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ISSUE 57 • JUNE 2010 •
THE FESTIVAL ISSUE
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This Month's cover illustrator: Rich Fairhead
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ICY rain may still be falling from the sky, but it will not kill our summer spirit. Here at The Skinny summer means one thing and one thing only: FESTIVALS. We’re very excited about the beginning of the season, so excited in fact that we have put together a little festival special issue to share the things we’re most looking forward to with you, dear readers. Up front, and celebrated on our pleasingly colourful cover, we have a Scottish exclusive interview with Broken Social Scene, currently gearing up for an appearance at T in the Park, in which they discuss their brilliant new album Forgiveness Rock Record and the relative merits of Scotland versus England. Brave. Other festival-centric content includes an interview with The Drums (also playing T), a preview of Sonar in Barcelona (one for the devoted clubbers), some highlights to look out for at RockNess and even a calendar furnishing you with the dates of all the music festivals the Scottish summer has to offer. In Film, we look forward to the Edinburgh Intenational Film Festival with a sneak preview of some of their special events, while Comedy gives you some things to look out for at the Leith Festival. Reading has pitted two book festivals against each other and found it too close to call a winner. Beyond this festival lark, we’re talking about the legends that are DEVO, Chicks on Speed, Sage
RODDY HART
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This month’s cover illustration comes from Rich Fairhead. Since his graduation from Kingston Uni with a degree in Illustration and animation back in 2006, Rich has been drawing robots, wrestling bears and chatting to unicorns. He is now based in sunny Brixton where he draws every day. Some clients to date have included VCCP, Casio, YCN, TheChicgeek, Random House, Nike, Vice,
TUESDAY 6TH JULY
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BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE DISCUSS THE RELATIVE MERITS OF SCOTLAND VERSUS ENGLAND. BRAVE Camel, Lazy Oaf and AMVBBDO. Rich takes influence from lots of things, including London, screen prints, old pubs, Johnny Cash, sailor tattoos, Christopher Walken, tacky postcards, and Russian fonts.
Issue 57, June 2010 © Radge Media Ltd. Let us know what you think: E: hello@theskinny.co.uk T: 0131 467 4630 P: The Skinny, The Drill Hall, 30-38 Dalmeny St, Edinburgh, EH6 8RG The Skinny is Scotland's largest independent entertainment & listings magazine, and offers a wide range of advertising packages and affordable ways to promote your business. Get in touch to find out more.
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Publisher
Sophie Kyle
Editorial Editor Online & Music Editor Clubs Editor Deviance Editor Performance Editor Film Editor Heads Up Editor Comedy Editor Reading Editor Digital Editor Art & Showcase Editor Food & Drink Editor Competitions Editor Fashion Editor Listings/Cyberzap Editor
Rosamund West Dave Kerr Chris Duncan Nine Gareth K. Vile Gail Tolley Anna Docherty Lizzie Cass-Maran Keir Hind Alex Cole Rosamund West Ruth Marsh Ray Philp Alexandra Fiddes Anna Docherty
Production Production Manager Designer Chief Subeditor
David Lemm Mike Sterry Paul Mitchell
www.wilcoworld.net
0871 220 0260
or in person from Ticket Scotland: Argyle Street Glasgow, Rose, St Edinburgh & Ripping Records.
4 THE SKINNY JUNE 2010
rosamund@theskinny.co.uk
THE SKINNY June 2010
E: sales@theskinny.co.uk
GLASGOW SECC
Francis, beer gardens, art college degree shows, Silver Columns and much more besides. We’ve even got an interview with Slash. Yes, Slash. Have a read, you’ll like it.
Sales/Accounts Head of Sales & Marketing Lara Moloney Advertising Sales Exec Jan Webster Accounts Administrator Erin McElhinney
Contents
DF CONCERTS PRESENTS…DF CONCERTS PRESENTS…DF CONCERTS PRESENTS…
+ HELIO SEQUENCE + PEARL & THE PUPPETS
Feature
Broken Social Scene
As they plot their way through the festival calendar, Broken Social Scene explain their plan to make us all better people.
6 10 12 14 16 18 19 20 24 27 29 30 48 53
»8
Heads Up
Entertainment for every day of June.
Food and Drink
A guide to the beer gardens we (optimistically) expect to be drinking in this summer.
Fashion
Glasgow Barrowland
Monday 21st June
NIGHT TRAIN EP OUT NOW
Rod Jones O F
I D L E W I L D
ABERDEEN CAFÉ DRUMMOND SUNDAY 6TH JUNE GLASGOW NICE N SLEAZY TUESDAY 8TH JUNE
www.myspace.com/rolfbones
A peek inside the portfolios of graduating students from GSA's jewellery and textiles departments.
Deviance
A debate on writing under pseudonyms.
Showcase
+ HEALTH
O2 ABC GLASGOW TUESDAY 19TH OCT
June's showcase comes courtesy of Martin McGuiness, our pick of the Dundee Degree Show.
Digital
Ambient cinema, and a look at the latest tech (yes, the iPad too).
Reading
IVOR NOVELLO NOMINEE
EDINBURGH SNEAKY PETE’S WEDNESDAY 9TH JUNE
Edinburgh's West Port and Dundee's Book Festivals go head to head.
Film
Some of the things to look out for at the EIFF, and an interview from Cannes.
Performance
Sexy theatre, and sexuality in theatre. Get your freak on.
Comedy
Looking forward to the jokes on a boat at Leith Festival.
Art
It's all about the City of Discovery, with DJCAD's degree show and Chicks on Speed.
Music
We blether with Silver Columns, DEVO, Sage Francis, The Drums, and the cat in the hat.
Clubs
Your electro guide to RockNess, and a pilgrimage to sunny Sonar.
Listings First you buy the ticket, then you get the power, then you have the tinnitus.
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EDINBURGH CABARET VOLTAIRE THURSDAY 1ST JULY
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IN PERSON GLASGOW Tickets Scotland, EDINBURGH Tickets Scotland, Ripping, DUNDEE Grouchos & all Ticketmaster Ticket Centres.
June 2010
THE SKINNY 5
LIFESTYLE
HEADS YOUR
UP MONTH AHEAD TUE, 1 JUN
WED, 2 JUN
The Buff Club's alternative spectacular, KILLER KITSCH, turns five. They're celebrating with an outdoor mini festival in Bath Lane, complete with light show, bar, and a PA system to make your ears bleed. The Buff Club, Glasgow, 11pm, £1
THU, 3 JUN
Epic guitar chords that sound like a rock deity strutting over neon skyscrapers at sunrise? We give you our current love affair; TEAM GHOST. Support comes from lo-fi rocker, Deathpodal. You probably shouldn't miss this. 13th Note, Glasgow, 8pm, £6
PHOTO: MARTIN SENYSZAK
TUE, 8 JUN
WED, 9 JUN
It's got to be down as one of those most serious of relationship killers: "You love John Martyn and she hearts Neil Sedaka"? KID CANAVERAL dish out some lyrical food for thought at The Glasgow Slow Club. Bloc, Glasgow, 8pm, Free
SUN, 13 JUN
FREE!
All you Edinburgh and Glasgow folk can spend a joyful Sunday afternoon regarding the fruits of new artists' endeavours, as both cities celebrate the first weekend of their art school DEGREE SHOWS 2010. ECA: 12 June- 20 June, Free; GSA: 12 June-19 June, Free
FRI, 18 JUN
Playing as part of the West End Festival, surf pop foursome ASTRAL PLANES (previously Paper Planes) perform acoustic renditions of cuts from their forthcoming mini-LP. Brel, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £6.
Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins steps out from behind his crash cymbals to present the longawaited debut from his COATTAIL RIDERS. Drummers as frontmen? It'll never work. Stereo, Glasgow, 7pm, £14.50
MON, 14 JUN
PHOTO: JACK WADDINGTON
Worshipping at the altar of Kylie Minogue, the FUTURISTIC RETRO CHAMPIONS are all about the hook-laden pop. And they get so excitable we sometimes think they might actually burst, but in a glorious pop-goes-pop kind of way. Brel, Glasgow, 8pm, £5
SAT, 19 JUN
Disco duo THE SWISS are joined by Italo-pop duo AEROPLANE FOR A DEATH DISCO head-to-head, Disco and Italo-pop you say? This one could enter new levels of sequin-encrusted campery. The Arches, Glasgow, 11pm, £12
T he Swiss Edited by: Anna Docherty
WED, 23 JUN
Join the unveiling of a new membership card, IN. It gets you discounts, exclusive invitations, and drink soiree passes for EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL. Festival director Jonathan Mills delivers the details. Roxy Art House, Edinburgh, 6.30pm, Free 6 THE SKINNY JUNE 2010
The Picture House hosts a rare outing from Kurt Cobain's favourite band, TEENAGE FANCLUB, touring the land in support of their tenth LP, Shadows. Picture House, Edinburgh, 7pm, £17.50
TUE, 15 JUN Magisterial post-rock action is all but guaranteed as THE GOTHENBURG ADDRESS dish it up in dreamy, instrumental bucket-loads. Support comes from Codes In Clouds, with their fuzzy electro. Nice. Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, 7pm, £tbc
WED, 16 JUN
The EIFF opens with THE ILLUSIONIST, a hand-drawn – five years in the making – labour of love from Sylvian Chomet, the director of Belleville Rendevous. Totally enchanting. Or maybe you fancy Toy Story in 3D on the 19th? We will not judge. Full details announced 1 June at www.edfilmfest.org.uk
SUN, 20 JUN
After touring Australia, New Zealand, and America, comic PHIL BUCKLEY returns with a new show called Jokes Not Included. No scripted jokes, just true stories. Still funny though, obviously. Cruz, Edinburgh, 10.30pm, £5 (£4). As part of Leith Festival 2010. www.leithfestival.com
Hauschka
THU, 24 JUN
The EIFF enters new territory, as artist, filmmaker, and performer, TORSTEN LAUSCHMANN, creates a bespoke one-off screening event, complete with live intervention and technological trickery. Whatever next? Full details announced 1 June, www.edfilmfest.org.uk
Torste n's previous work: C ontem porary Gear Box
FRI, 25 JUN
Glasgow's 8TH MOD WEEKENDER kicks off with a DJ collective extravaganza at Blackfriars, and vintage memorabilia stalls at McChuills. Plus a mass scooter ride out on Sunday 26th. Various venues, Glasgow, www.myspace. com/fridaystreet
LIFESTYLE
FRI, 4 JUN
SAT, 5 JUN
NUMBERS VS. MONOX present a trio of likely lads from the US-of-A: Levon Vincent, Jus Ed, and Robert Hood. Think minimal techno, experimental soul, and a dollop of dirty electro. Sub Club, Glasgow, 10pm, £12
THU, 10 JUN Frankly we're sold on the title alone: THE ZIGGY STARDUST MEETS TINY TIM SONGBOOK. Selfproclaimed queen Taylor Mac performs a delicately composed piece, whilst singing the songs of Tiny Tim and Ziggy Stardust. Angels will weep. The Arches, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £12 (£9)
Maxing-out on the music this year, the MEADOWS FESTIVAL hosts 25 acts over two stages, including experimental rock from Woodenbox with A Fistful of Fivers and wonky folk from Inspector Tapehead. Plus vintage finds, dodgems, and candy floss. Perfect. The Meadows, Edinburgh, 10-6pm (continues Sunday), Free
SUN, 6 JUN
The first HUNG UP! of June, and only the third in its whole lifetime. Have you been yet? Or are you still mourning Optimo? Time to move on, mi compadres. Sub Club, Glasgow, 11pm, £tbc
Woode nbox and A Fistful of Fivers
FRI, 11 JUN
What would June be without the annual art school piss-up? In fact, what would life be? This year the ECA REVEL has a Roald Dahl theme, so get crafty with your outfit. ECA, Edinburgh, 10pm, £10. Tickets in advance only
MON, 7 JUN Celebrating its 15th
birthday, WEST END FESTIVAL lays it on thick with gala days, live music, theatre, dance, and comedy. Being the music whores that we are, Fence wonderboy King Creosote is top of our list (16th, Oran Mor). West End Festival, Glasgow, 7-27 June, www.westendfestival.co.uk
SAT, 12 JUN COME COLLECTIVE celebrate their 2nd brithday over two venues. There's a set from Enfant Bastard, plus live art and performance, at The Roxy. While the rather excellent self-help rappers, Young Fathers, headline at Cabaret Voltaire. Expect additional surprises, too. Roxy Arthouse, Edinburgh, 7-11pm, £4 and Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, 11-3pm, £5
Enfant B astard THU, 17 JUN Malcolm Middleton (pictured), Silver Columns, James Yuill, cocknbullkid, and Casiokids sing the songs of Madonna at this JD SET gig. Straight up, this is the stuff of dreams. O2 ABC, Glasgow, 7pm. To win tickets see our competition on page 63
TUE, 22 JUN
MON, 21 JUN
Switching from rollicking posthardcore assaults to doleful lullabies, SUPER ADVENTURE CLUB are musically unhinged. Tonight they launch their new single, Hip Hop Hot Pot Pot Noodle. Captain's Rest, Glasgow, 8pm, £tbc
SAT, 26 JUN
Fresh from a tour with the Fannies, Glasgow quartet VERONICA FALLS make their love for the jangly, romantic C86 set known. Captain's Rest, Glasgow, 8pm, £8
SUN, 27 JUN
Favourite song on the new THE DEAD WEATHER album? I'm Mad. Or maybe Die By The Drop. Or perhaps The Difference Between Us. Or... Your get the idea; there's too many to pick. Go see 'em live, you doughnut. ABC, Glasgow, 7pm, £20
MON, 28 JUN
We never can resist a dance-off. MAKE OR BREAK is an evening of break dancing action, where duos battle it out in the Festival Theatre foyer. Plus live DJs, funk drumming, and a £200 prize. Seriously down with the kids stuff. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 6pm, £5
BE CHILLED AT T IN THE PARK 2010 Exclusively for camping ticket holders
Colin Fry, Derek Acorah, and TJ Higgs on one stage, doing their psychic-jiggery-pokery as THE THREE MEDIUMS. You know it'll turn into a 'who can summon the most ghosts' kind of thing. There's even a disclaimer on the booking page. Bloody brilliant. Playhouse, Edinburgh, 7.30pm, £28.50
Pre-order your Tennent’s Lager with Be Chilled at www.tennents.com/ bechilled and collect in the campsite (over 18’s only) Please drink responsibly www.drinkaware.co.uk
JUNE 2010
THE SKINNY 7
Forgiveness Rock Revolution As Broken Social Scene plot their way through the festival calendar, Andrew Whiteman explains how he and his myriad bandmates have a plan to make us all better people
8 THE SKINNY June 2010
Interview Paul Mitchell Photograph D. Gillespie
“First thing I want to talk about,” insists Broken Social Scene’s Andrew Whiteman, diving straight in to lead the conversation, “is the hilarious idea of calling our new release a ‘forgiveness rock’ record. Have you ever heard of sympathetic magic?” Well, that would be a no Andrew, though furtive googling later on reveals it to be a concept described in The Golden Bough, Scottish anthropologist James George Frazer’s 1890 study of religion and mythology no less! “Basically, Kevin [Drew, group co-founder along with Brendan Canning] is a believer in that concept,” Whiteman elaborates. “It refers to how one thing can have an effect on another for no obvious reason. Like the butterfly flapping its wings. He thinks if he can make more people say the word ‘forgiveness’, that word will have some type of effect; that something good will happen even though there’s no physical contact.” The Toronto-born guitarist points out that there is
no irony in the title at all, even if not everyone was enamoured with the idea. “I think most of the people in the band were good with it,” he explains. “It’s just when we took it out to the next layer, friends and family, that’s where the problems arose. Some of them were like, ‘Seriously? You’ve got to be joking?’. But the title also speaks of a type of faith and hope. These are qualities that don’t have a lot of cachet. They’ve been politicised, which makes it difficult to tangle with those concepts at face value.That’s the foundational, feelgood, self-help attitude that comes from Kevin when he’s firing on all cylinders, which he is on most of this record.” So we have on our hands one Forgiveness Rock Record, produced by John McEntire of Tortoise, and the fourth album proper from the multi-personnel Montreal-based ensemble. The evolution of Broken Social Scene charts back to 1999, when Drew and Canning, veterans of the Toronto circuit, began jamming together – courteously inviting pretty much all of their muso friends to muck in. The interconnected, amorphous cast released Feel Good Lost in 2001 and featured members of Stars, Metric, Do Say Make Think and songstress Leslie Feist. 2002’s follow-up LP, You Forgot it in People pushed BSS to the forefront of the flourishing Canadian indie scene and (at least) nineteen different individuals had played their part. There followed heavy-duty touring, photo and video shoots, media interviews; in fact, every activity a normal band hitting the big time is supposed to do. But then, they’re not quite a ‘normal’ band. With such a large dramatis personae, and the increased intensity surrounding them, Canning subsequently admitted to internal friction during the recording of their eponymously titled third album, released in 2005. And so followed a change of tack. More recent releases had seen BSS reclaim their identity as a recording project, in a series of Broken Social Scene
Presents..., with one member taking centre stage. Also, and no doubt boosted by the BSS ‘brand’, many of the individual members of Broken Social Scene have gone on to achieve considerable success in their own right with these ‘side-projects’. The line-up is, as ever, fluid, but now consists of a core team of six. Almost all previous alumni have had a say in this latest album, with a couple of new faces added for good measure. In fact, if anything, independent success appears on the surface to have re-energised their sense of community, a notion with which Whiteman concurs. “This is the first time in our career of nine years whereby we’ve all decided we’re going to really push the Broken Social Scene thing. Charlie says Do Make Say Think are on a bit of a hiatus, I put my own band Apostle Of Hustle on sabbatical for a while. We all really want to give it our best shot and I don’t really know if that’s ever happened before in such a focused way.” Outwith Broken Social Scene, each of the respective side projects cover a bewilderingly eclectic mix of styles. Surely this makes it difficult to get anything done coherently? Taking great care not to speak for any other band member, Whiteman describes his own take on the ‘reunion’. “We have different methods for making it work. From my perspective it’s almost like I get a free pass for every record. I can bring in a song where I wrote the lyrics.” Adopting a Harry Enfield-worthy Scouse accent he continues, “I’m like the George Harrison of the band.” He suggests it’s not a sacrifice, there’s no real feeling of subsuming himself for the greater good. “Those urges, to keep writing and doing things, I just change them slightly. For instance, now I’ve moved to Montreal I want to teach myself to speak French. I also want to immerse myself in 18th Century literature. I’m a bit of a nerd, so I’ll get into studying when I’m on the road.”
Based on their individual pathways, some members of the troupe are now more high-profile than others, Feist being the prime example. Although it’s probably fair to say the collective that is Broken Social Scene is still the highest profile of the lot, it seems pertinent to wonder if this fact could potentially prove to be a source of acrimony. Whether being diplomatic or sincere (likely both), Whiteman is having none of it. “No! No bother at all. The attitude is gratitude. We are lucky enough to be playing music together and lucky enough to be paying our rent by doing it. Anything beyond that, and I’m like ‘get your head out of your ass’. I don’t have a lot of time for bullshit like that.” OK, so no rampant vaingloriousness then, but how do all those fine minds collaborate efficiently, decide on the best method of skinning the cat? “We tend to meet up, jam a lot. Musically speaking, there’s always room in Social Scene to create and innovate. But it works differently. If it was Apostle of Hustle, and I came up with a hook and some chords, I’d want to finish the song; but I know I’m not going to do that with these guys. Maybe I’ll have a melody idea which I bring along to see what the wolf-pack does with it. For example, there’s a song on the record called Texico Bitches. That song came out of a band called Human Milk which was Brendan, Kevin, [BSS drummer] Justin Peroff, Spiral Stairs from Pavement and Spiral’s buddy Darius. They loved the song so much (and they only did a couple of gigs) so we started playing it. I added my guitar part to it which ended up being the loudest thing on the song and I wasn’t even there when they were making it up. That’s kind of how things happen. It can also work in the opposite fashion. I can write a guitar riff, go away, and when I come back the strings are doing that part instead.” Drew, and others in the band, have in the past referred to the project as an experiment in intimacy, which with so many protagonists and potential for catastrophe is quite the daring undertaking. Whiteman, however, is unsure
what, if any, conclusions can be drawn to date. “I guess it’s going well. Here we are, nine years in and still positive. On one hand I could take a certain approach by saying ‘I can’t believe how much time I’m going to have to spend with those people’ but I’m not going to, why bother? It’s not a good attitude to have. Rather I prefer to think ‘Jesus, these people are amazing musicians. They inspire, challenge and push me to do my thing. I’m going to be working my ass off and I’m thrilled.’” Giving the distinct impression that very little fazes him, he has to pause for a moment when asked if he is always so amiable. “No, I’m not,” is the eventual response, “although comparatively speaking I am the serene one. We can be in the middle of a conversation and I can just walk away, no questions asked. They don’t worry about me or give me a hard time and that’s a nice feeling. You can be whoever the fuck you really are in front of those people and they’re not going to judge you. We’re all sensitive people, but I don’t particularly like the trappings of going on the road, the glad-handing, etc. I prefer solitary situations and they don’t hassle me about that.” That said, he does admit to a recent moment where he’s been directly confronted with any cynicism he may have had regarding the project. Last year, a journalist and friend of the band Stuart Berman compiled an oral and visual history of Broken Social Scene, publishing it in a compilation called This Book is Broken, an accessory to the music which Whiteman felt was superfluous. “I was very outspoken against it, hated it, thought it was a silly idea and I still stand by how I felt. But we played a small festival soon after in Houston, Texas. The music scene there, whilst not struggling as such, is not massively organised and labours to get really good stuff happening. Afterwards, a guy came up to me and said ‘You know what, this book really mattered to me because it showed me what can happen, and that’s partly why this festival
“Kevin will take the audience to moments that are ridiculous, poignant and all points in between”
came about’. Well, it was such a good festival, I had to backtrack a little and take his point of view. People were genuinely getting something from it and making their own great things. So I put my negative attitude aside and said ‘Hey, that’s really cool!’” Broken Social Scene are set to be an integral part of the Festival furniture in July, taking in Glastonbury, Oxegen in Ireland, and our own T in the Park. The group have a sumptuous live reputation which Whiteman puts down to a communal lack of inhibition, and the stagecraft of the ostensible frontman Drew. “Kevin is like the greatest bar mitzvah MC ever. We call rap artists MCs but Kevin fits the bill of [and, slowing down with dramatic emphasis] ‘Master of the CER...EM..O..NY’ very accurately. He is the focal point who keeps the show flowing and moving; and not unlike a friend’s bar mitzvah, he will take the audience to moments that are ridiculous, poignant and all points in between. And then someone gets circumcised, usually in the VIP lounge after.” Ha! But Whiteman’s not finished deadpanning just yet. In a final flourish, an acknowledgement of Broken Social Scene’s impending visit to these shores, comes a grand announcement. “I really wanted to say how much I love Scotland; and Ireland and Wales. I find a qualitative difference between the ‘Brits’ and the Celts. Maybe things have changed, but last time I was in England it just seemed to be a nation of Posh and Becks types, everywhere you go. Posh and Becks? It’s strange, that happens, then you just cross the border into Scotland and everything’s OK. What’s the deal, is it simple history? They’re not going to read this in England right?” No, of course not Andrew. Broken Social Scene play T in the Park, Balado on 10 Jul Forgiveness Rock Record is out now on City Slang www.brokensocialscene.ca
June 2010
THE SKINNY 9
& DRINK
Here For The Beer
THE SKINNY COCKTAIL COLUMN
Here comes the sun! The Skinny's guide to the best al fresco drinking spots in Edinburgh & Glasgow
Summer Lovin’
West Brewery Credit: Ashey Good
West Brewery, Bar & Restaurant, Templeton Building, Glasgow Green www.westbeer.com The gorgeous Venetian-inspired architecture and surrounding greenery – makes for a pleasant spot on a sunny day. Try a pint of Mungo beer – a nod to Glasgow’s Patron Saint and fellow brewer. Brewed on the premises, it’s clean, crisp and great with food such as smoked salmon & gravadlax with brown bread, capers & onion.
THIS MONTH:
Babbity Bowsters, Blackfriars Street, Merchant City, Glasgow The barman with the eye-patch looks like he may have a few tales to tell, and regular live folk music makes a nice change from piped-in music. On tap there’s Caledonian Brewery’s award-winning Deuchars IPA plus organic farm cider. Famed for its Cullen Skink, this seafood packed soup isn’t as heavy as you might think. The pub is a short jaunt to the many pubs and clubs housed in the Merchant City Square covered courtyard. The Chippy Doon The Lane, 23 Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow www.thechippyglasgow.com A chippy? I hear you ask. But this is a posh chippy, and it has the one of the best patio terraces in Glasgow, with plasma screen tellies dotted around to keep you amused. Try the Champagne Supper – battered haddock and hand-cut chips with homemade tartar sauce. With a glass of champagne all for £14.50 – told you it was posh! The Dome Garden, 14 Rose St, Edinburgh www.thedomeedinburgh.com A gem of a garden in Edinburgh’s city centre, perfect for relaxing and people-watching. Be good with a nice pot of tea or get stuck into the comprehensive wine list, with rosés and prosecco by the glass. Old-school comfort carbs like fish, chips and mushy peas and the Dome burger go down a treat. Tables come with canopies, thoughtfully protecting you from those summer showers. The Sheep Heid Inn, 43-45 The Causeway, Duddingston, Edinburgh www.sheepheid. co.uk Nestled at the foot of Arthur’s Seat and next to Duddingston Loch, it has a really jovial, welcoming village inn vibe. The Sheep Heid has been feeding and watering the good people of Edinburgh for the last six centuries and shows no sign of stopping. Try the Fidgit Pie – smoked bacon braised with cider, ginger and apricots. Their regular beer & cider festivals are an institution and there are always interesting guest local ales in the pumps. With its own skittle alley, knitting club and stack of board games you need never leave. Ever. Why would you want to? Black Bo’s Bar, 51 61 Blackfriars Street, Edinburgh, www.black-bos.com It’s got the cutest and smallest outdoor patch in the whole of Edinburgh. Plus it’s got twinkly lights and picnic tables with umbrellas for shower shelter. Amongst a wide range of international beers and rums and whisky, they’ve got all the Fentiman’s beverages, which are great if you fancy a posh and slightly alcoholic juice. Next door is locally loved Black Bo’s Vegetarian Restaurant. The daily menu specializes in dishes with veggie combinations you wouldn’t think of at home. [Sophie Kyle, Susan Riddell, Yasmin Ali& Ruth Marsh] THIS IS JUST A TASTER OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE BEST PLACES TO LAZE AWAY THE SUMMERFOR THE FULL GUIDE GO TO WWW.THESKINNY.CO.UK
10 THE SKINNY JUNE 2010
Credit: Robyn Braham
LIFESTYLE
FOODPOSH NOSH AND CHEAP EATS
Babbity Bowsters
FOR June our recipe comes from mixologist Ben Murdoch at Tonic, who created this long summer cocktail to be sipped in the evening sun. He let us see what he put in: The Chippy Doon The Lane
Black Bo's Bar
The Sheep Heid Inn
37.5ml SW4 gin 20ml crème de cassis 25ml cranberry juice 12.5ml elderflower cordial 20ml lemon juice 12.5ml gomme syrup
The Dome Garden
dash of egg white
BEER GARDEN PICKS
We've spent literally years of our lives researching and have now pooled our collective Skinny knowledge to bring you some more recommendations of places to drink beer in the sun GLASGOW Cottiers, 93 Hyndland Road: Picnic tables and regular barbeques Sloan’s, 108 Argyle Street: Outdoor drinking in the heart of the city centre Chinaskis, 239 North Street: Surprising garden oasis by the M8 McPhabbs, 23 Sandyford Place: Beer, haggis and football EDINBURGH The Outhouse, 12a Broughton Street Lane: Hosts the Sunday Circus afternoon disco Bisque, 69 Bruntsfield Place: Sunny secret garden Olorosso, 33 Castle Street: Rooftop cocktails and epic views The Pear Tree, 38 West Nicolson St: The daddy of all beer gardens The Beehive, 8-20 Grassmarket: Pints and suncatching in the old town The Cumberland Bar, 1-3 Cumberland Street: Peaceful, if not the sunniest tables in town DUNDEE The Art Bar, 140 Perth Road: Food, drink and a laid-back vibe Laings, 8 Roseangle: The garden even has its own bar
3 raspberries Shaken, and strained over cubed ice Garnished with raspberries and a slice of orange To sample some more SW4 cocktails, head along to Tonic, 34 North Castle St, Edinburgh
THE SKINNY COCKTAIL COLUMN IS SPONSORED BY:
SW4 LONDON DRY GIN FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SW4, VISIT WWW.PARKPLACEDRINKS.CO.UK
LIFESTYLE
Monday 14th and 21st June
Sandy Stevenson Monday Night Quiz – the BEST in the WEST FREE entry 8pm – 11pm
West End Festival Listings
lansdownebar.co.uk/westendfestival
Tuesday 15th June
Ken Maybury’s Hypnotic World Tickets - £5.00 - purchased from the bar Show starts @ 8pm
Wednesday 16th June
Speed dating event in aid of CHILDLINE Tickets £12 – available from the bar COMPLIMENTARY buffet and FAB prizes to be won
Thursday 17th June
PM music present a night of hip hop with Aboiz and guests www.myspace.com/aboooiz FREE gig 8pm - late
Sunday 20th June
PM music present acoustic sessions with Ruth Martin and guests FREE gig 8pm - late
Tuesday 22nd June
THE SHOW fashion and textile design showcase Tickets - £15 call the bar for details and tickets
Tel: 0141 334 4653 Web: www.lansdownebar.co.uk Email: lansdownebar@maclay.co.uk
Thursday 24th June Open Mic Night Pre-book your slot and receive a 20% off dinner voucher 8pm - late FREE
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MON – WED, FRI & SAT 9AM – 6PM, THURS 9AM – 8PM, SUN 10AM – 6PM
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JUNE 2010
THE SKINNY 11
FASHION
GSA:Design School With the Glasgow School of Art’s annual degree show taking place from the 12-19 June, we selected some of the very best graduating design school students’ work to have a closer look at Photography – Meghan Giboin www.meghangiboin.co.uk Chris Black www.solid-images.com
Nicola Mather nicolamather1@hotmail.co.uk Another highlight of the jewellery class is the work of Nicola Mather. After gathering natural objects from around her home, she has translated their sculptural forms into a collection of work made from a combination of textured etched silver and forged steel. The rings are especially covetable.
Katherine Agnew katherineagnew@yahoo.co.uk www.katherineagnew.co.uk Katherine’s delicate and jaw droppingly intricate pieces are inspired by the landscape of the Highlands, its folk songs and fairy tales. Her use of contrasting materials such as oxidised silver, yellow gold, citrines and pearls has produced striking yet wearable jewellery.
Victoria Lemon victorialemon@hotmail.co.uk Victoria’s work reinterprets various half-glimpsed pieces of typography from the past, and found in her surrounding city environment. Through repetition and manipulation of scale, she has playfully used the shapes created by the written word to produce bold brooches and intriguing rings in a mix of green enamel, silver and yellow gold.
12 THE SKINNY June 2010
FASHION
Ben Smith ben191919@btinternet.com Influenced by the forms found within mechanical objects, Ben Smith has played with transparency and layering of printing inks, to create textiles patterned with complex, abstract compositions of concentric shapes. They would suit the interior of any 1960s space ship!
Eva Joly eva.joly1@gmail.com full-bleed.blogspot.com Using the CMYK process that’s most widely used in the production of newspapers, Eva Joly has been able to hand print her textiles in vibrant colours perfectly suited to the subject matter of her designs. Eva has taken a lighthearted look at ordinary everyday objects found within the home, with piles of plates, HP sauce bottles and scotch eggs as surface patterns.
Murray Houston Smith songsforthedeaf@live.com A standout in the textile department was the subtle collection by Murray Houston Smith. Intended for use in fashion menswear, his beautiful swatches in silk and soft tweeds are subtle in colour palettes and patterned with sensitive yet architectural line drawings with a focus on composition and proportion.
June 2010
THE SKINNY 13
Lifestyle
DEVIANCE
SEX, TRUTH AND POLITICS
Writing Sex
In these enlightened times, is writing about sex still more risky than writing about other topics? Two Deviance writers discuss their perspectives
Text Phoebe Henderson & Kirsty Logan Illustration Alvvino Kirsty: I am a writer, and I write about things that interest me. I write about conspiracy theories and libraries and the Arctic. I write about getting drunk and being queer and travelling to Berlin. I write about The X-Files and riot grrrls. I also write about cybersex and orgasms and nipplesucking and blowjobs and strip-shows and strap-ons and fucking strangers behind all-night garages. I do not think that any item on these lists is any more worthy than any other item. Whatever I’m writing about, I still want to be identified as the person who wrote it. I am proud of my work, and I do not think that a story about sex has to be less literary than a story about sadness. Fiction does not have to consider wars and death to be worth writing or reading. I try to tell a good story in an unusual way. To me, that’s what writing is all about. Whether I’m writing about sex or mourning or birth, it’s all just writing. When I first wrote about sex, I didn’t use a pseudonym because it just didn’t occur to me. I wrote this story, just like I wrote dozens of other stories; why would I use a fake name for this and none of the others? Had I put more thought into it the first time round, perhaps I would have used a pseudonym. I could have kept my erotica separate from my ‘mainstream’ writing, and avoided any potential embarrassment or confusion later on. But then, I’m not JK Rowling. I’m not writing picture books and I’ll probably never be asked to do a school visit. I would expect that anyone who likes a story I’ve written would like the erotica I’ve written too: it’s essentially the same,
Phoebe: Writing about sex is fun, or at least it should be. It’s a bit like the act itself: take either too seriously and you’ll find yourself sounding like a phoney, shouting “fuck” a lot and wishing you’d just relaxed a bit more. I didn’t have to think for too long, before I started my recent column, about whether to use my own name or not. Regardless of how enlightened or liberated some people are when it comes to sex, some people are clearly not, and as I’ve come to find out, some get downright weird about the whole thing. Despite the fact that I have no problem with the subject matter, it would be churlish of me to assume that it may not impact on those close to me one day. However, only being marginally successful means that I’ll probably never have to deal with that particular problem. I’ve used pseudonyms before and it works for me. It’s more freeing than using my own name all the time, and if I’m honest, as long as the article/story is well received, I couldn’t care less which one of my pseudonyms gets the recognition. I think it’s useful to a reader also. Imagination plays a vital role when it comes to anything remotely erotic, and I’m quite convinced that having my name and mug shot anywhere near my work would only raise questions as to how I managed to ever get laid in the first place. Of course, plenty of people know who I am and they couldn’t care less whether I write about sex or socks. The support I’ve had has allowed me to be slightly less paranoid; however, I have received emails from people who equate writing about sex to working in the sex industry, and the inevitable small-minded insults follow quickly. So perhaps I’m not as brave as those who choose to write about sex and use their own name, but I’m fine with that. I’d rather sit quietly and let Phoebe get on with it.
A Diary of Artificial Insemination:
our imaginary friend. Then, one day, she calls me from work. Her period has arrived. That evening we sit in front of the fire, clutching whisky while she cries and cries. It was our first try; it was bound to not work. It is ridiculous, silly, girlish to cry over this, of course. What have we lost? An idea, a little friendly ghost. Our months are now a rising crest of hope, followed by the crash. We are learning disappointment, and how to survive it.
Testing Times As Bec and Aurelia continue trying to get pregnant, they must also struggle with the inevitable pitfalls Text Aurelia Paterson All of us are going to get hurt. We have crossed a boundary, and the three of us are never quite going to have the same kind of friendship again. Melodramatic twaddle? Not so much. Consider the dynamics. Poor me: I would impregnate Bec myself if I could, but I can’t, and this makes me jealous of Tom. The transaction is between them and there is nothing I can do about it. They are having the most primal of affairs right in front of me. Poor Bec: as the impregnated party, she is the one doing the bulk of the worry and preparation.
14 THE SKINNY June 2010
but with more breasts. A few times, I have had to request that my mother not attend a reading because I don’t want her to hear me saying C-words. But then, she’s a grown woman and she knows that I am a grown woman too. I doubt she would have a heart attack if she knew I had written a story about healthy, happy adults getting down. Some people probably think that erotica is less literary or valid than more ‘serious’ subjects, but I know that’s not the case. Sure, there are plenty of badly-written ‘cock and cunt’ stories, but there are plenty of badly-written war poems too. Good writing is good writing, whatever the subject. I don’t believe in self-censorship, and I’m not ashamed of anything I write. Well, there was that love poem about my biology teacher when I was 16. But let’s not talk about that.
She’s doing all the research, she got herself tested, she bought the kits and bits and pieces, she’s been taking the folic acid, and she’s the one who spent an hour flat on her back, oozing. She will worry and worry until her period arrives. Tom and I are the impregnators, and it’s weird, frankly, to find myself on this side of the equation. Poor Tom will make a baby that will be raised by other people. It will be his, but not wholly his, and I worry that he hasn’t thought this through. Legally, my name, not his, will be on the birth certificate. When will it hit home? When she’s pregnant? When the baby arrives? But maybe I’m
not giving him, or us, enough credit. It’s a strange little triangle, but we’re intelligent enough to have a good idea of the pitfalls. I hope, so desperately, that this will be all right. Bec and I go out to eat at a Mexican restaurant. We both talk to her belly as though she might be pregnant. I have a margarita, and she (how novel!) doesn’t. When she wobbles over later on, we are both very concerned that we might have shaken the baby. Walking home, her arm tucked into mine, I realise that this will be the pattern of our days, that our two weeks postovulation will be spent caring solicitously for
Tom and I are the impregnators – it’s weird, frankly, to find myself on this side of the equation
CRYSTALS FALL “IGNORE THEM IF YOU DARE” MOJO
“A BRILLIANT DEBUT THAT WILL BE HARD TO BEAT IN 2010” CLASH
“THEY REALLY THRILL” Q
“ONE OF THE BEST BANDS TO EMERGE IN BRITAIN THIS YEAR” THE SUNDAY TIMES
“THE BEST ALBUM WE’VE HEARD THIS YEAR” ARTROCKER
“UNADULTERATED WONDERFULNESS” WORD MAGAZINE
“NOT TO BE IGNORED. A FINE DEBUT” THE FLY
“A SPLENDID DOCUMENT OF TIMELESS ALT-COUNTRY” THE SKINNY
DEBUT ALBUM OUT NOW. DELUXE VINYL, CD & DOWNLOAD. MYSPACE.COM/SPARROWANDTHEWORKSHOP June 2010
THE SKINNY 15
Lifestyle
SHOWCASE
THIS MONTH: Martin McGuiness
Photo - Joanna Montgomery Dialectical Polysemy, installation view
16 THE SKINNY June 2010
Dundee-based artist Martin McGuiness uses painting and installation based work to explore the mind, creating sitespecific, static representations drawing on real experiences, human interaction and notions of existential individuality. He uses spraypaint and oil painting methods, with marks formed by a mixture of spontaneous movements and detailed control of the materials. He aims "to create a temporary experiential environment unique to the individual."
Lifestyle
Photo: Joanna Montgomery
Dialectical Polysemy, installation view
Flux, installation view, 2010
From Rough Cut Nation installation, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, 2009
Thoughts on the Death of Finlay, oil on wood, 2008
June 2010
THE SKINNY 17
Labtime 002: Atmosphere
Summer tech is all about the stuff you use when you’re outside and among other people – a novel experience to some. Here are 6 recommendations for your digital desires on the go this summer
In advance of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, New Media Scotland's Mark Daniels takes a look at the world of ambient cinema
1) TONIUM PACEMAKER DJ £269 - £358
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If you’re even remotely familiar with the turntables, this one needs no introduction. Store your tracks on this iPod-sized device, and you can spin, crossfade and pitch-blend tunes everywhere you go. Has a bit of a learning curve for novices, but works surprisingly well for those DJ emergencies. Perfect for concert camping and your impromptu holiday parties.
