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ISSUE 59 • AUGUST 2010
Music|Film|clubs|performance|Digital|reading|Comedy|art|fashion|listings
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July 2010
THE SKINNY 3
KRIS KRISTOFFERSON PLUS SPECIAL GUEST RODDY
HART
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4 THE SKINNY AUGUST 2010
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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Good Wives and Warriors is the creative partnership between Becky Bolton and Louise Chappell, who met while studying at the Glasgow School of Art. Rebecca means ‘good wife’ and Louise means ‘warrior’, and together they create weird and wonderful illustrations and sprawling wall paintings. In the last couple of years, the duo have exhibited their large-scale collaborative wall painting across Europe, South America, the USA and Australia. Their detailed works are influenced by scientific imagery,
Issue 59, August 2010 © Radge Media Ltd.
SUNDAY 7 NOVEMBER CITY HALLS, GLASGOW
0131 668 2019
This Month's cover illustrator: Good Wives & Warriors
As if this wasn’t plenty to be getting on with, this month (like every month) we’re also bringing you interviews with a frankly astonishing array of stars. Big Boi, Wu-Tang Clan, The Phantom Band, the Kronos Quartet, El-P, the Klaxons, Michael Rother and !!! have all taken the time to chat to The Skinny with frequently hilarious results. To find out El-P’s views on Justin Bieber, The Burns Unit’s blow-by-blow to their excellent debut, and much more besides, read on… rosamund@theskinny.co.uk
WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER A WEE FESTIVALGUIDE USING OUR CRACK TEAM OF EXPERTS (SECTION EDITORS) complex natural structures, patterns and the surreal. Recent clients include Swatch, MTV, Adidas and Wired Magazine and they have been featured in IdN and Taschen’s Illustration Now Volume 3.
THE SKINNY August 2010
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COWBOY JUNKIES
I don’t know if you’ve heard, but in August there’s quite a lot of cultural stuff happening in Edinburgh. Festivals, they call them. We at The Skinny feel that, while it is very exciting to be surrounded by so much entertainment in all forms of art for a whole month, the sheer volume of choice (not to mention on-street harassment) can sometimes get a bit overwhelming. Therefore, we have put together a wee guide using our crack team of experts (section editors) to let you know what we suspect will be worth taking the time to go see in the coming month. We’ve also got a few of our own projects happening in August. First up, look out for the Shimmy Skinny, a thrice-weekly publication covering dance and physical theatre across the festivals. Issue 1 is out on 5 Aug, it’s free, and it aims to give good advice. On 11 Aug, we’ll be hosting Local Takeover in the Assembly in Princes Street Gardens, a night offering locals and visitors alike the chance to party like we do all year round with the best of Edinburgh nightlife condensed into a single club. We’re also partnering up with the Book Festival to sponsor events with Alan Bissett, Lars Husum and Jah Wobble. More details can be found in the Festivals special.
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Editorial
E: sales@theskinny.co.uk All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the explicit permission of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within this publication do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the printer or the publisher.
Printed by Mortons Print Limited, Horncastle ABC verified Jul 2009 - Dec 2009: 34,329
Editorial Editor Online & Music Editor Clubs Editor Deviance Editor Performance Editor Film Editor Heads Up Editor Comedy Editor Reading Editor Digital Editor Art 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 Andrew Cattanach Ruth Marsh Ray Philp Alexandra Fiddes Anna Docherty
Production Production Manager Designer Chief Subeditor
David Lemm Lewis MacDonald Paul Mitchell
Sales/Accounts Head of Sales & Marketing Lara Moloney Advertising Sales Execs Jan Webster & Lucy Watters Publisher
Sophie Kyle
skinny hpg August_EDGE_Layout 1 20/07/2010 16:48 Page 1
Contents
DF CONCERTS PRESENTS THE EDGE FESTIVAL
OVER40GIGSTHROUGHOUTAUGUST DURINGTHEFRINGEINEDINBURGH...
Feature
CORN EXCHANGE
CORN EXCHANGE
18th
26th
Festivals
»8
HMV PICTURE HOUSE
8th
23rd
15th
6 8 26 29 32 34 35 36 38 42 43 44 62 68
A little helping hand in planning out your August.
17th 20th 22nd
Festival Features
We look forward to the Edinburgh Festivals with tips, picks, interviews and more. Comedians interview comedians, we pick out a few essentials, and our music editor has a chat with Michael Rother of NEU! fame.
Fashion
Tie-dye isn’t just for hippies, says our fashion editor.
Food & Drink
Tips on eating in Edinburgh without going bankrupt.
Showcase Glasgow’s Sandy Smith has a mini-retrospective on the page.
Digital
Are Facebook friends really your friends? The Genomics Forum will try and work it out.
Reading We read some books, so we could tell you about them.
Deviance
Lashing of Ginger Beer present burlesque that’s more than just a woman in a corset.
Film
Martin Compston can’t stop dancing to Northern Soul.
Performance
A survey of theatre outside the fringe this August (yes, it exists!).
Art
There’s also art happening in Glasgow, honest.
Music
Wu-Tang! Klaxons! Big Boi! Phantom Band! Kronos Quartet!, !!! They're all stopping by for the banter.
DIZZEE RASCAL + SYCO SMURFF
HMV PICTURE HOUSE 13th
Heads Up
AMY MACDONALD DOVES TINCHY STRYDER LITTLE FEAT HALLOGALLO 2010 + (Michael Rother performs the music of NEU) PLAN B SOLD OUT! BEIRUT SOLD OUT!
24th 25th 26th 28th 29th
MIKA JASON DERULO SOLD OUT! EELS + ALICE GOLD THE CORAL + THE DRAYMIN PHOENIX + THE BOY WHO TRAPPED THE SUN MODEST MOUSE
THE QUEEN’S HALL 30th
THE LOW ANTHEM + AVI BUFFALO
LIQUID ROOM 5th 6th 17th 18th 20th 21st 23rd 24th 26th 28th
STORNOWAY + HARPER SIMON THE DIVINE COMEDY (Solo) SOLD OUT! FEEDER SOLD OUT! STEVE MASON PROFESSOR GREEN WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS + SEB DANGERFIELD + ENDOR ELI PAPERBOY REED DAN LE SAC VS SCROOBIUS PIP MARK LANEGAN BROKEN RECORDS + SPARROW AND THE WORKSHOP
ELECTRIC CIRCUS 6th 7th 8th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 16th 17th 18th 22nd 23rd 23rd 24th 27th 28th 30th 31st
THE UNWINDING HOURS FOUND KITTY, DAISY AND LEWIS + THE HURRICANES AARON WRIGHT AND THE APRILS MITCHELL MUSEUM CARRIE MAC GET CAPE. WEAR CAPE. FLY. + THE XCERTS COLIN MCINTYRE (AKA Mull Historical Society) + DELTA MAINLINE TOM GRAY (Of Gomez) WITHERED HAND LAUREN PRITCHARD + LOU HICKEY JON FRATELLI + HIP PARADE KASSIDY BEAR IN HEAVEN (11pm Doors) THE PHANTOM BAND + WOODENBOX WITH A FISTFUL OF FIVERS THREE BLIND WOLVES PEARL AND THE PUPPETS + STEVIE AND THE MOON ALEX CORNISH GENERAL FIASCO
CABARET VOLTAIRE 20th 31st
SOMA RECORDS FEATURING SLAM + FUNK D’VOID (11PM-4AM) MINUS THE BEAR
FORFULLLINEUPANDUPDATES,LOGONTO…
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24HRTICKETHOTLINE08444 999 990
Clubs
Toddla T talks bedroom knob-twiddling, El-P winds up Justin Bieber.
Listings What’s going on round here, plus top ten picks of festive delights.
August 2010
THE SKINNY 5
UP MONTH AHEAD
COMPILED BY: ANNA DOCHERTY
TUE, 27 JUL
WED, 28 JUL
The DUM DUM GIRLS make lo-fi pop of the blissfully basic variety; like a love note scrawled on the back of a pencil case. Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, 7pm, £7
We like a bit of affecting folk, and SHEARWATER serve it up by the falsetto-laden bucket load. Sumptuous, beguiling, enchanting... (and other such words of that ilk). Stereo, Glasgow, 7pm, £9
WED, 4 AUG Expect an indie folk love-in, as Emma Pollock, King Creosote, and Future Pilot AKA play as THE BURNS UNIT, with a line-up completed by Karine Polwart, Kim Edgar, Mattie Foulds, and Michael Johnston. ABC, Glasgow, 7pm, £14
THU, 29 JUL
TUE, 10 AUG Punk rock done to perfection; we give you DWARVES and their punchy lyrical assaults crushed between waves of sonic density (or 'noise' to yer average Granny). Ivory Blacks, Glasgow, 7pm, £9
FRI, 30 JUL Friday night is traditionally scary movie night – and they don't come much more pant-wetting than this. C'mon, it's JAWS! The deadliest paper-mâché shark known to man. GFT, Glasgow, 10.45pm, £5.50 (£3.50)
King Tut's SUMMER NIGHTS schedule continues en force, with French Wives, The Seventeenth Century, Washington Irving, and Rachel Sermanni. King Tut's, Glasgow, 8.30pm, £6
THU, 5 AUG
FRI, 6 AUG
The FUTURISTIC RETRO CHAMPIONS launch their new EP in rather glittery fashion, with Vaselines' frontman Eugene Kelly in support, alongside Turnerprize winning artist Martin Creed (he's also designed their EP sleeve). Fancy pants stuff for a bunch of former art school skivers. Mono, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £6
PHOTO: HEIDI KUISMA
TUE, 3 AUG Youthful jazz renegades and band of brothers, HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE are pretty much as authentic as you can get, without Sun Ra trumpeter Phil Cohran actually being their father. Oh wait, he is. Assembly @ Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, 9pm, £15
It's here. It's time. It's NOW. The EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL begins, with a ridiculous 2,453 shows over 259 venues (the International Festival kicks off on the 13th). Flick through this very issue for our top picks. Various venues, until 30 Aug
WED, 11 AUG
THU, 12 AUG
Join us as we show the tourists how it's done, SKINNY FESTIVAL PARTY style. We've got a headline set from Hostage, who promises to "DJ whilst juggling swords on a unicycle and doing a monologue about [his] fanny". Nice. Plus Anarkid, Bargain Harold, and i-Tallah Disco on support duty. And us. Going bananas. Local Takeover, Assembly @ Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, 11.30pm, £7 in advance (£9 door)
Local designers and makers take part in a STASH AND TREASURE PARTY, where there will be plenty of sparkly finds for magpie eyes. A pop-up craft fete follows over the weekend (13-15th) with yet more treasure. Ooh aar. Loretto Gallery, Musselburgh, 6pm, £3 donation
Hostage WED, 18 AUG
THU, 19 AUG
Half man, half legend DAVID SHRIGLEY waxes lyrical about his art, music, doodles and more as he prepares to launch his new book – a 350-page coffee table tome. Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, 8.30pm, £10 (£8)
Ex-Beta Band-er STEVE MASON lays it bare with plaintive vocals, guitar and placid rhythms; like a cosmic choirboy ooh-wahing over Massive Attack-style beats. Liquid Room, Edinburgh, 7pm, £8
SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES combines spoken word from local faves Alan Bissett and Kirstin Innes, plus burlesque from Miss Hell’s Belle, and live performances from Emily Scott, and Earl Grey & The Loose Leaves. As eclectic as it gets. Electric Circus, Edinburgh, 7pm, £6
TUE, 24 AUG
WED, 25 AUG
As Glaswegian sextet THE PHANTOM BAND bring spice to 'The Edge' festival, prepare to be enveloped in the arms of some foreboding folk rock. Electric Circus, Edinburgh, 7pm, £12.50
Mark Everett plucks gems from the EELS' predominantly heart-on-sleeve collection. O2 Academy, Glasgow, 7pm, £20
6 THE SKINNY AUGUST 2010
THU, 26 AUG He started out in the Screaming Trees, has been a member of Queens of the Stone Age and collaborated with, amongst others, Melissa Auf Der Mar, Isobel Campbell, and Greg Dulli. But tonight he does Mark Lanegan as MARK LANEGAN. Liquid Room, Edinburgh, 7pm, £15
FRI, 20 AUG
Alan Bissett
PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER BROWN
TUE, 17 AUG
PHOTO: ROSS TREVAIL
LIFESTYLE
HEADS YOUR
A regular festival fave (well, with us anyway), SILENT DISCO takes 1000 people, some headphones, two DJs, and silence. With authentic old school rave tunes, prepare to look like a proper tube. Underbelly's Pasture, Edinburgh, midnight, £10
FRI, 27 AUG It's the last weekend of UNBOUND, the Book Festival's late-night music and literary fest, and Americana lyricist, poet, and novelist, Simone Felice, puts in a guest spot. Pop the closing party on 30 July in your diary, too. Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, 9pm, Free
FREE!
LIFESTYLE
E!
SAT, 31 JUL
It's the first weekend of MARTIN CREED's Edinburgh Art Festival exhibition, the highlight of which is likely to be his turning of the Fruitmarket Gallery’s staircase into a giant synthesizer – with each step sounding a different note. Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, daily until 4 Sep, Free
SUN, 1 AUG
MON, 2 AUG
Everyone's favourite hip-hop massive, WU-TANG CLAN, are re-united in full force (yup, as in Ghostface, Method Man, RZA et al). The stuff of dreams. Read our interview with Raekwon on page 46. O2 Academy, Glasgow, 7pm, £29.50
With a steamrollering salvo of sludge metal classics at their fingertips, Seattle legends ALICE IN CHAINS know how to rock. Hard. O2 Academy, Glasgow, 7pm, £23.50
PHOTO: DAVE KERR
FREE!
Work No. 997, 2009. Photo: Barbora Gerny
PHOTO: THE FESTIVAL FRINGE SOCIETY
SAT, 7 AUG
FRI, 13 AUG In a random little beauty of an event, guerilla group SUBTLEMOB invite you to download a personalised mp3 and turn up at a secret location, headphones on. You'll then become part of the swelling of life; drifting, watching, and participating in a carefully-orchestrated slow dance. Register at www.subtlemob.com
SUN, 8 AUG
As part of the Edinburgh Art Festival Expo Commission, the Confraternity of Neoflagellants are staging an Unco Site! Or a ZOMBIE WALK (as you do). Meet at the Scott Monument at 11pm and get ready to stumble, moan, and drag yourself along. Maybe eat some brains for good measure. Scott Monument, Edinburgh, 11pm, Free
SUN, 15 AUG
Our DIY punk fest of choice is back with an August date, as Cramond Island is once again taken over by the 'PUNK PICNIC-ERS'. Hardcore. Oi Polloi, Bomb Berlin, Happy Spastics, Filth Pact, Billy Liar, and Down To Kill provide the moshers playlist. Cramond Island, Edinburgh, time tbc, Free
Your friendly neighbourhood robo-rapper, MEGAMEGAMAN, serves up the beats at Hip Hop Raw, for a chilled Monday night-er. Flying Duck, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £4
MON, 16 AUG Book Festival favourite IAIN BANKS slips effortlessly between his two writing personae – mainstream novelist and grand master of science fiction. Talented chap. Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, Iain Banks, 8pm, £10 (8£)
P ollo i
SAT, 21 AUG
SUN, 22 AUG
MON, 23 AUG
Connoisseurs of the slow building tune that hurtles toward an epic effing finale, WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS know what they're good at, and they've been a Skinny fave from the get-go. Liquid Room, Edinburgh, 7pm, £10
From melancholic gypsy folk to epic Parisian drinking songs, Zach Cordon of BEIRUT appears to be performing a whistle-stop tour of European music. And it's bloody lovely, too. HMV Picture House, Edinburgh, 7.30pm, £15
Expect something witty, razor-sharp and enlightening, as the provocative HENRY ROLLINS philosophises over, and slices a grubby knife right through, various social and political subjects. Underbelly's Pasture, Edinburgh, 8.30pm, £10 (until 29 Aug)
SAT, 28 AUG The glammest little lady at the festival, Missy Malone, curates her one-night-only BURLESQUE REVUE; a cabaret spectacular with Vicky Butterfly, Leyla Rose, and special showcase act Cat Aclysmic. Woot Woot. Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, 7pm, £20
A regular festival hightlight, PHIL KAY toys with what it means to do stand-up, treading the line between comedian, raconteur and clown oh-so-nimbly, as he and Cammy Sinclair present their very own musical comedy, Late Night Nonesense. Zoo Roxy, Edinburgh, 12.30am, £7.50 (£5)
FREE!
SAT, 14 AUG
FREE! Oi
MON, 9 AUG
EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS play host to a bespoke record fair, with collectors' vinyl spanning 60 years, to coincide with the Prints of Darkness exhibition. And don't miss the 'musical chairs' record swap on the 13th (6-8pm). Fun and games. Edinburgh Printmakers, Edinburgh, 11am, Free
FREE! MON, 30 AUG
SUN, 29 AUG
Missy Malone
In a rather genius fusion of cinema and theatre, SIN SANGRE uses live action and film projection to tell a murky tale of bloodshed, assassins, deceit, and, er, trapdoors. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 8pm, £12-£27
GRANNY WOULD BE PROUD go all out for their 1st birthday bash, with a circus-themed affair. There will be the usual array of vintage stalls, cups o' tea, and homemade cakes – but added to that will be live music, dancing, cocktails in teapots, carnival games, freak shows, fortune tellers, and birthday cake! Hillhead Bookclub, Glasgow, 8pm, Free
AUGUST 2010
THE SKINNY 7
FESTIVAL
Our
City
It’s that time of year again, when Edinburgh’s population explodes and traffic drives to a halt to give way to all things cultural and festive. We’ve put together a little Edinburgh Festivals special to look forward to some events, chat to some artists, musicians and comedians and generally provide a guide to what we think will be some of the good stuff going on this August. Here, our editors from the Performance, Art, Comedy and Reading sections have decided to let you in on their own personal highlights for the coming month
ART EDITORIAL Andrew Cattanach LET’S face it, festival time is a total nightmare for everyone. Stop pretending you’ll comprehensively see everything like you never managed to do the past five years you made the same promise to yourself. And if you’re a mad pervert who digs every one of the arts then you might as well quietly slip off to some secluded cultural backwater and sit this one out, or face dissolving into a puddle of overstimulated jelly. Festival time is to the art lover what a punch in the baws is to foreplay. Just relax. You’ll no way see everything, and you probably don’t want to anyway. Think tactically and take out the big boys first. Richard Wright’s new wall painting in the west stairwell of the Dean Gallery is an awe-inspiring must-see. Using a repeated floral motif, Wright produces a context-considerate work that well messes with your eyes. Next up is the much anticipated show by Martin Creed at the Fruitmarket Gallery. He’s basically the funniest man in the art world and pulls it off with epic aplomb. He’s unique simply because no-one else possesses the same bold mixture of audacity and humour as he. And don’t be fooled, these works might appear subtle at first, but they are in every way brash and daring.
And if you’re not feeling too baffled by Creed’s celebration of the banal then head along to the City Observatory to see Kim Coleman and Jenny Hogarth’s commission, Staged. What the installation entails is anyone’s guess but will include prerecorded CCTV footage, turning festival goers into unwitting participants. Way out in the sticks at the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop will be MAGAZINE 10, consisting of three solo shows run back to back and including Katie Orton, Paul Rooney and Kate V. Robertson. All three will have spent the previous three months preparing for this as part of a residency at ESW. One only assumes that’s long enough to make some breathtaking work. So no pressure. Now, seeing as you can probably do all of that in one day you might as well get in amongst what else the city has to offer during this frenzied month. Go on, drive yourself into the ground in a vain attempt to gorge yourself on culture. Pure out of your mind on paintings and that.
PERFORMANCE EDITORIAL Gareth K Vile IN the time it takes to type these words, my inbox received three new messages from companies promising to change the way I understand theatre. After scribbling over four copies of the brochure, I still haven’t managed to resolve timetabling difficulties, or limit the number of essential shows to a workable number. I am either going to have an entire festival of radical, cutting edge mayhem – hopefully with nudity and audience participation – or reacquaint myself with the classics of 20th century drama. Either way, I won’t have time for a single comedian, to eat healthily, or sleep. I am gearing up for the challenges by reminding myself of the general outline. In short, if I hang around The Traverse Theatre, I am assured of solid, intelligent work, emphasising quality writing and clear direction. Cora Bisset’s Roadkill has the look of a genuinely challenging examination of trafficking, while The Author will have Tim Crouch’s idiosyncratic metaphysics and aesthetic meditations. Both Universal Art and Remarkable Arts are housing up in Masonic Halls, converted to performance spaces. Remarkable Arts are opening up spaces never seen before by an audience, as David Leddy brings his site-responsive masterwork SubRosa to their Hill Street venue. New kid on the block The Roxy is teaming up with Zoo Venues, but also producing a parallel season of their own work. This kicked off before the Fringe with Stuart Home, and continues into September – consciously lining up as a Festival within, and beyond, The Festivals.
8 THE SKINNY AUGUST 2010
It is impossible to predict the individual successes, which will burst out of nowhere: the Assembly and The Pleasance are always solid bets, but many of the larger venues have such dauntingly large programmes, it is better to hold back for the first wave of star-ratings. The failures are always worth listening out for: a bad sign is when rumours abound about the cast complaining about the work’s quality. For those who still want to continue the national pride engendered by England’s defeat in the World Cup, The Made in Scotland programme holds some treasures. Cargo, from Iron Oxide, bestrides the Mela and the Fringe, while Vox Motus are returning to a familiar theme, death, in an idiosyncratic way – homemade cryogenics. The presence of Plan B and Colette Sadler on the list are encouraging to Scottish dance lovers, who will also be visiting Zoo for the annual double of Scottish Dance Theatre. For those who have the time, best spend the first week loitering around the Royal Mile and the University Union. You’ll have to fight off flyers, but you will get free tickets. As soon as they hear the reviewers are coming, the companies hit the High Street to finds an audience. Of course, the Free Fringe is continuing to redefine what the festivals are all about, so there is no need for anyone to lose too much money this year – except those unlucky acts who get a brace of one star reviews, an afternoon slot and a misprint in the listings.
WWW.REMARKABLE-ARTS-LTD.COM/
Martin Creed
'Roadkill'
Tim Crou ch
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READING EDITORIAL
Lizzie Cass-Maran
Keir Hind
DESPITE the fact that it is cold, wet and miserable outside, something tells me that it’s nearly August. I currently have 427 emails in my ‘Fringe’ inbox. They proclaim to me a whole host of ‘hilarious’ shows. While I generally delete anything that describes itself as hilarious, and I’m not going to pretend for one minute that I’ve perused all of these missives in detail, we still don’t have anything like enough room to talk to everyone who’s caught my eye as deserving their space in my email account. So we thought we’d let them talk to each other. Comedians interviewing comedians. We’ve got local lad Keir McAllister talking transglobally to Arj Barker from Flight of the Conchords; the Bishop brothers chatting to each other just as if they’re over the breakfact table; Siân Bevan cutting down 45 minutes of jolly chat with Sarah Millican to a mere page; and the Brothers Streep talking antipodean with Adam Vincent. In terms of what else is going on, I said it last year and I’ll say it again: go and see the free stuff. Free Fringe, Free Festival, random shows that are part of neither; there are some great shows on. The Meadows Bar, Espionage and The Canon’s Gait are all good venues to pop your head in to to see what’s going on. Don’t forget the Free and Easy at The Stand every weekend, too.
Talking of The Stand, you’d be hard pushed to find a better line-up of guaranteed brilliant shows. As the year-round major comedy venue in Scotland, it’s hard not to sound like a suck-up, but while it’s always interesting to check out the shiny new three-weekonly venues, and a Fringe is not a Fringe without a pint at the Underbelly, nothing beats the Stand for some comedy love that’s just a little bit less forced than some of the other big venues. Other highlights at Edinburgh this year include my latest comedy crush, Alex Horne. In my heady youth, I was falling for comedians’ charm left right and centre, but it’s a while since anyone drew me in in quite the way Horne did at the Glasgow Comedy Festival earlier this year. He’s doing an incredible three shows at the Fringe: solo show Odds is on every day at the Pleasance Courtyard; Taskmaster appears for one night only on the 27th, and with eight late-night shows at the Pleasance Dome is The Horne Section, mixing jazz with comedy. Happy Fringing!
Alex Horne
A good many of the events will mix spoken word with music, but there are a few curveballs in there too. What about Dragon’s Pen, where a panel of judges assess literary offerings from creative writing students? How will Louise Stern, who is deaf, handle the audience at her event (pretty well, says all advance word). What will McSweeney’s magazine offer us in their event? What will occur at the It Doesn’t Have To Rhyme poetry event? Then there’s important stuff too, like the launch events for The Year of Open Doors and for Five Dials, the publisher Hamish Hamilton’s free, online literary magazine. And remember, because it bears repeating, that these events are free too. So yes, these are exciting times for The Skinny at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. If you’ve never been to anything bookish at the Festival at all, we’re happy to say that Unbound really is the place to start. Drag along some mates, and join in the fun. All this and I haven’t even got to what’s on at the festival proper, and even the events we’re sponsoring – see page 24 for that.
Stay Abreast with Fest The editor of Fest introduces one of the magazines that will guide you through August's festivities SINCE its lauch in 2002, Fest has quickly become one of the most widely-read and well-respected publications covering the Edinburgh festivals in August. It’s free, and prints 100,000 copies throughout the month, so it’s pretty easy to get your hands on. Fest is written and produced by some of the UK’s top young arts journalists. In 2009, it received more nominations than any other publication for the Allen Wright awards for Fringe journalism, and both the winner and runner up slots for best feature-writing went to Fest writers. After kicking off in July with an A4 preview guide – which combined interviews, features and previews from all the festivals – Fest then publishes two issues per week during August. These A5 glossy issues are available from most of the venues in Edinburgh and are full of reviews, as well as interviews with some of the festival’s most exciting artists, big and small. Not everything goes into the magazine. There’s loads of content online as of now, and in August Fest writers will be blogging extensively from the Books Festival. There will also be exclusive blogs from top Fringe performers, so log onto www.festmag.co.uk for all of the wittiest rants about the Fringe. See you in August. Evan Beswick (Editor, Fest Magazine)
! EE FR
A L Kenn edy
THESE are exciting times for The Skinny at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, as this year we’re not only sponsoring two events but also get to launch a whole strand of late night entertainment – the Unbound events running every night from 9pm in the Spiegeltent. What is Unbound? It’s great, that’s what. A chance to sample all of the different varieties of excellent spoken word nights that Scotland has to offer – DiScomBoBuLaTe, Golden Hour, Irregular, A Night in the Gutter, Writers’ Bloc, and so on – all completely free. But that’s not all, not by a long way. We at The Skinny knew the Spiegeltent to be an excellent venue for wordiness in all its forms with some certainty two years ago when we sponsored Canadian performance poet Shane Koyczan’s event there, and he absolutely stormed it. Though he won’t be here this time (Shane! Shane! Come back Shane!) there are a few contenders aiming to match his crowd pleasing prowess. Christopher Brookmyre’s event with Billy Franks will be hilariously entertaining if previous events of theirs have been anything to go by. A L Kennedy, who does stand up comedy when she’s not writing prize-winning novels, will be there, as will less familiar names like the musician and novelist Simone Felice, or Willy Vlautin, another, erm, musonovelist?
www.festm ag.co.uk INSIDE...
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AUGUST 2010
FESTIVAL
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THE EDINBU RGH FESTIV ALS
THE SKINNY 9
FESTIVAL
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10 THE SKINNY AUGUST 2010
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Ever wondered what comedians would like to be asked? Well, we figured that the best person to answer that would be a comedian. So this year's Fringe coverage sees comics interviewing comics, giving you a double dose of joy into the bargain.
Aidan & Des
Des & Aidan
Des: Do you think family members should divide up their shared experiences between each other for material, or just fall out when they both end up storming with the same anecdotes? Aidan: When family members do comedy I think there is always a chance that they might come up with similar ideas or narratives. But they never should fall out – no matter what! Family comes before comedy... That’s a great idea about dividing up shared experiences...You know that joke you do about mom – well I am using that. Thanks I left home when you were 10 and spent 13 years working hard in Ireland so you would have a place to do warm up shows for Edinburgh. Are you grateful for that? Well that depends on how well I do. If I do well then I will be grateful. If I don’t, then I can blame you. I can blame you for all the hours I spent doing promotions to help build the club up to 5 shows every week – where I could be using that time improving my comedy – or the hours I spent helping renovating your two houses.. The ladies love you. Do you think a show about you and the ladies increases your chances of meeting women during the festival? Definitely not. I think you need to have a good show if you want to increase your chances. I think this year’s show is better, so I am excited. I am bringing extra condoms. Mom or Dad? I will give the same answer mom and dad give when they gets ask who is their favourite son. ‘I love them all the same’. But I know I am their favourite they told me last week. Me or Mike? (our brother) Depends on how well I do in Edinburgh. If I do well, then definitely you and if not, then definitely Mike. There are now at least four Bishops working regularly in British and Irish comedy. Can you stand out amongst these legends? I don’t know – it’s a very elite club. But there is no pressure because I am adopted – that’s what you told me my whole life. Well, John Bishop does look more like you than me. Yes he does. People say that to me all the time. I think, if you look back at our family tree, we do share some ancestors. We’re family! Like I said, family comes before comedy. So when John gets his big Hollywood break, I can play his brother in a movie. Your Dad has lung cancer, your mom had breast cancer and your brother had testicular cancer. Do you feel left out? Yes Des I do! But I am working on it. I’m taking up smoking and going to sun beds. I also have been hanging out at the local nuclear waste dump. I love the smell of toxic waste in the morning!
Aidan: You just did the Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival....You were on a Gala with Pamela Anderson. You’re so lucky what was that like? Des: Well, it’s the first time I have met a woman who I may have once shared experiences with that she was not aware we have shared together. What do you find to be the most annoying thing on the planet? Is it when someone chews too loudly? It’s amazing how loud chewing is person specific in terms of annoyance. The only thing that can top it is the added sound of breathing through the nose while chewing Crunchy Nut cornflakes loudly. Do you find it annoying when your brother asks you a question and then answers it for you? Only when they answer it in the form of another question, but I guess that was from watching so much Jeopardy as kids. Did you find when growing up, your younger brothers did things to annoy you just to wind you up? Well, their birth was the biggest wind up of all. I got all the attention before you guys came. You eat a lot of cereal – what’s your favourite? Probably Coco Pops. But only after a great gig. It’s as close as a recovering alcoholic gets to decadence. When was the last time you cooked yourself dinner?
In the first, Des Bishop questions his wee brother Aidan
hop Des Bis
What Des said back to Aidan
Excluding barbecues, I cannot recall. But I try to balance it out by going to pick up the ordered food rather than get it delivered. Your show is called My Dad Was Nearly James Bond. Do you think we would have existed if he had got the part? I am not an expert at genetics, but I assume that our mother has something to do with the random events that create us specifically. But I would say if we did exist I would be on heroin because you are never going to be anything other than the son of James Bond with no gadgets. You’ve been coming to the Edinburgh Comedy Festival for a few years now, what do you look forward to doing the most when you get there? Sitting outside a cafe on Broughton Street listening to you worrying about reviews. Last year you did a show about intimacy. I saw that show, it was brilliant. It made me think about my own issues with intimacy. So I just want to say I love you. Because I probably won’t be able to say to you in person! I don’t think that is a question. I look forward to hanging out in August. That’s very Eminem of you, dog. AIDAN BISHOP - ADAPTABLE, GILDED BALLOON TEVIOT, 10.15PM 4-29 AUG (NOT 16) DES BISHOP - MY DAD WAS NEARLY JAMES BOND, ASSEMBLY@GEORGE STREET, 8.05PM, 5-29 AUG (NOT 16,23)
Aidan Bishop
AUGUST 2010
THE SKINNY 11
FESTIVAL
Comedian's Eye View
FESTIVAL
Sarah & Siân Sarah Millican tells Siân Bevan about the fickle finger of fame Siân: So I’m guessing you’re excited about the Festival? Sarah: Oh yeah, really, really excited, can’t wait. And you’ve sold out I’m just astonished by my ticket sales. It’s so rare to go to Edinburgh knowing if anybody’s going to come. Anybody. Literally anybody. You go up there and there might be four people in one day, the next day there might be none. So the fact that I’ve sold out the whole run is ridiculous. And also puts more pressure on to make sure that my show’s really good because there’s actually going to be people to see it. I just love it. As a comic who does it regularly, your whole year revolves around Edinburgh so as soon as it’s done, I drive back, have a couple of days off and then I start writing the next one. I just love being up there, I love turning a corner and there’s someone you know. Like, most of my friends are up there. How good is it, when you want to have a cup of tea with that person, instead of saying well I’m in London in a fortnight, just saying ‘Are you free for lunch today?’ Excellent. What made you choose The Stand this year? I’ve always loved The Stand as a venue, and it just feels like a family. The fact that they keep the staff so long is such a testament to how good an employer they are. I’ve been to The Stand since I started, just doing five spots and so on, and they’ve always treated me well. They’re very good at progressing comics. If you do well then they’ll offer you ten minutes next time where other promoters just aren’t like that. And they’re very pro-women in an amazingly nonpatronising way; where some do it to tick boxes, they do it because they like having women on the bill. Nobody I’ve spoken to, who’s been at The Stand over the years, ever has anything bad to say which is so rare. The other good thing about The Stand is that you’re treated as if you’re valuable, but also as if you’re an employee so you get paid, rather than paying for the privilege of using a venue. And then maybe getting your money five, six months later... ...and then not all the money you put in. The fact that I should break even, and might even make some money, well you think I’m working, so I should. It’s not about the money, but it’s quite nice to have taken myself out of that, even if it’s just for a year or two. I’m really flattered that The Stand thought I was good enough to be in that room because, to me, it’s quite prestigious. I’m just really looking forward to it. [Stand I is] pretty much the only room in the Festival that’s used for comedy, all year round, nearly every night. And, also, this is going to sound really pathetic, but there’s a toilet backstage. It really matters to me that there’s a toilet backstage. How many times have you had to queue with your audience to have a wee before your show? And if the queue’s a bit long that you start worrying that you’ll be late for your own show.
12 THE SKINNY AUGUST 2010
And there’s nothing worse than the audience knowing what the sound of your wee is like. Aww...the sound of your wee. That could be next year’s show? Hmm... that was a long one. It sounded strong. I mean, it’s not the main thing, the toilet, but it’s definitely in the top five. I can have a wee whenever I like. I could even have a little pump at the same time and no-one would know. None of the audience would be any the wiser that I’d had a little pump when I had a wee. This year (I think in school years, with The Fringe as the main summer holiday that everyone looks forward to) has been pretty amazing for you. Are you feeling more confident coming up to The Fringe this year? I think I’m more confident generally but you have to keep that in check so you don’t become a dick. I’ll tell you if you do. Yeah, please do. It’s round the corner. I’m round the corner from becoming a dick and I keep poking my head round and saying: I don’t wanna go there, don’t wanna go there! So I have got people – you can be one if you like – who are ready to say: yeah, we need to have a word. So I hope I’m not a dick, but clearly the ticket sales have given me confidence. But then, the ticket sales come from telly performances so it’s sort of indirectly given me confidence. It’s all been a bit hard to take in, because it has been a fairly ridiculous year. I am really aware that all this could go, and I’ll be back in the call centre. But I’ve got the perfect voice for a call centre. You have got a lovely call centre voice I could get a job in a call centre like that. I’d be straight in with BT, or Orange and they’re all based in the north-east so I could move back in with my Mam and Dad... ...it’d be like it all never happened. You do have to be aware that you might be flavour of the month, but that a new flavour could come along. So I think it’s all about making sure I’m good at things and making sure I get better at things. And I think that’s how you get longevity in the industry. So is that your ambition? Longevity? God, yeah. To still be doing this in thirty years’ time, that’s all I want, just to be constantly getting better. I just want to be constantly improving. I want to be able to play the Albert Hall and nail that, but then be able to nail a gig that’s got four people in a pub who haven’t paid to be there, and there’s snooker and slot machines in the background...you want to make those four people wee themselves as much as the people in the Albert Hall, you know? Just to be able to turn your hand to any room and make it work. I think I’m a long way off, I think most comics are a long way off, there’s only a handful that can do it. But that’s the ultimate aim.
So apart from longevity, what else would you like to achieve? The radio series has got another run and the gigs are selling out – is there a point where you’d have ticked all the boxes...? ...and give up and open a launderette Or you could go into Hollywood? They wouldn’t understand a word I said. They’d be saying: she’s lovely, but is she foreign? Actually one of my main aims – and I don’t know if you’re aware of this? – is to have a Nando’s for Life card. As a vegetarian, I’m not a huge Nando’s fan... Oh, no no. A few high profile comedians have got a Nando’s for Life card. You can have free Nando’s whenever you like, up to five people each time. Bloody hell. Exactly. And apparently it’s black and quite slick. And I love the idea of having a Nando’s card. It’s sad that should be my ultimate aim, well my next aim. Comedically, I’m doing my first tour and I want that to be a success because if that goes well there’s a chance I might be able to do another tour. It starts at the end of September and runs to December. I’m a bit worried that I won’t be with other comics, and there won’t be anyone to say ‘ooh, that was hard’ to. I was thinking of persuading the sound tech in each venue that I go to to say: ‘Well, I think you’re funny.’ Maybe if I give them a Twix? Totally. And they should say things like: ‘That was a weird audience tonight. Yeah, or: ‘I don’t care what anyone says, I like you’. Although it could go wrong, if I come off thinking I did really well and they say: ‘Well I think you’re funny.’ I’ll be thinking how this has totally backfired. I’ll see – I’ll let you know how the Twix thing goes. You just always want to do good things so you get the option of doing other things. I could easily coast it now, and do the same material, but I don’t want to, because I love writing new jokes and I love it when a new joke works. You don’t want to ever go off the boil, so that people know if they ask you to do something, you’ll do a good job. Well, that and the Nando’s card. SARAH MILLICAN: CHATTERBOX, THE STAND 4-29 AUG (NOT 16,17) AT 8.20PM. MAIN RUN SOLD OUT, EXTRA PERFORMANCE AT ASSEMBLY@GEORGE STREET, 24 AUG AT 11.15PM SEE SIÂN AT VARIOUS GIGS AROUND TOWN, INCLUDING AS MME MYFANWY AT PERFORMANCES OF KABARETT: ALTERNATIVE VARIETY, THE VOODOO ROOMS WWW.SARAHMILLICAN.CO.UK
ican Sarah Mill
Siân
Bevan
Adam, Dylan & Simon The Brothers Streep (aka Dylan and Simon) from South Africa talk to Aussie Adam Vincent Dylan: I’ve been watching a lot of Summer Heights High. Did you also think Ja’mie was hot until you found out she was played by the actor Chris Lilley? Adam: I still do Dylan... I still do... and that just shows you what a great actor Chris Lilley is. Simon: I watched Australia play Germany in the FIFA World Cup here in South Africa. Your team fell over a lot. Do you fall over a lot? All the time. In fact, when I can afford it I’d like to hire my own referee just to follow me around and give me free kicks... Like the other day at the supermarket I fell over a pyramid of tinned pineapple, very embarrassing, but had I gone on to slot a ball down aisle nine – instant hero. D: Adam Vincent, are you related to my family doctor, Doctor Vincent? Yes I am and he’s one of your biggest supporters. It would be easy to think of him as just your doctor but next time the curtains are drawn and he’s examining you, know that he’s quite the fan. S: This is our first show out of South Africa, have you played out of Australia before? New Zealand doesn’t count. Yes I’ve played in the UK and America. It sounds great but the reality is I cried a lot and spent too much money. S: A lot of your publicity shots have you standing with a fish on a stick. What would you do if the fish decides to pursue a solo career? Yeah I get this one a lot. Look Graham and I have an understanding. He’s a dead fish and I drive a car, there will be no solo career...the end.
Adam Vi ncent
D: That guy from Avatar is from Australia. I saw Avatar in 3D. Will your show be in 3D? Actually due to the high cost of doing a show in Edinburgh my show will only be coming to audiences in 2D this year. No removing the fourth wall I’m afraid... S: What is your show going to be called, and what can we expect? Will there be a didgeridoo involved? My show is called Vital Signs, no didgeridoos but I often pop out some mouth trumpet. I can’t help it, when it feels right it feels right. Expect? The Unexpected! Really, not many people seem to know what’s going to happen next. D: Do you find Australian comic sensibilities to be similar to those of the British? Yes, but different techniques. Often Australian acts sound like chainsaws, full of bluff and banter – you’re forced to laugh. British acts... you’re forced to laugh but for different reasons. You know if you don’t laugh they might hide in a cupboard for a while and nobody wants that. S: What acts are you looking the most forward to seeing in Edinburgh? Brendon Burns’ show looks interesting, Kitson, and I’m really looking forward to that unknown act who hands me an intriguing flyer... and The Brothers Streep. S: Neighbours or Home & Away? Neighbours. Home & Away makes me feel like a sexual deviant... All those adult actresses in school uniforms. It’s unjust. They are adults right? D: Or Prisoner Cell Block H? Prisoner all the way. I like my prison bitches hardnosed.
Dylan
Simon
THE BROTHERS STREEP, GILDED BALLOON TEVIOT, 6.15PM, 6-29 AUG (NOT 16) ADAM VINCENT: VITAL SIGNS, 6.45PM, ASSEMBLY@ ASSEMBLY HALL, 5-29 AUG (NOT 16) WWW. MYSPACE.COM/ADAMSCOTTVINCENT READ ADAM’S QUESTIONS FOR THE BROTHERS ONLINE AT WWW.THESKINNY.CO.UK WWW.BROTHERSSTREEP.COM
Arj Baker
Keir Mc Alliste r
Arj & Keir
Arj Barker talks to Keir McAllister about Edinburgh, Chicago and Scandinivia Keir: It’s been a while since you’ve been here – are you looking forward to coming back to Edinburgh? Arj: I’m really looking forward to it and it will be a totally different experience for me this time. I’m a lot more relaxed now, and there’s not the same pressure. This show is the strongest hour I’ve ever performed but because I haven’t gigged extensively in the UK for a while, I have the added luxury of drawing on two or three years of material. I was reading an interview you did a while ago and you described your comedy as ‘character based observationalism with a hint of surrealism and a healthy dose of idiocy...’ I must have been on a roll that day... I just try to be funny. Most people in the UK will probably recognise you from Flight of the Conchords, though you’re more well-known as a stand-up elsewhere in the world, is that a frustration for you? No not at all – part of the reason I decided to come back to Edinburgh this year was because of that show. My name was out there a little bit and I thought this would be a good time to come back to the UK and re-assert myself on the comedy scene. I supported the Conchords on tour this year at the O2 Arena and the Apollo and then we went to Scandinavia. On the back of that I’m doing solo tours. Everywhere you go, people love that show and the response to me has only been good. I’m really grateful to those guys for having me on it. How does doing stand-up in the likes of Scandinavia compare to doing stand-up in the UK and other parts of the world? I’d like to think most of my comedy is quite universal but I always try and tailor some of the show for the people I’m performing to. Audiences want to know that you’ve put some thought into it and aren’t just regurgitating the same shit you said the week before in Chicago. You tackle some big topics in your show – how important is it to you that your comedy carries a message? I’m not out to shock people – surprise maybe, but not shock. I’m not about being offensive and the more contentious stuff I do – the joke is always on me. Inevitably there are times when there’s a message behind what I’m saying but there’s no theme – you don’t find out who my real dad is, at the end or anything – it’s just gags. What are you looking forward to most coming back to Fringe and is there anyone you would recommend to see? Lots of my friends are doing shows so I wouldn’t know where to start. I always go to Late and Live and the Phat Caves. I’ll definitely be checking them out. I’ve also taken up jogging recently – Edinburgh is such a beautiful city to go around, I’ll be that annoying enthusiastic American guy you bump into out jogging the streets. ARJ BARKER - LET ME DO THE TALKING, ASSEMBLY @ GEORGE STREET, 9.20PM 5-29 AUG (NOT 16). SEE KEIR GIGGING ALL AROUND TOWN WWW.ARJBARKER.COM
AUGUST 2010
THE SKINNY 13
2010
Teatro Cinema
An ingenious fusion of cinema and theatre. Sin Sangre (Without Blood) Saturday 28 & Monday 30 August, Wednesday 1 & Friday 3 September 8.00pm King’s Theatre
The Man Who Fed Butterflies Sunday 29 August, Thursday 2 & Saturday 4 September 8.00pm, Saturday 4 September 2.00pm King’s Theatre
eif.co.uk 0131 473 2000
Performed in Spanish with English supertitles.
‘IN’ members – HALF PRICE. Join ‘IN’ at eif.co.uk/INsider
Sponsored by
Edinburgh International Festival Society is Scottish Charity (No SC004694) and is registered in Scotland (SC0247660) at The Hub, Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NE.
14 THE SKINNY August 2010
Zoo
FESTIVAL
VENUE OF THE MONTH
How does a venue stand out when every corner houses three new art spaces? This Zoo is about more than performing monkeys
Text Gareth K Vile ONE of the biggest challenges in The Fringe is cutting through the star reviews, PR superlatives and laconic programme blurbs to discover work that is both exciting and original. The Skinny’s media partnership with Zoo is an expression of ongoing respect for the venue’s imaginative vision and continued evolution. Since the departure of Aurora Nova, and alongside the careful curation at Dance Base, Zoo has established itself as a home for contemporary, vibrant performance. James Mackenzie, Zoo Venues director, has been careful to cultivate a distinctive identity over the past three years: “We started out with a clear idea that dance, physical theatre and new writing will be given priority,” he explains. Certainly, the Zoo programme has avoided the traditional problems of Fringe venues – either being over-powered by comedians hoping for a big break or losing any identity beneath a flood of diverse productions. Regular favourites Scottish Dance Theatre and After Dark, of Zombie Apocalypse notoriety, are joined by internationally acclaimed choreographers Liv Lorent and Collete Sadler, while Scottish talent – more usually swamped by the August influx – is given a special place. “It’s really important to us that the Fringe doesn’t feel like a group of English theatres and companies taking over Scotland,” MacKenzie affirms. “Making sure Scottish acts feature in our programme is vital, especially when we can bring in a company like SDT as a flagship of both Scottish performance and our dance bill.” Aside from Sadler and SDT, Scotland is represented by Bette/Cavett, a Grant Smeaton show premiered at Glasgay! last year, and part of the Made in Scotland promotional push. Bette/Cavett is a fine example of a Zoo work: taking a classic moment of American TV history, it poses questions about identity and fame in a recognisable format.
The alliance with the revitalised Roxy has added a third Zoo venue, although this is more than just empire building. “Having Zoo Roxy this year means we now have a greater range of spaces,” MacKenzie explains. “We’ve been conscious that while dance is at the forefront of what we do, we want to welcome the whole breadth of the Fringe – and if people see us as a purely dance venue, we’re in danger of losing that. “We’re welcoming genres that we’ve barely had room for at all in the past,” he continues. “More musicals, burlesque cabaret and more experimental theatre in the Roxy’s late night programme. As well as spreading the dance programme across all three venues, we’ve added a greater range of physical theatre and drama – things like Maria de Buenos Aires which is heavily operatic as well as physical theatre and tango based or Theatre Delicatessen’s Pedal Pusher – which is a good example of physical theatre with the strong narrative of traditional theatre.” Expanding without losing sight of the intimacy and attention to detail that has fueled their success, Zoo have a reputation as the home of the more experimental and challenging works. Shows like Sex Idiot slip between confessional, cabaret and stand up, while Ballet Lorent tackle the impact of child care on a couple’s relationship. Lorent notes that she has always enjoyed the atmosphere, through her work with SDT, and identifies the key quality that lifts Zoo above many venues: a dedication to the works they present, and a love and care that runs through their programming. 140 THE PLEASANCE, EDINBURGH EH8 9RR; ZOO ROXY AT 2 ROXBURGH PLACE, EDINBURGH EH8 9SU; ZOO SOUTHSIDE AT 117 NICOLSON STREET, EDINBURGH, EH8 9ER WWW.ZOOFESTIVAL.CO.UK
AUGUST 2010
THE SKINNY 15
festival
Naked Ambition
In the past year, Julie Laidlaw's Blonde Ambition has become one of the most important - and adventurous - companies in cabaret
Text Gareth K Vile An alliance with Des O’Connor, who brought his musical theatre flair, and events that push vaudeville into polished, themed narratives, saw Edinburgh’s Blonde Ambition conquer the European scene and London’s up-market venues. Blonde Ambition always supported quality performers, moving away from the community orientated burlesque and matching acts from across Variety. Laidlaw’s skilled programming championed gentleman b-boy Mr B, cabaret whore Sarah Louise Young, and supported Chris Wilson and Gypsy Charms in their experimental Mating Ritual. The ubiquitous Mr O’Connor – a host equally at home in Torture Garden or at Glastonbury – allowed Blonde Ambition to reach beyond tired line-ups and predictable routines. “Of course, it’s all about me,” points out O’Connor. After last year’s Desmorphia, he has teamed up with Mr B and Young for Me, Me, Me, a three way of rampant egotism that emerged naturally from the artists’ previous collaborations. The team-up came about when the artists recognised their kindred vision – of highly versatile,
FELINE INTIMATE
Vive Le Cabaret The Ghillie Dhu 4–30 Aug , 9:45pm - 10:45pm £12 Me! Me! Me! The Ghillie Dhu 4 – 26 Aug (not 9or 16 Aug) 1.30pm - 2.45pm £10/£8
previews Wandering at the Fringes
‘Drags cabaret kicking and screaming into the 21st century’ Time OuT New YOrk ‘She is Sensational HHHHH‘ The Times
pm 8 T S ugu
5 - 29 A Image BY KaRL gIaNT
skillful and witty cabaret – could be consolidated into an hour of duets, trios and solos: O’Connor the multi-instrumentalist, Mr B the good man of hip-hop and Young the ironic, tortured, sensual singer create an alternative power trio. Blonde Ambition’s variety show, Vive Le Cabaret!, is the flagship of the Ghillie Dhu’s programme. Picking up on last year’s BA run at the Voodoo Rooms, it promises the stylish finesse that characterises the best of burlesque and vaudeville, making the most of the Dhu’s elegant surrounds and proving that The Pleasance is engaging with cabaret’s cutting edge and sophistication. With both a rotating cast – and a core that has included the Kitsch Kats, Gypsy Charms and Viva Misadventure – Vive Le Cabaret! bridges local and international talent, and showcases the post revival revolution towards quality and diversity.
www.meowmeowrevolution.com
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www.akaaustralia.com.au
Although physical theatre is a vague category that usually eschews tradition and slips between genres, Theatre Ad Infinitum’s Odyssey takes a strict story-telling approach to a classic tale, and works from a defined heritage. Its success at 2009’s Fringe is doubtless due to the all-ages energy of George Mann’s performance, and the inspiration of Jacques Lecoq. Originally a physical educator, Lecoq moved into performance and sought a new ways of engaging the body, away from cliches of mime towards a dynamic fusion of movement and words. Nir Paldi’s direction uses Lecoq techniques to conjure a Homeric universe of “magic, characters, spaces, colours, and whole islands.” Although this solo show harks back to the oral origins of The Odyssey, it is contemporary in its presentation. The arrival of divine forces, the unruly sea that traps Odysseus, the sensual reunion of hero and wife are all expressed through the body. Mann fills the stage with gods, monsters and, most memorably, vicious suitors. Without shying away from the adventure’s brutality, this Odyssey revitalises an over-familiar myth, simultaneously showcasing Lecoq style and capturing the romance and horror of the epic narrative. [Phil Gatt] The Odyssey Pleasance Dome 10, 2.50pm, 4-30 AUG (except 17/24), The Big Smoke Pleasance Jack Dome, 2.20 4-30 Aug (except 17/24) www.theatreadinfinitum.co.uk
Odyssey
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E T H
E M CO Text Gareth K Vile & Amanda Grimm
Jonathan Mills, artistic director of the International Festival, has promised “a programme so hot, you’ll need suncream.” Hyperbole aside, Mills’ programme demonstrates his strength and imagination as a curator, as he moves the summer’s most formal festivities in a contemporary and energetic direction. Mills keeps one foot in the traditional camp, but has an eye for the new wave of artists that continue to push within their media. His real skill, however, is in the cunning themes that run through the production. Across the board, ideas about national identity, the slippages between Old and New Worlds, and the relationship between the local and the universal engender a programme that includes new work from under-exposed countries to be juxtaposed with the greats. If The Gospel at Colonus works with traditional genres – Greek tragedy and African American spirituals – its fusion of drama and song has made this one of the great successes of the late twentieth century. Next to this, the Chilean hybrid of film and play from Teatro Cinema is signposted as a future classic. For contemporary ballet, catch Alonzo King Lines Ballet’s UK debut. This San Francisco-based company excels under the direction of visionary choreographer Alonzo King, recipient of the Jacob’s Pillow Creativity Award for “moving ballet in a very 21st-century direction.” The company performs only works by King, which, although firmly rooted in classical technique, are characterised by innovative contemporary movement.
