The Skinny January 2008 by The Skinny

THE SKINNY ISSUE 28 :: JAN 2008 :: FREE

punks, damsels and doppelgÃ¤ngers

The Skinny Fashion Special

plus sons and daughters the coen brothers henry rollins marshall jefferson 2008 predictions MUSIC I ART I THEATRE I FILM I DVD I GAMES I COMEDY I CULTURE I LISTINGS

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EATING AND DRINKING A User’s Guide:

Edinburgh Farmers’ Market MARKETS HAVE SEEN A POPULAR RETURN IN RECENT YEARS, BUT FOR THE UNINITIATED THEY STILL OFFER SOMETHING OF A CHALLENGE. HAMZA KHAN OFFERS HIS ADVICE ON FINDING THE BEST OF EDINBURGH FARMERS' MARKET If you're tired of the harsh ﬂuorescents and vapid feel of your local super-hyper-mega-mart, venture out to Edinburgh's Farmers' Market for a selection of fresh food and beverages direct from the producers. You'll have to wash off gnarly carrots and stare into the pleading eyes of still moving crustaceans, but rest assured you'll buy the highest quality and help the local economy too.

FOR THE INTREPID TRAVELLER OR THE RESIDENT FOODIE, FARMERS MARKETS PROVIDE A FRIENDLY LOCAL PIT STOP Wherever you are in Scotland, a local farmers' market is not far off. The Scottish Association of Farmers Markets organises over forty events across Scotland, from Kelso in the south to Tarbert on the Western Isles. Though less frequent, these markets provide a unique opportunity to sample local cuisine, culture and characters. If you’re ever in Cairngorm for a hike across the mountains, visit their market to meet local producers like Balliefurth Farm, a pioneer of ethical, sustainable farming. Other stalls like the Crisp Hut and Woodland Farms (with their delicious, famous Early Epicure Potato) travel to markets across Scotland, but it’s best to check the schedules of visiting stalls on the ofﬁcial SAFM website. For the intrepid traveller or the resident foodie alike, farmers markets provide a friendly, local pit stop.

Taking place between 9am and 2pm every Saturday, you'll want to get up obscenely early to avoid the crowds and ensure you have your pick of the produce. First stop by Stoat’s Porridge Bar to wake you up with a wholesome bowl'o'oats and a variety of toppings, though we recommend you skip the white chocolate or raspberries and head straight for the whisky: you've got a hard morning ahead of you. Now fortiﬁed, head to Ardna Mushrooms for organic shiitake mushrooms available fresh or lightly smoked. A big bushel costs £2 and should last a week at least. Dried, long life 'shrooms are also available for every student who buys fresh vegetables and ignores them for a few months. If the sight of farmers toiling has inspired you, Ardna offer "Grow Your Own Mushroom Kits" consisting of a fertile rock which, with tender love and affection, will provide numerous waves of mushrooms. Packaged and designed well, they'd make a ﬁ ne present for the person-who-has-everythingexcept-a-big-rock-that-grows-mushrooms. A few stalls down from Ardna and your next stop is German bakery extraordinaire Falko

THE EDINBURGH FARMERS MARKET © EDINBURGH CITY CENTRE MANAGEMENT COMPANY

Konditormeister. Despite the store being a short walk away, everyone should appreciate the FK stall for providing easy access to heavenly bread and pretzels. Instead of focusing on made-to-order cakes as their store does, the stall offers a selection of loaves and small deserts. If you've spent the entire week lusting after a speciﬁc baked good (oh Walnut Bread, how I long to hold you in my arms) it's best to arrive early - there's usually a queue and everything sells out fast.

With all that wandering under your belt, you're probably feeling peckish. Ignore the giant Reiver Country Farm Foods van, inside which a team of white coated chefs carve a whole hog for the line of hungry customers. While it's impressive watching the carcass reduce to bones and gristle, the meat itself is dry and the apple sauce has never been introduced to its namesake. Instead saunter over to The Crisp Hut, where slivers of potato are hand fried before you in ﬂavours like

REVIEWS BRUACH BAR AND RESTAURANT

LITTLE ITALY

BRUACH COULD EASILY COMPETE WITH ANY FASHIONABLE BAR AND RESTAURANT IN THE CAPITAL – WELL WORTH A VISIT

A HAVEN FOR PEOPLE WATCHERS AND CAFFEINE ADDICTS ALIKE

Winter is all about indulging in tasty, warming comfort food and Bruach Bar and Restaurant in Broughty Ferry near Dundee has certainly come up with a prime selection to tantalise the tastebuds and warm the cockles on a snowy day.