2) EYE-FI SDHC CARD £49 - £120
If your camera uses SD cards to save your pics and you’re an unabashed shutterbug, you need one of these. As you take shots, it will upload them wirelessly to the laptop or hard drive of your choice, freeing up room on the card and making Facebook uploads absurdly easy. It’ll also save the embarrassing shots you were too drunk to delete, so use wisely.
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3) APPLE IPAD £429 - £699
ILLUSTRATION: ANGUS GREIG
DIGITAL
Digital Summer
NEW MEDIA SCOTLAND
ATMOSPHERE INSPACE, 1 CRICHTON STREET, EDINBURGH EH8 9AB, 16 - 27 JUN
Back in February I wrote about notions of active architecture, of environments that cherish and respond to the people they contain. The source of the idea was the work of John Eberson, a Romanian-born American architect who pioneered the concept of the atmospheric cinema design back in the 1920s and 30s. Eberson used elaborate architectural, art and design elements to create a fantastical setting in which to watch a film. It collectively aided a process of transference from the day-to-day reality of the Great Depression to the allure and escapism of Hollywood. For the Edinburgh International Film Festival, New Media Scotland is re-imagining this concept at Inspace using a little smoke and mirrors, and a few bells and whistles. We’ve taken a barrage of projectors, a network of sensors and some custom algorithmic software. Add a dash of embedded art devices we call Ethernet Monkeys and you’ll find a cinema that can respond and interact with you, the audience. A series of free nightly expanded screenings will give you the unique ability to mould your own particular cinema experience. Movies range from Moon which scooped the Michael Powell Award for Best New Feature Film at the 2009 Edinburgh International Film Festival to classics such as Powell & Pressburger’s A Matter of Life
and Death. We will also host a performance by Antye Greie (AGF), an East German singer, songwriter, performer, e-poet, calligrapher and digital media artist, whose current practice explores electronic music production combined with the spoken word and sound installation. AGF’s performance at Inspace will afford a sneak preview of her work on Cryptic’s forthcoming production, Orlando. Cryptic’s staging of Virginia Woolf’s masterpiece features a soundtrack by AGF and Craig Armstrong and will premiere this September at the Traverse Theatre. Working with Bren O’Callaghan we will have a special screening of Christiane Cegavske’s Blood Tea & Red String, a handmade stop-motion fairy tale for adults, thirteen years in the making. Expect every sense to be stimulated as you watch this disturbing yet wondrous adventure. Bren will also introduce a screening of The Call of Cthuhlu, a remarkable adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story. John Eberson’s original concept may have been re-purposed by theme parks and shopping malls the world over but our take on the idea has the capacity to introduce new media practice to cinema audiences in a way previously unimagined.
Arriving to our shores this month, Apple’s “magical and revolutionary device” seems to fall firmly in the neato luxury category. On the downside, it will never replace your laptop (you even need one to activate it), never replace your phone, and still feels like it left some key features out for the next version (front-facing camera, anyone?). Upside? It’s a shiny Apple toy that does what it does very, very well. Get the 3G version to make it worthwhile.
4) FOLDING PLUG £TBA
Sure, the UK is pretty deft at Twitter, but let’s face it, our plugs are massive behemoths bigger than the phones they charge. Designer Min-Kyu Choi came up with a folding version that packs down to less than 1cm flat, going into production right now. Keep an eye out for chargers that have gone on a major binge diet.
5) HTC DESIRE ~£400
Apple will bust out a new iPhone this year (you may have seen it online), but Android has come into its own, and HTC makes some damn pretty hardware to go with it. The Desire, available on most carriers and plans, is even better than Google’s offering, and has a great selection of apps to show off. Android phones are still just a hair geekier than Apple’s, but they publish frequent updates to keep the look fresh. A great do-it-all phone.
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6) BOWERS & WILKINS P5 HEADPHONES £250
These are the digital equivalent of buying your music a car and asking it to marry you. Every subtle tone, low-frequency response and distinct instrument comes through so clearly you could hear a pin drop onto a pile of feathers in a passed room. Plenty of high-end audio kit is snake oil rubbish. These are not.[Alex Cole]
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WWW.MEDIASCOT.ORG
THE FEED BITE-SIZED TECH NUGGETS WITH ALEX COLE ADOBE AND APPLE BRAWL OVER WHO SHOWS YOUR CRAP VACATION VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE - TECHCRUNCH COMES TO EDINBURGH, WORLDS OF NERDS COLLIDE - CAMERON BANS MOBILES IN HIS CABINET, CLAIMS NOT TO KNOW WHAT THIS FACETUBE AND MYBEBO THING IS ABOUT - FACEBOOK'S NEW PRIVACY SETUP ATTRACTS NEW CONTROVERSY - NEW IPHONE PROTOTYPES COST TECH BLOGS THOUSANDS, NET A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION FOR THEIR TROUBLES - BT PLANNING ONLIVE TO STREAM GAMES TO YOUR TV AND MAKE YOUR PLAYSTATION OBSOLETE
18 THE SKINNY JUNE 2010
DUNDEE LITERARY FESTIVAL
WEST PORT BOOK FESTIVAL
THE Dundee Literary Festival runs from 22 to 27 June, with events largely taking place in the Dalhousie building in the University of Dundee, so already it’s got one over on the West Port Book Festival, in that it lasts longer. Like West Port, it’s a newish festival, but it has managed to attract a large number of big names, such as William Boyd, Bernard MacLaverty, Philip Pullman and David Peace in its short existence. This year’s programme has some pretty special names too. Alan Warner (recently interviewed by The Skinny) will be there to talk about The Stars In The Bright Sky, and the novelist and poet Jackie Kay will be appearing to discuss her work, and indeed her life, as a whole. Musician, filmmaker and author Nick Cave will stop by to chat about his novel The Death of Bunny Munro, and Iain Banks, or is it Iain M. Banks, (a famous graduate of Greenock High School) will be appearing too with his latest, Transition, coming out soon in paperback, and a new sci-fi novel – featuring The Culture – on the way. It’s not all straight head to head discussions though – there are some pretty innovative events here too. On the first day there’s an Arts Café, about Tea Wars (!) and a New Writing Event, which is always welcome. Canongate Publishing’s event will feature no less than three of its best known authors – Louise Welsh, Michael Faber and Alasdair Gray – in a discussion of the company’s history. And of course there’s the all-day Comic Conference, featuring renowned artists, writers and publishers like Alan Davis, Pat Mills and Dez Skinn, which is an essential for any budding graphic novelists out there. This is only a random scattering of the events taking place at this year’s Dundee Literary Festival – we could also spotlight the entertaining-looking events such as John Carey on William Golding, or Stuart Kelly on Walter Scott, or even the announcement of the Dundee International Book Prize Winner. But basically, if you’re anywhere near Dundee, and even if you’re not, get yourself along there and enjoy yourself – that is, if you don’t go to the West Port Book Festival….
THE West Port Book festival runs from 24 to 27 June, in a variety of bookshops, cafes and theatres across the tightly packed cultural hotspot that is the West Port area – so already it’s up on the Dundee Literary Festival in the ‘charming venues’ category. Like the Dundee event, it’s a newish festival, but it’s full of innovative events – like last year’s ‘Twestival’ event, the world’s first ever Twitter festival. This year’s programme features yet more innovative events. The Master Bookbinding events are a great chance to see craftspeople at work, and a reminder not to take books – any books – for granted. West Port have also teamed up with The Scottish Book Trust to arrange an event based around their great new project, The Book That Changed My Life. If you don’t fancy that, there’s the textualities. net Concise Ceilidh (you’ll need to go to see what it is!) or you could risk a look at the mystery guest on Friday the 25th. And who can resist the Broons Appreciation Evening, on Saturday the 26th? West Port can do simple too, of course, with some straightforward interviews of big names. For example, there’s sci-fi author (and famous graduate of Greenock High School) Ken MacLeod, talking about his new book – in a pub! Or there’s a rare and very welcome appearance by short story master Agnes Owens, and later a similarly welcome joint appearance by the exceptionally talented Kei Miller and Ewan Morrison. And it’s always a pleasure to see Douglas Dunn, who the programme describes as ‘the unofficial poet in residence of the West Port Book Festival’. Why don’t they make it official? This is just a smattering of the events taking place at this year’s West Port Book Festival – we could also spotlight the entertaining-looking events featuring raconteur Owen Dudley Edwards, or Stuart Kelly on Collective Nouns, or the promised ‘optical extravaganza’ that is Found Footage. But basically, if you’re anywhere near West Port, and even if you’re not, get yourself along there and enjoy yourself – that is, if you don’t go to the Dundee Literary Festival.... [Keir Hind]
SO: GREAT GUESTS – CHECK, INNOVATIVE EVENTS – CHECK, BOOKFEST JUNKIE STUART KELLY –CHECK, FAMOUS GRADUATES OF GREENOCK HIGH SCHOOL – CHECK. LOOKS LIKE THERE'S NOTHING TO SEPARATE THEM – WE'LL HAVE TO CALL IT A DRAW.... THIS TIME.
PHOTO: WWW.GAVINEVANS.COM
There are two compact, and excellent, book festivals running at the end of June – the Dundee Literary Festival, and the West Port Book Festival. Now, we at The Skinny like Dundee, and we also like West Port. But which is better? There's only one way to find out... FIGHT!
NICK CAVE: Spooking the Dundee Literary Festival
REVIEWS A MOVEABLE FEAST BY ERNEST HEMINGWAY
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THE STATELY PANTHEON BY KIRSTY NEARY
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FILMISH #2 BY EDWARD ROSS
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There have been several posthumous books by Ernest Hemingway released, such as Islands In The Stream, or True At First Light, edited down from abandoned writing left after his death. Some scholars have argued that this diminishes his reputation, making him the Tupac Shakur of literature, but it does seem like there is a case for reissuing A Moveable Feast. The original edition was first published in 1964, and was full of odd editorial decisions, such as taking out references to the reader in the second person, or changing a passage about F. Scott Fitzgerald to a harsher one from an earlier draft. Chapters were shifted around, and an ending was tacked on too – it can seem like the text of A Moveable Feast was itself something of a movable feast. For those who are unfamiliar with the book, it is a series of sketches about Paris just after World War Two, featuring name-dropping of the first order, as the then-aspiring writer Hemingway visits Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, and most compellingly, F. Scott Fitzgerald. Anyone who has read the original won’t need to read this urgently, but for first time readers, this is the preferable edition to buy. [Keir Hind]
This is Kirsty Neary’s first novel, and it’s an odd one. The plot of The Stately Pantheon is focused around an old Glasgow theatre (similar to The Panopticon) where a group of disparate individuals come and go. Initially, the overwritten prose is a massive distraction, but oddly, this improves as the book goes on, becoming more economical once there’s more to tell. The plot mainly concerns the odd and somewhat mystical Polly, who runs the theatre. However, she’s not particularly fleshed out, and comes over as vague rather than mysterious. Not to worry though, because the book increasingly concerns itself with two rather more realistic characters; Carrie, who stands to inherit the theatre and Evan, a new usher who later becomes a barman. These two are not mysterious, or vague, and all the better for it. The book has a good command of third person narrative, shuffling between characters nicely and always moving the plot forward convincingly. And as the story moves away from unclear fantasy and becomes something of a love story it develops into a much better tale too, and what at first was a little annoying becomes something more like enchanting. Well worth a look. [Nat Smith]
YIPPEE KI-YAY MOVIEGOER! BY VERN
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Issue 2 of the occasional comics-as-film-criticism series Filmish is not only a great, entertaining read like the first one, but also a more refined product as a whole. Writer and artist Edward Ross takes ‘sets and architecture’ as his subject here, and this doesn’t seem promising at first. But to think that would only be correct if this was purely textual – because Ross can draw scenes from the films he’s writing about, this is a perfect subject for him. His format allows him to walk into frames from Die Hard, to show John McClane’s mastery of his environment, or become Orson Welles as Charles Foster Kane, to explain why the ceiling above Kane and Jed Leland’s head was such a revelation (though not, as implied by Ross, the first use of such a device). The first issue of Filmish included three separate essays, whilst here there’s just the one long one. This suits fine, because it gives Ross the time to fill out his arguments, whether textually, by including more references, or visually, by including lovely large drawings of scenes from Metropolis or The Cabinet of Dr Caligari. Get yourself a copy – it’s a wee treat, and cheap too! [Vince Everett]
There are plenty of film reviewers on the internet, but not many of them get their own book. Why is Vern special? At first glance, he isn’t really; his prose is oddly laboured – he usually uses ‘do not’ instead of ‘don’t’ for example, and his focus is generally on action movies. But after reading a few of these reviews, Vern’s enthusiasm becomes infectious, and his prose style starts to seem quite deliberately amusing – particularly when he’s analysing something like action sequences in a Schwarzenegger film with a mocking seriousness. The pieces chosen here are primarily reviews – often written long after the films were released – of action cinema mainstays like Predator, Enter the Dragon, Action Jackson, etc, but with a good number of largely forgotten films thrown in, such as They Live or Knightriders. A few pieces approach films in refreshingly different ways too – there’s a piece on the book Die Hard was based on, (originally to star Frank Sinatra!), and the Raiders of the Lost Ark piece is about a shot for shot remake that some incredibly resourceful teenage kids made. This collection of reviews is often as fun as the films it features, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously either. [Ryan Agee]
JUNE 2010
THE SKINNY 19
READING
Duelling Book Festivals!
Film
What Lies in Wait The Edinburgh International Film Festival 2010 gets underway on 16 June. We shine a spotlight on three sections of the festival that are ripe for discovery
L'Auld Reekie: Sylvain Chomet's The Illusionist
The Opening Gala The 64th Edinburgh International Film Festival opens with the highly anticipated animation The Illusionist. The film was conceived when an unproduced script by the late, great French director and comic Jacques Tati was given to the director Sylvain Chomet (of Belleville Rendezvous fame) by Tati’s daughter Sophie. The narrative centres on an illusionist, Monsieur Tatischeff (Tati’s real surname), a reserved, sympathetic figure befuddled by the quickening pace of modernity in a post-war Europe. Contemporary rock & roll bands make his antiquated magic act, complete with an overweight, unruly white rabbit, virtually defunct and Tatischeff is forced to take increasingly obscure and questionable gigs in order to support himself. When he performs for a remote village in Scotland, his sleight of hand convinces
a young girl that magic is real. When she believes he can conjure up expensive new coats and ferry tickets, Tatischeff nearly bankrupts himself to maintain the illusion, so as not to dash her childish innocence. This sad, charming tale has a real-life tragedy at its heart: Tati is thought to have written the script as a love letter to his abandoned, estranged daughter Helga, whom he never met. Chomet, however, clearly intends the piece to also be a tribute to both Tati and to Scotland. In Tatischeff, Tati’s physicality is delightfully caricatured, as are the stylistics of his films (namely, Mon Oncle and Playtime) in which careful observations of the world often give way to gentle physical gags and a distrust of modern consumerism. Much like Tati’s work, considerable space is given to sound, with a heartbreaking score, though Chomet adds
Gail Tolley
Truth 24 Frames per Second I’m just back from Cannes and one of the most memorable things from this year’s festival (more so than most of the films, if I’m honest) was the heartfelt plea made by Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami for the release of Jafar Panahi. Filmmaker Panahi, who won the Camera D’Or in 1995 for The White Balloon, was imprisoned on the 1 March for attempting to make a film about the Iranian elections. Kiarostami called the situation an attack on cinema and put
aside talking about his own film, Certified Copy – which was running in competition – to address the topic to the gathered press. During the festival it was announced that Panahi had begun a hunger strike in protest at how he had been treated. Thankfully, a few days after the conference (and the global media attention that it attracted) there has been news that the Iranian court has released Panahi (albeit with a hefty bail attached). For those following the saga it’s
20 THE SKINNY June 2010
a great relief and shows the influence that the media and a global festival like Cannes can have. Panahi’s case is also a reminder of the enormous political potential of cinema and its capacity for lasting emotional impact. As Jean-Luc Godard famously said, ‘Cinema is truth 24 frames a second’. Festivals such as Cannes (and this month Edinburgh International Film Festival) can give us an opportunity to celebrate just that.
his most original auteur feel through the animation, painting rural Scotland with a stunning, muted palette, populated by indifferent Angus cows, and crowning Auld Reekie in unashamedly nostalgic, gothic beauty. [Rachel Bowles] The Retrospective This year’s EIFF retrospective attempts to fill in some gaps in the history of British film with a strand entitled After the Wave: Lost and Forgotten British Cinema 1965-1979. It proffers rare prints of undervalued works that failed to breach the canon first time around, including efforts from the likes of Stephen Frears and Ken Russell. By reviving such infrequentlyexhibited films, the retrospective helps reframe a period of British cinema often overshadowed by more glamorous, contemporary movements in Germany and the US, or glossed over entirely in accounts that leap from the sixties’ kitchen-sink realism of Karel Reisz, Lyndsay Anderson and Ken Loach, to the hyperbolic ‘the British are coming!’ 1981 Oscars (with the years in between abbreviated to bawdy comedies and Hammer Horror’s decline). Seeking to redress the balance are Stephen Frears’ debut feature Gumshoe (1971) starring Albert Finney as the titular bingo caller turned private eye, freshly-topical political satire The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1970) which charts the ascent of Peter Cook’s Tory pollster and John Mackenzie’s pre-The Long Good Friday drama Made (1972) about a single mother’s relationship with a rock star. And if you crave something self-referential try Maurice Hatton’s Long Shot (1978) which was filmed at the Festival in 1977 and features cameos from Wim Wenders and John Boorman. It tells the humorous story of two ambitious filmmakers attempting to pull together the means to make a movie. EIFF’s promotional posters ask ‘2010: What Will You Discover?’ beneath a formidable list of past premieres: Manhattan, Wild Strawberries and Fitzcarraldo. With such a strong mix of curios and cult classics on offer in this year’s retrospective, perhaps the EIFF should
reframe their question: In 2010, What Will You Rediscover? [Chris Buckle] The Underground Selection In the last few years Edinburgh has showcased an impressive array of low-budget and underground films that have embraced the subversive. This year is no exception, with two strands dedicated to movies with an alternative slant. Under the Radar features the world premiere of Zach Clark’s Vacation! He returns to the festival after the success of last year’s Modern Love Is Automatic which included a memorable performance by Melodie Sisk who also stars in his latest project, described as “an existential beach party movie about life, death, sex and drugs”. Ryan Denmark is another director revisiting the festival (his feature Romeo and Juliet vs. The Living Dead screened in 2009) this time with a contemporary comedy called Chase The Slut about a girl with a bad reputation who attempts to seduce the son of a local minister. Horror buffs would be wise to check out the Night Moves strand. It includes Greek zombie thriller Evil: In The Time Of Heroes directed by Yorgos Noussias and rather unexpectedly starring Billy Zane; expect a bloodfilled parody of this genre du jour. Another infestation prevails in Gareth Edwards’ independent sci-fi Monsters, about a quarantined area of Central America where an alien life form has begun to breed following the crash of a NASA spaceship that was returning to Earth with non-human samples. Having received top reviews at SxSW it’s one that’s worth seeking out. And local talent can be seen in Colm McCarthy’s Outpost which stars James Nesbit and Kate Dickie and was shot partly in Edinburgh. This chilling tale of modern day witchcraft set in a decaying urban landscape also comes fresh from SxSW and follows a mother and son on the run. [Gail Tolley] Edinburgh International Film Festival takes place from 16-27 Jun www.edfilmfest.org.uk
FILM
A Life in
(Moving) Pictures We talk to Scottish filmmaker Craig McCall at the Cannes Film Festival on how he came to make a documentary on the legendary cinematographer Jack Cardiff Interview Gail Tolley IN 1998 when Jack Cardiff came to Cannes as an honorary guest people had no idea who the elderly gentleman walking up the red carpet was. While his face might not be familiar, his name certainly is and has graced the opening credits of some of the most loved and respected films ever made as cinematographer (and later director). Cardiff’s career began during the silent picture era when he started as a clapper boy before rising up the ranks to be cinematographer on films such as The Red Shoes, Pandora and the Flying Dutchman and The African Queen. He was known for his innovative camera techniques and use of colour which was heavily influenced by his love of painting. Cardiff’s life is celebrated in the heartfelt documentary Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff which was made over the course of 13 years by Kilmarnock-born filmmaker Craig McCall. Filled with humour and anecdotes from the film industry, it’s an engaging insight into cinema’s golden years and into one of its most influential and charismatic figures. McCall first met Cardiff when the two were both working at EMI. “I was doing music videos” he says, “Jack was doing something very different, he was doing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. However I had a clockwork camera that he also had and we started talking about it and he was saying how much he loved that camera and how many in-camera effects you could do with it. From that conversation he made me a cup of tea and I started to talk to him and I thought a lot of people would like to talk to Jack. So I shot a pilot and the next thing, I raised some money independently.”
Alongside interviews with Cardiff the documentary features an impressive array of talking heads including Martin Scorsese, Lauren Bacall and Kirk Douglas (who rarely grants interviews). “Jack was the key. Jack is very, very well loved and I think it comes across so strongly with each of the interviewees. I was overwhelmed that everyone [I approached to appear] came back. They did it because they really loved Jack, none of them had to do it. They did it because they felt it was important to say why Jack was special.” Cardiff himself was full of anecdotes from the sets he worked on and one of McCall’s favourites is from the set of The African Queen. “The [cast and crew] all got very ill, in fact they sent a doctor down to try to work it out because the film had to shut down because of dysentery and vomiting. Eventually one doctor realised that they were staying on a houseboat and they hadn’t put in a water filter and so they were basically drinking water straight from the river. But John Huston, the director and Humphrey Bogart weren’t sick and they’d never been sick and they couldn’t work out why that was and then they worked it out: they didn’t drink water, they just drank whisky!” The best biographical documentaries capture the spirit of their subject, and Cameraman does just that by painting a portrait of Cardiff as a skilled artist with an infectious passion for the cinema and lust for life. It’s a must for film fans. CAMERAMAN: THE LIFE AND WORK OF JACK CARDIFF IS OUT IN SELECTED CINEMAS IN JUNE, AND ON DVD ON 19 JUL. THE FILMHOUSE ARE SCREENING SEVERAL OF CARDIFF’S FILMS IN A SHORT SEASON UNTIL 8 JUN
WANNA BE IN
OUR GANG? The Skinny is growing and we are looking for the right people to help take the magazine forward in 2010. If you want to be part of Scotland’s leading arts and culture publication, read on...
DVD EDITOR Do you own a DVD player? Opinionated but fair and able to communicate your ideas to others? The Skinny is looking for a new DVD Editor. We’re looking for someone with a wide knowledge of film both cult and mainstream, who can communicate their opinions without ranting. They will be expected to generate content and also manage writers, commissioning and editing reviews. They will be the point of contact for distribution companies and press agencies, and will represent The Skinny in print and in person. Does this sound like something you could be great at? If so we want to hear from you! Send a CV, two samples of your writing, and a cover letter telling us where you would like to take the DVD section to jobs@theskinny.co.uk
Salary: This is a voluntary position Deadline: 11 June 2010 For full details of all opportunities,visit
THESKINNY.CO.UK/JOBS KEEPING IN FRAME: Jack Cardiff and director Craig McCall
JUNE 2010
THE SKINNY 21
Film
june Events
Coming to a cinema near you
Between 13-20 June, Scotland celebrates its annual Refugee Week, with both the GFT in Glasgow and the Filmhouse in Edinburgh screening films that offer insight into the lives of refugees around the world. Six films will be shown at the GFT, including Afghan Star (14 June, 6.15pm), an Oscar-nominated documentary about a Pop Idol-style talent show in Afghanistan, and the risks contestants take for their chance of stardom. The Filmhouse is showing four films between 13-15 June, including Moving to Mars (13 June, 1pm), the story of two Burmese refugee families relocated to Sheffield.
Afghan Star
For those interested in extreme sports, head to Dundee on 15 June at 8.30pm, where the DCA hosts Glasgow’s International Bike Film Festival Special Event – a mountain biking double bill. First up is the acclaimed Seasons, tracking seven of the world’s best bikers over the course of a year, accompanied by Follow Me, which boasts stunning cinematography and an excellent soundtrack. In a similar vein, the Filmhouse is also screening the latter, followed by The Collective, a series of shorts compiled by the same artistic team, on 11 June at 6.15pm. For Woody Allen fans, there’s only one place to be in June. The Filmhouse is hosting Woody Allen: An Introspective between 31 May and 1 July, with an impressive seventeen films over the month. A cinematic icon and acclaimed director, the season encompasses Allen’s neurotic, self-doubting humour throughout his forty-year career, from 1973’s Sleeper (one of his many Diane Keaton collaborations) to 2008’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona, starring his new muse Scarlett Johansson. With several packages offered when buying tickets, either catch your favourite or treat yourself to the entire season.
FILM Reviews The Brothers Bloom Director: Rian Johnson Starring: Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel Weisz, Rinko Kikuchi Released: 4 Jun Certificate: 12A
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A flawed but enjoyable film from Brick director Rian Johnson, The Brothers Bloom tells the story of two crafty siblings (Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo) whose plans to swindle Rachel Weisz’s character Penelope out of her fortune are complicated when one of them becomes emotionally attached to the ditzy heiress. Johnson’s gift for dialogue and his lively directorial style keeps the film briskly entertaining for a while, but the director eventually ties himself in knots by loading too many twists and cons onto his narrative. It gets harder to care the more unnecessarily convoluted the plot becomes and the ending, when it finally arrives, is a mess. Still, there is a great deal to enjoy here, with Johnson pulling off a number of individually impressive sequences (including the lovely introduction) and drawing excellent performances from his actors. Brody and Ruffalo are perfectly cast as the titular brothers, but the film is stolen by its female element, with both Weisz and Rinko Kikuchi on fine comic form. [Philip Concannon] www.brothersbloom.com
The Girl on the Train Director: André Téchiné Starring: Émilie Dequenne, Catherine Deneuve, Michel Blanc Released: 4 Jun Certificate: TBC
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It’s an interesting story, and one based on a true event: a woman, Jeanne, presents herself as the victim of an anti-Semitic hate crime, sparking nationwide condemnation of the fictional attack. In the beginning, Jeanne enjoys a nice suburban life with her mother, and her only problem is that she needs a job. When Franck displays an interest in her, she’s oblivious to his obsessive, manipulative behaviour. The trajectory of their relationship makes for tense viewing – things are obviously set to go wrong at some point, it’s just a question of when and how. The segue from this to the fabricated assault, however, doesn’t quite add up, and although race and class prejudices contribute to the response of the media and politicians, the national context very much takes a back seat to the tale of a naïve young woman and a possessive boyfriend. Yet despite these insufficient answers the film is gripping throughout and makes for compulsive viewing. [Nine]
The Killer Inside Me Vicky Cristina Barcelona
In the last week of every month the CCA hosts Reflections on Black, a free event in which selected contemporary artists’ films are screened on a loop each day. This month (22-26 June) the chosen artist is Lithuanian Deimantas Narkevicius, whose film The Dud Effect combines archive footage and the real location of a former Soviet base as it follows an officer performing the launch of a nuclear missile. Finally, it’s not just Woody Allen who is being celebrated this month. Paying homage to one of the widely acknowledged pioneers of the New Wave, both the Filmhouse and the GFT are hosting a series of films by Agnes Varda. Catch the last few in the season until 6 June, including one of her best known works, Vagabond (1 June, 6.15pm at GFT), a powerful portrait of a homeless woman, based on a real incident, and The Beaches of Agnes (5-6 June at Filmhouse), Varga’s emotional self-portrait.[Becky Bartlett]
Director: Michael Winterbottom Starring: Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Elias Koteas, Bill Pullman Released: 4 Jun Certificate: 18
rrrr Michael Winterbottom’s bold adaptation of Jim Thompson’s The Killer Inside Me won’t be to everyone’s taste, but Thompson fans should rejoice at seeing a film that truly captures the dark heart of this great novelist’s work. As Lou Ford, the small town sheriff harbouring murderous impulses, Casey Affleck is magnificent, brilliantly suggesting the twisted desires that lurk under his bland exterior. Winterbottom filters everything through this character’s skewed perspective, including his relationships with prostitute Joyce (Jessica Alba) and sweetheart Amy (Kate Hudson), establishing an unsettlingly strange tone that leaves us wondering how much of the onscreen events should be taken literally. A sticking point for many viewers will be the film’s violence, particularly when it is directed against Ford’s female victims. Yes, it is sickening and hard to watch, but it’s also an essential part of the film’s framework, and Winterbottom handles it extremely well. There are misjudgements along the way (Bill Pullman leaves no scenery unchewed), but as a whole this is a hugely impressive piece of work, and one that will undoubtedly leave a mark on anyone who sees it.[Philip Concannon] www.killersinsideme.com
22 THE SKINNY June 2010
Showing from 2nd July
Showing from 23rd July
mersive Im t s o M ’s ld The Wor rience e p x E ie v o M 3D
(TBC)
! G I B k thin 0141 420 5000 • twitter.com/gsc1
www.glasgowsciencecentre.org
(TBC)
Scotland’s ONLY
June 2010
THE SKINNY 23
Film
Puts you IN the movie
Performance
Sex and Sexuality Faked orgasms, aggressive drag and Big Gay Weddings. Another month of heteronormative performance for all! Text Michael Cox & Gareth K Vile “I’ve been reading a lot of books about the process of civil partnerships,” says Johnny McKnight, the writer and performer behind Little Johnny’s Big Gay Wedding. “I have to be honest: it’s all terribly traditional and rather ‘straight’ and boring. I’m chucking those books in the bin. Where’s the campery? The sing-alongs? The wedding dresses? My wedding will be a Gay Wedding, getting all my family and friends in one room. There will be nothing Civil about it!” Despite being a public form, performance is increasingly driven by intensely personal visions. With Taylor Mac encamping at The Arches, Random Accomplice staging wedding receptions at Langside Halls, and the latest incarnation of Rocky Horror arriving at the Playhouse, radically different visions of sexuality are dominating the stage throughout June. All three productions share an enthusiasm for camp: Taylor Mac is a drag queen who rejects the clichés for more aggressive commentary on gender, while Rocky is a notorious celebration of pan-sexuality. Against this, the adaptation of When Harry Met Sally explores the evolution of a mature heterosexual relationship, pausing in the Jamie Cullum score only to vaguely shock with the orgasm scene, which has lost its bite through familiarity. Camp itself is hardly outrageous anymore, but Taylor Mac’s artistic restlessness drives a confrontational, yet charming, re-invention. His Comparison is Violence takes critics, who have compared him to Bowie and Tiny Tim, at their word, by performing Ziggy Stardust complete. On the ukulele. Mac’s performance is haunting, through the strength of his personality. Brash, then coy, his presence is gripping and his monologues are vicious and compassionate by turns. Kitsch is not an end, but a weapon, and Mac promises to rip open ideas about influence and originality via a trip through Tiny Tim’s songbook and Bowie’s iconic album. If Mac faces the audience armed only with a ukelele, Big Gay Wedding is complete with live band, service staff and arranged seating. Says McKnight, “I’d love it if people turned up dressed for the occasion, hats, fascinators, kilts, the lot!” McKnight is engaging with the social edge of sexuality: his own taste for camp is a humorous way into more serious issues. He acknowledges that he wants it to “be reflective of where I am as a person, but also want it to speak to people that, like me, are now starting to grow older, none-the-wiser but are having those thoughts that maybe they might never meet someone – and maybe that’s not such a bad thing.” Despite the provocative title, “Funnily enough, I don’t think of it as a ‘gay wedding’,” says director Julie
Lady Stardust: Taylor Mac
Gareth K Vile
The Community is Theatrical After a sudden burst of political enthusiasm brought on by Favourite Sin’s candidacy and Liberal Democrat prospective MP Chris Young displaying a flair for witty, political poetry at Flatrate’s Initial Itch election special show, I find my reality unchanged by the Westminster drama. A week of a hung parliament required too much thought, especially when Mayfesto at the Tron was distracting me with Global Issues. We now have a deputy prime minister who thinks Beckett is a great author, which means nihilism is now in the cabinet. I think
I liked it better when politicians just referenced the Bible. Real political change, of course, happens on the streets. The Tron, after Mayfesto, is going grass-roots with a series of events that engage the refugee and migrant communities. By presenting performances that involve these groups, Refugee Week demonstrates how multiculturalism is a genuinely positive force for good. As an enthusiast for Eastern European theatre and Asian dance, I have always been confused by idiots who moan about the floods of
24 THE SKINNY June 2010
foreigners: this week of dance, drama and cabaret is an effective argument for throwing away border controls. Besides, anything that involves both Kate E Deeming and Cora Bisset gets my vote. Kate is the star of stage, screen and the side of the Clyde: her daily dancing has been cheering commuters for the past months, while Cora is one of Scotland’s most exciting actors and directors. For anyone who has the community bug, June also sees the various dance schools offer their annual shows on both sides of the M8 divide.
Brown. Since McKnight has been seen wearing a t-shirt that announces “Not Just For Gays,” this supports the assumption that LGBTQ theatre is no longer marginalised as a special interest: while Taylor Mac may boast publicly that he is “a queen who can take a hint”, this isn’t work for some non-normative ghetto. The exploration of sexuality seems to emerge from the intensely personal vision of the artists, rather than just being a grand statement of identity. When Harry Met Sally garnered some degree of controversy on its cinematic release for its frank portrayal of heterosexual relationships and faked orgasms. In a theatrical climate that welcomes musical adaptations of movies – to the extent that Hairspray is no longer a boundary crossing John Hughes underground hit but that one where John Travolta does drag – When Harry feels tame, even when it challenges ideas about male-female friendship. Against Rocky Horror, it is conservative and yet, it poses questions about sexual relationships that are uneasy. Ironically, Rocky Horror has a community following that has made the theatre a safe play for outrageous behaviour. Current Frank’n’Furter David Bedella has commented that the community that surrounds the
show has “been given permission to explore parts of themselves” that often don’t fit mundane life. Despite the advances made in Scottish legislation, the debate around sexuality rages. Once again, theatre offers a space for discussion: while all of the shows explore sexual perspectives, they refuse to become fixated on this single issue. Once upon a time, only When Harry Met Sally could have been expected to be seen as normative. The Rocky Horror Show has itself been instrumental in encouraging a cultural shift. While there is clearly a need for protected spaces – Glasgay! is a shining example – LGBTQ work is no longer aimed at a niche market. Ironically, the drive of personal storytelling has exposed the shared experiences of diverse communities. As McKnight concludes about his own show, from the intimate detail comes the universal. “It is a life-affirming celebration of being a fucked-up thirty-something Scottish person.” Taylor Mac: The Arches 10- 11 Jun 7.30pm, Rocky Horror Show: Playhouse 21-26 Jun 7.30pm, Little Johnny: Langside Halls 1-12 Jun 7.30pm, When Harry Met Sally: EFT 15-19 Jun, 7.30pm www.taylormac.net
Performance
venue of the month
Theatre Royal The top end of Hope Street is home to Glasgow's oldest theatre, still going strong since 1867. Press officer Mark Irwin lets us in on the details of their summer fare
Interview David McNally “Personally speaking I’m most excited about The Woman In Black,” says Irwin, referring to the upcoming production of an evergreen play first staged in 1987 and scaring audiences ever since. “I’ve seen productions of it all over and this one is definitely worth checking out, especially if you’ve never seen it performed before. And not to give too much away, but things happen so quickly, out the corner of your eye, that you can see it repeatedly and notice new things each time. It’s a fantastic experience.” Not for the faint-hearted though? “It relies a lot on the use of sounds, with sound effects often coming from behind. So yeah, we’ve had a few yelps from audience members in the past, that usually means they’re really getting into the experience!” Dangerous Liasons – variously a film, a play, and an opera – now comes to Glasgow as a ballet – and an unusual one too. “First of all, it’s a ballet with a strong narrative. People who might not be ballet fans could be drawn in by that, or there’s the fact that the costumes are unusual for this medium; it’s not often you see a ballet dancer in a corset and a powdered wig. Northern Ballet, who are staging it, have had great success with it so far, and the phrase bodice-ripping ballet has been bandied about!” Something else new to Glasgow is Witness For The Prosecution, based on an Agatha Christie play.
“I know it through the film with Marlene Dietrich,” says Irwin. “It’s a courtroom drama, with a close, claustrophobic atmosphere which many audience members might not be used to – most shows race from location to location so this could be something quite fresh. It’s the Agatha Christie Company who are staging it on their third visit to Glasgow; they have built up quite a following here.” Another show to watch out for is Brazilian choreographer Deborah Colker’s new production, Cruel. Imaginative staging and raw, emotional interplay characterise this highly personal work based around the theme of family. “This is Deborah’s first visit to this venue, bringing a mix of classical and contemporary all the way from Rio. Love, lovers, family bonds – seems all the dance coming here is getting a bit steamy!” And for variety aficionados, there’s a show to conjure up a bit of showbiz razzmatazz. “A bit of jazz hands, yeah!” laughs Irwin. “That would be Strictly Tap Dance Fever, which will mix old school Fred and Ginger stuff with more up to date styles. If you’re a fan of Britain’s Got Talent, or hark back to the days of Opportunity Knocks or New Faces, this is the place to be. I think there’s a strong audience for this type of show; TV programmes like BGT pull in huge figures and the fact that Diversity won last year indicates that popular dance still lives and thrives.” The Theatre Royal clearly has a formula: a classy populism with which even the decor, unchanging in its stately grandeur throughout the decades, seems to be in step.
CHICKS ON SPEED DON’T ART FASHION MUSIC 5 JUNE – 8 AUGUST DCA is supported by:
www.dca.org.uk www.chicksonspeed.com In association with:
June 2010
With thanks to Kate MacGarry
THE SKINNY 25
Performance
previews Make or Break EFT, 22 Jun
“On the ground level BBoying is very healthy in the UK right now. More and more competitions are taking place. This gives bboys/girls something to work towards, improving their skills along the way. Events like Castle Rocks, Survival of the Sickest and Steps of Style have helped to put Edinburgh on the UK bboy map.” As Breakin’ Convention’s rep for Edinburgh, and member of Random Aspekts , Tony Mills is the prominent voice of Scottish breaking. Having linked up with Dance Base, not least through his solo show last Fringe, he is preparing the November arrival of the Convention at the EFT. First up is a series of workshops with Ken Swift, from 20-25 June. As one of the original members of the Rock Steady Crew, Swift rocks it old school style, and his arrival in Edinburgh on 20 June is part of an early summer offensive, culminating in the Make or Break battle on the 22nd. Over the past decade, bboy moves have popped into the mainstream, becoming either a token nod to the street or a more thorough engagement with the ethos. Make or Break gets back to the roots: a face-off, it echoes the first crews in the States, who used dance as a form of aggressive display. Almost tribal passions are reflected in hip-hop’s language and culture. The EFT seems an unlikely place for hip-hop, but Mill’s advocacy has seen it become a centre for breaking and popping, giving the local teams a chance to shine up on the same stage as the ballet and contemporary companies. [Gareth K Vile] Tony Thrills and the Festival Theatre Edinburgh: MAKE or BREAK 2-on-2 Break Dance Competition, 22 Jun, 6pm. With live music from DJ P-Stylz, plus extra hip hop activities and performances to keep you entertained throughout the competition. To register for the 2-on-2 competition contact tonythrills@ ymail.com or register via the UKBBoy Forum
photo: ANNA ISOLA CROLLA
The Coconut Badger Admiral Bar, Glasgow, 3 & 4 Jun
You’re IN-vited! Wednesday 23 June 6.30-8.30pm Roxy Art House, 2 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh Join us to celebrate the launch of IN, a new initiative from the Edinburgh International Festival for culture lovers in their 20s and 30s. It’s a great new way to enhance your Festival-going experience and meet like-minded people along the way.
Complimentary drinks Festival goodie bag – THE must have accessory for summer 2010 Fabulous on-the-night competition Exclusive Festival 2010 ticket offers for IN members announced Plus guest DJ Brian dSouza spinning Latin and New World tracks
Free event, but places are limited. To get your name on a guest list email INsider@eif.co.uk. RSVP by Monday 21 June.