Rasa is a collaboration between King and Grammywinning tabla master Zakir Hussain. The dancers’ movements reflect and react to the complex rhythmic systems of the tabla (the main form of percussion within the Hindustani music of North India), as Hussain performs live on stage, along with singer and violinist Kala Ramnath. This exciting, fast-paced piece is nicely complemented by the other half of the programme, DUST and LIGHT. Set to Corelli’s beautiful, soaring baroque music and Poulenc’s ethereal choral odes, it features innovative, tender partnering and choreography that “brings out the emotional intimacy of dance.” The cross-over between local and international issues is seen nowhere so clearly as in Lemi Ponifasio’s contemporary dance. Despite drawing on Samoan culture, he claims that “In Tempest I am talking about the condition of our world that we all live in.” His ambitions as a choreographer extend far beyond mere elegance of line. “It is about finding our common genealogy: the condition of the human, politics, freedom, democracy and the society we find ourselves in, especially post 9/11.” Adding in the Kronos Quartet – still revolutionary in their approach to the string quartet – the legendary Pina Bausch and a return from the genre-twisting Wooster Group connects 2010 both to previous EIFs and the most radical large scale companies in the world today. Despite a reputation for being the most staid of Edinburgh’s happenings, the EIF is making a claim to be the most dynamic. At the very least, the companies are all polished and professional, while Mills’ selection boasts artists who are not willing to let becoming part of an establishment draw their creative fire.
Getting INto The Spirit Of The Festival A partnership between the Edinburgh International Festival and The Skinny, IN explores new ways to engage with the Festival, removing it from the confines of the theatre and reaching out to the next generation of music, dance and theatre enthusiasts. Throughout August, members of IN can attend a series of unique events: exclusive access to rehearsals; the chance to mingle with the stars and bargain price tickets for Pina Bausch’s groundbreaking contemporary dance; drinks receptions with the company and artists of Alonzo King Lines Ballet (Thurs 26 Aug); and free tickets to
The National Theatre of Scotland’s flagship show Caledonia (20 August). An open rehearsal of The Sun Also Rises (13 August) will reveal how Elevator Repair Service prepare their celebrated shows, while the drinks receptions and parties are a chance to socialise with fellow enthusiasts. Other exclusive events include pre-party drinks at Local Takeover, The Skinny’s festival party in Princes Street Gardens on 11 August, and a reception with Teatro Cinema on 1 September before ending the Festival on 9 September with a party at Hotel Missoni where future events will be revealed. [Gareth K Vile]
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Susan Morrison Magnus BetnEr Simon Munnery Stephen Carlin Susan Murray Bridget Christie Phil Nichol Jo Caulfield Andi Osho Alun Cochrane Paul Sinha Jason Cook DAG SØRÅS Bruce Devlin James Dowdeswell Tiffany Stevenson Nick Sun Kevin Eldon Michael Fabbri Jojo Sutherland Stewart Lee Addy van der Borgh Cary Marx Ava Vidal Vladimir McTavish Mike Wozniak Sarah Millican Andy Zaltzman John Moloney and many more
6-30 AUGUST 2010 August 2010
THE SKINNY 17
FESTIVAL
Shimmy Once, Then Do It Again
PREVIEW
Dance Dance Dance No longer a Cinderella art, dance is ready to steal back the Fringe from the comedy boys
The Skinny proudly announces the return of the Fringe's only dedicated dance magazine Text Gareth K Vile
INNY THESHIMMYSK
WHEN The Shimmy was launched at Fringe 2009, a collaboration between Dance Base and The Skinny, it rapidly became an advocate for dance and physical theatre, while exploring new forms of criticism. Combining features, reviews and opinionated editorial, it covered Dance Base’s programme and the broader currents of physical performance across the Festivals. After last year’s success, The Shimmy is extending its remit, to cover more shows and to include eclectic cabaret. Reaching out to other venues and performers, The Shimmy gives a platform to new ideas and new writers. During August, The Shimmy will be published three times a week, with a thousand copies per day distributed around Edinburgh. With around 150 shows to cover, it caters to dance fans and those who are interested but uncertain about what dance offers. The emphasis is on new and radical work: the exciting arrival of Liv Lorent’s company, the T GUIDE PENDEN THE INDE THE FESTIVAL TO DANCE AT batch of Irish work arriving at Dance Base, the Festival bookings of Pina Bausch’s company and Alonzo King, Scottish Dance Theatre, the diversity hidden within C venues, circus like No Fit State and the cabaret of Kitty Cointreau’s Brahaha, Blonde Ambition E DLIN THIS IS A HEASTORY ABOUT THIS and the wonderful Kabarett from Itsy’s Collective. WWW.THESKINNY.CO.UK
FREE | DAILY
| WEDNESDAY 12
AUGUST
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Text Gareth K Vile
Liv Lorent
The Shimmy is part of the ongoing dialogue about dance’s present and potential, a place for lively debate, radical ideas and cross-platform energy. Even Live Art’s curmudgeon Ian Smith was moved to remark that The Shimmy gave him a vital insight into August’s cavalcade: high praise from a man who regards the Fringe as a cesspit of carnality.
WWW.THESKINNY.CO.UK
AFTER a rogue stand-up comedian mocked my infatuation for a burlesque dancer at last year’s Fringe, I have determined to avenge the insult by advocating dance, physical theatre and cabaret as the natural beating heart of the Festivals. Fortunately, swathes of exciting programming, from Colette Sadler’s cerebral Musical at Zoo, through The Booking Dance Festival at the Conference Centre, to the entire programme at Dance Base has offered me the perfect weapon to fight the tyranny of comedy. Although dance is only one of the strands this August, it is increasingly vibrant. Both classical dance, such as the Cape Dance Company or the Bharatanatyam style of Sulochana K. Sarma at The Merchant’s Hall, and the
contemporary are represented, allowing the neophyte dance enthusiast to get a taste of multiple forms. The arrival of Liv Lorent, at the same venue as Scottish Dance Theatre to boot, is a treat for the contemporary fan, while the International Festival boasts Lemi Ponifasio from New Zealand, Alonzo King (US) and the legendary Pina Bausch company. The inclusion of cabaret within The Shimmy’s remit is a deliberate attempt to impress burlesque performers and to recognise a segment of the Fringe that is consistently growing. Highlights here will include Itsy’s Kabarett, Mikeangelo’s late night show at the Assembly and the Brahaha at Zoo. New venue on the block, The Roxy, is promising the more angular Cabaret Chekov, as well as threatening to turn its bar into a non-stop celebration of the micronation of Samedia.
PRESENTS
“like no other circus you’ve ever seen” The Times
Venue 155 The Big Top, Shrub Place, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH7 4PB Dates 4
– 30 Aug Tickets £12 – £18 Concessions & Family Price Available
Tickets from
nofitstate.org 0844 245 6666 * nofitstate winners for previous show ImMortal
18 THE SKINNY AUGUST 2010
FESTIVAL
Local Takeover
How the locals party all year round
Hostage [Nightshifters]
Anarkid [Axis] Bargain Harold & i-Tallah Disco
[Sick Note/This Is Music] Ambient amusements from Gamma Ray’s Freaky Brides and ECA Performance Costume
Wednesday 11th August Assembly @ Princes St Gardens 11.30pm - 3am, £7+bf / £9 on the door Tickets: www.assemblyfestival.com
AUGUST 2010
THE SKINNY 19
festival
City of Dead
As the festival gets into full swing the living dead take to the streets in a prefiguration of our dark future
Text Andrew Cattanach We live in neomedieval times. That’s to say that much of our contemporary condition has more than a passing resemblance to the Middle Ages, with its plagues, financial crises and globalisation. Yes, globalisation. According to the academic, artist and member of the art collective Confraternity of Neoflagallants, Neil Mulholland, the medieval period had a fully globalised economy. What is more, like our economy, the arse fell out of theirs too. To fully appreciate the extent of what Mulholland is suggesting it may help to ignore him a little. His chat is like a dense and sprawling medieval city. Like intricate, gothic tracery, he weaves a complex tapestry of ideas and cultural references that includes both Marx and The Mighty Boosh. And likewise, he doesn’t shy away from blatant incongruity, using his iPhone to prove that we live in dark ages. “We are lay peoples dedicated to the ascetic application, dissemination and treatment of neomedievalism in contemporary culture,” he explains of the Confraternity, which includes founding member Norman James Hogg. This is not a romanticising of pre-capitalist society like the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood did over a century ago, Mulholland emphasises, but a way of deciphering the future – what they call premodern futurity. “Neomedievalism embraces the spectral traces of its historical past as part of an ever-morphing, force-feedback simulation of coming events,” he tells me, like a latter day soothsayer. The Confraternity’s most recent show, Avalon, at Embassy Gallery, Edinburgh, was in many ways a kind of manifesto proclaiming that contemporary life is once more imbued with the concerns that once preyed on the lowly serf and included work by Confraternity members Torsten Lauschmann and Alex Pollard. It displayed an eclecticism that reflected the diversity of the Middle Ages, with all its regional and ecclesiastical nuances. We’re confronted by a peculiar, ritualistic performance by the collaborative duo Plastique
20 THE SKINNY August 2010
Fantastique and a mesmerising dramatisation of a chat room debate, or what is known as a flame war, about online gaming by the game art pioneer Eddo Stern. As part of the Edinburgh Art Festival, the Confraternity has been commissioned to stage a ‘zombie walk’, called An Unco Site, dedicated to Edinburgh’s ‘ghosts’. The ‘ghosts’, or ‘living dead’, in this case being all those who wear historical costumes to work, including street performers in historical garb and bagpipers kitted out in retro regalia. Beginning at the Scott Monument on Princes Street, the Confraternity looks to gather a crowd of all these lost souls – nomadic performers who have found themselves drawn to the city during festival time – to parade through the streets of Edinburgh in a homage to our advanced stage of crisis. Setting off from the Scott Monument at 11pm on Saturday 7 August, the parade will wind its way through the city centre toward the old town, eventually arriving at an undisclosed venue where a reception will be held for the participants. The Confraternity encourages all those who wear historical attire for work to get involved, providing a social setting for the solitary performers to meet. The rest of us can choose to watch the parade go by or follow its progress into the depths of the ‘zombie city’. Central to the parade is the city itself. With its origins in medieval times, new building developments around the docks and the Quartermile have seen the city transformed. A building boom followed by a swift depression has left brand new buildings unoccupied, again drawing comparisons with the undead. Both a camp celebration of the city’s nomadic labour force and a kind of ominous prescience of a bleak future, An Unco Site looks to be a darkly pleasurable affair.
An Unco Site will begin at Scott Monument at 11pm on 7 Aug lightmotiv.org.uk
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MAGAZINE 10 @ Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop
Martin Creed @ The Fruitmarket Gallery
1 Aug - 5 Sep
30 jul - 31 oct
For many people, visiting Edinburgh during festival season is all about bagpipes, dodgy plays, experimental dance, and literally thousands of flyers extolling the hilarity of the next big comic genius. Planning your festival experience is key, and getting off the beaten track might just uncover a few hidden gems. But remember, for every hidden nugget there are half a dozen living statues wrapped in tin-foil cluttering up the High Street. Nestled in sunny Newhaven, the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop has built its reputation on encouraging and nurturing new artistic talent. If you want a break from the blockbuster summer shows – Turner Prize winners, Impressionist gardens, Dali and Magritte – and you want to see some brand spanking new work from bright young sculptors, then Newhaven is the place to be. Their programme for August, entitled MAGAZINE 10, showcases the specially commissioned talents of Katie Orton, Paul Rooney and Kate V. Robertson. Opening the show on 1 August is Katie Orton. Trained at Edinburgh College of Art, her work is patronised by the likes of Charles Saatchi – worth a look surely? Mixing materials like cardboard and lino, Orton attempts to sniff out the importance and symbolism lurking within everyday objects. Next up is another ECA survivor, Paul Rooney. Running from the 14th to the 22nd, this installation incorporates Rooney’s interest in storytelling and narrative, featuring a felled tree and projected text
Martin Creed has a penchant for order. He likes to stack things according to their size, for instance. A stack of chairs, one on top of the other, might not look like much to me or you but we can only imagine what degrees of bliss it might lift someone of Creed’s sensibility. And it’s this very seeming insignificance that is central to Creed’s charm; that all his works are of muted consequence is fundamental to its import. Essentially, with Creed’s work, what you see is what you get. Whether you can come to enjoy this is a different matter. His famous Turner Prize winning piece, Work No. 227, was a light going on and off, and saw people declaring the end of the sensible world. This was an exaggeration, of course, but it changed art as we once knew it, nonetheless. There was a poetic charm to Work No. 227; dry, systematic and austere, but poetic all the same. With his new show at The Fruitmarket Gallery, we’ll see recent and newly commissioned works that will address Creed’s interest in ordering everyday objects. A row of different sized planks of wood will either make you cry with frustration or weep with a profound sense of pathos inherent in the inanimate world; a column of different sized brush strokes of pink paint might just make you storm out the gallery in a rage, or see you discreetly stacking the coins in your pocket accordingly. Let’s not forget Creed’s overt playfulness. As a new commission he’ll turn The Fruitmarket staircase into
that describes the tree’s frustrated musings on life, time and consequence. Finally, the show closes with Kate V. Robertson. Intriguingly described as a ‘fountain-esque sculpture of ink, paper, cement and bricks’, Robertson’s installation randomly comes to life with explosions of ink. MAGAZINE 10 is shaping up to be a possible festival highlight. Along with the the tin-foil statues, that is. [Benjamin Bennett] Mon-Sat 12-5pm www.edinburghsculpture.org
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a synthesizer, each step sounding a different note when stepped upon. Martin Creed is without question one of the most important artists of the last decade. Go and see this show. Even if it will get on your nerves. [Andrew Cattanach] Open Mon – Sat 11am–6pm Sun 12–5pm www.fruitmarket.co.uk
preview Staged @ the City Observatory 30 jul - 15 aug
A terribly important writer once declared that “all the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” I think it is fair to say that old Wullie would have thoroughly enjoyed stalking the back streets of Edinburgh and cavorting with the wonderful assortment of unmentionables that fill our delightful capital every August. A couple of artists, described by the Edinburgh Art Festival as the ‘rising stars of Scottish visual arts’ have seemingly taken these words to heart in the planning of their 2010 Festival commission, Staged. Fresh from various high profile international commissions, Kim Coleman and Jenny Hogarth intend to bring a touch of the dramatic to this year’s artistic offerings. Between 30 July and 15 August the City Observatory on Calton Hill will play host to a video installation that combines live CCTV images and pre-recorded footage. Intriguingly described as ‘a digital camera obscura’, the installation will draw on the artists’ interest in the complex relationship between reality and fiction. And where else might one find a more inspirational location for this topic than Edinburgh during festival season? Coleman and Hogarth both studied at Edinburgh
Shapes and Things @ Sierra Metro 1 Aug - 12 Sep
Set in a disused testing facility in far off Granton, Edinburgh, Sierra Metro is a not-for-profit, committee-run gallery of growing renown. It offers its generous space to emerging artists to facilitate experimentation and develop ambitious, large-scale works. As part of this year’s Edinburgh Art Festival the gallery has invited two London based artists to exhibit new work under the title Shapes and Things. Here the artists, Gemma Holt and Richard Healy, will continue their ongoing dialogue about the language of design and its ancillary systems and codes, each showing new, independent work. Taking as a starting point a chapter from the art historian E H Gombrich’s book The Sense of Order: A Study in the Psychology of Decorative Art, Holt and Healy will explore the methods inherent in their practices and will include installation, drawings and textile prints. Gemma Holt’s practice spans both fine art and design, often manipulating mass produced
College of Art and their previous performances and video installations, such as An Infusion of the Evening Air, are playful explorations of contrasts between light and dark, artificiality and repetition. The producers of the exhibition, the Collective Gallery, promise an equally dynamic and spontaneous contribution to the EAF’s programme. So the stage is set and players are gathering for Coleman and Hogarth’s investigation into art’s enduring fascination with the relationship between place, environment and humanity. You never know, you might become a star of CCTV yourself. [Benjamin Bennett] City Observatory on Calton Hill www.collectivegallery.net
preview objects, such as Bic biros, in a way that investigates our current state of modernity and the ubiquity of design products in our day to day lives. She has even designed her own brand of paper in opposition to the universal A4 and named it G5, playing with our notions of the everyday. Richard Healy’s work explores modernist design and architecture, often simplified and condensed into basic, graphic forms. Using drawing, printmaking and video installation, Healy’s wide-reaching practice references design history and the ever prevailing link between design and technology. Shapes and Things promises to be both playful and probing in equal measure. Anticipate cool minimalism with a touch of flippancy and humour. Expect to have the way you see things drastically changed. [Jonathan Williams]
Open Thurs-Sun 12-6pm www.sierrametro.com
Markus Thorsen @ Edinburgh Music Library 7 Aug - 31 Aug
Regular readers may be familiar with the photographs of Markus Thorsen. He’s worked for The Skinny for a while now, and if you’re into gig photography or saw our cover last month, chances are you’ve seen his work. This month he’s got an exhibition in the Edinburgh Music Library on George IV Bridge to celebrate the release of LIVE – Bands From The Edinburgh Music Scene, an anthology of his images of local acts. His pictures tell the story of a proper rock photographer like you imagine rock photographers should be. He can sweet talk his way into bands’ flats and take photos of them in their bedrooms. He’s even got pictures of musicians on the toilet, as well as ones of them in the violent throes of performance. They capture the energy of live music, the passion and the mania and the sheer immersion of the noise. He documents the scene, the dark musical underbelly of Edinburgh that usually gets overlooked, overshadowed by the sparkly lights of its more attentionseeking neighbour, Glasgow.
The launch party will feature musical guests in the form of Jackie Treehorn. Well worth a look, so it is. [Rosamund West] www.markusthorsen.com
August 2010
THE SKINNY 21
PHOTO: HADLEY HUDSON
NEU! Beginnings As a key progenitor of modern music he's owed a debt by an army of pilgrims, yet NEU! founder Michael Rother remains very much on the Fringe Text Dave Kerr NO NEU!? No Joy Division. No Sonic Youth. No LCD Soundsystem. And that’s before Michael Rother properly got his teeth into electronica. The original ‘remixers’, their abandonment of the blues and rock ’n’ roll’s conventions placed a fork in the road for guitar-based music. It’s as simple as that, and no overstatement; without the output of Rother and Klaus Dinger’s ‘motorik’ drumming technique there’d be a gaping vacuum where much of modern music’s most celebrated and influential should be. The partnership was born from a mutual dissatisfaction as short-lived members of Kraftwerk, ultimately spiralling into several dysfunctional decades of musical synergy, personal acrimony and a legacy they’ve only recently become popularly recognised for. Sadly, Dinger passed away in March 2008, but the formation of Hallogallo 2010 marks the first time the Düsseldorf duo’s catalogue has been attempted live in
22 THE SKINNY AUGUST 2010
over 35 years. Speaking to The Skinny ahead of their Edinburgh date, Rother tells the story of the rise, fall and reawakening of NEU! Do you remember your first encounter with music, as a youngster? Wow, well my mother had classical piano training, so she played her favourite classical composers at home. I guess that was in the first few years, when I was still in Hamburg. Later on, we didn’t have a piano at home because we moved around, from Hamburg to Munich, then to England, then to Pakistan. So the basic influence comes from the European classical composers and later on the next influence would have been rock ’n’ roll music. My brother who’s ten years older listened to Jailhouse Rock, Elvis Presley and Little Richard – he’s still one of my favourites. In the 50s he had his rock ’n’ roll parties: that was something that struck me when I was a small child – it had emotional appeal. Then the next thing would be the indigenous music in Pakistan, which had a long lasting influence on my feeling for music.
How did you strike up a partnership with Klaus Dinger? What ideals did you share? We both met in Kraftwerk when I joined the band in 1971 – Klaus was the drummer. That was a very interesting, intense time. Very exciting music happened with Florian Schneider and Klaus, but then we found we weren’t happy with the direction after a summer of trying to record the second Kraftwerk album – where we failed in the studio. Klaus and I just decided to go on as a duo, I think, because, we had a lot in common inside the studio. It was outside the studio, in the normal exchange between human beings where there was trouble for Klaus and me. We couldn’t really communicate; he had such a different character, but he was a very talented and inspiring musician and artist. Did that friction drive NEU!? I’m not sure. It’s hard to understand that people with such different temperaments and characters could have so much in common on a musical level, but that was the case. Even with Klaus, his contributions to NEU! had different atmospheres, different psychological situations in the contributions he made. For instance, the track Hero [from NEU! 75] had a more aggressive feel, where frustrations that Klaus felt were expressed. That was not the way I felt about life and society, but I understood his feelings and I shared the love for this dynamic music – this fast-forward movement. So I concentrated on adding my guitars and whatever I could on that level. For Klaus, I think it was clear that he loved my melodic sense and what I contributed because we had different qualities – he was a powerful drummer and I came from the guitar. That was a very good combination; we had a good understanding of the qualities that the other brought in, even though we had our different feelings about life.
GUEST QUESTION RIPLEY JOHNSON (WOODEN SHJIPS): Your guitar style is very unique. Who were some of your favourite guitarists in the 70s? I can tell you who I listened to in the past, before I stopped listening to music in the 70s – and of course Jimi Hendrix was top of that list, alongside The Beatles. These days, I don’t listen to contemporary music in the way that most people seem to, and when I do, I pick music from very different styles, ages and countries. To be honest, I enjoy having silence sometimes. Our lives – modern lives – are so full of music, so full of stupid, silly music also, that you can’t escape from. But everyone should always check out the music from Johann Sebastian Bach! [laughs]
" 'DO YOU LIKE KRAUTROCK?’ NO, I HATE IT!" MICHAEL ROTHER
GUEST QUESTION STEVE SHELLEY (SONIC YOUTH): Did you ever see Jimi Hendrix perform live? What was your response? Yes, I saw the Jimi Hendrix Experience in Düsseldorf in 1968. I sat in one of the first rows and thought he looked very sympathetic. His music on the first two albums was such an inspiration to me and my expectations were incredibly high. Unfortunately, the sound of the live performance was a bit disappointing – which is quite understandable if you bear in mind that it was the experimental treatment and processing of his guitar which greatly appealed to me. One guitar, one bass and one drum simply could not create enough depth in sound. I faced the same problems when we attempted to play live as NEU! in 1972. But it was still a wonderful experience which I´ll never forget, to see that genius of a musician play live.
Was it difficult to ‘unlearn’ rock ’n’ roll? Not really. I think it would have been more difficult to get stuck in the middle – to take a little bit of the past with me and try to add something new. I went back to playing on one note, on one string of the guitar. And being very careful about what came on top and the melodies I added – If you look at tracks like Hallogallo [from NEU!’s self-titled 1972 debut] – very simple structures. Once you start from scratch, and if you have some kind of vision for music that you want to achieve, it’s much easier to have a radical break than to make some sort of compromise. What compelled you to reappraise the NEU! catalogue now, in particular your complete reconstruction of the fourth album – now NEU! ‘86. We had been talking about doing a NEU! vinyl box set, even when Klaus was alive. Right after the release of the three originals in 2001, there was this idea our label Grönland had to release a box set and we were also discussing releasing the fourth album. They wanted us to record a completely new album that would have been our fifth. Klaus and I visited a studio in London, we had many talks in several places. But it was difficult to feel at ease with Klaus, we had drifted apart. You probably know the kind of silly things he did in the ‘90s when he released NEU! music behind my back; he just kept on saying no to everything that was offered to us, then suddenly he started releasing music I had recorded without my knowledge. We were lucky to re-release the three albums at all, that was a close shave. The label told me later that in the last moment Klaus wanted to prevent their release again, but luckily they decided to ignore his threats and just went ahead. So this album of material Klaus released in the ‘90s was something we did together in 1985 and ‘86. At that time, NEU! was out of fashion; no one was talking about us and the albums were out of print. We tried to get a deal with a record company but nobody was interested. At that time we had to stop – we worked for a long time on those recordings, longer than we had on any album before. So we said ‘OK, let’s stop here, have a break and meet again some time in the future’. We didn’t say when but it was clear we wanted to continue working on the material – there was a lot I thought was interesting and worth a release.
PHOTO: THOMAS DINGER
Was it your intention to break with the traditions of the past– that idea of ‘forgetting Jimi Hendrix’ – which you’ve talked about previously – from the very beginning of your partnership? Oh yes, of course – that was the most important aspect of everything I wanted to achieve. I joined Kraftwerk when I had already broken with the traditions of the music I had grown up with. I still love Jimi Hendrix, until this day I can hear his music and know he was such a great artist. The music he made – especially in the beginning – like Are You Experienced and Axis: Bold As Love was so inspiring. But, growing up, I became aware of the fact that there was already a Jimi Hendrix around and he was a better Jimi Hendrix than I would ever have been! What I had to do was find a way to express my own personality and approach to music, that really made it necessary to drop all the clichés, and I did that radically.
What Klaus did in the ‘90s was to wound, and that needed healing. So we met with his widow and the Grönland team in spring last year. I offered to rework those recordings and try to create a better version of our ‘80s music than what Klaus had released, which in my opinion was a rather poor album. It didn’t show some of the colours that are important in our music. I worked for six months last year and presented my version to everyone. Klaus’s widow was happy with the result and that’s why we included it in the vinyl box set.”
GUEST QUESTION STUART BRAITHWAITE (MOGWAI): Are you surprised at how popular the motorik style of music you helped pioneer has become? How do you feel about its Renaissance? To be honest, it’s so strange for me, because I’ve experienced everything. I was always convinced about the music NEU! did, and I was equally convinced about the music Harmonia did. So I’ve learned from the different reactions we got to those bands, that music. What I feel is nothing to do with what the audience feels. I just need to rely on my own conviction really, so the answer would be: no, I’m absolutely not surprised! [laughs]. But on the other hand, I wouldn’t be surprised if nobody loved it. I’ve just been fortunate.
Steve Shelley and Benjamin Curtis [School of Seven Bells] both contributed to last year’s brilliant Brand NEU! tribute compilation. How did you go about recruiting them for Hallogallo 2010? I learned about quite a few international musicians being fans of NEU! – of our music, of my music – especially after our albums were re-released in 2001. The contact with Aaron Mullan [Tall Firs], Steve Shelley and Benjamin Curtis – that was a different story. I met Benjamin when he was still guitar player with Secret Machines and they did a new version of the Harmonia track Deluxe (Immer Wieder) and invited me to join them onstage twice in Hamburg. We became friends, and so Benjamin joined me for a concert at ATP in the UK in 2005, then again in New York in 2006. When Harmonia played at the UK ATP in 2008 we were offered Aaron as front of house mixer. He’s a very friendly guy; he did a great job with our sound. So we stayed in touch and he also did our sound at ATP in New York the same year. Then Aaron asked me whether I wanted to meet Steve, who had great interest in working with me. So we did a session at Sonic Youth’s studio in September 2008, which we all enjoyed. Since then we’ve been in close contact, exchanging music and ideas. When I started thinking about putting together a band for my plans this year, Steve was a natural choice. I was lucky and happy to see that everyone was available and very enthusiastic about this project.
"OUR MODERN LIVES ARE SO FULL OF STUPID, SILLY MUSIC THAT YOU CAN’T ESCAPE FROM. EVERYONE SHOULD CHECK OUT JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH!" MICHAEL ROTHER
NEU! 1972: Left, Michael Rother; Right, Klaus Dinger
Was there some sense of returning to the beginning – the original intention of NEU! – hence the name Hallogallo? Well, obviously I can’t call the project NEU! – it would be foolish and untrue – but even when I played with Harmonia in recent years, I’ve been working on that kind of fast forward music for some time now. It’s come closer into my focus on music and of course, to have a real drummer – a human drummer, a powerful and good drummer, was also something that got me quite excited. The prospect of playing that music with Steve Shelley: it turned out really well. We played two shows in Switzerland and Barcelona in May, and people were just as enthusiastic about the music as we were. So I’m quite happy and looking forward to doing more shows.
GUEST QUESTION ANDY WAKE (THE PHANTOM BAND) Do you feel that the retro-branding of the British music press of a diverse body of music misses the point somewhat, or have you gladly come to identify yourself as an exponent of the ‘Krautrock’ badge? That is a terrible expression. I know my colleagues; everyone I know of the music scene thinks it’s stupid – that connection with Germany’s past, soldiers, and where it came from. For many years I’ve been aware of the fact that this term cannot be neglected. The feelings behind it were once ambiguous, although it’s something that is used in admiration and as a compliment by most people nowadays. But it’s illogical – I’ve been trying to develop my own artistic personality. It’s the wrong way to put me into a box with other musicians and say ‘they’re all the same kind’. In the past I wasn’t interested in what was happening outside my sphere in Germany, and today whenever I hear anything that comes under the term Krautrock – maybe with the exception of some of the music by Kluster, or Kraftwerk, or Can – there are some similarities but there are huge differences in the music of these bands. Maybe as something that came from a certain area in the world – from Germany, from a certain time – then you can try to understand or analyse that change in the country’s music. But that’s a long answer for a short question. ‘Do you like Krautrock?’ No, I hate it.
Is this a band you can envisage recording with, or is it strictly a touring vehicle at this point? For now I’m concentrating on performing live, but we’re recording our concerts. It would make sense to release some music. Everybody is quite eager to release music in this collaboration, but no definite plans…yet. I
think that question will come up when we’ve recorded more concerts. This is something that will keep me working for several months; we’ll be doing a lot of shows, a lot of travelling. It’s a great, exciting time. We’re sitting here talking about your legacy, to what extent has history taken over your career? Do you still have time to work on new music? That’s a very important point! I’m still struggling, there’s no simple answer to that. Like in this interview, I have to talk about a long span of time; a lot of elements of the past are interesting to people. Sometimes I get a bit sad and annoyed that I have to spend so much time communicating, organising music and projects, but that’s the way I always work. For me it’s quite natural not to have a manager. In the beginning I was just a guitar player, then I added keyboards and other instruments and started producing myself. I had my own studio, I also started a label – I had so many hats to wear. This is part of the wish to be independent, to have a complete horizon to work on. For the moment, in combination with the release of the Tracks and Traces album with Harmonia and Brian Eno last year – and now the NEU! vinyl box set, I have to accept a lot of questions concerning the past 35 years or so. In my own mind, I’m at peace generally, because this is no contradiction to what I feel these days. My ideas for NEU! – for tracks like Hallogallo – are just as alive in my thinking about music now, as they were back then. HALLOGALLO 2010 PLAY HMV PICTURE HOUSE, EDINBURGH ON 17 AUG AS PART OF THE EDGE FESTIVAL WWW.MICHAELROTHER.DE
GUEST QUESTION GRAEME RONALD (REMEMBER REMEMBER): Do you think there will always be a place for guitars in forward-thinking music? I remember maybe 30 years ago there were interviews with Kraftwerk where they said guitars are like dinosaurs. That made me smile. If I look back over the decades, I concentrated on electronics more than guitars for 15 years, enjoying work on the Fairlight Music Computer, for instance. But I’ve come back to the guitar in the last ten years; I think it’s balanced again. Of course, it’s the combination that really works. What I like about guitar playing in combination with electronic sounds in performance is that there’s always this human factor of error and lively expression of variation. I also like to hear electronic music, like Underworld. But a guitar – if it’s played in the right way, in an inspiring way – always adds some life that I miss when I think about music for a while.
AUGUST 2010
THE SKINNY 23
FESTIVAL
The Book Festival
If you fancy going to the Edinburgh International Book Festival, but aren't sure where to start, here's a little guide to the festival itself, and what to see when you're there Text Keir Hind LET’S start with the basics. The Edinburgh International Book Festival takes place from 14 to 30 August, and all events will be in Charlotte Square Gardens, an enclosed square just off Princes Street, and within walking distance of Waverley train station. Even if you’re not going to any events, Charlotte Square Gardens is a nice place to be, since it’s free of the leafleting that takes place everywhere else in the centre of Edinburgh. There’s a bookshop on site for the duration, benches to sit and read on, and various kinds of food and drink available, including ice cream and beer. If you’re actually planning to go to an event, it’s best to book as soon as you can, since events do sell out quickly. Amongst those which may sell out quickly are the two Skinny Events: Alan Bisset with Lars Husum, and Jah Wobble. Let’s take a look at the first one first: Alan Bisset and Lars Husum will be appearing on Wednesday 18 August at 8.30pm in the Peppers Theatre. Alan Bissett should be well known by now; he’s the author of Boyracers, The Incredible Adam Spark and most recently, Death of a Ladies’ Man, which he’ll be discussing at this event. He’s known to be good in front of audiences, as a regular act at DiScomBoBuLaTe, and as an actor in his ‘one woman show’ The Moira Monologues – and if you haven’t experienced either, get yourself along to this. He’ll be paired with the less well known Lars Husum. Husum hails from Denmark, where he worked at one stage for Lars Von Triers’ Zentropa studios, and he has recently launched his debut novel, the not-unprovocatively-titled My Friend Jesus Christ. The book, which is about a young Danish boy whose life is changed – but will it be for the better – by the arrival of a somewhat modern Jesus, who’s ditched the standard Israeli hippy look for something akin to biker chic. The book has caused controversy, apprently. Our other event is the book festival debut of Jah Wobble. Mr Wobble has written a fantastic memoir of his life in and out of the music business from punk through collaborations with artists as diverse as The Edge, Sinead O’Connor, Baaba Maal and Bjork, up to the present, entitled Memoirs of a Geezer: Music, Mayhem, Life, which says it all really. It’s been given five star reviews all over the place, many of which mention that he writes as well as he plays. Book now before the musos get their hands on all the tickets – it’s on Thursday 24 August at 8.30pm, in the Scottish Power Studio Theatre.
Jah Wobble
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Of course, there’s more to the festival than just our events, so once you’ve got your tickets for those, there’s plenty more to see. On Saturday the 14th, James Robertson will be launching his new novel And The Land Lay Still. Given that it was written in this very paper that Mr Robertson’s last novel, The Testament of Gideon Mack, was the best Scottish novel of the 21st Century so far, this could be the launch of something very special. On Monday the 16th, there’s a retrospective feel when Jeanette Winterson appears to talk about her debut novel of 25 years ago, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, while Iain Banks will also be appearing and talking about his 25 years in the business – during which he’s written 24 books! There are a few good events on Tuesday the 17th, when, for starters, you can catch political comedian and Radio 4 stalwart Jeremy Hardy, who’ll be talking about his adventures in tracing his family history. Booker Prize winner John Banville will appear to talk about his latest novel (the first since his Booker win) The Infinities, and another award winner, Zadie Smith, will appear to talk about her foray into literary criticism in her latest book Changing My Mind. If all this is too wordy for you (but why should it be?) cult artist David Shrigley will also be appearing to talk about his often amusing artwork. Moving on, on Wednesday the 18th veteran author/artist/playwright Alasdair Gray will
be appearing at a no doubt riotous event where he’ll be performing extracts from his play which retells the Faust myth, entitled Fleck. Two talented young writers who shouldn’t be missed on the 19th are John Wray and Chris Killen, while you can catch the similarly named but completely different Chris Mullin on the 20th. A sometime Labour MP, Mullin is also the author of the classic political thriller A Very British Coup, which is being re-released. He’ll be talking about this book, which charts what happens when a Labour Government which actually holds to its principles is elected – fiction, obviously. Alan Warner is also appearing on the 20th to talk about his latest book, a follow up to The Sopranos (a choir novel, not the TV show) entitled The Stars In the Bright Sky. Or you can catch a couple of cult authors on the next couple of days, as Jim Crace, author of such cult novels as Being Dead and Quarantine appears on the 21st, whilst David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas and Ghostwritten amongst others, will appear on the 22nd. If you’re looking for something different though, Iranian born comedian Shappi Khorsandi will be talking about her memoir A Beginner’s Guide to Acting English on the same day. On the 23rd Wolf Hall author Hilary Mantel will be appearing to talk about that very book – sure to sell out, given that Wolf Hall is officially the best selling Booker winner ever.
On the 24th there are a couple of particularly big names. Firstly, Hanif Kureishi of My Beautiful Laundrette fame (amongst many other fine works) will be talking about his latest collection of short stories, and hopefully reading from some of them. Later, Nobel prize winner, and more importantly excellent writer, Seamus Heaney will appear, reading from his latest collection (which is, naturally, acclaimed). However, fans of great writing can also see new short stories on the 24th, from Anne Donovan, Kirstin Innes and Allan Radcliffe all at one event, which is my tip to be the best event of this particular day, chancing my arm though that may be. All this, and I haven’t even mentioned Unbound – see page 9 for that. As a general rule, book as quickly as possible if you want to see anything mentioned here (or elsewhere). But as more practical advice, when you’re going to an event, it’s best to queue from half an hour before if you want to get anything like a good seat, especially in the bigger theatres. What are the good seats? Well, cool though it may be to sit at the back, legroom gets restricted more and more the further back you sit, unless you’re less than 5ft tall. Also, sitting near the front will mean you’re out more quickly too, which is useful if you want your book signed, but aren’t too fond of queuing. If you’ve read this far, I’m assuming it’s advice which you’ll need when you’re at the book festival, which you’re definitely planning on going to. Enjoy! BOOK TICKETS ONLINE AT WWW.EDBOOKFEST.CO.UK OR BY PHONE: 0845 373 5888 FROM 10AM TO 5PM, MON TO SAT
Zadie Sm ith
Alan Wa ner
igley David Shr
FESTIVAL SPECIAL
fringe venue
BAR / LIVE / CLUB / PRIVATE KARAOKE OPEN MONDAY - SUNDAY FROM 5PM* - LATE (5am licence) Feed your curiosity at Electric Circus... A Pandora’s box hidden in the heart of the capital. A unique bar/live venue hosting special boutique club nights plus seven private karaoke rooms. Showcasing everything from burlesque and vaudeville to live bands, DJs, art installations and theatre.
EDINBURGH FESTIVAL AT ELECTRIC CIRCUS WELCOME TO THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH
Please note we have a 5am licence for the festival. Ticket outlet details for shows are listed at the end.
Vaudeville Something Wicked This Way Comes THU 12th / FRI 13th / SAT 14th: 11pm-1am THU 19th / FRI 20th / SAT 21st: 7pm-9pm FRI 27th / SAT 28th: 11pm-1am A surreal vaudeville cabaret extravaganza with Thomas Truax, Miss Hell’s Belle & more, hosted by Black Diamond Express. Tickets see below
WED 18Th 11PM: ± CORONA WEEK LIVE ShOW – Chew Lips & guests and DJs, 18+, free but ticketed
SAT 28Th 11PM: ± SOMEThINg WICKED ThIS WAY COMES, 18+, £6
ThU 19Th 7PM: ± SOMEThINg WICKED ThIS WAY COMES, 18+, £6
SAT28Th 1AM: hIS & hERS, 18+, £5 on the door
FRI 6Th 1AM: CARRY ON DjS, 18+, £5
FRI 20Th 1PM: $ IgNITE YOUTh ThEATRE No Music, No Life, all ages, £7/5
SAT 7Th 7PM: * EDgE FESTIVAL: Found & Milk, 18+, £6
FRI 20Th 7PM: ± SOMEThINg WICKED ThIS WAY COMES, 18+, £6
SAT 7Th 10.30PM: VA VA VOOM, 18+, £5 b4 12/£6
FRI 20Th 11PM: ± CONFUSION IS SEx Hentai Tokyo Party, 18+, £8/6
SUN 8Th 7PM: * EDgE FESTIVAL: Kitty, Daisy & Lewis & The Hurricanes, 18+, £8 TUE 10Th 7PM: * EDgE FESTIVAL: Aaron Wright & The Aprils, 18+, £6.50 WED 11Th 7PM: * EDgE FESTIVAL: Mitchell Museum, 18+, £6.50 ThU 12Th 7PM: ± ELECTRIC CIRCUS & EDgE FESTIVAL: Carrie Mac, 18+, £5 ThU 12Th 11PM: ± SOMEThINg WICKED ThIS WAY COMES, 18+, £6 FRI 13Th 7PM: * EDgE FESTIVAL: Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly & The Xcerts, 14+, £10 FRI 13Th 11PM: ± SOMEThINg WICKED ThIS WAY COMES, 18+, £6 FRI 13Th 1AM: CARRY ON DjS, 18+, £5 entry SAT 14Th 7PM: * EDgE FESTIVAL: Mull Historical Society (aka Colin MacIntyre) & Delta Mainline, 18+, £12.50 SAT 14Th 11PM: ± SOMEThINg WICKED ThIS WAY COMES, 18+, £6 SAT 14Th 1AM: ThE BANg BANg CLUB with Guest DJ Aidan Moffat, 18+, £6 MON 16Th 7PM: * EDgE FESTIVAL: Tom Gray (Gomez), 18+, £12.50 TUE 17Th 7PM: ± ELECTRIC CIRCUS & EDgE FESTIVAL: Withered Hand & The Last Battle, 18+, £6 WED 18Th 7PM: * EDgE FESTIVAL: Lauren Pritchard, 18+, £7
SAT 21ST 1PM: $ IgNITE YOUTh ThEATRE No Music, No Life, all ages, £7/5 SAT 21ST 7PM: * SOMEThINg WICKED ThIS WAY COMES, 18+, £6 SAT 21ST 11PM: WIRE with guest DJs We Were Promised Jetpacks, 18+, £5 b4 12/£6 SUN 22ND 1PM: $ IgNITE YOUTh ThEATRE No Music, No Life, all ages, £7/5
SUN 29Th 11PM: BIg TOP TACKNO, 18+, £8/7 MON 30Th 7PM: ± ELECTRIC CIRCUS & EDgE FESTIVAL: Alex Cornish & band, The French Wives, 18+, £6. TUE 31ST 7PM: * EDgE FESTIVAL: General Fiasco, 18+, £7 TICKETS: * theedgefestival.com/Ticketweb.co.uk/Ticketmaster/Ripping Records (South Bridge)/Tickets Scotland (Rose Street)/08444 77 1000 $ Fringe box office/edfringe.com/0131 226 0000 ± Ticketweb.co.uk/Ticketmaster.co.uk/Ripping Records (South Bridge), Tickets Scotland (Rose St) /08444 77 1000, Avalanche Records (Cockburn Street)
SUN 22ND 7PM: * EDgE FESTIVAL: Jon Fratelli, The Hip Parade, 16+, £10 MON 23RD 7PM: * EDgE FESTIVAL: Kassidy, 16+, £7.50 MON 23RD 11PM: * EDgE FESTIVAL: Bear In Heaven, 18+, £8 TUE 24Th 7PM: * EDgE FESTIVAL: The Phantom Band, 18+, £12 WED 25Th 7PM: CIRCUS ARCADE FESTIVAL SPECIAL, 18+, free entry ThU 26Th ART FESTIVAL Instruments of Darkness, 18+, £5 FRI 27Th 7PM: ± EDgE FESTIVAL: Three Blind Wolves & guests, 18+, £5 FRI 27Th 11PM: ± SOMEThINg WICKED ThIS WAY COMES, 18+, £6 FRI 27Th 1AM: CARRY ON DjS, 18+, £5 entry SAT 28Th 7PM: * EDgE FESTIVAL: Pearl & The Puppets, 18+, £6.50
theelectriccircus.biz t: 0131 226 4224
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FRI 6Th 11PM: LIVE BANDAOKE, 18+, £5
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FRI 6Th 7PM: * EDgE FESTIVAL: The Unwinding Hours & The Kays Lavelle, 18+ £9
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ThU 5Th 7PM: BORN TO BE WIDE, 18+, free
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THE SKINNY 25 21/7/10 11:09:34
FASHION
Styling: Olivia Fiddes liv_f@hotmail.com Photography: Ben Seeley ben.seeley@yahoo.com Make up/hair styling: Victoria Watson vrok80@hotmail.com Models: Abi from Model Team Sam from Superior Model Management Garments: www.shabdismyname.com Topshop www.topshop.com Urban Outfitters www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk Jewellery: Palenque www.palenque.co.uk Thanks to The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
26 THE SKINNY August 2010
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FASHION
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2 To tie dye or not to tie dye? This is the question that we are all asking ourselves this summer (I am anyway). Forgetting all of its usual connotations and looking at it objectively, I like tie dye. That’s right, I’m not ashamed. If Bottega Veneta can do it in sumptuously soft-looking bright purple and egg yolk yellow leather and if Proenza Schouler, Blumarine, and Rodarte can do it in swirling pinks, purples and greens on the S/S 2010 catwalks, I can do it too. If the face melting bright colours of ‘traditional’ tie dye are too much, designers like Shabd along with most high street shops (notably River Island and Topshop) have a few more subtle or inky hued garments to choose from. [Alexandra Fiddes] 1. Silk button down vest (price on request) Shabd Dress (worn underneath) £18 Topshop Chain £22.95, ring £29.95 Palenque 2. Hoodie £107 Shabd 3. Bodysuit £84.50 Shabd 4. Vest top £6 Topshop Shorts £30 Topshop Tie dye shorts £50 Shabd Bangles £110 each, chains £22.95 Palenque 5. T-shirt £70 Shabd Trousers £49.95 Urban Outfitters Casio watch £52.95 Urban Outfitters
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August 2010
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THE SKINNY 27
Che Camille is no stranger to press coverage, having been lauded by the likes of Vogue and Nylon for being our generation’s Factory. Founder Camille Lorigo's ambition shows no sign of slowing down. The Skinny caught up with her to hear that it's all change round here
STARTING at The Chateau, moving to the Trongate, then to a larger central Glasgow showroom, and currently preparing for a catwalk extravaganza at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August, it’s all change as Che Camille prepares to shut its Glasgow store and go global. The need to develop a presence online and internationally became obvious. Says Camille, “We had people from outside Glasgow responding to the idea of clothing being made by someone, with regionally sourced materials. Every time I walk past Primark, my heart sinks!” In response, Camille is planning a series of pop-up events and shops, starting in the UK but moving to Paris, Spain and Holland where she says “relationships have been set up due to [these countries’] love of Scottish tailoring.” Through the changes, the Glasgow 10 (her collective of in-house designers) will retain a workspace in Glasgow, coordinating their designs to create a consolidated Che Camille aesthetic. Working with new designers and artists also excites Camille: “I’ve found amazing people online, like homemade shoe designers in Japan. If we expand to those areas, we might collaborate with them.” However, she seems most excited about exposing new manufacturers and technologies. “We have this amazing ethical jewellery line from
PREVIEW
Uganda. I think globalisation has made people learn to take something they’re good at and specialise.” Her almost missionary zeal to expose these manufacturers is prevalent in our conversation. “Even in Scotland, there are so many great manufacturers that no-one knows about, doing incredible things, working with Prada and the like; we have to do what we can to get them more visibly out there.” The switch to online means a greater role for the blog, with Camille being particularly keen on broadcasting shows. Perhaps more video content means she can fulfil her long time ambition of filming her ‘Che’ soap opera! Meanwhile, the own label collections are being expanded, with the possible development of a heritage collection, focusing on Scottish materials. “I want tweed Jacky O suits, classy but edgy.” With all this change and excitement, I ask Camille what her definition of success would be. “If it’s (Che) still around in 5 years’ time, that’ll be great!” she exclaims. “The most important thing for us is to keep being fresh and evolve, keep going.” With ambition like that, I have no doubt that Che Camille will certainly do so.[Emma Segal] CHE CAMILLE FASHION SHOW, SUN 8 AUG AT THE FOREST CAFE. TICKETS ARE FREE BUT ENTRANCE IS LIMITED. PLEASE VISIT THE WEBSITE WWW.CHECAMILLE.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION WWW.CHECAMILLE.COM
NOIR! 7 TAKES ON GO REBORN! HAWK AND HUNTER, 26 AUG
Go Reborn! are a collaborative outfit of makers, shakers and innovators intent on having not just a good time but also making good art. This August sees the launch of their magazine and the arrival of another club night with a twist: a collaborative party with Noir! featuring a variety of Scotland’s finest artwork, fashion and music. This is Noir!’s seventh night and looks set to be as sinful as the number, with an indulgent evening of frock-offs and dance-offs, musical mayhem and theatrical glamour. When two established creative heads like Reborn! and Noir! combine you know that you are in for a treat. Double the exclamation marks and double the fun: expect live music, installations and a host of high fashion and high jinx, as they push boundaries and buttons that blend and challenge the realms of creativity and club night while having a perversely outrageous time in the process. The event will feature a host of designers and artists, including recent ECA graduates Alex Gibbs, Callum Monteith and Mathew Swan, who show talent by the bucket, paintings and illustrations bursting with quintessential quirks and oddities reined in by
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Photo: David Anderson
FASHION
Che Camille Shuts Up Shop
precision and careful brushwork. Taking place on 26 August, it is set to be one of the best closing parties of the festival so put your best fashion foot forward and come along. On the fashion side, pieces will come from Jane Davidson and include designers such as Missoni, Halston Heritage and Hervé Leger. Surreal headpieces will come courtesy of Edinuburgh based designer Evelyn Morrison. Go watch, go wild, Go Reborn! [Mhairi Graham] GO-REBORN.BLOGSPOT.COM NOIREDINBURGH.BLOGSPOT.COM
POSH NOSH AND CHEAP EATS
& DRINK
Eat The Festival In town for the Festivals? Don’t want to blow valuable ticket cash on overpriced Royal Mile tourist grub or resort to dodgy burger vans? Let the friendly Skinny locals give you their insiders' tips on the best, budget-friendly places to chow down
Restaurants / Eat-In ‘The Dogs’ Empire A recession-bucking, ever-expanding phenomenon that prides itself on locally sourced, often overlooked products (coley, smelts, lamb sweetbreads) cooked with flair and served at worryingly cheap prices to you, the lucky punter. Flagship restaurant The Dogs dishes up meat-centric Scottish classics, Amore Dogs goes Italian and Seadogs... oh, you can probably guess. You can even retire to the Underdogs bar for a pre or post dinner Stoli & tonic. THE DOGS, 110 HANOVER ST; AMORE DOGS 104 HANOVER ST; SEADOGS, 43 ROSE ST, WWW.THEDOGSONLINE.CO.UK
The Mosque Kitchen Winner of the office ‘where’s cheap and cheerful?’ poll by a landslide. A brilliant curry (meat or veg) for a fiver bang in the centre of the city. We need say no more on that. If you’re particularly ravenous however, you can get an all you can eat vegetarian curry buffet at Kalpna on St Patrick Square. EDINBURGH CENTRAL MOSQUE, 50 POTTERROW, WWW. MOSQUEKITCHEN.CO.UK KALPNA 2-3 ST PATRICK SQUARE, WWW.KALPNARESTAURANT.COM
L’Escargot Bleu Avoid in the evenings if you’re on a budget, but it rocks for lunch if you want a lip-smacker of a main course. More adventurous diners may get the chance to sample their controversial horse tartare – something to put on your postcards. 56 BROUGHTON ST, WWW.LESCARGOTBLEU.CO.UK
Chez Jules The special sells for a mere £5.50. They throw in a huge salad, a decent slab of paté and loads of bread for free and bring the tap water without waiting to be
asked. There’s only one dish at this price so you can’t be picky, but it’s usually ace. 109 HANOVER ST, WWW.CHEZJULESBISTRO.COM
Takeout Kebab Mahal and Palmyra Pizza It’s almost a sin that these two are so close together as it means you need to decide which one to opt for. Both are great, although Palmyra has the added bonus of brilliant falafel wraps for the veggies. PALMYRA PIZZA 22 NICHOLSON ST; KEBAB MAHAL 7 NICHOLSON SQ, WWW.KEBAB-MAHAL.CO.UK
Café Truva Excellent Turkish café offering your standard fryup as well as some delightful mezze platters, stuffed vine leaves and the occasional moussaka. They can do take-away, so if they weather is nice, take your swag to the Water of Leith and enjoy the river. 77 THE SHORE, LEITH WWW.CAFETRUVA.COM
Sicilian Pastry Shop If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, then pick up a pastry from these guys – their pastries and cakes are second to none in Edinburgh. Grab a cake and head to the gardens with your bag of goodies and lashings of ginger beer 14-16 ALBERT ST, WWW.SICILIANPASTRYSHOP.COM
Edinburgh Farmer’s Market Feast on hog roll, ostrich burgers, boar sausages or just some plain old healthy porridge, plus pick up locally made sweeties and even wine for alternative souvenirs. Nice way to spend a Saturday morning and the toasties for the veggies get a special commendation. EVERY SATURDAY MORNING, CASTLE TERRACE, WWW.EDINBURGHFARMERSMARKET.COM
THE SKINNY COCKTAIL COLUMN THIS MONTH:
The Sou’wester
Late Night Fuel Café Piccante Famous as the ‘disco chip shop’ (yes, they have a DJ on the corner over weekends) it’s central, cheap and also serves beer and wine. You won’t get much of your 5-a-day here, but what the hell – it’s the festival after all. 19 BROUGHTON ST
Bar Napoli Always plenty of seats and cheap eats – open until 1am if you want to go down the pizza and pasta route rather than chips and a kebab. The semi-official late night haunt of performers at Assembly, this could be your chance to spy Abi Titmuss over some carbonara. The glamour. 75 HANOVER ST, WWW.BAR-NAPOLI.CO.UK
The Outsider Serves high-quality bistro staples until 11pm (sometimes later during festival). Atmosphere is subdued and intimate, despite being permanently heaving – book ahead if you’re planning on bringing a group. Healthy monkfish kebabs sit alongside possibly the best steak frites in the city.
