‘Waitin’ On a Sunny Day’ in front of thousands of breaking hearts? Or the older lady who was plucked from the crowd to waltz, Courteney Cox-style, with Springsteen while a young woman saw her wish to dance with saxophonist Jake (nephew of Springsteen’s former saxophonist, the late Clarence) Clemons fulfilled. In keeping with the ethos of his last
album, Wrecking Ball, there was none of the downheartedness which occasionally might creep into Springsteen’s more subdued work. The whole thing was a rousing, anthemic fanfare to the hopes and dreams of the ordinary guy or girl, via a slew of classics. And if that sounds like a massive cliché, it’s one that only exists because Springsteen brought it into being. (David Pollock)
POP CLASSICS BLONDIE Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, Mon 1 Jul ●●●●●
New York New Wave cool gave way to cosy heritage punk pop for all-ages family parties in this most cosy of environs, and even Debbie Harry seemed puzzled by the surroundings. ‘Whatever happened to the Barrowlands?’ she asked. ‘Does that place still exist?’ She’s 68 years old (it’s her birthday today, in fact, and she gets a round of ‘Happy Birthday’) and she remains eternally the most punk rock thing about Blondie. Just listen to that husky growl through ‘Hangin’ On the Telephone’ and ‘Atomic’, and its smooth, sensual lustre amid ‘Union City Blue’ and FM radio rocker ‘Maria’. The perennially uninspiring ‘The Tide is High’ was spiced up by an almost yelled return into the final chorus, as if even she was trying to dispel the boredom of the song. The band played well but were perhaps too
clean-cut. ‘Heart of Glass’ was great, of course, as was the underrated ‘Dreaming’ and pick of the new material, ‘Take Me in the Night’. ‘I’m trying to act my age,’ informs Debbie. ‘I know it’s too late, but what the fuck.’ And Glasgow hearts her just a little more. (Paul Little)
JAZZ/IMPROV AMES ROOM, PART OF GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL Recital Room, City Halls, Glasgow, Sat 29 Jun ●●●●●
An Ames room is built to look cuboid when it is in fact trapezoidal. It's an apt metaphor for this Franco-Australian trio’s relationship to free jazz. The Ames Room arrange their parts in what at first seems quite a regular fashion, with the rhythm section constructing a space for Jean Luc Gionnet's alto sax to dart about in.
Take a closer look, however, and the band’s weird dimensions become apparent. Resolutely unswinging, Will Guthrie unleashes tight barrages of machine-gun snare cracks and thrash-metal bass kicks without ever settling into a groove. Bassist Clayton Thomas refuses to lock in with him in any conventional sense, delivering two-note staccato statements and percussive four-string slaps with a single-minded purpose. Giuonnet's horn forms taut, declarative phrases which he repeats to breaking point.
Ping-ponging between the hemispheres of the brain, The Ames Room’s constructivist free jazz is an offbeat thrill. (Stewart Smith)
GLASGOW SHOWCASE THE WEE CHILL SWG3, Glasgow, Sat 29 Jun ●●●●●
For its tenth anniversary, The Wee Chill returned to its live roots with a bill of mostly guitar-based acts across the hangar-like SWG3 warehouse and the teeny-tiny Poetry Club across the lane. In between, there was extremely good fast food from the folk behind SWG3’s Street Food Cartel. The Glasgow-centric line-up was an inviting mix of acoustic folk, countrified indie and electro, marking a clear effort on the part of organisers to make this not ‘just another gig.’ Aidan Moffat presented what he promised was a very rare all-spoken word set, prefaced with a reading of a none-too-complimentary review of his spoken word album, I Can Hear Your Heart. In tribute to that disappointed customer, Moffat then launched into ‘C***s’, just in case anyone in the audience was left unaware of his propensity for a good cuss. But for all his filth, fury and genuine comedy skill, the former Arab Strap man still has a talent for catching you off-guard with a surprisingly poignant line, his at-times confrontational persona balanced out by gruff self-deprecation. Finishing with a verse story for children (soon to be a genuine kids’ book, he says) was a tender curve-ball.
The other innovation of the night was James
Yorkston (and regular violinist Emma Smith) teaming up with two-thirds of Sparrow and the Workshop for some beefed-up, electrified and often pretty radical reworkings of the Fife folk singer’s own songs, plus a cover or two. The pairing of two rather singular singing voices – Yorkston’s and that of S&TW’s Jill O’Sullivan (pictured) – didn’t always work, but the attempt to do something different with some well-kent tunes was to be applauded. ‘Tortoise Regrets Hare’ became a breathless stomper with added interpretive dance moves from O’Sullivan, while a pounding cover of Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ provided a most unexpected finale. Unfortunately, they faced a battle to be heard over the raucous chatter of some fairly inebriated punters who, despite attending a festival called The Wee Chill, were more than a wee bit radge. After that taste of disco from Yorkston and co, it was over to the Poetry Club for Miaoux Miaoux. The new bassist making his debut was a great addition, bringing some killer disco basslines to the mix, and even the most wasted stopped their bellowed conversations and danced like there was no tomorrow to a jubilant rendition of ‘Hey Sound’. (Laura Ennor)
11 Jul–22 Aug 2013 THE LIST 81