To join IN or for more information please visit
eif.co.uk/INsider In association with
Supported by the City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Arts Council. Charity SC004694.
26 THE SKINNY June 2010
Launch party in association with
Mark MacNicol, playwright, producer and director of The Coconut Badger shows that if you want to make something happen, be honest, gutsy and proactive. After interest from The Scottish Playwright Studio’s FUSE service, The Citizens and Ramshorn Theatre but no commissions made, this plucky playwright refused to give up on his dream of putting on his own play. His first act was to raise his profile and find a cast by sticking posts on Facebook, Glasgow Theatre Underground website and the notice boards of University drama departments. Describing casting as “the least difficult part of the process,” his second task was directing and producing the play. “I was totally up front with the actors from the start,” he says. “I told them I had never done anything like this before. In effect they have helped me to direct them! “The production side is hard work when you have no money. But I have been amazed by how accommodating people have been when I explain the project to
them. Again it’s just about being honest and up front with people. Also helps if you have a brass neck and don’t mind when people say no.” And what of the play itself? Set on a Glasgow housing scheme, Mark drew heavily from his experience growing up in Pollok and though the story is fiction, its themes are very personal. Commenting on the title he says: “The origin of the name gives away its meaning so I can’t say too much. In summary, Pat the ageing scheme psychopath introduces Tam the young coward to a strategy he can use to overcome his fear of confrontation. That’s where Coconut Badger comes in, any more on that would be a spoiler.” [Victoria McGillop] The Coconut Badger is showing at Admiral Bar, 72a Waterloo Street Glasgow on Thu 3 Jun and Fri 4 Jun, 7.30pm www.coconutbadger.com
WANNA BE IN
Comedy at the Leith Festival
OUR GANG? THE SKINNY NEEDS FRINGE REVIEWERS!
Before the overwhelming kaleidoscopic festival of art, music and everything else hits Edinburgh in August there is the Leith Festival - a smaller, better groomed wee festival LEITH FESTIVAL CRUZ, 10-11 JUN
and ridiculous to brilliant comic art. It works well for him and he has been keeping busy touring in the UK, Australia and America and appearing all over the place on the radio along the way. And of course we couldn’t help but mention Vladimir McTavish, also a regular Leith Festival-er, who is bringing his new show Whiskey: An Eejit's Guide along this time. He’ll be taking a look at the history of Scotland’s favourite drink and how it came to take such a meaningful place within what it is to be Scottish. McTavish has been roaming the comedy circuit for long enough now to have his art finessed and well deserves his place as one of Scotland’s best loved comedians. Fit O’The Giggles: Finest brings a cluster of comedians together in the same room for five quick comedy sets. If you worry about putting all your money down for an hour with the same comedian, maybe someone you’ve never heard of, it's likely that Fit O’ The Giggles is going to have someone in their line up that’s your cup of tea. And probably at least one who isn’t, but that’s variety for you. Tickets are fairly cheap, at five or six quid each, so you can branch into more unfamiliar comedy territory, the mysterious misty bog lands of the unknown, unsure if you will find comedy gold or a stinky empty basement. Comedians will be experimenting with new material a little so you have the chance to catch what could be 2010’s big Edinburgh Festival highlight before the tickets triple in price. [Edward Whelan]
says push the envelope to win £300
During the busy period from early July until the end of August, professional and highly organised writer/editors are needed for: * Writing reviews, previews and interviews * Commissioning and editing reviews from other writers * Attending press calls and launches * Liaising with press reps and agents for venues, companies and individual acts If you think you have something to offer please email lizzie@theskinny.co.uk detailing how you fit what we are looking for. Please include two recent examples of your writing and a copy of your CV, with references.
Submit a video to our Annual General Karaoke
Deadline 12th August www.agk.yucknyum.com
T H E
LEITH FESTIVAL RUNS FROM 11-20 JUN WWW.LEITHFESTIVAL.COM
Illustration - Jamie Johnson
All located within a one mile radius, you can reasonably expect to be able to wander around the Leith Festival with a programme in your hand, dropping in and out of venues as the mood takes you. The programme is somewhat eclectic, somewhat predictable and the comedy on offer is a mixed bag, but with many great shows around you should browse the line up with care. Shows take place on a boat! A real floating, in the water boat, that sways on blowy nights. Cruz, a moored 1919 steamer at The Shore, has a roomy bar upstairs while downstairs the venue itself is a decent size. Amongst our pick of highlights is Seven Different Shades of Wrong on 19 June, an improv show being podcast live. I’m not entirely sure how this is all going to work, but if the idea of ‘live’ and ‘interactive’ and ‘radio’ all fit together well for you, then get along early to find a seat where you can catch their eye. With both Rick Molland and Billy Kirkwood onboard, expect a comedy show with a dirty underbelly. Molland is one of the ranting atheists behind The Heresy Project, which has received mixed reviews, but certainly caught them a lot of attention as they systematically offended everyone, with much guffawing along the way. On 20 June is the wonderful Phil Buckley. Buckley has been around the world and back with his stories of unexpected truthfulness and returns to the Leith festival with his show Jokes Not Included, a premise so simple but so inspired. Buckley himself has admitted in earlier shows that his ability to make up jokes is pretty poor, but with fantastic comic delivery he regales the audience with stories from his life, elevating the silly
The Skinny are recruiting volunteers for the Comedy section of the magazine and website for during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Calling all creatives
COMEDY CLUB LIVE COMEDY
7 NIGHTS A WEEK
333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow
0870 600 6055 5 York Place, Edinburgh
0131 558 7272 www.thestand.co.uk
JUNE 2010
THE SKINNY 27
COMEDY
PREVIEW
ART
Edinburgh Napier University Design Students
JUNE 2010
at
NEW DESIGNERS LONDON
EDINBURGH’S NEW MULTI-ARTS CENTRE
FRIDAY 18th - SUNDAY 4th
WWW.EMBASSYGALLERY.ORG
2010
The Annuale, now in its seventh year, is co-ordinated by the Embassy Gallery, an independent gallery housed within the Roxy Art House.
A host of performances from Gappad Theatre company over their birthday weekend
28 THE SKINNY JUNE 2010
Doors 10am till 11pm each day Tickets: £10 (full day Sat) £12 (full day Sun). Tickets also available for individual performances. Full event listing can be found at www. gappadtheatre.co.uk
SUITE 69 8pm, £6, ROXY Room
FRI
11th
Suite Soixante Neuf is the ultimate swinging ‘60s French Discotheque - bringing you the ye-ye sounds of Serge Gainsbourg, Johnny Hallyday, Brigitte Bardot, Jacques Dutronc etc. Plus, authentic, French garage beat from Les Bof!
NONSENCE 8:30pm, £5, ROXY Room
THU
24th
ASH DICKINSON 7:30pm, £5 (£4), ROXY Theatre
“London’s status as a key global design centre cannot be ignored – Scotland is proud to showcase it’s home grown creative design talent at this national event”
www.newdesigners.com www.edinburghnapierdegreeshow.com
SATURDAY 19th SUNDAY 20th
GAPPAD THEATRE AND FRIENDS
Showcasing the very best in UK graduate design
Ian Lambert Director of Art & Design School of Arts & Creative Industries
Follow us on facebook. Search for ROXY Art House.
ANNUALE: FESTIVAL OF INDEPENDENT PRACTICE
For more details look out for the printed programme or go to www.annuale.org
8 – 11 July, Business Design Centre
2 Roxburgh Place | Edinburgh | EH8 9SU www.roxyarthouse.org | 0131 629 0039
SUN
13th
Multiple poetry slam champion Ash Dickinson twists quick-fire rhymes and offbeat lines into a mash-up of stand-up, theatre and rap. Expect old faves and devilish new material from Ash and his rhymed ruminations.
An evening’s entertainment where an elite band of clowns, actors and musicians create a surreal, interactive environment. Who’s a punter and who’s a performer? Featuring Croftwork (shepherds play Kraftwerk) and ‘Le Miniscule’ (world’s smallest restaurant).
THIS IS CENTRAL STATION: IS THIS A TEST? 7pm, £5, ROXY Room
SAT
26th
Celebrating the synergy of music and the moving image... Live performances from Retchy, Tam Dean Burn, Alastair Cook and Fiona Soe Paing (left). Plus music videos and a VJ set from Willie Richardson.
The ROXY Bar is open every night from 5pm
Serving the best selection of Scottish beers in Edinburgh in our underground bar.
This advert offers a sample of the events at the ROXY for further listings please visit the website
It's that time of year again, as Scotland's art schools roll out their graduate shows. Duncan of Jordanstone opened proceedings with their May exhibition, so The Skinny headed along to check it out Text Ben Robinson Photos Joanna Montgomery After last year’s sabbatical in the Greenmarket’s Vision building, the 2010 edition of Dundee’s degree show returns to its alma mater at the Duncan of Jordanstone college. Visitors to its labyrinthine corridors are seeking a crop of Fine Art graduates whose handiwork will likely be hidden away somewhere in a forgotten corner. You’re really best advised to collect a map from reception on the way in. One such example is the work of Chloe Windsor, whose cosmic arrangements of pyramids and assorted mystical offerings fashion a celestial gift from humble means, all buried deep within the bowels of the Matthew building’s sculpture workshops. Next door Anne Rachel Ward’s display presents an ersatz Eden, a menagerie of bloated birds of paradise, their forms crafted from metal and modroc, sharing floor space with a tree saturated in shiny bright bold gloss paint. Sir David Attenborough can be thankful for such a worthy tribute. Away from all these natural and supernatural wonders, the Matthew’s renowned Time-Based Art department resides, housing the work of Stephen Bloe. His Research Laboratory of Electronic Progress gives us rickety spools of cut-up magnetic tape, their hums, whirrs, clicks and pops carrying happy echoes of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop’s auditory pioneers. The aesthetic is Doctor Who meets Drexciya by way of the garden shed and this surely is a good thing. Elsewhere in the college, other artists seize their chance to reinterpret the everyday. Over in the Crawford corridor Neil Ogg’s installation combines striplighting, a wheelie bin and a wall of delicately rendered prints of tabloid front pages, their finely worked details a contrast to the hysteria glaring from the headlines. Similarly quotidian, downstairs Lyndsey Redford has made paintings on the insides of book covers and folders in a series entitled Thoughts On Everyday Life. Markedly more shadowy shapes are cast by Mary Somerville, who creates a quietly epic installation incorporating intricate model architecture and stop-motion animation. Her film of Sirius the Dog Star and a wandering, doddering Dog is an affecting, poetic amble around in the darkness.
A more starkly pronounced anxiety pervades Fiona Gordon’s ink drawings and litho prints. Unruly black ink drips and smears across a dystopia of surveillance cameras, scissors and falling share prices, a malignant landscape of ruin. As ever the sheer volume of art here can seem like a similar threat. Still, the cartoons of Sara Aziz provide a highlight of the show. Smart, dexterous black and white cartoons finished in a fine line and displayed either salon style or painted directly onto the gallery walls, we see two downtrodden figures standing waiting for a bus. One is marked ‘the smell of booze’, the other ‘the smell of curry’. It tickled my ribs, at least.
Neil Ogg
Chloe Windsor
preview Chicks on Speed: Don't Art, Fashion, Music DCA, 4 Jun - 8 Aug
You may have heard of them in the realm of electroclash with their record label Chicks on Speed Records (artists represented include Le Tigre). You may have heard about them in the world of fashion, upcoming events including Fashion Party as part of Sonar in Barcelona. Maybe it was in performance art? Video? Chicks on Speed’s practice extends far beyond any easy categorisation, mixing up elements that include music making, DIY fashion, product design, performance and God knows what else to produce work which is simultaneously fun and very very serious. Chicks on Speed are a multinational collective, started in Munich in 1995 when core members Alex Murray-Leslie and Melissa Logan, students at the Academy of Fine Arts, set up an illegal bar, motivated by a desire to create a place where creatives could get together and exchange ideas, have a party, collaborate. From the outset they have blurred the lines between art, performance and music, a cross fertilisation which was rather less widely accepted then than it is now. Their work has developed since to include elements of fashion – taken from their homemade performance costumes – and technology. For the DCA Chicks are creating a show called Don’t Art, Fashion, Music, a title which clearly emphasises the disciplinary contradiction inherent
in their work. They take an evolutionary approach, keeping successful elements from each artwork and performance and incorporating them into the next piece, building and expanding as they go. For Dundee, they will be bringing a theremin tapestry, a weaving incorporating the non-contact space age musical instrument on which they plan to play an image. New works (collectively called Objekt Instruments) include the world’s first wireless stiletto guitar, a golden marvel created in collaboration with shoe designer Max Kibardin and three years in the making. Funding from the show has enabled them to industrialise the design and put it into production, and the opening performance will see its debut. The instrument plays with gender roles in its more high-minded moments, without losing a sense of fun and old-fashioned entertainment. The exhibition will open with a performance by the collective, using their various instruments, costumes, a bespoke stage and who knows what else. The event will be recorded, looped and introduced to the space alongside other video works, specially commissioned print wallpaper, and a team of weavers fashioning a stage curtain from within the stage over the course of the residency. There are also banners (some made during a performance in Abidjan on the Ivory Coast). Essentially, Chicks On Speed’s DCA exhibition looks set to be an unpredictable and riotous affair quite unlike anything we have seen before. [Rosamund West] www.chicksonspeed.com
June 2010
THE SKINNY 29
Art
Dundee Degree Show 2010
Music
Appetite For Distraction Slash talks about his war against technology, working with Ozzy, and the ongoing search for a frontman he won't fall out with Interview Dave Kerr “I’m getting ready to go hit the road, rehearsing and doing press, obviously, to set the record up: all the regular shit that goes on.” Saul “Slash” Hudson obliges one more phone interview as a gruelling continent-crossing schedule in support of his first self-titled solo album creeps into his crosshairs. Having become a prominent go-to figure for guest guitar licks since that acrimonious departure from Guns n’ Roses in 1996 – performing with everyone from Rihanna to Ray Charles – Slash’s newest release sees the shoe on the other foot as he invites a veritable who’s who of rock’n’roll royalty to sing and jam in his LA studio. Affable but measured in the way he serves his answers – lest another court case rears its head – you can still tell, despite the major label backing, that Slash doesn’t entirely enjoy being bounced around by the machinations of the industry he’s pledged his life to. Beneath the top hat, Les Paul and dangling fag stands a consummate professional who feels urged to collaborate, record and tour nonstop.
“I'm just trying to show off my guitar skills – which aren’t that fuckin’ great – for five minutes at a time”
Before you went down the road of recruiting all these guests, were you tempted to go instrumental on your own, Joe Satriani style? That’s what the premise of an album by Slash without the Snake Pit initially implies, after all… “No, from its inception I started working on this record with the idea that I was going to have these singers come in and guest. I’m not saying that I’ll never do it – because you really never know – but the idea of doing a record with a bunch of different pieces of music on it that I solo over doesn’t really excite me at this point. I’m more of a song-oriented guy, and I like to play within the framework of a song… just trying to show off my guitar skills – which aren’t that fuckin’ great – for five minutes at a time.”
the same room has become the done thing in the last decade – were you tempted? “No, no, no – this was an old school, old fashioned record; everything was recorded live in the studio, like a normal band kind of thing – the way I’ve always done it – and the singers came down to the studio themselves. There were two situations where we had to send the tapes somewhere else; with Ozzy he has a studio right in his house so he did his vocals while I was over there. And then Kid Rock was in Michigan, so we recorded the song over there and I came back to rerecord it in LA with my band. Everything was done on 2” tape, it was all analog. It was really all in the spirit of the old way of doing things. Even with technology making all these modern conveniences, I still choose to do things the old way. It’s just to get a feel for the human interaction of a group when it’s live and the groove that comes with that, I’ve never believed in shooting files around.”
Did you have very definite ideas about who you’d draft in? “I basically sat down, wrote instrumental songs and thought about who would sound good on each one. Then I’d contact each individual, send them a demo and we’d get together for a minute, work on the arrangement then we’d get into a studio and record it – very simple process, but the artists that ended up on the record were totally dictated by the music. One of the reasons why it’s so diverse is purely because the music said ‘well, we need Ozzy for this, and we need Adam Levine for that’ [laughs].”
Dave Kerr
Tomorrow Becomes Yesterday We were slapping our thighs and howling like wee girls while listening to Whitesnake talking in the office some time last year about the ‘new’ classic rock and which bands would make the playlist on a follow-up to that compilation your dad’s been hammering on the car stereo for the last 20 years. We were imagining the day Whip It (read Paul Mitchell’s DEVO interview on page 37) becomes Cut Your Hair (check Paul Neeson’s take on Pavement’s return to the Barras on page 44). Suffice
to say, the list read like a cast of guest presenters from 120 Minutes circa 1992. Rolling into summer 2010, it seems strange to see those bands and the classic rock generation of old either still at it or reforming for the pension top-up tour, and that so many are still in their prime. It reminds me how insane the media (hello!) can be for betting on new music for new music’s sake – rather than, y’ken, good music – when few talents are built to last on the fumes of hyperbolic press.
30 THE SKINNY June 2010
That said, a band like Refused (see Jason Morton’s reappraisal of The Shape of Punk to Come on page 41) was always destined to burn out early, although they left an indelible trail of tire marks as they made their exit. But is the world ready to call that gang of hungry, maverick post-hardcore punk practising Swedes ‘classic rock’ just yet?
A few of your childhood heroes – like Ozzy and Iggy – are on this album. Which one gave you the biggest thrill? “One hundred percent honestly, everyone was wonderful on this record; every session I did with each individual was fuckin’ great and had its own unique moment. But obviously doing a session with Alice Cooper, or Ozzy, or Iggy, or Lemmy – those were the big heroes of mine that I’ve looked up to and been fortunate enough to be friendly with over a lot of years. For them to take the time out to come down and put their stamp on it was huge. But I don’t want that to undermine anybody else’s input, working with Kid Rock was fantastic, as was working with Fergie, Chris [Cornell], Andrew [Stockdale]… I could just go down the list, all the way up to discovering Myles Kennedy; I was the only guy on the block who didn’t really know who he was [laughs]. The whole process of making this record was a real shot in the arm for me.”
We’ll talk again in 2020. The album is very traditional in its attitude; does that still extend to the way you record? Trading files digitally in order to bring musical collaborations into fruition without being in
When we last spoke in 2007, just before the last Velvet Revolver tour, you mentioned that a solo album was on the cards. Has this been a labour of love ever since? “When we went in to make the Libertad record – right at the start of it – at that time I was writing my book. By the time we were on tour I wrote down my intention to make a solo record with all these guest singers – that’s really when it became a solid idea in my mind. As that tour disintegrated slowly but surely [laughs], it turned into something I was eager to do, like: ‘as soon as I get the fuck outta here I’m going to go make a record’. Still, that particular UK leg of the Velvet Revolver tour was the best we ever did.” You put a call out for a new vocalist to front Velvet Revolver a couple of years ago, is that still an ongoing search? “Yeah, but I’ve been working on my record, Duff’s been doing his thing with Loaded and Jane’s [Addiction], but very quietly behind the scenes we’ve still been looking and keeping our ears open. Next year we’re going to get back together and focus on what we have so far and what’s around us. My whole thing is to find the killer rock singer for Velvet Revolver that’s the real deal; they’re few and far between these days.” Slash plays HMV Picture House, edinburgh on 1 Jul www.snakepit.org
Music © 2010 Jack Daniel’s. All rights reserved. JACK DANIEL’S and OLD NO. 7 are registered trademarks.
THE SPéN† GRAIñ F®OM ýVíRY BåTC˙ øƒ JAçK DåNêEL’ß †éNñíSßýE WHIß˚E¥ IS FE∂ †O ¬øCAL ¬ê√EßTøçK. (BE ASßUR´D, Wé HåVí SOME øF T˙í μO߆ CONTéñT LIVESTøCK êN †H´ßE På®TS.)
Your friends at Jack Daniel’s remind you to drink responsibly.
Music
Banging on about The Drums Having found hype with the BBC, NME and a spot on Wossy, these New Yorkers have been making quite a splash of late. The Skinny talks to The Drums' frontman Jonathan Pierce about hype, Orange Juice and his rightfully selfish approach to creativity
Interview Paul Mitchell “There are a handful of bands that we really admire, and have our whole lives, from Scotland. I was very influenced by Orange Juice.” The Drums frontman Jonathan Pierce is certainly enthused by the prospect of future trips to Scotland’s largest city. “It’s really great to go there and pick up on the vibe,” he says. “Not only do a show there but to be embraced by the whole culture of the place. It’s just a feeling I got when I stepped off the bus in Glasgow. We might even move there to make our next record. There seems to be something special in the air there. I don’t know where else would suit the sound of The Drums. It might have a bit of a darker effect on our sound.” The sound in question has been compared to a wide variety of historical sounds ranging from Beach Boysesque surf-pop to the maudlin efforts of 1980s Manchester. Pierce is happy with the comparison. “Well, it’s extremely flattering to be compared to your heroes. It’s not anything done on purpose – our sound coming off that way, I think it’s a case of being influenced by what we were listening to as teenagers growing up. Stuff you listen to in your formative years – in my case Joy Division, The Smiths and New Order – becomes like a musical accent, a way of identifying with a certain sound. Even if we went the opposite direction on purpose and tried to sound nothing like that stuff I still reckon some of it could shine through anyway.” The singer lets us in by revealing a somewhat
32 THE SKINNY June 2010
contrarian yet consistent modus operandi. “Whenever we create we try to be as selfish as possible. This means shutting the world out basically. When we started the project we had no idea if it would work out, and it was quite selfcentred, primarily started out of boredom and a lack of inspiration. I think a lot of bands start off by being inspired by the music... we were kind of bummed out about life.” Pierce says that being ‘bummed out’ was ultimately a symptom of his own depression, which prompted him to turn to music as an outlet “because I didn’t know what else to do.” Wryly acknowledging that his burgeoning career hasn’t quite slain that particular beast, he notes with optimism that it at least affords him the ‘luxury’ of not worrying about the opinions of others. “Jake [Graham, the band’s co-founder] and I had been making music separately our whole lives and when we did finally decide to form a band we just shut everything out and only did what we wanted to do and didn't care what anyone thought of it.” The New York four-piece have been riding the crest of a wave of publicity since the release of their debut EP Summertime last summer, featuring heavily in the BBC Sound of 2010 poll and being tipped for mainstream success by the NME. So, what is it about them that’s attracting such positive attention? “I’m really not sure,” offers Pierce. “At the end of the day, we write pop songs. That’s all we want to do and production is not nearly as important as melody to us. When The Drums started we really wanted to get back to basics; a band in
"People come up and say 'you guys are doing this new thing' which is weird, because it's very much an old thing. Maybe that's why it sticks out"
the classic sense of the word, and just have four guys playing simple pop songs with little or no experimentation. We want to not be edgy, not be hip and that’s why we moved to Florida. We left Brooklyn so we wouldn’t be influenced by the scene there. There are so many bands coming out of there trying to be new and exciting and we just want to do what’s tried and true, old and classic. People come up and say ‘You guys are doing this new thing,’ which is weird, because it’s very much an old thing. Maybe that’s why it sticks out.” Pierce speculates that perhaps their rapid rise to prominence is indicative of a global yearning for simplicity in troubled times. “I think people are ready for songs again. It just seems that for the last long while the emphasis has been on production having the right sound, the right engineer. What we’re trying to do, and there are other bands too like Camera Obscura that I think really believe in songs and the power of a simple thing with a bit of sincerity because there does seem to be a lot of insincere sounding big-time stuff going on. Even the political climate, around the world, seems to be suggesting that people are looking for something a little more tangible.” Continuing his homage to all things Scottish, he goes on: “Like Orange Juice, when they wrote a pop song, there was something beautifully fragile and delicate about it. That’s what we’re trying to achieve.” The Drums’ self-titled debut LP is released via Island Records on 10 Jun. They play T in the Park, Balado on 11 Jul
The Skinny meets the Silver Columns, folk troubadours who've gone and done a Dylan Interview Paul Mitchell Photos Helen Abraham “I’m willing to do it of course...but...” Adem Ilhan is gamely ‘volunteering’ to tackle the decidedly highpitched harmony in Vogue, only to suggest that his Silver Columns bandmate Johnny Lynch (aka Fence Records stalwart The Pictish Trail) might perhaps suit better. “I knew it, this is a trap”, cries Lynch as he and Ilhan, with Falkirk’s Malcolm Middleton in tow, attempt to come to grips with the vocal layers on Madonna’s 1990 worldwide smash. The duo are in Glasgow to rehearse ahead of The JD Set on 12 June, an evening at the ABC where they and Middleton, along with James Yuill, Casiokids and Cocknbullkid will each offer their own take on the output from the Queen of Pop. The atmosphere is light-hearted and the banter flows freely while both Columns show no small degree of mastery of the mixing consoles and multi-track recorders laid out for them. Silver Columns managed to create quite a word of mouth buzz last year, with the white label release of some electro-pop tracks, including the distinctly Moroder-esque Brow Beaten, and a veil of mysterious anonymity. The cat has well and truly escaped the bag with the advent of the full-length LP Yes, And Dance but the two insist that the refusal to confirm their identities was more than a simple attention-grabbing ploy. “It wasn’t a planned marketing move,” Adem reveals. “Because we’ve both got history in the music business, we wanted to make sure that people listened to the music and made their decisions based on that fact alone, so there wouldn’t be any preconceptions based on our previous work. As soon as we revealed who we are, all these ‘techno-folk’ and ‘pop-folk’ labels started being
attached to the music. It’s amazing how lazy people can be. We felt vindicated in our decision to keep quiet when that happened.” So what made them decide to break cover then? “We could have tried to maintain the mystery, maybe worn masks or something, but it has been done a lot and becomes a gimmick. As soon as the anonymity became a thing that people were talking about, that in itself became a distraction.” explains Johnny. “Plus, there was another internet rumour that one of us was in The Stereophonics – I wasn’t fucking having that.” The pair gladly admit to a large degree of mutual respect, and the collaboration came about in the aftermath of playing at festivals curated by the other (Lynch’s Homegame in Fife, and Ilhan’s’s Homefires in London). Both have established reputations as singersongwriters with a distinctly folky bent. Adem, who also plays bass in Fridge along with Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet), elaborates. “I’ve been doing a lot of production recently and I thought it would be really nice to have a stab at poppy dancey stuff. Also, it’s really nice to work with people. It gives the music an authority and further motivation to do it. The person I thought I’d love to have worked with, whose influences and ideas would fit perfectly with what the project could be, was Johnny. So I called him up.” The band were initially called simply Columns after one of their tracks, with Lynch subsequently deciding to pay tribute to the Silver Jews, Dave Berman’s indie rock outfit who regretfully called it quits last year. “Actually I had some terrible ideas for names,” says Johnny. “We’ve got a song out at the moment called Cavalier, and we were thinking of calling ourselves Cavaliers. Then we looked on Myspace and there’s a wealth of really shit bands using that name. I suggested we call ourselves
"There was another internet rumour that one of us was in The Stereophonics – I wasn't fucking having that" Johnny Lynch
the Vauxhall Cavaliers, but Adem didn’t really go for that, he’s not into product placement.” Identity crisis solved, the pair then set about tackling the problem of recreating the ambitious, multi-faceted soundscape of the album in a live setting. “We did ask ourselves a few months ago how on earth this might work, as the album sounds so busy,” says Ilhan. “We have a lot of sequenced parts but then we play live on top of that, with elements of each track which we can pull out to give it more energy. It is important that we make it really work as a live experience rather than just a type of karaoke that other electro acts might produce.” They’re hoping to bring the same attitude to the JD Set, and it turns out that paying tribute to Madge was in fact Adem’s idea, as he explains: “When we got approached by [London-based indie label] Moshi Moshi they made suggestions such as Fela Kuti, which would have maybe been a bit difficult, or Bowie, but that’s been done a lot before. We thought it should be first and foremost a good gig, and something that all the talents of the various bands could enjoy doing.” Adem sent out an email to the other acts suggesting either Madonna or Kylie and, according to Johnny, “Immediately everyone was saying ‘Oh we can enjoy ourselves with this’. Something more challenging might have been interesting but it’s a fun concert rather than an intellectual experiment.” Yes, And Dance is out now on Moshi Moshi The JD Set takes place on 17 Jun at ABC 2, Glasgow. See page 63 for a chance to win tickets and a guitar signed by all bands on the bill silver columns also play loopallu festival on 17-18 sep www.thejdset.co.uk www.silvercolumns.com
June 2010
THE SKINNY 33
Music
The Sound of Silver
Distraught, though we are, by the disappearance of events like Connect, Indian Summer and Triptych from the annual Scottish festival calendar in recent years, it's reassuring to see more DIY events coming out to compete with the big guns in 2010. So don your sunnies, pack some sangers (those soggy burgers don't come cheap), and choose your meadow from this bounty... GONORTH
WEST END FESTIVAL
VARIOUS VENUES (GLASGOW) 7-27 JUN TICKET PRICES VARY
JUN
Don’t Miss: Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, King Creosote, Zoey Van Goey (left), Burnt Island, Prayer Rug
VARIOUS (INVERNESS) 10-13 JUN SEE WEBSITE FOR TICKET INFORMATION
Meursault (right), Pensioner, Astral Planes, Miaoux Miaoux, Bronto Skylift, The Seventeenth Century
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ROCKNESS
HALT BAR HIJACK
CLUNE FARM, DORES, INVERNESS 11-13 JUN WEEKEND CAMPING TICKET: £149
HALT BAR, GLASGOW 11-13 JUN FREE
The Strokes (right), Aphex Twin, Leftfield, Steve Mason, Crystal Castles, Team Ghost, Dananananaykroyd
Holy Mountain, John Knox Sex Club (left), Washington Irving, Gummy Stumps
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INSIDER FESTIVAL
INSHRIACH HOUSE, BY AVIEMORE 18-20 JUN WEEKEND CAMPING TICKET: £70
LEITH FESTIVAL
VARIOUS (LEITH, EDINBURGH) 11-20 JUN SEE WEBSITE FOR TICKET INFORMATION
Sparrow and the Workshop (right), Woodenbox With a Fistful of Fivers, Alasdair Roberts, Kill It Kid, Trembling Bells, The French Wives WWW.INSIDER2010.COM
Eagleowl (left), Blueflint, Callel, Delta Mainline, The Kays Lavelle, Isa and the Filthy Tongues WWW.LEITHFESTIVAL.COM
JUL
GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
DJ Vadim, Meursault, Broken Records, Panda Su (right), Alex Tronic, Stanley Odd
VARIOUS VENUES 18-27 JUN TICKET PRICES VARY
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STONEHAVEN FOLK FESTIVAL
Brass Jaw (left), Polar Bear, Jim Carruth, dBass WWW.JAZZFEST.CO.UK
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COMMERCIAL ALTERNATIVE
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MONO, GLASGOW 4 JUL £20 (TICKETS LIMITED TO 300)
WICKERMAN FESTIVAL
The Phantom Band (left), Comet Gain, Remember Remember, Astral Planes
EAST KIRKCARSWELL, NEAR DUNDRENNAN 23-24 JUL WEEKEND CAMPING AND PARKING TICKET: £85
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T IN THE PARK
Teenage Fanclub (right), The Buzzcocks, The Charlatans, Futureheads, Sons & Daughters, Goldie Lookin Chain, Panda Su, Withered Hand, There Will Be Fireworks
BALADO, KINROSS-SHIRE, 9-11 JUL TICKET AVAILABILITY AND PRICES VARY
Muse, Eminem, Jay-Z, Broken Social Scene, The Black Keys, Biffy Clyro (left), Yeasayer, The Big Pink, Julian Casablancas, The Drums, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Local Natives, Black Mountain, Mitchell Museum, The Boy Who Trapped the Sun, Three Blind Wolves
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KELBURN CASTLE NEAR LARGS 3-4 JUL WEEKEND CAMPING TICKET: £48
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AUG
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James, Happy Mondays (right), Alabama 3, The Complete Stone Roses
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INNERLEITHEN MUSIC FESTIVAL
LOOPALLU FESTIVAL
ULLAPOOL 17-18 SEP WEEKEND CAMPING TICKET: £70
MEMORIAL HALL, INNERLEITHEN 20-22 AUG WEEKEND TICKET: £45 (£40)
Silver Columns (right), more tbc
Lau, The Unthanks (left), Lauri Watson and the Rule of Three, The Bevvy Sisters WWW.INNERLEITHENMUSICFESTIVAL.ORG
EDEN FESTIVAL 2010
RAEHILLS MEADOWS, MOFFAT 3-5 SEP WEEKEND CAMPING TICKET: £69
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34 THE SKINNY JUNE 2010
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SEP
FENCE RECORDS PRESENTS... THE AWAY GAME
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King Creosote (right), The Pictish Trail, more tbc WWW.FENCERECORDS.COM
TEXT: DICK JONES& RACHEL BOWLES. PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDREW MOORE, MARKUS THORSEN, HEIDI KUISMA, MISCHA RICHTER, SARAH ROBERTS
MUSIC
Standing on the Edge of Summer
Music
CASIOKIDS JAMES YUILL COCKNBULLKID SILVER COLUMNS MALCOLM MIDDLETON REINTERPRET THEIR CHOICE OF
Copyright © 2010 JACK DANIEL’S. All rights reserved. JACK DANIEL’S and OLD NO.7 are registered trademarks.
MADONNA’S GREATEST HITS O2 ABC2
GLASGOW
THURSDAY 17 JUNE 2010 ADE IN MUSIC HISTORY WILL BE M D GLASGOW. N A R TE ES CH N A M , N DO N LO FIND OUT HOW AT:
THEJDSET.CO.UK OVER 18s ONLY.
Know when to unplug. Please drink Jack Daniel’s responsibly.
June 2010
THE SKINNY 35
MUSIC
Interview Rachel Bowles Photo Michael Radigan THE quiet, polite Lea Cummings has a curious alter-ego, Kylie Minoise – a volatile and prolific noise artist, behind the infamous Live Aktion sets for which he’s garnered a dedicated cult following. His music resonates somewhere between Lightning Bolt and Merzbow, in terms of both its uncompromising, driving noise and his incredible visceral performances, apparently impossible to replicate on record. “I’m always totally in the moment,” he affirms. “One of the reasons why some of my gigs are really short is that, the second I lose focus, I’m aware that I’m in a room full of people, with no shirt on, screaming.” It’s with a spiritual quality that Cummings explains the unique performance stylistics of Kylie Minoise. “There’s a morphic resonance to what everyone does,” he reasons. “The performance creates more powerful energy if I’m 100% into it.” This cerebral regression into the semiotic allows for his performance to always be at its most raw, cathartic and physical but such an uncompromising methodology – coupled with respect for the audience’s experience of his music – has its drawbacks. “For me, personally, it’s about physicality and sound created by my movement,” says Cummings. “Some people think that means it’s confrontational or violent – it isn’t. I do get into the audience and play and jump on tables because I don’t like the idea of playing on stage, the separation of audience and band. Some people attack me in good spirits, I don’t particularly like it but I don’t mind because it’s important to them that they’ve made a spectacle.” Cummings is refreshingly dedicated to his art, striving towards authenticity and intense personal engagement, wary of rehearsed, mechanical replications of gigs he has played before. His creative process is honed by a similarly theoretical approach: “I throw lots of things at the record and most get scrapped,” he shrugs. “It’s like an aural collage, it will have aspects of live performance but it takes me ages to get something I’m happy with.” A successful visual artist outside of Kylie Minoise, Cummings’ records would be worthwhile for their cinematic
Bring the Noise
Taking a leisurely tea in the light, airy space of Mono, you'd never guess Lea Cummings was one man mental Kylie Minoise by night artwork alone, littered with satanic West Highland terriers, murderous women, love hearts and anime. Similarly, his song titles, which have a linguistic terrorist flavour à la Chris Morris (case in point: “NECK BRACE ART APPRECIATION”), work to frame the experimental, noise aesthetic. All of this, Cummings tells me, is down to a happy accident where he discovered “noise” playing with his band Opaque. “At gigs, the bit I enjoyed best was at the end, the big ending – the noise bit, basically. I didn’t have to worry about playing perfectly, I could just engage with what I was doing and let go.” “That bit” has fostered international acclaim for Kylie Minoise, allowing Cummings to tour extensively and return to his Glasgow home with stories that could shake up a Rolling Stone – surviving oil drums being hurled towards him aboard a disused oil tanker, angry Slovaks breaking glasses in protest at his short set and unwittingly cracking his head open during a recent set at the Captain’s Rest. Ironically, these war stories are often the result of successfully engaging with the audience, where Cummings has met his remit. Negative reactions tend to be defined by conservative attitudes. “Some people are narrow-minded with a set idea of what art is,” Cummings elaborates. “There can be this weird perception that I am trying to do something, rather than the fact that it is something.” It’s this experimental DIY aesthetic that works on different levels to skew the monotony of “entertainment” and modern life. It’s a joy to see Kylie Minoise smashing through that everyday normality, even if he must bloody his nose to keep a crowd entertained. KYLIE MINOISE VARIOUS RECORDINGS ARE DIRECTLY AVAILABLE FROM HIS LABEL’S WEBSITE WWW.KOVOROXSOUND.COM
RED NOTE ENSEMBLE
A DRUNK MAN LOOKS AT THE THISTLE Glasgow composer Bill Sweeney sets Hugh MacDiarmid’s great poem to music of great imagination and vibrancy, performed by one of Scotland’s finest contemporary music ensembles, Red Note. 03/06/10 Tolbooth, Stirling - 01786 274000
06/06/10 Island Community Hall, Easdale Island - 01852 300162
04/06/10 RSAMD, Glasgow - 0141 332 5057
08/06/10 Sabhal Mor Ostaig, Teangue, Skye - 01471 844207
05/06/10 Woodend Barn, Banchory - 01330 825431
09/06/10 Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh - 0131 228 1404
DAIMH AND BUILLE Two of Scotland and Northern Ireland’s most exciting young bands team up for this celebration of Gaelic culture. 11/06/10 An Lantair, Stornoway, Lewis - 01851 708 480
16/06/10 Universal Hall, Findhorn - 01309 691170
19/06/10 Buccleuch Centre, Langholm - 01387 381196
12/06/10 Sunart Centre, Strontian - 01397 709228
17/06/10 Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline - 01383 602302
21/06/10 Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh - 0131 665 2240
13/06/10 The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen - 01224 641 122
18/06/10 Dundee Rep, Dundee - 01382 223530 01/07/10 - The Tolbooth, Stirling - 01786 274000 02/07/10 -The Byre Theatre, St. Andrews - 01334 475000 03/07/10 The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen - 01224 641 122 04/07/10 Memorial Hall, Strachur - 01301 703 504 05/07/10 Oran Mor, Glasgow - 08444 77 1000 06/07/10 Catstrand, New Galloway - 01644 420374 07/07/10 Eden Court, Inverness - 01463 234234 08/07/10 An Lanntair, Stornoway, Lewis - 01851 708 480
For further information on all of the tours, including free podcasts featuring interviews with the musicians and a chance to listen to their music please visit: www.tuneup.org.uk
36 THE SKINNY JUNE 2010
Music
It's DEVOlution Baby!