PHOTO: JANE FENTON
Text Ruth Marsh& Jacq Kelly
15-16 GEORGE IV BRIDGE
Cafés Qupi An unassuming little café that does a nice Croque Monsieur (or a Croque Madam if you’re that way inclined). A quaint alternative to the full Scottish fry-up. 171 LEITH WALK
Word of Mouth Café One of the few affordable places where your food is cooked from fresh before your eyes. This can make the service a little slow, but it’s worth the wait. Just don’t go half an hour before you’re due to see a show. Open late on Fridays and Saturdays and offers lots of veggie options. 3A ALBERT ST, WOFMCAFE.TUMBLR.COM
Eteaket Soup, sarnies, cakes and a choice of roughly 5 million teas to pick from. A nice change from your chain coffee houses and food that actually tastes like it was designed to be in your mouth. 41A FREDERICK ST, WWW.ETEAKET.CO.UK
Illustration: Alasdair Boyce
LIFESTYLE
FOOD
JAMES Sutherland from 56 North created this ginny, watermelonny variation on a mojito especially for us, and it sure was tasty. He let us see how it was done, and shared this tip: make sure the watermelon is nice and ripe for a sweet juicy finish. To make: Put some fresh mint in a tall glass, half fill with ice In the mixing glass: Muddle a handful of chopped watermelon ½ lemon, squeezed 50 ml SW4 gin A half shot of sugar syrup, OR 1 tbsp caster sugar Shake, with ice, then strain into the glass with mint Add crushed ice, and top up with a dash of soda water Garnish with a slice of watermelon, and a sprig of fresh mint
Meadow Wood Café, Bread Street A perfect pit stop for all manner of tasty Asian food and drinks including pearl milk and iced green teas. Inexpensive and a mere ten minutes walk from the top of the Royal Mile and the West End of Princes Street. Divert youself there for a lunch that will please the palate without punishing the pocket.
To sample a Sou’wester, head along to 56 North, 2 West Crosscauseway, Edinburgh. Sponsored by SW4 Gin. For more information on SW4, email info@parkplacedrinks.co.uk
15 BREAD ST, WWW.MEADOWWOOD.CO.UK
THE SKINNY
Café Renroc Excellent nosh, beer on tap and tables outside for those sunny summer days. Just off Leith Walk but mainly frequented by locals so escape the visiting crowds and chill out. The space also includes a gallery and holistic relaxation centre.
COCKTAIL COLUMN
91 MONTGOMERY ST, WWW.NEOSGALLERY.COM
IS SPONSORED BY:
SW4 LONDON DRY GIN FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SW4, VISIT WWW.PARKPLACEDRINKS.CO.UK
AUGUST 2010
THE SKINNY 29
LIFESTYLE
RESTAURANT REVIEWS
BO’VINE MEAT AND WINES 385 BYRES ROAD, GLASGOW G12 8AU TEL: 0141 341 6540
The fierce debate as to whether the name for Glasgow’s new specialist steakhouse was hilarious or naff had certainly made us hungry. Thankfully, Bo’Vine’s menu consists entirely of no-nonsense items you just want to eat. Game pie with Mull cheddar, fish pie, truffled macaroni cheese – it scores a big tick for comfort grub with a strong local bent. To start, smoked salmon and quail eggs on soda bread and duck terrine were very generously, if a little artlessly, piled onto the plate. The smoked salmon was perhaps a little flabby but the intense meatiness of the terrine was given a lift by a spicy fruit chutney and crunchy, salty capers. For the mains we had to go the way of the grill – rare sirloin for me and a medium T-bone off the specials for my other half. Again, there was no skimping on portions – these were two big chunks of
perfectly-cooked cow that arrived. The extras didn’t let the side down either, with fat, handcut chips arriving in a cute little mini-fryer bucket; ‘seasonal greens’ were actually green beans, a misnomer but a crunchy, moreish one at that. Keeping with the gluttony theme, we shared a deconstructed Black Forest gateau – discs of slightly dry chocolate sponge interspersed with whipped cream and severely boozy cherries – a more even dispersal of the hard stuff may have helped it out. Despite only opening a few weeks ago, the comfy but dimly lit restaurant was buzzing with post-work suits, dating couples and groups of students giddily blowing their weekly food budget on a 9oz fillet. Its populist, feelgood menu should ensure it remains a favourite.[Ruth Marsh]
DINNER FOR TWO AROUND £55 EXCLUDING DRINKS WWW.BOVINERESTAURANT.COM
TEX MEX II Come and try our New Lunch Menu Bring this and we shall give you Bottle of Corona on the House Valid till the 6th August 2010 fatdonny@texmex2.com
THE PIONEER 140 ELDERSLIE ST, GLASGOW, G3 TEL: 0141 332 1830
The Pioneer certainly lives up to its name, bravely pitching itself in the comparative no-man’s land between buzzing Charing Cross and the bar-heavy part of Argyle St. Its inauspicious entrance (spot the neon sign on a dusty old porch under a small hotel) might make you wonder if it's worth the trek off the beaten booze track, but step over the threshold and you’ll heave a sigh of relief. With cosy red booths, bright lighting and exposed tiles on the friendly side of industrial chic, cheery staff and a lengthy bar with a wide choice of continental lagers (including Estrella on draft) this is a dream catching-up-with-friendswithout-screaming-over-the-music-and-gettingan-elbow-in-your-face venue. The food menu is similarly maverick, straying comfortably away from your usual pub grub. The beetroot
30 THE SKINNY AUGUST 2010
and mackerel pate, served with a pile of avocado, was a salty and earthy mix and an almost indecent shade of scarlet. The other starter of harissa-grilled chicken with preserved lemon couscous was a mini-meal I could happily have wolfed down four times over. For mains, if you see Southern fried rabbit on the menu, you have to order Southern fried rabbit, right? It came like a massively mutated chicken drummer, with thick skin-on chips and enough garlic aioli to mop up the (slightly dry, but very tasty) bunny leg. The Italian sausages on stewed bacon and lentils were heartiness personified and other menu items like braised oxtail suggest that The Pioneer will come into its own in the winter months – a perfect spot for warming up after a frosty walk through nearby Kelvingrove Park. It was comfortably quiet on the night we visited and with quirky, quality food all under a tenner it’s worth setting out for. [Ruth Marsh] DINNER FOR TWO £30 EXC. DRINKS
64 Thistle Street Edinburgh EH2 1EN
No other discounts apply
August 2010
THE SKINNY 31
Lifestyle
SHOWCASE
THIS MONTH: Sandy smith
All the time I was making this I was thinking of you, 2007
I never felt closer to you than this, 2010
32 THE SKINNY August 2010
My creative output swings between idea(l)s of melancholic romance, human/artistic striving and exuberant optimism, translated into works alternating between time-consuming repetitive endeavour and light-hearted immediate gestures. Since graduating in 2005 I have steadily worked through artistic mediums, developing a practice that utilises painting, performance, video and text, from a base grounded in sculpture and installation. My recurring interests in physical/mental exploration and the performative aspect of making were realised in a 3-month collaborative project in late 2008 with Alex Gross. The centre point of this project was a 9000-mile road trip around the western United States, punctuated by three solo exhibitions. Essentially a 3-month performance, it was a literal exploration of human endeavour and failure, modernism and hippy culture, and a jovial examination of the role of the artist/individual in relation to humanity's monumental hopes and ideals. Since returning to my individual practice I have continued to explore these ideas, with new works in painting, video and audio. These works have explored the 'instant' of creativity and its balance of chance, timing and intent. The appropriation of existing art motifs and styles in a process of 'designing' artwork has played a strong role in exploring this interest. I'm currently following a path of research combining an interest in the death/void of meaning exemplified by abstract sculpture, awkward desire, Bukowski, and that little spark of love/life/hope/desperation that links human beings. [Sandy Smith]
Lifestyle Untitled (balancing act #2), 2008
The object moved by its own success, 2008 (in collaboration with Alex Gross)
Waiting for Recurrence, 2008
Untitled drawing, in collaboration with Alex Gross, 2010
Fry my little mind, 2009
August 2010
THE SKINNY 33
Digital
Preview
The More We Get Together
review
Crackdown 2
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OUT NOW, Xbox 360, £49.99
The newest entry from the Dundee gaming veterans Ruffian, Crackdown 2 will easily split gamers into their constituent components: those who like story and strategy, and those who like to smash everything in their path. Frankly, the game rewards the latter, but the more clever your smashing, the more fun you’ll have. Returning to Pacific City a few years on from where the first game ended, players once again become a genetically-jacked-up super agent faced with hordes of terrorists by day and mutant freaks by night. It’s hard to remember you’re supposed to be saving the city and protecting the innocent when there are just so many of them, and so many
ways to take them out. To be honest, the physics are the real hero here, with crazy magnetic gravity guns setting up absurd stunts with the surrounding environment. Almost anything can be jumped over, blown up or chucked at the baddies, and the plot really takes a back seat once you send a propane tank screaming into a Freak’s face. The city is a massive sandbox to explore, and the powerup orbs hidden over the landscape insist that you do so. While you’re guided by your mysterious Agent contact, the order you choose to complete your missions is up to you. And that all comes to a head in the multiplayer, where all pretence is dispensed with and the contest to get the most creative kill comes in. A solid game, this, though without creativity on the player’s part, it’ll get repetitive quickly.[Alex Cole]
Preview
life.turns. Inspace 29 Jul through 26 Aug, 8pm
Illustration: Sam Brewster
Go to your Facebook page (don’t pretend you don’t have one). Check out your friends list. How many do you have there? Now actually go through the list and count how many you’d really invite to a party. Are the rest really your friends, or just people whose lives you’ve bumped only for a moment, and now you’re awkwardly hanging on like that old jar of salsa in the fridge you can’t bear to throw out? The Edinburgh Book Festival this month is hosting Are Friends Electric? hosted by the Genomics Forum, a panel discussion tackling whether the friends we have online truly count as friends, and how our social lives have changed now that we have a window into people’s lives who we’ve barely met. The line between an emotional connection with another human being and raw information is quickly being blurred. Facebook averages 130 friends per person, but biologists maintain that we can only manage a
34 THE SKINNY August 2010
set number of close friendships in our social lives. Twitter sees over 50 million tweets every day, but is there any relationship between the so-called friends we have online and the people we meet up with at the pub? Even if they are the same person, do they talk and sound the same from the digital to the real? And is stalking old school mates online as illegal as it is in real life? The panel features Jason Bradbury, Gadget Show host and one of the world’s most influential Twitterati, and Mariann Hardey, social media researcher and blogger extraordinaire, as well as more guests to be announced. Come ready with your own questions on who you know online, and if you really know them at all. [Alex Cole] Are Friends Electric?, 15 Aug, 6pm at the RBS Corner Theatre in the Edinburgh Book Festival, £10(£8) www.edbookfest.co.uk
Let’s go back... way back... to when ‘The Pipe Which Makes Fantasies Appear’ made its first appearance. I know what you're thinking, but there’s nothing wacky or baccy about what’s going on here. Let's just reclassify for a moment. We’re talking 180 AD, China and inventor Ting Huan. The pipe in question was an optical device driven by convection that would make pictures painted on translucent panels appear to move when they were spun just so. This was the earliest and most elementary form of the zoetrope, a term derived from the Greek words zoe – life and tropos – turn, and the earliest form of new media. Jump on forward to 1832, and British mathematician William George Horner invents its more modern incarnation. He dubbed it the Daedaleum, or The Wheel of the Devil (inventors eh?). Thirty years on and all around the world patents were being filed left, right and centre. The zoetrope had come of age. Each iteration of the original invention upheld one basic principle: how to produce an illusion of action from a series of static images. It’s the foundation of modern motion pictures. Now it’s 2010 and on 29 July the Edinburgh Art
Festival kicks off. New Media Scotland is playing host to a zoetrope factory at Inspace manned by Blipfoto, the online daily photo journal. Supported by one of this year’s ten Alt-w awards, their project life. turns. is a community-wide call to action that will put the festival into a crowdsourced spin. They need your help to revive the technology of the zoetrope. Gallery visitors and online participants are invited to contribute their own photographs. Members of the Blipfoto community will be on hand to help, and also output the images. There’s also a dedicated iPhone app you can download for free. The parameters are simple – each image is a still of a person walking. At the end of the exhibition the mass of images collected will be assembled into a film sequence to be deployed on Art Late Night using Pufferfish spherical display technology. Blip’s founder Joe Tree says, “Blip is made of thousands of individual lives and stories, but the best stuff happens when the community comes together and does something collectively. By working with Inspace to give the exhibit a tech savvy home base, it’s an opportunity to bring digital communities into real spaces, and real people into digital projects.” Spin the drum faster, if you want to go smoother. [Mark Daniels]
THE SICKNESS BY ALBERTO BARRERA TYSZKA
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READING
REVIEWS A GAME OF SORROWS BY SHONA MCLEAN
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‘The birth of medicine is irremediably bound up with the birth of negligence’ and other such musings are found within the two intertwining storylines of The Sickness. A long novella, the book could well be a guide to the philosophy of illness and medicine. It was originally written in Spanish, and so this naturally begs the question of the translated version: how closely does it parallel the original? Is one merely a shadow of the other? Without the capacity to appreciate and compare both works, I can say the English version more than holds its own in terms of tone, character and storytelling. The philosophy within the story is well pitched, gentle and suggestive, and despite the sinister and sceptical undercurrents, does not preach, but questions beliefs by provoking opinion on topics around medicine, illness, pain and death. The storylines engage two illnesses, one psychosomatic, one morbidly debilitating, which both compete to polarise the reader. The two stories revolve around the central character of Dr Miranda, though whether he is a weak fence sitter or a well tuned philosopher probably depends on your reaction to the following question: ‘Why do we find it hard to accept that life is pure chance?’ [Renée Rowland]
The year is 1628 and Alexander Seaton of Aberdeen finds himself called to Ireland to break a curse that has been placed upon his estranged family. That the O’Neills’ troubles are political rather than magical does not lessen the danger, and Alexander is unwittingly caught up in the plots and deception that swirl through the Emerald Isle. The narrative recounts the struggles that reverberate throughout Ireland’s history: struggles between the Anglo-Irish and those who will never accept an English union, and the clash of two faiths. These conflicts, familiar to a modern reader, give the novel an immediacy and relevance despite its often stiff tone. McLean is best when writing on Irish history and legend, as her characters, though well thought-out, seem like vehicles for the story rather than being memorable in their own right, and the protagonist is vaguely irritating. As an adventure story, it does not quite fulfil its purpose to thrill. However, as an insight into the complexity of Irish politics and social relations, it is fascinating, giving readers a glimpse into a world in which people will give all for their loyalties, a world which perhaps only those born into can fully understand. [Alice Sinclair]
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REVIEWS SCOTT-LAND BY STUART KELLY
rrrr
FROM THOSE WONDERFUL FOLKS WHO GAVE YOU PEARL HARBOR
TM and © 2010 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.
BY JERRY DELLA FEMINA
rr If you grow up in Edinburgh, it’s hard not to do so in the shadow of Sir Walter Scott, or at least the massive ‘steam-punk version of Thunderbird 3’ erected in his memory. Yet, as Stuart Kelly points out, few authors have risen and fallen so far in terms of reputation – from ‘Scotland’s Shakespeare’ to (according to Irvine Welsh) ‘arse-licker to the Prince Regent‘ – while having such a profound influence on the identity of their homeland. With modern day Scotland being a somewhat anomalous concept in terms of nationhood, Kelly convincingly argues that the internationally recognised idea of Scotland – Scott-land – is, whether we like it or not, largely derived from the work of the man called upon to organise the ‘King’s Jaunt‘ in 1822. This is no dry history; befitting the novelist who wrapped the corpulent George IV in the appropriated emblems of Jacobean rebellion, Kelly – a fellow Borderer who came to Edinburgh too –mixes biography and literary history with personal insights into his own growing appreciation of Scott. Not least the £5 that a nine year old Kelly won for an essay on a Scott Tour, that was wisely spent on a Star Wars PDT-8 troop transporter! [Paul F. Cockburn]
OUT NOW. PUBLISHED BY POLYGON. COVER PRICE £16.99 HARDBACK
Jerry Della Femina’s memoirs centre on his rise to fame in the lucrative advertising business in the 60s. It became an instant cult classic in its native America upon initial release in 1970, and helped to solidify the image of the womanising, chain smoking, borderline alcoholic ad men. The book was the inspiration behind the television series Mad Men, critically acclaimed for its amoral investigation of sleazy exec, Don Draper. However, it’s not as slick or cohesive as the series, often clumsily digressing into half-explained, quasi-interesting anecdotes, with Femina regularly switching between reinforcing and downplaying the stories of debauched antics on Madison Avenue. Femina uses clunky and often offensive anachronisms which can prove a strain after a while (expect the phrase “faggot killer”) and contemporary references to American advertising culture have similarly aged badly, necessitating absent references for an international audience. However, there is some salvageable material here: stories such as that of a replica machinegun ad depicting a boy gleefully killing Nazis and Vietcong, which managed to upset censors for all the wrong reasons, provide some fascinating, if not disturbing, insights into the unbalanced world of advertising. If you can stomach the political incorrectness, it’s worth a browse. [Rachel Bowles] OUT NOW. PUBLISHED BY CANONGATE BOOKS. COVER PRICE £8.99 PAPERBACK
For this month's extended coverage of Book events, turn to pages 9 and 24 as well as our top ten recommendations on page 78
25th - 29th August 2010
PLAY FREE THE LATEST VIDEO GAMES Festival Square, Lothian Road 26th - 29th Aug
GAME SCREENINGS Filmhouse, Lothian Road 25th - 26th Aug
Sessions from The Creative Assembly, Codemasters, Sony Playstation,Train2Game and Musicmantik For up to date information please visit our website
www.edinburghinteractive.co.uk AUGUST 2010
THE SKINNY 35
Lifestyle
DEVIANCE
SEX, TRUTH AND POLITICS
Queering the Corset A subculture within a subculture: Lashings of Ginger Beer bring queer, radical burlesque to the Fringe Text Morag Hannah Here is my confession: I don’t like burlesque very much. And not just because I’m a grouchy feminist. Burlesque, in my experience, necessarily combines a couple of my least favourite things. The first is women in corsets – I just prefer the way they look without them. Secondly, call me oldfashioned, but when I am watching a performer described as a ‘dancer’, I would like it if they had a sense of rhythm. Burlesque has always seemed to me to boil down to a pretty simple equation: take one or more performers, strap into corset, push on stage, jiggle a bit, remove corset - ta-da! The crowd goes wild! Oh, there are exceptions – there’s humour and farce and fun-poking, good acts and bad. But it’s not terribly thought-provoking – nobody wants to think too hard about enjoying what is essentially a vintage strip-show. Whether I like it or not, burlesque is having a resurgence, and so with corsetry and feathers and fishnets and frilly knickers gracing the boobs and bottoms of more and more mainstream performers, it’s ripe for a subcultural reinvention. It seems that this is beginning with the likes of Oxford-based troupe Lashings of Ginger Beer, bound for this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.
36 THE SKINNY August 2010
“Women’s magazines see the burlesque revival as ‘empower yourself by taking pole dancing lessons; impress your man with frilly knickers’,” says Lashings member Sebastienne. “Initially it seems to have picked up on certain aspects – specifically the girls in corsets – and left the politics behind, but the politics seem to be coming back in now – we’re one of a number of feminist burlesque acts around. Maybe it’s getting back to its roots.” So is ‘feminist burlesque’ an oxymoron? When presented with the concept of a ‘Queer Radical Feminist Burlesque Collective’ (or QRFBC), my first question was how they rationalised using the terms ‘radical feminist’ and ‘burlesque’ in the same breath. Don’t most self-identified radical feminists hate them right from their feathery fascinators down to their fishnetted toes? Only at first, apparently. “We’ve had people complain about us getting booked,” says Sebastienne, “saying ‘We don’t think burlesque is appropriate for a feminist festival’, who then turned into fans when they came to protest our show!” So what brought them round? “We’re trying to reclaim the word ‘burlesque’. It’s only since the 70s that it’s come to mean ‘stripping in a corset’. We are a variety show. There is some striptease. But primarily what we are doing is holding a mirror up to society, using exaggeration and parody to point out the ridiculousness of many of
We're trying to reclaim the word 'burlesque'. It's only since the 70s that it's come to mean 'stripping in a corset'
the attitudes that it holds. This is what burlesque was in music hall – a kind of political commentary. We parody the popular imagery of burlesque and striptease, twinning the visual performance with songs whose words highlight the anti-feminist implications of performing, watching and enjoying such a spectacle.” Which all sounds rather serious. The average burlesque show may not be deep, but it does tend to be a knowing, tongue-in-cheek affair. By approaching it as an opportunity to educate, aren’t Lashings in danger of falling into the much-mocked ‘feminist comic’ trap, where they treat the issues so respectfully that they cease to be entertaining? Education and entertainment are not mutually exclusive, I’m reminded. “Many of our acts use humour to make a serious point. For example, ‘Are You Sure You’re Straight?’ highlights how ridiculous – and downright offensive – some of the questions asked of queer people are, by reframing them as questions about straight people, in a way which is simultaneously funny and thought-provoking.” Which brings us to the ‘Q’ in QRFBC. There are an awful lot of labels here... “Our labels are all there for a purpose,” says Sebastienne. “We use ‘radical feminist’ with the intention of discussing the nature of radical feminism. We use ‘queer’ to show that we reject the heteronormative paradigm – the word takes in much more than just the LGBT umbrella. People can be ‘queer’ because they’re kinky, because they’re polyamorous – anything that diverges in terms of gender or sexuality from the romantic-comedy norm that boys and girls are brought up thinking is the only thing they are allowed to desire.” Lashings believe that power dynamics go to the very root of society, and that we need to radically reimagine gender and sexuality before society can be truly equal. “The patriarchy is structured around a gender binary. To fight it, it is helpful for us to recognise the binary, even if this is in terms of ‘people who benefit from this inequality’ and ‘people who are oppressed by this inequality’.” A member of the troupe, transfeminist stand-up Sally Outen, addresses these issues directly in her act – including taking great comic power from the ridiculousness of ideas of trans women as ‘undercover men’ bringing down feminism from within, empowering audiences by tearing apart street harassers, and discussing what she learned about the patriarchy from subtle differences in how she was treated pre- and post-transition. It’s a tall order – pleasing all the radicals at once is hard enough, but a bunch of random festivalgoers sheltering from the rain (you know it’s going to rain) could prove more difficult still. Are Lashings up to it? “I think it’s possible to be very funny and very thought provoking,” says Sebastienne. “If you’re having your ideas about the world challenged, it’s easier to take if it makes you laugh.” With an act that includes songs as diverse as Vagina Dentata, about tabloid representations of radical feminism, a Sapphic reworking of Taylor Swift’s Love Song, and a version of Cole Porter’s You’re The Top that takes on a meaning Porter probably didn’t originally intend, one would hope that everybody will find something to entertain. “Our hope is that everyone – radical activist or Daily Mail reader – would leave our show with a little more strength and understanding to go out and make the world a better place.” With that sort of mission even I might watch women jiggling about in corsets. Provided they have a sense of rhythm. C Central, Carlton Hotel, North Bridge, Edinburgh. £10.50/£9.50. 9.35pm, 15-30 Aug www.lashings.org
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August 2010
THE SKINNY 37
Film
He’s Got Soul Scottish actor Martin Compston grabs his dancing shoes for SoulBoy, a coming of age story set in the world of 70s Northern Soul Gail Tolley
Finding the Unexpected at the Fringe There’s a chance that film fans may feel a little lost in Scotland this month as the country’s attention turns to almost every other artform during the Edinburgh Festivals. There are a few film events taking place though – you just might need to look a little harder and maybe take a look at this month’s events column for some inspiration. I’ll never forget my first ever Fringe Festival where I stumbled across an unexpected sight while searching
for some filmic gems in the mass of comedy and theatre events. It was 2007 and there was apparently a short film event taking place in the early hours of the morning in a venue off the Royal Mile. I went in search of the place, which led me down a narrow close where a small sign with an arrow pointed to an unassuming side door. Inside, an uninterested festival attendant motioned upstairs and as an after thought said: “You might want to go quickly
38 THE SKINNY August 2010
though." I was still puzzling over this odd comment and trying to figure out exactly which room I needed when suddenly a door swung open in front of me. The sound of applause filled the corridor and out of the room filed 8 men and women, stark naked with wreaths of ivy on their heads. Needless to say I hotstepped it up the stairs to the sanctuary of a darkened room where a surrealist Russian short film was showing to 3 people.
Interview Gail Tolley He might be known for his gritty roles in films like Sweet Sixteen and Red Road but Martin Compston proves he can turn his hand to more light-hearted fare, and pull some dance moves on the way, in his latest film SoulBoy. The coming of age story is set in 1974, a time when Northern Soul fans across the UK made a weekly pilgrimage to the legendary Wigan Casino. The Skinny caught up with Scotland’s rising star to chat about the making of the film, learning to dance and what he thinks the Soul fans will make of the film. The film’s great fun to watch, was it just as much fun to shoot? Up and down. We were really up against it time wise, for the budget we had it was fairly ambitious. At some points there were six or seven hundred extras in a day and when you’re on a low budget it’s hard to control that. We did have a lot of fun. The dancing and stuff, I mean it’s really hard – I’ve got no dance background so to get that going was a stressful couple of weeks at first but once I got over my self-consciousness I really enjoyed it. It’s great once you have a bit of confidence because the music’s incredible, the music makes the film. Did you know much about the Northern Soul scene before you started? I didn’t, I’d heard bits of it. It was amazing to me – they’re so protective of it and so proud of it. I don’t know how they’re going to take to [the film]. They’ll love the music, obviously but they’re really protective over their scene and rightly so – they don’t court publicity at all. The reaction we’ve had so far has been great. A lot of the dancers in it are all original Wigan old boys and they had a great time. We stayed as true as possible where we could but you always have to have some artistic license otherwise it wouldn’t work. Did you speak to any of the original Northern Soul fans from the time? Yeah I lived with a guy called Keb Darge. He was one of the original Wigan boys, he’s a top Northern DJ and was one of the best dancers back in the day. He taught me how to dance. I was up at 8am dancing in his front room while he sat on his chair with a bamboo stick barking orders at me. That was an interesting couple of weeks but he became one of my best friends. On set we had a lot of the old-timers and they were very passionate about it. They just love dancing. I’ve been on a lot of sets where if you’re an extra and there’s hours and hours of hanging about; you just get bored
and want to go, but they couldn’t get enough of it. They just kept going and going. One day we were a wee bit behind and we had to shoot an 18 hour day and at the end of it they were saying, ‘Can you just leave the music on?’ so they could have a dance – it was incredible. How much practice did you have to do to get up to scratch with the dancing? It was about a month. I got quite good at it in the sense that if you were doing a basketball movie or a swimming movie you wouldn’t become a professional swimmer or a professional basketball player in a month, you just get up to filming standard. So I made my peace with that. The funny thing is that the stuff which looks good, the flips and the drops are easier with just a bit of fitness. It’s the natural rhythm in between breaks [that’s difficult], it honestly looks like they’re skating but that takes years and years of going every week to a Northern do to develop your own sort of style. What was it like working with the rest of the cast? Craig Parkinson, who’s my nemesis in the film became one of my best friends and Felicity [Jones] is one of the best actresses I’ve ever worked with, she’ll go really far. We just had a really good time. It’s always comforting when you know you’re working with actors who are good because essentially you’re trying to hold something together and you really need to be on your game. Did you have a favourite scene to shoot? There was one that didn’t make the film which I thought was incredible. It was an underwater scene because there was a big thing with Wigan after all-nighters, once they were finished they’d all go swimming in the morning and we shot this amazing underwater scene but it didn’t quite fit into the film. So are you now a big Northern Soul fan? I love it. We were a couple of weeks before filming and the dancing was getting a bit stressful for me. So we’d take a break and I’d go away and listen to my iPod and I’m a big indie kid so I’d go away and listen to some Kasabian or something. And one day I went on my break and we’d been listening to Northern Soul and on my break I was listening to Northern and that’s when it hit me – I really love this music. So from then I thought, right I’m into this and kicked it up a gear. The music is proper toe-tapping, it will carry the film itself. SoulBoy is out 27 Aug www.soulboythefilm.com
In celebration of the centenary of acclaimed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa we select five of his films which are essential viewing
Coming to a cinema near you While the many festivals taking place in Edinburgh this month might not be focused on film there are still a variety of events which will appeal to cinephiles. An exciting new addition to this year’s Fringe Festival is CineFringe Film Festival 2010 – an open entry short film festival offering an alternative to large scale film festivals. It takes place 11-28 August at the Symposium Hall in Edinburgh and consists of screenings, workshops and free interactive film events.
Sin Sangre
RashÔmon
Text Rachel Bowles One hundred years since his birth legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa still remains a huge influence today. A prolific auteur and dedicated perfectionist, Kurosawa painstakingly created his artistic visions in collaboration with his leading man, the formerly unknown, non-professional Toshirô Mifune. A phenomenally expressive actor with immense gravitas, Mifune delivered larger than life characterisations that rendered Kurosawa’s storytelling unforgettable. In a catalogue of films brighter than the Land of the Rising Sun it is difficult to choose highlights. However for the initiated and the wouldbe Kurosawa followers alike, here are some proposed choice cuts to feast upon. Rest assured, you will be in good company, as the Kurosawa fan club boasts members as diverse and exalted as George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola and Werner Herzog. STRAY DOG (1949) Kurosawa’s film noir directly engages with the changing socioeconomic climate of post-war Japan and the confused ‘après-guerre’ generation. Mifune plays a young detective, racked with guilt due to the loss of his stolen gun, who feels gravely responsible for the violence subsequently committed through its
use. Battling an unbearable heat wave in downtown Tokyo, his obsessive search leads him deeper into a seedy underworld of desperation and crime. RASHÔMON (1950) Through winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1951, the immense Rashômon effectively opened the floodgates to a wealth of Japanese cinema previously unknown to foreign eyes. Here Kurosawa investigates justice and memory altered by guilt, through differing accounts of a possible rape, murder or suicide amongst a bandit chancing upon a nobleman and his wife. In an iconic performance, Mifune embodies the feral physicality of a lion as the opportunistic bandit, pacing and snarling savagely throughout. SEVEN SAMURAI (1954) Kurosawa’s epic tells of seven masterless samurai courageously uniting in order to defend a desperate, poverty-stricken village against an onslaught of amoral bandits. Together with Rashômon, Seven Samurai is possibly the most influential and internationally celebrated of Kurosawa’s works. Many of its themes later became conceits within heroic narratives and spawned the Spaghetti Western genre, through John Sturges’ remake The Magnificent Seven.
THRONE OF BLOOD (1957) A favourite of literary royalty (T.S. Eliot included) and cinephiles alike, Throne of Blood is regularly cited as the best adaptation of Shakespeare to celluloid. No mean feat for a much changed, non-English language version which is as much Kurosawa’s as Shakespeare’s. Kurosawa employs the classical Japanese Noh theatre style, for a particularly eerie vision of Samurai Macbeth’s world. Mifune plays a fierce Macbeth, whose notorious death scene encapsulates terrifying authenticity, as expert archers fired real arrows mere centimetres away from the actor. DREAMS (1990) A series of shorts based on actual dreams Kurosawa had. Dreams involves climatic extremes, post nuclear visions of hell, humanist examinations of war and energy, ahead of its time environmentalism and a cameo by Martin Scorsese as a ‘lunatic’ Van Gogh. Kurosawa’s use of wobbling camera sights, artificial aesthetics and sudden changes of tone expertly communicate the surrealism and instability of a dreamlike experience. A retrospective of Kurosawa’s films continues throughout August at the GFT
As part of the Edinburgh International Festival there are two performances by Chilean theatre company Teatro Cinema who combine cinema and theatre to startling effect. Sin Sangre (28 Aug–3 Sep) is an adaptation of a novella by Italian author and playwright Alessandro Baricco. It’s dark and intense and recalls 1960s B-movie thrillers. The Man Who Fed Butterflies (29 Aug–4 Sept) is a poetic performance about an old man who is driven to perform a ritual by an extinct tribe to feed the butterflies on their annual migration. The performance combines wide-screen projection and traditional theatre methods to create a unique event which is a feast for the senses. The Cameo is offering audiences a chance to experience Impossible Things Before Breakfast on 23 August – a live satellite broadcast of five specially commissioned plays by such people as Enda Walsh and Marina Carr, two acclaimed Irish playwrights. This unique opportunity to watch theatre at the cinema is included as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Outside of the festival in Glasgow at the CCA on 12 August there is a chance to see Powell and Pressburger’s classic, I Know Where I’m Going, a film about a woman’s journey of self-discovery set in the Hebrides. Powell and Pressburger are just two of the filmmakers that are being honoured in the CCA’s new film strand, Distant Voices, which will be celebrating iconic British filmmakers and their innovative works. Keep your eye on upcoming additions.
The Royal Tenenbaums
Finally, head to the GFT each Sunday of the month to enjoy the films chosen by the cinema’s customers and staff via Facebook. Summer Sundays includes Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums, a cult comedy about a dysfunctional family boasting an enviable cast (Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston and Bill Murray to name a few) on 8 August, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amelie on 22 August: perfect Sunday viewing. [Becky Bartlett]
www.gft.org.uk
August 2010
THE SKINNY 39
Film
Stray Dogs and Samurai: Celebrating 100 Years of Akira Kurosawa
August Events
GAINSBOURG DIRECTOR: JOANN SFAR STARRING: ERIC ELMOSNINO, LUCY GORDON, DOUG JONES, LAETITIA CASTA RELEASED: 30 JUL CERTIFICATE: 12A
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Joann Sfar has subtitled his film about iconic figure Serge Gainsbourg ‘Vie héroïque’; whether the subject’s life deserves that description is open to debate, but in the hands of this debutant filmmaker it certainly is a remarkable tale to behold. Gainsbourg follows the artist from his childhood in Nazi-occupied France, through his triumphs, disasters and romances into his sad decline, but with a freshness and vitality that so many screen biopics lack. Gainsbourg himself is brought to life by Eric Elmosnino’s incredible performance, while Sfar has found equally uncanny likenesses for the key women in this tale (Laetitia Casta in an outrageously sexy cameo as Brigitte Bardot and the late Lucy Gordon as the long-suffering Jane Birkin). The picture is somewhat flawed however, suffering from an uneven structure and some hugely problematic pacing, particularly in the draggy, aimless final third. However, even if it never quite coheres, Gainsbourg remains a passionate and frequently thrilling tribute to a singular artist. [Philip Concannon]
MOTHER
THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES
DIRECTOR: JOON-HO BONG STARRING: KIM HYE-JA, BIN WON, KU JIN, YOON JAE-MOON RELEASED: 20 AUG CERTIFICATE: 15
DIRECTOR: JUAN JOSÉ CAMPANELLA STARRING: RICARDO DARÍN, SOLEDAD VILLAMIL, JAVIER GODINO, PABLO RAGO, GUILLERMO FRANCELLA RELEASED: 13 AUG CERTIFICATE: 18
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Mother is a thriller, but it’s also a comedy, a mystery, a satire and an emotionally resonant drama. Such a blend of seemingly disparate styles and tones is par for the course with Korean director Joon-ho Bong. The story is deceptively simple: a doting middle-aged mother (Kim Hye-ja) is devastated when her mentally-challenged son (Bin Won) is accused of a brutal murder. Convinced of his innocence she sets out to find the real culprit. However, nothing is ever that straightforward and Bong’s taut screenplay develops in surprising and sometimes shocking ways. Mother is shot and edited with wonderful precision, and Bong continues to stun with his unerring ability to strike a perfect balance between the film’s lighter and darker elements. There is also a delicacy and tenderness about Mother and Bong handles the powerful bond between parent and child perfectly, while Hye-ja’s fearless performance in the lead role brings an edge of underlying mania to her character that makes you wonder if mother really does know best. [Philip Concannon]
The Secret in Their Eyes was the surprise winner of the Best Foreign Language Film at the last Academy Awards, but underneath the glossy surface, Juan José Campanella’s film is a rather silly and flabby thriller. In its favour, the picture boasts a typically strong central performance from Ricardo Darín as the ex-investigator still haunted by a 20 year old murder case, and he shares a tangible chemistry with the female lead Soledad Villamil. Campanella orchestrates the action with plenty of style and assurance, and the film is undeniably a pleasure to watch thanks to Félix Monti’s lovely cinematography, but the director never really digs deeply into the emotions of his story, and much of the plotting strains credibility. The identification of a suspect from a sideways glance in an old photo (hence the title) and his obsession with a football team are particular groaners, and things don’t improve at the climax, with Campanella offering us a dénouement that’s both laughable and sentimental. [Philip Concannon]
4 4 1 . o n n o Reas
(The Saturday night
out)
There’s always a reason to visit St James
Tel: 0131 557 0050 www.stjamesshopping.com 40 THE SKINNY AUGUST 2010
Shoes by KG available from John Lewis.
FILM
FILM REVIEWS
Film
2010
Friday 30 July Monday 2 August
A long weekend of music, comedy, drama and physical theatre at the macrobert arts centre and venues around Stirling MUSIC
COMEDY
Susan Calman
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PHYSICAL THEATRE
A Northern Stage and Company of Angels Co-production
Mutatis Mutandis mPOWER Young Company Directed by
Decky Does a Bronco
Control led Fal l�ng Project
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Come along and spend the day at mFEST on the grounds of the University of Stirling. Entry to the grounds is free. Festival passes and individual tickets available
For tickets call the mFEST Tickets Line on: 01786 466666 or log on to www.m-fest.org to book August 2010 THE SKINNY 41
Performance
Text Phil Gatt With the eyes of the world turning to Edinburgh, there are still a few outposts of performance across Scotland. Glasgow’s Tramway – which has been concentrating on visual art for the past few months – has a week long run of a children’s show about the crusades, while the Tron has offered space to the Scottish Youth Theatre’s remix of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The Theatre Royal has two popular dramas visiting in August: a touring version of Alan Ayckbourn’s Bedroom Farce and an adaptation of Calendar Girls. While both of these appeal to traditional theatregoers, the Royal has a reputation for quality, and Bedroom Farce has retained its sardonic wit, and provides an insight into the domestic squabbles of couples, both young and old. Moving north to Dundee, the Rep is hosting Return to the Forbidden Planet. This is another perennial favourite: despite its popularity, it is an intriguing mixture of cinema adaptation, Shakespeare and science fiction. An ambitious project for Dundee School’s musical theatre, it will take full advantage of the Rep’s versatile space. A venue that doesn’t often get mentioned in The Skinny is the Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Rather isolated, in the middle of beautiful countryside, the PFT runs an annual season of plays, from musicals to classic farces, that entertain tourists and locals throughout the summer. This year’s programme includes Kiss Me Kate- another Shakespeare-based musical, with choreography by Chris Wilson, better known to the central belt as Tom of the Kitsch Kats, and the co-creator of The Mating Ritual. Pitlochry has been running for many years, and the work is often represented in the annual Critics Awards. Despite the location, PFT has become an increasingly imaginative and powerful force in Scottish theatre. An adventurous retelling of Zola’s Nana will be one of this year’s highlights, exploring the tale of a woman who stars in a burlesque show: another example of the past reflecting our present society, perhaps. For those who really love a musical, the Aberdeen Arts Centre is hosting a challenge: the Twenty Four Hour Musical. A charity event on 7 August, it follows hard on the opening of an envelope, and tells the Just
42 THE SKINNY August 2010
Actors appearing at The Pitlochry Festival
Cause company which production they will be staging – a day later. A real “let’s do the show right here” approach, and all in aid of a good cause. Beyond the Fringe, it is relatively quiet – Pitlochry is more dynamic than either Dundee or Glasgow. Nevertheless, it is possible to catch a few shows that won’t be obscured by flyers, tourists and the mad rush of a thousand shows – the show, as always, must go on! 24 Hour Musical Aberdeen Arts Centre 7 Aug, 7.30pm £12, Pitlochry Festival Various events, every day in August – see website for details www.pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com
Beyond The Fringe
Is there art beyond Edinburgh in August? The Skinny investigates
preview
Art
preview Insert Tiara @ SWG3 31 jul - 19 Aug
Someone has thought it a good idea to show the work of Michael White and Lila de Magalhaes in an intimate two man show. Both these New Work Scotland veterans have distinctly divergent practices. Michael White makes dirty, big sculptures that only someone of his proportions could conceivably make, while Lila de Magalhaes is best known for unsettling videos peopled by odd characters in wigs. Pretty messed up, you might be thinking to yourself. Well you’re probably right. In a sneak preview of his work White revealed some unwieldy looking objects that are as uncompromising as they are aesthetically subversive. Towering plaster forms, all craggy and mottled with colour, sit heavy on the studio floor. He points to a spiky bit of plastic at the base of one sculpture and explains that it’s a nose, soon to be framed by an equally crude mouth and eyes. De Magalhaes, the more cerebral of the two, has been making some videos involving a guy with a yellow face. Marrying humour with the disturbing, she’ll draw on the carnivalesque and notions of urban shamanism. Inspired by the films of Harmony Korine, amongst other things, Magalhaes looks to exhibit a multi-screen video installation alongside sculptures and drawings. Expect to see objects made out of foodstuffs that highlight the sordid domesticity of her videos. Perhaps not as oddly matched as you might think, both White and de Magalhaes are interested in the staged and the theatrical. What is more, they share a similarly carefree attitude to making art. “We’re just doing what we want to do,” de Magalhaes explains. Looks like it’s going to get messy. [Andrew Cattanach] Wed-Sat 12-6pm www.swg3.tv
For A, C, P and W, Jonathon Long, 2010
Black and White @ David Dale Gallery & Studios 7-15 Aug & 21-29 Aug
Recently set up by embarrassingly young Glasgow graduates, the David Dale Gallery & Studios already looks to be a prominent part of the Scottish art scene. With their recent show of site specific work by the Edinburgh based artist Kevin McPhee, the gallery set a high bench mark for future shows to strive towards. With their upcoming members’ show (and with members including Rachel MacLean, Maximilian Slaven and Desmond Church) there shouldn’t be a problem this time round. To avoid the clutter of the salon-style rammy typical of members’ shows the adroit committee has decided to create a two part, themed show, one entitled Black (7-15 August) and the other White (21-29 August). The participating artists are expected to produce a wide range of work that will not only look at the formal aspects of these two tones but also the deeper
connotations that they might imply. Curiously, we are told, those working in the medium of film and video have chosen to exhibit in the Black component of the exhibition while those more inclined to wall based works and an implicit critique of the white cube space, common of contemporary galleries, have tended toward the White. A hub of creativity in the heart of Bridgeton, Glasgow, the gallery also plays host to sporadic ‘crit sessions’ where artists are invited along to display and discuss work in progress, making for a relaxed and open atmosphere where practitioners can examine work like they once did, many moons ago, when still at art school. Critical awareness is a skill too often lacking in an art scene and it’s about time that we stepped beyond the mindless dichotomy of good and bad. It’s not always so black and white, after all. [Jonathan Williams] Open Fri - Sun 12-5pm www.daviddalegallery.co.uk
Edinburgh Napier University and Queen Margaret University jointly offer new courses
Acting for Stage and Screen September 2010 Acting and English September 2011 Interested? Email d.Soto-Morettini@napier.ac.uk
School of Arts & Creative Industries
www.napier.ac.uk + 44 (0) 8452 60 60 40
August 2010
THE SKINNY 43
Music
Chk The Forecast
!!!'s Nic Offer talks about the spirit of punk and why it's quite alright for a band to be at each other's throats Text Paul Mitchell Photo Takeshi Suga
Dave Kerr
The Badlands Cypress Hill, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Jay-Z... oh stop it rap promoters, you’re spoiling us. If last year was the summer of stadium rock, then 2010 surely belongs to the godfathers of arena rap. I didn’t catch Snoop’s set at the Academy earlier in July, but hazily remember watching his 2Pac tribute at the Barras in my teens (then pushing my pal’s brother’s buckled car halfway back from Glasgow at 4am to make an exam the next morning). It was the first hip-hop gig I’d been to, and the only time I’ve seen a ginger-haired Glaswegian man with French-braids dressed like he came from Compton. Since then, I more or less lost track of Snoop’s career (it got too weird when he started pushing porn and custom Cadillacs – the “Snoop DeVille”), but it was a memorable introduction to a more communal experience than too many guitar bands
44 THE SKINNY August 2010
often have to offer. MCs are deeply concerned about just how good a time you’re having, apart from those few who sell signed jazz mags from the side of the stage for a fiver or send imposters to lip synch their set two hours after they were due on, (I’m looking at you, Kool Keith and MF DOOM). So if HOVA’s failing sound disappointed you at T while you were trapped wazzing in a cup in the middle of the crowd, then rounding off this summer comes a last minute date at the Academy from Staten Island’s legendary Wu-Tang Clan, which Raekwon reassures us will be another ‘Wu banga’. Of course, the old lyrical thuggery, drug banter, and casual misogyny is somewhat frowned upon these days, but nobody beats Wu-Tang when it comes to raw, unbridled chemistry and RZA’s peerless, grimy, neck-breaking beats. Bring that Ruckus.
“I don’t want to talk about the name!” !!!’s Nic Offer amiably lays down a few ground rules as we sit down backstage at Glasgow’s Arches. And in the spirit of his request, we won’t, really. It’s been a topic of discussion since the Californian dance-punkers came into being in 1996, and though somewhat self-inflicted, one can see why he might be tired of dealing with the subject matter after such a period of time. Fortunately, everybody’s since settled for ‘Chk Chk Chk’. And with a new album, Strange Weather Isn’t It (no doubt in part a homage to the Scottish ‘summer’) on the way, it’s perfectly understandable there are more pressing points of conversation. For the newcomers the latest !!!, ahem, Offering may attract, Nic has some helpful advice. “Ok, so fair enough you can’t Google the band name but you can surely Google an interview of me talking about it. Otherwise we’re just retreading old ground and where’s the interest in reading that?” Turns out the new album title is more a reflection on the experiences of the band over the past couple of years. There have been line-up changes since their last album, the well-received Myth Takes (2007) and last December the band’s former drummer Jerry Fuchs tragically died after taking a fall down an elevator shaft. Offer, in this case very respectfully, doesn’t want to discuss that either. What he does say is that the bulk of their work to date has generally contained an autobiographical angle. “The first song on our first album is about us as friends and what that meant. When we got to this record our relationships with each other felt different, but at the same time we didn’t feel like it needed to be about pointing fingers or blaming any individual about the turmoil; it was just what everyone had to go through. So, not a complaint, merely an admission that it was... strange weather.” When he talks about ‘everyone’, he means it; there are currently eight members of the !!! entourage, and it’s been freely admitted before that they don’t always see eye to eye. So how was it this time out? “It was tough as usual,” Offer admits. “We never argue more than when we’re in the studio. That’s our main fighting time. Jamming is great but once we start writing the songs that’s when the backbiting starts. Once we finish the tracks and we’re out on the road, then it’s great again.” Is this not quite a draining process after 14 years? “Actually, I think it’s down to a minimum compared to other bands,” says Offer. “I think we’re used to having our feelings hurt and maybe that’s also why over the past two records we’ve made better albums because we got used to getting our points across without offending people, too much.” Strange Weather, Isn’t It was recorded in Berlin, as per luminaries such as Depeche Mode and David Bowie. So, was it an attempt to tap into that city’s near-mythical aura of darkness? “Eh, no! I think it would be enjoyable, in any job, to have to pick up and go to a new town for a few months. If you’re an accountant, and you have to go to Berlin for a few months and ‘account’ then it’s going to be a lot of fun. Creatively, musically, I feel it’s stimulating to be in a new environment. Berlin’s got an aura and buzz which is easy to get under your skin.” But was it a factor in why Offer thinks that this
“We never argue more than when we’re in the studio. That’s our main fighting time” Nic Offer is the best work !!! have done to date? “There are certain songs which may have been affected by the environment, but I think mainly it helped us be a lot more focused. I’m a big fan of taking your record, playing it for someone and watching when their eyes wander. I don’t want anyone to be bored at any second or thinking about anything else. I want them to be paying attention to it.” !!! were one of the first bands (if not the first act) to be saddled with the ‘dance-punk’ label, currently attributed to the likes of Liars, The Rapture, and possibly even LCD Soundsystem. Does Offer feel that their music paved the way for acts such as these? In a much more self-effacing manner than the words suggest, he says: “I don’t think anyone argues the point that we’ve done that at least, everyone can check the dates on their records.” He continues; “At the same time I don’t think we ‘started it all’ or anything. We just happened to ride the crest of our own wave. I hope we won’t be patting ourselves on the back anymore than we need to, I know it was going to happen anyway. There have been bands that made things click for me and I’m sure we also make things click for other people.” So, saddled with a label all of their own, what does Offer think most signifies the spirit of ‘punk’? “To me it’s something you can see in a musician when they play, like soul. There’s a certain ‘fuck it, I’m going for it’ attitude that comes across as punk.” And are !!!, under this definition, worthy of the label, or could it apply to just about anyone who plays with gusto? Offer’s response is circumspect. “That’s a problem of labelling which effects every single genre or band. Sex Pistols didn’t think they were punk, Roxy Music didn’t think they were Glam, Warp doesn’t think it’s an IDM label. Nobody thinks that they’re that with which they get categorised. Take Glam; Roxy Music is totally different to T-Rex, Bowie or Sparks but it still somehow makes sense they should be under that banner. It’s their burden to try and break out of that genre, to push it so that it isn’t just the cliché of that genre. I feel pretty confident that we’re not in any way generic!!!” Strange Weather Isn’t It is released via Warp on 24 Aug www.chkchkchk.net
OutKast feat. Goodie Mob – Git Up, Git Out [Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, 1994] alisticadillacmuzik This is definitely a form of motivational speaking; it’s there to motivate the listener to do something with their life. Instead of sitting around waiting on it to fall in your lap, you’ve got to go get it. OutKast – B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad) [[Stankonia, 2000] Bombs Over Baghdad is so adventurous – you have to get the video as well. It’s like a trip; high-powered, high energy, electronic. The lyricism is fast-paced as well, it’s very upbeat. OutKast – Unhappy [SpeakerBelow, 2003] boxxx/The Love Below This gives you a take on my family life; I talk about how I came up and my mom and dad’s relationship from a kid’s standpoint – how I was raised – just to give the listener a little background on that. Purple Ribbon All-Stars – Kryptonite (I’m On It) [Got 2, 2005] Purp? Vol 2 This is just a go crazy, wild-type, set-the-club-on-fire song. It’s a little something to say ‘we can get the party started any time we want to’.
Back Up Plan As one half of the peerless OutKast, Antwan “Big Boi” Patton incrementally conquered the globe with sublime fusions of futuristic funk and hip-hop. Never shy of a vocation, the MC, producer, pit bull breeder and rap ballet composer returns as Sir Lucious Left Foot for another go this month Interview Dave Kerr SIR Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty was three years in the making and had a few false starts. What got in the way? Just label red tape – politricks – you know. Trying to get the label to understand the music, but we came to an agreement and they let me go to Def Jam, back with [chairman and CEO] L.A. Reid, and now everything is everything. I’ve been on track, even with all that stuff going on, I still stayed recording – and that’s what it’s about. You’ve got to stay recording, keep putting your ideas down. Has character rapping, and the fantasy that aliases like this one brings, played a big part in your development as an MC? Oh yeah, most definitely, man. It’s a new personality – it’s like when Luke Skywalker became a Jedi. Dead serious; I’m fiercely into my craft, I love making music – this is what I was put on this earth to do. Sir Lucious Leftfoot is your knight in rhyming armour, a crusader of funk as such – and I’m not to be messed with. Has the subject matter of what you write about changed much, from OutKast’s debut in ‘94 to date? Nah, it hasn’t changed. You’ve got to talk about your life. Albums are time capsules and what you’re doing, basically,
is letting the consumer know what’s been happening in your life since the last time they heard you. Whether it’s relationships, politics, to just having fun sometimes. As long as the listener can feel where you’re coming from, that’s all it’s about – making the listener feel you. Your music has always been convincingly eclectic and futuristic. Are those qualities that you’ve always consciously looked for in the studio? The whole basis of me and Dré [AKA OutKast’s André 3000] making music, from the start, was that we wanted to be separate from the norm. We always wanted to be on the outskirts, never wanted to follow trends – we wanted to set them. To do so you have to be experimental, and man, I’m a funk scientist. Where do you find inspiration, in-between albums? It definitely comes from within; you just really have to know what you’re here for. Music makes me happy, when you create that ultimate groove or you write that bomb-ass verse, and you do it at the hours of three or four in the morning. You wake up around noon or so, you push play and it’s still jamming. That is something you can’t replace. You produced the highest selling hip-hop album of all time with Speakerboxxx/The Love Below – a huge achievement in the new
millennium, particularly for a double LP. Has that been a lot to live up to? Nah man, there’s no expiration date on thought. You can do this as long as you want to, as long as your
“IT'S LIKE WHEN LUKE SKYWALKER BECAME A JEDI. DEAD SERIOUS; I'M FIERCELY INTO MY CRAFT” BIG BOI
Big Boi feat. George Clinton Sorrows [Sir Lucious – Fo Yo Sorrows Dusty, Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty 2010] This is basically saying ‘blow that shit out’, don’t let something stress you out so badly that it breaks you. Nothing is that serious; you’ll get past it.[Big Boi]
heart’s in it and you’re making music that’s true to you, you’ve got to do it. One thing about me and Dré is we never look back; once we do something we don’t look back and say ‘how do we make it bigger than that?’ The name of the game is not to make it bigger than the last thing you do, but to get in a certain space where you can still make the listener feel you. What does the future hold for OutKast? After we both put out these solo albums there’s an OutKast project that we’ve been working towards getting to, we’ll keep you posted. Can you tell us anything about it? Top secret, I can’t say nothin’. It probably won’t be out this year. You’ve bred pit bulls and moved into composing music for ballet in the last few years, while at the same time you branched out into film and TV acting. What’s left on the bucket list? You said once that you might run for Mayor of Atlanta one day – was there any seriousness to that? That was just me joking around with my mom one day. She was like ‘you can run for mayor’. But I’m real big on community service, so I have my Big Kidz Foundation, with that I can do everything I want to as far as social services go. It’s about preparing kids for the future – teaching them public speaking – so I have my way of giving back, and I’m big on giving back. It’s better to mould a young mind than it is to repair a broken man. You’ve got to start out when they’re young. If you were given the authority or magic wand to do so, what key thing would you change about the music industry today? The level of creativity; there’s a lack of creativity in music where there’s just a lot of biting going on. Biting is whack – people need to stop that. Be your own self and stop trying to be like everybody else. SIR LUCIOUS LEFT FOOT: THE SON OF CHICO DUSTY IS OUT NOW ON DEF JAM BIG BOI WAS LINING UP A SCOTTISH DATE FOR LATER IN THE YEAR AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS WWW.BIGBOI.COM
AUGUST 2010
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MUSIC
FIVE STEPS TO BIG BOI
Music
Like Voltron
As Wu-Tang Clan get ready to swarm on Glasgow, Raekwon mentally prepares us for the real hip-hop gig of the summer Interview Dave Kerr Raekwon is quite rightly “chillin’, relaxin’, and shit.” With the forthcoming Wu-Tang – Reunited in Full Force tour on his mind, ‘The Chef’ needs to conserve his energy before Fight Music comes to the Academy on the first of the month. “That’s what we call the music with a lot of energy,” he snarls. “Bring da Ruckus, Protect Ya Neck, 4th Chamber, Reunited – a lot of classics... Wu brings plenty of Fight Music.” Yes, the hardest working men in hip-hop are finally coming to Glasgow with full personnel (sans – of course – the late, great Ol’ Dirty Bastard). Any Wu connoisseur who watched promoter Chang Weisberg scrape and hustle to bring the Clan together for what would be their last performance with ODB in the 2006 concert documentary Rock the Bells will appreciate what it takes to put the Staten Island crew in the same room. “In the old days you’d get like three or four guys showing up,” lamented Wu’s de facto leader, RZA, when we spoke to him in 2008. Referencing their first full tour since Ol’ Dirty’s death (including a triumphant Slam Tent appearance at T in the Park), there was an ambiguous air of finality in his voice. “I think, even if we never do it again, we did good already.” Fastforward to 2010, and Raekwon sees a brighter future for the Wu-Tang; this tour is just the jump off. When we last spoke to RZA he regretted the time when fans never knew who they’d get at a Wu-Tang show. Are those days over? When you’re dealing with a group such as our size – shit
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happens. There may be a family emergency, or something pertaining to somebody’s health. These are the things we can never run from. But I think, at the end of the day, our hearts are always there to represent each and every one of us. That’s the strong thing about having a group, because you’ve gotta move on if one of your brothers can’t make it. I hate to see the fans get disappointed when they don’t see everybody that they’re supposed to, but five minutes later, once the shows start rocking and the songs start coming on – we sing all our music. Surely not, there are dozens of Wu-Tang affiliated albums now. Is it a battle to get your songs on the setlist? Yeah [laughs]; when you think of each guy making 100 songs apiece and more in some cases, we’ve got a lot of tricks up our sleeve. It’s always been a competitive sport with each member in the group. We all made our own bones in the game, and the competition is what makes us stronger. But once we get out there on the road we’re definitely going to get into our thing. It seems to be another productive time for you at the minute. Besides the tour, what else can we expect before the end of the year? I’m working on a movie I wrote that’s called CREAM – Cash Rules Everything Around Me – and you’re going to be seeing the cheese in the next couple of weeks, based on what we’ve done. It’s a biopic film that is literally going to take you into the world I’m talking about on my records. That’s in the making right now.
You enjoyed solo success with Cuban Linx II last year, are ‘sequels’ to classic albums the future for Wu-Tang? There was a lot of hard work put into that album, a lot of creativity – a strong list of hard-headed producers that really wanted me to win. We’ve got Shaolin vs Wu-Tang; that’s coming out of my catalogue, but it’s gonna be another Wu-Tang banger. A lot of songs on there are going to let people know that we’re back in our typical Wu-Tang chamber. GZA’s got Liquid Swords II coming, Method Man’s got an album coming – Crystal Meth. This year’s also the fifteenth anniversary of Cuban Linx, so we’re repackaging Cuban Linx II with some new cuts on it. There’s a lot of great music still to come from us. Who else is involved in Shaolin vs Wu-Tang? Black Thought is a good friend of mine and he volunteered his services on Shaolin vs Wu-Tang. He killed his verse on there, like God Damn – I mean,
“We all made our own bones in the game, and the competition is what makes us stronger” Raekwon
there are guys in the game I’m a big fan of and he’s definitely one of them. He comes from a strong group as well. I tell you, I sent something over for Thought to guest on that was hot, and this motherfucker – he tore that shit down. Just be ready for it. There’s going to be a few Wu cats on it, I couldn’t really reach out to everybody because it becomes a little difficult sometimes. I just wanted to have a piece of the family up there that would be able to bring something to the table. I want to keep you surprised a little bit about who you’ll hear on there, but we didn’t pull the whole Clan on this one. The Wu-Tang Clan I saw on stage at T in the Park a few years ago was a galvanised unit – you looked like a proper gang again. What glued you back together? Humility – just being ourselves. Not allowing ourselves to be too cocky about our superstar status. We’ve always been grounded; every guy in the crew is humble. I think we’ve just got that old soul in us that’s never going to change – we come from a hard struggle. We’re never going to forget that, if you don’t focus, you could be right back to where you started. We stay grounded in reality because we know everything that’s good ain’t gold. Take me, I’m a simple dude; I listen to a lot of what everybody else thinks, but at the same time I still stay true to the art of making hip-hop. I grew up in hip-hop, so I feel like it’s in my bloodline to stay in tune to it. When I walk out the door of my house and people still salute me and say ‘Yo, Raekwon, you’re the greatest’, or whatever it may be – that gives me the energy to go out there and say ‘You know what, I’ve still got another day to make it happen again.’ And I’m gonna continue to do that. Wu-Tang Clan play 02 Academy, Glasgow on 1 Aug www.wutang-corp.com
Music © 2010 Jack Daniel’s. All rights reserved. JACK DANIEL’S and OLD NO. 7 are registered trademarks.
ONLY JACK DANIEL KNOWS WHAT OLD NO. 7 MEANS. AND WE WON’T BE HEARING FROM HIM ANYTIME SOON.
Was it the number seven train that carried his barrels across the land? Or was seven simply his lucky number? Truth is, no one knows the origin or significance of “Old No. 7” on our label. Except Mr. Jack. And he’s not talking.
It’s no mystery. Always drink responsibly.
August 2010
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Music
All the Folk
Side Show – the anticipated debut from eightpiece Scottish-Canadian supergroup The Burns Unit – is bound for release this August. We invited the players involved to introduce it with a track-by-track guide to the writing process From this, we hope you might get the tiniest insight into our heads, or even a wee whiff of musky rehearsal room after five days of coffee and cakes. – Mattie Foulds, July 2010 1. Helpless To Turn Emma played some beautiful chords; I heard a melody and suggested some lyrics; Kenny and Karine paced for what seemed like hours, testing out phrases, scratching out ideas, while we were backstage before a show. I remember feeling almost ill with the potent brew of anxiety and elation in the air while we put the pieces together. We spared no truths in this song – nothing in it feels like a lie. [Michael Johnston] 2. Since We’ve Fallen Out On any workshop related jolly, there’s always one swotty type who has to work longer and harder than everyone else, and in our Burnsong house that taskmaster was MJ. The teatime pudding bowls had no sooner hit the sink when we’d be dragged back to the piano in the livingroom, to write, write, write yet more depressing Canadian folk songs until we were all falling about pumping with laughter. [King Creosote]
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3. What is life? Working with MC Soom T was easily the most productive songwriting exercise of the Burnsong week for me. The pair of us cobbled together five songs in just over two hours. All credit goes to Soom, though – faced with a bulging A4 folder crammed with the odd thousand or so pages of machine gun rapid fire lyrics, I felt I had to show off my three chord arsenal where normally two would complete the mission. Such is the talent in the rest of the company that you might imagine a fourth chord now and again. At ease. [King Creosote] 4. Majesty Of Decay Sushil (K. Dade, AKA Future Pilot AKA) was in his element in the summer house, riffing away in sunshine colours, which reminded me of a beautiful, cloying, day in Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow. We worked the song from the bass up, my recollections providing lyrics – the park was pungent in the heat, and pulsing with a vibrant, chaotic energy. A wee boy ventured his hand through a fence to grasp a beautiful flower (albeit a weed) for his mum, and handed it to her with a beaming smile…the pace, noise, and heat of the day seemed to disappear in that mystical moment. [Kim Edgar]
The Burns Unit (from L-R): Michael Johnston; Kim Edgar; Mattie Foulds; Emma Pollock; MC Soom T; King Creosote; Karine Polvart; Future Pilot AKA
5. Future Pilot AKC Set the controls for the heart of the sun... the Pilot navigates through guitar structures created by His Majesty (King Creosote) using the electric bass as his company. Dub bass and the spirit of Godspeed You! Black Emperor provide the backbone to Creosote’s haunting poetry and divine chordal interventions. Composed in a beach-hut on the Solway Firth, this song which was born in such a primitive manner has subsequently been ‘coloured in’ tastefully by the band to become the full 3-D version which appears on Side Show. [Future Pilot AKA] 6. Send Them Kids To War Send Them Kids To War is a song dissecting my own opinion regarding war and the employment of civilians as young as 16 to join the army with an 18 year old legally allowed to wield, fire and use a gun to kill fellow human beings at the behest of a higher authority. It explores why I think it’s a lot of nonsense, how I believe a certain social group are indoctrinated into not only perceiving sending their children to war as acceptable but even heroic and pride instilling and why I think it is huge pile of steaming bullshit. [Soom T] 7. Trouble I’d had the melody to this song recurring regularly in my head for years but I’d never managed to do anything with it until we tried it with The Burns Unit one day during a rare rehearsal opportunity. I suspected that with all the voices it could sound really good, and I’m really happy with the way the end has turned out – almost a cappella – with all the female voices intertwined around one another. A really simple song but one that allowed us to get the retro keyboard sounds out so that has to be a good thing. [Emma Pollock] 8. You Need Me To Need This Writing this with Michael Johnston was a real pleasure. Again, I had the melody line and structure
in my head for months before I arrived at the house. However I didn’t have the piano playing expertise to be able to do anything with it and then when it came to Michael and I sitting down to write together that week at the Burnsong House it all came together. I love how it’s turned out and especially love the Ennio Morricone bit in the middle when everything slows and the accordion kicks in. Ridiculously different to anything I would write as a solo artist but I guess that’s the point really isn’t it? [Emma Pollock] 9. Sorrys I was doodling away on my tenor guitar during a rehearsal for a show when Michael started singing over the riff. We sketched a tune on the spot and then worried away at some words overnight in teams of two lads and two lassies, arriving back next day with two quite different songs. Agreeing to blend them into one lyric was a bit of test of collaborative mettle but made it a better song than either version. And it was lovely to come up with something that started out fragile, and stayed that way. [Karine Polwart] 10. Blood, Ice and Ashes This one started because we needed more Kim. Her lyrical piano style was underrepresented. A murder ballad then, ya? Karine! You’re the only one here that can do that! So after hearing a thing Kim was playing, Karine went home and thought some bad thoughts and Kim thought some more bad thoughts and together they got this thing that was a wee bit Tori and a wee bit Nick, cool. Then Emma came out with the biggest riff since Elbow’s Grounds For Divorce. That made me play very loud, and I liked it. Add in some spooky keys and we’re there. Bone chilling stuff I think. [Mattie Foulds] Side Show is released via Proper Music on 2 Aug The Burns Unit play O2 ABC, Glasgow on 4 Aug and The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh on 9 Aug www.theburnsunitband.com
Music
Exploding the Myths Jamie Reynolds shows off about how great everything is for Klaxons, but only because they take lifestyle advice from their producer Text Paul Mitchell Photo Alan Dunlop Jamie Reynolds is happy. Very happy it seems, to the point that he makes reference to that very fact at least every five minutes. But it’s difficult not to warm to someone so at ease with themselves and also heartening to note that the joyful effervescence that he and his Klaxons bandmates bring to their music is not a front. In fact, he goes so far as to say, “In fact, I’ve never been happier.” OK, we’re biting. What’s the secret? “It’s all to do with the band. I think we’ve all exceeded ourselves and everyone’s role has just clicked.” So there we have it, the secret to a life of contentment is to be a member of a Mercury-prize winning outfit on the cusp of releasing a follow-up that, with the tasters we’ve had so far, seems to be going down very well indeed. Surfing The Void sees the Klaxons moving very firmly into ‘rock’ territory, no doubt influenced by the input of producer Ross Robinson, the thrash metal guitarist who has overseen work from the likes of Korn, At The Drive-In, Slipknot and even The Cure. Reynolds is very quick to give acclaim to the American, whilst stating that Klaxons remain “first and foremost a pop band.” As with the debut Mercury winner, Myths of The Near Future, named after a short story collection by sci-fi writer J. G. Ballard, Surfing The Void is laden with otherworldly references. Reynolds elaborates: “The album contains a lot of esoteric ideas. But primarily the message in the record is that, things are at their absolute best when you celebrate positivity and loving living in the moment. I was reading stuff from a woman called Simone
Friel. She’s a French writer, post-World War I and it’s just extraordinarily life-affirming. It resonated with where my head’s at in terms of trying to be at our best as often as we can. That’s the kind of thinking that filtered through this record and it’s through her I got the idea of the void, which is this missing part in people’s lives. Surfing that void is a reference to trying to make the best of a bad situation; it’s something which is referential to us and our experiences in the past couple of years.” With reference to the past couple of years, Reynolds is keen to quash notions of discord between the band and their record label Polydor. Early last year, it had been reported that the Klaxons had presented material for their second album, only for it to be flatly rejected by the label for not being ‘commercial enough’. “That’s not the truth,” he clarifies. “We didn’t ever attempt to make a record and then tell Polydor that this was what we wanted to come out. Over a period of time we made a big batch of songs but never presented any of it as our second record. For the first time after two years of us messing about in the studios they asked what we’d done. We gave it to them and they said ‘with all the love and support in the world you’ve got to go and make some more songs’. The sad thing about the rejection angle is that it makes out that we’re not being allowed to do whatever we want to do, and what we want to do is release the record we’ve just made which we’re 100% happy with. The other sad thing is that it also suggests that the record company doesn’t support us when the reality is they’ve been the most supportive people throughout this entire time.” The ‘big batch’ Reynolds is referring to will be released next year as in the form of a five-track EP
of “sixties sounding psychedelic rock” and an album of “weird, experimental, blippy, glitchy electronic music” that they worked on with Simian founder James Ford, who produced their debut. “We’d gotten to the point where we weren’t making songs as such, just weird noise using mics and pedals. That was the most fun that we had whilst sitting there not thinking about songs for the album. We were like ‘Ok, let’s make some stupid music’. When people hear it they’ll understand that we weren’t at all thinking about making a second Klaxons record. There’s just weird drone music with us singing about trees.” The success of the debut album wasn’t just critical. Reaching number two in the charts, it was also responsible for coining the phrase ‘new rave’, which started off as a minor in-joke before becoming a cult all of its own. “I think it’s absolutely
“Ross made James and I dump our girlfriends. He just didn’t think that they were very good for us. Particularly mine" Jamie reynolds
fucking mind-blowing what happened there,” says Reynolds. “What’s exciting about the new rave thing was that it was global. A music scene normally comes from a city or place. With new rave, there were bands from South America, Australia, Europe, North America, Japan; it didn’t have a specific base, just a bizarre, wonderful, worldwide music scene.” What exactly, to the progenitors then, is new rave? “It’s like a celebration; making sure that music is about creating the celebratory moment and living in that moment and enjoying it.” So, with a cult movement all of their own making, surely there was a feeling of immense pressure to follow that success up with something special? Reynolds admits it was a little nerve-wracking, but suggests the influence of Robinson helped keep their feet on the ground. “Our motto is to take fun seriously. But Ross came along and didn’t want to change that dynamic. He did, however, give us the confidence to fulfill our roles in what we do as a band and was the ultimate pillar of support for us. This album was about solidifying ourselves as a band so we could say ‘Yeah, we’re the real deal. We’re a band who mean business and here we are’. But for the next one we need to experiment and make sure it’s as creative as it possibly can be while at the same time being pop. Evolving pop music is the next thing that we should be doing.” According to Reynolds, meeting Robinson “changed our lives and made us completely happy” (that word again). His influence, it seems, stretched beyond what was happening in the studio. “Ross made James [Righton] and I dump our girlfriends. He just didn’t think that they were very good for us. Particularly mine. I can’t comment about James and his girlfriend, because that’s not fair. But he’d say to me that my girlfriend was bad for me, she was awful and that she just had to go. Before I did one of the vocal takes he made me get on the phone to dump her.” And you had no problem with that? “I just trusted the guy and think that it was the right thing to do. And since I did it I became a lot happier, so I just said to him ‘Thank you very much’. It’s a pleasure what we do and we’re loving life. As I said, we take fun seriously.” And why not? Surfing The Void is released via Polydor on 23 Aug www.klaxons.net/
August 2010
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"GERMANY '71 WAS A JAM NEXUS, MUCH LIKE NEW ZEALAND '81 OR JAPAN '89. I'M HAPPY TO HAVE THOSE COMPARISONS MADE" RUARAIDH SANACHAN
Into the Groove Explosive and hypnotic sounds abound with Glasgow's lunar psych rock trio Moon Unit
Text Martin Skivington Photo Crimson Glow GLASWEGIAN psych rock trio Moon Unit might sound rather alien in a city that is too often characterised as either bobbing around to indie and twee, or craning its neck to ‘wonky’ electronica, but then Moon Unit would probably sound alien if they were gigging on Neptune – which would be fair enough. If you can
imagine the druidic jams of Pink Floyd circa Live at Pompeii, combined with a grasp of the studio parlance found in 1970s Germany, you’ll still be light years away from suitably describing what they do. Guitarist Ruaraidh Sanachan also seems at pains when he tries to put a finger on Moon Unit’s colossal sound: “I think we’ve got elements of psychedelic rock, improv, maybe even free jazz,” he offers, “and all sorts of other shit in there.”
Moon Unit formed in November 2009, when Sanachan – an established noise artist in his own right, working under the name Nackt Insecten – joined keyboard player Andreas Jönsson and drummer Peter Kelly, who at the time were playing around Glasgow as the psych duo Single Helix. The three had already shared space on several live bills in the city, and Sanachan even released a record by one of Jönsson’s other groups, Lanterns, on his DIY label Sick Head Tapes. Sanachan recalls: “They wanted another element in there and I wanted to jam with them as soon as I saw them.” In the short space of time since, Moon Unit have released one EP and an album – Rainbow Obsidian and New Sky Dragon respectively – and performed prolifically around Glasgow, at the likes of Record Store Day at Mono (“it was cool to play in the sunshine surrounded by home baking and dancing children”), as well as at opening slots for Grouper and, more
recently, supporting Faust at The Arches. Speaking of which, what does Sanachan make of comparisons between Moon Unit and the particular epoch in German music Faust represent? “I guess the krautrock era was a time when improvised music and rock and experimental elements and all sorts of other influences were co-existing and those are things we get a kick out of,” he says. “Germany ‘71 was a jam nexus, much like New Zealand ‘81 or Japan ‘89. I’m happy to have those comparisons made, but I wouldn’t consider us to be a krautrock band or anything like that.” But for a band who admittedly like to revel in the sounds and studio practices of bygone musical eras, isn’t there a danger of becoming too entrenched in rock’s glorious past? Sanachan doesn’t think so. “I don’t think Moon Unit is backward looking. Maybe some elements of nostalgia end up in the mix but if we were treading water or looking backwards I’d find it boring, I think.” Even a cursory listen to the opening track on Rainbow Obsidian will set you straight on their skills; a screeching electric guitar is wielded like an electric sword through air to a tug-of-war backdrop of pummelling drums and dust clouds of ethereal keys. It’s metal for Middle Earth. And for anyone rightly wondering how Moon Unit achieve these wild kicks, the answer turns out to be surprisingly simple: “We just jam and kick off each other. We’re lucky that we hit a good dynamic as soon as we started playing together,” says Sanachan humbly. “It just comes out naturally. Kinda like sneezing.”[Martin Skivington] ALL MOON UNIT RELEASES ARE AVAILABLE VIA THE BAND’S MYSPACE PAGE WWW.MYSPACE.COM/WEAREMOONUNIT
KING CREOSOTE KARINE POLWART EMMA POLLOCK FUTURE PILOT AKA MC SOOM T KIM EDGAR MICHAEL JOHNSTON MATTIE FOULDS
THE BURNS UNIT Side Show Out 2nd August 2010
An 8 piece Scottish-Canadian supergroup that includes King Creosote, Karine Polwart and Emma Pollock sees the musicians combine to create an exhilarating debut album that incorporates elements of folk, underground rock, cabaret, dub and even synth-pop. “A dizzyingly wide spectrum of influences, yet with a sharpness of focus throughout.” THE SUNDAY HERALD LIVE: August 2010 4th GLASGOW O2 ABC 9th EDINBURGH Queen’s Hall
www.theburnsunitband.com
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MUSIC
Got Milk?
Ah Milk. Great source of calcium, won Sean Penn an Oscar… er, hang on, something’s off. Google has failed me – guys, you’ll have to introduce yourselves… Text Chris Buckle Photo www.ryanmcgoverne.co.uk
MILK SUPPORT FOUND AT THE ELECTRIC CIRCUS, EDINBURGH ON 7 AUG AS PART OF THE EDGE FESTIVAL
Clockwise from top left: Pablo; Callum; Michael; Sam
www.theelectriccircus.biz
“CALLUM, up in the crow’s nest, is all guitar-cradling and neckerchief-wearing, while Sam will go down with the ship, laughing to the last at his cockpit of keyboards,” collectively explain Glasgow (via Fife) quartet, Milk. “Michael plays at drums and dressing up down in the engine room, and Pablo stands at the prow, full of windy rhetoric and last night’s leftovers.” Any room for a celebrity endorsement on board? After all, that ‘Got Milk’ campaign has done wonders for dairy sales over the years – want to co-opt any Milk-the-Drink lovers as spokespersons for Milk-the-band? “Can we breed them? If so we’ll take the lithe and insatiable sexuality of Isabella Rosellini, couple it with the high-society histrionics of Elton John, and marry that off with the future-race breeding of the Olsens and the ruthless art-as-a-sacrificial-cow ambition of James Cameron.” Finally, this sexual, ambitious future-race progeny would be “wrapped in plastic, à la Joan Rivers.” If their creation sounds elaborate and messy, it fits their musical identities; if their answers sound articulate yet obfuscating, it reflects their crafty, cultured smarts. “We think that bands are too readily vilified for not nailing a signature sound,” they argue. “It seems to us that using a broad palette can produce the most interesting and enjoyable results.” Their particular palette reaps the rewards of a four-way musical input that doesn’t necessarily flow naturally in the same direction. “I think it would be fair to say that we began this at odd angles, and so the approach has been to try and
challenge each other, taking our disparate inspirations and finding ways to harmonise them. We enjoy sifting through the noise.” When the sifting is finished, nuggets of Lizard King stargazing, smooth 80s grooves, moody atmospherics, deadpan humour and prog-squiggles remain. The unorthodox blend slips through genres like cow lactose through fingers. “We converge in strange places,” they acknowledge. Milk confound classification in part through tactical shyness. Their low-profile moniker and lower-profile web presence constitute a genuine attempt to avoid the pigeonholing that rubberstamps acts straight from the womb. Milk are leaving their options open and keeping followers guessing. “We’re still in the formative stages of playing this music together, so anything that allows the freedom to go off on creative tangents is a must,” they explain. “The name gave us the blank slate. If you treat a band’s name as a statement of intent, then ours remains open to interpretation.” Refreshingly, in an age where choosing a MySpace background sits uncomfortably high on new-starts’ ‘to do’ lists, they’re uninterested in cultivating a potentially-straitjacketing online persona. “We want the opportunity to surprise others and ourselves.” Live, they don’t let such opportunities pass them by. But what about recordings? Any releases on the horizon? “In this regard,” they assert, “we reserve the right to remain mysterious.” Seems Milk will be whetting appetites a little longer yet.[Chris Buckle]
films worth talking about
HOME OF THE EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
recommends this month... The Secret in Their Eyes 13 Aug to 9 Sep Directed by Juan José Campanella and showcasing two of Argentina’s biggest stars, this is a riveting thriller spiked with witty dialogue and poignant romance. Receiving rave reviews and awards, it was also the surprise winner of this year’s Oscar® for Best Foreign Language Film, beating off stiff competition from The White Ribbon and A Prophet.
Five Easy Pieces 13 Aug to 19 Aug A key work from an era that’s now considered the last Golden Age of American cinema, Bob Rafelson’s superlative character study established Jack Nicholson as the foremost actor of his generation. One of the few honest American films about social class, family and alienation. Don’t miss this wonderfully restored classic.
London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival On Tour 10 Aug to 2 Sep Highlights from this year’s hugely successful two-week festival, which took place in March at BFI Southbank. The season includes LLGFF Closing Night Gala Children of God, a fascinating and politically bold study of sexuality in the Bahamas; lesbian comedy And Then Came Lola; erotically charged crime thriller The Fish Child; acclaimed Argentinian drama Plan B; and two programmes of shorts, one for the girls and one for the boys! Get your free Filmhouse Loyalty Card supported by THE SKINNY Sign up for FREE! Collect loyalty points and spend them on FREE tickets and DVDs!
FILMHOUSE 88 LOTHIAN ROAD EDINBURGH Box Office 0131 228 2688 BOOK ONLINE at www.filmhousecinema.com
WE NO LONGER CHARGE BOOKING FEES
August 7th-14th • Film premiere of 'Morticia' by Nabil Shaban • Tour Edinburgh's dramatic radical past • Investigating Rebus's Edinburgh • Photographic exhibition 'The Bad and the Beautiful' • 3rd Annual Hamish Henderson memorial lecture • Aid for Afghanistan - a concert • Why the finest comics in Edinburgh end up in Gorgie • Drama from SpartaKi Theatre Company
See www.edinburghpeoplesfestival.org for further details and tickets
AUGUST 2010
THE SKINNY 51
Music 52 THE SKINNY August 2010
Different Trains (Nonesuch, 1988) Reich’s oblique but powerful statement on the Holocaust was his first commision for the quartet. “When it came out it shocked both our and Steve’s audience; there had never been a classical piece from such a personal perspective before. It opened a lot of people’s eyes.” A game changer too in the way it ushered in Kronos’ move away from acoustic music. Found sounds, train rhythms and beautiful drones from the strings form a classic of minimalism.
Black Angels (Nonesuch, 1990) A keynote work although not recommended as a first stop for beginners, Kronos’ rendering of George Crumb’s bleak Vietnam threnody was a long time coming: “When I first heard it in ‘73 it blew me away, the sound, the composition, everything he expressed with it. It changed everything for me. This will be a real highlight during the Edinburgh shows.” Hard going in the most literal sense but well worth persevering with. It’s not about war, it is war.
As one of the most forward-thinking neo-classical groups make their way to the Edinburgh International Festival, Kronos Quartet founder David Harrington tells why they've got more than the X Factor Text David McNally FORMED in Seattle in 1973, the Kronos Quartet has steadily become one of the most famous contemporary classical groups in the world. As well as working with a host of big names in the modern compositional field (Philip Glass, Steve Reich), they’re equally at home covering everybody from Jimi Hendrix to Sigur Rós. Prolific, yet they are likely best known for performing Clint Mansell’s 2000 score to Requiem for a Dream, which has since been used in a variety of movie trailers, sporting broadcasts and melodramatic moments from The X Factor. Not that violinist and founder David Harrington takes offence at this ubiquity. “We are interested in getting the sound of this music out there,” he says. “So it’s all good as far as I’m concerned! I tend to think of the pieces as organisms which go off and have a life of their own after we play them, by which time we’ve moved on to something new.” Contrary to that ethos, the focus of their upcoming Edinburgh International Festival engagement is a reprisal of two key works from Harrington’s history. The Kronos Quartet will be in performance at the Usher Hall on 21 August and can be seen in conversation earlier that day at the Hub. This time around the focus will be on a composition that Harringtron says has had the most impact out of any music he’s ever heard, a piece without which Kronos wouldn’t exist – George Crumb’s anti-war polemic Black Angels. “It really woke me up and changed my whole life,” says Harrington. “It was like a huge blast coming out of the radio, one night in August of 1973. I was a young man looking for music that felt right to play, the Vietnam war was still going on and many people were looking
for ways to express themselves, and all of a sudden this music was coming out of the radio. I couldn’t believe it.” Its upcoming performance promises to be special in its own right. “As we perform it now, 36 years later, there’s a theatrical element to it – you’re involved in chanting, playing instruments other than your normal ones. This will be the first time we’ve played the new version here." The quartet will also perform Different Trains (the Steve Reich piece commissioned specially for Kronos). “Yeah, and strangely enough Steve is now finishing up his third piece for Kronos,” says Harrington. So he’s a repeat offender? “Yeah! Gotta be a compliment, right? We think relationships are very important; if we’re involved with someone it’s rarely a one-shot deal. With Different Trains, I can hardly think of a piece that’s influenced the way Kronos works as much as that, other than Black Angels. There had never been anything quite like that in string quartet music before, and it marked the point we became fully amplified.” The diverse range of collaborators Kronos have worked with – Tom Waits, Allen Ginsberg, Mike Patton and Amon Tobin to name but a few – is less a conscious strategy than the simple result of keeping their ears open. “For me, basically I’m waiting to be magnetised by music I hear,” says Harrington. “That’s the only absolute in music, and when that happens I trust my ears. That’s the common feature in all the stuff we’ve been involved with, whether it’s working with Asha Bhosle or Tom Waits – there’s something that I’ve found really transformative, and I’ve just wanted to be closer to it. You can only get so close and then it evaporates; the only thing we have of it is what we can remember. The job of people like me is to try and create experiences that are memorable.”
“THE JOB OF PEOPLE LIKE ME IS TO TRY AND CREATE EXPERIENCES THAT ARE MEMORABLE” DAVID HARRINGTON You might think it tough to keep going after so long in the business, but the quartet believes injections of new blood bring fresh impetus. “Well, I’m under headphones many hours every day listening to new music, and so far there’s been about 700 pieces of new music commissioned for Kronos. So yeah, I’m open to everything new. People try to define things, I guess it goes back to how we’re taught at school – you learn to separate – and what I’ve found with music is, the more I listen, the less I know. For me, music is becoming more and more mysterious.” Of course, if you speak to most people who have worked the same job for three decades they’d probably say it’s gotten a little boring, but that’s clearly not the case for Kronos Quartet. “Oh no. My teacher – the wonderful Vita Reynolds – one of the last things she ever told me was that the amazing thing about music is that it can always be better,” booms Harrington. “Today’s music will be an improvement on yesterday’s. I often think that as I reach for my violin and bow.”
Pieces of Africa (Nonesuch, 1992) In keeping with the quartet’s trailblazing, this was the very first recording of African classical music made. “I really felt we achieved something with this record, and it’s the one I’m most proud of. Ever since I first heard African musicans I’ve been trying to get my violin to sound that way.” No cultural tourism here, this evokes aspects of Africa that go beyond the superficial and is augmented by gorgeous kora, drums and vocals to create a rich, multi-faceted and transporting experience.
Requiem for a Dream (2000) / The Fountain (2006, both Nonesuch) The recordings that opened the quartet’s music up to a whole new audience were very much a three way collaborative process. “Darren Aronofsky, the director, was present for all the recording sessions. He is really up on his music and it was heartening to see him take such an interest. Clint Mansell is fantastic to work with too.” The tense theme for Requiem threatens to take over the world through media overkill, but both works are exceptional pieces of modern classical composition in their own right.[David McNally]
PLAYING USHER HALL, EDINBURGH ON 21 AUG WWW.KRONOSQUARTET.ORG
AUGUST 2010
THE SKINNY 53
MUSIC
Requiem for a Quartet
David Harrington walks us through some key Kronos recordings
Armed with a pair of headphones and a fistful of plastic discs, Chris Buckle wanders off on the hunt for an August soundtrack girls in their ribbons and curls.” But the Jersey Shore shtick is predictable – if Tommy and Gina wandered up from the diner and into this soft rock chest-beater, they’d fit right in with the clichés. Identify Reinvention, Enact Reinvention, Fly Into The Charts, right? On Collapsing Cities (*, 9 Aug), Sam Duckworth (aka Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly) is transformed into a Shy FX-collaborating, dancefloor-preoccupied, T4-on-the-Beach-er, a shift which doesn’t quite rival Plan B’s shamelessly shiny makeover, but is just as forgettable. At least Plan B dropped the social commentary in order to focus on the cash; Sam’s still preaching from his first-year politics textbooks. Thankfully Sky Larkin have foregone any major refurbishment of their indie-rock chops. Dusting off chunky riffs and a big chorus ahead of second album Kaleide, Still Windmills (****, 2 Aug) has the pace to get blood pumping and feet moving. They’ll get the audiences they deserve yet. As well as supporting them in London later in the month, Teeth could act as a gateway drug for the dark allure of the ascendant Sleigh Bells. See Spaces (****, 16 Aug) mines a similarly hard electro sound, but with the aggressive edge smoothed down and coated in lush synths. And the shouty, grimy, propulsive B-side just might be even better. And penultimately, Monotonix: a band so Rock their acoustic All Tomorrow’s Parties show was shut down by worried Butlins staff after just five minutes. Fun Fun Fun (****, 9 Aug) lives up to its triple-joy billing, the Israeli garage punks doing their best Stooges impressions without a hint of originality but with plenty of raw aggression.
PHOTO: HARLEY WEIR
RECORDS
THE DIRTY DOZEN
These New Puritans
IT’S difficult to get an angle on twenty-one year old Jade Williams, a.k.a. Sunday Girl. Her cover of 80s Italo disco classic Self Control (***, 2 Aug) is sweetly sung and pretty enough, but plaudits are more deservedly directed to the original artist. Sunday Girl adds a lick of zeitgeist friendly Ellie Goulding-style electro, but doesn’t reveal much of herself (and neither do the five additional remixes). Aspiring dance anthem After Dark (**, 23 Aug) is, according to the press release, a “new chapter in the history of forward-thinking, electronic dance music”. Which is odd, since the Count & Sinden’s collaboration with the Mystery Jets seems to be ticking the obvious boxes without ever thinking outside them. Next, Athens, Georgia’s Dead Confederate return less murky than before, with the verse of Giving It
All Away (***, 16 Aug) resembling fellow Athenians R.E.M. in their formative years. They’ve managed to clean up the grunge despite collaborating with J. Mascis, who delivers a typically gnarly closing solo - a balancing act to be applauded. Raincoats (****, 23 Aug) is an enchanting but imperfect ambassador for Efterklang’s ‘pop-album’ Magic Chairs; though typical of the magnificence the Danes have it in them to evoke, its awkward and brittle beauty is too quiet and slow-burning to astonish when shorn of its context. A deconstructed version of Harmonics on the flip-side, however, is worth a purchase in itself. Am I Just A Man (****, 16 Aug) asks Steve Mason on the latest single to be lifted from his sterling Boys Outside album. Depends how you look at it Steve: your firm grasp of pop dynamics ensures this cut grows
from its humble opening into something special, so if you are ‘just’ a man, you’re one heck of a gifted one. For a band now exclusively dedicated to the single format, Ash seem to produce a lot of album fillermaterial these days. If you’re still following their A-Z project (they’ve been releasing a single every 2 weeks since October last year), Carnal Love (***, 2 Aug) is a pleasant ballad entry, but back in their heyday it would have been lucky to be picked as a scraping-thebarrel fifth single. If Bruce Springsteen is the Boss, The Gaslight Anthem are part-time customer service advisors at best. And like an apathetic and cheerless “thank you for calling!” The Diamond Church Street Choir (**, 9 Aug) struggles to demonstrate authenticity, despite some evocative lyrical storytelling about “hub city
SINGLE OF THE MONTH Though only a third as long as the first single lifted from Hidden, These New Puritans cram so many textures and so much originality into Hologram’s (****, 9 Aug) two and a half minutes that playing it three times in a row is both recommended and rewarding. There are hints of Pit Er Pat in the hollow woodwind and space-jazz structure, but what makes this so thrilling is the sense of wide-open possibility. While we contemplate where they’ll go next, here’s a Single of the Month accolade to mark where they’ve been.[Chris Buckle]
WWW.THESENEWPURITANS.COM
EP REVIEWS YU(C)K
WEAKENED EP 2 AUG, MIRROR UNIVERSE TAPES
rrrr Coveting their underground credentials, emerging noise-pop 90s revivalists, Yuck, have opted not only to release their Weakened EP under alter-ego Yu(c)k, but also to seriously limit its exposure with only 100 cassette copies being shipped via über-cool, cult U.S. label, Mirror Universe Tapes. Those who can track a copy down, and indeed a deck to play it on, will find the trio boldly stripping their sound back to the bare bones of a shimmering budget Casio and the lullaby-lilt of Daniel Blumberg’s ghosting tones, offset only by tremulous harmonies and, fleetingly, the beat of a single shuddering snare. From the mournful melancholia of Daughter, to the barely present whisper of Automatic, Weakened provides a lovelorn quartet of songs to bruise the heart. [Paul Neeson] WWW.MYSPACE.COM/YUCKBAND
54 THE SKINNY AUGUST 2010
DOGS FOR BREAKFAST
ROSE LANE WAS TUCKER’S GIRLFRIEND EP 26 JUL, SUBSOUND
rrr An Italian trio of abrasive, hardcore thrashers, Dogs For Breakfast are a raucous force, and Rose Lane Was Tucker’s Girlfriend – a conceptual EP which tells a story of frustration and desolation – is a fistful of intense aural battery. If you’re looking for a guttural dollop of testosterone – aided by the screaming sax of Luca T. Mai on The Beginning and Three Steps To Salvation, yes I said sax – then roll up, roll up. Mai’s playing is unconventional and used primarily in a screeching capacity that means one could easily mistake it for another layer of ear piercing feedback. There are five ‘chapters’ to Rose Lane…, each making for an aggressive, disjointed and unsettling listen – intertwining to effectively result in an epic but exhaustive completion. [Alan Souter] WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DOGSFORBREAKFAST
BORIS & IAN ASTBURY
BXI EP
16 AUG, SOUTHERN LORD
rrrr Having lent his bellowing pipes to everybody from UNKLE to Slash since ending his tenure at the helm of The Doors and reconvening The Cult in recent years, Ian Astbury keeps up the mercenary streak in this collaboration with Japanese drone mavericks, Boris. Reportedly drawn to the band since witnessing their cover of Cult classic Pink, Astbury joined them in Tokyo to howl over three engrossing tracks of grungy, dramatic sludge metal, just like mama used to make. The big highlight arrives when Astbury sits out a reinterpretation of his own song, Rain – from 1985’s Love – with the soft vocal of Boris guitarist Wata weaving in and out like an apparition at a séance. An exhilarating 20 minutes. [Dick Jones] WWW.SOUTHERNLORD.COM
The Phantom It’s Show Time! Band Over 2500 shows,
We caught up with The Phantom Band’s Rick Anthony on the day they finished mixing their second (as yet untitled) studio album, to ask how they're coping with the pressure in following up Checkmate Savage, last year’s debut and a magnificently rendered gem
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Text Paul Mitchell Photo Stewart Fullerton With six opinionated guys all hanging out in the same studio, is there a chain of command in the event of a dispute? There are disagreements but they tend to get ironed out in either some weird middle ground, or if any one person really, really hates something, then they get a veto. We’re all pretty diplomatic, but we’re also set in our ways in what we think, so none of us are going to stand for something we absolutely despise. That said, if there’s something I don’t like, but everybody else is really into it, I’m not going to throw my toys out of the pram because I’m willing to say ‘fair enough’, it’s just a matter of taste. We’re all like that, willing to go with the majority.
"your evolution stops you from thinking about your own death" Rick Anthony
Do you have rows over the lyrics too? Or do they, as it appears, come from outer space? Heh, well random phrases do just come in here and there. It’s more about creating an atmosphere, getting words that sound good together and then constructing some kind of narrative around what’s there, that will create some semblance of meaning. I think the best lyrics are ones people can listen to and apply their own meaning to. You seem happy that the new album can trump the last. If that’s the case, does global superstardom beckon? Well, your evolution stops you from thinking about your own death, because it would drive you crazy if you ever fully understood the fact you were going to die. So maybe in this position, in a band, you’re best not to think what could happen. We could either totally bomb and disappear and that would be shit or we could become pretty huge and that would have its own kind of madness. From our personal perspectives we’d like to get to America and tour there, we’d like to do bigger tours in Europe and Britain. While it’s not great being away from home for ages some of the most fun you can have as a band is getting together every night to play and having laughs.