Hold the phone - DEVO are back with their first album in twenty years. As ever, there's a twist; Jerry Casale explains the band's new 'Corporate Identity'
Interview Paul Mitchell “It was twenty years ago today, that DEVO forgot how to play.” Jerry Casale chooses a suitably wry pop cultural reference to explain what amounts to one hell of a hiatus – it’s been exactly two decades since one of the original New Wave bands unleashed their last studio album, Smooth Noodle Maps. On the eve of their latest release, Something For Everybody, Casale is at his sardonic finest (‘How are you today Jerry?’ “I’m alive and functioning”) and keen to point out that they’ve never really gone away. Which is true, of course. Sporadic live appearances, a Disney project called DEVO 2.0 and an outing under the guise of Jihad Jerry and the Evildoers have kept things nicely ticking over. The latter act was a sublime example of the facetious cynicism that is DEVO’s hallmark, Jerry being an Iranian activist declaring ‘war on stupidity’ – the joke didn’t go down so well. “To me it was supremely humorous
Guest question
Buck 65
I've always been fascinated with the video for Whip It. It's my favourite of all time! I wonder where that came from and how involved the band was in the direction of it? I directed all of Devo's videos. The idea for Whip It came from a men's girlie magazine that featured an article about a dude ranch in Arizona where the husband owner whipped off his wife's clothes in the corral to entertain the guests at the ranch. Seemed so perverted and All-American at the same time, so we used it as inspiration.
but we lived in a time when there was zero sense of humour,” says Casale. “Jihad did not get the love; Jihad did not get the love.” The love, however, appears to be back for the group Guest question
Scott McCloud Girls Against Boys/Paramount Styles
Do you think the future already happened, and if so when was it? Very funny and astute! That's what our song Later Is Now refers to on the new album. I think when the planes hit the Trade Towers the word was made flesh. formed at art school in Akron, Ohio in 1972. The musical styles have changed over the years, from punk, to artrock and synth-pop, but the surrealism, satirical social commentary and iconic imagery employed by the band remains intact. In other words, the message remains the same: mankind is regressing, de-evolving. Recently, Casale’s bandmate Mark Mothersbaugh said, “Now if you ask people if de-evolution is real they understand there was something to what we were saying. It’s not the kind of thing you want to see proven right. But it makes it easier to talk about.” Casale concurs with that sentiment. “It’s kind of like admitting that global warming exists. Once you’ve done that you can go forward from there, knowing what the truth is. We knew we were right all along but ever since commercial jetliners flew into the World Trade Centre and the whole western world saw the tail wagging the dog, the man in the cave tweaking the west, at that point the masses of people began to understand that de-evolution was real.” Something For Everybody, produced by Greg Kurstin
(The Bird & The Bee), had something of a curious gestation process. Advertising agency, Mother LA, conducted a study on the website www.clubdevo.com, enlisting the opinions of any member on a variety of creative decisions. Colour selection (the infamous ‘Energy Domes’ are now blue), remixes, and even which tracks made the final cut were all achieved with outside opinion. “We’re pretty self-effacing and realise the irony of guys our age making a new record,” Casale confesses. “The way we went about it was, since nothing’s really funny anymore, by the same token everything is funny. That’s why we hired an advertising agency. What could be more ridiculous or DEVO than that? “Look at where we’re at,” he elaborates – “if we just limit that examination to music, for instance. First of all, nobody even wants to pay for music, the role it plays culturally has been trivialised. There’s more music coming out than anyone could ever discover or shake a fist
Guest question
Yoni Wolf Why?
We have a mutual friend, Chuck Statler, who did most of DEVO's early videos. How did you hook up with him and what was your process for filming? I befriended Chuck in Kent State University. There was a guy there named Richard Myers who created a film department out of nothing. He was a real zealot, and a really great guy. Chuck came to the University solely to be in Richard Myers' classes and shoot film. He had a 16mm camera and I started talking to him about what I was doing with Mark and he wanted to be involved. So we collaborated together and I eventually learned enough technically, to know exactly what I was doing myself.
Guest question
Kim Thayill soundgarden
Why do you think Soundgarden's cover of Girl U Want is so slow? I assumed it was because they were doing heroin but I found out that wasn't true. at, like a thousand CDs a month or whatever it is. In that landscape, with the implosion of the record business as we knew it, how do you even release music, what do you do in corporate society when you want to put out creative content? We decided, in that world, marketing is everything, the beginning and the end. How else do you know if a band has put out music, how else would you even possibly care?” So, the current incarnation of DEVO has been ‘focusgrouped’. This simultaneously hilarious yet somewhat depressing notion is precisely what the band was aiming for. Casale leaves us with the notion that, in this new approach and the embracing of outside opinion, DEVO themselves are actually evolving. “To use a phrase that someone in the NME wrote in 1981: ‘DEVO – These guys don’t play ball’,” he recalls. “In other words we don’t get with the programme. We were very pure and hermetically sealed. We just did what we did and then handed it in autonomously like a class assignment where we didn’t pay any attention to the rules. There was substance to what we did, it wasn’t just guys with skinny ties like The Knack, and so we became ‘iconic’ on some level. There are a lot of people that know DEVO, or think they do, or use DEVO lingo or slogans who never bought a record, or even saw us live, but they want the red hat.” Something For Everybody is released via Warner Brothers on 14 Jun www.clubdevo.com
June 2010
THE SKINNY 37
Music 38 THE SKINNY June 2010
Personal Journals (Anticon, 2002) “This is the big one as far as I’m concerned,” Sage says. “It’s the first official record I made as Sage Francis and kick-started my career as I know it. “At the time I was known as a battle rapper and there was a lot of braggadocios rap happening at the time – a lot of people rapping about how great they are and that was hip-hop in general. I wanted to go the opposite route and make a vulnerable record – not every rap album needs to be a fantasy action flick – and say here’s the rugged raw and sad nature of someone trying to make it in life. This is my human condition, do you share it?”
Walk The Line
If you're going to make it in hip-hop, it takes discipline and a dedication to the craft. Few have it like Sage Francis.
Interview Ali Maloney PERHAPS more than fellow underground mavericks like DOOM and Noah23, Sage Francis is the quintessential independent hip-hop artist working today. After ten years of gruelling and fearless hard work, Sage has honed his combination of sublime word play, masterful rap flows and clowning lark, and is now enjoying some of the pay-off for his relentless work ethic and skill. Recently signed to Epitaph Records’ sister label, ANTI- (sometime home to Billy Bragg, Spoon and Tom Waits) – hardly a major enough label to warrant his having to hand over his indie credentials – Sage proves grotesquely unfounded the fears sparked by his disappointing last album, that well-fed artists have nothing to inspire them. His new album, Li(f)e, is one of his best yet. “This record highlights many of the falsehoods that many of us operate under,” says Sage of his recent expedition’s all-encompassing blanket. “Whether because of culture, family or religion, we are all dealing with various types of lies, fallacies and myths – it’s almost part of our genetics that we need to believe in lies. Maybe because the bare bone aspects of real life are so boring and mundane. “It’s different for each person and everyone knows what they truly believe in and how they represent themselves, but it’s up to you to realise what lies you are perpetuating so that you can feel good about yourself,” Sage says. “The older I get and the more I see that kind of mentality screw with our happiness, conscience and consciousness, the more I want to call it out for what it is – a bunch of bullshit.” Musically, Li(f)e is most immediately marked by its lack of traditionally “rap” backing tracks, with music entirely provided by bands rarely associated with the genre: members of Califone, Death Cab for Cutie, Calexico, DeVotchKa, and Sparklehorse all provided music for Sage to wax ecstatic over. “It was a tedious process; a very long and expensive process,” Sage says of working with live, organic
musicians rather than samples and drum machines. “But when it works, it’s exhilarating and an enriching experience for everyone involved. First we had to convince the musicians and bands to provide music for me to consider, and it took a lot of convincing: most of these people had never worked with a hip-hop artist before and we had to make them understand that I didn’t want hip-hop beats or music that they thought was good for rap.” For a lot of modern rappers, there is always the issue of pushing their sound in new directions, whilst still trying to be seen to be ‘keeping it real’ within what can be a very narrow-minded genre. “We didn’t want a traditional hip-hop sound,” Sage admits. “We wanted the kind of music they would normally make, which I would work around. Eventually people started sending demos that they had made for their own albums; I would write to them and do some sloppy editing on my home computer to get the rough arrangements I needed and send them back to see if they were ok with what I’d done.” The resulting album is a beautiful example of how great rap and rock-based music can copulate, but also marks a remarkably mature and accomplished turn from the rapper who was once Natalie Portman’s most, ahem, persistent admirer. “Now I’ve established myself to the extent that I can do different types of narrative. I just tell someone else’s story from time to time,” Sage explains. “But when you break it down, every writer writes about themselves, whether the song or book is about them or not. They still have to draw from their own experiences and have to relate well enough to that character that they can write about them. I grew up on hip-hop and my strength has always been in my writing. The quality of writing is always going to be what separates me from the pack.” Although an outstanding wordsmith, Sage wasn’t drawn to rap because it affords an artist a play with words in a way that other genres might restrict. Almost a personification of rap’s evolution to date, Sage shows up much of the current ringtone-centric
mainstream facet of the genre for the vacuous and saccharine dross that it is. “Gimmicks are easy to copy and emulate, trends are trends because they’re easy for a bunch of people,” Sage muses. “When it comes to a writer’s ability to encapsulate a feeling or idea in the proper amount of words and have verses and choruses that tie into each other, that’s not something people can just do on a whim, it takes discipline and a dedication to the craft.” “What I had to do ten years ago was establish myself in a way that the hip-hop crowd wouldn’t reject me,” he continues, ”which they may do now. Now if the hip-hop crowd don’t accept me, it’s not make-or-break for me. Back then, I was in the thick of things: I was doing battles and working with hip-hop producers. I was playing the game, trying to make the dopest hip-hop songs that existed in the context of the community of people who were releasing vinyl. Back then, I was dirt poor and now I am definitely well-to-do, I own a house and run a record label. I still dress and live the same as I always did but at least I have a cushion in case anything goes wrong.” But Sage is aware that his route into the genre has cost him many aspects of a ‘normal’ life, counting friendships and relationships as casualties along the way. “I have overworked myself over the past ten years which has separated me from a life that is conducive to healthy thoughts and a healthy body,” he offers in parting. “Unless you’re willing to sacrifice a lot of the good things in life, don’t expect any of the good things in the industry to happen to you, and still expect a lot of the shitty stuff to happen to you as well. It’s not a struggle for me anymore and I’m glad I found my own voice. I can follow my own path that doesn’t rely on any trends that are currently happening in hip-hop. I hope that gives my music a timeless quality.” LI(F)E IS OUT NOW ON ANTI-.
Non-Prophets: Hope (Lex, 2003) Non-Prophets was Sage’s seedling group, with the producer Joe Beats, whose music is unashamedly traditional boom-bap, although never stuck in the past. This is pure bounce, and an album which Sage calls his “hip-hop book report”. “Hope is a salute to all the hip-hop I loved when I was growing up,” he says. “I tried to cram as many hip-hop references into one album as I could, it was fun and playful. But I wanted to do this record in a way that I wouldn’t be considered a throw-back MC.” Life is Easy (DVD, 2005) More fun than a barrelful of fez-wearing monkeys, this DVD follows Sage on tour, around town, larking, giving tips on running a microbudget empire, rare promo videos and features some phenomenal live footage. “It shows a lot of behind the scenes stuff and me in various stages of my life,” Sage says. “I still like sitting down and watching this with people to see their reactions. I never expected to do a DVD, it took a lot of frustrating interactions with videographers, but I would like to do another, updated, one.” A Healthy Distrust (Epitaph, 2005) It’s little surprise that Sage’s album for legendary punk label Epitaph is dark, raw and politically charged but also infused with an exquisite melodic sensibility. And a duet with Will Oldham. “This is one of my personal favourites,” Sage says. “It’s up there with Personal Journals, but for very different reasons. It’s jam packed with golden lines and infectious tunes. It’s a socio-political album: very rugged, very heavy.” Mullet A staple of Sage’s live show, Mullet is an explosive spoken word routine. Part persona piece and part history of hip-hop, it’s a prime example of performance poetry as an exhilarating live spectacle. “Mullet is my way, a cheap way, of introducing myself to both the hip-hop crowd and the spoken word crowd and bridging the aspects of what both crowds enjoy,” Sage explains. “That’s me walking the line and figuring out what my voice was going to be.”
SAGE FRANCIS PLAYS STEREO, GLASGOW ON 19 SEP WWW.MYSPACE.COM/SAGEFRANCIS
JUNE 2010
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MUSIC
A ROUGH GUIDE TO SAGE FRANCIS
RECORDS
THE DIRTY DOZEN
their musical approach, it reminds me a bit of The White Stripes too. I’ll give it an eight. The Xcerts - Slackerpop (Xtra Mile, 7 Jun) Max: I wish the singer would scream a little more, but I think the music’s good, it’s kind of like Nirvana at times. Probably give it an eight. Ryan: Yeah? Max: You surprised I gave it an eight? Ryan: Well, I think in general you’ve been far more generous than I might have guessed, but glad you enjoyed it!
Making a rare visit to the capital, a charitable Max Cavalera invites Ryan Drever aboard his tour bus lounge to compare the June singles to Sonic Youth and shock us with the news that he never dug disco
We Are Animals - 1268 (Too Pure Singles Club, 7 Jun) Max: It’s a weird tempo but I like it, sounds a little bit backwards. Is that some keyboards too? Ryan: Yeah, sounds like it. Max: It’s got a kind of electronic vibe going on, which is kinda cool. Good drummer too, really solid. I’ll give this an eight too. Limozine - Mutiny Girl (Open Plan, 14 Jun) Max: This is like, punk rock, like Ramones. The vocals are a little too pop for me, though. I’d prefer to hear someone with vocals that were a bit more weird, like Joey Ramone. I’m gonna give it a six – if they had a crazy singer I’d probably give them a nine! Sound Of Guns - Architects (Distiller, 21 Jun) Max: The singer sounds like Bono...definitely got that Bono vibe; holding notes and stuff. It’s quite good actually, doesn’t match the name of the band, though – sounds nothing like guns! It’s pretty cool... for “pop rock”. I’ll give this song an eight. Kele - Tenderoni (Wichita/Polydor, 14 Jun) Ryan: This is the debut solo release from Bloc Party’s singer, have you heard of them? Max: No. [Plays to the chorus before it gets pulled] Max: I don’t like it. It sounds very ‘disco’, and I hate everything disco! Disco and country are the two types of music you’d not catch me listening to. I’ll give it a one!
PHOTOGRAPHY: MARKUS THORSEN
Black Chords - Pretty Little Thing (Dust Devil Music, 14 Jun) Max: It’s actually alright, y’know, for being “alternative rock”. I can hear a little bit of Sonic Youth in the guitars. I think for what they’re aiming for it’s pretty good. Ryan: Marks out of ten, sir? Max: Six. The Little Million - Bring Out The Blues (Seraphina Records, 7 Jun) [Plays a minute before hitting a ‘power pop’ chorus] Max [laughs, then cuts it off after a few seconds]: Yeah, I don’t know about this one! Ryan: Your thoughts? Max: Cheesy...reminds me of Sum 41. Three!
SINGLE OF THE MONTH:
Ventura - It’s Raining On One Of My Islands (African Tape, 7 Jun) Ryan: This might be more to your taste, they’re a fairly heavy young Swiss band, featuring David Yow from The Jesus Lizard and Scratch Acid on this particular song. [Track kicks in with a dirty drum groove] Max: I like this already, its got good bass... kind of a Big Black sound – almost industrial with those drums. Kind of Bauhaus-like vocals, I really like it! This gets a nine. Local Natives - World News (Infectious Music, 7 Jun) [Track begins - very soft guitar pop reminiscent of
The Shins] Max: What the fuck is goin’ on?! This is weird, man... it’s American right? Ryan: Yeah. Max: You can tell! It’s got that whole US pop feeling to it. It’s kinda creepy... kinda hippy sounding actually. Trying to go for that 60s vibe but it doesn’t really work. It’s a two! Little Fish - Am I Crazy? (Custard/Island Records, 14 Jun) Max (Looking at the cover): This band’s called Little Fish? Where do you find this shit, man?! Ryan: Ask the Music Editor... Max: This is alright actually, it’s a little bit Sonic Youth again. I think she’s got a good voice and I like
Shabby Rogue - Old Man (Self-Released, 7 Jun) Max: Let’s see if we can get a zero here! Nah, that’s mean. Ryan: From the title, it sounds like this could be country... Max: If it turns into country, it’s done! [Gets to a chorus that does not agree with Mr Cavalera] Max: It kinda sounds like country – man, what the fuck is going on? The rest of it doesn’t, it’s got a vibe like The Doors. [Turns it off] Max: Yeah, that gets a zero! The Volitains - Underground (Self-Released, 28 Jun) Max: Now this is pretty cool. Some really noisy guitars going on here, I’m into it. Ryan: And what’s your final score for the day? Max: For being noisy, and again, a bit like Sonic Youth, I’m going to go with an eight. WWW.MYSPACE.COM/VNTR WWW.SOULFLYWEB.COM
EP REVIEWS MING MING AND THE CHING CHINGS
NOT IN ANYONE’S GANG! 31 MAY, BADLY BUILT
rrrr If Glasgow’s Ming Ming and the Ching Chings ultimately fail to receive the attention they deserve, it may well be because The Ting Tings “made it” in the business first. Second EP Not in Anyone’s Gang! certainly suggests that they could be more than the archetypal noise-punk band that they initially appear to be; the irrepressible vigour spread across the five tracks is interspersed with moments of real musicality – most notably an inspired excursion into afrobeat amid the otherwise Wombat-like Punch in the Face. Elsewhere, the influence of some of the artier exponents of punk tradition is quite clear, with the intro to eight-minute closer Straighten Up bearing a striking resemblance to Psycho Killer. Despite the name, there is hope. [Mark Holland] PLAYING SPECTRUM AT MCCHUILL’S, GLASGOW ON 28 JUN
40 THE SKINNY JUNE 2010
ASTRAL PLANES
RICHARD HAWLEY
SIT STILL CHILD
FALSE LIGHTS FROM THE LAND
14 JUN, LUCKY NUMBER NINE / SAY DIRTY RECORDS
7 JUN, MUTE
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How nice it would be to never outgrow those formative years, when music was music, cool was cool, and being a fan was just that with no regard for a canonised history of popular music or trying to second guess a hastily evolving critical-cultural dialogue. Wrapped in a romantic magnetism, Astral Planes lure you in with their cocky swagger, surf guitars, and studious Spector-doting production. Not to mention six bullet-proof pop songs, the best of which is Doris Day with its relentless rhythm only pausing for shrill cries of “How absurd! How obscene!” in its trashy post-punk bliss. Shut the Door successfully recreates that infamous ‘wall of sound’ with layers of gorgeous harmonies, reverb-heavy guitars and slap-delay bass. Sit still child? Not a chance. [Alan Souter] PLAYING WEST END FESTIVAL (AT BREL), GLASGOW ON 18 JUN AND T BREAK STAGE AT T IN THE PARK ON 10 JUL
False Lights from the Land is rather more niche than any of Hawley’s previous releases, having been inspired exclusively by “the sea” and its gloomy charms, meaning that very particular circumstances are required to fully appreciate it. Shallow Brown, for example, is a West Indian shanty performed a cappella with gospelesque backing from Smoke Fairies, beautifully showcasing Hawley’s dusky tones, but a pop song it most certainly is not. Elsewhere, the EP is dominated by the magnificent Remorse Code, even if its inclusion is somewhat puzzling since it’s lifted straight from Truelove’s Gutter, Hawley’s latest full-length. Throughout these four tracks, though, the quality of musicianship is stunning, despite the apparent peculiarities of the Sheffield troubadour’s selection. [Mark Holland] WWW.RICHARDHAWLEY.CO.UK
RECORDS
Liberation Frequency As Refused's magnum opus is primed for the 'deluxe' treatment, we take a look back at the landscape it was born into and its impact ever since
Text Jason Morton “THEY say that the classics never go out of style. But they do – they do.” – Worms Of The Senses/Faculties Of The Skull WITH this statement, Dennis Lyxzén proved himself a liar – as documented by the growing legacy of Refused’s challenging and prophetic third LP, The Shape Of Punk To Come: A Chimerical Bombination In 12 Bursts. Around 1998, when this final album by the Swedish quartet first dropped, ‘punk’ had become mostly associated with the three-chord sounds of Green Day and Blink 182. With a cadre of underground and local groups emulating pop punk heavies, the genre bordered on stagnation. All it took was four Swedes to change the game and breathe fresh air into a scene that had stagnated with too many safe and poppy LPs and 45s. Upon its release The Shape of Punk to Come proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that punk music could have heart and a brain, that complex structures and instrumentation not in line with the traditions of the genre could be assimilated by it – that ‘punk’ should never have a rulebook, just the spirit of resistance. At the time you’d be pressed to find hardcore punk tracks running over five minutes – a feat they achieve with the brilliant, electro-infused New Noise and the devastating (and prescient) Refused Are Fuckin Dead – though after this album, even goof-punks NOFX got a bit experimental, releasing an 18-minute track as an EP. Achieving more than its title suggests, it put forth a challenge, changing the shape of music to come. Not only did Refused, with its infusion of hardcore and harmony, violins and violent guitar shredding, influence the likes of future punk pioneers such as Fucked Up (especially 2008’s The Chemistry Of Common Life), but the band also helped steer other styles, resulting in half-breed genres and groups blending electronics even further with punk and hardcore intensity. And while the merit of the band’s contributions to metal or emo may be subject to debate – the God-awful Crazytown have covered New Noise live, and there are a slew of bullshit bands with bad haircuts blending keys with screams – it’s hard to
envision Dillinger Escape Plan’s current sound or The Blood Brothers’ final album without Lyxzén and co’s indirect tutelage. With that in mind, there’s a more fitting lyric from Dennis to do this seminal work justice. As he threatens on the album’s penultimate opus, Tannhäuser / Derivè, prophetically scratching the surface of The Shape of Punk to Come’s lasting ripple-effect: “So where do we go from here? Just about anywhere.” THE DELUXE EDITION OF THE SHAPE OF PUNK TO COME INCLUDING A PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED LIVE ALBUM AND THE DVD DOCUMENTARY REFUSED ARE FUCKING DEAD IS RELEASED VIA EPITAPH ON 7 JUN WWW.OFFICIALREFUSED.COM
From Folk to Pop and Classical
Study Music
at Stevenson College Edinburgh With a strong reputation for music, we offer a variety of courses at different levels, delivered in our state-of-the-art facilities.
New Courses launched Degree Foundation Traditional Music Performance Ideal for aspiring musicians who want to become Traditional Music Performers. BA (Hons) Music Performance In conjunction with the University of Abertay Dundee.
Designed for musicians who want to enter the music industry as highly qualified and versatile performers.
THE SHAPE OF PUNK TO COME PROVED BEYOND ANY SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT PUNK MUSIC COULD HAVE HEART AND A BRAIN
For more information on these and other music and creative industries courses, please visit our website or call 0131 535 4700.
Add colour to your life stevenson.ac.uk Stevenson College Edinburgh is a registered charity. Charity number SC021211.
JUNE 2010
THE SKINNY 41
RECORDS
ALBUM OF THE MONTH: ROKY ERICKSON WITH OKKERVIL RIVER
TRUE LOVE CAST OUT ALL EVIL 7 JUN, CHEMIKAL UNDERGROUND
rrrr Formerly of garage rock pioneers The 13th Floor Elevators, time has mellowed Roky Erickson’s rasping wail to a soothing country croon. Time, electro-shock therapy and a diagnosis of schizophrenia that is, as the myth of Erickson as some form of quasi-psych deity has grown and grown. Fellow Texans Okkervil River team up with Erickson to deliver previously unreleased songs from over the course of his career, primarily through the medium of country and folk. Bring Back The Past and the sublimely spooky John Lawman echo with Erickson's noisier, tumultuous past, and
offer defiant diversity in the midst of the almost unbearable heartbreak found on Goodbye Sweet Dreams and Please Judge. But there is optimism amidst the melancholia; not least in Be And Bring Me Home, as Erickson basks in the love of his family and friends. In light of the life behind this collection of songs, the very existence of True Love Cast Out All Evil – like much of the material within – is in itself quite astonishing. [Paul Mitchell] WWW.ROKYERICKSON.NET/
ALBUM REVIEWS MELVINS
THE BRIDE SCREAMED MURDER
ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI
CLOGS
THE CREATURES IN THE GARDEN OF LADY WALTON
1 JUN, IPECAC
BEFORE TODAY
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14 JUN, BRASSLAND
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With 18 studio albums, half a dozen EPs, seven live albums and literally scores of other odds and ends scattered across the musical landscape, for Melvins the act of releasing a record might well be as numbingly routine as loveless, over-familiar sex with a partner whose benign expressions you now gently despise. For better or worse, Buzzo and Dale have rediscovered their mischievous side with some chain-gang vocals on opener The Water Glass and an idiosyncratic rendition of The Who’s My Generation. Yet despite packing a couple of belters in Evil New War God and Pig House there’s an unmistakeable sense of Bride... running in third gear for much of its 45 minutes. What would be a great record by most other bands’ standards looks anaemic in comparison to much of that brilliant back catalogue amassed over the past 25 years. Then again, that’s a hell of a lot longer than most marriages. [Austin Tasseltine]
When the retro revival finally runs its course, you’ve got to wonder what’ll happen to Ariel Rosenberg. So immersed in the sound of nostalgia is his first full band venture under the guise of Ariel Pink – Haunted Graffiti is his ensemble’s neon-lit appellation – it’s almost ludicrous to think of him surviving in the modern world. Precisely entitled Before Today, this is a collection of throwback melodies from an age of odious jumpsuits and mind-contorting acid trips. With a sprawl of genres on offer – comprising glam rock, disco, soul and heavy metal – it can be an energising time warp. But the mixed bag approach often leads to infuriation, with the grooving funks of Hot Body Rub and Beverley Kills stalling against humdrum numbers like Little Wig or the abhorrent Butt-House Blondies. Rather than traipsing his way through the past, Rosenberg should really consider getting back to the future. [Billy Hamilton]
WWW.MELVINS.COM
PLAYING CAPTAIN’S REST, GLASGOW ON 13 JUN
FAR
CHROME HOOF
Not only would it be unfair to call Clogs a National side project, it’d be inaccurate too, since they predate the Brooklyn Boys them and are arguably a larger influence on The National’s music than the other way around. The fifth album by Bryce Dessner and Padma Newsome (he behind their orchestral arrangements), is a wonderful, beautiful brew of neo-classical, chamber pop, Mediaeval folk and post-rock. It’s tempting to sit back and hurl adjectives at it, but few would do it justice. Sure, it’s lavish, but it’s tasteful too. Okay, it’s ornate and opulent, but it certainly isn’t alienating. Woven amongst the guest vocalists (Shara Morden of My Brightest Diamond appears on half the tracks, and Matt Berninger) are subtle touches of woodwind, brushes of percussion and lilting string plucks that continue to reveal themselves, spin after spin. Clogs have produced a veritable masterpiece, an album to immerse yourself and hope to get lost inside. [Finbarr Bermingham]
THE DRUMS
AT NIGHT WE LIVE
CRUSH DEPTH
THE DRUMS
7 JUN, XTRA MILE/VAGRANT
7 JUN, SOUTHERN
7 JUN, MOSHI MOSHI / ISLAND
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Any subsequent releases by Far were always going to face tough comparisons to their 1998 masterpiece Water And Solutions. With twelve years of alternative music struggling to measure up to that benchmark, the reassembled Sacramento quartet have inexplicably opted to fight their new battle on the level of their asinine contemporary protégés. Accordingly At Night We Live is very much a product of its time. Shorn of all the rough edges, cracking voices, dynamics, roominess and general personality of its predecessor, it is as slick and forced as so many of the contemporaries who helped turn emotional hardcore into the MTV parody it is today. The rhythm section in particular is horribly squashed by compression, as if some giant, digital bastard were physically squatting on the drumkit. Jonah Matranga’s vocals struggle to break through the lacquer with only intermittent reminders of just how cathartic a singer he can be. Decent songs, delivered in an indecent manner. [Chris Cusack]
‘Experimental orchestra’ Chrome Hoof seem to get weirder and more ambitious with each release. On Crush Depth the early electronic influences are still being transcended – frantic opener Crystalline begins with winding digital synths, before diving headfirst into string-driven punk thrash, and the atmospheric Vaporise effectively channels Giorgio Moroder and !!!. With an apparent myriad of inspiration, the band veer off into throbbing metal riffs (Third Sun Descendent), Siouxsie & The Banshees-style goth-pop (Towards Zero, One Day), massively intricate free jazz (Sea Hornet), and Sonic Youth-esque post-rock (Citadel Expires). There is a strong krautrock influence throughout, and the insistent strings and tortured vocals bring a unique flavour and energy to their palette. Not an easy first listen – the band change style mid-song, and frequently descend into raucous walls of noise that might alienate the timid listener. But if you have an ear for exploration, you can only love Crush Depth. [Bram Gieben]
Can these Californian surf-synthesists expect a backlash? Absolutely; they look like the distilled essence of Calvin Klein model chic, their sound is so impeccably kitsch and of-the-now that they make Vampire Weekend look like a throwback from the sound that time forgot, and they’ve been set up for a fall with the ‘next big thing’ albatross. But as true as each prior statement may be, it’s undeniable that the quartet’s debut – whilst at times as deep as the proverbial puddle (as found on the MTV-love-child Let’s Go Surfing) is wildly infectious in its vivid sense of carpe diem. In Down By The Water, they have a bonafide modern classic in their hands, and album closer, The Future, attains an equally wondrous satisfaction. They may well turn to vapour and disappear in the dawn of 2011; however, for now, as a guilty indulgence or otherwise, score your summer to the sound of The Drums. [Paul Neeson]
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/FAR
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/CHROMEHOOF
PLAYING T IN THE PARK, BALADO ON 11 JUL
THOMAS TRUAX
SONIC DREAMER 7 JUN, SL
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A SMALL TURN OF HUMAN KINDNESS 7 JUN, HYDRA HEAD
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CRYSTAL CASTLES
CRYSTAL CASTLES 7 JUN, FICTION / LAST GANG
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New Yorker Thomas Truax is unlikely to ever find himself in even the dimmest-lit corner of the mainstream public consciousness, and if he did he’d inevitably be deemed the eccentric novelty act, ideally suited to the one-song circus that signals half-time on Later With Jools Holland. This attitude may be understandable, given Truax’s inclinations to build musical instruments out of household appliances and his apparent aversion to singing “in tune”, but the inclusion of live drums and guitars on this fifth album means that Sonic Dreamer’s more experimental inclinations are often mere flourishes on what are principally accessible, beat-led creations. The most deranged moments remain the best, though; opener Beehive Heart clicks and shudders as Truax laments his shoes’ vulnerability to coming untied despite no movement on his part. Balancing on a Bouncing Wire meanwhile involves perhaps the most wistful, expressive use of cutlery since Artis the Spoonman. [Mark Holland]
This comes thundering out of a reluctant stereo like super-massive sauropods in a war for territory. Feet push off hillsides as their long necks swing amidst low cloud and skulls the size of battleships crash together with every achingly measured beat – it’s heavy, heavy stuff. Take the Melvins’ stickiest moments, play them in a walkman with fading batteries and it’d be something approaching the molten roar of Harvey Milk. Not that it’s without momentum or songs. I Am Sick Of All This Too – at a curt 2:14 – packs some minimalist, quality riffage and I Know This Is All My Fault incorporates some tasteful and effective string atmospherics. For the uninitiated its worth mentioning that, with a stoic focus on the resolutely miserable task at hand, A Small Turn... does sometimes teeter on the brink of parody by being so unrelentingly morose. That said, to the connoisseur, this is a quality slab of grim. [Chris Cusack]
There are two faces to Ontario’s Crystal Castles, both physically and musically. Comprised of show-stealing frontwoman Alice Glass and the seemingly reclusive beat maker Ethan Kath, the group’s first eponymous album effortlessly flitted between chilled out electro ballads to hardhitting glitch on a track-by-track basis. This second self-titled LP changes little in regard to that. Suffering the kind of wrath from some press typically reserved for those accused of lifting artwork, “borrowing” beats and the like – which they kind of did – the duo needed to prove its mettle on LP number two. Dropping a lot of the 8-bit influence from their shtick and integrating an almost choral sound to certain cuts – such as Baptism, arguably the album’s best tune – Crystal Castles might just have found a way to elude their haters and continue on making dance music that many people would be piss scared to dance to. [Jason Morton]
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/THOMASTRUAX
WWW.HARVEYMILKTHEBAND.COM
PLAYING ROCKNESS, INVERNESS ON 11 JUN AND O2 ABC ON 19 OCT
42 THE SKINNY JUNE 2010
DEVO
THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM
JOHNNY FLYNN
SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY
AMERICAN SLANG
BEEN LISTENING
14 JUN, WARNER BROS
14 JUN, SIDE ONE DUMMY
7 JUN, TRANSGRESSIVE
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There’s a template reaction to new material from beloved bands of yesteryear: a ‘legacy’ evaluation followed by a damage assessment. So let’s begin: with their first new album in twenty years, DEVO optimistically promise – and near enough deliver – Something For Everybody. The only thing preventing opening track Fresh from living up to its name is the sheer number of fan-bands the new wave icons have indirectly birthed in the last two decades, with The Futureheads the first of many to be identified by aural paternity testing. “What we do is what we do, it’s all the same, there’s nothing new” they proclaim next, suggesting their self-aware sense of humour hasn’t diminished a jot – a speedily delivered “eenie-meenie-minie-mo” pseudo-rap confirms as much. Ultimately – like contemporaries Sparks – DEVO have stayed sharp by tweaking their trademarks rather than trend-chasing, and remained oddly fashionable regardless. Not a speck on the bumper. [Chris Buckle] WWW.CLUBDEVO.COM
BRONTO SKYLIFT
RECORDS CLUBS
ALBUM REVIEWS
For the past few years, The Gaslight Anthem have gathered momentum mining classic rock standards – such as Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty – and retooling the formula for a punk-informed audience. While lacking the immediacy of 2008’s semi-breakthrough, The 59 Sound, American Slang sees this New Jersey quartet changing little of that particular blueprint. Sure, the New Jersey foursome still put their back into pop-rock melody and an anthemic chorus, though they’re strangely without that first-hit-will-hook-you quality of their previous offerings. What results is a few nuggets of stand-out material – such as the 60s R&B-inspired Diamond Church Street Choir and Boxer, which starts off with a schoolyard-style chant – surrounded by deep cuts and a couple of jammed-out, though slightly uninspired, barn-burners. Certain songs find the group flirting dangerously close to Killers territory, making one wonder if the presence of more mid-tempo, stadium-ready lighter-lifters might be a more cynical move to commandeer commercial airwaves. [Jason Morton]
Much like its predecessor, A Larum, Johnny Flynn’s sophomore album treads a fine line between rustic pomposity and gritty inventiveness. Reinforced by his band The Sussex Wit, Flynn’s arrangements are imaginative and thrilling with musical influences from all over the globe, though somewhat unsurprisingly steeped in British folk and Americana. The depth of Flynn’s intelligence unfurls time and time again. From the Caribbean zeal of Kentucky Pill, the theatrical rush of Sweet William Part 2, the finger-plucked brilliance of Lost and Found, and the string-driven beat-pop of Barnacled Warship. Lines like “Think I’ll fight a war, don’t know what for, but I’ll learn when I’ve got my gun,” find particular resonance on the latter. Transcending his folk revivalist contemporaries with sheer narrative brilliance, Flynn’s versatile voice is always hearty and expressive, and the songs – melodic, varied, and rich – never fail to charm. The quality, scope and unbridled talent on this record should see the troubadour appeal to far more than folk aficionados alone. [Alan Souter]
NINA NASTASIA
TOBACCO
THE WHITE CROW
OUTLASTER
MANIAC MEAT
11 JUN, DINO RAWK
7 JUN, FATCAT
28 JUN, ANTICON
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They say a band is only as good as its drummer, and with that in mind Bronto Skylift could be an earth-shattering proposition. Technical proficiency is something this duo has in abundance, but like so many skilful instrumentalists, the desire to overcomplicate often overshadows the power of song. When Bronto Skylift harness their animal instincts and savage virtuosity they sound colossal. Eagle/Falcon is a face-melter, and Gameboy swaggers like it’s just wiped its arse with a dozen red roses – yes, it’s that prickly. There’s a lot to be said for making an ugly brain-baking noise and we could all do with our ears getting shot to shit from time to time; The White Crow delivers brutal, bowel-bleeding riffs and no shortage of chin-stroking ‘how do they do that’ moments but that’s where the fun begins and ends. If you hear with sensitive ears, this is not for you. [Alan Souter] PLAYING THE DOGHOUSE, DUNDEE ON 3 JUN AND GONORTH FESTIVAL, INVERNESS ON 11 JUN
KING CREOSOTE, MEURSAULT & ANIMAL MAGIC TRICKS COLD SEEDS
14 JUN, SONG, BY TOAD
rrr This album, recorded over two weekends in the Song, by Toad living room, manages to capture the uncanny joy of accidentally tuning into a wonderful but inevitably lost again radio broadcast at 3am, partly through stylistic decision and partly through its messily revolving line-up. Leave Me To Lie Alone In The Ground and King are real spectral pleasures, making a strong case for this distant aesthetic, though a reprisal of Sleet from Meursault’s recent sophomore offering is a little redundant, wilfully inserting a frustrating wedge of static which hampers a plaintive performance. A cover of King Creosote’s By Eleven O’Clock She’d Left led by Animal Magic Tricks, on the other hand, is a lonely gondola ride that adds another dimension to the song, renovating the chorus with a call-andresponse which brings an element of tragic humour to the proceedings. It’s all a little opaque at times, yet Cold Seeds is still an absorbing curio. [Oisin Kealy] MEURSAULT PLAY ROCKNESS FESTIVAL, INVERNESS ON 12 JUN AND KELBURN GARDEN PARTY, LARGS ON 3 JUL
Despite being blessed with a name that sounds like a major label’s riposte to Christina Aguilera, Nina Nastasia is much vaunted in indieland. The New York songstress’s first five LPs – all orchestrated by legendary ‘engineer’ Steve Albini – garnered gasps for their pin-dropping atmospherics. With such long-standing form, it’s unsurprising to find Outlaster continuing down this melancholic road. Nastasia’s elasticised vocal, ranging from soaring cry to weeping purr, is key to the allure of A Kind Of Courage and What’s Out There. Blackened by a moratorium of creaking strings, each track plays out as a devilish micro-drama filled with love, loss and tragedy. But for all the beautiful execution, Outlaster is often failed by its inability to shift gear, choosing to amble, instead of charge, through dreary fare like You Can Take Your Time. The gasping moments still come, but this time they’re interspersed with a few yawns. [Billy Hamilton]
Throwing caution to the wind and risking a libel action against The Skinny editorial: Tobacco, aka Tom Fec of Black Moth Super Rainbow semi-fame, may have indulged in something a little stronger than his chosen moniker would suggest whilst rolling up Maniac Meat. Spaceage synthesizers, demonic vocoders and abrasive, dirty beats are the jackpot prize, and Fec lets his funked up and twisted imagination blow the smoke in your eyes and stone-bake your ears. It’s discomforting, unsettling, and sinister to say the least, and them’s the positives. Unless you’re a synth wizard and know your Nords from your Moogs, Prophet-5 from your Jupiter-4, ZX Spectrum from your Atari ST1040 then over the course of 16 songs you may start to feel like you’re on one seriously bad acid trip that you’ll be loath to repeat in a hurry. [Alan Souter]
PLAYING NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, GLASGOW ON 27 MAY
WWW.ANTICON.COM
PETER WOLF CRIER
MATHEW JONSON
INTER-BE
AGENTS OF TIME
7 JUN, JAGJAGUWAR
7 JUN, WAGON REPAIR
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As a two-man band, Peter Wolf Crier wrings great mileage from Spartan ingredients. Former Wars of 1812 member Peter Pisano – Crier’s heart and soul – ended a songwriting drought with a one-night splurge of creativity that birthed Inter-Be’s early drafts, which were then whittled into shape with the help of Brian Moen’s brushed drums and melodic input. The resulting style fits naturally on Jagjaguwar’s roster, with echoes of Bon Iver in the vocals, Pink Mountaintops in the whiskey-and-tears gospel touches, and various other folk-influenced acts from the Indiana label’s registry on standouts like Hard As Nails’ slow-burn fever-dream and Down Down Down’s laidback lo-fi purr. That’s not to colour Inter-Be a derivation of its label-mates: whilst warm and familiar in places, Pisano is a strong songwriter who skilfully layers his material to ensure its glory grows with repeated listens. At once haunting and comforting – Inter-Be heralds a major talent. [Chris Buckle]
Like a troupe of dancing skeletons, Canadian electronic producer Mathew Jonson’s first solo LP is stripped-back, funky and slightly sinister in places. He’s been involved in the jazzier end of techno for a long time now, recording and performing under several guises and collaborations – Cobblestone Jazz, Midnight Operator, Modern Deep Left Quartet. If you switched off after the word jazz, don’t worry. Despite the naff title, Agents of Time stops well short of beardy noodling, instead drawing only the odd syncopated synth lick and a general freedom of form into its looped, minimal mesh: Thieves in Digital Land bubbles with a bassline so low it’s almost not there while Sunday Disco Romance is warped 1970s-meets-2070s hi-tech funk – there’s also a new version of single Marionette that sparks, echoes and ebbs like Carl Craig doing Isolee’s Beau Mot Plage. As with most minimal, there’s a nuanced subtlety here that merits concentration, especially on some of the spectral, mid-tempo numbers. [Euan Ferguson]
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/PETERWOLFCRIER
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/MATHEWJONSON
HOT HOT HEAT
FUTURE BREEDS 7 JUN, DINE ALONE RECORDS
rrr The fifth album is an awkward beast, generally three releases after initial public interest wanes, yet at least two to go before establishing permanence. These Vancouver based indie-disco hucksters are doing their best to stay relevant in these intervening years, and with Future Breeds prove that their hook factory has far from ceased production. Opener YVR channels the living spirit of Nintendo with its boss-level sonic assault, sinister yet playful, and infectiously retro. First single 21@12 trips through rising and falling chords drunkenly, yet somehow miraculously manages to land on its feet. For the most part this is all familiar territory – machine-gun guitar, grinding verses and danceable choruses all present on tracks like Goddess on the Prairie and JFK’s LSD – but with this collection the band has recaptured the freshness of their 2002 debut, only this time with the craftsmanship of seasoned performers. [Oisin Kealy]
TOP FIVE ALBUMS
1) ROKY ERICKSON WITH OKKERVIL RIVER TRUE LOVE CAST OUT ALL EVIL 2) JOHNNY FLYNN BEEN LISTENING 3) CRYSTAL CASTLES
CRYSTAL CASTLES
4) CHROME HOOF CRUSH DEPTH 5) DEVO SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY
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ALLO DARLIN' ALLO DARLIN' APPLICANTS ESCAPE FROM KRAKEN CASTLE BEAR IN HEAVEN BEAST REST FORTH MOUTH BLACK CARROT MILKING SCARABS FOR DOUGH DAN SARTAIN LIVES ISLET CELEBRATE THIS PLACE KLAK TIK MUST WE FIND A WINNER LONELY GHOSTS RETURN FROM THE SEARCH PARTY MY LUMINARIES ORDER FROM THE CHAOS RADAR BROTHERS THE ILLUSTRATED GARDEN THE KAYS LAVELLE BE STILL THIS GENTLE MORNING THE MAGIC NUMBERS THE RUNAWAY TRASH TALK EYES & NINES VILLAGERS BECOMING A JACKAL
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/HOTHOTHEAT
JUNE 2010
THE SKINNY 43
THE EIGHTIES MATCHBOX B-LINE DISASTER
PAVEMENT
STEREO, 25 MAY
BARROWLANDS, 5 MAY
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PHOTO: ALEX WOODWARD
“It’s good to be back, underneath all these lights,” squints a visibly uncomfortable Scott Kannberg. Undoubtedly, the trend for 90s alt-rock revivals over recent years has proven to be both a blessing and a curse, with each successful, revitalised return (cue the ever brilliantly brooding Alice in Chains) being offset by an awkward rehash of past glories (see the tragic return of the once revered Sebadoh). So it’s with some trepidation that the re-emergence of these low fidelity legends is observed, and with great relief that we witness a blustering opening rendition of InTthe Mouth A Desert, making it immediately apparent that – whilst a little older around the jowls – Stephen Malkmus and Co. have lost little of their youthful zeal. They take an immediate breather with the sun-down country of Father Of A Sister Of Thought, however burst back out with the lo-fi anthemia of Frontwards, Rattled By The Rush and the Spiral Stairs penned pop-pariah, Kennel District. By this point the quintet have whipped the front of the Barrowlands into a healthy, sweating stramash, leaving little doubt that their sole intention this evening is to play the role of crowd-pleasers, making their way through a mash up of recent career retrospective Quarantine the Past and in doing so reminding us why – even after a ten year sabbatical – Pavement are still as essential as ever. Should tonight prove to be their last goodbye, then we’re unquestionably left with a memory worthy of their legacy. [Paul Neeson] WWW.CROOKEDRAIN.COM
There’s something distinctly ostentatious about Eighties Matchbox. Whether it’s the jauntily angled hats, decorative shirts or flamboyant hair, it’s a look and persona that this band – but few others – carries off with aplomb. Guy McKnight in particular is an engaging, enigmatic front-man. His facial ticks and thousand yard stare are as esoteric and delightfully weird as the music they accompany. Tonight, though the band clearly struggle with intermittent technical difficulties, they produce a visceral set dominated by material from new album Blood and Fire, a particular high point being their rendition of Homemade. Notable older numbers include I Rejection, Psychosis Safari and a show-stopping Celebrate Your Mother during which McKnight clambers along the venue walls, perching on a ledge to glare menacingly at no one in particular. After well over an hour of baking heat and thrashing limbs, the show ends in fittingly shambolic fashion with the band disappearing amidst a stage invasion. Having spent much of his evening dodging stage-divers, McKnight signs off safely away from the melee atop a speaker stack, bemusedly staring stage-wards as the room fills with smoke until only silhouettes and feedback remain. [Chris Cusack] WWW.EIGHTIESMATCHBOX.CO.UK
WOLF PARADE
HOLE
ÒRAN MÓR, 19 MAY
O2 ACADEMY, GLASGOW, 3 MAY
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“Where’s Spencer?” shouts a hil-arious (or possibly just confused) member of the crowd. “Er, he’s there” deadpans Dan Boeckner, presumably used to being overshadowed by his prolific bandmate. Despite Boeckner taking lead on nearly half of tonight’s set – including highlights Language City and Shine A Light – Spencer Krug’s reputation as savant songsmith extraordinaire ensures the Montreal muso takes centre stage (figuratively and, incidentally, literally). A large part of the night is given over to tracks from forthcoming third album Expo 86, and while extensively previewing unreleased material is often cause for concern and trips to the bar, the six new tracks showcase a purified, exhilarating sense of purpose. In a way, they’re more ‘Wolf Parade’ than ever before. Krug’s various projects – Sunset Rubdown, Swan Lake et al – seem to be growing more distinct over time, with Wolf Parade now firmly the punchy pop wing of his empire. It almost makes the closing magnificence of Kissing The Beehive sound anomalous, its baggy multi-part expanse newly suggestive of a Rubdown interloper (albeit one with a particularly funky coda). With only room for a handful of tracks from each of their previous releases, fans inevitably crave more, but leave disappointment-free. [Chris Buckle]
From America’s Sweetheart to Nobody’s Daughter, Courtney Love shouldn’t need Billy Corgan’s advice to know that partial band reformations need rehearsals more than nostalgic goodwill to keep them glued together. With Micko ‘never heard of The Wipers’ Larkin in place of Eric ‘eh, this was my band too’ Erlandson, Love naively assumes that dubious ‘Thamesbeat’ (© NME) indie cred and a knack for grunge-lite that sounds more like the soundtrack to a medieval joust than the primal, heart wrenching calls to arms of yore PHOTOS: JUSTIN MOIR
WOLF PARADE PLAY CABARET VOLTAIRE ON 7 SEP WWW.MYSPACE.COM/WOLFPARADE PHOTOS: ALEX WOODWARD
MUSIC
LIVE REVIEWS
THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE O2 ABC, 18 MAY
rrrr Tonight Anton Newcombe looks like a man with something to prove as Glasgow is treated to two full hours of classic BJM material – no new songs, no encores and only one minor drama courtesy of a disintegrating snare drum. Stubbornly taciturn from the get-go, Newcombe barely acknowledges the crowd as his band dispatches the hits with relentless purpose. Vacuum Boots’ vituperative vox and snaking, stirring guitar lines send the crowd into raptures, Wasted vibrates with fucked-up intensity and Swallowtail conjures an atmosphere of desolate, forlorn beauty. The real treat of the night though, is seeing recently reconciled band member Matt Hollywood step up to the mic and nail a handful of self-penned tunes such as the riotous Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth and the devestating Cabin Fever – his childlike modulation of the lyrics “It’s easy/when you realise you’re nothing” coupled with the most incredible chord progression providing perhaps the most stinging emotional hit of the whole evening. [Mark Shukla]
will save neo-Hole’s night. Offering a blow-by-blow commentary on the quality of each song, the show turns to narrative theatre as Love relays the thought process behind their latter day output; it took four people to come up with the schmaltzy Samantha, How Good Girls Get Clean was written during a stint in rehab where Love fantasised about emulating PJ Harvey, and Awful was penned with the ‘embarrassment’ of having dated Gavin Rossdale. A stab at Sympathy For the Devil proves to be a highlight, as do early appearances of Violet and Asking For It – just a flicker of the gig we’d hoped for. But, after a 140 minute set, Love’s the last one standing on stage, her voice shot and arms too tired to play by the time she finishes off Northern Star. The crowd might get its money’s worth for sheer duration alone, but Hole’s catalogue wore thin an hour in and this new band is disappointingly limited by the few songs it bothered to learn well. [Bob Morton]
WWW.BRIANJONESTOWNMASSACRE.COM
WWW.HOLEROCK.NET
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SLAYER BARROWLANDS, 27 MAY
rrrr After multiple postponements, Slayer finally navigate their murder machine back to Scotland, with a mended Tom Araya out in front to set the record straight: “It was neck surgery – not back surgery – NECK surgery.” Point taken. Their concerts are always a ceremony of sorts, a multi-generational public ritual that acknowledges our shared affinity as metalheads. Plus they fucking shred. Newer material from World Painted Blood kicks things off, but then the “hits” roll out one after the other. Rhythm exorcist Dave Lombardo is
jaw-droppingly on-the-money as usual, while both Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman carpet bomb with unexpectedly psychedelic guitar solos that have never sounded more atonal and abstract. No-frills thrash melds with a singular stance that persistently spits on blind allegiance to any god or government: this sound is theirs and theirs alone. Thank you, Slayer: we’ll never tire of being reminded that death is the only thing that’s real. [Eric Ledford] WWW.SLAYER.NET
MUSIC
THE HALT BAR 160 WOODL ANDS RD GLASG OW 0141 352 9996 TripleG June 256x155 Skinny Ad PRINT.pdf
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Live Music
Highlights by Mark Shukla
On 2 June The Skinny proudly presents Team Ghost with support from Deathpodal at Glasgow 13th Note. Featuring ex-M83 man Nicolas Fromageau, Team Ghost promise to bathe their audience in languorous synth tones, shimmering guitar noise and dreamy tripped-out vox – all the wholesome ingredients for a rejuvenating digital bath. These guys deliver the electronic shoegaze vibe like none other. In a rare live outing, Deathpodal will be on hand to deliver aggressively textured sounds and expressive instrumentation. A quality night is on the cards. Discerning jangle-pop disciples take note: Teenage Fanclub roll into Aberdeen Warehouse on 1 June, Glasgow ABC on 2 June and Edinburgh HMV Picture House on 3 June in support of new album Shadows. Big harmonies and super-melodic rock moves can be expected – as if there was ever any doubt! Lead single Baby Lee confirms our suspicions by nailing the sunny West Coast pop thing and with a back catalogue stuffed with feel-good hits it’d be a brave man who bet against the Fannies delivering on these Scottish dates. Led by fiery frontman Matthew Houck, Phosphorescent hit up Glasgow Captain’s Rest on 4 June as part of their ongoing world tour. Mixing classic country vibes with hardsoloing rock and good old-fashioned frontporch blues about women gone done leavin’, Houck and his band bring some legit fire and brimstone gospel passion to what many – in these days of post-hypnagogic Balearic chillwave – would consider to be a particularly hoary genre. So Supergrass are calling it quits, but man they had a hell of a run – one of the few bands to make it out of the Britpop boom with
BLUNTS ON STANDBY, MOTHERF**KERS – CYPRESS HILL ARE IN TOWN!
their dignity intact. Glasgow is one of the cities selected to play host to a farewell gig, so tickets for the Barrowland on 8 June are going to go fast. The lucky few can look forward to an embarrassment of hits from these much-loved veterans. Edinburgh based jillion-legged indie behemoth We See Lights play Edinburgh Electric Circus on 10 June and for anyone in need of a rhapsodic folk-pop trip this gig could be just the ticket. Soaring acoustic-led ditties may be their bread and butter but this posse have got solid rock chops too. The Roxy Art House in Edinburgh plays host to the latest Neverzone night on 10 June and the line-up looks hot. Crypto-futuristic text-step phenom’ Texture is down to do battle against experimental producer Morphamish who will no doubt be channeling bass frequencies
Cypress Hill, Glasgow Academy, 16 Jun
Pulled Apart by Horses, Glasgow King Tut's, 17 Jun
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from the darkside. Support comes from fearsome hip-hop mutants Sileni (who promise Alanis Morissette arrangements for spoons and washboard) and Vibration Terrorists (ft. Asthmatic Astronaut) who make their live debut. Live art and visuals from some talented heads will also assault your consciousness – for three quid in you won’t find more deviousness for your dollar. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti are so fucking on it right now: formerly a fascinating yet niche concern, these unpredictable pop surrealists are threatening to make the leap into mainstream consciousness with their unexpectedly lush new opus Before Today. Famous for their freewheeling, spontaneous live shows, fans will be able to see for themselves if the band’s polished new sound will survive the transposition from tape to stage when they play Glasgow Captain’s Rest on 13 June. Highly recommended. Few bands pull off 80s-influenced turbopop with the panache of Futuristic Retro Champions, so attendance at their gig at Glasgow Brel on 14 June (plus a show pencilled in for an unconfirmed venue at Leith festival on 17 June) will be mandatory for anyone who enjoys spunky, stylish electro-inflected pop that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Trust us, these cats are tons of fun. Blunts on standby, motherf**kers – Cypress Hill are in town! That these guys have been rolling for so long and still not succumbed to emphysema is impressive enough – that they
can lay down a riotous live show in 2010 is perhaps even more noteworthy. Glasgow Academy on 16 June is going to be banging for sure – don’t doubt the Hill still know how to make it happen. Pulled Apart by Horses may be one of the UK’s most balls-to-the-wall rock acts right now. With a fat stash of impressive riffs and more distortion up their sleeves than Mr Tickle, these Leeds based lunatics are known for noise, mayhem and the kind of onstage antics that make music journalists in their late 20s feel very old indeed. Watch the carnage unfold at Glasgow King Tut’s on 17 June. Minimalist composers don’t come much more distinguished than Phillip Glass (ok then, Steve Reich played Bannermans last week – but you missed it) so anybody with even a passing interest in modern classical should have a good think about splashing out for a ticket to see the man himself at Edinburgh Usher Hall on 23 June. He usually tours with a posse of serious players and likes to give audiences their money’s worth so this could well be something a bit special if you can find the notes. Scouse three-piece Hot Club de Paris have been perfecting their perky, hook-laden rock sound for a while now so punters at Stirling Tollbooth on 22 June, Aberdeen Warehouse on 23 June and Glasgow King Tut’s on 24 June can expect a powerful, polished show alongside some quality banter from these likely lads.
MUSIC
by Eric Ledford SATAN Rules. Both literally and figuratively. He just does, like it or not. And if you’re reading this column, you’re most likely already well aware of this fact. If not, there’s really no need to take our word for it. Just check out some of this month’s malevolent musical desecrations. There’s buttloads of pure evil, Assynt, while onlookers on the previous evening as well as some less-unusual chugga-chugga that in Glasgow at Pivo Pivo (10 Jun) can relish in the the everlasting angel of light would no doubt smile demonic atonement of Valrog. Both gigs feature upon in approval. idolatrous sacrilege from Valpurga, Moonrape, Come all ye diabolical blasphemers, mediaeval Daemonolith and Kathaarsys (Spain), who’ll hangmen and graveyard sluts for a slay-tanic secbe making their only stop in the UK. Go ahead, step ond round of sadomasochistic bloodlust when Black onto the altar of sacrifice. Don’t be afraid: a fearMetal Ritual II disseminates its putrid filth across the kissed world of burning darkness awaits you. entirety of the central belt. The first night of sufDecades ago, metal and prog evolved alongside fering goesCathouse down at Bannerman’s in Edinburgh (11 one25/5/10 another, so14:39:06 it’s no surprise that a slew of current June 256x155 Skinny Ad PRINT.pdf Jun) with Nordic swordsmen Haar, Bonesaw and bands have chosen to explore the instrumental
Dysrhythmia, Edinburgh, 11 Jun
possibilities of complex structures and crushing heaviness. One such act is Dysrhythmia, who’ll blow away Bannerman’s (11 Jun) with shapechanging support from locals Secta Rouge. Comprised of members from Krallice, Behold…The Arctopus and Gorguts, this New York trio combine stunning musicianship, jazz-influenced weirdness and death metal savagery to great effect. Check ‘em oot. In Glasgow, progressive pop-metallers Coheed And Cambria galvanise the O2 ABC (22 Jun), and
metalcore crooners Vanna inspire mosh madness at Ivory Blacks (9 Jun). Old-school industrial goth oddballs Attrition descend via batwings into the Classic Grand (19 Jun) and new-skool wildcats Rise To Remain get mega-angry at King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut (10 Jun) with help from thrash revisionists Holy Grail. Lastly, indie filmstars Anvil bring their time-tested guitar calisthenics to the Cathouse (16 Jun). Stock up on plenty of hairspray if you wanna blend in with the rest of the crowd. Now let us bow our heads to DIO.
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Grumpy Old Men Booka Shade own a chart topping record label and have just released the most polished record of their career, but they're still not happy Interview David McNamara Photo Tim Dobrovolny
self-deprecating producer states: “We always compare ourselves to the grumpy old men.” He then adds, “When we met the Yellow guys, they were even older grumpy men than us. They are both in their 60s and spend even more time together. I thought, ‘Is this how we are going to continue together?’” This conversation must have triggered a nerve in Kammermeier, because he goes on to provide a humorous insight into his family life. “I am forced to listen to Michael Jackson at the moment because my son is going through that phase,” groans the German entrepreneur. “I have to listen to Thriller and Billy Jean back and forth all the time. We were on holiday the other week and my son made me buy this track on iTunes by Justin Bieber called Baby and now he plays it all the time.” He then jokes, “At least now I know who Justin Bieber is!” With a thriving record label, an excellent new album and a string of performances scheduled at some of the world’s most respected summer festivals, you would think that Kammermeier’s outlook on life would be optimistic at the very least, but you would be wrong. When asked if he is satisfied with Booka Shade’s career to date, he simply responds: “Ever since we started the label we have been happy. Well, not happy because we are not happy people.” He then laughs and adds, “We will always find something to complain about!”
TALKING to Booka Shade's Arno Kammermeier is like speaking with a naive newcomer who has just signed his first record deal. Every question is met with a proverbial tsunami of information that is entertaining and informative in equal measure. The German producer is not afraid to divulge intimate details, even if they happen to be at his own expense. It is hard to believe that he, alongside compatriot Walter Merziger, have been shaping the face of electronic music for over two decades. Then again, Kammermeier has a lot to talk about. Booka Shade’s fourth studio album is out this month and if his enthusiasm is anything to go by, it should be their most accomplished effort to date. “We see it as the refined sound of Booka Shade,” enthuses the German producer. “The tracks on the album are instantly recognisable.” He then adds, “It was very important to bring the energy of the live show because on previous albums we tried to make it more of an epic, relaxing sound that you can listen to at home.” This is not the only reason they should be smiling: along with M.AN.D.Y. and DJ T, Booka Shade own the highly successful Get Physical label that has thrived over the last eight years and is responsible for the popular Body Language mixes. “It came out of frustration,” says Kammermeier when asked about the origins of the label. “Walter and I had a long history as club producers and we also did a lot of pop music. We were successful but we were disillusioned and we didn’t want to work for the major record industry anymore.” Despite the fact that Get Physical is the best selling label across all genres on Beatport, Kammermeier asserts that it has yet to bring them any financial reward. “You never have money!” declares the Berlin native. “We have run the label now for a few years but the owners never take money out of Get Physical because we always want to create something more.” It is difficult to believe this claim when Get Physical’s unit sales seem to suggest otherwise. It only takes Arno’s brief explanation of how he runs the label to understand why they have not reaped financial reward from their rapidly growing popularity. “We are not the greatest businessmen,” admits Kammermeier. “If someone came to us and said they wanted to put silver foil on each album, we would be the first to say, ‘Let’s do it!’” The duo has come a long way from producing music on their Commodore 64 back in the early 90s and they have noticed some alarming traits in themselves. When asked how they would describe each other, the
MORE! IS OUT NOW ON GET PHYSICAL. BOOKA SHADE APPEAR IN THE GOLDENVOICE ARENA AT ROCKNESS ON 11 JUN
"WE ARE NOT THE GREATEST BUSINESSMEN. IF SOMEONE CAME TO US AND SAID THEY WANTED TO PUT SILVER FOIL ON EACH ALBUM, WE WOULD BE THE FIRST TO SAY, ‘LET’S DO IT!’" ARNO KAMMERMEIER
DJ CHART THE BLESSINGS
Chris Duncan
BEROCTAIL I’LL admit that the past month has confused me. The scaremongering surrounding the arrival of David Cameron at Number 10 meant that I fully expected a ban on fun to be implemented by the time this issue reached print. The senario where four blank pages indicated where this section used to be seems to have been avoided for the time being as the “ConDemNation” machine staggers to a confused and shaky start. So until the mask slips and a
wall is erected around Westminster to keep the proles out and noise restrictions are placed on every venue with a late licence, let’s look forward to summer and the onslaught of festivals it brings. This month, before appearing at RockNess, Booka Shade talk about their label, new album and inability to say no, while we also run down our ten suggestions for acts to see at this year’s Sonar festival. Check the website over the next few weeks for more
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festival coverage as we roll off a connecting bus from Reus to experience the best Barcelona has to offer both at Sonar and at the parties surrounding it. Finally, a farewell of sorts to RPZ which ends its nigh on eight year Thursday night residency at the Art School. The night hosts its final party in the Vic Bar on 24 June before planning to up sticks and move to a new monthly slot at Stereo. Schoolnights will never be the same again.
Busta Rhymes feat Swizz Beatz - Stop The Party (Columbia) We play everything in our sets and get lost in BRAND NEW genres of dance music for months at a time. And then good ‘ol Busta teams up with Swizzy to make a stop/start banger that reminds us why we still love hip-hop... It’s the swagger. Machine Drum - Carry The Weight (Bok Bok Remix) (LuckyMe) The head of Night Slugs, Bok Bok, steps up to remix the fifth LuckyMe record, this time by NYC’s Machine Drum. The original bangs too, but this is listed because young Alex Sushon is the king of arrangement. It builds and builds as a light euphoric track before dropping away into a deep black abyss of dubstep influenced house.
Wiley - Electric Boogaloo (Hudson Mohawke Remix) (Universal) Other people love Hud Mo, but we LOVE Hud Mo. He just defies all expectation. I dare you to pin him down to a genre. He’ll disappear for a week and come back with something like this. “Oh you need me ‘round 130 bpm for a main room, UKF influenced high profile remix? No problem. I can do that, in my own way.” Lil Wayne - I’m Single (CDR / White) People pour hate onto Wayne. We still don’t understand it. It’s easy to write this off as dumb but this is a perfectly formed pop song right here. Different vocal deliveries, a tight (funny) concept and a beat which to us, draws as much from early 90s ambient electronica as hip-hop. Rap is different now. And it’s better.
Clubs
Road to Sonar
The line up at this year's Sonar Festival is the usual mixture of well-known acts and emerging talent that bridges the gap between electronic music and art. Here are our recommendations for ten performances to see this year Text Chris Duncan & Ray Philp
LCD Soundsystem (18 Jun, SonarClub, 1.30am) The arrival of This Is Happening was bittersweet, hurrah for fresh material, woe due to the promise that this will be the band’s last record. So before James Murphy et al hang up their cowbells for good, it’s probably best to seize one of the last remaining chances to see their live show before the entire thing collapses in on itself sometime in the not too distant future. Regardless of what strange new sounds you encounter this weekend, there is no denying that the cries of Drunk Girls is already threatening to be the song to soundtrack the nocturnal element of Sonar this year.
King Midas Sound (18 Jun, SonarHall, 7pm) London Zoo, The Bug’s oppressive dancehall opus of 2008, was the dank basement from which the trio of King Midas Sound emerged. Actually, emerge isn’t the right word; several shades darker and more considered than Kevin Martin’s seminal album, King Midas Sound’s full-length debut, Waiting For You, seemed to have been crafted from within the stony confines of a Brixton dungeon. And yet, notwithstanding the Catalan sunshine that will suffuse their Sonar By Day slot, Waiting For You is an intensely edifying record with elements of real warmth within, most of which is provided by Roger Robinson’s rich, tobacco flecked growl. Expect the dungeon keepers to dazzle at the MACBA. Joy Orbison (18 Jun, SonarLab, 12.45am) Sunny dispositions know better than to seek gratification from a typical dubstep 12”, which, to a man, seems a milieu of elegiac rhythms and haunted whispers, albeit with soul puncturing kickdrums attached. Coarse though the perception is, it may go some way to explaining why the music press went totally apeshit for Hyph Mngo, Joy Orbison’s debut 12”; possibly one of the most life-affirming, cravenly happy 5-and-change minutes ever committed in the name of dubstep. Pete O’Grady has since released two additional, and equally substantive records of note, both of which are woven with slivers of funk, garage and house; a unique blend that is fast becoming his trademark.
Zomby (19 Jun, SonarLab, 5am) It’s hard to believe that in such a short timescale dupstep has managed to make its mark firmly on the world stage, emerging from the outskirts of specialist music to become a sound distinctly associated with the late noughties. Zomby’s 2008 debut record Where Were You In ‘92? propelled him into the spotlight that was being cast upon his genre as he payed homage to his early 90s influences. Sonar has a history of reflecting trends within electronic music well and Zomby’s headline set is evidence, if it was at all needed, that dubstep has finally reached a fuller audience.
Sonar Lab
Joy Orbison
Robot Koch (17 Jun, SonarDome, 9pm) Hitherto best known as one third of BPitch triumvirate Jahcoozi, Berlin producer Robot Koch released his first full-length longplayer, Death Star Droid, last November – a dense and murky black hole of an album that draws in a maelstrom of influences from, frankly, God knows where. By turns tumultuous and tender, Robot Koch’s catalogue finds its inspiration in a headrush of hip-hop, grime, techno and dubstep, although Koch himself knows the obsolescence of such tags, having described his own label’s output as being “like Motown with lazers”. Once we see a Four Tops two-step remix, we’ll believe it.
King Midas Sound
Plastikman (18 Jun, SonarPub, 2am) As revered discographies go, Richie Hawtin’s catalogue is a rather amorphous pantheon – beyond his venerable DE9 records and the plethora of M_nus and Plus 8 material, much of Hawtin’s sprawling collection remains largely obscured, ironically, by its own plurality. While his Plastikman recordings are similarly prolific, they are easily his most identifiable and enjoyable works. Hawtin’s boilerplate minimal rhythms are transformed by the corrosive drips of acid house infused into tracks like Sheet One and Panikattack, both of which offer ample evidence of Hawtin’s mastery of momentum and nuance. We could go on, but there’s no point preaching to the converted, is there?
Photo: Sarah Roberts
Nosaj Thing Visual Show (18 Jun, SonarHall, 8.30pm) Whilst the courtyard of MACBA at Sonar By Day is dominated by live musical performances, the dark basement of the building houses attractions that often draw bigger crowds than the sizeable talent outside. It is here that groundbreaking musical installations are debuted, such as the Reactable and artists that truly blur the line between music and visual art take to the stage. Nosaj Thing Visual Show is one such performance, combining synchronised bright visuals with his echoing electronica sound. This time last year he released his Drift album to huge success on the specialist music circuit so expect this show to be one of the highlights of the daytime line-up. Hudson Mohawke There has always been a strong UK presence at Sonar for two reasons. One, the fact that the finest talent from the various musical scenes on these fair isles is selected year upon year, and two, British early adopters of new artists often make the trip to the festival to discover something new alongside various international acts they already know and love. Glaswegian ex-pat Hudson Mohawke was always a safe bet to appear this year after the whirlwind of hype that has surrounded his unique and imaginative sound for some time now was backed up by the release of Butter last year on Warp Records. Now, in the year that his hometown collective LuckyMe have received their own showcase line-up on the SonarLab stage on 19 June, HudMo is scheduled for the penultimate performance on the same stage the previous evening. Between the Mary Anne Hobbs showcase slot and the LuckyMe family presention you can expect to see young HudMo for a fair amount of the weekend. No complaints here.
Hudson Mohawke
Flying Lotus (18 Jun, SonarLab, 1.30am) Being nephew to jazz legends John and Alice Coltrane brings with it a strenuous weight of expectation, but Flying Lotus’ music career isn’t so much in the blood as it is written in the stars. Cosmogramma, FlyLo’s third longplayer, takes a quantum leap forward in quality as it clusters together FlyLo’s melodious loops and cinder block basslines with fragmented samples sourced from every cobweb-ridden crook of his redoubtable record collection. A record with star quality written all over it, literally – with song titles like Do The Astral Plane and Zodiac Shit, FlyLo is unequivocal about the scope of his ambition.
John Talabot (18 Jun, SonarClub, 2.30am) Last year was something of a hectic time for John Talabot as he moved from near anonymity into the hearts of the likes of Ewan Pearson and the influential Pitchfork publication. This can be attributed to his sound which combines influences from Moodymann, J Dilla, Chicago house, disco music and northern soul. Post Sonar he promises to release his long awaited debut record to an eager public.
Nosaj Thing
Sonar takes place in Barcelona on 17-19 Jun, tickets range from €39 to €155. Visit www.theskinny.co.uk/clubs for ongoing coverage before and after the festival www.sonar.es
June 2010
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Two-step Ahead
We take you on a tour of the country's best dubstep nights Text George Binning Illustration Nick Cocozza It would be something of an understatement to say that dubstep is well represented in Scotland. With home-grown talent such as Kode 9, Hudson Mohawke and Loops Haunt to name but a few, alongside filth peddling labels such as Fortified Audio and the LuckyMe collective, there seems to be talent emerging from every crack a dub cares to step on. Edinburgh has long established itself as the nation’s capital of bass heavy club nights and the proactive drum and bass crowd have naturally transferred their talents to attending the shed loads of dubstep that the clubs have to offer. The most exciting new arrival is Edinburgh’s first dedicated dubstep night: Innuendub at Cabaret Voltaire (next night tbc). In spite of the least graceful attempt at a pun on the word dub ever, the night exploded with onto the scene with Bar9, Emalkay and Scotland’s own Taz Buckfaster at the helm. Most of the other nights in Edinburgh play a slick combination of dubstep, grime, drum and bass, ragga and dub. Xplicit (25 Jun) are reliable purveyors of big bass with big names to match whilst Volume! operates monthly, rotating around The Bongo Club, Faith and Sneaky Pete’s. The Bongo Club also hosts Big ‘N’ Bashy (5 Jun) on the first Saturday of the month but if you need a weekly hit then they have Jungle Dub on Wednesdays too. You will hear bass bins being blown at the Citrus Club’s Dub Kaoss every Thursday, Coalition every Sunday and Nu-Fire every Monday in Sneaky Pete’s. If you still haven’t had enough
there is always good old Split on Tuesdays at Cabaret Voltaire. Whilst Glasgow may not have the huge quantity of dubstep nights that Edinburgh does, what it lacks in numbers it makes up for with...well, Numbers (4 Jun). The event appears about once a month either in Stereo, the Arches, Subclub or even occasionally ABC. Whilst the Numbers brand is best known within techno circles, the fact remains that Joker, Rustie, Flying Lotus and many more of the most revered names in dubstep have all headlined there on pervious occasions. The disappearance of Pangaea caused great sadness amongst Glasgow’s junglists, but only for a moment before BBL Sound System stepped up with Mutiny (1 Jun), a new monthly dubstep and jungle night in the Art School. Last month Machine Code made his UK debut there with a set so heavy, scientists had to re-examine the established laws of physics. It has been a while since Fortified put on a night in Glasgow, but rest assured, they will be back at the Art School in September; in the meantime keep a look out for absolutely anything with their name on it, it will almost certainly be worth your while. How’s Your Party? (25 Jun ) may seem like another traditionally house and techno orientated night at the Sub Club, but with past guests including Caspa and Toddla it’s an evening definitely worth keeping an eye on. Finally Check the Rabbit (5 Jun), in the Reading Rooms of Dundee, is a night that will irregularly satisfy the wonky requirements of the Dundonian skankers. Dundee is the home of Loops Haunt, the master of the terrifying wobble and it is not uncommon for him to Check the Rabbit himself. Nights like this demand closer inspection.
previews Killer Kitsch Street Party 1 Jun
Some five years ago Killer Kitsch came along to change the face of weeknight clubbing in Glasgow for the better. Regardless of the fact that the city doesn’t boast a huge amount of quality nights on a Tuesday, the lack of real competition still didn’t mean that Killer Kitsch was an overnight success story. But over the past half decade the night has built up a strong reputation, packing the Buff Club out damn near every week and welcoming occasional guests such as The Glimmers, Freeform Five, Kris Menace and Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard. The belated fifth birthday celebrations will take place outside the Buff Club, as Bath Lane is transformed from its normal guise as a smoking area and into a mini festival. Summer weather, post exam cases of delirium and hundreds of midweek revellers celebrating five well earned years. Hae it. [Anna Seale]
Noise Pollution, 5 Jun
Thunder Disco Club 1st Birthday
After his debut, 1998’s Bainted Smile EP, Ceephax Acid Crew aka Andy Jenkinson, brother of Squarepusher, quickly became known for using vintage drum machines and synths, particularly the Roland TB-303, to create his trademark acid house sound. Often recorded onto a tape deck, his early output was released by Breakin’ Records, Lo Recordings and Firstcask labels on vinyl and cassette before moving onto remix work for Squarepusher on Rephlex and Warp. Making use of old samplers, a Commodore Amiga and various old synths, from 2003 onwards, aside from acid house he began working on drum ‘n’ bass tracks, while in 2007 he had his first full releases on Rephlex and Planet Mu, dropping his fourth album on the latter in February. His live sets, combining acid house, techno and drum ‘n’ bass, have proved popular for shunning the expected laptop-driven approach; instead Ceephax uses only analogue and early digital equipment (and occasionally an Amiga computer). [Colin Chapman]
The Art School, 11 Jun
11pm-3am, £10
The italo soundtracked and RPZ influenced night Thunder Disco Club has reached absurd heights in its brief one year existence, and to celebrate its first birthday those behind the club will be appearing at the GSA Degree Show Street Party for a one-off party. The birthday bash later migrates upstairs to the main room where Milk perform live beside the TDC residents. The aesthetic element of TDC has always been attention grabbing, so it will be no surprise that the team are joining forces with Joe Crogan to provide a full on visual experience. This collusion of minds will be used, according to TDC DJ Ian Guy, to “showcase an enterprising production of hand-made original material mixed with traditional graphics from Thunder Disco Club’s visual library” as the Art School’s main hall becomes the canvas for a 360 degree visual experience that leaves no surface uncovered. [Chris Duncan]
www.ceephax.co.uk
11pm-4am (subject to license), £1
11pm-3am, free www.myspace.com/thunderdiscoclub
Horse Meat Disco Melting Pot, 5 Jun
What should sound like a misadventure of Rocinanteesque proportions (Horse Meat Disco throw themselves into the Melting Pot...no?) will not only sate your appetite for a mezze of next-level disco cutlets – courtesy of the combined talents of London quartet Horse Meat Disco and Melting Pot residents Andrew Pirie and Simon Cordiner – but may also encourage a reappraisal of the genre’s stubborn, Linusesque attachment to Giorgio Moroder as Horse Meat Disco release their second mix album on 22 June via Strut Records. Once James Hillard et al hoof it from the Admiral to continue on their European tour, we live in hope that diehard Moroder fiends might let the safety blanket slide some; after an entrée of quintessential, Hype Machine-proof crate-digging – from Leonore O’Malley’s ebullient italo strains to the gaudy afrobeat of El Coco – everything else tastes like chicken. [Ray Philp]
Kelburn Garden Party 3 & 4 Jul
One-hundred-and-fifty words offers precious little opportunity to wax lyrical on all of the meritorious facets of the Kelburn Garden Party, but I only need five anyway: it’s got a painted castle. A. Painted. Castle. A sizeable posse of local and international bands and DJs have jumped at the chance to gawp at the Technicolor edifice on the idyllic Kelburn grounds; alongside Scottish indie favourites Broken Records and Mersault, rave kids and techno grown-ups alike can look forward to globetrotting Ninja Tune mainstay DJ Vadim’s presentation of ‘The Electric’, dubstep from Glasgow-based DJs Taz Buckfaster and NoFACE, the chameleonic house music pillar that is Tom Middleton and a ton of other beatsmiths worth the attentions of your spirit-glazed eyes and ears. Incidentally, Kelburn’s aural delights are also augmented by various workshops, one of which includes Brazilian martial art Capoeira – presumably so as to demonstrate the consequences of peeing on the mural. [Ray Philp] 3 & 4 July, Capacity limited to 500, £48 www.kelburngardenparty.com
Robert Hood, Levon Vincent & DJ Jus-Ed Numbers vs. Monox, 4 Jun
An acid house veteran, Neville Watson was bitten hard by the raving bug, diving head first into the burgeoning scene of the late eighties. After the obligatory few years partying in clubs, warehouses and fields he took up DJing and opened the Mighty Atom record shop and label in Windsor which later led to a residency at Reading’s legendary acid house disco, Checkpoint Charlie, alongside Mat Carter. Since Mighty Atom came to an end in 2006, Neville’s concentrated on releasing his own brand of deep, raw and jacking house on labels such as Clone and Dissident, also working alongside Bulgarian house maestro, KiNK producing for the likes of Rush Hour, Poker Flat and Mule, and continues to DJ worldwide. Last year he joined forces with his brother and renowned photographer Gavin Watson to publish Raving ’89, a unique collection of photographs and tales taken from the year that house music and rave culture exploded. [Colin Chapman]
Monox and Numbers join forces this month to bring a heavyweight trio of underground talent to the Sub. Detroit legend Robert Hood was a founding member of the legendary Underground Resistance collective. Initially a ‘Minister of Information’, then working on tracks alongside ‘Mad’ Mike Banks and Jeff Mills, he later produced solo work for UR, Mills’ Axis label, eventually breaking away to form his own M-Plant imprint. M-Plant proved to be the major stepping stone in establishing Hood’s own brand of stripped-down dancefloor minimalism which went on to direct the path of much of techno during the late nineties. Describing his music as having a ‘grey area’ sound, Hood said he was influenced by Detroit’s grey, hazy skyline which he depicted in the chord sound of a Roland Juno. Recordings since then have come on Patrick Pulinger’s Cheap label, Peacefrog and Music Man. He’s released two ‘official’ CD mixes, his most recent for the Fabric series, while his seventh album, Omega is out this month. New York’s Levon Vincent has become hot property in the last year thanks to a series of unassuming 12”s which have brought a darker, grittier edge back into house music. Starting out as a DJ in the nineties he moved into production in 2002, currently runs two imprints (Novel and Deconstruct) and is a close associate of the night’s third guest, DJ Jus-Ed. A DJ for twenty years, Jus-Ed came out of brief retirement in 2001 and since then has established the Underground Quality label and its family of artists; Anton Zap, DJ Qu and Levon himself amongst others. With its distinctive, rough-hewn deep house sound, Underground Quality has quickly become a ‘buy on sight’ label and thanks to it, Jus-Ed’s popular internet radio show, not to mention his own raw take on the deeper side of house, he’s earned DJ gigs worldwide[Colin Chapman]
11pm-3am, £6
11pm-3am, £12
www.slabsofthetabernacle.com
www.nmbrs.net
www.meltingpotglasgow.com www.myspace.com/horsemeatdiscolondon
Neville Watson Slabs of the Tabernacle, 5 Jun
50 THE SKINNY June 2010
Ceephax Acid Crew (Live), JD Twitch & Sean Matthews
Competing with the Slam Tent at T in the Park is no easy task when it comes to festival line ups but RockNess has risen to the challenge with a varied line-up
London's self-described "squat rock trio" IS TROPICAL aren't going to pose for a picture, so don't bother asking
Soulwax: Keeping the weekend alive
Text Chris Duncan Text Anna Seale Bandana donning London three-piece IS TROPICAL recently released their debut single When O When on the renowned Hitclub Records label before setting off on a short but sweet UK tour with The Big Pink last month. The trio formed early last year, consisting of Gary Barber on vocals and guitar, Simon Milner on vocals and keyboard, joined by Dominic Apa as the driving force on the drums as they appear on the stage in their now trademark, face-obscuring masks and draped by self-made video projections. IS TROPICAL have also recently toured with Egyptian Hip Hop, New Young Pony Club and Good Shoes as their support act on various dates across the country. The group combine a habit of swapping instrument and vocal duties with their policy of covering their faces for every live performance and photoshoot.