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Phantom Band play Electric Circus, 24 Aug as part of The Edge Festival Their new album is expected in the autumn www.phantomband.co.uk skinny1.indd 1
August 2010
20/07/2010 11:32
THE SKINNY 55
Records
In the Studio:
RECORDS
ALBUM OF THE MONTH: EL-P
WEAREALLGOINGTOBURNINHELLMEGAMIXXX3 16 AUG, GOLD DUST MEDIA
rrrr El-P’s first major release since the untimely collapse of Definitive Jux is deceptively labelled as the third in a series of mixtapes, although El-P is on record as saying that he thought of ‘..Burn...’ as a complete album in its own right. With a heavy reliance on synthesisers, the album’s aggressively dark feel is offset by melody. On the likes of Whores – The Movie (surely a Michael Bay film?) and Meanstreak In 3 Parts, sinister electro basslines and beats betray a hint of dubstep influencing proceedings; How to serve a Man and the remix of Young Jeezy’s I Got This wouldn’t sound out of place alongside Rustie or Joker. Drunk With A Loaded Pistol and Time Won’t Tell feature fuzzed-out shoegaze guitars and glitch radio static, while the ghost of prime-era breakers’ electro looms large over the remix of Driving Down The Block
and the stripped drums of Contagious. Throughout, ‘...Burn...’ has an air of urban dystopia: sirens, gun-clacks and distorted explosions rub up against layered synth lines and heavily treated, pitch-bent organ sounds. Without a doubt, if El-P had recorded vocals for these tracks, the album would be heralded as yet another underground classic to rank alongside Funcrusher Plus. As it stands, we’re given a tantalising glimpse as to where our maestro might be headed. As you listen to these beats, you can almost imagine Aesop Rock and Vast Aire rubbing their hands in anticipation of El-Producto’s next move. Both consistently innovative, and something of a departure for El-P as a producer, this is much more than just another mixtape. [Bram Gieben] WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ELPRODUCTO
ALBUM REVIEWS PVT
SKY LARKIN
ANDREYA TRIANA
CHURCH WITH NO MAGIC
KALEIDE
LOST WHERE I BELONG
9 AUG, WARP
9 AUG, WITCHITA
23 AUG, NINJA TUNE
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Losing a couple of vowels since their last album has been a purely legal move for the Australian electro rock trio formerly known as Pivot, yet it’s exactly the kind of artistic declaration that sits well with the volte-face which Church With No Magic presents. On 2008’s O Soundtrack My Heart, brothers Richard and Laurence Pike provided the angular rock muscle to Dave Miller’s dark-edged sci-fi synths, reimagining John Carpenter armed with Battles and Autechre records for influence. The big difference here is Richard Pike’s step forward as lead vocalist on all but two tracks, where before he uttered not a peep. It’s a bold move as the group sidle away from that ‘imaginary soundtrack’ slur towards making something more their own and, on the bubbling electro call-andresponse vocal stabbings of lead single Window, having a euphoric time doing it. As Pivot, the outlook was dark but enthralling. As PVT, life is looking brighter. [Darren Carle]
Sky Larkin’s debut album, The Golden Spike, was such an appetising slice of alt-rock that the prospect of a second helping is nothing short of mouthwatering. The Leeds trio has a special ingredient in Kate Harkin’s infectious vocals and imaginative wordplay. Opening up with a platter of scrumptious guitar-pop delights, recent single Still Windmills, Tiny Heist, Landlocked and the title track make for an intense rush of melodic flavour bristling with energy and scope. Spooktacular and Year Dot capture the band at their finest: tight and tough as you like. Occasionally they teeter on the edge of excess with Guitar and Antarctica, and Anjelica Houston proves a little plain and difficult to swallow. Subtle layered vocals and swirling keys add extra spice throughout the LP, softening up the relentless pace. Closer, Smarts, is an exquisite palette cleanser – once again whetting the taste buds for Sky Larkin’s next dish. [Alan Souter]
PLAYING STEREO, GLASGOW ON 29 SEP
PLAYING SNEAKY PETE’S AS PART OF THE EDGE FESTIVAL ON 19 AUG; CAFE DRUMMONDS, ABERDEEN ON 14 SEP AND CAPTAIN’S REST, GLASGOW ON 15 SEP
WWW.PVTPVT.NET
WWW.WEARESKYLARKIN.COM
S. CAREY
JAMES BLACKSHAW
I’ve never been invited to a dinner party, as anyone who’s read one of my reviews might not be surprised to hear. So I don’t know what sort of music people play at them, but I know that to attach the tag of ‘dinner party music’ to anything is a grave insult, implying sounds bland enough to ensure the focus stays on the balsamic drizzle and not the hi-fi. Lost Where I Belong veers a little close to the background, but is saved heroically from blandness partly by Triana’s voice – an elegant, sultry zephyr that dips low and soars high with breathy ease, bringing to mind Amy Winehouse, Erykah Badu or Jill Scott – and partly by the production from Bonobo, who makes that voice the star and frames it with not much more than understated percussion and acoustic guitars. It won’t startle the guests, but it’s still a deeply soulful and promising debut. [Euan Ferguson] WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ANDREYATRIANA
MT. ST. HELENS VIETNAM BAND
ALL WE GROW
ALL IS FALLING
30 AUG, JAGJAGUWAR
23 AUG, YOUNG GOD
WHERE THE MESSENGERS MEET
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2 AUG, DEAD OCEANS
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You’d have to add a montage before it hits cinemas, but Sean Carey’s allegiance to Bon Iver has inspirational triumph written all over it. A morose inspirational triumph admittedly, but get Glee to cover Skinny Love for the soundtrack and it’d whip up that Almost Famous-vibe for sure. After a fortnight spent memorising For Emma, Forever Ago, Carey approached Justin Vernon at a gig, impressed him with his homework and was invited to join the band. Unfortunately, it seems that in slavishly regurgitating Vernon’s music, Carey is stuck emulating it with lesser success. All We Grow’s evocative, rustic atmosphere is unquestionably beautiful, but lacks For Emma’s incisiveness. It nonetheless skirts close to excellence, but truthfully, if these nine tracks were released by someone unconnected to Bon Iver, they’d have to dodge justifiable charges of plagiarism. Yet, if anonymously presented as Bon Iver’s second full-length, they’d spark more disappointment than excitement. [Chris Buckle]
Drawing influences from classical, Indian and minimalist music amongst others, All Is Falling sees virtuosic guitar player-composer James Blackshaw delve further into the realm of hypnotic, quasi-spiritual compositions that his last eight studio releases have explored and chartered very well. Part One sets the album’s mystical tone, as mesmerising piano riffs orbit over a constant bass ostinato. This is followed by Part Two – a stoic, desert raga, fused with strings. Elsewhere, Blackshaw’s use of a twanging electric guitar in place of his usual acoustic 12-string, lends the album a darker feel than previous outings. The paced fretwork of Parts Four and Five, and subdued metallic drones of Part Eight, illustrate this newfound aesthetic sublimely. Although Blackshaw is primarily a guitarist, this is not simply a ‘guitar record’ – it’s as much indebted to the devotional jazz of Alice Coltrane as to fellow stringsmiths like Kaki King or John Fahey. Blissful listening. [Martin Skivington]
A cavalier attitude to song structure, awkward pop melodies and a lead singer pitching his chords with theatrical verve: take a number, guys – half of North America got there first. Their second album improves on a decent debut, but it won’t usurp their forebearers; while it sounds vaguely like the kind of project Spencer Krug could be involved in, it would prompt concerns the lad was spreading himself too thin if he was. Though not without ideas of their own, the Seattle five-piece spend too long tugging on the sleeves of pantheon-members like Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse to fulfil their potential. Letting the guitar sit exposed in the mix gives them a degree of differentiation, with the Dead Weather riff of At Night rattling away robustly and Hurrah stomping along nicely. But its consistent tones can grow tiresome, and their general lack of vision fundamentally undermines their talent. [Chris Buckle]
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/SCAREYMUSIC
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/JAMESBLACKSHAW
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/MTSTHELENSVIETNAMBAND
THE BURNS UNIT
EVERYTHING EVERYTHING
CAITLIN ROSE
SIDE SHOW
MAN ALIVE
OWN SIDE NOW
2 AUG, PROPER
30 AUG, GEFFEN
9 AUG, NAMES
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Brought together through a song-writing workshop held in a farmhouse in the west of Scotland, this conglomerate supergroup contains more notable members than my word count will allow, suffice to say King Creosote, Emma Pollock, Karine Polwart and Future Pilot A.K.A feature prominently. Whatever runs through the taps of Barncrosh farmhouse, pipe it this way please, as it has bred an album of great depth and astounding breadth, traipsing through English language chanson, hip-hop, folk and pop with surprising consistency. The Pollock-led Trouble could get very friendly with the radio, but her real shining point is on You Need Me To Need This, which moves from torch song to sea shanty, bleeding a trail of red wine all the way. The discovery of the album, however, has to be MC Soom T, whose politically charged rapping over the Bollywood punk of Send Them Kids To War is both exhausting and exhilarating. [Oisín Kealy] THE BURNS UNIT PLAY O2 ABC, GLASGOW ON 4 AUG AND THE QUEEN’S HALL, EDINBURGH ON 9 AUG WWW.MYSPACE.COM/THEBURNSUNITBAND
56 THE SKINNY AUGUST 2010
However much we hacks like to moan about the self-fulfilling prophecy of BBC’s Sound Of... poll, the fact remains that wherever a band land on the list, they still need the hooks to make the most of the industry leg-up. Making the longlist for 2010, Everything Everything may still be able to make this their year. Lead man Jonathan Everything guides the Manchester-based quartet through the urgent electro-pop with a distinctive staccato assault on their lyrics, softened by expertly chosen harmonies, with MY KZ, UR BF most illustrative of the success of this formula. The result is something along the lines of Vampire Weekend through a Sega Megadrive, or Broken Social Scene scoring a laser fight, see Photoshop Handsome and QWERTY Finger respectively for this. More crooning numbers like Leave That Engine Room are less dependable for kicks, but a couple, Tin (The Manhole) particularly, strike with a convincing elegance. [Oisín Kealy]
Having released her debut EP Dead Flowers at the beginning of the year to a string of encouraging but formulaic reviews (most likened her voice to whiskey, barns, slavery and so on), young Nashvillian Caitlin Rose aims to establish herself as a country bumpkin for the electrical toothbrush age with her first full length, Own Side Now. Upon first listen, the resonant, almost piercing clarity of her voice is obvious, but the record’s major victory lies with its refusal to become a mere vocal showcase. The songwriting maintains imagination throughout; not once does she resort to naming States, lamenting the Mississippi, or any other tired country standard, leaving ample space for Rose to play and shine. It’s a soulful endeavour too, with the careful consideration given to each recording mercifully avoiding the clinical. The country genre is used as a vehicle rather than a blueprint, making Own Side Now sound a surprisingly timely release. [Mark Holland] PLAYING CAPTAIN’S REST, GLASGOW WITH DEERTICK ON 1 OCT
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/EVERYTHINGEVERYTHINGUK
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/CAITLINROSESONGS
ABERFELDY
WOMEN
TWEAK BIRD
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30 AUG, SOUTERRAIN TRANSMISSIONS
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Not that we want to encourage Aberfeldy’s pathos, but being dropped by Rough Trade, losing several band members and potentially being remembered for sound-tracking a Diet Coke advert could make it difficult to get out of bed in the morning. Fair play to mainstay Riley Briggs for his steely determination to plough on regardless with, um, Somewhere To Jump From. The title track may well evoke a gentle melancholy but it would be hard to come away feeling blue from an album that later imagines Michael Jackson’s plea to Lisa-Marie Presley not to leave him, backed by a supermarket-style jingle of Madonna’s Holiday. Lead single Malcolm’s tongue-tripping verse and brush-drummed gaiety is another highlight and whilst If I Were A Joiner may reach new levels of twee daftness (“I’d put up a shelf, a shelf about you”) with repeated listens even those averse to such meek, homespun charms will likely admit that the world’s a better place with Aberfeldy in it. [Darren Carle]
The static storm cover for Public Strain is as good an entrée for its unsettling brilliance as the damaged symphony of first single Eyesore. The obtuse but beautiful art reflects what at times can be an uncomfortable listen – an oppressive and shady din of echoes and feedback, machinery and drones. Many of the tracks are to be praised more for the uneasy atmosphere they evoke rather than their individual qualities – for example, the opening Can’t You See groans with heavy pressure while Patrick Flegal coos amidst the disintegration, producing an effective scene-setter. But Women can – and do – exploit an accessible pop side: for example, Drag Open drugs Sonic Youth and extracts their vigour while Venice Lockjaw is a funereal waltz, the Velvet Underground raised up from graves to woo the stars. In the synthesis of these two facets, one of the year’s most rewarding listens is born. [Chris Buckle] WOMEN PLAY CAPTAIN’S REST, GLASGOW ON 4 SEP
Were you to slam a handful of Big Business and two cups of Death From Above into a hefty, sticky dough of Black Sabbath, the cake that eventually emerges will probably resemble Tweak Bird. With a production – and guitar tone in particular – that takes absolutely no prisoners, by fourteen seconds into opener The Future the duo have well and truly got you pinned to the wall. It’s really no surprise, upon further investigation, to find Deaf Nephews (aka Melvins’ Dale Crover and recent BB addition Toshi Kasai) behind the desk for this recording. The riffs are generally pretty straightforward but well judged and previous labels such as jazz-metal seem somewhat further removed given the directness of most on show. Brothers Caleb and Ashton have certainly played up the Ozzy vibe on vocals since their mini-album debut Reservations in 2008 but this is consistent and indeed a solid progression from those boisterous beginnings. [Chris Cusack]
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ABERFELDYTHEBAND/
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/WOMENMUSIC
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/TWEAKBIRD
SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN
KLAXONS
LET IT SWAY 16 AUG, POLYVINYL
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SURFING THE VOID
TREATS
23 AUG, POLYDOR
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In the clogged-up world of potential Shins-esque, indie-crossover bands, a daft name will at least get you noticed. Crisp, summery upbeat tunes won’t go amiss either. Missouri’s Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin excel at the former, make a gutsy stab at the latter and pray for Natalie Portman to lip-sync to them with third album Let It Sway. Death Cab For Cutie’s Chris Walla keeps the production clean and frills-free, letting SSLYBY endorse an almost unremitting wave of florid, feel good beach pop strumming. Like a breath of fresh air, tracks like Back In The Saddle or the anthemic Banned (By The Man) are invigorating blasts of pretension-free, spirit lifting frivolity in a sometimes turgid world of chinstroking beats and dirgey guitars. Yeah, you may feel a little embarrassed if a couple of trend-setting mates drop by mid-listen, but that’ll say more about you than the Yeltsins. [Darren Carle]
How to follow up a genre-defining, Mercury Prize-winning debut LP? Well, in the eyes of the prototype nu-ravers it seems to involve spending three years listening to Slipknot, signing up their erstwhile producer Ross Robinson and going all nu rave cum psych-metal on our asses. Sounds awful? Actually, not at all. Out go (to a certain extent) the soaring keyboards, replaced with pounding rhythm and some mean guitar licks. Yet, with the emphasis as ever on high-octane entertainment it remains unmistakeably Klaxons. First single Flashover has arrived to mixed reviews, but this schizophrenic space shanty, along with opener Echoes, Venusha and the title track are a heady salvo of rocked out trippy fun. Surfing the Void is likely to prove light on durable anthems (Echoes is perhaps the closest contender) such as Atlantis To Interzone, but the beefed up production and loyalty to hedonism mean every cut here is infinitely more palatable than the incredibly annoying Golden Skans. [Wilbur Kane]
Another day, another buzz band. Sleigh Bells’ demos have been tickling the blogosphere’s fancy over the past six months and with the release of debut LP Treats the New York duo are notching the hyperbole setting to stratospheric. Clustering Derek Miller’s unearthly guitar/bass bombast with the schoolyard chanting of Alexis Krauss, the record is an earthquake of rambunctious space age beats. Distortion is key to every laser-guided brawl here, with Tell ‘Em and Straight As channelling thunderous white noise riffs into a mesh of ear bleeding punk. It may sound like the music of the future, but its roots are firmly lodged in the past. Remove the amplified crunching from Kids and Crown On the Ground and the influence of electroclash squealers Le Tigre is all too apparent. Sadly, this is Sleigh Bells’ overarching flaw: instead of offering an invigorating blueprint for tomorrow, they’ve rehashed a pale imitation of yesterday. [Billy Hamilton]
WWW.MORAWK.COM/BORIS
WWW.KLAXONS.NET/
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/SLEIGHBELLSMUSIC
ENDOR
FEINDREHSTAR
EELS
ENDOR
VULGARIAN KNIGHTS
TOMORROW MORNING
OUT NOW, SELF RELEASED
16 AUG, MUSIK KRAUSE
23 AUG, E WORKS
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If timing’s everything then Endor should have set their watches. While Frightened Rabbit were flaunting their winsome jangling across the globe, their Glasgow counterparts – named after a George Lucas-made moon – toiled in the recording studio. Their debut now ready for release, this eponymously entitled longplayer airs the sound of a band eager to make up for lost time. Abounding infectious melodies, this innately Scottish affair combines twee sensibilities with intelligent guitar charges. Without The Help of Sparks and Sea Fearing Legs are an immediate call-to-arms; each drilling out shout-a-long choruses accompanied by the snarl of pulsing, breathless riffs. The initial throttling subsides to a reel of glockenspiel stained tearjerkers, like The Observer and, the achingly beautiful, Two Lovers Holding Hands, which underline the quartet’s skilled dexterity. Sure, the record’s a familiar hotchpotch of style and tempo, but its nimble execution suggests Endor are finally ready to step up to the plate. [Billy Hamilton]
Garlanded with praise in their native Germany but relatively unknown here, Feindrehstar should appeal to those who miss Kruder and Dorfmeister and used to get down to Jazzanova. A seven piece from Jena who’ve been playing together for 10 years, this is only their first full-length release after a series of EPs and well received gigs around Europe. Live percussion and bass mix very well with vocal samples, while horns and Fender Rhodes add texture and propulsion in addition to keeping things harmonically interesting. Part live band and part sample-centric-hop heads, Vulgarian Knights manages to be crunchy enough to avoid accusations of blandness, yet still palatable enough to get airplay in All Saints. In a concert setting these guys would really tear the roof off but on disc they are merely good nod-ya-head fodder. Download a few tracks (legally, you crooks) and then wait for them to hit a town near you. [David McNally]
HELPTHEENDORLY.CO.UK
WWW.FEINDREHSTAR.DE
!!!
STRANGE WEATHER, ISN’T IT? 2 AUG, WARP
WWW.CHKCHKCHK.NET
EELS PLAY 02 ACADEMY, GLASGOW ON 24 AUG AND HMV PICTURE HOUSE, EDINBURGH ON 25 AUG WWW.EELSTHEBAND.COM
MATTHEW DEAR
TOP FIVE ALBUMS
rrr In which DancePunk ™ seems to have metamorphosed into disco funk as curated by George Clinton and Chic. !!!’s first album since 2007’s broody Myth Takes is an altogether more light-hearted affair, even if frontman Nic Offer trades in sideswipes at ex-friends (the awkwardly titled Even Judas Gave Jesus A Kiss) and the state of society in general (Steady As The Sidewalk Cracks). Though sounding like one of the Sledge Sisters, vocalist Shannon Funchess is almost criminally underused, most often appearing as a backing singer to Offer’s monotonous lead. Jamie, My Intentions Are Bass typifies the efforts on the entire album, a chunky beat laced with sparse but effective guitar rhythms. Unsurprisingly, album closer The Hammer is already receiving steady radio play – sounding like it came straight from the Hacienda circa 1992. On one level it’s a by the numbers quickslowquick rave anthem, but there’s just enough silly fun to get away with it. [Wilbur Kane]
The final instalment in a trilogy which has brought us the introspective Hombre Lobo and End Times could well be subtitled ‘After the Night Before’. Mark Everett is in typically reflective mood, occasionally boisterously goodhumoured (particularly when speaking of a faux-messianic complex in The Man), but wary it could all turn to shit at any moment. It seems the love hinted at in Hombre Lobo no longer goes unrequited and Everett uses the jaunty Baby Loves Me to announce the news, even if that news is ‘unlikely, but true’. Spectacular Girl – melodic, gentle, and reminiscent in tone of Beautiful Freak – is an unwavering homage to said love, whilst Oh So Lovely, with a fairground carousel providing the soundtrack, takes said reverence to almost religious levels. In case we didn’t quite get the message, Everett goes all Lonnie Donegan on Looking Up, rhyming simply that ‘now I’m feeling sweet, back on my feet’. Who could begrudge? [Wilbur Kane]
BLACK CITY
16 AUG, GHOSTLY INTERNATIONAL
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WEAREALLGOINGTOBURNINHELLMEGAMIXXX3
2) THEBURNSUNIT SIDE SHOW 3) WOMEN PUBLIC STRAIN 4) PVTCHURCHWITHNOMAGIC 5) KLAXONS SURFING THE VOID
Matthew Dear isn’t the kind of guy who revels in the daytime. Steeped in nocturnal atmospherics, the Texan-born producer cum avant-garde electro maverick’s fifth studio LP, Black City, is his portrayal of the urban underbelly at night, where black mist intermingles with salacious neon lighting. Seedy to the core, the album’s gyration of bass and effects is forced down deviant pathways by Dear’s baritone. The result is as uncomfortable as it sounds. By juxtaposing the likes of the kaleidoscopic Soil To The Seed with the staccato electroclash of You Put a Spell on Me, Dear has produced an intentionally disorientating trip. I Can’t Feel is the undoubted high, jaywalking to a mix of Funk and austere 80s synth. Yet the over-indulgent clutters of Monkey and More Surgery soil the grinding libido that runs through the record’s vein. Maybe after this bleak, sometimes exhilarating affair, Mr Dear could do with a little sunshine. [Billy Hamilton] WWW.MATTHEWDEAR.COM
AUGUST 2010
THE SKINNY 57
RECORDS CLUBS
ALBUM REVIEWS
COMMERCIAL ALTERNATIVE MONO, 4 JUL
rrrr Falafel, knitting, ginko green tea lemonade and a be-stooled artist sketching alongside snappers: seems Mono’s laidback vibe has translated to the mini-festival format intact. Vegan ethics and home-brewing can’t do much about the weather, alas, but the foresight to stage today indoors (save some outdoor seating braved surprisingly regularly by punters oblivious to the un-summery temperatures), gives it a one-up on the venue’s dearly departed Hey You Get Off My Pavement in levels of comfort. Today is a leaner affair, but within its parameters it’s hugely successful, largely due to its unbroken parade of great bands. Ok, Golden Grrrls haven’t qualified for ‘greatness’ quite yet, but their distorted noise-pop (broadly pitched in the same ballpark as the Vivian Girls) evidences great potential. Peter Parker are already realising theirs, sounding more robust than last time this reviewer enjoyed a set of theirs. Echoes of Le Tigre and the Primitives emanate
- though singer Roz’s pink wash and vocal hiccup on Swallow the Rockets suggests a Cyndi Lauper influence in the mix as well. It’s a shame Astral Planes had to change their name from Paper Planes, their rechristening evoking peyote and a Jim Morrison fixation. Thankfully their sound continues to eschew trippy jams for refined rock, adopting various guises – Grease prom, Cramps-esque garage, a riot-grrrl Ventures – and excelling in each. RememberRemember could pen an awesome 70s sci-fi soundtrack; one of those pre-synth scores from the likes of Silent Running or Soylent Green. Except, instead of a space-greenhouse or people-burgers (they would not go down well here), the film would be about a moon lab trying to genetically grow Holy Fuck out of household appliances and glockenspiel bars, and stumbling across something better. Gob-smacked philosophical rumination would follow. “Just what festival crowds like - new songs!” grins the 1990s Jackie McKeown, guiding us through fresh material that comfortably improves on last year’s Kicks. You Were Supposed To Be My Friend and a cover of Alex Chilton’s Take Me Home
are the set’s highlights, but that’s not to say their third full-length won’t be a corker. McKeown sticks around to assist Comet Gain, though with a warning from David Feck that “any of that whammy bar shite and I’ll kick you in the prick.”. Their set suggests The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are jammy so-and-sos - embraced for their revivalist aesthetic when Comet Gain were doing it all along, with greater variety to boot. Though the stage times have skewed from the schedule over the course of the day, if people have trains to catch, few are bothering.
The lure of new material from The Phantom Band keeps the room bustling, the makings of their second album successfully in-line with Checkmate Savage’s tightly-performed adventurousness. The instrumental Crocodiles claims Song of the Day at the final furlong, crowning what has arguably been the best rainy Sunday of the summer.[Chris Buckle]
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rrr “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate, some men you just can’t reach.” The sampled dialogue from Cool Hand Luke is missing from Civil War’s intro tonight, but its irony is omnipresent, just as songs like Nothing to Say – from Slash’s recent ‘solo’ LP – only amplify the tragic stagnancy of his relationship with Axl Rose over the last 14 Years (no, he didn’t play that). Like some re-enactment of the Use Your Illusion tour video’s best bits – right down to the Godfather solo – our guitar hero in residence
embarks on a balls-out trip down memory lane in MY lieu of any reconciliation with the Mick to his Keith. CY Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy looks the part of lank-haired Rock God – eagerly stripping down to CMY the full Cornell just three songs in as he tears through K GN’R’s Nightrain and Rocket Queen as well as Velvet Revolver’s Slither and Sucker Train Blues. Trapped by the demands of fans, he imitates their maker rather than owning them himself. Paradise City takes us home – the sight and sound of Slash ripping through the classic rock standard sating the appetite of the rammed Picture House. It’s just a shame he’s still Estranged, so to speak, from his dear old pal. [Bob Morton] WWW.SNAKEPIT.ORG
MILK CAPTAIN’S REST, 27 JUN
CONVERGE THE GARAGE, 14 JUL
rrrr Luckily for everyone this gig takes place in the backspace of the Garage, a smaller and better sounding venue for such a loud and energetic lineup. Kylesa give us a potent shot of their Southern metal homebrew – a few new ones and the heaviest cuts off their latest full length Static Tensions, plus some oldies thrown in for good measure. These guys (and gal) are a non-stop touring machine, and their workhorse ethic will no doubt take them to the next level of exposure. However, the house seems slightly unrocked – guess we’re all saving up our energy for the headliners. The crowd is sufficiently wound and ready to explode when Converge hit the stage, and we all
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know things are gonna get a bit aggro. As expected, they’re tight as fuck, but some tracks seem even faster than the recorded versions, which is pretty hard to believe. Screamer Jacob Bannon keeps things moving between songs with longwinded album shout-outs and jumping jack routines, killing time before the rest of band continue to hammer down some seriously relentless grindage. Audience members take their turn on the mic throughout the set, and bassist Nate Newton thankfully provides reliable backing vocals (i.e. growls) to keep everything on lockdown. This band has managed to transcend their East Coast hardcore ancestry, a scene held in disdain by many for its straight edge dogma and meat-headed affectations. Whether they like it or not, it’s all about the music, anyway. Innit? [Eric Ledford] WWW.CONVERGECULT.COM
rrrr Masked and taped, The Organs of Love resemble porno superheroes, all sighs and doped-up electro. Despite echoes of Smoke City’s Underwater Love (mermaids, Levis etc), they’re an enjoyable entrée, but just who are these mysterious strangers? Why, remove the Kato masks and bin-bags and you’ll find two of Wilson Tan of course! After speedy onstage costume alterations, the full quintet are ready to continue as bluesy country types, replete with banjo, harmonica, and steel slides on the ol’ gee-tar. “That’s the last song” they joke as the set comes to a head. “You can go home now, the other two bands are shite”, but while true words are often uttered in jest, the fact that Schnapps share a guitarist with Tan (and all of tonight’s acts hone their sound in the same studio space) ensures there’s no opportunity to misinterpret the bravado. Even if the sarcasm had gone over any clueless heads, Schnapps’s set firmly sets the record straight: they rarely trouble contemporary influences, but their ability to channel the tight rock thrills of The Flamin’ Groovies and the punch of early Stooges repackages Hall of Famers expertly. Ice Cream’s sharp garage-rock tomfoolery and the scuffed, tumbling Crossdresser easily make up for forgetting to bring their bottled namesake. A transition from Schnapps to Milk doesn’t sound
PHOTO: ALAN DUNLOP/ROKBUN
PHOTO: DAVE MCCOURT
MUSIC
LIVE REVIEWS
appetising, but luckily the bands blend more successfully than their liquid counterparts. The sight of drummer Michael Marshall (also of Findo Gask) in garish lycra competes for attention with an intense performance from Pablo Clark (a.k.a. My Kappa Roots), whose vocals range from severely committed to distressed monkey yelping. They’re over in a flash, yet find time for the Doors-esque Wilma, There’s Been A Fire and some eighties cop-show lounge piano grooves, Milk capably proving they’re very much made of the white stuff (sorry). [Chris Buckle]
MUSIC
AUGUST 2010
THE SKINNY 59
Highlights by Mark Shukla
FORMED off the back of a rural songwriting retreat some three and a half years ago, The Burns Unit are a Scottish-Canadian all-star collective that boasts Emma Pollock, Karine Polwart, King Creosote and MC Soom T among their number. Despite acting as a stylistic melting pot, their sound is nevertheless held together with a grandiose folk-rock vibe, serious musicianship and a real sense of playfulness. See them at Glasgow O2 ABC on 4 Aug and Edinburgh Queen’s Hall on 9 Aug. The Edge Fest is a dominant force in Auld Reekie this month, providing much of the capital’s gigging action (and a little respite from Fringe comedy carnage) across many of its staple venues. Villagers’ Becoming a Jackal is one of the standout debuts of 2010 so far – elegant, odd and imaginative – and so bagging tickets to see Conor J. O’Brien’s troupe play Edinburgh Sneaky Pete’s on 6 Aug should be a priority for anyone who wants to catch a terrific band that’s going places. Liars are a fascinating group. Their music is experimental, psychedelic, noisy – yet it’s informed by a deep knowledge of pop, rock and dance music that makes them accessible to music fans of almost any stripe. Their live shows are never predictable but the one constant is usually Angus Andrew’s wonderful vocal performances. Great frontman; great band – Glasgow Stereo on 9 Aug is where it happens. Scary Manc bastards Kong trade in hard, brassy riffage (think an even more pissed-off sounding Shellac), psychotic vocals and ridiculous volume. They won’t try and please you (in fact, I’m pretty sure they hate you) but they are very good at what they do. Glasgow Captain’s Rest on 12 Aug, if you’ve got the stones. Pantha du Prince turned some serious heads early in 2010 when he dropped his Black Noise LP – a gorgeous, melodic techno oddssey – so anyone who wants to see this expert knobtwiddler at work should get along to Glasgow Captain’s Rest on 13 Aug or Edinburgh Sneaky Pete’s on 14 Aug. His sets at Homegame and the Bongo Club earlier in the year were mesmerising, so this comes highly recommended. As part of NEU! and Harmonia Michael Rother created some of the most timeless music ever made and inspired countless subsequent recording artists. This year he has teamed
THE EDGE FEST IS A DOMINANT FORCE IN AULD REEKIE THIS MONTH, PROVIDING A LITTLE RESPITE FROM FRINGE COMEDY CARNAGE
Villagers
up with friends including Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley and Secret Machines’ Ben Curtis to revisit music from his catalogue, create new sounds and otherwise explore tone, rhythm and frequency under the name Hallogallo 2010. Sounds pretty special: grab tickets for Edinburgh Picture House on 17 Aug while you can. Having released an affecting, stripped-down solo album earlier this year, former Beta Band man Steve Mason swings by Edinburgh’s recently reopened Liquid Room on 18 Aug to deliver a set of intimate, heartfelt songs that are peppered with quality hooks and pretty melodies. Make it happen. A lot of bands struggle with a lack of stage presence – but that’s never been a problem for Beirut, aka Zach Condon and his posse of multiinstrumentalists. Incorporating everything from Flugel Horns to ukuleles, this band will delight anyone suffering from guitar fatigue. Of course it helps that Condon writes charming songs that borrow from Balkan brass and French chanson without feeling heavy handed. Edinburgh Picture House 22 Aug should be a hell of a show. Sunderland four-piece Field Music aren’t your average rock band. Their carefully orchestrated and imaginatively structured songs are
wonderfully nuanced – and you lucky people have the chance to see just how they put it together when they play Edinburgh Sneaky Pete’s on 23 Aug. With their third album in 18 months released this month, Eels slither into Glasgow Academy on 24 Aug and Edinburgh Picture House on 25 Aug. Following on from the none-more-dour End Times, Tomorrow Morning promises a collection of upbeat, redemptive numbers and also serves to round out the musical trilogy that Everett began with Hombre Lobo. An emotional rollercoaster in the offing. You really shouldn’t need us to keep reminding you by now, but The Phantom Band are one of the best bands to ever (yes, we just took it that far) come out of Scotland and if you’re lucky they’ll maybe treat you to a few jams from their forthcoming new album at Edinburgh’s Electric Circus on 24 Aug. Be hypnotised by their grooves, just fuckin' be there.
PHOTO: ROSS TREVAIL
MUSIC
Live Music
Steve Mason
LIVE PREVIEWS THE DWARVES
ALICE IN CHAINS
IVORY BLACKS, 10 AUG
O2 ACADEMY, 2 AUG
Dwarves’ reputation for being loud and licentious troublemakers stretches all the way from their ‘80s hardcore roots up to their present role as Chicago’s finest merchants of sleazecore punk rock. Famously, this is a band who were dropped by Sub Pop for faking the death of their guitarist HeWhoCannotBeNamed, and who featured as stars of the ‘edgy fight scene’ in Nick Broomfield’s Kurt and Courtney documentary. Thankfully they have some killer tunes too, and make a rare trip to Glasgow where they’ll be playing at Ivory Blacks on August 10, supporting the new album The Dwarves Are Born Again.[Martin Skivington]
Ask anyone what the top five bands of the ‘grunge era’ were, and you can bet your daughter that Alice in Chains will be right up there, along with Nirvana, Mudhoney, et al. The Seattle stalwarts may have been through the wars and back – and tragically lost the boundless vocal talent that was Layne Staley on the way – but they still know how to grind a riff or two, and last year’s comeback album Black Gives Way To Blue more than punches its weight beside classics like Facelift and Dirt. This is their second Glasgow gig in quick succession after an emotional return to the Barrowlands late last year, and you’d be well advised to get them bones alomg. [Martin Skivington]
7.30PM, £9
7PM, £23.50
WWW.THEDWARVES.COM/
ALICEINCHAINS.COM/
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In a digital world of illegal file sharing and downloading, it’s good to know that we can still support artists where it really matters: on the stage and in the clubs. Metal fans have always been more than willing to shell out a few extra quid at a gig for a tour shirt or limited vinyl edition of that special record – it just doesn’t sound as good on CD or MP3, now does it? So even though we’re all skint as fuck, we won’t forget to buy merch in order to help our favourite bands do what they do. Right enough. How fortunate are we to host Welsh powermongers Taint for two Scottish dates? Bannerman’s in Edinburgh (1 Aug) and The Tunnels in Aberdeen (2 Aug). This trio faithfully blend scuzzrock noise with old-school metal chops and pound it out
Music
Text Eric Ledford
in grand style – definitely one of the best heavy bands to come from the UK in recent years. They’re touring with support from progressive doomsters Manatees, but don’t let the environmentally-cutesy name fool you: their sound is lumbering and massive, like the death-moans of a beached sea mammal that’s about to be carved up by starving neanderthals. Or something. Anyway, check this yin out for sure. Also at Bannerman’s, the thrash revival continues unabated with Bonded By Blood (14 Aug) who conjure the likes of Testament, Exodus and Death Angel from the glory days of way back when. ‘Member? Simultaneously in Glasgow, the Barrowlands 2 (that’s the wee lounge bit, not the gigantic upstairs ballroom) is kicking off a full-on Metal Weekender (13 & 14 Aug). Too many bands to list here, but suffice it to say that the lineup is impressive and fully represents the local scene in its unending quest for metal retribution. With their totally unique spin on black metal, Swedish deathgoths Katatonia made compelling musical statements that stood out from the corpse-painted hordes of early 90s Norway. Their sound has softened somewhat with age but continually grows bleaker in both tone and delivery. Last year’s Night Is The New Day is one of their strongest efforts, and it’s a rare treat to catch them in the live setting earlier in the month at the Cathouse (2 Aug). Opening support from Glaswegian nihilists Solstheim will invoke the freezing moon of winter’s bane, as they do. Ivory Blacks keep ‘em coming the whole month long – death n’ roll courtesy of Fallen Fate (7 Aug), followed by the sanctimonious profanity of Purified In Blood (17 Aug), while English thrash mainstays Sabbat create a theological void with help from Imperial Vengeance, Cinders Fall and Achren (18 Aug). The Rock ‘N’ Damnation fest plows through Glasgow for a full week at a slew of venues, but highlights include Take A Worm For A Walk Week (28 Aug) and Throne O’ Diablo (29 Aug), both at King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut. See you there. Katatonia
August 2010
THE SKINNY 61
CLUBS
The Sky Is The Limit Toddla T tells The Skinny about leaving drunk messages on Annie Mac's answer phone about his previous declaration, the one time resident of the People’s Republic of South Yorkshire laughed sheepishly and responds: “Haha! I’m down here all the time and I am in a relationship down here so it just made sense.” The relationship he is referring to is with Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac. Toddla has previously used a recording
"I STARTED IN MY HOUSE WHEN I WAS ABOUT 15, I HAD DECKS IN MY HOUSE AND I GOT INTO PRODUCING MUSIC BEFORE I WENT TO PARTIES. I JUST WANTED TO DO IT.” TODDLA T
Interview David McNamara SHEFFIELD’S history of producing notable musical talent is well documented, beginning with the obvious in the form of Pulp and Arctic Monkeys and moving onwards from there, as Warp Record founders Rob Gordon and Steve Beckett also hail from the city. Carrying on this great tradition of innovative performers is Toddla T. Over the past several years Toddla T (real name Tom Bell) has been making his mark on the UK and overseas with his chaotic blend of reggae, house, techno and grime that is reminiscent of the fun Basement Jaxx exuded in their early years. His debut album, Skanky Skanky, was released in 2009 to praise from various club DJs, earning Toddla an underground following. This led to an opportunity to mix for the highly respected Fabric Live series and a monthly residency at the clubbing institution.
In addition to his solo work, Toddla has produced for UK hip-hop’s most recognisable personae, Roots Manuva and the Top 40-bothering pop star Tinchy Stryder. His remix roster includes the likes of Hot Chip, Jack Peñate and Ladyhawke, whilst recently the Steel City ambassador has been making a regular appearance on Radio 1 as part of the In New DJs We Trust series. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Toddla did not start his career as a natural progression from going to clubs and becoming immersed in the nocturnal culture. In fact, for the massive Notorious B.I.G. fan, the music came long before the night life. “I started in my house when I was about 15,” says the 25 year old. “I had decks in my house and I got into producing music before I went to parties. I just wanted to do it.” It did not take long for the small Sheffield music community to take notice of his talents and he was soon taken under the wing of production veteran
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TODDLA T’S NEW ALBUM IS RELEASED LATER THIS YEAR. THE RIZLA RIVERBOAT SHUFFLE TAKES PLACE ON 6 AUG WITH OPTIMO AND MELTING POT. 8PM-11PM, £25
DJ CHART JACKMASTER
Chris Duncan
AFTER months of outdoor festivals, exposing ourselves to as many nights in the wilderness as Raoul Moat with only a slightly lesser police presence, it’s time to move indoors. This month Ray Philp runs down his selection of the best nights happening in the capital throughout the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, from the Confusion Is Sex parties to LuckyMe’s annual festival throwdown with the likes of Hudson Mohawke and Eclair Fifi appearing alongside this month’s DJ chart provider Jackmaster. We’re hosting our own night on 11 Aug in The Assembly with local talent Hostage, Anarkid, Bargain Harold and i-Tallah Disco. Elsewhere, we spoke to Toddla T before his appearance on the Rizla stage at RockNess and
Ross Orton, the man behind the success of the early MIA releases, who showed Toddla how to use a studio properly. He was christened Toddla T by the elder DJs in the community who could not believe that someone so young could possess the ability to execute such pounding rhythms. When asked about his experiences growing up in the Sheffield club scene, Toddla explains why the lack of respectable venues worked in his favour. “The nightlife when I was growing up was crap,” begins Toddla. “It was a bit of a blessing as there were more underground parties. This also meant that I got introduced to a lot of music that I wouldn’t normally listen to. I got into dancehall, reggae, American dance music and UK garage.” Toddla recently signed to Ninja Tune and is currently living in London, which is strange as he once said in an interview that he would never move to the capital as he didn’t want to end up “playing electro at some fucking club in Shoreditch.” When confronted
from a drunken late night phone call to Miss Mac in down tempo gem Rebel, but he promises that depriving his girlfriend of sleep is a thing of the past. “There are no more phone calls!” declares the excitable Yorkshire man. “She just lives round the corner now so I don’t need to!” Toddla is currently working on his sophomore album and has taken the opportunity to visit the birth place of his beloved reggae and dancehall music. “I am working on my follow up to Skanky Skanky, I went to Jamaica twice in the past year, so I have been writing and recording over there. Like the last album, it is going to be all over the shop.” The relentless DJ has recently performed at RockNess and will be dropping beats throughout Europe for the rest of the summer with a packed schedule that includes appearances at some of the country’s best clubs and music festivals. Toddla is clearly excited about getting his music out to a wider audience. “I am looking forward to Big Chill and Lovebox,” says the curly haired Ritalin candidate. “I love playing during the day because it is so much different. You get to see people’s reactions and there is a big selection of people, there are even little kids, so that should be amazing.”
ahead of Rizla’s Riverboat Shuffle in Glasgow this month. Optimo and Melting Pot will appear on The Waverley before welcoming Retro/ Grade into the Sub Club for their debut Scottish performance and a preview of their forthcoming album. Finally, Edinburgh keeps its nightlife going well into the morning hours, with Xplicit and Big ‘n’ Bashy both staying open until 5am. Xplicit welcome Shy FX and Breakage to the club, whilst Big ‘n’ Bashy lock horns with Elektikal for a one off August special. Enjoy it while it lasts, after the festival is done it’s back to the 3am glasses-backto-the-bar and the occasional flyer screaming about a 4am close (subject to licence).
The-Dream – Yamaha The biggest track from the new album. If Prince still made bangers, this is what they’d sound like. Girl UNIT – Wut Amazing new one from Girl Unit who plays Numbers in November. Forthcoming on Night Slugs. Big Boi – Shutterbug Big Boi’s new single is smashing up everything. Niño – Niño-y (Dos Veces Bueno Mweslee remix) Niño perfectly catches the vibe of the best old skool UK garage with this remix. Vintage! Ramadanman – Work Them Ooooft. Ramadanman killing it as usual with this juke inspired cut.
Mr Mageeka – Different Lekstrix The latest Numbers 12 inch sounds like old school Dan Bell spliced with early Relief records in outer space. Chez Damier – Untitled Damier’s best in my opinion. I never leave home without it. Breach – Fatherless One of the bigger track in my sets in the last few months. Altered Natives – Tenement Yard Volume One New album from one of the most under rated producers out there. Buy this. Yotam Avni – Coke Bouquet Pure sex music.
Clubs
Satan’s Little Helper El-P is back with a heavy instrumental album that sounds like The Bomb Squad with John Carpenter on keyboards. Lock up your boybands, it’s the classic underground styles of the urban masters! Interview Bram Gieben For ten years, Def Jux was arguably the definitive underground hip-hop label in the USA. The man behind the label is a figure of titanic importance in independent rap. El-P is the producer behind the likes of Cannibal Ox and Aesop Rock, a vocal collaborator with Mike Ladd’s Infesticons and Nine Inch Nails (to name but two), and one of the three founders of the immortal Company Flow, whose 1999 classic Funcrusher Plus spawned a million imitators in the genre of so-called ‘backpack rap.’ A seminal and influential figure who has been in the game for fifteen years or more, he reminds me: “I mean, you’re talking to a guy who was selling records out of his backpack in 1995.” Nonetheless, he has embraced digital distribution and viral, online marketing, even remixing Justin Bieber to equal parts delight and horror from his Twitter followers. El-P believes the changes in the music industry must be welcomed. “I’m the first motherfucker to embrace the new era, despite the fact that it was all wonderful to be getting huge advances... but that’s not the real key to art.” El-P’s new album is WEAREALLGOINGTOBURNINHELLMEGAMIXXX3. What inspired it? “I collected a bunch of stuff, some of it had vocals on it, but the majority of it was just music. I just felt like, let’s keep it instrumental.”
So how did he achieve the unified sound? “There were a few levels of production. First, just choosing stuff I thought might be cool to actually create, as opposed to leaving it in its rough demo form, and secondly, taking that stuff and re-approaching it. I reconstructed it so that the tracks all flowed into each other.” A concept album then? “It all sounds pretty pretentious when I say it out loud... it really was just an excuse to throw some shit that I had together; put it out there for people who were waiting for me to put some music out. Once I got into the process, I realised, ‘wow, this could be a cool little instrumental record.’” The album is full of layered, distorted synths: shades of Moroder and Carpenter weave in and out of the heavy electro beats and shoegaze guitars. “This album was inspired by things like The Warriors score and the Bladerunner score; John Carpenter, and that prog-synth rock stuff from the sixties, the seventies and the early eighties. I’m a collector of gear and synths and things... this time I kind of engaged in my fetish.” What about the beats? “I never used an MPC. I always used the Ensoniq EPS 16 Plus, which is a keyboard / sampler. That’s the one I was raised on. I’ve gotten away from it to a degree: every song has that, I still use it. It’s very functional for me. I’m just not doing everything in it any more. I’m not using programs like Fruity Loops or Reason.”
Comparisons are frequently drawn between El-P’s work and The Bomb Squad – he’s not afraid to use gunshots, sirens and horns. “I wanted to throw some of that in because I love that shit, you know? At this point it’s like a cheap trick. You can literally put an airhorn over the softest shit on the planet, and people will just be like, ‘OH MY GAWD, this shit is incredible!’ I shouldn’t even be revealing this secret to you, but that’s why everyone uses airhorns. It’s literally Pavlovian at this point. You just sound the airhorn, and everyone thinks it’s the hottest shit on the planet. And you know what? It kind of is. That’s kind of what’s awesome about a well-placed airhorn, laser-effect, or gunshot.” I mention the collapse of Def Jux, and El-P quickly responds: “I think the term collapse is a little harsh. I mean, It is sad to see anything change.” He has no regrets about either the running of Def Jux, or indeed its eventual end point. As an advocate of modern methods of distribution, it’s clear that it was time for a new model: “I can’t really involve myself in something that isn’t modern. I don’t feel like the old way of doing things – having a full staff, doing traditional physical distribution for every record – that model has essentially died.” Has his gameplan changed then? “For my part, I’m probably gonna be spending a lot more time trying to do my own music. That being said, I love all the dudes, everybody who was involved with Def Jux.” Will his next album have lyrics? “It’s definitely the follow up to [2007’s] I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead. It’s a rap album, but it will also be a hybrid. What I’m trying to create is a well-done hybrid of an instrumental record and a vocal record. It seems like somewhat uncharted territory, and something I’d like to try. I’m hoping it’s gonna come out second quarter next year.” Finally, I ask about his remix of Justin Bieber’s Baby, a mashup of Bieber, Live & Let Die and grinding, industrial beats. It caused uproar among Bieber fans on Twitter in July of this year. “It was fucking hilarious! One day I realised Justin Bieber was on Twitter, and I started fucking with him. My first question to him was, ‘Have you discovered cocaine and hookers yet?’” “Why? Because personally I get the fucking heebie-jeebies from that whole little Disney,
"One day I realised Justin Bieber was on Twitter, and I started fucking with him. My first question to him was, ‘Have you discovered cocaine and hookers yet?' ” EL-P insane-pop-child-sexuality-weirdness deal he puts out there. See, the thing I love about remixing is that you can turn anything on its head. You can take any idea, any sentiment and just change the perspective. Keeping the lyrics intact, but just changing the song’s perspective, and just completely changing the whole tone. So Justin Bieber’s little woeful, bullshit, prepubescent, lovelorn, pre-sealed-by-whoever-wroteit-for-him song can all of a sudden become this beastly, angry thing. That was why it was fun for me. But at the same time, listening to it, once I had finished... I went into it very tongue-in-cheek, but by the time I was done with it, I thought ‘I like this shit!’ Not only do I kinda like it... I kinda like the vocals too!” Surely not! Was there a negative reaction to the track from his own fanbase, or just the Beliebers? “The most hate reactions I got to it were people cursing me to hell for making them like Justin Bieber. I’m just a vehicle, you know? I’m just a vehicle, and Satan works through me.” WEAREALLGOINGTOBURNINHELLMEGAMIXXX3 is released via Gold Dust Media on 16 Aug Visit www.weaponizer.co.uk to read more of Bram’s journalism www.myspace.com/elproducto
August 2010
THE SKINNY 63
Clubs
Ghetto Fabulous
The Blessings
Text Ray Philp
Located in Dundee’s cultural quarter, DCA is home to: a world-class EXHIBITION SPACE where entry is always FREE; the city centre’s only CINEMA – showing new releases, classic movies, independent filmmakers, opera, world cinema and films chosen by you!; a state-of-the-art PRINT STUDIO with a great range of workshops; cutting -edge design, jewellery and gifts in our SHOP; limited edition prints and publications in our PRINT SPACE; great food in our RESTAURANT and a lively buzz in our CAFÉ BAR. Get involved at www.dca.org.uk or find us on Twitter and Facebook. Pick up your RED card today & start saving points to spend at DCA cinema!
64 THE SKINNY August 2010
First, some bad news; Edinburgh nightlife is still a bit up itself. Aspirational affectations remain part and parcel of many of the capital’s sleazespots: the £4.50 pint; the precious, screeching adjectives you’d otherwise find in a bad Ab Fab repeat (It’s boutique! It’s baroque! It’s luxury!); the idea that a club must also be a hotel/restaurant/aquarium/ Faberge Egg emporium. But, since you’re reading this, and not spitting and cursing because we’re describing your favourite watering hole, like, evar, then like us, you’re evidently not game for wallowing in the olfactory purgatory of strawberry daiquiris and Fake Bake, or dressing like you’re going for a job interview at a Fortune 500, are you? Good, because opportunities to shake off the ennui abound this August, in the time when the city breaks free of its gilded cage and puts its best beer-sodden foot forward. And, given Edinburgh’s nascent reputation for its stellar dubstep nights, where better to start than with the granddaddy of them all? Volume, the capital’s longest-running dubstep soiree, hosts a free shindig at the small-but-perfectly-formed Sneaky Pete’s on Saturday 7 August. Residents Termite, G-Mac, Paranoise and Brian D’Souza will be on hand to make your feet tap like the biologically improbable bastard child of Gene Kelly and Michael Flatley. Eschewing any sort of riff on a Singing In The, Rain/Riverdance techno mashup (cough–doit– cough), we turn our attentions to the Soma Party hosted by one of Edinburgh’s most venerable bass bunkers, Cabaret Voltaire. On Saturday 20 August, Slam, Funk D’Void and Harvey McKay will dovetail with a set from Telefunken residents Alan Gray and Nick Wilson in Room 2.
Prior to that, Cabaret Voltaire also host Glasgow music/art/party collective LuckyMe; having held down an entire evening at Sonar festival until ridiculous o’clock in the morning, 5am parties won’t come much better than the third annual LuckyMe Festival Party on Friday 13 August. An exhaustive list of men and women who will make you dance and lose your shit follows: Hudson Mohawke, Jackmaster, The Blessings, Eclair Fifi, Dema, Joe Respite, Jay Prada, Dougal from 7VWWVW (remember when you used to type in ‘BOOBS’ on your calculator?) and Jamie Spectrum. Speaking of boobs an’ that, Confusion Is Sex, the all-singing, all-dancing (with, ahem, strap-ons) crown jewel of the Edinburgh nightscape, offers a double helping of its unique brand of sensual sensory indulgence. Gamma Ray Dali ‘n’ them invite curious revellers and die-hards alike to The Bongo Club on Friday 6 August, featuring industrial quantities of groove from The Glitch DJs, Gary Mac of We Are...Electric and Wasabi Disco impresario Kris Walker. CIS’s follow up party on Friday 20 August moves to Electric Circus, where you’ll find esoteric punters kitted out in manga, visual kei, gothic Lolita and decora. No, neither did we, until an exploratory look on Google revealed that failure to resemble an S&M loving J-Pop singer getting pagared in a wind tunnel will result in you being told where to go. Probably George Street. Lastly, we’d like to tell you about our own festival rave at Assembly (Princes Street Gardens), Local Takeover, on Wednesday 11 August. Some of our favourite Edinburgh DJs – that’s Hostage, Anarkid, Bargain Harold & i-Tallah Disco – will soundtrack visual delights from The Freaky Brides and a performance costume show from the Edinburgh College of Art. Hope to see you there for a dance and a swalley.
PHOTO: CHRISTINA KERNOHAN
Forgo the 'upmarket' graveyards and follow us where technophobes and high heels fear to tread
PHOTO: Detroitexposure.com
Sowing Wild Oats
Kicking off this month is the newest addition to Glasgow’s underground clubscene Text Colin Chapman
TAKING inspiration from Theo Parrish’s Plastic People residency, Jelly Roll Soul will be dedicated to “real funk and grit rather than flat, digitized sheen," the DJs opting for vinyl over MP3s. To celebrate the launch of the night, the founders have booked Detroit wonder-kid Kyle Hall, who though only 19, already sums up their aesthetic approach. Kyle's unique take on the Motor City sound takes its cue as much from the work of hip-hop producer, J Dilla and Wajeed as it does the output of house artists like Parrish, Rick Wilhite and Marcellus Pittman. DJing and recording music since he was 11, Kyle’s been mentored by the likes of Wilhite and fellow Detroit producer, Mike Huckaby, though it’s probably his relationship with another member of the city’s house scene, Omar S, that’s had the greatest impact on his career thus far. “He was the person that gave me the opportunity to present my music to the world and believed in it enough to put it out,” says Hall, referencing his first single, Plastik Ambash, recorded, amazingly enough, when he was only 16. “Omar also taught me some of what I needed to know to release my own music, and it’s probably been the most helpful advice I’ve ever received,” he continues. Indeed, only a year after his FXHE debut, he established his own Wild Oats imprint with The Worx of Art EP. Ranging from the joyous, piano-led deep house of Fuse N Me to I <3 Dr. Girl Friend’s off-kilter soul-hop, it’s perhaps the record that represents his sound to the fullest. “I started Wild Oats because I was sick of waiting for
people to release my music and wanted to have total creative control over things,” he says, explaining its beginnings. “It’ll remain mostly an outlet for my own productions as I’ve a real personal attachment, but I may collaborate with others in future.” Since The Worx … he’s gone on to release The Water Is Fine and Must See EPs on Moods & Grooves and Third Ear respectively and The Perfekt Sin on Wild Oats, though arguably it was last year’s remix of Darkstar’s Aidy’s Girl Is A Computer and subsequently April’s Kaychunk/You Know What I Feel twelve inch, both on Hyperdub that have brought him to a wider audience, as Hall agrees. “Darkstar got in touch to say they dug my music and asked me to do the remix; it did well so Kode 9 invited me to make a record for Hyperdub, which was cool … he label’s at the forefront of the dubstep scene in the UK so it’s definitely helped expose me to a lot of new people.” Not to mention an increase in DJ dates; Kyle’s already played all over Europe this year and has a busy schedule well into the autumn. “It’s been a great experience; people have been really receptive,” he reflects. “When I DJ, it’s more like a performance, it’s more spontaneous than when I’m in the studio, trying to piece things together.” Looking to the future, he’s keen to expand upon his DJ techniques and keep busy working on more music: “I want to take my DJing to the next level, play on three or four decks at once and incorporate homemade gizmos. I’m also gonna put out releases more frequently on Wild Oats.” JELLY ROLL SOUL PRESENTS KYLE HALL AT LA CHEETAH, GLASGOW, ON FRIDAY 13 AUG, 11PM - 3AM, £10 WWW.MYSPACE.COM/KYLEHALLDETROIT
AUGUST 2010
THE SKINNY 65
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Holiday Home Villa have been setting the world alight recently, receiving praise from the likes of Beats in Space host Tim Sweeney and Dixon Text Anna Seale FREDO, Thang, Seba. They might sound like three lion cubs from a Disney film but it couldn’t be further from the truth, as musically the three-piece Villa tend to reference the likes of Quincy Jones, Bo Michael Tretow, Giorgio Moroder or Vangelis, but also the dynamic pop of Blondie and David Bowie. Their vision is to create “pop sensibility matched with avant-garde.” Villa could be, and often are, filed under the tag of Balearic within the muso mental rolodex. It is, as they see “off-kilter disco, instrumental new wave B-sides, edgy pop gems, ancient house discs, below the radar rock tunes, Belgian new beat, slow motioned electro and everything in between.” Fredo and Thang have around a decade of turntable experience between them and their first venture into production was the Gameplay edit of Beirut’s nugget Nantes. The track was originally created as something of a secret project but soon received attention from major players such as Laurent Garnier, Dixon and Tim Sweeney. Soon afterwards the duo hooked up with vintage synth collector Seba and thus Villa came to be. The final component proved to be a well versed composer and producer with an enviable collection of machines that benefited the planned future well. Villa’s first work as a threesome were the ‘diva’ edits, a series of three re-works named Anita, Tina and Agneta, which saw a digital release on the Eskimo Recordings offshoot Mindless Boogie. Remix work for The Golden Filter, Ali Love and Music Go Music soon followed, and Moby recently enlisted their skills for fine tuning tracks in a bold new direction. Villa’s future plans include more remixes, a tour that takes in Glasgow superclub Death Disco and time in the studio working on a new album. After being tarred with the “One to watch this year” brush, expect to be hearing a lot more from Villa in the near future. VILLA APPEAR AT DEATH DISCO ON 21 AUG. 10PM-3AM, £12
The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, Glasgow 0141 565 1000 www.deathdisco.info
RETRO/GRADE
JACKBEATS & MALENTE @ HYP?
SUB CLUB, 6 AUG
SUB CLUB, 27 AUG
Two causes for celebration on the 6th after the Rizla Riverboat Shuffle reaches dry land. First of all, Retro/ Grade make their Scottish debut in the Sub Club alongside sets by Optimo and Melting Pot. Secondly, this will be the perfect opportunity to catch a preview of their forthcoming material from their yet to be released debut album Motion, due out next year. Retro/Grade are the modern day italo disco duo Serge Santiago and Tom Neville who released their debut track Moda on a highly limited A-side single last year. In spite of only 500 copies being released the single received acclaim from both the press and fellow artists and the 12’ worked its way into the record bags of the likes of Erol Alkan, Simian Mobile Disco, Annie Mac and Brodinski. Consider this evening utterly unmissable. [Chris Duncan]
Teaming up in 2007, multiple DMC Award winning DJ duo Jackbeats have remixed the likes of La Roux, Florence & The Machine, Passion Pit, Lady Sovereign and Fake Blood, as well as releasing their own U.F.O EP. Championed by Zane Lowe and Annie Mac, the pairing of Niall Dailly (DJ Plus One of Scratch Perverts fame) and Ben Geffin (The Mixologists) cite influences as diverse as Timbaland, Rage Against the Machine, A Guy Called Gerald and Sebastian in their creation of a sound which fuses house, hip-hop, drum & bass and dubstep with electro and b-more. Taking the name of his home town in northern Germany, Malente released his debut album in 2001. Already an established DJ, he’s since gone on to record two further albums and produced singles for Southern Fried and Fool's Gold, while earlier this year he joined forces with Azzido Da Bass for the the track They’re Killing It.[Colin Chapman]
11PM-3AM
SEBO K & ANJA SCHNEIDER @ SENSU SUB CLUB, 20 AUG
Another outing from the Sub Club’s irregular hidden gem and yet again boasting enviable bookings and the usual after dark clandestine operations within Glasgow’s southside. A mini Mobilee Records showcase this evening with Sebo K and Anja Schneider, the former still riding the crest of a wave created by his excellent Watergate Vol. 4 mix. His Back Up Vol. 01 release introduced ears across the globe to his mixing abilities, merging the sounds of minimal techno and classic deep house in a textbook manner. Followed by his original productions, Sebo K has crafted remixes for some of the most respected labels and artists in operation including Poker Flat, Mule Electronic, Radioslave, and Efdemin. Meanwhile, his tracks have been spun by fellow DJs such as M.A.N.D.Y., Richie Hawtin, Steve Bug, Dennis Ferrer, Loco Dice, and Dixon in both sets and compilation mixes for years. [Chris Duncan] 11PM-3AM, £10/£12
LOCAL TAKEOVER THE ASSEMBLY, 11 AUG
We at The Skinny know how to throw a party. We’ve bagged the newest outdoor venue to hit Princes Street Gardens, The Assembly, to show the festival visitors what we do best: quality, variety and supporting the local scene. If you haven’t yet chanced an encounter with Gamma Ray’s Freaky Brides, meet a rampant performance troupe of ladies who purport to “rock the cock of the dance floor.” Expect further flamboyance from ECA’s 2010 performance costume graduates, but don’t panic – if this succession of visual feasts leaves you feeling slightly underdressed, Gemima will be on hand to smear you in face paint. Bargain Harold and I-Tallah Disco usually stretch their repertoire from indie and electro to dubstep and 90s dance. They’ll be followed later by house and electro producer Anarkid getting serious with pleasantly uneasy fidget beats. Headliner Hostage is worth clocking for his big bassy party tunes, but he is a man of further talent, as evidenced by his pledge to “DJ whilst juggling swords on a unicycle and doing a monologue about my fanny.” Clever guy.[Rosie McLean] 11PM-3AM, £7/£9
SHY FX @ XPLICIT, THE BONGO CLUB, 20 AUG
11PM-3AM, £10
JAMIE JONES & SEUIL @ TIC TAC TOE RENFREW FERRY, 14 AUG
Currently a Circo Loco resident at Ibiza’s legendary DC10, Welshman Jamie Jones first took to the decks aged 16, later moving to London to study while spending his summers working on the White Isle. Since then he’s gone onto establish himself as a globetrotting DJ and producer, releasing his much lauded full-length debut, Don’t You Remember The Future, last year. More recently he’s founded the Hot Creations label as an outlet for his bass and groove-driven melancholic house, struck up a recording partnership with Lee Foss as Hot Natured and is currently working on a secretive band project. Aided by a decade of classical training, Parisian-based DJ/ Producer Seuil’s flexibility in the studio has helped him turn out productions ranging from “mesmerising acid house with a noughties twist” to “spooked out, bubbly minimal” on labels such as Minibar, Freak N’ Chic, Moon Harbour and his own, Eklo imprint, while this year he dropped his Chamaeleonidae debut album.[Colin Chapman] 10PM-4AM, £12
BIG ‘N’ BASHY, THE BONGO CLUB, 28 AUG
Welcome back Edinburgh Festival and the 5am chuck out! Edinburgh’s habitual 4 hour clubnights just ain’t long enough to do justice to reggae, grime, dubstep and jungle, despite the inseparability of the genres (to clarify, this is wholeheartedly a gripe in the direction of certain inflexible noise restriction policies rather than any promoters dutifully working within limited parameters all year round). Big ‘n’ Bashy’s decision to collaborate with Elektrikal promises a blessed expansion, as there are two guests to look forward to. Hatcha, party animal, Kiss FM selecta and self-proclaimed ‘hatcher’ of prodigious talents Skream and Benga is occupying the main headline slot. He produced some of the earliest, now practically vintage, dark-garage dubstep sounds and is unsurprisingly in the position of possessing one of the deepest catalogues of party tunes and exclusive dubplates. Grime producer Swindle has worked with Chipmunk, Roll Deep, Mutya Buena, No Lay and many more, delving into soul, UK funky, hip hop and beyond for his idiosyncratic productions, of which the sexy and kooky Who Said Funk EP is a perfect example. [Rosie McLean]
As anyone who’s followed Xplicit for a handful of years will tell you, these nights guarantee big crowds, big names and big bass noises. This year’s festival event will be a Digital Soundboy label special, hosting the label’s founder, junglist time lord Shy FX, and the label’s burgeoning nextgeneration talent, Breakage. Long has Shy FX been wise to the music scene, gaining early underground regcognition with 1992’s Jungle Love, and later commercial success with anthem Original Nuttah. Alongside tunes like Roni Size’s Brown Paper Bag and The Ganja Kru’s Super Sharp Shooter, Mr FX’s most played tune throws most into fits of nostalgia when dropped at the right moment – something he tends to do frequently. Younger Breakage is celebrating his second album, which features smoking collabs from superstars Roots Manuva, Newnham Generals, Burial and more. In both his remixes and productions he’s very much a child of Digital Soundboy’s broad ethos, and the versatility and energy which crackles from all the DS homeboys. Last but not least, renowned bloggers the Phuturelabs collective are hosting the upstairs, so expect what you would from discerning electronic music critics: cream of the crop releases from a universe of genres. [Rosie McLean]
12AM-5AM
11PM-5AM, £12
11PM-5AM, £12
DJ YODA @ HEADSPIN THE BONGO CLUB, 7 AUG
Expect a tidal wave of briny torrents and a cacophony of boo-hoos at The Bongo Club on the 7th as Headspin residents Allan Dunbar, Steve Austin, Dava and Bongo Dave run through their extensive hip-house and funk catalogue for the last time in the foreseeable future. To mark Headspin’s indefinite hiatus (they’ve not quite done an Optimo) after over 12 years of 4-deck turntablism, percussion clatter from Bongo Dave and head-swelling visuals from Foundlight, Dunbar et al have enlisted arch beat pervert DJ Yoda, who, when not burnishing clubs with indecent assaults of hip-hop, house and Game Boy beats, can be found on the other end of premium rate phonelines whispering lasciviously about bagpipe synths and Biz Markie. Probably. Libelous remarks aside, Headspin promise to “go out with a bang”, and we can’t help but take their word for it. If you need any more convincing, check out the Beastie Boys/Daft Punk mashup on their Myspace. Bliss. [Ray Philp]
AUGUST 2010
THE SKINNY 67
CLUBS
PREVIEWS
GLASGOW MUSIC TUE 27 JUL JAH WOBBLE & THE NIPPON DUB ENSEMBLE ABC, 19:00–22:00, £12
Adventurous tunes. In ABC 2.
OPEN MIC
ÒRAN MÓR, 19:30–22:30, FREE
Live acoustic session.
MAGIC CARPET CABARET TCHAI-OVNA, 20:00–22:00, £2
Singer/songwriters night.
SUMMER NIGHTS (TANGO IN THE ATTIC, BWANI JUNCTION, BE LIKE PABLO, NIGHT NOISE TEAM) KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £6
Part of the Summer Nights schedule.
BUBBLEGUM RECORDS NIGHT (ONWARD CHARIOTS, THE FELT TIPS, ALWAYS ME ME ME) PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, £5
Pop with a capital ‘P’.
TUESDAY MUSIC CLUB
BUTTERFLY & PIG, 20:30–12:00, FREE
Open mic night.
SACRED BETRAYAL, A DAY AFTER TOMORROW 13TH NOTE, 21:00–23:30, £TBC
Screamo electro and hardcore.
THE GLASGOW SLOW CLUB BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE
Relaxed night with guest bands.
WED 28 JUL SHEARWATER (WYE OAK) STEREO, 19:00–22:30, £9
Experimental indie.
MONO JAZZ
MONO, 20:00–23:00, FREE
Weekly jazz residency.
SUMMER NIGHTS (XCERTS, BRONTO SKYLIFT, OTHERPEOPLE, DUPEC) KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £6
Part of the Summer Nights schedule.
BUTTERFLY FRIDAYS
BUTTERFLY & PIG, 19:00–03:00, FREE
Resident bands and DJs.
WING AND A PRAYER TCHAI-OVNA, 20:00–22:00, £2
Blues-influenced singer/songwriters.
FIGURE 5, SELECTIVE SERVICE, THE STAGGER RATS, THE IMAGINEERS MAGGIE MAY’S, 20:00–22:30, £5
HAVE A QUACK
FLYING DUCK, 20:00–00:00, FREE
KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £6
Part of the Summer Nights schedule.
THE MATHLETICS TEAM, REMEDY, DUCK HUNT PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, FREE
Indie, pop and funk.
THE LATECOMERS
LAURIES BAR, 20:15–23:00, FREE
Alternative pop loveliness.
CHIEF, JOEY TERRIFYING, SHIELDS UP
13TH NOTE, 21:00–23:30, £TBC
Punk and ska.
PIN UP NIGHTS (SCOTT PATERSON, REMEMBER REMEMBER, SONNY MARVELLO, MITCHELL MUSEUM, FUTURISTIC RETRO CHAMPIONS) FLYING DUCK, 21:00–03:00, £5
The long-running indie spectacular hosts a mini festival.
SAT 31 JUL DEREK FAIRLIE QUARTET BREL, 15:00–17:00, FREE
Jazz funk.
VINYL
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £5
Funk. In ABC 2.
MASTERS OF HARDCORE O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:30, £19
32 MILES TO BREAKFAST Rock and pop four-piece.
IN: DEMAND LIVE (ALEXANDRA BURKE, THE HOOSIERS, DIANA VICKERS, BASSHUNTER)
Interactive music night, plus quiz, writing challenge and prizes!
SECC, 19:30–22:30, £25
OPENMIKING
MARNER BROWN, THE MIRROR TRAP, MADSKULL
HALT BAR, 20:30–23:00, FREE
Turn up and do your thing.
VINYL NIGHT
BUTTERFLY & PIG, 21:00–12:00, FREE
Hip-hop, mod, funk and ska.
THU 29 JUL COMBICHRIST
CLASSIC GRAND, 19:00–22:00, £15
Metal and hardcore.
FAMILY FORCE 5
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £7.50
Punk rock. In ABC 2.
FOLK FAE FIFE
TCHAI-OVNA, 20:00–22:00, £2
Music from The Kingdom.
Huge popfest.
MAGGIE MAY’S, 20:00–22:30, £5
Alternative indie and rock.
FEEVENTS PRESENT PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, £5
Genre-specific night.
HALT BAR HIJACK
HALT BAR, 20:00–00:00, FREE
Underground band takeover.
NINE DEATHS OF THE NINJA, ALWAYS AM, KID FIRE, AMY LIGHTWAVE BOX, 21:00–00:00, FREE
Alternative rock, punk and indie.
SUN 01 AUG
ACE CITY RACERS, THE UPBEAT DOWNBEAT, FREAKY JESUS, UNCLE HIPPO
TOY FIRES (RUN FROM RED, NO REARVIEW, PEACE IN REVOLUTION)
Mix of electro, pop, punk and indie.
Alternative three-piece.
MAGGIE MAY’S, 20:00–22:30, £5
SUMMER NIGHTS (FRENCH WIVES,THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, WASHINGTON IRVING, RACHEL SEMANNI) KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £6
Part of the Summer Nights schedule.
TORO Y MOI, APPLES OF ENERGY, POINT TO C, YAHWEH CAPTAIN’S REST, 20:00–23:00, £7
Experimental pop and roots.
HAPPY SPASTICS, LOINSTORM, WHEELCHAIR PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, FREE
Punk night.
SECOND HAND MARCHING BAND, SARAH BANJO, RM HUBBERT 13TH NOTE, 21:00–23:30, £TBC
Acoustic indie folk and punk rock.
FRI 30 JUL
O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:30, £23.50
Seattle rock legends.
YAMAN
TCHAI-OVNA, 20:00–22:00, £2
MIRRORS
THE FERRY, 19:00–23:00, £5
Indie rock line-up.
ALICE IN CHAINS
Indian music on sitar and flute.
Glam pop.
PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, £5
Bauhaus frontman.
SUMMER NIGHTS (DEAD SEA SOULS, THE DRAYMIN, THE LEADS, THE BLACK RATS)
Hardcore freak-out.
SINGLE SKIN PRESENT
CLASSIC GRAND, 19:00–22:00, £18
Experimental indie.
WILD NOTHING
CAPTAIN’S REST, 20:00–23:00, £7
MON 02 AUG PETER MURPHY
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £6
WU-TANG CLAN
O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:30, £29.50
Re-united and in full force.
PEOPLE IN PLACES, THE UNDIVIDED
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–22:30, £5
Alternative rock.
YOSHI, DIGITAL DINOSAUR, DESERTERS DESERVE DEATH, GOD NO PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, £3
A feast of electronica.
KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £5
Pop types.
SPANGLED CABARET (SCUNNER, CREATIVE MARTYRS AND A ROTATING CAST) RIO CAFÉ, 20:00–23:00, FREE
Glasgow’s alt. cabaret
TAYLOR BUNTAIN
PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, FREE
Solo singer/songwriter.
BLOCHESTRA
BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE
Bring an instrument and join in.
VAGUE SPACE, BUNNY AND THE MISSHAPES, SEX PANTHER 13TH NOTE, 21:30–23:30, £TBC
Indie rock.
FRI 06 AUG NEIL STURGEON & THE INFORMANIACS (TRADE, DESOLATION YES) ABC, 19:00–22:00, £5
Alternative indie.
MACHINES FOR A DAY STEREO, 19:00–22:30, £6
Versatile musicianship.
STACEY SOLOMON, DANYL JOHNSON, JAMIE ARCHER, SAME DIFFERENCE SECC, 19:00–22:30, £20-£25
Pop fluff.
HEADWIRES, CARNIVORES, NO REARVIEW, MUTE DEFEAT, BREACHING COPYRIGHT BARROWLANDS, 19:00–23:00, £6
New bands showcase.
BLUE NOVA, EVERYMAN, GENERAL, CASINO
ROSEWOOD, WHITE LIGHT THEORY, THE ANDREW BOWERS BAND, NO FIXED ABODE, THE MIX UPS
Indie and rock.
Bands showcase.
TUE 03 AUG PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, £5
THE FERRY, 19:00–00:00, £5
TUESDAY MUSIC CLUB
BUTTERFLY FRIDAYS
Open mic night.
Resident bands and DJs.
BUTTERFLY & PIG, 20:30–12:00, FREE
BUTTERFLY & PIG, 19:00–03:00, FREE
THE GLASGOW SLOW CLUB
LK AUDIO, KONTROBAND, SIX MILLION BROKEN
BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE
SEDITIONARIES
GROPETOWN
Live bands night.
Alternative fare.
13TH NOTE, 21:30–23:30, £TBC
COLOURS (MARKUS SCHULZ)
THE ARCHES, 23:00–03:00, £15
Special guest edition.
SUN 08 AUG DEAN FRIEDMAN
THE FERRY, 19:00–00:00, £18
Folk rock.
COLONEL MUSTARD AND THE DIJON 5
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–22:30, £5
Acoustic indie rock.
SHAKEY SHAKEY PROMOTIONS
MAGGIE MAY’S, 20:00–22:30, £5
Scottish singer/songwriter.
LOS FASTIDIOS, THE WAKES, RED2RED PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, £8
Ska and punk.
GRAND ARCHIVES, SARAH LOWES
KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £7
Grunge and alternative.
DESTROY WHITE BABY DOLLS
PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, £4
All female, kick-ass girl group.
HAVE A QUACK
FLYING DUCK, 20:00–00:00, FREE
Live music spectacular.
THE ILLUSTRATED, THE COVIETS, MARCH HER TO NORWAY
MON 09 AUG STEREO, 19:00–22:30, £12.50
GOTO IZUMI
TCHAI-OVNA, 20:00–22:00, £2
BANG BANG ECHE
KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £5
Dance punk.
SALVATION, EVERYTHING ON RED, SCREWLOOSE, PREACHER PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, £4
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £12.50
Alternative pop.
SUGAR CRISIS, THE PARAFFINS, PARK CIRCUS, DELARGE
CLASSIC GRAND, 19:00–22:00, £5
Alternative bands showcase.
NOT ADVISED (LIVING IN HIDING, CITY OF STATUES, HELLO! HELLO!) O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:30, £6
Singalong indie rock.
DAVE DOMINEY
TCHAI-OVNA, 20:00–22:00, £2
Funked-up bass loops.
ROCK HOUSE PROMOTIONS MAGGIE MAY’S, 20:00–22:30, £5
Live rock showcase.
PETE MACLEOD
KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £6
Indie rock and hardcore screamo.
SAT 07 AUG BREL, 15:00–17:00, FREE
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £10
Tribute act.
THE WILDERS
CLASSIC GRAND, 19:00–22:00, £12.50
Acoustic experimental.
STOLEN SUNDAYS, THE MINOR FIFTH, ALTERED SKY, THIS WAY DOWN, IRRATIONAL FEVER
TUE 10 AUG
TCHAI-OVNA, 20:00–22:00, £2
Indian and Scottish-style music.
NOT HALF RIGHT, THE HUMAN ZOO, HE HATE US, MELLIFLOUS
MAGGIE MAY’S, 20:00–22:30, £5
Rock and indie.
ADEBISI SHANK (HEY ENEMY AND TITUS GEIN) CAPTAIN’S REST, 20:00–23:00, £4
DIY cult tuneage.
ROCKBURN
Glasgow inide rockers.
GLASGOW SKA TRAIN THE NATURE BOYS, GRUESOME GREEN FEVER, CRAIG BEDSON
TCHAI-OVNA, 20:00–22:00, £2
CHRIS CROSBIE, PAUL MCLUSKEY, COLIN LAMB PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, £TBC
Acoustic music student showcase.
TUESDAY MUSIC CLUB
BUTTERFLY & PIG, 20:30–12:00, FREE
Open mic night.
Ska and northern soul.
BOX, 21:00–00:00, FREE
Good ol’ rock’n’roll.
SAT 14 AUG THE RIBADEE PLAYERS BREL, 15:00–17:00, FREE
Funk and Latin classics.
THE GLASGOW SLOW CLUB
LIONS.CHASE.TIGERS (I SEE SHAPES, 3 TIMES OVER)
Relaxed night with guest musicians.
Mellow pop.
WED 11 AUG
Indie, rockabilly and acoustic.
KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £5
San Francisco trash rock.
THE TWIST, HOLLOWTIN SORROWS, KRISTINA COX, SHAUN PHILBIN MAGGIE MAY’S, 20:00–22:30, £5
WE’RE ONLY AFRAID OF NYC
PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, £8
IVORY BLACKS, 19:30–22:30, £9
BARROWLANDS, 19:00–23:00, £6
New bands showcase.
CAPTAIN’S REST, 20:00–23:00, £TBC
THE DWARVES
BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE
MICHAEL SIMONS
TCHAI-OVNA, 20:00–22:00, £2
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £5
THE SYSTEM (THE STALLS, THE GROOVE) O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:30, £6
Alternative three-piece.
Folk and blues fingerstyle guitarist.
METAL WEEKENDER
THE WORKS, RAOUL DUKE, HEADWIRES
Big line-up of metal types.
PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, £5
Battle of the Bands.
BARROWLANDS, 19:00–23:00, £6
CASINO CITY, THE ASPS MAGGIE MAY’S, 20:00–22:30, £5
Rock, indie and electro.
KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £5
HAVE A QUACK
THE HEARTBREAKS
Acoustic music, quiz, open mic and creative writing showcase.
Alternative pop.
OPENMIKING
THE CHINASKIS, PORTIONED
Turn up and do your thing.
Loud rock.
Alternative rock and blues. CAPTAIN’S REST, 20:00–23:00, £TBC
BROKEN OATH, BY MY HANDS, DEPARTURES, BROKEN TEETH, HANDS RAISED
FLYING DUCK, 20:00–00:00, FREE
HALT BAR, 20:30–23:00, FREE
Acoustic jam. Good with toast.
Indie rock.
THE FERRY, 20:00–00:00, £12
Experimental tunes.
PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, £TBC
Underground band takeover.
BLOC+JAM
PALLAS
Punk and blues.
Alternative indie rock.
Hip-hop, mod, funk and ska.
HALT BAR, 20:00–00:00, FREE
KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £5
HALT BAR HIJACK
Underground band takeover.
Garage and indie.
FLASHGUNS
THE GOOD FIGHT
MANEQUINN, THE SUNSET STRIPS, NORQUAY, THE BANGS
DIRTY BOOTS
Metal and hardcore.
BOX, 21:00–00:00, FREE
JEM
Bring an instrument and join in.
BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE
HALT BAR HIJACK
BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE
Alternative trio of bands.
OMERTA, D-RAIL, CORPSES
VINYL NIGHT
Pop and punk.
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–22:30, £5
Acoustic electro and house.
BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE
PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, £3
13TH NOTE, 21:00–23:30, £TBC
THE DIRTY DEMOGRAPHIC, GALLUS FEVER, RIO CALLAHAN
Alternative indie.
BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE
GOOD LUCK, BANGERS, YOUR NEIGHBOUR THE LIAR, BLUE SKY ARCHIVES
Resident bands and DJs.
PANTHA DU PRINCE
PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, £TBC
Acoustic indie.
BUTTERFLY & PIG, 19:00–03:00, FREE
BLOCHESTRA
Showcase event.
CHINA CRISIS (LARSEN B, MR FOGG)
Big line-up of metal types.
Alternative punk.
BOX, 21:00–00:00, FREE
GUNS 2 ROSES (WHITE ACE)
THU 05 AUG
FRI 13 AUG THE MODE (THE DIRTY SUITS, WE ARE JAWBONE, THE JURY)
BUTTERFLY FRIDAYS
SAN FRAN AND THE SISCOS
Hip-hop, mod, funk and ska.
13TH NOTE, 21:30–23:30, £TBC
Acoustic acts; local and far-flung.
Jazz standards and funk.
BUTTERFLY & PIG, 21:00–12:00, FREE
Indie, rockabilly and disco.
BARROWLANDS, 19:00–23:00, £6
BUTTERFLY & PIG, 21:00–12:00, FREE
OPENMIKING VINYL NIGHT
PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, £3
METAL WEEKENDER
JAZZCO
Turn up and do your thing.
AAMES, DEAD MENS SHOES, STARSTUDDED 78
BUTTERFLY STRATEGY
Acoustic music, quiz, open mic and creative writing showcase. HALT BAR, 20:30–23:00, FREE
Experimental punk.
Indie folk rock.
LIVE JAZZ
PIVO PIVO, 20:00–23:45, FREE
CAPTAIN’S REST, 20:00–23:00, £8
Acoustic jam. Good with toast.
PREACHER, THE SECRET, THE WINDING SHEET, STEPHEN MITCHELL
Jazz classics and standards.
KONG
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £5
Japanese theatrical accordionist.
TCHAI-OVNA, 20:00–22:00, £2
Pop punk, indie and rock.
BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE
Country rock and blues.
Scottish supergroup.
KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £5
BLOC+JAM
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £14
THE BURNS UNIT
BURN THE NEGATIVE, JACK BUTLER, RUN FROM RED
Punk rock.
THE ARCHES, 20:00–23:00, £17.50
Alternative punk three-piece.
KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £7
Experimental psych and rock.
BILLY LIAR, I.C.H.
KITTY, DAISY & LEWIS, EMMA JANE
WED 04 AUG
MAGGIE MAY’S, 20:00–22:30, £5
FISH
LIARS
Indie, rock and blues.
THE LAVA EXPERIMENTS, MISCUED VEIN, IN ATLANTA, ANDREW BOWERS
Live indie showcase.
MAGGIE MAY’S, 20:00–22:30, £5
Relaxed night with guest musicians.
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–22:30, £3
BUTTERFLY & PIG, 21:00–12:00, FREE
THU 12 AUG
HALT BAR, 20:00–00:00, FREE
TYPE 23, COMMUNICATOR, TWO IN TWO, SHAMBLES MILLER BOX, 21:00–00:00, FREE
Alternative punk.
SUN 15 AUG
MOTOWN AT MONO
BUTTERFLY STRATEGY
FALLING WITH STYLE
COUNTERBALANCE, WE ARE SOUL, STEPHEN ARMOUR
JOHN KNOX SEX CLUB, WOUNDED KNEE, DEAD SAINTS’ BONES
A-SIDE SOUL
Six hours of soul.
Acoustic acts; local and far-flung.
Big beat rock.
Alternative indie.
Ten Tracks presents night.
Relaxed evening tunes.
MONO, 19:00–01:00, FREE
BUTTERFLY & PIG, 21:00–12:00, FREE
68 THE SKINNY AUGUST 2010
BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE
BOX, 21:00–00:00, FREE
STEREO, 19:00–22:30, £1
THE FERRY, 12:30–17:00, FREE
Glasgow music Transmission (Marco Polo, Retrofets)
Acrylic Iqon
Joy Division tribute.
Tabasco Fiasco
Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £10
Billy Kelly Award
Òran Mór, 19:00–23:00, Free
Songwriting award with a £5k prize.
Captain Majestic, Abound, Only Guilty Man, Aspen Tide Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £3
Lucky dip style picks.
Bloc+Jam
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £3
Epic, female-fronted rock. Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free
Alternative indie rock.
Pareto, Scores, 3 Times Over
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £5
Alternative rock.
Communicator, Only Guilty Man
Michael Paterson, Kinori Ironik
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £3
House and techno.
Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free
13th Note, 21:30–23:30, £tbc
Fri 20 Aug
Loud rock.
Bloc+Jam
Acoustic jam. Good with toast.
Butterfly Strategy
The Gap Year Riot
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–12:00, Free
Butterfly Strategy
Pop punk.
Acoustic acts; local and far-flung.
Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £5
The Hijacks, The Murderburgers, Buzzbomb, The Stay Gones
Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free
Acoustic jam. Good with toast. Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–12:00, Free
Mon 16 Aug
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £6
The Zephyrs Acoustic folk.
Butterfly Fridays
Mindset A Threat, Sacred Betrayal
Butterfly & Pig, 19:00–03:00, Free
Hardcore screamo.
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £5
Resident bands and DJs.
Ivory Blacks, 19:00–22:30, £7
Mocker
Yaman
Acoustic indie rock.
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
Indian music on sitar and flute.
Grammatics
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £7
Experimental art pop.
Blochestra
Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free
Bring an instrument and join in.
Tue 17 Aug Blink 182
SECC, 19:30–22:30, £tbc
Punk rock.
Corrie Dick
Acoustic acts; local and far-flung.
13th Note, 21:30–23:30, £tbc
Ska punk.
Mon 23 Aug Lostprophets (Young Guns)
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £23.50
The Laymanites, Neon Hero
Alternative rock.
Rock, pop and punk.
Folk and blues fingerstyle guitarist.
Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
Jill Jackson
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7
Acoustic Americana.
The Dirty Demographic Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, Free
Jazz funk party.
The Red Scot Chili Peppers
The Ferry, 20:00–00:00, £7.50
Tribute band.
Michael Simons
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
John Deery and the Heads
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, Free
Derry-based artist.
Blochestra
Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free
Bring an instrument and join in.
Tue 24 Aug
Monthly jazz session.
Cha Cha Heels, Delgetti, Revelry, Echofela
Lostprophets (Attack! Attack!)
Purified In Blood
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £3
Ivory Blacks, 20:00–22:30, £7
Hardcore metal.
Joy Dunlop, The Hidden Lane Choir Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £6 (35)
Box, 21:00–00:00, Free
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £23.50
Rock, indie and pop.
Alternative rock.
Breakdown Bands (Homebass)
Eels
Soundhaus, 21:00–03:00, £6 (£5)
Dance, techno, house and fidget.
Gaelic song and choral bliss.
Juan Pablo, Little Fire
Tuesday Music Club
Ambient indie.
Butterfly & Pig, 20:30–12:00, Free
Open mic night.
The Glasgow Slow Club Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free
Relaxed night with guest musicians.
Wed 18 Aug Sabbat, Imperial Vengeance, Cinders Fall Ivory Blacks, 19:30–22:30, £10
Thrash metal and progressive goth.
13th Note, 21:30–23:30, £tbc
Sat 21 Aug
O2 Academy, 19:00–22:30, £20
Lovely acoustic indie.
Breakestra (Chali 2na) The Arches, 19:30–22:30, £12.50
Funk, soul and hip-hop.
Curated by singer/songwriter, Mr Wishart.
Tuesday Music Club
Them Beatles
Open mic night.
Live Jazz
Jazz classics and standards.
Glasgow-based Beatles tribute.
The Glasgow Slow Club
Strawberry Ocean Sea
Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free
Findlay
Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £tbc
Relaxed night with guest musicians.
Experimental types.
Chewing Tinfoil
Alternative indie.
The Angies (The Edge Of Noise, The Ghosties, Sweet Relief)
Ska punk.
John Grant
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £10
Former lead singer of The Czars.
Feevents Present
O2 Academy, 19:00–22:30, £6
Alternative four-piece.
Genre-specific night.
Raoul Duke, Deadwood, Dawns Club
Have A Quack
New bands showcase.
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £4
Flying Duck, 20:00–00:00, Free
Acoustic music, quiz, open mic and creative writing showcase.
Openmiking
Halt Bar, 20:30–23:00, Free
Turn up and do your thing.
Vinyl Night
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–12:00, Free
Hip-hop, mod, funk and ska.
Thu 19 Aug The Chords, The Laynes Ivory Blacks, 19:00–22:30, £tbc
Powerpop and garage indie.
Open Swimmer, The Social Services
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £5
Melodic types.
Cake Free Bakesale Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
Music hosted by Jonny Terrell.
Shakey Shakey Promotions
Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
Live indie showcase.
Barrowlands, 19:00–23:00, £6
Crumpled Tenners, Da Capo, The Jigawotts, The Core, Simon Thomas Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
Rock, indie, jazz and acoustic.
The Law, Bruce and Jamie Watson King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7.50
Alternative indie rock.
What’s The Noise Present Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £5
Live music showcase.
Halt Bar Hijack
Halt Bar, 20:00–00:00, Free
Underground band takeover.
The Mirror Trap Box, 21:00–00:00, Free
Indie and new wave.
Midway Still, The Day I Snapped, Shatterhand 13th Note, 21:30–23:30, £tbc
Pop and punk.
Sun 22 Aug
Soul, pop and funk covers.
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
Genre-specific night.
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, Free
Halt Bar Hijack
Halt Bar, 20:00–00:00, Free
Underground band takeover.
Music from The Kingdom.
Latecomers
Shakey Shakey Promotions
Lauries Bar, 20:15–23:00, Free
Alternative pop loveliness.
Live indie showcase.
Flying Duck, 21:00–03:00, £5
Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
Define Pop Present Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £tbc
Indie, rock and pop.
Shutter
13th Note, 21:30–23:30, £tbc
Post rock.
Fri 27 Aug Strathclyde Youth Jazz Orchestra
Òran Mór, 19:00–22:00, £8 (£6)
Youth orchestra showcase.
No Dancing: Adam Stafford, Deathpodal, PAWS, RM Hubbert Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £5
New eclectic music night.
Paws, Deathpodal, Adam Stafford Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £tbc
Electro pop and hardcore alternative.
PIN UP NIGHTS
Box, 21:00–00:00, Free
Indie spectacular.
The Five Aces (Friday Street DJs)
Indie and pop.
Sputniks, Miss The Occupier, Evol
The Admiral, 22:00–03:00, £8
R’n’B farewell gig.
13th Note, 21:30–23:30, £tbc
Electronica and indie punk.
Sun 29 Aug
Sat 28 Aug Alan Sweeney Quintet Brel, 15:00–17:00, Free
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Alternative progressive.
Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £10
Thunder tribute.
Metal and post punk.
Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £tbc
Folk pop and indie.
Ska punk and rock.
Electro pop.
Wing and a Prayer Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
Ivory Blacks, 19:00–22:30, £11
Molitov, The Blinding, The Fonetics, Cherri Fosphate Marcus Bonfanti
Indie, rock and pop
Bluesy folk.
Powerpop, rock and hip-hop.
Bloc+Jam
Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–12:00, Free
Goosedubbs, Crayons, Elan Few
Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £3
Butterfly Strategy
Blues-influenced songwriters. Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
BoyGirlAnimalColor, The Young Spooks, Wasted
Acoustic jam. Good with toast.
Barrowlands, 19:00–23:00, £6
New bands showcase.
Throne o’ Diablo, Hey Enemy
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6
Kitty The Lion, Be A Familiar
Ashley Collins
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £6
Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5
Her Name Is Calla
Absolute Thunder (Screaming Into December)
Resident bands and DJs.
Butterfly & Pig, 19:00–03:00, Free
Martin James, Liam Cairns, The Other Side Alternative acoustic and indie.
New jazz quintet.
Streetlight Manifesto, Dan Potthast, The Hostiles
Butterfly Fridays
Veritgo, Susan and Stephen Flavahan
Acoustic acts; local and far-flung.
Alex Cornish
13th Note, 21:30–23:30, £tbc
Inspired guitar and string arrangements.
Wed 25 Aug Bad Religion
ABC, 19:00–22:00, £15
Punk rock.
The Wailers
The Arches, 19:00–22:00, £17
Roots reggae pioneers.
Deaf Havana, Atlas and I, Polar
Ivory Blacks, 19:00–22:30, £6
Hardcore rock, party and indie.
White Ace
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £5
Classic blues and rock.
Optimystics
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
Pop melodies and shimmering guitar.
Breaching Copyright, What’s the Damage, Closed of Comedown Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £5
Battle of the Bands.
Have A Quack
Flying Duck, 20:00–00:00, Free
Acoustic music, quiz, open mic and creative writing showcase.
Openmiking
Halt Bar, 20:30–23:00, Free
Turn up and do your thing.
Dirty Keys, Iso FitzRoy
Vinyl Night
Indie punk.
Rock and funk.
Hip-hop, mod, funk and ska.
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £5
Folk fae Fife
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £5
13th Note, 21:30–23:30, £tbc
Philadelphia Grand Jury King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7
Metal thrash.
Butterfly & Pig, 20:30–12:00, Free
Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £5
Feevents Presents
Andrew Jones Band (The Sea Kids)
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £5
Progressive rock and pop.
Pivo Pivo, 20:00–23:45, £tbc
Theme night.
Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £10
Madman Is Absolute
Alternative folk and rock.
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6
King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £5
Ghetto princess.
Mods V. Rockers (The Coy Dogs, Modus) ABC, 19:00–22:00, £6
Metallic rock.
Take A Worm For A Walk Week, Vcheka
Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £7
Driving jazz funk.
Brel, 15:00–17:00, Free
O2 Academy, 19:00–22:30, £25
Call Me Ishmael, Hercules Mandarin, The Scruffs
Dominique Young Unique Mr Wishart, Feeding Egon, Neil Watson, Snowcrash
Marco Cafolla Quartet
Thu 26 Aug Limp Bizkit
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–12:00, Free
August 2010
THE SKINNY 69
Edinburgh music Tue 27 Jul Dum Dum Girls, Jesus H Foxx (Jesus H Foxx)
Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £7
All-girl pop quartet.
The Smoking Hearts (Plague Vessel, Ugly Baby, Horrors That You’ve Seen) Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £5
Hardcore punk rock.
Leith Folk Club (Rallion) The Village, 19:30–22:45, £6
Contemporary Scottish folk.
Great Jazz Jam
The Jazz Bar, 20:00–23:00, £2 (£1)
Jazz jam. Good with toast.
Mister Manana
Henry’s Cellar, 20:00–23:45, £4
Five-headed rock monster.
Wed 28 Jul Patchwork Grace
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4
Sleazy, glam hell-raisers.
The Wailing Banshee
The Banshee Labyrinth, 20:30–01:00, Free
Open mic night.
VEGAS! (The Kitsch Kats) Ghillie-Dhu, 22:00–03:00, £10
50s tunes and showgirls a-go-go.
The Jam House Experience Jam House, 22:30–01:30, £8.50
Part of The Edge Festival
Band Sessions
Jazz Festival Jam
Fusion of art, music and improv.
The Jazz Bar, 22:30–12:30, £5
Jazz Festival players drop-in.
Sun 01 Aug
KOMACHI, 15:00–18:00, Free
Live Music Now: Phil Gault and Claire Haslin
National Gallery Complex - Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, 18:00–18:30, Free
The Wilders
Musical performance inspired by the Impressionist Gardens exhibition.
Missouri quartet.
The Mine Presents (The OK Social Club, The Valkayrs, Remnant Kings)
Bongo Club, 20:00–22:00, £12.50
Jazz Bar Quartet
The Jazz Bar, 20:00–22:30, £4 (£3)
Live jazz session.
KMCJO
Jam House, 20:00–22:30, £12.50
Classic jazz.
Taint, Manatees (JackalHeaded Guard of the Dead) Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £6
Hardcore, stoner rock and metal.
Mon 02 Aug Peter Green and Friends
Blues and funk.
Part of Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival.
Thu 29 Jul
the edge, liquid room, 19:00, £10
Live set from the house band.
Mike Kearney KA-TET
The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)
Thu 05 Aug Stornoway + harper simon
Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £20
Good Luck, Chief, Bangers, Shields Up, The Stay Gones
Versus
Voodoo Rooms, 20:00–01:00, £tbc
Musicians duel on-stage.
Digital Jones
Bongo Club, 21:00–01:00, £5
Soulful electro-funk.
Fri 30 Jul Imperial Racing Club,The Asps, Keava Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £6
Rising stars from the Edinburgh circuit.
Lizzard Lounge
Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £15
Part of Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival.
Youngblood Hart
Jam House, 20:00–22:30, £12
Hard rockin’ electric blues.
Salsa Celtica Big Band
Voodoo Rooms, 20:30–23:00, £18
Killer jazz grooves.
Tue 03 Aug
Acoustic music, visuals and performance.
Alternative acoustic.
Eclectic showcase.
Paul Lamb and The King Snakes, John Hunt, Lisa Mills
Henry’s Cellar, 19:30–23:45, £5
Chris Barber at 80
Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £20-£25
Jazz and blues great.
Graeme Stephen’s Organ Trio
The Jazz Bar, 20:00–22:30, £4 (£3)
Red Stripe
Sped-up party tunes.
GOL
Voodoo Rooms, 22:00–01:00, £10
The Acoustic Cafe
Acoustic music, visuals and performance.
BIG HAND (Funk DJs)
The Jazz Bar, 01:30–03:30, £5 (£3)
Late night funk sessions.
Fri 06 Aug
The Jam House Experience Jam House, 22:30–01:30, £9
Live set from the house band.
Jazz Festival Jam
The Jazz Bar, 22:30–12:30, £5
Jazz Festival players drop-in.
Sat 31 Jul The Jam House Experience Jam House, 18:00–03:00, £6
Live music epic.
We Sink Ships Present: Elements Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £5 (£3)
Live music from eagleowl and Conquering Animal Sound and screening of short film.
Deserters Deserve Death (Blue Sky Archives. X-Lion Tamer) Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £4
Experimental noisemakers.
Louisiana Ragtime Band, Spirits of Rhythm
Villagers
Captivating songwriting.
the edge, Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £8
The Jazz Bar, 20:00–22:30, £10
the edge, liquid room, 19:00, £17.50
Brazilian bassist and band.
Part of The Edge Festival
Acoustic Edinburgh
Fat Sams Band
Adebisi Shank, Jackie Treehorn (Alright the Captain) Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £5
Awkward, discordant rock.
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
Voodoo Rooms, 20:30–23:00, £12
Swinging jazz.
The Jazz Bar, 21:00–23:45, £4 (£3)
Swinging For Basie
Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £16.50-£21.50
Funky grooves from the Capital.
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4
Anthony Joseph and the Spasm Band
Voodoo Rooms, 20:30–23:00, £16
WORLD PREMIERE QUINTET
Voodoo punk.
Hand-picked jazz five-piece.
The Banshee Labyrinth, 20:30–01:00, Free
The Wailing Banshee
Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £tbc
The Acoustic Cafe
Mon 09 Aug
Found (Milk)
the edge, Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £6
Ceremonial music blended with folk songs and dances.
John Grant
Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £10
Experimental pop.
The Gomez man plays solo.
the edge, Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £10
Bloody catchy emo-folk.
Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £5
the edge, Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £7
Tinchy Stryder
the edge, Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £15
Part of Edge Festival.
Engaging singer/songwriter.
Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £tbc
Eliza Carthy Band
Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £14-£16
The Burns Unit
Opening Concert: El Nino
Scottish-Canadian supergroup.
Opening concert for Festival 2010.
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4
Tue 10 Aug Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £6.50
Messiah (The Steals, The Haar) Manc-style rock.
The Marrs Effect, Mystery Juice, Dolphin Boy Wee Red Bar, 19:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
Acoustic Edinburgh
All-female live band.
Greyfriars Kirk, 17:45–18:45, £17.50
Tom Gray
Storm The Walls (The Party Program)
US organ trio.
Jam House, 13:00–16:30, £10
Fiesta Criolla
The edge, Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £12.50
Open Swimmer (The Social Services)
Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £tbc
Finnish baritone Juha Uusitalo sings.
Red Young Organ Trio
Ladies Sing The Blues
Piano, bass and drums trio.
Computer-aided electro rock.
The Village, 19:30–22:45, £6
Sat 07 Aug
Jazz Bar Trio
Mish-mash of techno beats.
Roxy Art House, 00:30–03:00, £9 (£5)
The Jazz Bar, 01:30–03:30, £tbc
Queen’s Hall, 11:00–22:00, From £7
North Atlantic Oscillation
Bongo Club, 00:00–05:00, Free
Folk pop and rock.
Acoustic music, visuals and performance.
Magdelena Kozena, Private Musicke
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly (The Xcerts)
Usher Hall, 20:00–22:30, From £10
Goo Goo Muck, Bludslugs
LeithFolkClub(AnnaCoogan) Sweet melodies and operatic vocals. Medina, 20:00–00:00, £7 (£6)
Acoustic musicians perform live.
Wed 11 Aug Mitchell Museum
the edge, Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £6.50
Epic powerpop.
Delicate and melodic indie.
Usher Hall, 20:00–00:00, From £10
Tue 17 Aug Melvyn Tan
Queen’s Hall, 11:00–13:00, £7-£27
Piano and skampa quartet.
Skampa Quartet, Melvyn Tan Queen’s Hall, 11:00–13:00, From £7
String quartet and piano concerto.
Jazz Bar Trio
The Jazz Bar, 15:30–16:30, Free
Piano, bass and drums trio.
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £5
The Tallis Scholars
The Acoustic Cafe
Choral music by Spanish renaissance composers.
Acoustic music, visuals and performance.
Not The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
Cramps tribute.
Roxy Art House, 00:30–03:00, £9 (£5)
Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £tbc
Electric Circus, 23:00–01:00, £5
Mon 16 Aug
Experimental types.
Live set from the house band.
The Jazz Bar, 01:00–05:00, £tbc
Sat 14 Aug
Greyfriars Kirk, 17:45–18:45, £17.50
Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £5 (£3)
Pop, rock and blues.
WitheredHand(TheLastBattle) The edge, Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £6
Folk fairytales.