This, they claim, is an attempt to “eliminate the idea of a front person” and a kick back at the posing of other bands who confuse the idea of being a group with that of being poster boys. Their sound is on occasion well suited to the club circuit, with their melody driven songs taking influence from the likes of Metronomy. A combination of live drums, programmed electronic beats and jarring guitars result in a familiar sound but one that is given a new twist. IS TROPICAL are currently spending the summer touring the festival circuit, stopping off at Isle of Wight, Farraday, Field Day, Underage and V between June and August before recording new material later this year. Death Disco takes place at The Arches on 19 Jun, with appearances from Aeroplane, The Swiss (live), Josh Jones, Hushpuppy and visuals by Pointless Creations. 10pm-3am, £12/£7 www.thearches.co.uk/ddhome.htm
The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, Glasgow 0141 565 1000 www.deathdisco.info
First up, Crystal Castles, fresh off the back of a positively received new album that suggests they aren’t the flash in the pan act some people had once seen them as. Their live show is infamous for being brash at the best of times, with their antics at Sonar last year (read: punching a bouncer) bringing them all manner of attention. So whether you’re a fan of unique sounding punk electronica or the threat of unprovoked fisticuffs, there is something here to cater to every taste. Homegrown talent arrives in the form of Sensu, who when you look at their achievements and reputation make it hard to believe they only came into existence a mere five and a half years ago. Responsible for a bringing a huge roster of exclusive guests to their parties at the world famous Sub Club and Wee Chill all dayers as well as performing as a constantly evolving live act who have taken influences from various places whilst combining different technologies to enhance their existing musical talent. Soulwax return to Rockness yet again as part of their seemingly endless world tour. Anybody else concerned that the band are trapped in a musical purgatory, forced to perform across the globe until a divine power allows them to progress to paradise? Or perhaps the slightly more realistic reason is that their shows, which involve the four piece performing their back catalogue and remixes live still manage to draw a huge crowd. For the uninitiated, cast your eyes
over Soulwax’s Part Of The Weekend Never Dies for a masterclass in performance, slick video editing and sheer human endurance. Finally, it goes without saying that the Dewaele brothers will be appearing as 2ManyDJs the following day. A rare chance to see Aphex Twin perform live as he brings his anti-mainstream, abstract sound to Rockness for the first time. During his last appearance at a Scottish festival, Aphex Twin’s grindhouse movie visuals had to be pulled from the screens for being deemed too extreme, only for him to replace the gore with on stage ‘gurners’, pulling grotesque faces down the lens of an camera in an effort to unnerve those watching the show. Hard to tell what to expect from his live show seeing as in the past the ginger one has even used Black and Decker tools to build abrasive loops and crashing feedback. Vitalic’s V Mirror show makes its Scottish festival debut at Rockness as the French producer and DJ unleashes his creation of synthesised sounds upon a feverish crowd. Whilst he’s likely to be performing mostly material from last years disco influenced Flashmob album, surely no mere mortal could resist dropping in some of the more choice cuts from debut record OK Cowboy. Depriving your fans of My Friend Dario, played at an obscene volume by a beautiful loch? Nobody is that cruel. Rockness takes place on 11-13 Jun, tickets start at £60.50 plus booking fee. Other artists appearing include Green Velvet, Optimo, Leftfield, Pendulum, Gary Beck and Derrick May. www.rockness.co.uk
June 2010
THE SKINNY 51
Clubs
Tropical Flavour
RockNess Monsters
Glasgow
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Saturday 26th June
Glasgow music Tue 01 Jun Powderfinger (Bob Evans) ABC, 19:00–22:00, £19.50
Micah P. Hinson
Bloc+Jam
Vinyl Night
Experimental folk.
Open mic night.
Hip-hop, mod, funk and ska.
Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £12.50
Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free
Alternative Aussie five-piece.
Butterfly Fridays
Butterfly Strategy
Scout Niblet
Resident bands and DJs.
Acoustic acts; local and far-flung.
Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £7
Butterfly & Pig, 19:00–03:00, Free
Contact Lost, Feeding Egon
Miaoux Miaoux, My Cousin I Bid You Farewell, Blue Sky Archives
Classic rock.
Trio of top acts for the first Radar showcase.
Alternative beats.
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–12:00, Free
Mon 07 Jun
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–22:30, £5
Ellie Goulding (Leah Mason)
Glasgow Slow Club (Acrylic Iqon)
The Trade, The Foxes, The Dots, Strangetouch
Acoustic pop princess.
Relaxed night with guest bands.
New band showcase.
Indian music on sitar and flute.
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Bloc+, 20:00–23:00, Free
Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £tbc
Yaman
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
RX Bandits, Moneen
Phosphorescent
Blessure Grave
Progressive rock.
Experimental noise-makers.
New wave punk.
Tuesday Music Club
Stonesthrow, 100 Paper Boats, Miscued Vein, the Craybees
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £9.50
Butterfly & Pig, 20:30–12:00, Free
Open mic night.
Wed 02 Jun Teenage Fanclub ABC, 19:00–22:00, £17.50
Alternative indie. New album tour.
Glissando (Debutant) Brel, 19:00–22:30, £tbc
Subtle melodies and piano lines.
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £5
New bands showcase.
Three For Free Friday (Models for the Radio, Kristina Cox) Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, Free
Alternative indie.
Bloc+, 23:00–02:00, Free
Sat 05 Jun
Ambient metal and grindcore.
Richard Burton Trio
Mono Jazz
Jazz standards.
Weekly jazz residency.
Team Ghost
13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £6
Galoshins
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, Free
Alternative psych.
Bring an instrument and join in.
13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
Melodic pop and indie rock.
Mono, 20:00–23:00, Free
Youthful rock trio.
Nacional, Evol
Alternative trio of bands.
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7.50
Blochestra
Make Sparks, Lightguides, Right Hand Left
Devil Sold His Soul, The Boy Will Drown
Twenty Twenty (Living In Hiding)
Trio of live bands.
Ben TD, Maple Thiefs
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Bloc+, 21:00–23:00, Free
Corrie Dick
Common Room, 21:00–23:30, Free
Jazz residency.
Initial itch
13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £2 (£1)
Scratch, poetry, comedy and bands.
Tue 08 Jun
Brel, 15:00–17:00, Free
Supergrass
InMe, Fei Comodo, Envy of The State
Scuzzy indie rockers.
Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £10
Rock and metal showcase.
Barrowlands, 19:00–23:00, £22.50
Brendan Perry
Òran Mór, 19:30–23:00, £10
Singer and multi-instrumentalist.
Epic guitar chords and ambient electronica beats. We give you our current love affair; Team Ghost. Support comes from lo-fi rocker, Deathpodal. You probably shouldn’t miss this. Win tickets here.
Proud Mary (Proud Mary, The Hardy Souls, John Rush, Machine For A Day)
Detour Present: Song of Return, There Will Be Fireworks, Meursault
Acoustic set. In ABC 2.
Andy Miller
The Magic Numbers
Acoustic guitar, banjo and oud.
Buff Club, 21:00–03:00, £5
Trio of musical loveliness.
Vinyl Night
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–12:00, Free
Hip-hop, mod, funk and ska.
Thu 03 Jun Neon Hero (Ruth Ellis, Well Known Secret, Captain Kidds Boneyard) ABC, 19:00–22:00, £5
Guitar rock. In ABC 2.
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £9
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £14
Ambient indie folk.
Achren, Daemonolith, Necrosadistic Goat Torture
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–23:00, £6.50
Alternative trio of bands.
Tango In The Attic, Smugglers Run, The Dependants, Neon Hero Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
Alternative noise showcase.
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £5
Washington Irving
Jackie Leven
EP launch.
Alternative rock.
Emotronic psych.
Dave Dominey
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
Funked up bass loops.
Kochka, Sea Kings
Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
Rock, folk and psychobilly.
Freebass
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £10
Supergroup of Peter Hook, Andy Roorke and Mani.
Smith Westerns, Paws Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £7
Pop and electro.
Every Word Is Yours Bloc+, 21:00–23:00, Free
Ambient hardcore.
Always Read The Label, Bayonets 13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
Rock and metal.
Willie Nelson
SECC, 20:00–22:30, £35-£40
Americana country.
Relaxed night with guest bands.
Guitar-driven blues.
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–23:00, £7
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
Mi Ami, Divorce, Ultimate Thrush
Alternative folky blues.
Thee Oh Sees
Alternative indie.
Alternative trio of bands.
Dave Arcari
Mono, 19:30–22:30, £tbc
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–23:00, £7.50
Glasgow Slow Club (Kid Canaveral)
Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £tbc
Peggy Sue
Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £6
Rod Jones
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £8
Filthy Little Secret, Tragic City Thieves Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £5
A night of indie, rock and pop.
Counselled Out The Ferry, 20:00–00:00, £8
Funky soul.
Sun 06 Jun Abagail Grey
Singer/songwriter.
Celebrating Alex Chilton (Teenage Fanclub, BMX Bandits, The Pearlfishers, V-Twin, Milk) Mono, 19:00–00:00, £10
Celebration of Chilton’s music, and the music that he loved.
Andrea Heins
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
Canadian-born singer/songwriter.
Inegra TV, Run From Red Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
Ambient electro and garage rock.
Q Without You
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Indie pop.
Rise To Remain, Holy Grail
O2 Academy, 19:00–22:30, £32.50
R’n’B beats.
Mitchell Museum
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–23:00, £tbc
Alternative pop.
Live Jazz
Rock, Rabbit & Roll Tour The Ferry, 20:00–00:00, £15
Tribute night.
Amoeba To Zebra, Nanobots Experimental pop.
Ned Zeppelin Late night tribute.
Sun 13 Jun Tim Knowles Quartet Brel, 15:00–17:00, Free
Jazz, be-bop and funk.
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, Free
Free punk party.
Tuesday Music Club
Butterfly & Pig, 20:30–12:00, Free
Open mic night.
Ruaraidh Sanachan 13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
Experimental artist.
Wed 16 Jun O2 Academy, 19:00–22:30, £25
Pop thrash.
Brel, 19:30–22:30, £6
Òran Mór, 19:30–23:00, £12
Brel, 19:30–22:30, £10
Americana-tinged folk rock.
Burnt Island (Andrea Marini)
West End Festival: King Creosote
Das Contras
Five-piece ambient folk.
Acoustic gems.
West End Festival: Kings of Queen
Ed Harcourt
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £14
Queen tribute act.
Mono Jazz
Bar Bacchus, 21:00–23:30, Free
Latin jazz rock.
Fri 11 Jun Little Eye
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £6
Powerpop. In ABC 2.
Syth, Dirty Rose, Adastra, Siphon Plane Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £tbc
Heavy metal, rock and thrash.
West End Festival: The Threepenny Opera Òran Mór, 19:00–22:00, £12 (£10)
Murderous classic, performed in a concert version by Auricle Ensemble.
Downfall EP launch.
Butterfly & Pig, 19:00–03:00, Free
Iain Morrison (Calamateur) Scottish folk and rock.
Too Many Vices, The Jury, Dave Adams
Òran Mór, 19:30–23:00, £10
Lyrical singer/songwriter.
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Grafitti
Mono, 20:00–23:00, Free
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £8
Melodramatic pop.
John Power
Destruction (Co-Exist, Red Kryptonite, Grant Me Revenge, Harvest the Sun)
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, Free
Competition to find four new resident bands.
Auxes
Neil Wilson
Acoustic tribute acts.
Classical guitar.
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–12:00, Free
Vinyl Night
Bloc+Jam
Hip-hop, mod, funk and ska.
Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free
Open mic night.
Butterfly Strategy
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–12:00, Free
Acoustic acts; local and far-flung.
Mon 14 Jun
Charming indie pop melodies.
The Low Miffs
Sunshiney power pop.
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
Experimental folk rock.
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £5
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6
Funeral Party
Allan Holdsworth
New wave funk and electro.
Jazz fusion.
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £5
Sat 12 Jun
Òran Mór, 19:00–22:00, £8
Brel, 19:30–22:30, £5
Folk and blues fingerstyle guitar.
Colin Hamilton guests.
Thu 17 Jun West End Festival: Zoey Van Goey (Peter Parker, Endor)
Futuristic Retro Champions (Miaoux Miaoux)
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
Soundhaus, 22:00–03:00, £7 (£5)
13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
Cafe Cossachok, 21:00–23:30, £6
Woodenbox With A Fistful Of Fivers
Exposure
Alternative metal.
Acoustic Night
Punk rock from the US-of-A.
Michael Simons
Electro and punk.
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £5
13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
Ambient shoegaze.
13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Battle of the House Bands
Brel, 19:30–22:30, £5
Beats Of Rage, Dead On The Live Wires, Comptroller, Bob Berlin
Penny Black Folk rock.
Solo acoustic set.
Happy Particles
The Ferry, 20:00–00:00, £16.50
Weekly jazz residency.
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £10
Viv Albertine
Alternative guitar punk.
This Lonely Heart, Renny Field, Amy Vee Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, Free
Folk loveliness.
Blochestra
Bloc+, 21:00–23:00, Free
Hook-laden, mad-cap pop.
Cake Free Bakesale Live music night.
Idiom
Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
Alternative metal.
Pulled Apart By Horses King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7
Alternative rock.
Ray Summers, Sonny Marvelo Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Ace bands for Maggie’s Centre fundraiser.
Jazz Night
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £tbc
Jazz evening.
Young States
Bring an instrument and join in.
Bloc+, 21:00–23:00, Free
Das Contras
Shimmer, Peace In Revolution, Rosewood, Colours
Jess Abrams Quartet
Mono Jazz
Brel, 15:00–17:00, Free
Jazz vocalist.
Lovely alternative showcase.
New band showcase.
Weekly jazz residency.
Lost City Lights
Suzerain (Catcher)
Òran Mór, 19:00–22:00, £12
Wheatus
Tropical pop.
Bar Bacchus, 21:00–23:30, Free
13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £5
Latin jazz rock.
West End Festival: Lau
Corrie Dick
13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
Gifted folk trio.
Jazz residency.
Common Room, 21:00–23:30, Free
Das Contras
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Alternative rock.
Alternative rock.
Latin jazz rock.
Murder By Death, Scoundrels, Macabre Scene
The Metal Shortlist (Perduramo, Nemecyst)
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £10
Tue 15 Jun
Alternative rock.
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £4
Loud metal and rock.
Kris Tennant
O2 Academy, 19:00–22:30, £6
West End Festival: Ian McCulloch
Detour Podcast (Midnight Lion, Ian Morrison, Carnivores)
Indie guitar pop.
Echo & The Bunnymen frontman.
Blog Rocking Beats
Rick Redbeard (Sunset Song)
Music bloggers pick the tunes.
Lyrical and melodic rock.
Fri 04 Jun
Punk Night (Dogs Abuse, Constant Fear, Korrazao)
13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
Jazz classics and modern standards.
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7
Experimental sounds.
Epic hip-hop four-piece.
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £5
Bar Bacchus, 21:00–23:30, Free
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Special dance-off event.
SECC, 18:00–21:00, £15
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
Mono, 20:00–23:00, Free
Prayer Rug
Cypress Hill
Album launch.
Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
Relaxed night with guest bands.
Henrietta School of Dance: Dance Extravaganza
Codes In The Clouds, Barn Owl, Katerwaul, The Seventeenth Century
Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £5
Bloc+, 20:00–23:00, Free
As part of West End Festival.
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Chris Brown
Party fun and games.
Glasgow Slow Club
Brilliant Colours, La La Vasquez, Golden Grrrls
Indie, rock and pop.
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £5
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, Free
Alternative psych-rock.
Kelvingrove Park, 18:00–22:30, £tbc
Cover bands.
Wed 09 Jun
Shut Up and Eat Your Music
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £5
Kim Richey
Single Skin Promotions Present
Open mic night.
Thrash and alternative indie.
Monthly jazz session..
Brooksy and The Sound Collectors
Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
Butterfly & Pig, 20:30–12:00, Free
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £5
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £3
Metal thrash.
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6
Brel, 19:30–22:30, £7
Tuesday Music Club
Exit Calm
Harlem, Boycotts
Bloc+, 23:00–02:00, Free
Sloans Unplugged ((Shambles Miller, Killing Susan and Andrew Lindsay))
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £4
New band showcase.
Charity gig with three top bands.
The Admiral, 19:30–22:30, £tbc
Resident bands and DJs.
Sloans, 20:00–23:30, £4
Corrie Dick
Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
The State Broadcasters, Dirty Cuts, Deserters Deserve Death
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7.50
Youthful rock trio.
The New Times, Mum Wants A Mixed Tape, The Katet, The Code
13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
Twenty Twenty (Try This At Home, Make This Relate)
Indie electro. In ABC 2.
Experimental indie rock.
Òran Mór, 19:00–22:00, £16
Butterfly Fridays
New bands night.
Bloc+, 23:00–02:00, Free
West End Festival: Luka Bloom
O2 Academy, 19:00–22:30, £6
The Lava Experiments Otherpeople
Thu 10 Jun
Bloc+, 20:00–23:00, Free
Codeen (The Hickies, Riverly Thieves, Another Love Party)
13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £5
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–12:00, Free
10th anniversary tour.
Òran Mór, 19:00–23:00, £20
Stig Noise MMX, Barbaros Happy grunge and experimental.
Fri 18 Jun Amok, Evil Kin Evil, Achren, Griever
Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £tbc
Black metal.
Adrian Edmondson & The Bad Shephards
Battle of the House Bands
Former Young one and band.
New talent monthly podcast.
Idiotcut
Little Yellow Ukuleles, Pacific Theatre, He Slept On 57
Vile Imbeciles
Kenny Rogers
Pete Roe
White Ace (Boston Manor, The Fonetics, Dirty Cannon)
EP launch. In ABC 2.
Alternative rock and pop.
Alternative scamps.
Country legend,
Acoustic folk.
Rockin’ blues. In ABC 2.
Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £15
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £6
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, Free
Competition to find four new resident bands. 13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
Bloc+, 21:00–23:00, Free
13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
Flying Duck, 19:00–00:00, Free
SECC, 19:30–22:30, £32.50-£37.50
Brel, 19:30–22:30, £6
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–23:00, £7
West End Festival: Beerjacket Òran Mór, 19:00–22:00, £6
Charming solo folk. ABC, 19:00–22:00, £5
June 2010
THE SKINNY 53
Glasgow music The Doors Alive
Attrition
Leona Lewis
Keane
Shimmer
Tribute act.
Experimental post punk.
X Factor winner.
Indie rock.
Pop and rock.
O2 Academy, 19:00–22:30, £10
Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £10
SECC, 19:00–22:00, £tbc
Barrowlands, 19:00–23:00, £32
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £3
Butterfly Fridays
The Strike Nineteens
Richie Kotzen
Adriana Spina
Paws
Rock and blues.
Scottish singer/songwriter.
Alternative noisemakers.
West End Festival: Glasgow Gospel Choir
Green Day
Vinyl Night
Punk rock.
Hip-hop, mod, funk and ska.
Charity gig.
Yaman
Butterfly & Pig, 19:00–03:00, Free
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £6
Resident bands and DJs.
Album launch. In ABC 2.
Astral Planes, Male Pattern Band
West End Festival: Mr Kil, Three Blind Wolves
Acoustic and lo-fi junk pop.
Double-headline of local acts.
Brel, 19:30–22:30, £6
The Ramonas
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–23:00, £10
All-girl tribute act.
Inwits
Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
Rock beats and killer vocals.
Richard Cobb
Ivory Blacks, 20:00–22:30, £tbc
Acoustic indie.
Kitty The Lion, 17th Century, Crow Road Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Òran Mór, 19:00–22:00, £5
Pooch, Any Colour Black Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £tbc
Electro-pop and rock thrash.
Ducksoup (Lords of Bastards, Suplex The Kid, Ace City Racers Band)
Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £15
Òran Mór, 19:00–23:00, £8
Daniel Erdmann, Francis Le Bras Brel, 20:00–22:30, Free
Harmonic pairing.
Up-and-coming bands.
Withered Hand, The Second Hand Marching Band, Maple Leaves
Revolver
Unity Centre fundraiser.
Flying Duck, 19:30–03:00, £4
Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
Stereo, 20:00–22:30, £tbc
Beatles tribute.
Raw Kings
Alasdair Roberts
Garage pop noise-makers.
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £8
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Delicate-voiced folkser.
Will and The People
St Deluxe, Nanobots
Finley Quaye
Experimental pop.
Indie and electro rock.
Ambient rock.
Trio of folk pop.
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £5
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £15
Ska Night
Ballboy
Ska/two-tone night.
Epic Scottish indie rock.
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £8
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £5
Republic of Soul
Sack Sabbath, Iron On Maiden
Eight-piece soul band.
Tribute acts.
The Ferry, 20:00–00:00, £5
Urban Acid Frenzy 13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
Funky rock.
Sat 19 Jun La Fete De La Musique Brel, 12:00–01:00, Free
Open music fete.
Rewired 2010
ABC, 14:00–22:00, £12.50
Mini new music festival.
Marco Cafolla Quartet Brel, 15:00–17:00, Free
Driving jazz.
The Ferry, 20:00–00:00, £10
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6
Kings of the Delmar, Billy Liar, The Atoms, The Murderburgers Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £5
13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
Ambient rock.
Paul Mills’ Mind Excursion (Jamie Thomson)
Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free
Derek Fairlie Quartet Brel, 15:00–17:00, Free
Jazz funk.
Absolute Bowie ABC, 19:00–22:00, £11
Tribute act.
Paul Towndrow’s Newology Stereo, 20:00–22:30, £8
Part of Glasgow Jazz Festival.
Polar Bear
The Arches, 20:00–22:30, £14
Experimental jazz.
Super Adventure Club Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Thrashy rock/pop.
The Paradox
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, Free
Metal and hip-hop mash.
Blochestra
Bloc+, 21:00–23:00, Free
Bring an instrument and join in.
Jazz residency.
Accordian melodies.
Sun 20 Jun
Indian music on sitar and flute.
Enemies
Experimental types.
Alternative music night.
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
Punk all the way.
Georgie Gajjic
Bloc+, 23:00–02:00, Free
SECC, 19:30–22:30, £tbc
Corrie Dick
Hyper Jacks
13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
Brel, 19:30–22:30, £6
Cafe Cossachok, 21:00–23:30, £6
Bloc+Jam
Open mic night.
Butterfly Strategy
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–12:00, Free
Acoustic acts; local and far-flung.
Mon 21 Jun John Illsley (Louis Eliot & the Embers) ABC, 19:00–22:00, £11
Dire Straits man. In ABC 2.
Common Room, 21:00–23:30, Free
Tue 22 Jun Coheed & Cambria
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–12:00, Free
Thu 24 Jun Lou Hickey (Sean G) ABC, 19:00–22:00, £tbc
Jazzy pop. In ABC 2.
West End Festival: Peatbog Faeries Òran Mór, 19:00–22:00, £17
High octane Celtic dance.
John Taylor (Ciaran Dorris) Brel, 19:30–22:30, £7
Album launch.
Folk fae Fife
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
Music from ‘The Kingdom’.
No Rearview
Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
Alternative rock.
Ben Childs, Mike Scott Bloc+, 20:00–23:00, Free
Folk and funk.
Hot Club De Paris King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6
Progressive rock jam.
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £5
Ska punk. In ABC 2.
West End Festival: Rab Noakes Òran Mór, 19:00–22:00, £12
Interpretive Scottish tunes.
Be A Familiar, Boycotts Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £4
Alternative indie pop.
Tigers On Vaseline
Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
Bowie tribute.
Veronica Falls
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £8
Experimental pop.
Plug’d In Promotions Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £5
Charity fundraiser with live bands.
Potential Strangers 13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
Alternative acoustic.
We Are Physics
Bloc+, 23:00–02:00, Free
Alternative music night.
Sun 27 Jun Blues On The River 2010 The Ferry, 12:00–00:00, £10
Mini music festival.
Alternative rock four-piece.
Vendor Defender, Julia and The Doogans
Hazy Recollections (Alex Cornish, Kitty the Lion, Ali McCrae)
Senser
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £16.50
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £9
Electro rock. In ABC 2.
The French Wives (Claes Cem) Brel, 19:30–22:30, £5
Sunny pop, plus trombone.
West End Festival: Eddie Reader Òran Mór, 19:30–23:00, £20
Intimate gig with the Scottish stalwart.
John Hinshelwood Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
Americana-influenced singer/songwriter.
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Glasgow University Union, 14:00–18:00, £6
Pop and folk.
Nu folk loveliness.
Punk Night (The Snipes, Bottomfeeders, Jackhammers, Babylon Dub Punx, Puddock Stew)
Hamish Harper Quintet
Free punk party.
Beecake
Das Contras
Album launch. In ABC 2.
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, Free
Bar Bacchus, 21:00–23:30, Free
Latin jazz rock.
Fri 25 Jun
Brel, 15:00–17:00, Free
Piano and sax ensemble. ABC, 19:00–22:00, £tbc
The Dead Weather ABC, 19:00–22:00, £tbc
Bluesy rock supergroup.
Ray Harris & The Fusion Experience
West End Festival: Mr McFall’s Chamber
West End Festival: Hamish Stuart Band
Part of Glasgow Jazz Festival.
Stereo, 20:00–22:30, £8
Òran Mór, 19:00–22:00, £10
Òran Mór, 19:00–23:00, £20
Programme of tango music.
Special end of festival show.
Ariels Up
Motown At Mono
Woodenbox With A Fistful Of Fivers (Maple Leaves)
Alternative types.
Six hours of soul.
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Mono, 19:00–01:00, Free
Francesqua, Tiger Please
Butterfly Fridays
Acoustic set from the Skinny faves.
Rock, pop and indie.
Resident bands and DJs.
dBass, The Forgotten Works, Jumble Sale Sounds
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6
Butterfly & Pig, 19:00–03:00, Free
Glasgow Slow Club
The Wynntown Marshalls, El Dog
Bloc+, 20:00–23:00, Free
Relaxed night with guest bands.
Sloans Unplugged Sloans, 20:00–23:30, £4
Showcase of Scottish acoustic acts.
Tuesday Music Club
Brel, 19:30–22:30, £6
Acoustic folk.
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
Blues-influenced songwriters.
New band showcase.
Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
Alternative duo of bands.
Jeff Klein
Axis Of, Death Of Her Money
Soulful indie pop.
Pop and punk.
Wed 23 Jun
Jazz fusion and dancefloor dub.
Passenger
Rosvita, Vcheka
13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
Stereo, 19:30–23:30, £7 (£6)
Wing and a Prayer
Open mic night.
Bloc+, 21:00–23:00, Free
Brel, 19:30–22:30, £6
Country pop and acoustic rock.
The 10:04’s, The Mix-Ups, A New Hope, Jack The Wolf
Butterfly & Pig, 20:30–12:00, Free
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7
Olympic Swimmers, Blue Sky Achives
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £4
Indie and pop.
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6
Battle of the House Bands Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, Free
Competition to find four new resident bands.
Marshall Chipped, Blood Blood, Ross Gilchrist 13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
Alternative psych and electro-rock.
NIGEL CLARK
Cafe Cossachok, 21:00–23:30, £6
Guitar solo.
Bloc+Jam
Deathstars (Sybreed)
Three For Free Friday
Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free
Butterfly Strategy
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £12
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, Free
Dark rock. In ABC 2.
Trio of live bands.
The Gaslight Anthem (Twin Atlantic, Sharks)
the Latecomers
Lauries Bar, 20:15–23:00, Free
Soulful punk.
Washington Irving
Levenshulme Bicycle Orchestra
Plucky guitar pop.
Experimental industrial.
O2 Academy, 19:00–22:30, £tbc
Alternative pop loveliness.
Brel, 19:30–22:30, £5
13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc
West End Festival: Eddie Reader
PIN UP NIGHTS
Intimate gig with the Scottish stalwart.
Classic indie and live bands.
Òran Mór, 19:30–23:00, £20
Live Jazz
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
Jazz classics and modern standards.
TrioVD
Stereo, 20:00–22:30, £8
Part of Glasgow Jazz Festival.
Mono Jazz
Mono, 20:00–23:00, Free
Weekly jazz residency.
Flying Duck, 21:00–03:00, £5
Sat 26 Jun Stewart Forbes Quartet Brel, 15:00–17:00, Free
Be-bop and funk saxophonists.
Blues On The River 2010 The Ferry, 17:00–01:00, £10
Mini music festival.
Pretty Lights, Miaoux Miaoux
Bloodstock: Metal To The Masses
Electronica beat makers.
Quest to find the most brutal live act. Joy.
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
54 THE SKINNY June 2010
Bloc+, 21:00–23:00, Free
The Rudiments (The Imagineers, The Gazelles, Ewan Butler)
Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £15
Open mic night.
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–12:00, Free
Acoustic acts; local and far-flung.
Mon 28 Jun Michael Simons
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
Folk and blues fingerstyle guitar.
The Features, Kassidy, Acrylic Iqon King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6
Trio of rock.
Bluesbunny Presents Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, Free
Live music handpicked by Bluesbunny.
Blochestra
Bloc+, 21:00–23:00, Free
Bring an instrument and join in.
Corrie Dick
Common Room, 21:00–23:30, Free
Jazz residency.
edinburgh music Tue 01 Jun Emerging Edinburgh
Scribble (John Knox Sex Club, Immortal Krypt, Yaldy at the Disco.)
Indie showcase.
DJs and VJs.
Capital, 19:30–22:30, £tbc
Roxy Art House, 19:00–23:00, £5
Whighams Jazz Club
Whighams Wine Cellars, 20:30–23:30, Free
Jazz jam and open mic session.
Mon 07 Jun
Leith Folk Club (Hungrytown)
Dave Arcari (Derek Smith) Henry’s Cellar, 19:30–22:00, £5
Harmonic duo.
Acoustic blues.
The Auld Alliance
Great Jazz Jam
Goo Goo Muck
Music with Scottish/French connections.
Live jam session.
Cramps tribute.
The Jazz Bar, 19:30–23:00, £4 (£3)
The Village, 19:30–22:45, £8
The Jazz Bar, 20:00–23:30, £2 (£1)
Wed 02 Jun Peggy Sue
Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £6
Lilting indie folk.
This Is Not A Toga Party (The Red Show, New Delusion, Scrap Brain) Maggie’s Chamber, 19:00–22:30, £3
Student-oriented new music night.
Sleeping Dog
Roxy Art House, 19:00–23:00, £5
Experimental indie from Belgium.
White Noise
Electric Circus, 19:00–00:00, £3
Weekly music showcase.
The Michael MacLennan Band, Chasing Owls, Hannah Kitchen The Lot, 19:30–22:30, £4
Eclectic trio.
Edinburgh Folk Club (Cowboy Celtic)
The Pleasance, 20:00–22:30, £8 (£7)
Weekly folk session, in the Cabaret Bar area.
Richard Cobb
The Southern Bar, 20:00–22:30, £tbc
Acoustic indie.
UpCDownC, Tourettes, Syndri (Invidia) Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4
Alternative rock and indie.
Unpeeled
The Jazz Bar, 20:30–23:30, £3
New bands showcase.
Thu 03 Jun Blue Roots
Roxy Art House, 17:00–01:00, Free
Dub and reggae. In the bar.
Emmelle (Rolled Up 20’s, Stewart Cormack) Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £5
Experimental beats.
Teenage Fanclub (Veronica Falls)
Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £17.50
Alternative indie.
Glissando (Debutant, Field Mouse)
Roxy Art House, 19:00–23:00, £5
Ambient experimental.
We Are Empire
Capital, 19:30–22:30, £tbc
Alternative guitar ensemble.
J the Blues
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4
Citrus Club, 19:30–22:30, £8
Event X Fundraiser Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4
Punk and hardcore.
Soul Foundation
Voodoo Rooms, 20:00–01:00, Free
Classic soul and motown.
Jazz Bar Quartet
The Jazz Bar, 20:30–23:30, £4 (£3)
Four-piece jazz and sax.
This Is Music (Tallah Disco, Bargain Harold)
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)
Indie and electro.
Sat 05 Jun Meadows Festival 2010 (Big Fat Panda, Woodenbox With a Fistful Of Fivers, Das Contras) The Meadows, 10:00–18:00, Free
Top line-up over two days. Plus the usual fairground fun and stalls.
Roxy Saturdays
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4
Metal and punk rock.
Tue 08 Jun Leith Folk Club (The Sugarboat Rivers) The Village, 19:30–22:45, £6
New line-up on cello and fiddle.
Great Jazz Jam
The Jazz Bar, 20:00–23:30, £2 (£1)
The Granary, 19:00–20:00, £6
Original and traditional songs.
Salute Mary (Kick To Kill, Katy Bar The Door, The Forth Wall) Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £5
Alternative rock.
Your Loyal Subjects Roxy Art House, 19:00–23:00, £5
Rockin’ Edinburgh two piece.
Arbelos, Fire and Rain Crazy Magic House Band The Pleasance, 19:30–22:30, £5
Folk and rock. In the Cabaret bar.
Helena Buckmayer
Queen’s Hall, 19:45–22:30, £15 (£12.50)
Schumann jubilee concert.
Raft First Anniversary (Emelle)
Henry’s Cellar, 20:00–03:00, £4
Voodoo Rooms, 20:00–01:00, £tbc
Alternative indie niceness.
Wed 09 Jun White Noise (Pilotcan) Electric Circus, 19:00–00:00, £3
Weekly music showcase.
Voodoo Rooms, 19:00–01:00, £5
Edinburgh Folk Club (The McCalmans)
The Pleasance, 20:00–22:30, £8 (£7)
Weekly folk session, in the Cabaret Bar area.
Uncle Meat and the Highway Children (The Filthy Harmonics) Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4
Showgirls a-go-go.
Sun 06 Jun Meadows Festival 2010 (Foxgang, Inspector Tapehead, Super Adventure Club) The Meadows, 11:00–18:00, Free
Special blues night.
1920s-style tea dance, with dancing, music, vintage stalls, and cake!
Ghillie-Dhu, 16:00–20:00, £12.50
Roxymoron
Roxy Art House, 17:00–01:00, Free
Live jammin’. In the bar.
The Jazz Bar, 20:30–23:30, £5 (£4)
Five-piece indie guitar outfit.
Right Hand Left, Make Sparks
Whighams Wine Cellars, 20:30–23:30, Free
Pekko Kappi
Roxy Art House, 19:00–23:00, £5
Music For Trumpet and Organ
Minimalist folk from Finland.
White Noise
Usher Hall, 13:00–15:00, £3
Electric Circus, 19:00–00:00, £3
Two RSAMD students perform.
Weekly music showcase.
Pete Roe
Alternative pop and rock.
James Ferraro, Monopoly Child Star Searchers, Brittle Hammer Trio, Boom Edan
Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:30, £10 (£8)
Krishna Das
Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £6
Acoustic folk dreamy-ness.
Roxy Art House, 19:30–23:00, £6
Experimental murk.
Electric Circus, 19:00–22:30, £7
Rebel country and folk pop.
Mon 14 Jun
Samantha Gibb and The Cartel (Shelly Fraley) Voodoo Rooms, 19:00–01:00, £7 (£5)
Lissie, Alan Powell
St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, 19:15–22:00, £16
Chant master musician.
Edinburgh Folk Club
The Pleasance, 20:00–22:30, £8 (£7)
Weekly folk session, in the Cabaret Bar area.
Voodoo Rooms, 20:00–01:00, £9 (£8)
Top live music night.
The Jazz Bar, 20:30–23:30, £6 (£5)
Fri 11 Jun Roxy Art House, 17:00–01:00, Free
Folky alternative pop.
50 Calibre Smile (Wildtype, Cryoverbillionaires ) Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £tbc
Edinburgh-based heavy rock.
Lucille Burn, Chris Gorman Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–01:00, £6 (£5)
Classic variety tunes.
Acoustic Coconut
Kathaarsys, Assynt, Valpurga, Haar (Moonrape, Bonesaw)
Acoustic singer/songwriters.
Black metal.
The Jazz Bar, 20:30–23:30, £4 (£3)
Electro art birthday party.
New wave, soul and rock.
Limbo (A Band Called Quinn, North Atlantic Oscillation, The Machine Room)
Contemporary Celtic fusion.
Top line-up in aid of Maggie’s Centre.
Jazz jam and open mic session.
Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £10
80s prog legend.
Contemporary barbershop.
Maggie’s Chamber, 19:00–23:00, £6
Hebridean singer/songwriter and piper.
HOCKEY
Henry’s Cellar, 20:00–23:45, £4
Big Red Door, 18:00–20:00, £3
Classic rock covers.
RSNO: New York, New York! Whighams Jazz Club
Roxy Art House, 19:00–23:00, £4
Wed 16 Jun
Classic jazz vocals.
Phil Gabriel
Slow Club (ARCS, Smackvan)
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, Free
Live jam session.
Metropolitan Hotel, 19:00–22:00, Free
The Jazz Bar, 20:00–23:30, £2 (£1)
Jazz trio.
Peatbog Faeries
CRANACHAN
Jazz Sundays (Lorna Reid, David Patrick)
Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £12-£15
Big Red Barbershop Choir
Holden, Aaron Wright and the Aprils, Emelle, Rebel Underdog, Mark Corbett, Hailey Beavis, Matt Norris and the Moon
Great Jazz Jam
Marcin Wasilewski Trio
Experimental rock.
Live acoustic.
Flamenco jam, Spanish guitar and dancing.
Iain Morrison
Come 2nd Birthday (Enfant Bastard, Tokamak)
Fiddle trio.
The Jazz Bar, 18:00–20:00, Free
Orchestral show tunes.
Experimental garage blues.
The Village, 19:30–22:45, £6
Flamenco Session
Usher Hall, 19:30–22:30, £16.50-£30
The GRV, 19:00–22:30, £5
Leith Folk Club (Mackinnon, MacColl, MacPherson)
Live jammin’. In the bar.
Metal driven industrial breaks.
Casino Queen
Indie showcase.
Roxy Art House, 17:00–01:00, Free
Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £5
Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £8
Capital, 19:30–22:30, £tbc
Roxymoron
DJs, live art and short film.
Monthly live music night.
Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–01:00, £10
Dead On The Live Wire (Comptroller, Beats Of Rage, Bomb Berlin)
Emerging Edinburgh
Sun 13 Jun
Roxy Art House, 19:00–23:00, £3
Meek-beats, soul and mutant disco.
Leftfield folk.
Roxy Art House, 17:00–01:00, Free
Alternative and ambient tuneage.
Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £tbc
Neverzone (Morphamish Vs. Texture, Eaters, Sileni, Vibration Terrorists.)
Akimbo Divine
The Drift Benders (Rob Howell, Jeff Miller)
Live music event.