Jonathan Biss
Feeder
Queen’s Hall, 11:00–12:45, From £7
The edge, liquid room, 19:00, £20
Young American pianist.
Part of Edge Festival.
Bruncheon!
Hallogallo
Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 11:30–15:00, Free
The edge, Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £18.50
Mull Historical Society (Delta Mainline)
The edge, Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £9
Brunch and live music event. The edge, Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £12.50
Breezy melodies.
Part of Edge Festival.
The Besnard Lakes Lush psych pop.
Leith Folk Club (String Contingent) The Village, 19:30–22:45, £6
Pantha Du Prince (Brother Grimm)
Baroque acoustic.
Dreamy minimal techno.
The mighty Cleveland Orchestra.
The edge, Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £10
Cleveland Orchestra
Usher Hall, 20:00–22:15, From £10
Experimental electro.
Shit Hot Ninjas
Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £tbc
Rhapsodies in Red, White and Blue
Experimental types.
20th century North American classics.
Admiral Fallow (Rachel Sermanni)
Dougie Maclean
Graeme Stephen’s Organ Trio
Orchestral folk pop.
Scottish scene stalwart.
Scots guitar and effects whizz.
Canned Heat Woodstock Reunited
Open mic night.
Chops
Blues and rock boogie.
Indie pop rave-up.
Indie electro.
70 THE SKINNY August 2010
Art of Privilege (Supercharger, A Fight You Can’t Win)
19-year old Edinburgh songwriter.
Capstin Pole (Any Color Black, The Foundling Wheel)
Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2
Fri 13 Aug
The Jam House Experience
Live jazz session.
Jam House, 20:00–22:30, £15
Funk, jazz and psych.
Tropical pop.
Sing with the house band.
Sandy Brown Group, Mike Hart Society Syncopators
The Jazz Bar, 01:00–05:00, £tbc
The Banana Sessions
Jazz Bar Quartet
The Jazz Bar, 20:00–22:30, £4 (£3)
Roxy Art House, 00:30–03:00, £9 (£5)
Aaron Wright and The Aprils
Live Bandaoke
Mish-mash of techno beats.
Versus
Power blues rock.
Punk, rock and hardcore.
Bongo Club, 00:00–05:00, Free
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Indie rock.
Jam House, 22:30–01:30, £8.50
Versus
Punk rock from down’t south.
Glam-rock hell-raisers.
The Banshee Labyrinth, 19:00–22:00, £4
Nielsen’s Fourth Symphony brought to life.
Live set from the house band.
Jam House, 22:30–01:30, £8.50
Eric Burdon and The Animals
Lush instrumental arrangements.
Usher Hall, 20:00–00:00, From £10
I.C.H, Tragical History Tour, Billy Liar
Constant State
Maths (Ghosts Of Elysium, HUSH)
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Jam House Experience
Chilled reggae and dub.
Mike Hart and Jim Petrie re-united.
Queen’s Hall, 20:30–23:00, £28.50-£32.50
Live blues.
As part of Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival.
Eightball
The Jazz Bar, 20:00–23:00, £4 (£3)
Jam House, 20:00–22:30, £15
Steel Rose, Dirty Rose, Sunstone (Kontroband)
Old Baileys, Climax Reunion
Fundraiser for annual punk party.
Charlie Musselwhite Band, The River Devils
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
Voodoo Rooms, 20:30–23:00, £10
Celtic tunes.
The Jazz Bar, 15:30–16:30, Free
The music of Judy Garland.
East Park Reggae Collective
Haftor Medboe Group
Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £16-£18
Federation Of Disco Pimp
Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £12-£14
Wed 04 Aug
Capercaillie
Early music and opera.
Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £17.50£22.50
Jazz and sax.
Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £8 (£6)
Eclectic acoustic.
Part of Edge Festival.
Carol Kidd
Cinematic sax compositions.
Queen’s Hall, 20:30–22:30, £22.50-£27.50
Big Red Door, 21:00–01:00, £2
The edge, Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £25
Acoustic music, visuals and performance.
Part of Edge Festival.
Hardcore punk and metal.
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £5
Kin
Little Feat
The Acoustic Cafe
Leah Gough-Cooper Quartet
Assembly Rooms, 21:00–00:00, £15
Jam House, 20:30–02:00, Free (£5 after 9)
Bannerman’s, 16:00–23:00, Free
the edge, Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £18.50
Emile Parisian Quartet
Jazz festival orchestra.
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4
Doves
Acoustic musicians perform live.
Orchestral princess on vocals.
Cramond Island Benefit Gig
Countrified dancing tunes.
High-octane jive grooves.
Clarinet genius.
Jam House, 19:30–22:30, £15
the edge, Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £8
Jam House, 20:00–22:30, £15
The Jazz Bar, 20:00–22:30, £4 (£3)
Hard rock.
Live band dancing tunes.
Medina, 20:00–00:00, £7 (£6)
Voodoo Rooms, 20:30–23:00, £tbc
Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £tbc
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis (The Hurricanes)
Live acoustica.
Drums, sax, piano and bass.
Swing jazz nine piece.
Raw Kings (Salvage Sound System)
Jam House, 13:00–16:30, £10
TheUnwindingHours(TheKaysLavelle) The edge, Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £9
Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, Free
Thursday Night Live
Festival Swing
Katherine Jenkins,The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Usher Hall, 19:30–22:30, £20-£55
Sun 08 Aug
Young Orkney/Borders duo.
DJ Brand
Sing on-stage with the house band.
Roxy Art House, 00:30–03:00, £9 (£5)
Patrick Kunka Quartet
Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £5
Divine comedy (solo)
Electric Circus, 22:00–00:00, £5 (Free b4 10.30)
Sun 15 Aug
Rodent Emporium, Super Adventure Club, Squidex, We Are Revival
Jazz, ska and indie punk.
Rock, indie and electro-pop.
Jam House, 20:00–22:30, £10
Acoustic music, visuals and performance.
My Electric Love Affair
Mario Caribe Quintet
Live Band Karaoke
Young tenor sax player.
Roxy Art House, 00:30–03:00, £9 (£5)
The Acoustic Cafe
Cuban and Celtic fusion. Funk and house DJ set.
KOMACHI, 15:00–18:00, Free
Leith Folk Club (Twelfth Day Duo)
Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £17.50-£22.50
Band Sessions
Ben Bryden’s Bright Noise
The Laymanites, Colours, Green Man Running, Death By Misadventure
The Village, 19:30–22:45, £6
Thu 12 Aug
The Acoustic Cafe
Voodoo Rooms, 19:00–22:00, £10
Introspective Irish folk.
The Guilty Lily, 21:00–23:00, Free
Trumpeter and composer.
Invisible riff riot (i.e. air guitar).
Picture House, 20:00–02:30, £22.50
Acoustic and soulful pop.
Early 20s-style jazz.
Queen’s Hall, 20:30–23:00, £16
Queen’s Hall, 20:30–22:30, £16-£19.50
Burlesque special.
Big Red Door, 22:00–01:00, £4
Live set from the house band.
Roxy Art House, 00:30–03:00, £9 (£5)
BrianAuger’sOblivionExpress
Colin Steele
Aireoke
Toby Shippey Banda Leon
Melba Joyce
Punchy soul and blues.
Alternative rock.
Club Noir: A Night At The Opera
Two-piece swamp blues.
Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £17.50-£22.50
Jam House, 20:00–22:30, £12.50
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4
Open mic night.
Jam House, 22:30–01:30, £8.50
World jazz beats.
Guitar genius.
Deathtrap City
Thrash metal overload.
The Jam House Experience
Trio of live bands.
US star Frank Perowsky.
Crust-punk and ska.
Hand-picked jazz five-piece.
The Banshee Labyrinth, 20:30–01:00, Free
Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £4
Star Fucking Hipsters, Spat (The Begrudgers, Critikill)
Martin Taylor
The Jazz Bar, 20:00–22:30, £5 (£3)
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £5
the edge, Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £5
Jazz Bar Big Band
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £8
WORLD PREMIERE QUINTET
Bonded By Blood, Eradication, Dog Tired
Carrie Mac
Progressive experimental.
The Jazz Bar, 20:00–22:30, £4 (£3)
The Wailing Banshee
Eight-piece bluegrass bonanza.
Fusion of art, music and improv.
Jam House, 20:00–22:30, £12.50
Pop and punk.
Monster blues.
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4
Voodoo Rooms, 20:30–23:00, £8
Scots guitar and effects whizz.
Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £tbc
Doctor Bluegrass
Jam House, 20:00–22:30, £10
J the Blues
Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–01:00, £7
Lightguides (Make Sparks)
Blues ‘n’ Trouble, King King, Gerry Jablonski Electric Band
Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £5
the edge, Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £5
Usher Hall, 19:30–21:15, From £10
Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £20
Acoustic Edinburgh Medina, 20:00–00:00, £7 (£6)
Acoustic musicians perform live. The Jazz Bar, 21:00–22:30, £tbc
Edinburgh music Wed 18 Aug Trio Zimmerman
Queen’s Hall, 11:00–13:45, From £7
Violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann and band.
Jazz Bar Trio
The Jazz Bar, 15:30–16:30, Free
Piano, bass and drums trio.
Sacred Music from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro
Greyfriars Kirk, 17:45–18:45, £17.50
Director Bruno Procopio with his choir and instrumental ensemble.
Lauren Pritchard
The Voodoo Conspiracy, Black International, The Regiment, Kid Fire
Latin American Vespers
Dizzee Rascal
Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £5
Brittish rapper.
Punk, rock, soul and indie.
Choral and instrumental performance of baroque and renaissance music from Mexico, Bolivia and Peru.
Professor green
Kassidy
The edge, liquid room, 19:00, £10
Part of Edge Festival.
Plan B
The edge, Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £15
Part of Edge Festival.
Young Fathers
The edge, Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £7
Powerpop rappers.
The edge, Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £7
Idomeneo
Not The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
Battlefield Band
Guitar-wielding Americana.
Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £5 (£3)
Pop, rock and blues.
Amy MacDonald
The edge, Corn Exchange, 19:00–22:30, £22.50
Usher Hall, 19:00–22:45, From £10
Scottish Chamber Orchestra performance.
The mighty Cleveland Orchestra.
The Wailing Banshee
The Banshee Labyrinth, 20:30–01:00, Free
Open mic night.
Melbourne Country Blues The Jazz Bar, 21:00–22:30, £tbc
Er, country blues.
CoronaWeekPresentChewLips
ElectricCircus,23:00–05:00,Free(ticketed)
Live set and beer-related giveaways.
Thu 19 Aug Edicson Ruiz, Sergio Tiempo Queen’s Hall, 11:00–12:45, From £7
25-year old master of the double bass.
Pavel Haas Quartet
Queen’s Hall, 11:00–12:45, From £7
Eclectic quartet.
Edicson Ruiz, Sergio Tiempo Queen’s Hall, 11:00–13:00, £7-£27
Double bass and piano.
Band Sessions
KOMACHI, 15:00–18:00, Free
Fusion of art, music and improv.
Jazz Bar Trio
The Jazz Bar, 15:30–16:30, Free
Piano, bass and drums trio.
Bolivian Baroque
Greyfriars Kirk, 17:45–18:45, £17.50
Baroque ensemble joined by a quartet of young Bolivian singers.
Live Music Now: Emma Harper
National Gallery Complex - Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, 18:00–18:30, Free
A musical programme inspired by the Impressionist Gardens exhibition.
Oxjam Presents
Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £5 (£3)
Live music fundraiser.
Frankie and The Heartstrings (Sky Larkin) Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £9
Experimental pop likely lads.
Russian National Orchestra Usher Hall, 20:00–21:45, From £10
Melodies and lively violin interplay.
Arlo Guthrie
Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £18
Folk icon.
Sinatra
Jam House, 20:30–02:00, £12
Moray Innes does Sinatra.
Sleepy Sun
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–01:00, £8
Californian rock.
Man At The Window
The Jazz Bar, 01:00–05:00, £tbc
Reggae and ska.
Fri 20 Aug Jazz Bar Trio
The Jazz Bar, 15:30–16:30, Free
Piano, bass and drums trio.
The Sixteen
Greyfriars Kirk, 17:45–18:45, £17.50
Music from two great Spanish renaissance composers.
Usher Hall, 19:00–22:00, From £10
Puccini’s tale of love and jealousy.
Field Music (Comma, Maydays) The edge, Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £10
Inventive indie rock.
Mika
The edge, Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £27.50
Part of Edge Festival.
Mixed bag of indie and rock.
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4
Psychedelic, dirge rock.
Mezzo soprano.
Usher Hall, 20:00–22:00, From £10
La fanciulla del West
Lords of Bastard
Steve Mason
Cleveland Orchestra
Four-piece melodies.
Outback Eskimos, Perduramo (Barry Van Dykes)
Acoustic popstress.
Part of Edge Festival.
The edge, Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £7.50
Mixed instrument band.
Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £14-£16
Sarah Connelly, John Horler
The edge, liquid room, 19:00, £8
Greyfriars Kirk, 17:45–18:45, £17.50
The Hub, 21:30–22:30, £17.50
Soma Records Night (Slam DJs, Funk D’Void, Harvey McKay,Telefunken) Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, £9
Dance label showcase.
Hidden Orchestra
The Jazz Bar, 01:00–05:00, £tbc
Drums and deep bass.
Sat 21 Aug Christianne Stotijn, Joseph Breinl
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4
Bear In Heaven
The edge, Electric Circus, 23:00–01:00, £8
Towering pop.
ELi paperboy reed
The edge, liquid room, 19:00, £12
Part of Edge Festival.
Tue 24 Aug Dan le sac vs scroobius pip The edge, liquid room, 19:00, £14.50
Fool’s Gold
The edge, Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £7
Soulful pop.
The Coral
The edge, Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £17.50
Part of Edge Festival.
Instruments of Darkness Electric Circus, 19:00–03:00, £5
A night of iconoclastic music and performance featuring artists from the exhibition Prints of Darkness (at Edinburgh Printmakers).
Scottish National Jazz Orchestra
Usher Hall, 20:00–22:00, From £8
Big band jazz celebration.
The Carpet Sellers, Les Bof!, Lord Rochester Henry’s Cellar, 20:00–01:00, £5
Garage rock.
Thursday Night Live
Jam House, 20:30–02:00, Free (£5 after 9)
Rock and funk jam.
Part of Edge Festival.
The edge, Wee red bar, 19:00, £10
mark lanegan
Singer collaboration.
Jazz Bar Trio
We were promised jetpacks + endor & seb dangerfield
Part of Edge Festival.
Piano, bass and drums trio.
The edge, liquid room, 19:00, £10
Music of Fire and Air
Don’t Flop
Jordi Savall and his vocal and instrumental ensemble.
MC Battle League.
The Phantom Band
Part of Edge Festival.
Medina, 13:00–18:00, £5
Jazz Bar Trio
The Jazz Bar, 15:30–16:30, Free
Piano, bass and drums trio.
Kronos Quartet
Usher Hall, 20:00–21:45, From £8
Chamber music on a grand scale.
Sworn to Oath
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4
Heavy rock.
Fanattica, Emelle
Henry’s Cellar, 20:00–03:00, £5
Balkan-inspired folk.
The Arrival of Airship R1001 (Thomas Truax) Big Red Door, 20:30–01:00, £10
Greyfriars Kirk, 17:45–18:45, £17.50
The edge, Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £12
Experimental folk rock.
Post-rock album launch.
Joyce DiDonato, David Zobel Usher Hall, 20:00–21:45, From £8
Enchanting concert performance.
Versus
Bongo Club, 00:00–05:00, Free
Mish-mash of techno beats.
Mon 23 Aug
Nash Ensemble
Queen’s Hall, 11:00–12:45, From £7
Works inspired by jazz rhythms.
Jazz Bar Trio
The Jazz Bar, 15:30–16:30, Free
Piano, bass and drums trio.
The Jazz Bar, 15:30–16:30, Free
Piano, bass and drums trio.
Modest Mouse The edge, Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £16.50
Part of Edge Festival.
Sat 28 Aug
Minnesota Orchestra
Llyr Williams, Juliette Bausor, Jane Atkins
Usher Hall, 19:30–21:15, From £10
Llyr Williams accompanied on flute and viola.
Drever,McCusker&Woomble
broken records + sparrow and the workshop
Supergroup trio.
Queen’s Hall, 11:00–12:45, From £7
US symphonic ensemble. Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £13-£15
The edge, liquid room, 19:00, £10
CRANACHAN
Part of Edge Festival.
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, Free
Jazz Bar Trio
Classic rock covers.
The Jazz Bar, 15:30–16:30, Free
Piano, bass and drums trio.
Pearl and the Puppets The edge, Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £6.50
JamesCrabb,GeorgeVassilev The Hub, 21:30–22:30, £17.50
Pioneering classical accordionist joined on classical guitar.
Velvety vocals and rhythms.
L’heure espagnole
Usher Hall, 19:30–21:00, From £10
Scottish National Orchestra performance.
Mr McFall’s Chamber
Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:30, £12-£14
Music of Martin Bennett and Fraser Fifield.
The Wailing Banshee
The Banshee Labyrinth, 20:30–01:00, Free
Open mic night.
Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £3
Thu 26 Aug Midori, Ozgur Aydin
Queen’s Hall, 11:00–12:45, From £7
Violin sonatas.
Band Sessions
KOMACHI, 15:00–18:00, Free
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Simon Keenlyside, accompanied on piano.
Piano, bass and drums trio.
The Jazz Bar, 15:30–16:30, Free
Jazz Bar Trio
Mick Hargan
Indie pop and down-tempo country.
Piano, bass and drums trio.
Acoustic folk.
The Bike Station Registered as Recycle to Cycle Ltd, a charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered in Edinburgh under number 237798. Scottish charity number SC033703.
Fusion of art, music and improv.
Jazz Bar Trio
The Jazz Bar, 15:30–16:30, Free
Fri 27 Aug
The Jazz Bar, 01:00–05:00, £tbc
Jazz Bar Trio
Part of Edge Festival.
Simon Keenlyside,Malcolm Martineau Queen’s Hall, 11:00–12:45, From £7
The Hub, 21:30–22:30, £17.50
The edge, Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £20
Alternative club.
Classic rock covers.
Sun 29 Aug
John Etheridge, Sweet Chorus
Eels
Celtic tunes.
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, Free
Swaggering indie rock.
Solo concert of gypsy tunes, jazz riffs and metallic blues.
The edge, Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £7
Hotrods (Calvin, Chris, Peter)
CRANACHAN
Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £5
The Hub, 21:30–22:30, £17.50
Piano, bass and drums trio.
Capercaillie
Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £16-£18
The Steals, EH?, Sidelock (The Blind Assassins)
John Etheridge
The Jazz Bar, 15:30–16:30, Free
Ghetto beat mistress.
Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £tbc
Folk guitar.
Judas Priest tribute.
Wed 25 Aug
Piano, bass and drums trio.
Shutter
Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £16-£18
Henry’s Cellar, 19:30–23:00, £5
Acoustic musicians perform live.
Dominique Young Unique (Perfect Practice)
Part of Edge Festival.
Bert Jansch
Junior Priest
Medina, 20:00–00:00, £7 (£6)
Jazz Bar Trio
The edge, Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £15
Robin Ticciati makes his festival debut with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
Acoustic Edinburgh
Jazz Bar Trio
Beirut
Usher Hall, 19:30–21:30, From £10
Original singer/songwriter.
Music from Europe and the US.
Rowdy songmanship.
A celebration of New England music.
Usher Hall, 19:30–21:30, From £10
The Village, 19:30–22:45, £8
Mezzo soprano.
The edge, Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £10
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Leith Folk Club (Rachel Harrington, Rod Clements)
Queen’s Hall, 11:00–13:30, From £7
Jon Fratelli (The Hip Parade)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Part of Edge Festival.
Sarah Connelly, John Horler
The Jazz Bar, 15:30–16:30, Free
Countrified rock.
The edge, Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £5
The edge, Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £20
Gerald Finley, Julius Drake
Sun 22 Aug
Part of Edge Festival.
Three Blind Wolves
The edge, Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £17.50
Jason Derulo
Steampunk night. Dress up. The Hub, 21:30–22:30, £17.50
The edge, liquid room, 19:00, £15
Thrash beats and rockabilly.
Melodic gems.
Hip-hip, funk and reggae.
The Jazz Bar, 01:00–05:00, £tbc
The edge, Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £6
Phoenix
Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, Free
Midnight special.
Das Contras
Harlem (Paws)
Thank You So Nice
The Ordinary All Stars
Queen’s Hall, 00:00–02:00, £12-£15
Pavel Haas Quartet
The Jazz Bar, 15:30–16:30, Free
Great Junction Studios showcase.
Loveboat Big Band
Eclectic quartet.
Queen’s Hall, 11:00–12:45, From £7
Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £4
John Etheridge and his quartet play homage to the jazz greats.
Girls
Queen’s Hall, 11:00–00:00, From £7
Justified Sinners, Morris Major, T.O.A.D., Ugly Baby
Live band dancing tunes.
Part of Edge Festival.
The Gillyflowers, Ahab Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £5 (£4)
The edge, Corn Exchange, 19:00–22:30, £20
Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £5
August 2010
THE SKINNY 71
Glasgow Clubs Tue 27 Jul Killer Kitsch
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)
Electro clash, 80s, and disco.
Wed 28 Jul Muso (Colin Hunter, Rebel 69, Little Eskimos) Buff Club, 20:30–03:00, £4 (£3)
Up-and-coming local bands.
Yoyo Saturday
The Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£6 (£4) after 11)
Pop classics and hip-hop.
Misbehavin’ (Dolly Daydream, Drucifer)
Absolution
Skint/Vengeance
Subculture
Electro, dance and dirty pop.
Pop, punk, metal and rock.
Emo, punk and metal. Resident DJs.
Dubbed-out electro.
Cathouse Saturdays
Soul Glo
Rock and punk. Regular DJs.
Funk and northern soul.
Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)
Absolution
Rubbermensch
Pop, punk, metal and rock.
Indie night.
Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4
Cathouse Saturdays
Shake It Up
Rock and punk. Regular DJs.
Indie, rock and pop.
Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, £5
Inside Out
Skint/Vengeance
The Arches, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)
House, techno and trance.
Emo, punk and metal. Resident DJs.
Dirty Noise
Byblos, 22:30–03:00, Free (£8 after 11)
Octopussy
Student fun night.
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £4
Filthy electro.
Thu 29 Jul EQ’d
Halt Bar, 20:00–00:00, Free
Deep house and slo-mo techno.
Satisfaction
Byblos, 22:30–03:00, £3
R’n’B and dirty chart.
The Arches, 22:30–03:00, £tbc
Sabado
Dance, R’n’B and chart.
Love Music
ABC, 23:00–03:00, £7
Saturday night disco.
Men And Machines (The Niallist, King & Cousin) Stereo, 23:00–03:00, £5
Special guest edition.
Modern Lovers
EQ’d
Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£6 (£5) after 12)
Emo, punk and hardcore.
Nu Skool
Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3
IDJ
The Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2
Punter iPod playlists.
Rubbermensch ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4
Indie night.
Shake It Up
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, £5
Indie, rock and pop.
Little Barrie of Primal Scream guests. Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6
Funky disco and soul.
Subculture
Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£10 after 12)
Dubbed-out electro.
Tronicsole (Vincenzo)
The Admiral, 23:00–03:00, £10 (£8 members)
Deep house.
Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)
Soul Glo
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3
Funk and northern soul.
Summerholidays Vs. Punkroutine
Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £4
Underground electro.
Fri 30 Jul Friday @ Hillhead Bookclub
Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free
Disco, soul and funk from Kev Stevens.
Audio Kandi
Byblos, 22:00–03:00, £6 (£4)
Vocal house and mash-ups.
Crash
The Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)
Pop, dance and hippity-hop.
Ballbreaker/Vice
Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)
Rock, metal and indie. Resident DJs.
Classic Fridays
Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
Aternative rock, metal and punk.
Sun 01 Aug Electric Frog Street Carnival (Simian Mobile Disco, Felix Da Housecat, Liquid Liquid, Planetary Assault System) SWG3, 15:00–23:00, £32
Electro mini-fest, with top DJ line-up.
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.
Sat 31 Jul Psycho Soundhaus Fundraiser (Fresh Lick, Pussypower, Symbiosis)
Soundhaus, 15:00–03:00, £5 (£8 after 8)
All-star Soundhaus fun.
Voodoo: Glee Party
Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £6 (£3 members)
Glee-themed night. Under 18s.
Saturday @ Hillhead Bookclub
Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free
Funk, soul and hip-hop from Andy Taylor.
Nu Skool
Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)
Requests with DJ Mythic.
Hung Up
Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
Optimo-curated weekly party.
Shedkandi
The Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2
Sin City
Funk, disco and house.
Mon 02 Aug Burn
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)
Disco, funk and electro.
Tue 03 Aug Glasgow Underground Flying Duck, 20:00–00:00, Free
Chilled-out hip-hop.
Killer Kitsch (GRUM)
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)
Special guest edition.
Wed 04 Aug Octopussy
The Arches, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)
Student fun night.
Thu 05 Aug Thursdays
Halt Bar, 20:00–00:00, Free
Butterfly Saturdays
Live music from the residents.
Byblos, 22:30–03:00, £3
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–03:00, Free
Satisfaction
Elements of Soul (Sean McCabe)
R’n’B and dirty chart.
Deep and soulful house.
Punter iPod playlists.
I.DJ
The Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2
72 THE SKINNY August 2010
Punk and indie rock.
Sun 15 Aug
Fri 13 Aug
Sunday @ Hillhead Bookclub
Friday @ Hillhead Bookclub
Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free
Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free
40s rockabilly soul.
Cathouse Sundays
Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)
Emo, punk and hardcore.
Eclectic dirty beats.
Slabs of Tabernacle (Casco)
Pop, dance and hippity-hop.
Shedkandi
Elevator
The Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2
House and R’n’B.
Urban party.
Sin City
Subculture
Ballbreaker/Vice
Funk, disco and house.
Dubbed-out electro.
Rock, metal and indie. Resident DJs.
Cheap ‘n’ Nasty
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £2
Funk, techno and hip-hop.
Fri 06 Aug Optimo and Melting Pot Present: Riverboat Shuffle The Waverley, 20:00–23:00, £25 (£28 w/ after party)
Clubber’s boat party. After party at Sub Club.
Bazodee
Halt Bar, 20:00–02:00, Free
La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £8
Italo-disco summer party. Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £8
The Rock Shop
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5/£3 after 12)
Rock, indie and metal.
Sun 08 Aug
Byblos, 22:00–03:00, £6 (£4)
Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)
Classic Fridays
Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
Aternative rock, metal and punk.
Freaked Out Friday
Soundhaus, 22:30–03:00, £5
New tunes special.
Reggae and dancehall.
Sunset
Festival Friday
Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free
Crash
Byblos, 20:00–02:00, £5
ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5
House, party and Polish hits.
Friday night party.
Sunday @ Hillhead Bookclub
Jelly Roll Soul (Kyle Hall)
40s rockabilly soul.
Old Skool
Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free
La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £tbc
Funk guest DJ.
Requests with DJ Mythic.
Hung Up
Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc
Optimo-curated weekly party.
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3
Mon 16 Aug Burn
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)
Disco, funk and electro.
Tue 17 Aug Glasgow Underground Flying Duck, 20:00–00:00, Free
Chilled-out hip-hop.
Going Underground
Flying Duck, 20:30–02:00, £5 (£4)
Indie and mod.
Blink 182 Aftershow
The Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)
Blink (Nino, Mofo, Ivan Kutz, Jordan) Residents and guest night.
Riot Radio
Punk, pop and ska after-show bash.
Electrolick (Level Thirtytwo, Floyd)
Cathouse Sundays
Indie rock’n’roll.
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)
Fresh electro sounds.
Requests with DJ Mythic.
Pop, dance and hippity-hop. Soundhaus, 22:00–03:00, £7
Club 69, 23:00–03:00, £6
Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)
Elevator
Hung Up
Urban party.
Optimo-curated weekly party.
Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc
Sunday @ Hillhead Bookclub
Cathouse Sundays
Techno, beats and electro.
The Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)
House and R’n’B.
40s rockabilly soul.
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £2
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3
Crash
Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£5)
Rock, metal and indie. Resident DJs.
Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free
Teenage Lust
Wrong Island
Orderly Disorder
Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3
Shedkandi
Deep house and slo-mo techno.
La Cheetah, 22:00–03:00, £7
Saturday night disco.
Ballbreaker/Vice
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3
Friday night party.
ABC, 23:00–03:00, £7
Three rooms, 33 DJs, and 8 hours of partying.
Byblos, 20:00–04:00, £tbc
Deep house and techno. ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5
Love Music
Byblos, 22:00–03:00, £6 (£4)
House and R’n’B.
Festival Friday
Techno, tech house and minimal.
Bang’Fest
Pressure
The Arches, 22:30–03:00, £tbc
Soundhaus, 22:30–03:30, £7 (£5 member)
Emo, punk and hardcore.
Rock, indie and metal.
Thursdays
Disco, soul and funk from Kev Stevens.
Whabang!
Shapes (Davey Hampton)
Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3
Indie, house, emo and punk.
Rock, indie and metal.
Funk and northern soul.
Dance, R’n’B and chart.
Thursdays
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5/£3 after 12)
Funky disco and soul.
Soul Glo
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3
Byblos, 22:30–03:00, Free (£8 after 11)
The Rock Shop
Disco, soul and funk from Kev Stevens.
The Rock Shop
Maggie May’s, 23:30–03:00, Free (£5 (£3) after 12)
Sabado
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3
Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £10
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6
Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)
Emo, punk and metal. Resident DJs.
Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)
Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)
Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
Friday @ Hillhead Bookclub
Skint/Vengeance
Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)
The Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2
Classic Fridays
Sin City
Aternative rock, metal and punk.
Funk, disco and house.
Depth Charge (Massimo Dacosta)
Bass:Off
Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £6/£8 (£5)
Deep and underground house.
Festival Friday ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £2
Wonky bass.
Mon 09 Aug
Friday night party.
Burn
Old Skool
Disco, funk and electro.
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.
Riverboat Shuffle After Party (Retro/Glade, Optimo, Melting Pot DJs)
Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £28 inclusive
The boat party continues.
Damaged Goods
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3
Punk, noise, pop and disco.
Sat 07 Aug Voodoo
Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £6 (£3 members)
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)
Tue 10 Aug
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6
Funk, soul and disco.
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, £5
Killer Kitsch
The Cave
Electro clash, 80s, and disco.
Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, Free (£4-£5 after 12)
Garage punk, horror and rock.
Kino Fist
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3
Krautrock, new wave and freaky beats.
Sat 14 Aug Voodoo Prom
Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £6 (£3 members)
Rock, metal and emo. Under 18s.
Block Rocking Beats
Flying Duck, 19:00–00:00, Free
Music bloggers pick the beats.
Saturday @ Hillhead Bookclub
Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free
Funk, soul and hip-hop from Andy Taylor.
Glasgow Underground
Butterfly Saturdays
Chilled-out hip-hop.
Live music from the residents.
Flying Duck, 20:00–00:00, Free
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–03:00, Free
Killer Kitsch
Yoyo Saturday
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)
Electro clash, 80s, and disco.
Wed 11 Aug Octopussy
The Arches, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)
Student fun night.
Thu 12 Aug
Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, Free (with ticket stub)
The Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£6 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
Wed 18 Aug Muso (Big Bad Bad, Catcher, Epico)
Buff Club, 20:30–03:00, £4 (£3)
Rock, indie and pop.
Octopussy
The Arches, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)
Student fun night.
Thu 19 Aug Thursdays
Halt Bar, 20:00–00:00, Free
Deep house and slo-mo techno.
Satisfaction
Byblos, 22:30–03:00, £3
R’n’B and dirty chart.
I.DJ
The Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2
Punter iPod playlists.
Rubbermensch ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4
Indie night.
Shake It Up
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, £5
Indie, rock and pop.
Skint/Vengeance
Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)
Emo, punk and metal. Resident DJs.
Soul Glo
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3
Funk and northern soul.
Thursdays
Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3
Rock, metal and emo. Under 18s.
Halt Bar, 20:00–00:00, Free
Byblos, 22:30–03:00, Free (£8 after 11)
Dance, R’n’B and chart.
Best in Show
Saturday @ Hillhead Bookclub
Satisfaction
Drum Clinic Vs. Confusion
Indie fare.
Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free
Funk, soul and hip-hop from Andy Taylor.
Thursdays
Deep house and slo-mo techno. Byblos, 22:30–03:00, £3
Soundhaus, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)
R’n’B and dirty chart.
DJs go head-to-head.
Cloak & Dagger
Half My Heart Beats
Butterfly Saturdays
Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £4
Electro, house and hip-hop.
Current and classic indie-pop.
Live music from the residents.
I.DJ
Love Music
Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–03:00, Free
Pandemic
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 21:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 11:30)
Garage, soul and rock.
Yoyo Saturday
The Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)
Pop classics and hip-hop.
Emo, punk and hardcore.
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £2
Fri 20 Aug Friday @ Hillhead Bookclub
Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free
ABC, 23:00–03:00, £7
Punter iPod playlists.
Saturday night disco.
Disco, soul and funk from Kev Stevens.
Rubbermensch
Nu Skool
Breakdown Bands (Homebass)
Indie night.
Funky disco and soul.
Dance, techno, house and fidget.
The Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2
ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4
Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6
Soundhaus, 21:00–03:00, £6 (£5)
Shake It Up
Pretty Ugly
Upside Down
Indie, rock and pop.
Indie, post punk and alternative.
Rock, punk and garage.
Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, £5
The Admiral, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 21:00–03:00, £3
CRASH
THE SHED, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 11)
Pop, dance and hippity-hop.
TUE 24 AUG GLASGOW UNDERGROUND FLYING DUCK, 20:00–00:00, FREE
SAT 28 AUG VOODOO
ELEVATOR
Chilled-out hip-hop.
CATHOUSE, 16:00–21:00, £6 (£3 MEMBERS)
Urban party.
KILLER KITSCH
Rock, metal and emo. Under 18s.
BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)
Electro clash, 80s, and disco.
FANTAZIA SUMMERTIME (TTF, DREAM FACTORY, QFX)
BYBLOS, 22:00–03:00, £6 (£4)
BALLBREAKER/VICE
CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)
Rock, metal and indie. Resident DJs.
CLASSIC FRIDAYS
WED 25 AUG
Aternative rock, metal and punk.
MUSO (THE RETROFRETS, THE TOI, GREEN CLUB)
FESTIVAL FRIDAY
Rock, indie and pop.
CLASSIC GRAND, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
BUFF CLUB, 20:30–03:00, £4 (£3)
Old school rave-up and laser show.
SATURDAY @ HILLHEAD BOOKCLUB
Funk, soul and hip-hop from Andy Taylor.
LOCK UP YOUR DAUGHTERS
Student fun night.
BUTTERFLY SATURDAYS
Straight-friendly gay night.
OLD SKOOL
BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6
THE ARCHES, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)
THU 26 AUG
Funk, soul and disco.
THURSDAYS
RIOT RADIO
Deep house and slo-mo techno.
MAGGIE MAY’S, 23:00–03:00, £5
Indie rock’n’roll.
SAT 21 AUG VOODOO
CATHOUSE, 16:00–21:00, £6 (£3 MEMBERS)
HALT BAR, 20:00–00:00, FREE
SATISFACTION
BYBLOS, 22:30–03:00, £3
R’n’B and dirty chart.
COUNTERFIET
CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)
90s nu-metal.
Rock, metal and emo. Under 18s.
I.DJ
FLYING DUCK’S 3RD BIRTHDAY
Punter iPod playlists.
FLYING DUCK, 19:30–03:00, £3
Party night, choc with events.
SATURDAY @ HILLHEAD BOOKCLUB
HILLHEAD BOOKCLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE
Funk, soul and hip-hop from Andy Taylor.
THE SHED, 23:00–03:00, £2
LIMP BIZKIT AFTERSHOW (MUPPET, MYTHIC)
CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, FREE (WITH TICKET STUB)
Live music from the residents.
DER SUPERMAX LOVE MACHINE (BILLY WOODS)
BRUNSWICK HOTEL, 22:00–02:00, £5
Rock’n’roll discotheque.
YOYO SATURDAY
THE SHED, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£6 AFTER 11)
Pop classics and hip-hop.
Label tour, with friends.
RUBBERMENSCH
Pop, punk, metal and rock.
in association with Radio Forth
CLASSIC GRAND, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
YOYO SATURDAY
MAGGIE MAY’S, 23:00–03:00, £5
Rock and punk. Regular DJs.
Indie, rock and pop.
Emo, punk and metal. Resident DJs.
SABADO
CATHOUSE SATURDAYS
Funk and northern soul.
BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3
Rock and punk. Regular DJs.
THURSDAYS
DEATH DISCO
Emo, punk and hardcore.
CLASSIC GRAND, 23:00–03:00, £3
Dirty disco beats.
WHABANG!
INTENZIFI
FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00, £4
Underground electro.
Hardcore beats.
THE PUMP CLUB
Dance, R’n’B and chart.
LOVE MUSIC
ABC, 23:00–03:00, £7
Saturday night disco.
NU SKOOL
BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6
Funky disco and soul.
SUBCULTURE
SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £10
Dubbed-out electro.
THE ROCK SHOP
MAGGIE MAY’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£5/£3 AFTER 12)
Rock, indie and metal.
BOTTLE ROCKET
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £3
Indie dancing club.
SUN 22 AUG
INSIDE OUT
THE ARCHES, 22:30–03:00, £TBC
CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)
SOUL GLO
BYBLOS, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£8 AFTER 11)
CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)
SKINT/VENGEANCE
Pop, punk, metal and rock.
SABADO
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £2
Dubstep, jungle and reggae.
FRI 27 AUG FRIDAY @ HILLHEAD BOOKCLUB
HILLHEAD BOOKCLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE
Disco, soul and funk from Kev Stevens.
BLACK TENT
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 21:00–03:00, FREE (£3 AFTER 11:30)
Dancing tunes.
CRASH
THE SHED, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 11)
Pop, dance and hippity-hop.
ELEVATOR
BYBLOS, 22:00–03:00, £6 (£4)
Urban party.
BALLBREAKER/VICE
CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)
ABC, 23:00–03:00, £7
Saturday night disco.
MODERN LOVERS (BUNF)
FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 AFTER 12)
Special guest edition.
Funky disco and soul.
SUBCULTURE
SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £10
Dubbed-out electro.
THE ROCK SHOP
MAGGIE MAY’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£5/£3 AFTER 12)
SUN 29 AUG FORGE OF THE WORDSMITHS FLYING DUCK, 18:00–00:00, £4
Poetry and spoken club.
SUNDAY @ HILLHEAD BOOKCLUB
HILLHEAD BOOKCLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE
40s rockabilly soul.
Requests with DJ Mythic.
THE ARCHES, 22:30–03:00, £TBC
CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)
PRESSURE
SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC
HUNG UP
Deep house and techno.
SHEDKANDI
Optimo-curated weekly party.
ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5
House and R’n’B.
SIN CITY
BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3
Funk, disco and house.
MON 23 AUG
HOW’S YOUR PARTY? (JACKBEATS, MALENTE) SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £10
Special guest edition.
OLD SKOOL
BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6
Funk, soul and disco.
BURN
RIOT RADIO
Disco, funk and electro.
Indie rock’n’roll.
BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)
MAGGIE MAY’S, 23:00–03:00, £5
Tuesday 17th August Tickets: £20.00 | Doors 7pm
PROFESSOR GREEN
Friday 20th August Tickets: £10.00 | Doors 7pm
HUNG UP
CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)
THE SHED, 23:00–03:00, £2
5TH - 31ST AUGUST
Rock, indie and metal.
CATHOUSE SUNDAYS
Friday night party.
EVERY WEDNESDAY FROM 11TH AUGUST
BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6
Aternative rock, metal and punk.
SHEDKANDI
IS BACK!
NU SKOOL
Requests with DJ Mythic.
FESTIVAL FRIDAY
www.myspace.com/stornoway
LOVE MUSIC
CATHOUSE SUNDAYS
SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC
Tickets: £10.00 | Doors 7pm
Dance, R’n’B and chart.
CLASSIC FRIDAYS
CLASSIC GRAND, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
Thursday 5th August
BYBLOS, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£8 AFTER 11)
Rock, metal and indie. Resident DJs.
40s rockabilly soul.
S T O R N O WAY
House, techno and trance.
HILLHEAD BOOKCLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE
SUNDAY @ HILLHEAD BOOKCLUB
THE BEST OF THE MINE SUNDAY 1ST AUGUST
SOUNDHAUS, 22:00–03:30, £TBC
SHAKE IT UP
SOUNDHAUS, 22:30–03:00, £TBC
BAINBRIDGE MUSIC presents
INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH RECORDS (LENNY DEE)
Indie night.
THE ARCHES, 22:30–03:00, £TBC
SATURDAY 31ST JULY
Psych, punk and rock’n’roll.
Wednesday 4th August LIQUIDROOM LAUNCH PARTY
Live music from the residents.
CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)
TIM BURGESS
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 21:00–03:00, £3
BUTTERFLY & PIG, 21:00–03:00, FREE
CLASSIC GRAND, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)
WITH SPECIAL GUEST DJ - THE CHARLATANS
THE HOT CLUB
CATHOUSE SATURDAYS
ABSOLUTION
IS BACK!
BUTTERFLY & PIG, 21:00–03:00, FREE
ABSOLUTION
ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4
Pop classics and hip-hop.
1 9 9 1
Limp Bizkit after-show party.
BUTTERFLY SATURDAYS
THE SHED, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£6 AFTER 11)
h e d b l i s e s t a
HILLHEAD BOOKCLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE
OCTOPUSSY
FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
RE-LA UN 30TH CHES JULY
O2 ACADEMY, 19:30–03:00, £20
Friday night party.
ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5
9c Victoria Street, Edinburgh | 0131 225 2564
Optimo-curated weekly party.
LEGENDARY HIP-HOP PIONEER
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.
TRASH AND BURN
CLASSIC GRAND, 23:00–03:00, £3
Glam and hair metal classics.
SLIDE IT IN (NICOLA WALKER) CATHOUSE, 23:00–04:00, £2 (£1)
Bank holiday 80s special.
THURSDAY 7TH OCTOBER TICKETS £14
FOR FULL LISTINGS GO TO
www.liquidroom.com TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM TICKETS SCOTLAND & RIPPING RECORDS
AUGUST 2010
THE SKINNY 73
Edinburgh Clubs Tue 27 Jul
Octopussy
This Is Music
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)
Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)
Circus Arcade
Chart, indie and electro.
Electric Circus, 19:00–00:00, Free
Pop quiz and musical bingo.
Sick Note
Antics
Indie and electro club fave.
Indie and electro fave.
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Rock, metal and punk.
Carry On DJs
Split
Friday night party tunes.
The Jazz Bar, 00:30–03:00, £5 (£3)
Reggae six-piece.
Electric Circus, 00:00–03:00, £5
Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, Free
Bass, breaks and techno. Rotating DJs.
Skunkfunk (Paul Mills’ Mind Excursion)
Soul Jam Hot
Hot funk and soulful dance.
Retro soul, garage and D’n’B.
Sat 31 Jul The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11)
Chart, indie and retro.
Fri 30 Jul
Tuesday Heartbreak
Cause It (Patrick DSP, JakN, Jungledub)
Memorabilia
The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)
The GRV, 22:30–03:00, £6
The Village, 21:00–01:00, Free
Swirling guitars and beats.
Danceable pop, disco and electro.
Wed 28 Jul
Misfits
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11.30)
Axis
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Twisted disco.
Electro, techno and bassline.
Bangers and Mash Chart, electro and cheese.
JungleDub
Dub, dubstep and jungle.
Punk, funk and disco.
We Is Eclectic
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Frisky
Chart, indie and 90s hits.
Citrus Club, 23:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 12)
Bank holiday fun night.
Rock Show
Tease Age
Alternative metal and rock.
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)
Indie, rock and soul.
Coalition
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
Dubstep, breaks and bass.
His & Hers
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5
Electric Circus, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£6 after 12)
Guest DJ night over two levels.
Indie and alternative.
Four Corners (Simon Hodge, Johnny Cashback, Astroboy, Wee G)
Playdate
Party tunes.
Fri 06 Aug Misfits
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11.30)
Twisted disco.
Milk (Kengo Cuban Brothers)
Medina, 22:00–05:00, £7 (£6)
Hip-hop and breakdance.
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
From hip-hop to dubstep.
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Medina, 00:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
This Is Music (Axis DJs)
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)
Indie and electro fave.
Bongo Club, 23:00–05:00, £7 (£5 in costume)
Tuesday Heartbreak
Underground DJs guest.
Classic rock club fave.
Swirling solos and driving funk.
The Jazz Bar, 01:30–03:30, £2 (£1)
EE FR
Antics EE FR
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Rock, metal and punk. EE FR
Soul Jam Hot
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
Funk and soul.
Split
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free
B-sides (Rodent Emporium)
Medina, 22:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Rarities, covers and re-mixes.
Axis
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
Bassline and fidget house.
We Are Electric
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
From hip-hop to dubstep.
Trade Union
Anything goes with Beefy and Wolfjazz.
Medina, 00:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Headspin (DJ Yoda)
Bongo Club, 00:00–05:00, £12
Extra-special guest DJ edition!
Sat 07 Aug Bubblegum
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11)
Chart, indie and retro.
Medina, 22:00–05:00, £5
Tease Age
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)
Indie, rock and soul.
Va Va Voom
Electric Circus, 22:30–05:00, £5 (£6 after 12)
Retro sounds and burlesque.
Mission
Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
Hard rock and heavy metal.
Samedia
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
The Go-Go
Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
60s, mod and garage.
Tuesday Heartbreak
Swirling solos and driving funk.
Tue 10 Aug Antics
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Rock, metal and punk.
Samedia
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
Soul Jam Hot
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
Funk and soul.
Split
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free
D’n’B, breaks and techno. Rotating DJs.
JungleDub
Bongo Club, 00:00–05:00, Free
Dub, dubstep and jungle.
Wed 11 Aug Bangers and Mash
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 11)
Electro, rock and cheese.
B-sides (The Gastric Band)
Medina, 22:00–05:00, Free (£3 after 11)
Rarities, covers and re-mixes.
Samedia
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
Axis
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
Bassline and fidget house.
We Are Electric
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Underground electronica.
We Is Eclectic
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Funky sister club. In Speakeasy.
Soulsville
Bongo Club, 00:00–05:00, Free
Soulful beats.
Thu 12 Aug Frisky
Beep Beep Yeah!
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
We Is Eclectic
Retro. In Speakeasy.
Hip Hop Jam
Ultragroove (Fudge Fingas)
Live hip-hop and DJs.
Funky sister club. In Speakeasy.
Thu 05 Aug
www.festmag.co.uk
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
Underground electronica.
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Born To Be Wide
Electric Circus, 19:00–23:00, Free in advance, £3 door
Music industry seminar and live DJ sets.
winner and runner-up best features at 2009 Allen Wright Awards for Excellence in Fringe Journalism
Funk-fuelled beats. In Speakeasy.
Classic hip-hop.
Electro, rock and cheese.
media partners 2010
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free
JungleDub
Wed 04 Aug
amnesty international
Inkling (MC Silver Tongue)
Much More
Dub, dubstep and jungle.
edinburgh,s favourite festival magazine is back for 2010
Lane Nightclub, 23:00–05:00, £6
D’n’B, breaks and techno. Rotating DJs. Bongo Club, 00:00–03:00, Free
AL GUI DE 18— 20 AUG UST 200THE THE A9ST SURP ULT ARK RIS IMAT POR E HIT E IN TRAY OF DEPE NDE AL O THE FR NT FM ING FEST ODER E: IVAL ND GUID ECLI E 21 NE -24 AUGU ST 20 09
Nu Fire
Alternative club night.
Medina, 22:00–05:00, £2
The GRV, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£4 after 12)
The Mission
THE 21ST
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
The Latin Quarter
DJs from Ride, Sick Note and B-Sides.
WOULD YOU VOTE FOR THESE JOKERS?
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
The Jazz Bar, 01:30–05:00, £2 (£1)
Fuse (Eskimo Twins)
PARTY TIME
Samedia
Hip-hop, chart and R’n’B requests.
Funk, disco and house.
Glam OTT electro club night.
ww w.f estm ag.c o.uk
Salsa-inspired world beats.
The Sessions
Sahara Sessions
The Sessions
www.fes tmag.co .uk
Medina, 22:00–05:00, £2
Retro from 1970 to 1999.
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)
Confusion is Sex
Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
The Latin Quarter
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Anything goes with Beefy and Wolfjazz.
Wee Red indie club fave.
Hip-hop, chart and R’n’B requests.
Planet Earth
Wobbly house and techno.
The Egg
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Dirt (Dirty Basement, Compakt)
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 11)
Frisky
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, £3
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, £5 (£8 after 12)
Guest edition.
Chart, indie and 90s hits. Medina, 22:00–05:00, £3
Something Wicked This Way Comes (The Sea The Sea, Thomas Truax)
Volume!
Electric Circus, 23:00–01:00, £6
Dubstep, garage and grime.
Dub Kaoss
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, £3 (members free)
Sun 08 Aug
Vaudeville cabaret, burlesque and music. Citrus Club, 23:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 12)
D’n’B and dubstep.
Rock Show
Octopussy
Join The Dots
Alternative metal and rock.
Chart, indie and electro.
Cosmic disco.
Medina, 22:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Chart, indie and 90s hits.
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)
Medina, 22:00–05:00, £4
Sunday Sounds
Samedia
Dub Kaoss
Hip Hop, funk and R’n’B.
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
Citrus Club, 23:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 12)
D’n’B and dubstep.
74 THE SKINNY August 2010
Electric Circus, 01:00–05:00, £5
Mon 09 Aug Quids
DJs from Ride, Sick Note and B-Sides.
Bangers and Mash
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Carry On DJs
Trade Union
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Indie and electro club fave.
Rendezvous (Matt Tolfrey, Blair Harrower, Nick Yuill)
Down and dirty house.
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Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free
Po Na Na, 22:30–03:00, £4 (£7 after 11)
Tue 03 Aug
www.festmag.co.uk
Dance tunes old and new.
Sick Note
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
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Mon 02 Aug
Live disco and house edits.
Nu Fire
Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11.30)
G BR NID
Dance tunes old and new.
Killer Kitsch
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)
All things techno.
KEVIN ES
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
Dapper Dans
Samedia
Lane Nightclub, 23:00–03:00, £12
Hardcore, dubstep and live bands.
Killer Kitsch
Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)
Salsa-inspired world beats.
Jackhammer (Billy Nasty, Stepback DJs, Gee Dubs)
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Opal Lounge, 22:00–03:00, £6 (£4)
Quids
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Neon Party
Electronic dance. In Speakeasy.
Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £5
D’n’B and dubstep.
Club night birthday spectacular.
Funk, disco and house.