Hand-picked five-piece.
The Jazz Bar, 20:30–23:30, £4 (£3)
Edinburgh music collective.
Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £7
Queen’s Hall, 19:00–22:30, £15
Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 11:30–15:00, Free
WORLD PREMIERE QUINTET
The Gothenburg Address, Codes In Clouds
Electric Circus, 19:00–22:30, £4
The Wave Pictures
The Unthanks
Leith Festival: Bruncheon!
Dub-punk and crust-core.
We See Lights (Blue Sky Archive)
Electric Circus, 19:00–22:30, £5
Roxy Art House, 19:00–23:00, £5
Sat 12 Jun
Tue 15 Jun
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £7
Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £10
Rock and pop.
Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £17
Indie and electro.
Rough, melodic punk.
Inner Terrestrials, Meinhof (Happy Spastics)
Dub and reggae. In the bar.
The Mine (Black Sea Sailors, Machar Granite, The Satyroi) Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £4
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £5
Monthly live music night.
Roxy Art House, 17:00–01:00, Free
US sax star and Glasgow quartet.
Classic jazz vocals.
This Is Music (Tallah Disco, Bargain Harold)
Neil Sutherland, Imadethismistake (Stay Gones, Witches Revenge)
Thu 10 Jun
Jazz Sundays (Jess Abrams)
Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £5
Roald Dahl theme, with live music and DJs.
Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–01:00, £5
The Jazz Bar, 19:30–23:00, £4 (£3)
Blue Roots
Will Vinson, Euan Burton Quartet
Constant State
Wee Red Bar, 22:00–04:00, £10 in advance
Usher Hall, 19:30–22:30, £9-£21
Hammond organ trio.
Flamenco jam, Spanish guitar and dancing. Metropolitan Hotel, 19:00–22:00, Free
ECA Summer Revel (The Yes Men, Thank You So Nice, The Pineapple Chunks)
Theatrical orchestral performance.
Big Red Barbershop Choir Contemporary barbershop.
Four-piece jazz and sax.
The Sermon
Flamenco Session
Big Red Door, 18:00–20:00, £3
The Jazz Bar, 20:30–23:30, £4 (£3)
Edinburgh Concert Band
Meek-beats, soul and mutant disco.
The Jazz Bar, 18:00–20:00, Free
Jazz Bar Quartet
Twisted psychedelia and prog.
The ex-Cast man plays solo.
Voodoo Rooms, 20:30–01:00, £5
We Luv Musik (Dead Sea Souls, Casino Bragg, Imperial Racing Club, Taylor Leigh)
Funk grooves. In the bar.
WORLD PREMIERE QUINTET VEGAS!
17-piece open rehearsal.
Punk tribute to Ian Calvert.
Henry’s Cellar, 20:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
Thank You So Nice
John Power
Hand-picked five-piece.
Jazz Bar Big Band
Anniversary concert.
Roxy Saturdays
Mixed line-up chosen by Henry’s. The Jazz Bar, 20:30–23:30, £4 (£3)
Scottish Fiddle Orchestra
Live jam session.
Five-piece Highland band.
Tea Dance Sunday
Roxy Art House, 17:00–01:00, Free
Final Silence, Martins Room (Battle at Cougar)
Ocean Of Sound
Kent Duchaine
Akimbo Divine
17-piece open rehearsal.
Funk grooves. In the bar.
Grizzled blues guitar.
Fri 04 Jun
Jazz Bar Big Band
Abagail Grey (The Heartbreak Kid)
Roxy Art House, 17:00–01:00, Free
Top line-up over two days. Plus the usual fairground fun and stalls.
The Jazz Bar, 20:30–23:30, £8
Usher Hall, 13:00–15:00, £3
Sad Society, Shock & Awe, Media Whores, Axidents, Izzy And The Stooges
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £7
June 2010
THE SKINNY 55
EDINBURGH MUSIC DYSRHYTHMIA, SECTA ROUGE (JACKIE TREEHORN)
ecial u p s a got hing yo ate? met celebr sobar to / live music / club want & private karaoke rooms
BANNERMAN’S, 20:00–23:00, £6
Intense progressive metal.
THU 17 JUN BLUE ROOTS
ROXY ART HOUSE, 17:00–01:00, FREE
Dub and reggae. In the bar.
METROPOLITAN HOTEL, 19:00–22:00, FREE
VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–01:00, £5
Acoustic indie.
GREAT JUNCTION STUDIO SHOWCASE JAZZ BAR QUARTET
ISO BAR, 20:00–22:30, £4 (£3)
THE JAZZ BAR, 20:30–23:30, £4 (£3)
Live electronica. As part of Leith Festival 2010.
Four-piece jazz and sax.
DJs and MCs.
KENNY BEN BRYDEN QUARTET
PUBLIC INFORMATION
Dumfries sax player.
Reworked jazz and funk.
ROXY ART HOUSE, 19:00–23:00, £5
IMMANIS, EVIL KIN EVIL (THIS IS A .44 MAGNUM) BANNERMAN’S, 20:00–23:00, £4
Melodic metal anthems.
SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:30, £5
THE JAZZ BAR, 20:30–23:30, £5 (£4)
WHIGHAMS JAZZ CLUB
WHIGHAMS WINE CELLARS, 20:30–23:30, FREE
Jazz jam and open mic session.
MON 21 JUN
BANNERMAN’S, 20:00–23:00, £4
Up-and-coming talent.
THE JAZZ BAR, 20:30–23:30, £4 (£3)
THIS IS MUSIC
SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £3 (MEMBERS FREE)
Indie and electro.
KENNY WHEELER TRIBUTE SEPTET
JAZZ BAR BIG BAND
The music of jazz composer Kenny Wheeler.
17-piece open rehearsal.
ROXY SATURDAYS
JAMMIN’ AT VOODOO
JACKSON BROWNE, DAVID LINLEY
Funk grooves. In the bar.
Live acoustic jam.
Electro-acoustic pairing.
AKIMBO DIVINE
ROXY ART HOUSE, 17:00–01:00, FREE
Meek-beats, soul and mutant disco.
BIG RED BARBERSHOP CHOIR BIG RED DOOR, 18:00–20:00, £3
Contemporary barbershop.
BLACK INTERNATIONAL WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00, FREE
Post punk and indie.
FINLEY QUAYE
CABARET VOLTAIRE, 19:00–22:00, £TBC
Single launch.
ABSOLUT BOWIE
THE CAVES, 19:15–22:00, £12.50
Tribute act.
PETER GREGSON
THE JAZZ BAR, 19:30–23:00, £4 (£3)
USHER HALL, 20:00–22:30, £27.50-£40
AXIS OF, THE DEATH OF HER MONEY
BANNERMAN’S, 20:00–23:00, £5
Blazing hardcore punk.
TUE 22 JUN TRAMPOLINE PRESENTS WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00, £5
Trio of live bands.
SAT 26 JUN ROXY ART HOUSE, 17:00–01:00, FREE
MAMMOETH
WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00, £5 (£3)
LP launch.
MR MCFALL’S CHAMBER
QUEEN’S HALL, 19:00–22:30, £10 (£8)
Tango music special.
TOKAMAK
SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:30, £TBC
Electric trio.
Experimental beats.
THIS IS CENTRAL STATION (RETCHY, TAM DEAN BURN, ALASTAIR COOK, FIONA SOE PAING)
PASSENGER
Night of music and visuals.
LAURA STEVENSON AND THE CANS (TAKING CHASE, CURATORS) SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:30, £5
THE CAVES, 19:15–22:00, £5
ROXY ART HOUSE, 19:00–23:00, £5
Stripped back troubadour.
HIGHLAND FIRE FESTIVAL
LEITH FOLK CLUB (MICHAEL MARRA)
CAPITAL, 19:30–22:30, £TBC
Metal and folk showcase.
Scottish singer/songwriter.
THE JAZZ BAR, 20:30–23:30, £4 (£3)
THE VILLAGE, 19:30–22:45, £10
YOUR NEIGHBOUR THE LIAR HENRY’S CELLAR, 19:30–23:00, £TBC
WORLD PREMIERE QUINTET Hand-picked five-piece.
QUEEN’S HALL, 19:45–22:30, £15 (£12)
Jagged indie beauty.
PISS
JAZZ BAR QUARTET
GREAT JAZZ JAM
THE JAZZ BAR, 20:00–23:30, £2 (£1)
Kiss tribute.
Contemporary cello.
THE JAZZ BAR, 20:30–23:30, £4 (£3)
Four-piece jazz and sax.
PAUL TOWNDROWS’ NEWOLOGY THE JAZZ BAR, 20:30–23:30, £4 (£3)
Live jam session.
WED 23 JUN
HENRY’S CELLAR, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
SUN 27 JUN ROXYMORON
Alto sax compositions.
WHITE NOISE
ROXY ART HOUSE, 17:00–01:00, FREE
BALKANARAMA (BLACK CAT)
Weekly music showcase.
FLAMENCO SESSION
STUDIO 24, 21:30–03:00, £7 (£9 AFTER 10.30)
Balkan beats and treats.
THIS IS MUSIC (TALLAH DISCO, BARGAIN HAROLD)
SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £3 (MEMBERS FREE)
Indie and electro.
SAT 19 JUN ROXY SATURDAYS
ROXY ART HOUSE, 17:00–01:00, FREE
Funk grooves. In the bar.
THE OK SOCIAL CLUB, CASINO BRAG, MINIATURE DINOSAURS, THE INWITS CABARET VOLTAIRE, 19:00–22:00, £5
Four top local bands.
56 THE SKINNY JUNE 2010
OUTBACK ESKIMOS
Dirty beats played clean.
FORWARD PLAY
SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:30, £5
36-39 Market Street, edinburgh eh1 1dF 0131 226 4224
Live jammin’. In the bar.
CULTURESHOCK (BOB HILLARY, MASSIVE MELLOW)
PAWS
theelectriccircus.biz
ROXY ART HOUSE, 19:00–23:00, £5
ROXY ART HOUSE, 17:00–01:00, FREE
Alternative punk pop.
Electro reggae.
If you book the cocktail making classes or dance classes, you get a FREE hour in the karaoke rooms afterwards.
DIGITAL JONES
Glasgow guitar-pop seven-piece.
ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:30, £6
FRI 18 JUN
We have 7 private karaoke rooms for you to rock the mic with over 4000 songs.
Single launch.
BE A FAMILIAR (BOYCOTTS)
VOODOO ROOMS, 21:00–01:00, £5
karaoke rooMS
SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:30, £TBC
THE ALCHONAUTS
THE JAZZ BAR, 20:30–23:30, £5 (£4)
We arrange private dance classes - anything from bangra Bollywood, sexy burlesque, to disco divas! Your teacher will show you all the coolest moves for the dancefloor!
DUPEC (FRANCES AND HER TRAMPOLINE, LYONS)
ROXYMORON
Classic jazz vocals.
Rock and reggae.
dance claSSeS
SUN 20 JUN
Live blues and rock.
HENRY’S CELLAR, 20:00–23:45, £5
Our expert cocktail barmen will spend 2 hours teaching the art of making the perfect cocktails while you go behind the bar and shake your stuff!
Hand-picked five-piece.
NOBODY ELSE
JUNE BUGGY (CASHFLOW FIASCO)
cocktail Making claSSeS
THE JAZZ BAR, 20:30–23:30, £4 (£3)
JAZZ SUNDAYS (LORNA REID, GRAHAM STEPHEN)
WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00, £5
We offer a range of events to make sure everyone in your group has a party to remember! They are all seriously fun ways to enjoy your special event - from birthdays, corporate events and of course hens and stags!
WORLD PREMIERE QUINTET
JILL JACKSON (KRISTINA COX, HOLLY OGILVIE, NICKY CARDER) ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:30, £10
ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–00:00, £3
Live jammin’. In the bar.
PHILIP GLASS
THE JAZZ BAR, 18:00–20:00, FREE
USHER HALL, 19:30–22:30, £30-£35
Chamber music.
EDINBURGH FOLK CLUB (FIONA MACKENZIE)
THE PLEASANCE, 20:00–22:30, £8 (£7)
SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:30, £5
Acoustic pop rock.
Acoustic punk troubadours.
USHER HALL, 19:30–22:30, £16.50-£30
BANNERMAN’S, 20:00–23:00, £5
THU 24 JUN BLUE ROOTS
ROXY ART HOUSE, 17:00–01:00, FREE
Dub and reggae. In the bar.
TRIOVD
ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:30, £7
Energetic sax and improv guitar.
Orchestral versions of pop faves.
TRAVERSE, 19:30–22:00, £16 (£12)
Innovative youth project run by the Scottish Flute Trio.
Classic jazz vocals.
STEVIE AND THE MOON
PENGUINS KILL POLARBEARS SOUNDSTREAMS
METROPOLITAN HOTEL, 19:00–22:00, FREE
BEN CHILDS, MIKE SCOTT, BILLY LIAR
RSNO SUMMER POPS
EP launch.
JAZZ SUNDAYS (JESS ABRAMS)
Weekly folk session, in the Cabaret Bar area.
Acoustic rock singer/songwriter. SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:30, £5
Flamenco jam, Spanish guitar and dancing.
USHER HALL, 19:30–22:30, £16.50-£30
FRI 25 JUN
RSNO: SCOTTISH PROM Popular RSNO musical party.
CRANACHAN
BANNERMAN’S, 20:00–23:00, FREE
Classic rock covers.
IS THIS POETRY?
THE JAZZ BAR, 20:30–23:30, £4 (£3)
Live performance poetry.
WHIGHAMS JAZZ CLUB
WHIGHAMS WINE CELLARS, 20:30–23:30, FREE
Jazz jam and open mic session.
MON 28 JUN
AKIMBO DIVINE
SUMMER SERENADE
Meek-beats, soul and mutant disco.
Easy listening programme.
ROXY ART HOUSE, 17:00–01:00, FREE
USHER HALL, 13:00–15:00, £3
ELECTRIC BANANA
BIG RED BARBERSHOP CHOIR
ST MARY’S MUSIC SCHOOL
Electro rock and psych.
Contemporary barbershop.
CAPITAL, 19:30–22:30, £TBC
BIG RED DOOR, 18:00–20:00, £3
PRAISE GATHERING
CONSTANT STATE
Massive church choir.
Rock and indie.
USHER HALL, 19:30–22:30, £9-£14.50
WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00, £5 (£4)
KINGS OF THE DELMAR, BILLY LIAR (SHIELDS UP, JOEY TERRIFYING)
GUSTO MASTIVO (AFTERBIRTH, CONFLAGRATION)
Punk, ska and hardcore.
Punk. Pure and simple.
BANNERMAN’S, 20:00–23:00, £5
HENRY’S CELLAR, 19:00–22:00, £5
QUEEN’S HALL, 19:00–22:30, £8 (£5)
Youth summer concert.
JAZZ BAR BIG BAND
THE JAZZ BAR, 19:30–23:00, £4 (£3)
17-piece open rehearsal.
BLEAKLOW, BLANK CANVAS BANNERMAN’S, 20:00–23:00, £4
Angular post-rock.
Glasgow Clubs Tue 01 Jun Hugs 4 Thugs
Flying Duck, 19:00–00:00, Free
Pandemic
Teenage Lust
Garage, soul and rock.
Punk and indie rock.
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 21:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 11:30)
Hip-hop, funk and digi art.
Yoyo
Killer Kitsch Street Party
Pop classics and hip-hop.
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)
First birthday celebrations on Bath Lane.
Wed 02 Jun Octopussy
The Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£6 (£4) after 11)
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £2
Fri 11 Jun
Pop, punk, metal and rock.
Cosmopol Free Party (Demon Cabbage, Taz Buckfaster, Babyshaker)
Cathouse Saturdays
Rave, techno and electro.
Absolution
Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)
Bar Cosmopol, 20:00–00:00, Free
Tue 15 Jun Hugs 4 Thugs
Flying Duck, 19:00–00:00, Free
Crash
Killer Kitsch
Dubbed-out electro.
Pop, dance and hippity-hop.
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)
Electro clash, 80s, and disco.
Wed 16 Jun
The Cave: Death Surf II
Octopussy
Byblos, 22:30–03:00, Free (£8 after 11)
Surf guitar a-plenty.
Student fun night.
The Mumble Club
Sabado
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £2
Alternative hip-hop.
Thu 03 Jun Bazodee
Halt Bar, 20:00–02:00, Free
Reggae and dancehall.
Satisfaction
Byblos, 22:30–03:00, £3
R’n’B and dirty chart.
IDJ
The Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2
Punter iPod playlists.
Misbehavin’ (Dolly Daydream, Drucifer) Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3
Electro and dirty pop 3rd birthday, with a guilty pleasure theme.
Shake It Up
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, £5
Indie, rock and discofied-pop.
Skint/Vengeance Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3
Emo, punk and metal. Resident DJs.
Dance, R’n’B and chart.
Crash
Melting Pot (Horse Meat Disco)
Pop, dance and hippity-hop.
The Admiral, 23:00–03:00, £10
Part of the Horse Meat Disco album tour.
Elevator
Nu Skool
Urban night.
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6
Funky disco and soul. Electric, dirty beats.
Classic Fridays
Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£5)
Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
Acid house.
Old Skool
La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £6
Subculture
Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£10 after 12)
Dubbed-out electro.
The Rock Shop
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 (£3) after 12)
Rock, indie and metal.
Confusion (Radioactive Man) Soundhaus, 23:00–03:30, £10 (£8)
Extra special guest.
Sun 06 Jun Requests with DJ Mythic.
Funk and northern soul.
Cheap ‘n’ Nasty
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £2
Funk, techno and hip-hop.
Fri 04 Jun Beatitude
Brunswick Hotel, 10:00–02:00, £tbc
House and experimental beats.
Blink (Mofo, Nino, Wardy, Jordan) Club 69, 11:00–03:00, £6
Residents and guests night.
The Psychedelic Ballroom MacSorley’s, 20:30–00:00, Free
Light projections and psych tunes.
Crash
The Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)
Rock, metal and indie. Resident DJs.
Slabs of Tabernacle
Sonic dance, soul and techno. Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3
Ballbreaker/Vice
Orderly Disorder
Cathouse Sundays
Soul Glo
Byblos, 22:00–03:00, £3 (£6 after 12.30)
Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
Slo-mo
Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £3
The Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)
Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)
Hung Up!
Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc
Optimo’s replacement. Rotating guests.
Shedkandi
The Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2
House and R’n’B.
Sin City
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3
Funk, disco and house.
Mon 07 Jun Burn
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)
Disco, funk and electro.
Tue 08 Jun Hugs 4 Thugs
Flying Duck, 19:00–00:00, Free
Hip-hop, funk and digi art.
Aternative rock, metal and punk. Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6
Funk, soul and disco.
Kino Fist
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3
Krautrock, new wave and freaky beats.
Sat 12 Jun
Brunswick Hotel, 22:00–02:00, £tbc
Disco and acid house.
Yoyo
The Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£6 (£4) after 11)
Pop classics and hip-hop.
Absolution
Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
Pop, punk, metal and rock.
Cathouse Saturdays Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)
Rock and punk. Regular DJs.
Sabado
Sub Club, 22:00–03:00, £12
Trio of guest DJs.
Ballbreaker/Vice
Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
Rock, metal and indie. Resident DJs.
Classic Fridays
Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
Aternative rock, metal and punk.
Depth Charge (Hakan Turan) Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£7 after 12)
Underground house.
Electrolick
Soundhaus, 23:00–03:00, £5
Electro and synth-pop.
Old Skool
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6
Funk, soul and disco.
Riot Radio
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, £5
Indie rock’n’roll.
Damaged Goods
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3
Punk, noise, pop and disco.
Sat 05 Jun Elements of Soul
Brunswick Hotel, 10:00–02:00, £tbc
Groovy club beats.
The Arches, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)
Student fun night.
In About It
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £5
Wonky bass.
Thu 10 Jun Bazodee
Halt Bar, 20:00–02:00, Free
Reggae and dancehall.
Satisfaction
Byblos, 22:30–03:00, £3
R’n’B and dirty chart.
Cloak & Dagger
Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
Electro, house and hip-hop.
Riot Radio
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, £5
Indie rock’n’roll.
Shake It Up
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, £5
Indie, rock and discofied-pop.
Voodoo
Skint/Vengeance
Rock, metal and emo. Under 18s.
Emo, punk and metal. Resident DJs.
Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £6 (£3 members)
Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, £5
Indie rock’n’roll.
Shake It Up
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, £5
Indie, rock and discofied-pop.
Skint/Vengeance Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3
Emo, punk and metal. Resident DJs. Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £2
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3
Cheap ‘n’ Nasty
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £2
Funk, techno and hip-hop. For dancing.
Fri 18 Jun Upside Down
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 21:00–03:00, £3
Rock, punk and garage.
Offline
Brunswick Hotel, 22:00–02:00, £tbc
Alternative beats.
Crash
The Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)
Aternative rock, metal and punk.
Literary club launch, with spoken word, pop-up book shops, and Errors DJ set.
The Arches, 22:30–03:00, £tbc
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6
Funky disco and soul.
Pretty Ugly
Optimo’s replacement. Rotating guests.
Old Skool
Shedkandi
Funk, soul and disco.
The Admiral, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
House and R’n’B.
Indie and post punk.
Funk, disco and house.
Old Skool
Rock, indie and metal.
Funk, soul and disco.
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 (£3) after 12)
Wrong Island
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3
Techno, beats and electro.
Sun 13 Jun Elephant
Flying Duck, 19:30–00:00, Free
World music.
Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)
Hung Up!
Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc
Optimo’s replacement. Rotating guests.
Shedkandi
The Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2
House and R’n’B.
Sin City
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3
Funk, disco and house.
Mon 14 Jun
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6
Sat 19 Jun
Yoyo
The Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£6 (£4) after 11)
Pop classics and hip-hop.
Absolution
Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
Pop, punk, metal and rock.
Cathouse Saturdays Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)
Rock and punk. Regular DJs.
Death Disco
The Arches, 22:30–03:00, £tbc
Electro mix-up.
Sabado
Byblos, 22:30–03:00, Free (£8 after 11)
Dance, R’n’B and chart.
Supermax
Brunswick Hotel, 22:00–02:00, £tbc
Funky beats.
Yoyo
Killer Kitsch
The Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£6 (£4) after 11)
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)
Pop classics and hip-hop.
Electro clash, 80s, and disco.
Absolution
Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
Wed 23 Jun
Pop, punk, metal and rock.
90s Night
Cathouse Saturdays
90s tunes and free glowsticks.
Rock and punk. Regular DJs.
Flying Duck, 19:00–00:00, £4
Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)
Fierce Angel (Mark Doyle, Lady V) Byblos, 22:30–03:00, £10 (£8)
Globe-spanning club night.
Inside Out
The Arches, 22:30–03:00, £tbc
House, techno and trance.
2 The Floor (Stefan Robbers, Martin Patton, Scott Theory, Domm)
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £4
La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £6
Techno and electro.
Thu 24 Jun
Modern Lovers (Bunf)
Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 after 12)
Bazodee
Retro night.
Halt Bar, 20:00–02:00, Free
Reggae and dancehall.
Nu Skool
Satisfaction
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6
Funky disco and soul.
Byblos, 22:30–03:00, £3
R’n’B and dirty chart.
Subculture
Cryotec (Effigy, Tailz)
Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£10 after 12)
Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3
Dubbed-out electro.
Idustrial, goth and EBM.
The Rock Shop
IDJ
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 (£3) after 12)
The Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, £5
Live music from the residents.
Psych, punk and rock’n’roll.
Hip-hop, funk and digi art.
Rock, metal and emo. Under 18s.
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–03:00, Free
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 21:00–03:00, £3
Flying Duck, 19:00–00:00, Free
Punter iPod playlists.
Butterfly Saturdays
The Hot Club
Hugs 4 Thugs
Voodoo
Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £6 (£3 members)
Live music from the residents.
Tue 22 Jun
Filthy electro.
The Rock Shop
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–03:00, Free
Disco, funk and electro.
Aternative rock, metal and punk.
Dubbed-out electro.
Butterfly Saturdays
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)
Dirty Noise
Straight-friendly gay night.
Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£10 after 12)
Rock, metal and emo. Under 18s.
Burn
Classic Fridays
Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £6 (£3 members)
Mon 21 Jun
Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
Lock Up Your Daughters
Voodoo
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3
The Arches, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)
Subculture
Sat 26 Jun
Sin City
Live indie rock bands and DJs.
Roots, reggae and dancehall.
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6
The Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2
Urban night.
Blackfriars Basement, 23:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 11.30)
Dubstep and grime launch night.
Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc
Elevator
Argonaut Sounds Reggae Soundsystem
La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£6 after 12)
Hung Up!
Muso (The Limits, Mechanical Smile, Suspire, All The Queens Bovine)
Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
Hologram Launch Night (Tomb Crew)
Rock, indie and Beatlemania.
Student fun night.
Techno, grime and dubstep.
EP launch and indie DJs.
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, £5
Rock, metal and indie. Resident DJs.
Mount Heart Attack (Bruce Stallion)
Deep house and techno.
The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)
Get Back!
Octopussy
Current and classic indie-pop.
Pressure
Attic Live (Any Color Black)
Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)
Ballbreaker/Vice
Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £4
Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
Flying Duck, 20:00–02:00, £4
Buff Club, 20:30–03:00, £4 (£3)
Requests with DJ Mythic.
Punter iPod playlists.
Riot Radio
Classic Fridays
Forge Of The Wordsmiths
Byblos, 22:00–03:00, £3 (£6 after 12.30)
90s nu-metal.
The Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2
Punter iPod playlists.
Urban night.
Rock, metal and indie. Resident DJs.
Sun 20 Jun
Half My Heart Beats
Cathouse Sundays
IDJ
The Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2
Byblos, 22:00–03:00, £3 (£6 after 12.30)
Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
Indie dancing club.
Pop, dance and hippity-hop.
Dance, R’n’B and chart.
Counterfiet (Mups, Mythic) Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3
IDJ
Elevator
Ballbreaker/Vice
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3
Byblos, 22:30–03:00, Free (£8 after 11)
Nu Skool
Octopussy
Bottle Rocket
R’n’B and dirty chart.
Live music from the residents.
Solardisco
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 (£3) after 12) Rock, indie and metal.
Requests with DJ Mythic.
Byblos, 22:30–03:00, £3
The Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)
The Rock Shop
Cathouse Sundays
Funk and northern soul.
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–03:00, Free
Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£10 after 12)
Satisfaction
Butterfly Saturdays
Electro clash, 80s, and disco.
Monox & Numbers (Robert Hood, Levon Vincent, Jus-Ed)
Reggae and dancehall.
Soul Glo
Elevator
Wed 09 Jun
Halt Bar, 20:00–02:00, Free
Sonic dance, soul and techno.
La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£7 after 12)
Urban night.
Bazodee
Rock, metal and emo. Under 18s.
Killer Kitsch
Byblos, 22:00–03:00, £3 (£6 after 12.30)
Thu 17 Jun
Slo-mo
Pop, dance and hippity-hop.
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)
The Arches, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)
Voodoo
Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £6 (£3 members)
Danceable club beats.
Brunswick Hotel, 22:00–02:00, £tbc
Hip-hop, funk and digi art.
Rock and punk. Regular DJs.
Flying Duck, 21:00–03:00, Free (£3-£5 after 12)
What We Play
Punk, soul, funk and rock.
Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 after 12)
Subculture
The Arches, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)
Student fun night.
Singles Night
Rock, indie and metal.
Sun 27 Jun
Riot Radio Indie rock’n’roll.
Milk
Shake It Up
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Indie, rock and discofied-pop.
Slow Club
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, £5
Alternative noise.
Skint/Vengeance
Flying Duck, 20:00–00:00, Free
Laid-back beats.
Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3
Emo, punk and metal. Resident DJs.
Cathouse Sundays
Soul Glo
Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)
Requests with DJ Mythic.
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3
Funk and northern soul.
Hung Up!
Whabang!
Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc
Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £4
Optimo’s replacement. Rotating guests.
Underground electro, funk and dubstep.
Shedkandi
The Pump Club
The Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £2
House and R’n’B.
Dubstep, jungle and reggae.
Sin City
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3
Fri 25 Jun
Funk, disco and house.
Butterfly Saturdays
Soul Glo
Burn
Nu Skool
Black Tent
Slide It In (Nicola Walker)
Live music from the residents.
Funk and northern soul.
Disco, funk and electro.
Funky disco and soul.
Music that wil make you dance.
Cult and classic rock.
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–03:00, Free
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 21:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 11:30)
Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)
June 2010
THE SKINNY 57
edinburgh Clubs Tue 01 Jun Circus Arcade
Electric Circus, 19:00–00:00, Free
Pop quiz and musical bingo.
Antics
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Rock, metal and punk.
Zzzap! (Club Soda)
Wee Red Bar, 22:00–03:00, £3 (£2)
Dance, UV and laser nu-rave.
Soul Night
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Soul, garage and R’n’B.
Tuesday Heartbreak The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £2 (£1)
Swirling guitar and beats.
Wed 02 Jun Bangers and Mash
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 11)
Electro, rock and cheese.
Axis
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Electro, techno and bassline.
B-sides (Big Guss)
Medina, 23:00–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)
B-sides and rarities.
Soul Society
The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £2 (£1)
Funk and blues.
Thu 03 Jun Frisky
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Chart, indie and 90s hits.
Rock Show
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Rock, garage punk and blues.
Misfits
Tuesday Heartbreak The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £2 (£1)
Swirling guitar and beats.
Wed 16 Jun
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11.30)
Bangers and Mash Electro, rock and cheese.
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Twisted disco.
Killer Kitsch
Retro from 1970 to 1999.
Hip-hip, disco and bootlegs.
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 11)
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)
Axis
Synth pop and indie.
Furburger
Electro, techno and bassline.
Dub Kaoss
Coalition
Gay party night.
Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free
D’n’B and dubstep.
Breaks, dubstep and D’n’B.
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Citrus Club, 23:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 12)
Octopussy
Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)
Chart, indie and electro.
Sick Note
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free
Indie and electro. Resident DJs.
Carry On DJs!
Electric Circus, 00:00–03:00, £5
Friday night party tunes.
Fri 04 Jun Milk (P-Stylz, Tony Thrills) Medina, 22:00–03:00, £4 (£6 after 12)
Urban, funk and soul. Twisted disco.
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11.30)
Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, Free
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Mon 07 Jun
GHQ, 23:00–03:00, £tbc
JungleDub
One Drop (Ista Lion, Fly T)
Dub, dubstep and jungle.
Reggae and dancehall.
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)
QMU Fundraiser
The Latin Quarter
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £tbc
Salsa, bachata and merengue.
We Are Electric
Medina, 21:00–02:00, £2
Quids
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
QMU fundraiser. In Speakeasy.
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5
Friday edition of the punk disco.
Hip-hop, chart and R’n’B requests.
Skunkfunk
Nu Fire
Funky, electric beats. Plus DJs.
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Hip-hop, dubstep and breaks.
Trade Union
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Trade night with Beefy and Wolfjazz.
Tue 08 Jun
The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £5 (£3)
Sat 12 Jun Electric Circus 1st Birthday Electric Circus, 19:00–03:00, £5 (£6 after 12)
We Are Electric
Punk, funk and electro-disco.
We Is Eclectic
Thu 17 Jun Frisky
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Chart, indie and 90s hits.
ELECTROsexual
Antics
Medina, 22:00–03:00, £5
Classic hip-hop.
Sick Note
Electro and bootleg, plus a cheeky commando theme. Make of that what you will.
Rock, metal and punk.
Tease Age
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free
Split
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)
Indie and electro. Resident DJs.
Indie, rock and soul.
Sneaky Beats
D’n’B, techno, electro and dub.
Come Collective Vs. Sick Note (Young Fathers, Dandy Riots, Club Soda)
Inkling (MC Silver Tongue) Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free
Funky beats and breaks. In Speakeasy.
Jackhammer (Radioactive Man, Stepback, Gee Dubs) Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £8 (£6)
Techno and electro special guest.
Tokyoblu (John, Iain)
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £8
Monthly special.
Skunkfunk
The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £5 (£3)
Funky, electric beats. Plus DJs.
Sat 05 Jun Blaize (The Void, Jump: Press A, Le Salon du Jazz Refuse) Bongo Club, 19:00–22:00, £5
Launch night of bands, DJ beats, plus live VJ animation.
Bubblegum
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11) Chart, indie and retro.
Tuesday Heartbreak The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £2 (£1)
Swirling guitar and beats.
Wed 09 Jun Melting Pot
The Stand, Edinburgh, 20:30–22:16, £5 (£4/£1)
Watch a series of short comedy sketches, presented by top actors and comedians. Vote for your favourite, and see a longer version next month.
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11)
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5
Young Fathers top the bill for Come Collective’s 2nd birthday.
Headspin
Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£7 after 12)
JungleDub
Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free
Dub, dubstep and jungle.
We Are Electric
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Hip-hop, electro and discofied indie.
Carry On DJs!
Electric Circus, 00:00–03:00, £5
The Egg
Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11.30)
Wee Red club favourite.
The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £5 (£3)
Sun 13 Jun Rock Show
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Alternative metal and rock.
Killer Kitsch
Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, Free
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11.30)
Indie, rock and soul.
Salsa, bachata and merengue.
Thu 10 Jun Chart, indie and 90s hits.
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Big ‘N’ Bashy
Animal Hospital
Reggae, grime and dubstep.
Techno, minimal and house.
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
The Egg
Dub Kaoss
Wee Red club favourite.
D’n’B and dubstep.
Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11.30)
Ultragroove
Mon 14 Jun
Funk and blues.
Strictly retro. In Speakeasy.
Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £6
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
The Latin Quarter
Frisky
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £3
Synth pop and indie.
Soul Society
Beep Beep Yeah! (Be-Bopa-Tallah, Kate and the Gang, Jumpin’ Jack)
Citrus Club, 23:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 12)
Octopussy
Medina, 21:00–02:00, £2
Quids
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Hip-hop, chart and R’n’B requests.
Trade Union
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Trade night with Beefy and Wolfjazz.
Tue 15 Jun
Sick Note
Va Va Voom 1st Birthday
Indie and electro. Resident DJs.
Volume!
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)
Dubstep night with beefed-up PA.
58 THE SKINNY June 2010
Electric Circus, 19:00–00:00, Free
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free
Antics
Terror
Rock, metal and punk.
Jungle, hip-hop and breaks, plus live art instillations.
Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, Free
Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £1.99
Trade night with Beefy and Wolfjazz.
Electric Circus, 19:00–00:00, Free
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Split
D’n’B, techno, electro and dub.
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, Free
Soul, garage and R’n’B.
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £tbc
House, electro, techno and dub.
Join The Dots (Liam Goldie)
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£6 after 12)
Experimental, electro and soul. In Speakeasy.
Random (Mussy Moody)
Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£6 after 12)
Psytrance, minimal techno and UV decor. The GRV, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£7 after 12)
Vintage Violence
Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £4
Garage, punk and junk shop.
Skunkfunk
The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £5 (£3)
Funky, electric beats. Plus DJs.
Sat 19 Jun
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
The Egg
Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11.30)
Wee Red club favourite.
Tuesday Heartbreak
The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £2 (£1)
Swirling guitar and beats.
Wed 23 Jun Axis
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Electro, techno and bassline.
Bangers and Mash
The Hive, 23:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 11)
Chart, electro and cheese.
JungleDub
Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free
Dub, dubstep and jungle.
We Are Electric
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11)
Punk, funk and electro-disco.
Much More
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Medina, 22:00–03:00, £5
We Is Eclectic
Classic hip-hop.
Wonky beats. In Speakeasy.
Substance (Planetary Assault Systems)
Soul Society
The GRV, 22:30–03:00, £12
Techno special guest.
Tease Age
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)
The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £2 (£1)
Funk and blues.
Thu 24 Jun
Indie, rock and soul.
Bhangra Club
Velvet Women (Trendy Wendy, Jeremy)
Live bhangra.
Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, £4 (£6 after 11)
Gay and bi-girl night. In Speakeasy.
Carry On DJs!
Soul Night
Friday night party tunes.
Soul, garage and R’n’B.
Reggae rockin’.
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Pop quiz and musical bingo.
Alternative
Messenger Sound System (MC Ras Echo)
Electric Circus, 00:00–03:00, £5
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Soul Night
Chart, indie and retro.
House and disco.
Burlesque, art performance and retro tunes. Exotic summer dress code.
Trade Union
Retro from 1970 to 1999.
Bubblegum
Pop quiz and musical bingo.
Electric Circus, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£6 after 12)
Hip-hop, dubstep and breaks.
D’n’B, techno, electro and dub.
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)
Hip-hop, dubstep and breaks.
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Circus Arcade
Chart, indie and electro.
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Split
Nu Fire
Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£8 after 12)
Nu Fire
Planet Earth
Reggae and hip-hop.
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)
Hip-hop, chart and R’n’B requests.
Twisted disco.
Breaks, dubstep and D’n’B.
The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £2 (£1)
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Rock, metal and punk.
Eclectic heavy bass.
Coalition
Tease Age
Quids
Misfits
We Is Eclectic
Techno and beats.
Medina, 21:00–02:00, £2
Antics
Medina, 22:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)
Punk, funk and electro-disco.
The Caves, 22:30–03:00, £8
Mon 21 Jun
Tue 22 Jun
Classic hip-hop.
Wonky beats. In Speakeasy.
Breaks, dubstep and D’n’B.
Circus Arcade
Much More
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Fri 18 Jun
Riddim Tuffa Sound (Capitol 1212)
Jackhammer (Rolando, Stephen Brown)
Coalition
Friday night party tunes.
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Medina, 22:00–03:00, £5
Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, Free
R’n’B, disoc, funk and soul.
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)
Acid, reggae and live funk.
Electro, techno and bassline.
Alternative metal and rock.
Stepback
Electro, rock and cheese.
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Get Funk’d
Bangers and Mash Axis
Sun 20 Jun
Four-deck mix of funky beats.
Saturday Night Fish Fry (Gecko 3, D’Viking)
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 11)
Folk rock and live funk.
Salsa, bachata and merengue.
Chart, indie and electro.
Soul, garage and R’n’B.
The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £5 (£3)
D’n’B and dubstep.
Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Saturday Night Fish Fry (Bob Hilary and The Massive Mellow, D’Viking)
The Latin Quarter
Much More
Funk, soul, jazz and reggae.
Paul Thomson (Franz Ferdinand) on decks.
Dub Kaoss
Pop quiz and musical bingo.
Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 after 12)
Electric Circus, 23:00–03:00, £7
Circus-themed birthday fun.
Retro from 1970 to 1999.
Soul Night
Wire 1st Birthday
Synth pop and indie.
Octopussy
Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, Free
DJ return.
Funk and blues.
Chart, indie and retro.
Four Corners (Simon Hodge, Astroboy, Johnny Cashback, WeeG)
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Killer Kitsch
The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £2 (£1)
Citrus Club, 23:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 12)
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Wasabi Disco (Kris Actual Size)
Soul Society
Bubblegum
CC Blooms, 23:00–03:00, Free
House and disco.
Rock Show
Wonky beats. In Speakeasy.
Circus Arcade
Electric Circus, 19:00–00:00, Free
Ultragroove
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£8 after 12)
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Planet Earth
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)
Scottish Charity No. SC025512
Sun 06 Jun
Voodoo Rooms, 21:00–01:00, £4
Alternative metal and rock.
Dub, dubstep and jungle.
dancebase.co.uk
Live funk.
Fri 11 Jun Disgraceland
Dapper Dans (DFault, Picassio)
Misfits
courses, drop-in classes and workshops for everyone
The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £5 (£3)
Planet Earth
JungleDub
Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free
Saturday Night Fish Fry (D’Viking)
Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£7 after 12)
Medina, 22:00–03:00, £tbc
Frisky
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Chart, indie and 90s hits.
Dub Kaoss
Citrus Club, 23:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 12)
D’n’B and dubstep.
dundee music Octopussy
Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)
Chart, indie and electro.
Ride
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Hip-hop and electro.
Sick Note
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free
Indie and electro. Resident DJs.
Wed 02 Jun Johnny Flynn Duke’s Corner, 20:00–22:30, £tbc
Paul McCartney/Beatles tribute.
Rootsy guitar.