Kamikaze (Lost Origin, Tekamine, Rob Theft, Bomb Berlin)
Dub Kaoss
The Caves, 21:00–01:00, £12.50
Sahara Sessions
The Caves, 23:00–03:00, £5
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Departure Lounge 7th Birthday (The Bays, Hidden Orchestra)
Dare! (Jon Pleased Wimmin)
Deep funk, jazz, reggae and hip-hop.
Thu 29 Jul
Voodoo Rooms, 20:30–23:00, £10
Retro from 1970 to 1999.
Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 after 12)
Wonky sister club. In Speakeasy.
Melting Pot
Reggae, grime and dubstep with the Rinse FM DJs guesting.
Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, £4 (£5 after 11.30)
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Sun 01 Aug
Dance-fest charity club.
Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £6
Sugarbeat (Utah Saints)
We Are Electric
Dubstep, breaks and bass.
Planet Earth
Po Na Na, 22:30–03:00, £4 (£7 after 11)
Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free
Coalition
Chart, indie and electro.
Big ‘N’ Bashy (Elijah, Skilliam)
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)
The Hive, 23:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 11)
Octopussy
Punk and new wave. Resident DJs.
Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
Soulful jazz.
Bubblegum
The Jazz Bar, 00:30–03:00, £5 (£3)
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free
Saturday Nite Fish Fry (Alba Reggae, D’Viking)
The Underground
07/07/2010 22:23
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Samedia
Animal Hospital
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
Minimal techno and house.
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
Edinburgh Clubs Sick Note
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free
Indie and electro club fave.
Devil Disco Club 1st Birthday (Silver Columns, Trouble, Simonotron, Kris Wasabi) Bongo Club, 00:00–05:00, £8 (£10 after 1.30)
Extra-special live set.
Carry On DJs
Electric Circus, 01:00–05:00, £5
Party tunes.
Fri 13 Aug Memorabilia
The Village, 21:00–01:00, Free
Danceable pop, disco and electro.
Misfits
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11.30)
Twisted disco.
Dubst*r
Medina, 22:00–05:00, £6 (£5)
Dubstep and bassline.
Planet Earth
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)
Retro from 1970 to 1999.
Sahara Sessions
Po Na Na, 22:30–03:00, £4 (£7 after 11)
Funk, disco and house.
Something Wicked This Way Comes (Banana Sessions, Thomas Truax) Electric Circus, 23:00–01:00, £6
Vaudeville cabaret, burlesque and music.
Sun 15 Aug Rock Show
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Frisky
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Chart, indie and 90s hits.
Alternative metal and rock.
Join The Dots
Sunday Sounds
Cosmic disco.
Medina, 22:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Hip Hop, funk and R’n’B.
Samedia
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
Coalition
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
Dubstep, breaks and bass.
Killer Kitsch
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free
Dance tunes old and new.
Mon 16 Aug Quids
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Hip-hop, chart and R’n’B requests.
The Latin Quarter Medina, 22:00–05:00, £2
Salsa-inspired world beats.
Samedia
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
Nu Fire
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free From hip-hop to dubstep.
Trade Union
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Anything goes with Beefy and Wolfjazz.
The Sessions
Medina, 22:00–05:00, £4
Dub Kaoss
Citrus Club, 23:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 12)
D’n’B and dubstep.
Octopussy
Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)
Chart, indie and electro.
Samedia
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
Velvet
Bangers and Mash
Wasabi Disco (Bill Brewster)
Electro, rock and cheese.
Bi-girl night. In Speakeasy.
B-sides (Comma)
Wire (We Were Promised Jetpacks)
Samedia
Esteemed guest DJ.
Electric Circus, 23:00–05:00, £5 (£6 after 12)
After-show party.
Sun 22 Aug Rock Show
Glam punk.
Alternative metal and rock.
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Vaudeville cabaret, burlesque and music.
Misfits
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11.30)
Twisted disco.
Heavy Gossip
Medina, 22:00–05:00, £6
Soul Renagade Vs. Solescience.
LuckyMe (Hudson Mohawke)
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, £5
Special guest in the mighty Mohawke.
This Is Music (Come DJs, Club Soda)
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, £3 (members free)
Indie and electro fave.
Tue 17 Aug Antics
Riddim Tuffa Sound (Mungos Hifi)
Rock, metal and punk.
Reggae, dub and D’n’B.
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Samedia
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Confusion is Sex
Funk and soul.
Japanese-themed night.
Punk, soul and glam.
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free
Bubblegum
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11)
Chart, indie and retro.
Much More
Medina, 22:00–05:00, £5
Classic hip-hop.
Tease Age
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)
Indie, rock and soul.
Something Wicked This Way Comes (Thomas Truax) Electric Circus, 23:00–01:00, £6
Vaudeville cabaret, burlesque and music.
Samedia
Souloco
D’n’B, breaks and techno. Rotating DJs.
Underground house. In Speakeasy.
JungleDub
Bongo Club, 00:00–05:00, Free
Dub, dubstep and jungle.
Wed 18 Aug Bangers and Mash
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 11)
Electro, rock and cheese.
B-sides (Vasquez)
Medina, 22:00–05:00, Free (£3 after 11)
Rarities, covers and re-mixes.
Samedia
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
Axis
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
Bassline and fidget house.
The Mission
We Are Electric 5th Birthday
Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
Hard rock and heavy metal.
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Bass Syndicate
Scottish talent showcase.
Heavy-weight bass champs.
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, £3 (members free)
We Is Eclectic
Join The Dots
Funky sister club. In Speakeasy.
Cosmic disco. In Speakeasy.
Bongo Club, 00:00–05:00, Free
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, £5 (£4)
Kidology
Lane Nightclub, 23:00–05:00, £8 (£6)
Glam club night.
Messenger Sound System
Bongo Club, 23:00–05:00, £6 (£7 after 12)
Sweet reggae rockin’.
Sick Note Saturday
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, £5
Indie and electro.
Substance Vs. Monox (Forward Strategy Group) The GRV, 23:00–05:00, £5
East meets west, festival special.
Electric Circus, 23:00–05:00, £8 (£6)
Split
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Soul Jam Hot
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
Sat 14 Aug
The GRV, 23:00–03:00, £8
Samedia
THE BANG BANG CLUB (Aidan Moffat)
Electric Circus, 01:00–05:00, £tbc
Funk, disco and house.
Soulsville Soulful beats.
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free (£4 after 12)
This Is Music (Clouds, Wasted Youth)
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, £3 (members free)
Indie and electro fave.
Xplicit (Shy FX, Breakage) Bongo Club, 23:00–05:00, £12
D’n’B evolution.
Mumbo Jumbo
Bongo Club, 00:00–05:00, £7 (£6)
Jazz, funk and house.
Sat 21 Aug Something Wicked This Way Comes (Earl Grey & The Loose Leaves) Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £6
Vaudeville cabaret, burlesque and music.
Dubstep, breaks and bass.
Killer Kitsch
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free
Dance tunes old and new.
Mon 23 Aug
Vaudeville cabaret, burlesque and music.
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Nu Fire
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
From hip-hop to dubstep.
Trade Union
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Sat 28 Aug
Axis (The Clouds)
Jackhammer Boat Party Cruz, 15:00–03:00, Free
Electro special.
Techno party. On a boat.
Citrus Club, 23:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 12)
D’n’B and dubstep.
Vegas
Voodoo Rooms, 22:00–03:00, £10
Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £7
End of festival party, Vegas-style.
Techno-type beats.
Much More
Octopussy
Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)
Chart, indie and electro.
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Anything goes with Beefy and Wolfjazz.
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
The Sessions
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
Ride
Tuesday Heartbreak
DJs from Ride, Sick Note and B-Sides. The Jazz Bar, 01:30–05:00, £2 (£1)
Swirling solos and driving funk.
Tue 24 Aug Antics
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Rock, metal and punk.
Samedia
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
Soul Jam Hot
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
Funk and soul.
Split
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free
D’n’B, breaks and techno. Rotating DJs.
JungleDub
Bongo Club, 00:00–05:00, Free
Dub, dubstep and jungle.
Medina, 22:00–05:00, £5
Classic hip-hop.
Tease Age
Samedia
Medina, 00:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11)
Chart, indie and retro.
Jackhammer (Phil Keiran, Ben Sims)
Hip-hop and electro.
Bubblegum
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)
Indie, rock and soul.
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Electric Circus, 23:00–01:00, £6
Sick Note
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free
Vaudeville cabaret, burlesque and music. Best of fest edition.
Indie and electro club fave.
Samedia
Four Corners
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Funk, jazz and Latin beats.
The Mission
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
Bongo Club, 00:00–05:00, £5
Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
Fri 27 Aug
Hard rock and heavy metal.
The Underground
Memorabilia
Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
The Village, 21:00–01:00, Free
Danceable pop, disco and electro.
Get Funk’d
Punk and new wave.
Dare!
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, £5
Medina, 22:00–03:00, £5
Electronic dance. In Speakeasy.
Funk, soul and house.
Misfits
Karnival (Yousef, Pulse, Wired DJs)
Twisted disco.
Karnival festival special.
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11.30)
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, £5 (£8 after 12)
Planet Earth
Playdate
Retro from 1970 to 1999.
Eclectic disco and house.
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, £5 (members free)
Don’t Flop Afterparty: with Much More (The Illersapiens) Medina, 22:00–05:00, £7 (£5)
Classic hip-hop, plus live guest.
Tease Age
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)
Indie, rock and soul.
Samedia
Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £6
Salsa-inspired world beats.
Indie and alternative.
Chart, indie and 90s hits.
Dub Kaoss
Medina, 22:00–05:00, £2
Electric Circus, 01:00–05:00, £5
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Hip-hop, chart and R’n’B requests.
The Latin Quarter
His & Hers
Frisky
Medina, 22:00–05:00, £3
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free
Reggae, grime and dubstep.
Thu 26 Aug
Quids
Bongo Club, 00:00–05:00, £6
Chart, indie and retro.
Dubstep producers showcase.
Something Wicked This Way Comes (Alan Bissett, Emily Scott, Earl Grey & The Loose Leaves)
Bongo Club, 00:00–05:00, Free
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 11)
The Green Door
Thu 19 Aug
Festival guest edition.
Bubblegum
Edinburgh Dubstep Showcase
Sneaky Pete’s, 01:00–05:00, Free
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, £10
Soulful beats.
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
Po Na Na, 22:30–03:00, £4 (£7 after 11)
Residents and friends celebration.
Sugarbeat
Coalition
Sahara Sessions
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Big ‘N’ Bashy (Hatcha, Swindle, Taz Buckfaster)
Samedia
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
We Are Electric 5th Birthday
Indie and electro fave.
Retro from 1970 to 1999.
Swirling solos and driving funk.
Samedia
Soulsville
Tuesday Heartbreak
The Jazz Bar, 01:30–05:00, £2 (£1)
Bassline and fidget house.
Retro stereo, funk and punk.
Funky sister club. In Speakeasy.
Reggae and dancehall.
Samedia
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, Free
The GRV, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£5 after 12)
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Planet Earth
Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)
Axis
Modern Lovers Festival Party
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, £3 (members free)
Medina, 00:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
DJs from Ride, Sick Note and B-Sides.
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
Vaudeville cabaret, burlesque and music.
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
One-Drop
Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Electric Circus, 23:00–01:00, £6
Samedia
Hip Hop, funk and R’n’B.
Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £6
Rarities, covers and re-mixes.
Something Wicked This Way Comes (Banana Sessions, The Horndog Brass Band)
This Is Music: End of Festival Smash
Indie and electro club fave.
Something Wicked This Way Comes (Alan Bissett, Emily Scott, Earl Grey & The Loose Leaves)
Medina, 22:00–05:00, Free (£3 after 11)
Funk, disco and house.
We Is Eclectic
Sunday Sounds
Fri 20 Aug
Po Na Na, 22:30–03:00, £4 (£7 after 11)
Medina, 22:00–05:00, Free (£2 after 12)
Sick Note
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, Free
Sahara Sessions
The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 11)
Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, £3 (members free)
Vintage Violence
Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £4
Wed 25 Aug
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, £4 (£6 after 11)
Studio 24, 22:30–03:00, £4 (£2)
Rockabilly and R’n’B.
Roxy Art House, 23:00–03:00, Free
Departure Lounge provide the tune.
The Mission
Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)
Hard rock and heavy metal.
Ultragroove
Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–05:00, £5 (£8 after 12)
Disco and house.
August 2010
THE SKINNY 75
Dundee Music Thu 29 Jul
Thu 12 Aug
Open Mic
Open Mic
Live acoustic sets.
Live sessions.
Doghouse, 20:00–23:00, Free
Sun 01 Aug Rudy Alba
Doghouse, 20:00–00:45, £tbc
Glasgow reggae artist.
Mon 02 Aug NYOS Summer Tour
Caird Hall, 19:30–23:00, £5-£14
Youth orchestral musings.
Star Fucking Hipsters (Torturo Nervosa, Billy Liar) Doghouse, 20:30–00:45, £9
Punk, metal and ska.
Thu 05 Aug Open Mic
Doghouse, 20:00–00:45, Free Live sessions.
Doghouse, 20:00–23:45, Free
Fri 13 Aug Transmission
Doghouse, 20:00–23:00, £8
Joy Division tribute.
Sat 14 Aug
THEATRE glasgow Stark Theatre 07:00PM, 14 Aug, £16 (including food and drink)
Indie loveliness.
UK2USA
Glasgow’s alt. cabaret
Promo band competition.
Kiss tribute.
Doghouse, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Sat 07 Aug The Levee Breakers Doghouse, 20:00–23:00, £7
Led Zeppelin tribute.
Tue 10 Aug TheAutonomads(I.C.H,BillyLiar)
Doghouse, 20:00–23:45, £5 (£6 after 9)
Doghouse, 20:00–23:00, £12
Figure 5 (Mass Consensus)
Dexter’s Lounge Bar, 20:00–23:00, £5
Alternative roots.
Sat 21 Aug Dead Sea Souls (Peg and the Bouffants) Doghouse, 20:00–23:45, £5
Alternative indie and disco.
Ska, dub and punk.
Wed 11 Aug Grant me Revenge (Dead End, Dweller, To Kill)
Dexter’s Lounge Bar, 20:00–23:00, £tbc
Hardcore metal.
Open Mic
Doghouse, 20:00–23:45, Free
Live sessions.
Thu 12 Aug
Fever
PLASTIC SOUL
Garage punk and thrash.
Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £3.50
Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £3.50
Thu 29 Jul PLASTIC SOUL
Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £3.50
Hip-hop, beats and funk.
Sun 01 Aug Under 18’s DJ Set
Doghouse, 15:00–19:00, £tbc
The youth take to the decks.
Thu 05 Aug Fever
Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £3.50
Rock’n’roll dance party.
Sat 07 Aug Fever
Art Bar, 18:00–23:00, £tbc
Hip-hop, reggae and house.
Thu 19 Aug PLASTIC SOUL Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £3.50
Hip-hop, reggae and house.
Thu 26 Aug PLASTIC SOUL Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £3.50
Hip-hop, reggae and house.
Sat 28 Aug Autodisco (Situation) Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £tbc
Electro, house and Italo disco.
Rock’n’roll dance party.
Glasgow Comedy Tue 27 Jul 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 28 Jul Best of Irish Comedy (With Andrew Stanley, Paddy Lennox and Niall Browne. Hosted by Michael Redmond)
The Stand, Glasgow, 20:30–22:30, £7 (£6/£3)
Thu 29 Jul The Thursday Show (With Andrew Stanley, Andrew Learmonth and Carly Baker. Hosted by Bruce Devlin)
The Stand, Glasgow, 20:00–23:00, £8 (£7/£4)
Second part of Members’ show
Flying Duck All The Young Nudes 08:00PM, Multiple dates, £4
Drawing class with a backdrop of DJ beats and a bar to the side.
GOMA
SECC
Fiona Tan: Tomorrow
Various times, 27 Jul—28 Aug, Free
I Was There
Fiona Tan exhibits a two screen video installation that takes a look at youth and identity
07:30PM, 27 Aug—28 Aug, £19.50
The story of the Apollo music venue
The Arches
Have an hour with New York performance poet Markus: a one-man comedic – poetic – theatric show, delving in to the modern psyche, with glitter.
Fri 30 Jul The Friday Show (With Andrew Stanley, Andrew Learmonth and Sean McLoughlin. Hosted by Bruce Devlin)
The Stand, Glasgow, 20:30–23:00, £10 (£9/£5)
Friday night special with a changing rota of performers.
Sat 31 Jul The Saturday Show (With Andrew Stanley, Andrew Learmonth and Sean McLoughlin. Hosted by Bruce Devlin)
The Stand, Glasgow, 21:00–23:00, £13
Saturday special with varying top line-up.
Doors open 7:30.
76 THE SKINNY August 2010
Drew Taylor- sometime wild poetdirects a new script
The Tron Theatre
12:00PM, Multiple dates, Free
Court of Miracles 07:30PM, 02 Aug—07 Aug, £10
The Hunchback reloaded
Theatre Royal Bedroom Farce
Box Office 0131 225 5525
love.dancebase.co.uk Jack Tinker Spirit of the Fringe Award Winner 2009
07:30PM, 11 Aug—14 Aug, from £14
Calendar Girls 07:30PM, 16 Aug—28 Aug, not 22nd, from £11.50
Polite yet naked comedy
Tramway Jerusalem: The Song of Deeds 07:30PM, 02 Aug—07 Aug, £10.50
Crusade action
Tron Theatre Club Sublime 07:30PM, 08 Aug, Free(Donation)
A monthly musical event hosted by award-winning cabaret duo Blind Gurl and the Crips, these evenings feature hot new local artists and bands.
DUNDEE Dundee Rep Return to the Forbidden Planet 07:30PM, 18 Aug—21 Aug, £10
Sci-fi musical
American sculptor, essayist and poet, Jimmie Durham, shows a large-scale sculptural installation of work created during his studio residency.
Kelvingrove Pioneering Painters: The Glasgow Boys 1880–1900
Various times, 27 Jul—28 Aug, £5 (£3)
The biggest Glasgow Boys exhibition in more than 40 years.
Mary Mary Sara Barker - Images
12:00PM, 27 Jul—31 Jul, Free
Barker looks at notions of working and living space, creating a new body of work
Ayckbourne domestic farce
Charity No. SC022512
Street Level Ephemeral Ephemera
Various times, 27 Jul—01 Aug, Free
Solo exhibition of photography by Ayoung Kim.
Grimaces of the Weary Village
Various times, 27 Jul—01 Aug, Free
Solo show from Lithuanian photographer Rimaldas Viksraitis.
The Arches Dr Sketchy’s
04:00PM, 08 Aug, £7 (£5)
Alternative life drawing, this month with a Steampunk theme.
The Griffin It’s All Around You
Various times, 03 Aug—05 Aug, Free
Young artists in a group show in a pub
Touchbase Bus. Cen. Sensing Outdoors
09:00AM, Multiple dates, Free
DUNDEE
Jimmie Durham: Universal Miniature Golf
find love every hour , on the hour for just £5
New work by Michael White and Lila de Magalhaes
A series of new prints made in situ, alongside a selection of Myles’ fluorescent text works.
Sculpture Studio
07:30PM, 03 Aug, £6
12:00PM, Multiple dates, Free
Scott Myles: Elba
Various times, 27 Jul—15 Aug, not 2nd, 9th, Free
Markus Makavellian’s International Order
SWG3 Insert Tiara
Artwork created by Sense Scotland artists as a result of the last five years of the Outdoor programme at Sense Scotland.
Print Studio
Quality Control
dundee clubs Wed 28 Jul
12:00PM, 21 Aug—28 Aug, not 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, Free
07:30PM, 31 Jul, £6/£4
Thu 26 Aug
David Dale
White
Spangled Cabaret
Dressed to Kill
Palestinian performance collective
First part of two-part members’ show at this up-and-coming, committee run gallery
Rio Café 08:00PM, 02 Aug, Free
08:01PM, 03 Aug, Free
12:00PM, 07 Aug—15 Aug, not 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, Free
Live dance as you eat
Fri 20 Aug
Fri 06 Aug
Tashweesh
Black
Mirch Masala 08:00PM, Multiple dates, meals from£10
Doghouse, 20:00–23:45, £5
“ SCOTLAND’S NUMBER ONE DANCE VENUE”
Stark Theatre present two comedies looking at life, love and libation. With duets by Peter Quilter.
Live band fundraiser.
Skies Fell
CCA
THE LIST
Bellydancing
Thu 19 Aug
glasgow
Beanscene Wdlnds Rd
Coma Toast, The New Times, Eh!, Fintry Love Child, Hello Pirates Doghouse, 16:00–23:00, £5
ART
Mono The Bad Man Collective 07:30PM, 29 Jul, Free
Three graduates from North Glasgow College display differing work, from found objects created into bustling street scenes, to abstract work influenced by American artist Robert Rauchenberg.
Central Library Rosita McKenzie: Edinburgh People
Various times, 12 Aug—28 Aug, not 15th, 22nd, Free
Exhibition Edinburgh people, from blind photographer Rosita McKenzie.
DCA Don’t Art, Fashion, Music
Various times, 27 Jul—08 Aug, not 2nd, Free
Chicks on Speed’s first UK solo show, featuring Objekt Instruments, video, a team of weavers and a theramen tapestry.
DCA Don’t Art, Fashion, Music
Various times, 27 Jul—08 Aug, not 2nd, Free
Multidisciplinary Chicks on Speed offer a colourful performance installation
Hannah McClure Cen. 500 Miles North
09:30AM, Multiple dates, Free
Seven emerging artists show new work
EDinburgh 3/3 Antigua St If I Jump Off A Bridge, Will You Follow Me?
Various times, 07 Aug—28 Aug, not 9th, 16th, 23rd, Free
New work by Scottish-based artists Hendry, Sandy Hutton, Rebecca Milling, Valerie Norris and Lindsay Perth, addressing notions of threat and vulnerability.
Amber Arts The Space Between
10:00AM, Multiple dates, Free
A mixed printmaking show bringing together thirteen contemporary artists.
Explore Printmaking Workshop
Various times, 21 Aug, £10
Taster workshop in monoprinting.
Atelier 29 Deirde Edwards: New Paintings
11:30AM, 17 Aug—28 Aug, not 19th, 20th, 26th, 27th, Free
Exhibition of new paintings in acrylic and aquacryl on canvas.
Atticsalt Mairi Gillies: Natura Sensus Various times, Multiple dates, Free
Edinburgh-born artist examines the relationship between plants and people, looking at how horticulture has become an intervention that has little to do with the survival of plants and more to do with gratifying the consumer.
Bourne Fine Art Alexander Stoddart: Cabinet Works and Studies 10:00AM, 31 Jul—28 Aug, Free
Showcasing the Paisley-born sculptor’s work on a domestic scale.
City Art Centre Edward Weston: Life Work Various times, 31 Jul—28 Aug, £8
Vintage prints from the iconic American photographer.
In Our Own Images: Representing
Various times, 31 Jul—28 Aug, £8
A range of Scottish artists and sculptors pay homage to the artists’ preoccupation with the human figure.
William Wegman: Family Combinations
Various times, 31 Jul—28 Aug, £8
Photographic documentation between Wegman and his beloved family of Weimaraners. It’s basially a family tree of his canine companions over 25 years.
William Wegman: Focus on Dogs Printmaking 10:00AM, 14 Aug, Free
Inspired by Wegman?s photographs, you can come and try your hand at creating print images of your own pets.
Coburg House Open Studios
Hito Steyeri
11:00AM, 29 Jul—28 Aug, Free
First Scottish solo exhibition for the Berlin-based artist and theoretician.
Corn Exchange Gal. Faraway Mountain
11:00AM, Multiple dates, Free
First UK solo exhibition by Japanese stone sculptor Atsuo Okomoto.
Dancebase Catherine Sargeant: May I Have The Pleasure 10:00AM, 09 Aug—28 Aug, Free
Using handmade Japanese paper, individual scrolls have been screenprinted with text and symbols relating to different dance styles; from ballet, to ballroom.
Major exhibit of Surrealist art.
Richard Wright: The Stairwell Project
10:00AM, 27 Jul—28 Aug, Free
2009 Turner Prize winner, Richard Wright, will compose a large-scale, wall-based work within the Dean Gallery. As part of Edinburgh Art Festival.
Richard Wright 02:00PM, 30 Jul, Free
Richard Wright, winner of the 2009 Turner Prize, talks about his large-scale wall drawings in Dean Gallery.
Dovecot Studios Sitting and Looking
10:30AM, Multiple dates, Free
An interdisciplinary exhibition curated by furniture designers Jim Partridge and Liz Walmsley.
Dovecot Art and Making: A New Collection
10:30AM, 30 Jul—28 Aug, not 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, Free
A new collection of tapestries produced in collaboration with the William Scott Foundation, Barbara Rae, and William Crozier.
Keeping My Head Above Water
10:30AM, 30 Jul—28 Aug, not 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, Free
UK sculptor Julie Westerman shows large cibachrome prints of swimming to celebrate the Dovecot building.
Matter 5
10:30AM, 30 Jul—28 Aug, not 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, Free
Adam Paxon continues a curated conversation with a selection of UK designers, through ?lm, photography and objects.
Dundas St Gallery Barbara Rae: Prints
Various times, 27 Jul—28 Aug, Free
New works in printmaking, taking inspiration comes from objects and landscapes of the wilderness areas of the southwest USA.
ECA Library ShelfLife: A Bibliosideshow
Various times, Multiple dates, Free
A curated mise en abyme of artists’ bookworks. The result is a part archive, part exhibition and part pop-up theatre.
Ed Cross Fine Art Witness: The Spectre of Memory in Contemporary African Art 10:00AM, 06 Aug—28 Aug, Free
Peterson Waweru Kamwathi displays work which is mostly linked to moments in the history of his country, Kenya.
Farmer’s Market Su Grierson: Aerial Roots 09:00AM, Sat 31st, Sat 28th, Free
A stall at Edinburgh Farmers Market has been transformed to become a showcase for contemporary art, showing video, sound and images with an agricultural theme.
Edinburgh Mus. Lib. LIVE: Bands From The Edinburgh Music Scene
Various times, 07 Aug—28 Aug, not 8th, 15th, 22nd, Free
An anthology of images of local acts, photographed by the rather ace Markus Thorsen.
Ed Printmakers
12:00PM, Multiple dates, Free
A series of three solo exhibitions, featuring new commissions from Katie Orton, Paul Rooney, and Kate V Robertson.
Edinburgh Zoo bestiary
09:00AM, 27 Jul—01 Aug, Free
A Collaboration between Edinburgh College of Art students and Edinburgh Zoo.
Fruitmarket Martin Creed: Down Over Up Various times, 30 Jul—28 Aug, Free
Major new work from the acclaimed artist, the highlight of which might just be his turning of the Gallery’s staircase into a synthesiser with each step sounding a different note.
Ingleby Gallery Iran do Espirito Santo
Various times, 29 Jul—28 Aug, Free
Work by Brazilian artist with distinct minimalist aesthetic.
Inspace life.space
12:00PM, Multiple dates, Free
In collaboration with Blipfoto, this exhibition invites people to contribute an image a day. At the end of the exhibition the mass of images collected will be assembled into a film sequence.
Inverleith House Joan Mitchell
10:00AM, 27 Jul—28 Aug, not 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, Free
A selection of abstract paintings and works on paper by the American artist.
JoanMitchell:ExhibitionTour 04:00PM, 30 Jul, Free
Exhibition tour by Frances Morris.
Jupiter Artland Jupiter Artland: Year Two 10:00AM, Multiple dates, £8.25 (£4)
A collection of sculptures by some of the world’s best known contemporary artists as well as some exciting British newcomers. Includes Antony Gormley, Andy Goldsworthy, Charles Jencks, and Peter Liversidge.
Zobop (Jim Lambie)
10:00AM, Multiple dates, £8.25 (£4)
Jim Lambie is installing a vinyl tape floor into the gallery space, to complement his new permanent piece on the outside wall.
KOMACHI Change X
12:00PM, 01 Aug—28 Aug, Free
Collaborative body of work.
Life Drawing
06:00PM, Tue 3rd, Tue 10th, Tue 17th, Tue 24th, £5 –£5
Varied life drawing class. Relaxed environment.
Matthew Gallery Curating The City: Representation and Seriality 11:00AM, 03 Aug—27 Aug, not 7th, 8th, 14th, 15th, 21st, 22nd, Free
Impressionist Gardens
Original prints exploring record cover art, including work from multimedia artist Vicki Bennett, who has also been commissioned to produce a new LP of music for the exhibition.
What You See Is Where You’re At: Part 3
02:00PM, Sat 14th, Sat 21st, Sat 28th, Free
Guided studio tour and chance to meet artists’ working in the studio.
Scotland-based artist Anna Chapman combines drawing, three-dimensional objects and sound in a solo show of work related to language and memory.
Open Eye Gallery Barbara Rae, Matthew Draper: Contrasting Landscapes, Painterly Abstractions
The Spacemakers
Various times, 30 Jul—24 Aug, not 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, Free
Braham’s series of photographs takes the theme of the brevity of our being, measured against the enduring nature of the landscape.
Tashweesh
Schop
04:00PM, 05 Aug, Free
Palestinian performance collective.
Tram Spotting / Train Stopping
Mini
10:00AM, 27 Aug—28 Aug, Free
10:00AM, 10 Aug—28 Aug, not 15th, 22nd, Free
Miniature and minimal exhibition.
This exhibition takes a fresh look at how to shape our towns and cities (and, yes, Edinburgh’s Tramgate will feature).
10:00AM, 06 Aug—28 Aug, not 8th, 15th, 22nd, Free
Split exhibition showcasing two distinct and individual responses to contemporary landscape painting.
Ecole de Paris 10:00AM, 06 Aug—28 Aug, not 8th, 15th, 22nd, Free
Master printmakers with connections to Paris. In Open Eye’s sister gallery.
Drill Hall
The Forest Café Tashweesh
09:00PM, 02 Aug, Free
Poetry Library
Palestinian performance collective
Plan B
Henderson Gal.
Various times, 27 Jul—28 Aug, not 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, Free
Nefertiti: New Works by John Squire
Collaboration between Irish poet Paul Muldoon and Scottish photographer Norman McBeath. The result is 28 perspectives of ten poems.
11:00AM, 27 Jul—19 Aug, not 1st, 2nd, 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, Free
Ex-guitarist with The Stone Roses exhibits a new collection of paintings.
Sierra Metro
The Land and The Sea 10:00AM, 29 Jul—14 Aug, not 1st, 8th, Free
A collection of work by Leith based artist, photographer and filmmaker Alastair Cook.
Life Drawing Drop-in class 02:00PM, Sun 1st, Sun 8th, Sun 22nd, £7-£10
Taught by Edinburgh-based artist Leigh Chorlton.
Gemma Holt, Richard Healy 12:00PM, Multiple dates, Free
Patriothall
St Margaret’s House Perennial Art: A Drawback 12:00PM, Multiple dates, Free
Drawing exhibition by Perennial Art. In Art’s Complex 2.
10:00AM, 07 Aug—28 Aug, Free
11:00AM, 20 Aug—28 Aug, not 22nd, 23rd, Free
Scottish Gallery Victoria Crowe: New Works
10:00AM, 06 Aug—28 Aug, not 8th, 15th, 22nd, Free
Edinburgh-based artist producing mixed media paintings, screen prints and digital art. In Art’s Complex 3.
12:00PM, 10 Aug—28 Aug, not 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, Free
Macpherson’s Cave: Shadow and Enlightenment Robert Powell explores the mythologising of history via a series of sculptures and etchings.
Two-hander exhibit of site-specific film installation, sculpture and drawing.
Ian Reddie: Dirt, Glue, Gluedust
Decay
Taking Palestine as its starting point, The Spacemakers offers a global measure of the immediate challenges of producing habitats in epicentres of social, economical or political tension.
Venice, the artist’s own garden and the landscape of the Scottish Borders form the main inspirations for this show of new work.
Total Kunst
Four artists explore the idea of destruction and decay.
Braw Presents: Floored
TKX
Park/Platz
11:00AM, 07 Aug—28 Aug, Free
Collaborative project from ECA graduates. In Art’s Complex 1.
Triple bill that will rotate over the course of the exhibit, from Katalin Hausel, to Szainer, and finally Mik Godley.
12:00PM, 10 Aug—28 Aug, not 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, Free
In 2005, Mels Dees created a realistic copy of a carpark in the middle of a park, made of perishable elements. This exhibit charts the decay.
Stills
Union Gallery
The Pursuit of Fidelity: A Retrospective
7 Artists: Edinburgh Soul 10:30AM, 05 Aug—28 Aug, Free
11:00AM, 30 Jul—28 Aug, Free
A journey through the last 20 years of the artists’ practice; moving across and between the mediums. Curated by Lisa Le Feuvre.
Queen’s Gallery Dutch Landscapes 09:30AM, 27 Jul—28 Aug, £5.50 (£3-£5)
Bringing together 42 works from the ‘golden age’ of Dutch painting.
An exhibition celebrating the achievements of the painter Craigie Aitchison.
11:00AM, 30 Jul—15 Aug, Free
Off-site project produced by Collective. Staged is a multi-channel video installation combining live video with prerecorded footage. As part of Edinburgh Art Festival.
www.festmag.co.uk
10:00AM, 30 Jul—28 Aug, Free
Julie Robert’s contrasts exquisitely painted surfaces and colour schemes against unflinching subject matter.
RBY RHYS DA HES RIC ADAM KID UNICORNKELLY DENNIS INNER SK WS FRANK OF REVIE & LOTS
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VIN KEID GES BR
WINNING WHO’S WEGIAN THE GLAS
ATE ULTIM THE
IN
AUGUST 12—15 GUIDE
WOULD YOU VOTE FOR THESE JOKERS?
THE
2009
favourite
festival magazine
PARTY TIME
21ST CENT URGH URY OVER EDINB THE ULTIMATE INDEPENDENT FESTIVAL GUIDE THE25-30 AUGUST 2009
IVAL INGE PENDENT FEST E FR E INDE MAT TH ULTI THETO 2009 RNS GUST RETU 7 AU RDIST 14—1 ABSU IDE TCH L GU E DU STIVA SIV T FE DIVI NDEN THE PE DE
Offsite exhibit relating to three pop-up projects for Granton waterfront. A series of interactive installations form the exhibits within The Lighthouse gallery nearby.
edinburgh’s
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gallerA1 @ The Lighthouse
Granton Live
11:00AM, 20 Aug—28 Aug, not 23rd, Free
Child: Julie Roberts
FR EE
FR EE
Usher Hall Laura Green: Colony
Curvaceous sculptural installation. In the Usher Hall Foyer/Cafe Bar.
A Celebration: Craigie Aitchison 10:00AM, 30 Jul—28 Aug, Free
Kim Coleman and Jenny Hogarth: Staged
Collaborative project uniting some of Edinburgh’s finest contemporary talents.
10:00AM, 29 Jul—28 Aug, not 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, Free
Talbot Rice
Royal Observatory
10:00AM, 27 Jul—28 Aug, Free
BEATNIK ULTIMAT WITH A E INDE TALE TO PENDENT TELL FESTIVAL GUIDE 18—20 AUGUST TH 2009 THE A STE SURP ULTIM ARK RISE ATE PORT HIT INDE RAYAOF TH PEND L OF E FR ENT MODEINGE FEST IVA RN : L GU DECL IDE INE 21-24 AUGU ST 20 09
is back for 2010
10:00AM, 31 Jul—28 Aug, £10 (£7)
Major international exhibition of around 90 impressionist works, including loans from collections around the world.
Open Studios
Various times, 06 Aug—28 Aug, Free
10:00AM, 27 Jul—28 Aug, £7 (£5)
The most exhaustive selection of paintings by Christen Købke (1810– 1848), one of the foremost talents of Denmark’s Golden Age, ever to be shown outside Denmark.
Tent Gallery
12:00PM, 05 Aug—28 Aug, not 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th, 25th, £10.50 (£7.50)
Nat. Gal. Complex Christen Købke: Danish Master of Light
RSA Philip Braham: Falling Shadows In Arcadia
A critical exchange between the narrative apparatuses of architecture and the museum.
Prints Of Darkness
10:00AM, Multiple dates, Free
Newhailes Subjects for Melancholy Retrospection
EE FR
Collective
10:00AM, 27 Jul—28 Aug, £7 (£5)
Magazine 10
EE FR
Unique opportunity to explore creative working spaces.
Another World
Sculpture Workshop
EE FR
Various times, 06 Aug—08 Aug, not 8th, Free
Dean Gallery
National Gal MOD. 10:00AM, 31 Jul—28 Aug, Free
Third wave of displays celebrating the 50th anniversary of the gallery. The fourteen new displays feature masterpieces from the Gallery’s world-famous collection, as well as new works and commissions.
find us in venues
edinburgh,s favourite festival magazine is back for 2010 amnesty international media partners 2010
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or read online at
festmag.co.uk August 2010
winner and runner-up best features at 2009 Allen Wright Awards for Excellence in Fringe Journalism
THE SKINNY 77
The Skinny Top Our recommendations of the best events at the Edinburgh Festivals
Comedy listings Top Ten
Edinburgh Art Festival Top Ten
Books Events Top Ten
Mark Watson - Do I Know You? Assembly@Assembly Hall 5-30 Aug (not 16,23) at 10.30pm £15.50 - £18.50 Get to know him. He’s funny. Richard Herring - Christ on a Bike: The Second Coming Assembly @ George Street 5-30 Aug at 9.45pm £8 -£11 Jesus, Fonzie, Herring... Examing obsession. The Boy with Tape on his Face Gilded Balloon Teviot 5-29 Aug at 10.30pm £8 - £10 Silent comedy. This is Not a Subject for Comedy Laughing Horse@City Café 6-29 Aug (not Tues) at 6.15pm Free Political comedy. But funny. Damion Larkin: Cuddly Loser Just The Tonic at the Caves 5-29 Aug (not 16) at 1.20pm £5 More cuddly than loser. Susan Calman Chats Up… Just The Tonic at the Caves 5-29 Aug (not Mon and Tues) 12.55pm £6 - £9 She can chat me up anytime. Paul Sinha: Extreme Anti-White Vitriol The Stand III & IV 4-29 Aug (not 16) at 10.40pm £9 (£8) Paul Sinha denies racism. The Penny Dreadfuls Pleasance Courtyard 4-30 Aug (not 17) at 6pm £5 - £14 Top-notch sketch comedy. Robin Ince Asks - Why? The Canon’s Gait 7-18 Aug at 7.15pm Free One for the existentialists. Susan Morrison’s ‘F’ is for… The Stand II 2-29 Aug (not 3,5,16) at 1.45pm £7 - £8 Finding out folks’ favourite F word. [Lizzie Cass-Maran]
Martin Creed, Down Over Up Fruitmarket Gallery, 30 Jul - 31 Oct, Free 2001 Turner Prize winner shows new and old work mainly about stacking everyday objects and piano stairs. Richard Wright Dean Gallery Scottish based Turner Prize winner has made a mesmerising, site-specific wall painting that is sure to charm. An Unco Site! Confraternity of Neoflagellants Performance begins 11pm, 7 Aug from Scott Monument See the undead walk the streets of Auld Reekie. Magazine 10 Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, 1 Aug - 5 Sep, Free Three emerging artists, Paul Rooney, Kate Orton and Kate V Robertson, have solo shows throughout August. Shapes and Things Sierra Metro, 1 Aug - 12 Sep, Free London based artists Gemma Holt and Richard Healy show new work that reflects on modern design. David Sherry: Ill Fated Fete Various sites Kookie and amusing performance artist makes work about our Health and Safety culture. Kim Coleman and Jenny Hogarth: Staged City Observatory, 30 Jul - 15 Aug, Free Young duo show a new video installation using CCTV footage. Another World Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, 10 Jul - 8 Jan, £7 (£5) A survey show of Surrealist Art including Magritte and Dali. Joan Mitchell Inverleith House, 2 Aug - 4 Sep, Free Solo exhibition by American Abstract Expressionist, including works on paper. Julie Roberts: Child Talbot Rice, 30 Jul - 25 Sep, Free Scottish based painter makes nostalgically eerie images of domestic scenes. [Andrew Cattanach]
Unbound, generally Highland Park Spiegeltent from 9pm most nights, Free We’re putting this in as one event to avoid upstaging others, but also because it should all be good. Alan Bissett and Lars Husum Peppers Theatre, Wed 18 Aug, 8.30pm, £10 (£8) The first Skinny event. Join (the awfy well kent) Alan Bissett, author of Boyracers, The Incredible Adam Spark and Death of a Ladies Man, accompanied by (less well known, but intriguing) Lars Husum, author of the provocative My Friend Jesus Christ. Jah Wobble Scottish Power Studio Theatre, Thurs 26 Aug, 8.30pm, £10 (£8) The second Skinny Event. Join John Wardle, better known as Jah Wobble, to hear about the copious ups and downs of the music industry from a man who’s experienced many of the highs and lows. Alasdair Gray RBS Main Theatre, Wed 18 Aug, 3pm £10 (£8) Fun with Mr Gray, as the novelist reads/performs extracts from his modern updating of the Faust myth, Fleck. Seamus Heaney RBS Main Theatre, Tue 24 Aug, 6,30pm, £10 (£8) The great poet gives readings from his new collection, Human Chain. Iain Banks RBS Main Theatre, Mon 16 Aug, 8pm, £10 (£8) Something of a retrospective, as it’s Banks’ 25th year as a published author – of 24 books! David Mitchell RBS Main Theatre, Sun 22 Aug, 11.30am, £10 (£8) The cult (and it’s a large cult) author of Cloud Atlas and Black Swan Green amongst others speaks about his new work, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. Anne Donovan, Kirstin Innes and Alan Radcliffe Scottish Power Studio Theatre, Tue 24 Aug 8.30pm, £10 (£8) Writers read their specially commissioned stories about ‘elsewhere’. The draw though, is the talent involved. Hilary Mantel RBS Main Theatre, Mon 23 Aug, 11.30am, £10 (£8) Chat with the writer of Wolf Hall, now officially the bestselling Booker Prize winner ever. Chris Killen and John Wray Writer’s Retreat, Thurs 19 Aug, 4.30pm, £7 (£5) A good chance to catch two extremely talented writers in an intimate setting before they become a lot bigger. [Keir Hind]
78 THE SKINNY August 2010
Theatre & Performance Top Ten
The Call of Cthulhu Remarkable Arts, Hill Street Previews 5-6 Aug @ 1.30pm, £5 7-22 August, 1:30pm, £9(£7) August 23, 25-30 @ 7.30pm; £9(£7) One man and the Great Beast that lies dreaming of reclaiming its planet. A fine fear fest. A Slacker’s Guide To Western Theatre Bedlam Theatre 9-28 Aug (except Sundays) 11:30am, £7(£6) Like the fringe guide, the school of Slackers is an essential tool to navigate through the madness and confusion that is the Fringe! Hot Mess Below Stairs @ Hawke and Hunter 6-30 August, 6pm, £9 (£7.50) We might be connected, but why are we still lonely? Operation Greenfield Zoo Roxy 6-18 August, 8:30pm, £7 Faith and friendship under the Fringe First winners’ spotlight. Scottish Dance Theatre Zoo Southside, Venue no. 82 NQR/Drift: 8-22 Aug, 7pm The Life and Times of Girl A: 7-21 Aug, 7pm £12 or buy tickets for both shows for £18 From Dundee to your heart: contemporary dance for now. Sex Idiot Zoo Rox 6-30 Aug, 8:20pm, £7 Get sexy, and find out about STIs in a cabaret of confession Kitty Cointreau’s Brahaha Zoo Roxy 7-29 Aug, 10:30pm, £9 Rolling line up of burlesque and comedy Anatomy of Fantasy Assembly@George Street 5-29 August, 5.30pm, £5 The unconscious revealed through dance, by Fringe First winners Do Theatre. My Name is Margaret Morris Dance Base 11-22 Aug, various times, £5 One of Scotland’s mistresses of dance is rediscovered. Forest Fringe The Forest Cafe 9-24 August, all day Free Various festivals within festivals, with Ideas, Thoughts and New Works aplenty. Fish and Game will be there, along with bohemians and the staff who make a lovely cup of tea. Operation Greenfield, Zoo Roxy 6-18 Aug, 8:30pm £7.00 Faith and friendship under the Fringe First winners’ spotlight. [Gareth K Vile]
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USB audio and MIDI interface so you can get the ideas 25 key semi-weighted keyboard, there’s more than enough control here to keep you satisfied. that are inIO2 yourAV30 head out of your computer and blaring M Audio Studiophile Monitors: monitor loudspeaker that offers Alesis audio interface: A high quality 2 inA2compact out USB audio and MIDI interface so you can full, rich through your speakers! get the ideas that arehigh in your headso, outyou’ll of yourbe computer your speakers!in studio quality bass and detailed tones able to and hearblaring your through latest composition M Audio AV30 Studiophile Monitors: A compact monitor loudspeaker that offers full, rich sound. bass and high tones so,key you’ll able tokeyboard. hear your latest composition in studio Mdetailed Audio Oxygen 25: A 25 MIDIbe controller With loads of knobs and faders plus quality its VISIT WWW.THESKINNY.CO.UK/COMPETITIONS FOR TERMS CONDITIONS. DATE: SUNDAY 29 AUG sound.AND 25 key semi-weighted CLOSING keyboard, there’s more than enough control here to keep you satisfied. RUBADUB is an independent music store and distributor based in Glasgow, owned and run by music enthusiasts. Specialising in all things underground and electronic, RUBADUB been M Audio Studiophile Monitors: compact monitorbased loudspeaker that offers full, richand have RUBADUB is anAV30 independent music storeAand distributor in Glasgow, owned run by supplying musichigh equipment, CDs musicians music lovers alike for the last eighteen bass and detailed tones so, vinyl you’ll and be able to to hear your latestand composition in studio quality music enthusiasts. Specialising in all things underground and electronic, RUBADUB have been years. sound. Whether you’re after the latest slab of vinyl or a full studio setup, the friendly and knowledgeable supplying music equipment, vinyl to musicians and music lovers alike for the last eighteen staff at RUBADUB will be and able CDs to help. years. Whether you’re the latest slabstore of vinyl or a full studio the friendly andrun knowledgeable RUBADUB is anafter independent music and distributor basedsetup, in Glasgow, owned and by music enthusiasts. Specialising in all things underground and electronic, RUBADUB have been staff at RUBADUB willcompetitions@theskinny.co.uk be able to help. To enter, email and tell us why you should win. Keep it snappy.
WIN A PAIR OF EXCLUSIVE ZOO VENUE PASSES FOR THE FRINGE! To enter,And email competitions@theskinny.co.uk and tell us why you should win. Keep it snappy. please don’t sell it on eBay. We have spies.
SKINNY ON TOUR
supplying music equipment, vinyl and CDs to musicians and music lovers alike for the last eighteen years. Whether you’re after the latest slab of vinyl or a full studio setup, the friendly and knowledgeable staff at RUBADUB will be able to help.
And please don’t sellcompetitions@theskinny.co.uk it on eBay. We have spies. and tell us why you should win. Keep it snappy. To enter, email Another month, another Skinny staffer being forced to spread the Skinny love around the world Andour please sell it on eBay. We spies. by taking the magazine on tour. This time, we’ve sent newdon’t designer Lewis out onhave a ‘jolly’ . Just as well, because it’s the last bit of daylight he’s likely to see for a very long time. Sorry Lewis. Method of entry is slightly different this time. To enter, not only will you have to guess the city in which Lewis is enjoying his last taste of vitamin D, but you’ll also have to cart yourself somewhere foreign with a copy of The Skinny sometime before Friday 13 August, take some pictures of yourself with our beloved rag in situ, and then send your pics to competitions@theskinny.co.uk. All entrants will be automatically entered into all competitions between now and the deadline date, and we’ll also give the best batch of snaps a lovely prize.
Zoo Venues is preparing for its biggest ever Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme this summer, with new venue Zoo Roxy creating a 96show bill across three theatres. This year’s programme blends the finest dance and physical theatre with new writing, classic drama, comedy, burlesque and music, with acts ranging from Scottish Dance Theatre to 65daysofstatic, the latter providing a live soundtrack for Jean Abreu Dance. Full details at www.zoofestival.co.uk. The Skinny and Zoo Venues have joined forces to offer one reader a pair of Zoo Highlights Passes: two free tickets to Zoo’s top six shows, personally chosen by programming director James Mackenzie, plus complimentary drinks at the bar afters.
CLOSING DATE: FRIDAY 13 AUG
CLOSING DATE: FRIDAY 7 AUG
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: VISIT WWW.THESKINNY.CO.UK/COMPETITIONS FOR DETAILS. AUTOMATIC ENTRY TO ALL COMPETITIONS IS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET BY EACH COMPETITION PROVIDER
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: VISIT WWW.THESKINNY.CO.UK/TERMS FOR DETAILS
Q: Zoo Venues was named after its founders’ teenage haunt. But was the original ‘Zoo’... a) a pub in Devon; b) a nightclub in Birmingham; or c) a cafe in Hull?
AUGUST 2010
THE SKINNY 79
BY ARRANGEMENT WITH LISA THOMAS MANAGEMENT
PRESENT
EDINBURGH FESTIVAL: 04 - 30 AUG @ 7.30PM UNDERBELLY’S
0131 226 0000
MCEWAN HALL
www.edfringe.com
0844 545 8252 www.underbelly.co.uk
‘One of the most SPARKLING WITS in the world.’ MONTREAL GAZETTE
‘Subtle, intelligent, perceptive, observant and VERY, VERY FUNNY.’ THE SCOTSMAN
www.dannybhoy.com
0844 277 0700 www.ticketmaster.co.uk
04 SEPT 07 SEPT 08 SEPT 09 SEPT 10 SEPT 11 SEPT 12 SEPT 14 SEPT 15 SEPT 16 SEPT 18 SEPT 19 SEPT
NORWICH Playhouse MAIDENHEAD Norden Farm BRIGHTON Komedia DARLINGTON Arts Centre DUNFERMLINE Alhambra GLASGOW Oran Mor SALFORD QUAYS Lowry SWINDON Arts Centre INVERNESS Eden Court KILMARNOCK Palace ABERDEEN Lemon Tree DUNDEE Dundee Rep
01603 598 598 01628 788 997 0845 293 8480 01325 486 555 01383 740 384 0141 357 6200 0843 2086 000 01793 614 837 01463 234 234 01563 554 900 01224 641 122 01382 223 530
LONDON: 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 SEPT 0844 847 2475 28 SEPT 01 OCT 05 OCT 07 OCT 09 OCT
STIRLING MacRobert Arts KIRKCALDY Adam Smith FAREHAM Ashcroft Arts BASINGSTOKE The Forge KENDAL Brewery Arts Centre
0870 264 3333 www.seetickets.com
01786 466 666 01592 583 302 01329 223 100 01256 844 244 01539 725 133
0844 875 875 8 www.ticketzone.co.uk