Thu 03 Jun
Carry On DJs!
Open Mic
Friday night party tunes.
Live acoustic sets.
Electric Circus, 00:00–03:00, £5
Fri 25 Jun Misfits
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11.30)
Twisted disco.
Planet Earth
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)
Retro from 1970 to 1999.
Sugarbeat (Utah Saints)
Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, Free (£3-£5 after 11.30)
Floorfilling breaks and beats.
Souloco
Fri 04 Jun The Getback Band
The Doghouse, 20:00–23:00, Free
Tiny Little Robots (Little Yellow Ukuleles, Forward Motion, The Damage) Dexter’s Lounge Bar, 20:00–23:00, £5
Alternative four-piece.
The Doghouse, 20:00–23:00, £7
Sat 05 Jun The Foxes, The Trade, Kalel, The Dead Generals The Doghouse, 20:00–23:00, £5
New bands showcase.
Sun 06 Jun Smugglers Run (The Mirror Trap, The Martini Sessions, Vladimir and The Mods)
Dexter’s Lounge Bar, 20:00–23:00, £5
Indie and post punk.
Thu 03 Jun
Mon 07 Jun Manic Mondays
Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £3.50
Fat Sam’s, 22:30–02:30, £tbc
Deep and tech-house. In Speakeasy.
Funky soul, Latin and hip-hop.
Chart, hip-hop and dancehall.
Xplicit
Octopussy
Drum and bass evolution.
Fat Sam’s, 23:00–03:00, £3.50
Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc
Skunkfunk
The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £5 (£3)
Funky, electric beats. Plus DJs.
Sat 26 Jun Bubblegum
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11)
Chart, indie and retro.
Tease Age
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)
Indie, rock and soul.
The Egg
Wee Red Bar, 22:30–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11.30)
Wee Red club favourite.
Dare! (Jon Pleased Wimmin)
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5
Electronic dance.
His & Hers
Electric Circus, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£6 after 12)
Alternative indie.
Karnival
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£7 after 12)
Residents special.
Mumbo Jumbo
Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5 after 12)
Student fun, with a carnival theme.
Fri 04 Jun
Roaring funk vocals and rhythm section.
Sun 27 Jun
Chart, dance and retro hits.
Student fun, plus bouncy castle.
dundee gen. Projects They Had Four Years 12:00PM, 03 Jun—06 Jun, Free
Generator’s annual graduate show, with the committee’s pick of last year’s degree shows. Featuring work by Alasdair Smith, Jonathan Long and Rachel MacLean.
edinburgh Art’s Complex
11:00AM, 01 Jun—04 Jun, Free
Tsz Kwan Chan – The Reality of My Leith 11:00AM, 12 Jun—20 Jun, Free
A collection of drawing, painting, writing and photography, all presented on recycled packaging, which captures the local community’s personal views or associations with Leith.
Café Renroc Black and White Town
Alternative metal and rock.
Various times, 10 Jun—27 Jun, not 11th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 22nd, 23rd, 25th, Free
Killer Kitsch
Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, Free
Synth pop and indie.
Coalition
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Breaks, dubstep and D’n’B.
Mon 28 Jun The Latin Quarter Medina, 21:00–02:00, £2
Salsa, bachata and merengue.
Quids
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Hip-hop, chart and R’n’B requests.
Nu Fire
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Hip-hop, dubstep and breaks.
An exhibition of urban photography in black and white, by Edinburgh Digital Photography Meetup Group.
Collective gall. Torsten Lauschmann 11:00AM, 05 Jun—27 Jun, not 7th, 14th, 21st, Free
New commission. Collective has collaborated with with Edinburgh International Film Festival to develop a cross-artform residency for Scottish based artist Torsten Lauschmann.
Corn Exchange
Trade Union
Artstamps Exhibition
Trade night with Beefy and Wolfjazz.
Weekend collectors exhibit.
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Live acoustic sets.
Live acoustic sets.
The Doghouse, 20:00–23:00, Free
Fri 11 Jun Jill Jackson (Kristina Cox, Amber Wilson)
The Doghouse, 20:00–23:00, £10
Alternative acoustic.
Sat 12 Jun Club Wonka
The Doghouse, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Burlesque shenanigans with a comic book heroes theme.
Wed 23 Jun Rinoa! Rinoa! (Tonight We Let Go, Versaille, Yeah Detroit)
The Doghouse, 20:00–23:00, Free
Dexter’s Lounge Bar, 20:00–23:00, £4
Fri 18 Jun
Alternative tuneage.
Be A Familiar (Tiny Little Robots)
Thu 24 Jun
The Doghouse, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Open Mic
Alternative indie pop.
The Doghouse, 20:00–23:00, Free
Live acoustic sets.
Tue 22 Jun
Fri 25 Jun
Ocean Colour Scene
The Doghouse, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Acoustic set with two of the Ocean Colour Scene band members, Simon Fowler and Oscar Harrison.
Punk Night
The Doghouse, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Er, a night of punk.
Fri 11 Jun Fridays
Fat Sam’s, 23:00–03:00, £tbc
Chart, dance and retro hits.
Mon 14 Jun Manic Mondays
Fat Sam’s, 22:30–02:30, £tbc
Chart, hip-hop and dancehall.
Thu 17 Jun
Mon 21 Jun
Octopussy Fat Sam’s, 23:00–03:00, £3.50
Manic Mondays
Student fun, plus bouncy castle.
Fat Sam’s, 22:30–02:30, £tbc
Fri 18 Jun
Chart, hip-hop and dancehall.
Fridays
Thu 24 Jun
Fat Sam’s, 23:00–03:00, £tbc
Reading Rooms
Chart, dance and retro hits.
Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £3.50
Sat 19 Jun
Funky soul, Latin and hip-hop.
Reading Rooms
DJ Oneman
Octopussy
Reading Rooms, 22:30–14:30, £7 (£5)
Fat Sam’s, 23:00–03:00, £3.50
Funky soul, Latin and hip-hop.
Garage and grime guest DJ.
Student fun, plus bouncy castle.
Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £3.50
art listings
Rock Show
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Funky soul, Latin and hip-hop. Fat Sam’s, 23:00–03:00, £3.50
Solo show from artist Fiona Michie.
The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £5 (£3)
Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £3.50
Fat Sam’s, 23:00–03:00, £tbc
Playdate (Steven, Stewart)
Saturday Night Fish Fry (Leonard Jones Potential, D’Viking)
Reading Rooms
Octopussy
Day Is Done
Of-the-moment house.
Thu 10 Jun
Fridays
Funk, soul and disco.
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)
Thu 17 Jun Open Mic
dundee clubs Reading Rooms
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 12)
Thu 10 Jun Open Mic
01:00PM, 05 Jun—06 Jun, £4
Dean Gallery Diane Arbus
10:00AM, 01 Jun—13 Jun, Free
Seventy black and white photographs by Arbus from the ARTIST ROOMS collection, including the rare and important portfolio of ten vintage prints: A Box of Ten (1971).
‘Painter’ and The Studio 10:00AM, 01 Jun—02 Jun, free
With a traditional background in painting, McCarthy made his name with performance art, lashing out against traditional artistic ideas. His famous and irreverent video Painter (1995) satirises the formula of the artist as lonely genius in his studio.
ECA Degree Show 2010
10:00AM, 12 Jun—20 Jun, Free
Edinburgh College of Art’s annual show of graduate work from across the disciplines.
Printmakers Alfons Bytautas: Lost Time and Annie Woodford, Ice: Tracing the Line of Existence 10:00AM, 01 Jun—26 Jun, not 6th, 7th, 13th, 14th, 20th, 21st, Free
Two artists’ display work separately in Gallery 2 and Gallery 3. Alfons Bytautas deals in small-scale black and white intaglio prints, while Annie Woodford’s work encompasses object-making, installations, wall works and works on paper.
Sculpture Workshop Cabin Fever
10:00AM, 01 Jun—02 Jun, Free
A diverse collection of art works including sculpture, painting, video and installations from graduating students of the Contemporary Art Practice course at Edinburgh’s Telford College.
Fruitmarket Johan Grimonprez
Various times, 01 Jun—27 Jun, Free
The first British gallery showing of Doubletake which mixes film, television and documentary footage, fact and fiction, to make a complex blend of meanings and counter-meanings.
Ingleby Gallery Sean Scully: Iona
10:00AM, 01 Jun—26 Jun, not 6th, 13th, 20th, Free
Iona is a giant triptych, painted in Scully’s studio in New York between 2004 and 2006.
Modern Art Strange Encounters 10:00AM, 01 Jun—27 Jun, Free
This display brings together four works by John Davies, Douglas Gordon, Martin Boyce and Robert Colquhoun.
Drill Hall Out of the Blue Studio Artists Exhibition
10:00AM, 01 Jun—10 Jun, not 6th, Free
Featuring work from Out of the Blue Drill Hall and Portobello Powerhouse studio artists to celebrate the launch of the new look Out of the Blue Drill Hall.
Remembrance
10:00AM, 14 Jun—19 Jun, Free
An exhibition by Leith based sculptor Duncan Robertson, on the theme of remembrance and reflection.
Exposed 10
10:00AM, 23 Jun—26 Jun, Free
Students from Stevenson College Edinburgh’s photography department showcase their final year work.
Talbot Rice They Do Things Differently There
Total Kunst
Montgomery’s
Dust & Mud
Sam Goes to Kelvingrove
11:00AM, 07 Jun—12 Jun, Free
Krzysztof Brudlo presents a series of pictures taken at an open-air music festival. Divided in two, six black and white images and six colour, they portray the ecstasy and abandonment of bodies in motion.
Muscle Milk 12:00PM, 20 Jun—26 Jun, Free
Collins Gallery Absent Voices & Silver as Dye
Various times, 01 Jun—26 Jun, not 6th, 13th, 20th, Free
Work from Embroidered and Woven Textiles graduates Mhairi Killin and Sara Keith.
All The Young Nudes
ourtv
08:00PM, Tue 1st, Tue 8th, Tue 15th, Tue 22nd, £4
Drawing class with a backdrop of DJ beats and a bar to the side.
gsA 10:00AM, 12 Jun—19 Jun, Free
Glasgow College of Art’s annual show of graduate work from across the disciplines.
Ephemeral Ephemera Various times, 05 Jun—27 Jun, not 7th, 14th, 21st, Free
Grimaces of the Weary Village
Destinations and Reflections
Various times, 01 Jun—27 Jun, not 7th, 14th, 21st, Free
Work by printmaker John Mackechnie made over the last decade.
Sculpture Studio
American sculptor, essayist and poet, Jimmie Durham, shows a large-scale sculptural installation of work created during his studio residency.
Glam burlesque drawing class. GO!
ourtv is a proposal for television, conceived by Manuela Gernedel and Morag Keil.
Solo exhibition of photography by Ayoung Kim.
Print Studio
Various times, 05 Jun—27 Jun, not 7th, 14th, 21st, Free
Solo show from Lithuanian photographer Rimaldas Viksraitis. Touchbase Business Cent
Sensing Outdoors 09:00AM, 07 Jun—25 Jun, not 12th, 13th, 19th, 20th, Free
12:00PM, Multiple dates, Free
Artwork created by Sense Scotland artists as a result of the last five years of the Outdoor programme at Sense Scotland.
Tramway
Kelvingrove
Christoph Büchel
Pioneering Painters: The Glasgow Boys 1880–1900
Various times, 01 Jun—27 Jun, £5 (£3)
12:00PM, 02 Jun—12 Jun, not 6th, 7th, 8th, Free
Street Level
Degree Show 2010
They Do Things Differently There is a collaborative curatorial project by Edinburgh College of Art students on the Contemporary Art Theory and Visual & Material Culture MA programmes.
03:00PM, 06 Jun, £7 (£6)
Muscle Milk is a revolution in exhibition technology. Responding to research conducted by Diane Edwards and Rachel Maclean, the show presents video and installation inspired by Protein Shake, Medieval Alchemy and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
SWG3
Flying Duck
Jimmie Durham: Universal Miniature Golf
Dr Sketchy
A site-specific painting installation contextually relevant to Kelvingrove Art Galleries 1901 Exhibition in Montgomery’s Café. www.uglyduckexhibits.com
Project Room
glasgow
10:00AM, 05 Jun—19 Jun, not 6th, 7th, 13th, 14th, Free
The Jazz Bar
09:00AM, 01 Jun—06 Jun, Free
12:00PM, 01 Jun—27 Jun, not 7th, 14th, 21st, Free
The biggest Glasgow Boys exhibition in more than 40 years.
Unique art work involving shipping containers.
June 2010
THE SKINNY 59
It's Saturday night.
theatre listings DUNDEE Dundee Rep Sweeney Tood
Dirty Dusting
The one who wasn’t Wise.
07:30PM, 05 Jun, £12
Various times, 07 Jun—12 Jun, from £11
Comedy cleans up
Spamalot
07:30PM, 14 Jun—19 Jun, from £16
Flamenco magic
Camelot, Python Style
Girl’s Night Out
Oklahoma
Various times, 22 Jun—25 Jun, from £15
Musical comedy with popular tunes
Whitehall Blue Hen
07:30PM, 03 Jun—05 Jun, £12
07:30PM, 22 Jun—26 Jun, from £12
Marti Webb and runner-up in the BBC’s Your Country Needs You Mark Evans headline a brand new tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s popular and enduring musical
Drill Hall
Citizens Theatre One Million Tiny Places About Britain
Madness inspired musical theatre
Gilmorehill G12 Shakers and Bouncers 07:30PM, 09 Jun—12 Jun, £8
Dark night out fun
Severe Malcolm
Edinburgh
Pinter’s terse analysis of the underclass
EFT Billy Eliot
07:30PM, 04 Jun—05 Jun, from £10
Ballet from the depressed mining community: musical from the film
Peter Pan
Various times, 08 Jun—19 Jun, from £12– from £16
Boy wonder comes to Edinburgh and escapes to Neverland.
Critics Award For Theatre Scotland 03:00PM, 13 Jun, £15
The great and good assemble to reveal their verdict.
When Harry Met Sally
07:30PM, 15 Jun—19 Jun, from £13
The film hits the stage
Make or Break: 2-on-2 Break Dance Competition 06:00PM, 22 Jun, £5
A one-off evening of hip hop action. Watch in awe as some of the best Scottish b-boys and b-girls battle.
Stimuli
07:30PM, 25 Jun, £8
Taking ideas, such as shapes, people, animals and cities, the young performers let their imaginations go wild
Playhouse Strictly Come Dancing: The Professionals
07:30PM, 14 Jun—19 Jun, from £17.50
Ballroom from the people who can actually dance
Rocky Horror Show
08:00PM, 21 Jun—26 Jun, not 25th, from £15
Pansexual musical antics
El Barrio Flamenco Noche
07:30PM, Sat 12th, Sat 26th, £12
Night of dance
In Benin City, a young girl struggles to support her family. A world away, in a Glasgow tenement, ‘aunty’ Martha arranges a job and flight for her.
This vibrant dance performance is an expression of the experiences, hopes and dreams of young refugees and asylum seekers living in Glasgow.
07:30PM, 09 Jun—12 Jun, £12
The Byres Road Hard Man
07:30PM, 25 Jun—26 Jun, £10.50
07:00PM, 15 Jun—19 Jun, £8 (£6)
Our House
Perfomance by ACTive INquiry Theatre Group.
The Caretaker
Roadkill
07:30PM, 16 Jun, £5 (£3)
Various times, 17 Jun—19 Jun, £5
Brunton Theatre
Gaelic drama
Under The Same Sky
Leith Festival: The Legacy
Launch of a new poetry collection
07:30PM, 08 Jun—12 Jun, £8.50
Fresh from the Guardian weekly column, glimpses into British Life
From the Des Dillon, a new play about life on the hard side
Roxy Art House
Roghainn Na Daoine (The People’s Choice)
07:30PM, 01 Jun—05 Jun, £12
07:00PM, 12 Jun—20 Jun, not 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, £5
Various times, 09 Jun—10 Jun, Free
60 THE SKINNY June 2010
The Sounding, which examines Jewish traditions and folklore, will be shown to just ten audience members at each of the five performances
Morcambe
Songs From the Heart and Elsewhere
(SEE RIGHT)
Abba mania
Jazz, tap and modern dance students assemble
Blackwells
We're here to help.
07:00PM, 03 Jun, £5
Musical version of Victorian melodrama
07:30PM, 17 Jun, £16
You've not had sex since tony blair left office.
Various times, 01 Jun—05 Jun, from £11
Cross Currents
07:30PM, 16 Jun, £14
CCA Cryptic Nights
07:30PM, 01 Jun—12 Jun, not 6th, 7th, from £14
Jaleo
you've nothing to do.
King’s Theatre Dancing Queen
Sugar
07:30PM, 15 Jun—19 Jun, £8
My Bit 07:30PM, 17 Jun, £5(£3)
Who are you as you move about your city? How do you follow the rules and boundaries when you’re not even sure what and where they are?
Journeys Home 08:00PM, 18 Jun, Free
An evening of wit, wisdom, verse and music exploring the many and varied journeys that people take in search of safety and a place they call home.
The Umbilical Cord
Gappad Theatre Birthday Weekend
Some Like it Hot goes musical
A host of performances.
King Lear
Kofta’s play features a Mother’s journey from her trapped and trapping nature into the arms of her long lost husband.
Probably with a live storm...
Back and Forth and Hope (is a thing with feathers)
10:00AM, 19 Jun—20 Jun, £10–£12
Royal Lyceum Connect Festival
07:30PM, 08 Jun—12 Jun, £8
Youngsters showcase their work
South Leith Church An Island Between Heaven and Earth 07:00PM, 11 Jun—13 Jun, £9
In 1938, a band of workers arrived on Iona to repair the dilapidated abbey, under the charismatic leadership of George McCloud.
St Augustine’s Songs From the Heart and Elsewhere
Various times, 09 Jun—10 Jun, Free
Launch of a new poetry collection
Traverse Any Given Day
Various times, 01 Jun—19 Jun, not 7th, 14th, £13 (£8/£5)–£16 (£12)
A poetic and hard-hitting new play exploring our fear of the unknown and our guilt towards ourselves and others.
The Third Policeman
07:30PM, 03 Jun—05 Jun, £13 (£8/£5)–£16 (£12)
Botanic Gardens 07:45PM, 23 Jun—26 Jun, £15
Langside Hall Little Johnny’s Big Gay Wedding 07:30PM, 01 Jun—12 Jun, not 6th, from £8
Little J finds the man of his dreams. Dress up for the reception
Mirch Masala Bellydancing
08:00PM, Fri 4th, Fri 11th, Fri 18th, Fri 25th, meals from£10
Live dance as you eat
Ramshorn The Seagull
07:30PM, 14 Jun—19 Jun, £9
Chekov classic at full length
SECC Saltimbanco
Various times, 02 Jun—06 Jun, £40-£50
Dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment.
The Admiral 07:30PM, 03 Jun—04 Jun, £8
The Arches Exposure
07:30PM, 02 Jun—05 Jun, £7
A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle
Students perform work by Al Seed and others
Hugh MacDiarmid’s poem, with its infamously thrawn narrator, is set to music.
07:30PM, 10 Jun—11 Jun, £12
Boho Club The Mating Ritual Various times, 18 Jun, £7
The burlesque dream team look at how we do, or don’t, seduce the opposite sex
08:00PM, 19 Jun, Free
An eclectic mix of poets, musicians, actors and writers from many different countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Congo, Italy, Angola, Palestine and Scotland.
Theatre Royal Dangerous Liasons 07:30PM, 02 Jun—05 Jun, from £11.50
Anti-romance, from book to film to dance
The Woman in Black 07:30PM, 07 Jun—12 Jun, from £19
Very frightening drama
Remarkable dance from Brazil
Cirque du Soleill: Santimbanco
New play from unfunded director
GLASGOW
Artists in Exile Cabaret
High class circus
Open Write
07:30PM, Sat 5th, Wed 9th, £10 (£2)–£13 (£8/£5)
Professional musicians and dancers come together with a cast of asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and indigenous communities
Cruel
Coconut Badger
As part of Motherwell College’s Offender Arts Project, the Traverse will work with a group of men from Her Majesty’s Prison Open Estate on a new and exciting playwriting project.
08:00PM, 19 Jun, £9(£5)
Various times, 02 Jun—06 Jun, £40
Featuring bicycles that are half human and humans that are half bicycle. This is an unusual muder mystery, featuring a strange village police force. 07:30PM, 08 Jun, £5 (£3.50)
07:34PM, 19 Jun, £6(£4)
Comparison Is Violence or The Ziggy Stardust Meets Tiny Tim Songbook ukulele-playing and gender-bending
On the Verge
07:30PM, 21 Jun—24 Jun, £5
The Tron Theatre Doubt- A Parable
07:30PM, 22 Jun—26 Jun, from £14–from £14.50
Tramway Rose and Bones: Spirit and Stones 07:30PM, 11 Jun—12 Jun, £5 / £3
A collectively devised performance with musicians Claire Docherty and Gerrard Smith, and visual/sound artist Kirsty Stansfield.
Gender Divide 07:30PM, 22 Jun—24 Jun, £6
Latest from radical performance’s young team
Òran Mór The Sunday Lesson 01:00PM, 01 Jun—05 Jun, rom £8
Stuck inside a mobile with the family blues again.
The Seagull 01:00PM, 07 Jun—12 Jun, £10
Cut up of a classic
The Three Penny Opera 07:30AM, 11 Jun, £12
“Only Beggars Can Imagine It...”
Tartuffe 01:00PM, 14 Jun—19 Jun, From £8
Liz Lochhead reworks French masterpiece
07:30PM, 01 Jun—05 Jun, from £6.50
Fuenteovejuna
Catholic guilt and thrills
A Spanish Classic cut
01:00PM, 21 Jun—26 Jun, from £8
edinburgh Comedy Tue 01 Jun Comedy Pow Wow
The Illicit Still, 20:30–22:30, Free
Sketches, stand-up and comedy songs.
Wicked Wenches (With Magic Mandy Muden and AL Kennedy. Hosted by Susan Calman.)
The Stand, Edinburgh, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£3)
Wed 02 Jun The Broken Windows Policy The Stand, Edinburgh, 20:30–22:24, £4 (£2)
Sketch show fun.
Thu 03 Jun Gilded Balloon Comedy Circuit
Voodoo Rooms, 20:00–01:00, £14 (£12)
Whistle-stop comedy tour.
Ghillie Laughs
Ghillie-Dhu, 20:30–23:17, from £5
Heresy
Jekyll and Hyde , 21:00–23:00, Free
Night of dark and depraved comedy.
The Thursday Show (With Paul Tonkinson, Magic Mandy Muden and Eddie O’Dwyer. Hosted by Raymond Mearns)
The Stand, Edinburgh, 21:00–23:00, £8 (£7/£4)
Doors open 7:30.
Fri 04 Jun The Friday Show (Paul Tonkinson, Magic Mandy Muden and Eddie O’Dwyer. Hosted by Raymond Mearns)
The Stand, Edinburgh, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5)
Friday night special with a changing rota of performers.
Sat 05 Jun The Saturday Show (Paul Tonkinson, Magic Mandy Muden and Eddie O’Dwyer. Hosted by Raymond Mearns) The Stand, Edinburgh, 21:00–23:00, £13
Saturday special with varying top line-up.
Sun 06 Jun
Fri 11 Jun The Friday Show (With Sandy Nelson and Joe Wilkinson. Hosted by Bruce Devlin)
Whose Lunch Is It Anyway?
Friday night special with a changing rota of performers.
The Sunday Night LaughIn (Parrot, Broderick Chow, Gus Lymburn and Lucy Oldham. Hosted by Bruce Devlin)
The Stand, Edinburgh, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5)
Sat 12 Jun The Saturday Show (With Sandy Nelson and Joe Wilkinson. Hosted by Bruce Devlin)
The Stand, Edinburgh, 21:00–23:00, £13
Saturday special with varying top line-up.
Sun 13 Jun Whose Lunch Is It Anyway?
The Stand, Edinburgh, 12:30–15:00, Free Improvised comedy led by audience suggestions, with Stu and Garry.
The Sunday Night Laugh-In ( Joe Wilkinson, John Gavin and Daniel Webster)
The Stand, Edinburgh, 20:30–22:33, £5 (£4/£1)
Round off your weekend with a night of laughs.
Mon 14 Jun Absolute Beginners Beehive Inn, 20:00–22:30, £2
Lineup of new comic talent.
Red Raw
The Stand, Edinburgh, 20:30–22:30, (£2/£1)
New acts, new material from old acts; a classic lucky dip of comedy.
Tue 15 Jun Comedy Pow Wow
The Illicit Still, 20:30–22:30, Free
Sketches, stand-up and comedy songs.
Wed 16 Jun Benefit in Aid of the Malera Okouba School Project, Uganda
The Stand, Edinburgh, 20:30–22:58, £15
Thu 17 Jun Ghillie Laughs
Ghillie-Dhu, 20:30–23:17, from £5
Whose Lunch Is It Anyway?
Heresy
Improvised comedy led by audience suggestions, with Stu and Garry.
Night of dark and depraved comedy.
The Stand, Edinburgh, 12:30–15:00, Free
The Sunday Night LaughIn (Sandy Nelson, Mark Davies, Jason Murphy and Robert Parker. Hosted by Scott Agnew)
The Stand, Edinburgh, 20:30–22:33, £5 (£4/£1)
Round off your weekend with a night of laughs.
Mon 07 Jun Absolute Beginners Beehive Inn, 20:00–22:30, £2
Lineup of new comic talent.
Red Raw (With Sandy Nelson and Foil Arms and Hog) The Stand, Edinburgh, 20:30–22:30, (£2/£1)
New acts, new material from old acts; a classic lucky dip of comedy.
Tue 08 Jun Bob Doolally’s Comedy World Cup Countdown
The Stand, Edinburgh, 20:30–22:54, £8 (£7)
Thu 10 Jun Ghillie Laughs
Ghillie-Dhu, 20:30–23:17, from £5
Heresy
Jekyll and Hyde , 21:00–23:00, Free
Night of dark and depraved comedy.
Jekyll and Hyde , 21:00–23:00, Free
The Thursday Show (With Parrot, Broderick Chow and Alan Sharp. Hosted by Martin Mor)
The Stand, Edinburgh, 21:00–23:00, £8 (£7/£4)
Doors open 7:30.
Fri 18 Jun Vladimir McTavish - Whiskey: An Eeijit’s Guide Cruz, 21:00–22:00, £6 (£5)
Part of the Leith Festival
The Friday Show (With Parrot, Broderick Chow and Alan Sharp. Hosted by Martin Mor)
The Stand, Edinburgh, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5)
Friday night special with a changing rota of performers.
Fit O’ The Giggles Finest Cruz, 22:30–23:30, £6 (£5)
Part of the Leith Festival
Sat 19 Jun Keara Murphy’s Travellin’ Circus - The Greatest Show On Earth Cruz, 21:00–22:00, £6 (£5)
Part of the Leith Festival
The Saturday Show (With Parrot, Broderick Chow and Alan Sharp. Hosted by Martin Mor)
The Stand, Edinburgh, 21:00–23:00, £13
Saturday special with varying top line-up.
The Thursday Show (With Sandy Nelson and Joe Wilkinson. Hosted by Bruce Devlin)
Seven Different Shades of Wrong
Doors open 7:30.
Part of the Leith Festival
The Stand, Edinburgh, 21:00–23:00, £8 (£7/£4)
Sun 20 Jun
Cruz, 22:30–23:30, £5
A live, interactive, comedy podcast from the team behind The Heresy Project.
The Stand, Edinburgh, 12:30–15:00, Free
Improvised comedy led by audience suggestions, with Stu and Garry.
The Stand, Edinburgh, 20:30–22:33, £5 (£4/£1)
Round off your weekend with a night of laughs.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Scottish Parliament (Bruce Fummey) Cruz, 21:00–22:00, £6
presenting THE SKINNY's
CyberZAP Our weekly e-newsletter featuring the hottest events and best blags across Scotland. Oh, and some fabulous prizes.
Phil Buckley - Jokes Not Included Cruz, 22:30–23:30, £5 (£4)
Part of the Leith Festival
Mon 21 Jun Absolute Beginners Beehive Inn, 20:00–22:30, £2
Lineup of new comic talent.
Red Raw (With Joe Heenan)
The Stand, Edinburgh, 20:30–22:30, (£2/£1)
New acts, new material from old acts; a classic lucky dip of comedy.
Tue 22 Jun Midweek Comedy Cabaret (With Susan Morrison)
The Stand, Edinburgh, 20:30–22:30, £4 (£2)
Doors open 7:30.
Wed 23 Jun Rob Rouse: My Family ... and the Dog That Scared Jesus
The Stand, Edinburgh, 20:30–22:31, £10 (£8)
Thu 24 Jun Ghillie Laughs
Ghillie-Dhu, 20:30–23:17, from £5
Heresy
Jekyll and Hyde , 21:00–23:00, Free
Night of dark and depraved comedy.
The Thursday Show (With Mike Wozniak and Garry Dobson. Hosted by Billy Kirkwood)
The Stand, Edinburgh, 21:00–23:00, £8 (£7/£4)
Doors open 7:30.
Fri 25 Jun The Friday Show (With Mike Wozniak and Garry Dobson. Hosted by Billy Kirkwood)
The Stand, Edinburgh, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5)
Friday night special with a changing rota of performers.
Sat 26 Jun The Saturday Show (With Mike Wozniak and Garry Dobson. Hosted by Billy Kirkwood)
The Stand, Edinburgh, 21:00–23:00, £13
Saturday special with varying top line-up.
Sun 27 Jun Whose Lunch Is It Anyway?
The Stand, Edinburgh, 12:30–15:00, Free
Improvised comedy led by audience suggestions, with Stu and Garry.
The Sunday Night LaughIn (Mike Wozniak, Daniel Webster and Davey See)
Sign up for free at www.theskinny.co.uk/zap
The Stand, Edinburgh, 20:30–22:33, £5 (£4/£1)
Round off your weekend with a night of laughs.
Mon 28 Jun Absolute Beginners Beehive Inn, 20:00–22:30, £2
Lineup of new comic talent.
Red Raw
The Stand, Edinburgh, 20:30–22:30, (£2/£1)
New acts, new material from old acts; a classic lucky dip of comedy.
June 2010
THE SKINNY 61
glasgow Comedy Tue 01 Jun Red Raw
The Stand, Glasgow, 20:30–22:30, £2 (£1)
New acts, new material from old acts; a classic lucky dip of comedy.
Wed 02 Jun Wicked Wenches (With Magic Mandy Muden and AL Kennedy. Hosted by Susan Calman)
The Stand, Glasgow, 20:30–22:34, £6 (£5/£3)
Thu 03 Jun The Thursday Show (With Dougie Dunlop, The Boy With the Tape on His Face, Bethany Black and Rob Kane. Hosted by Sandy Nelson.)
The Stand, Glasgow, 21:00–23:12, £8 (£7/£4)
Doors open 7:30.
Fri 04 Jun The Friday Show (With Dougie Dunlop, The Boy With the Tape on His Face, Bethany Black and Rob Kane. Hosted by Sandy Nelson)
The Stand, Glasgow, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5)
Friday night special with a changing rota of performers.
Sat 05 Jun The Saturday Show (Dougie Dunlop, The Boy With the Tape on His Face, Bethany Black and Rob Kane. Hosted by Sandy Nelson)
The Stand, Glasgow, 21:00–23:00, £13
Saturday special with varying top line-up.
Sun 06 Jun Glasgow Kids Comedy Club
The Stand, Glasgow, 15:00–16:30, £4
Fun for the kiddies. Recommended for ages 8-12, no under 5s.
Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service (With The Boy With the Tape on His Face, Michael Adams and Lucy Oldham)
The Stand, Glasgow, 20:30–22:30, £5 (£4/£1)
Sunday night comedy hosted by Michael Redmond.
Mon 07 Jun Improv Wars
The Stand, Glasgow, 20:30–22:30, £4 (£2)
Brand new fast paced improv show featuring the nation’s top comics.
Tue 08 Jun Red Raw (With Sandy Nelson and Foil Arms and Hog)
The Stand, Glasgow, 20:30–22:30, £2 (£1)
New acts, new material from old acts; a classic lucky dip of comedy.
Wed 09 Jun Bob Doolally’s Comedy World Cup Countdown
The Stand, Glasgow, 20:30–22:46, £8 (£7)
Thu 10 Jun The Thursday Show (With Sean Percival and Janey Godley. Hosted by Joe Heenan.)
The Stand, Glasgow, 21:00–23:12, £8 (£7/£4)
Doors open 7:30.
Fri 11 Jun The Friday Show (With Sean Percival and Janey Godley. Hosted by Joe Heenan)
The Stand, Glasgow, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5)
Friday night special with a changing rota of performers.
Sat 12 Jun The Saturday Show (With Sean Percival and Janey Godley. Hosted by Joe Heenan)
The Stand, Glasgow, 21:00–23:00, £13
Saturday special with varying top line-up.
Sun 13 Jun Glasgow Kids Comedy Club
The Stand, Glasgow, 15:00–16:30, £4
Fun for the kiddies. Recommended for ages 8-12, no under 5s.
Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service (With Janey Godley)
The Stand, Glasgow, 20:30–22:30, £5 (£4/£1)
Sunday night comedy hosted by Michael Redmond.
Mon 14 Jun Dance Monkey Boy Dance
The Stand, Glasgow, 20:30–22:48, £4
Monthly show featuring a mix of topical stand-up, filmed sketches and improvised games and songs.
Tue 15 Jun Red Raw (With Susan Calman)
The Stand, Glasgow, 20:30–22:30, £2 (£1)
New acts, new material from old acts; a classic lucky dip of comedy.
Wed 16 Jun Benefit in Aid of Alzheimer Scotland
The Stand, Glasgow, 20:30–22:02, £9 (£6)
www.alzscot.org
Thu 17 Jun The Thursday Show (With Mat Reed, Tony Dunn and Daniel Webster. Hosted by Susan Morrison.)
The Stand, Glasgow, 21:00–23:12, £8 (£7/£4)
Doors open 7:30.
Fri 18 Jun The Friday Show (With Neil Delamere, Mat Reed, Tony Dunn and Roland Gent. Hosted by Susan Morrison)
The Stand, Glasgow, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5)
Friday night special with a changing rota of performers.
Sat 19 Jun The Saturday Show (With Neil Delamere, Mat Reed, Tony Dunn and Roland Gent. Hosted by Susan Morrison)
The Stand, Glasgow, 21:00–23:00, £13
Saturday special with varying top line-up.
Sun 20 Jun Glasgow Kids Comedy Club
The Stand, Glasgow, 15:00–17:00, £4
Fun for the kiddies. Recommended for ages 8-12, no under 5s.
62 THE SKINNY June 2010
Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service (With Mat Reed, Tony Dunn and Jason Murphy. Hosted by Michael Redmond) The Stand, Glasgow, 20:30–22:30, £5 (£4/£1)
Sunday night comedy hosted by Michael Redmond.
Mon 21 Jun Improv Wars The Stand, Glasgow, 20:30–22:30, £4 (£2)
Brand new fast paced improv show featuring the nation’s top comics.
Tue 22 Jun Red Raw The Stand, Glasgow, 20:30–22:30, £2 (£1)
New acts, new material from old acts; a classic lucky dip of comedy.
Wed 23 Jun Midweek Comedy Cabaret (With Susan Calman. Hosted by Billy Kirkwood.) The Stand, Glasgow, 20:30–22:58, £4 (£2)
Doors open 7:30.
Thu 24 Jun The Thursday Show (With Addy Van Der Borgh, Luke Benson and Mark Davies. Hosted by Raymond Mearns.) The Stand, Glasgow, 21:00–23:12, £8 (£7/£4)
Doors open 7:30.
Fri 25 Jun The Friday Show (With Addy Van Der Borgh, Luke Benson and Mark Davies. Hosted by Raymond) The Stand, Glasgow, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5)
Friday night special with a changing rota of performers.
Sat 26 Jun The Saturday Show (With Addy Van Der Borgh, Luke Benson and Mark Davies. Hosted by Raymond Mearns) The Stand, Glasgow, 21:00–23:00, £13
Saturday special with varying top line-up.
Sun 27 Jun Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service (With Luke Benson, Ben Verth and Jason Arnstien) The Stand, Glasgow, 20:30–22:30, £5 (£4/£1)
Sunday night comedy hosted by Michael Redmond.
PRIZES!
COMPETITIONS
WEALTH BEYOND MEASURE
THE SKINNY ON TOUR! One day, our editor Rosamund told us all she was going on holiday. She also said that she would be taking some snaps. ‘Good for you’, we thought. We didn’t count on her then cackling like the evil genius that she is and twirling her mustachios (metaphorical ones, of course) as she unveiled her plans for world domination, by spreading the Skinny gospel across the globe to whoever might listen.
TO ENTER:
If you can guess the city in which she’s captured her attempt at a Skinny coup d’état, we’ll give one of you a bunch of Eastpak goodies from their Summer 2010 Eastpak SnapShot collection. Eastpak are also offering a free limited edition beach towel with any wheeled luggage purchased from the Snapshot collection. For more information on Eastpak, the no1 backpack brand, visit www.eastpak.com.
CLOSING DATE: 28 JUNE GOING ON HOLIDAY? TAKE A SKINNY, PHOTOGRAPH IT ENJOYING THE SIGHTS, SEND US THE EVIDENCE AND YOU’LL BE IN THE RUNNING FOR PUBLICATION IN THE MAGAZINE, AS WELL AS A SUPER-SECRET PRIZE. SEND PICS TO COMPETITIONS@THESKINNY.CO.UK
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: VISIT WWW.THESKINNY.CO.UK/COMPETITIONS FOR DETAILS. ALL EASTPAK OFFERS ARE SUBJECT TO PARTICIPATION OF RETAILERS.
WIN JD SET TICKETS AND A SIGNED FENDER GUITAR! In association with Jack Daniel’s and the JD Set, The Skinny is offering one reader the chance to win four tickets for a truly unique experience: Silver Columns, Malcolm Middleton, cocknbullkid, James Yuill and Casiokids will reinterpret Madonna’s finest moments, recreating classics like Vogue, Like A Prayer and Holiday. Not only are we offering tickets to the show at O2 ABC on Thursday 17 June, but we’re also giving away a special Fender guitar, signed by all of the bands taking part. Behind the scenes action from the studio sessions preceding the gig and the show itself will be available on Channel 4, NME and thejdset.co.uk
TO ENTER JUST ANSWER THIS QUESTION : What is Madonna’s full name? VISIT THESKINNY.CO.UK/ COMPETITIONS BEFORE 12 JUNE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN! TERMS AND CONDITIONS: VISIT WWW. THESKINNY.CO.UK/COMPETITIONS. ENTRANTS MUST BE 18 YEARS OLD OR OVER. KNOW WHEN TO UNPLUG. PLEASE DRINK JACK DANIEL’S RESPONSIBLY. FOR THE FACTS, DRINKAWARE.CO.UK.
WIN TWO FREE
MEMBERSHIPS FOR ‘IN’
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL No contemporary festival would be radical unless it considered the audience. In association with The Skinny, Edinburgh International Festival is introducing a new membership scheme for people in their 20s and 30s, bringing you INside the Festival and offering great benefits including: - Free entrance into dress rehearsal of National Theatre of Scotland’s Caledonia - Up to 50% off tickets to selected Festival performances - Interval drinks and post performance meet-ups throughout the Festival - An exclusive invitation to The Skinny Festival Party, featuring a live performance from The Shimmy's very own pet gonzo journalist, Mr Criticilious - End of Festival drinks at Missoni Hotel bar to announce autumn offers for members
TO ENTER JUST ANSWER THIS QUESTION : What’s the name of the National Theatre of Scotland’s new production, which will be premiered at Edinburgh International Festival this year? VISIT THESKINNY.CO.UK/COMPETITIONS BEFORE 28 JUNE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN! TS AND CS: VISIT WWW.THESKINNY.CO.UK/COMPETITIONS FOR DETAILS.
JUNE 2010
THE SKINNY 63