Coffee Bar and Pizzeria aren’t words that necessarily spring to mind when describing food and drink in Glasgow, but Little Italy on Byres Road aims to change that. With an authentic selection of pizzas (choose your own toppings, also available by the slice), pasta and focaccia, students and office workers frequent this friendly café. I opted for the creamy fresh carbonara and my dining buddy opted for pizza (salami, peppers and onions) washed down with cappuccino and espresso respectively. On this occasion we were too full for desert but the selection of cakes looked delicious and a mental note was made for a return visit. The window seats give an excellent vista of passers by on Byres Road and are a haven for people watchers and posers alike. Little Italy is open until 1am on a Friday and Saturday night, and espresso drinkers often constitute a glamorous late night crowd here. Owner of 13 years, Remo Crolla states “I never liked coffee until I tried my own…”, which, if a little hard to believe, serves as further incentive to pay a visit: their coffee really is excellent. Given the proliferation of Italian eateries in Glasgow, Little Italy remains an authentic favourite with a friendly atmosphere, and it all comes at affordable prices. [Julie Paterson]

Executive chef Justin Cook has created a delectable, well-priced menu using fresh, locally available produce and featuring a good selection of winter warmer favourites with a contemporary twist. My haggis, neeps and tatties starter was made with haggis cooked to a secret recipe by a local butcher and, instead of the usual mashed turnip, chunks of sweet-tasting baby white turnips topped off some deliciously creamy mashed potato and slivers of kale to give a distinct edge to this traditional Scottish dish. For mains, the fillet of cod was marinated in red wine, giving an unusual yet warming edge to this fish dish. Served with crisp fresh vegetables and more soothing mashed potato, this was one of the best fish dishes I’d tasted in a long time. The first two courses were more than filling, but as everyone knows, there’s always room for dessert and I simply couldn’t resist the melt-in-your-mouth chocolate fondue with Baileys.

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

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Further indulgence comes in the shape of their extended cocktail list – the Ginger Mojito or the Raspberry Moscow Mule come heartily recommended. With exquisite surroundings, helpful and knowledgeable staff and an unpretentious yet delicious menu of simple, local foods, Bruach could easily compete with any fashionable bar and restaurant in the capital – well worth a visit. [Susan Anderson] BRUACH BAR AND RESTAURANT, 326 BROOK STREET, BROUGHTY FERRY 01382 739878 THREE COURSE MEAL FOR TWO WITH WINE APPROX £60

LITTLE ITALY, 205 BYRES ROAD, GLASGOW WWW.LITTLEITALYGLASGOW.COM

Italian Cheese, Caraway Seed and Tarragon Herb, with lots of daily specials. The Crisp Hut also pioneers eco-awareness by calculating its food miles: a mere 22. While crunching away, you might walk by Belhaven Fruit Farm’s selection of hand crafted iced desserts and hear someone say "You have to taste this ice cream, it's gorgeous." And since it's fat free, gluten free and dairy free too, you'll look pretty good on it yourself.

STEPHANIE STEWART

EATING AND DRINKING

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THE SKINNY

EDITORIAL ‘Networking’ is a piece of piss. The trick is just to think of work as play, so the soulless task of self-promotion simply becomes a question of meeting people and talking about fun stuff you could do together. And so The Skinny Fashion Special was born! Want to hang around with models, mess about getting up to no good in graveyards, borrowing clothes from the coolest shops while generally pretending to be more glamorous than you are? Who doesn’t? And what a lot of fun we’ve had – turn to page 6 onwards to fi nd out more. December was a pretty big month for us, as we made a bold step out of magazineland with our fi rst ever conference: ON:07. It was a fascinating occasion, and again a lot of fun, with in-depth discussion on the current state of the music industry – particularly the record industry – and how we can make sure artists get paid in an age of downloads and hard-drive swapping. If economics doesn’t sound like traditional fun, I’d put it to you that getting practical solutions to the pressing big-questions of the day is about the most satisfying fun you can have, and the audience seemed to agree. Plus we had a great wee party at the GRV afterwards. Turn to page 41 for a full debrief of the day and the issues raised. Interviewing folks hardly counts as networking, but certainly one of the best things about working on this ol’ mag is the chance to interview folks who really know what they’re talking about (and that’s fun too). So, this issue we have Marshall Jefferson, founding father of house, talking through his djing and production experiences; Sons and Daughters tell us about how to tear it up in blues-pop glory-style; and the Coen brothers give an insight into keeping mainstream fi lm audiences guessing with a series of leftfield wildcards. With much more besides, there shoudl be plenty of reading for you all. Recently I’ve been enjoying reading the blog by Seth Godin, an American business guru who specialises in informed, aspirational 21st century thinking (http://sethgodin.typepad. com). The other day, though, I was thrown when he made this off-the-cuff assertion: ‘And of course, the best nightclubs have the biggest velvet ropes and the pickiest doormen.’ My email to him, swiftly dashed off, ran thus:

CAN YOU TURN A FOOT IN THE DOOR INTO THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME? ‘I would say that the opposite is almost always true, and cite as my case all those fresh ideas and exciting lifestyles that have exploded from the artists and others populating the underground. In the UK at least, many of the best clubs are those that would welcome anyone, but lots of people don’t know about them, or would choose not to go there because - my hunch - it would challenge their assumptions too much. Lots of people in one room all ‘trying to be great’ [‘try to be great’ was one of Godin’s recent pitches to his readers] at once can be quite a shock if you’re used to posing with a cocktail caring what people think (the behaviour I tend to fi nd behind the velvet rope).’ His reply, with the succinctness of someone who has more pressing concerns to deal with, was simply ‘by ‘best’ I meant ‘most expensive’. A fair point, in the context of his article about how exclusivity can generate value, but I think even business gurus need to be careful associating ‘best’ with ‘most expensive’ so casually. I stand by my points, because while Vegas! (tough door policy, big bucks) might have been a treat for Hogmanay, it’s heading out into edgier waters that I’m looking forward to in 2008. That, and continuing to bust it for The Skinny. I’m lucky, really. Because as soon as I realised that I wanted to recommend Godin’s blog to you all, and that I quite wanted to include my salutation to the underground, I realised I had written the second half of my editorial (a task that was hanging over me during Christmas). Given that I was emailing Godin anyway, I was in the happy situation of fi nding that my day-to-day life could be used as work. Combine that with a view that lets you understand work as a bit of fun, and you’ve really nothing to complain about. It’s not my intention to sound smug though; I just hope you all fi nd something you love to strive for in the new year. Happy toiling. rupert@skinnymag.co.uk

THE SKINNY Friday 11th April Glasgow Oran Mor 0844 847 2269 Saturday 12th April Glasgow Oran Mor 0844 847 2269 Sunday 13th April Stirling The Tollbooth 01786 274 000 Tuesday 15th April Dunfermline Carnegie Hall 01383 602 302 Thursday 17th April Inverness Eden CT 01463 234 234 Hotline (24h): 0844 847 2269 Online: www.ticketweb.co.uk

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THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

THEN WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU… The Skinny, Scotland’s cutting edge culture magazine, is expanding in 2008. This year we will start distributing Scotland-wide, launch a new website, throw massive parties, host live art events and more. To help us make the most of this growth, we are currently looking for a Sales Executive to work across all our platforms of activity. You will need to be enthusiastic, bright, committed, well organised and well informed. In return you can expect all the benefits of joining an exciting media venture in the early stages of its development, including target-driven pay and great personal opportunities, as well as the chance to work as part of a fun team as we go from strength to strength.

WELCOME

The Glasgow Film Festival is the UK's fastest growing festival and a celebration of ﬁlm in all its forms. Running from 14 – 24 February, the GFF recognises Glasgow as a hub of European ﬁlmmaking and Glasgow audiences as among the most passionate cinema goers in the UK.

All you have to do is answer this simple question:

Which Hollywood Legend will they pay homage to at Glasgow Film Festival 08? a) Bette Davis b) John Wayne c) Lyndsay Lohan Send your answers to competitions@skinnymag.co.uk by Feb 1 2008 for your chance to win!

WIN THREE PROFESSIONAL SAMPLE LIBRARIES COURTESY OF LOOPMASTERS

For any aspiring bedroom DJ /Producer, Loopmasters shouldn’t need an introduction. The Brighton outﬁt launched in 2003 with the singular aim of providing professional sample libraries to those in need of inspiration. The latest instalments of their popular Artists Series sees them team up with drum n bass turn breaks legends Aquasky, ‘godfather of House’ Marshall Jefferson and Global Underground’s own progressive house and electronica producers Andrew Archer & John Elliott.

If you would like to know more, visit www.skinnymag.co.uk and click ‘get involved’ (the button is in the top left of the homepage). Make 2008 your decisive year…

‘one of the best listings mags in Britain … the skinny straight from the hipster’s mouth’ Guardian Online

COVER CREDIT: Devon Walshe / Alexa Ionescu FASHION SPECIAL LOGO: www.bloodyhoney.co.uk

AT THE GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL

THE SKINNY has this year teamed up with the Glasgow Film Theatre to offer one lucky reader the chance to win one limited special edition pass to see 10 ﬁlms for free.

ABC: 22,502. 1/4/07 - 30/06/07

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SEE TEN FILMS FOR FREE

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THE SKINNY has teamed up with Loopmasters this month to offer two lucky individuals the chance to win all 3 of these amazing new releases. To be in with a shout, all you have to do is answer the following question:

How much money did Marshall Jefferson get talked into spending on equipment when he visited a music store in 1985? Send your answers to competitions@skinnymag.co.uk by Feb 1 2008 for your chance to win!

JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

LISTINGS

WELCOME

LEVY, PERI, BARFLY, New York indie-pop,

KID CHAMPION, NAKED AMBITION, SOCIAL SCHISM, ODESSA, MECHANICAL SMILE, ROCKERS,

20:00, £ 6.00

BEECAKE, THE ROUTES, ALAN CASSIDY, KING TUT’S, American alt-rock

Rock/metal, 19:00, £ 5.00

drudgery from Glasgow!, 20:30, £ 5.00

FRI 04 JAN DIRTY KUDOS, THE DRAYMIN,

BARFLY, Loose-limbed indie-funk, 20:00, £ 5.00

TWIN ATLANTIC, BAILLIE AND THE FAULT, THEATRE FALL, KING

TUT’S, Indie-rock, 20:30, £ 5.00

SAT 05 JAN JAMIE BARNES & COCHISE, THE BIG LICKS, THE FAKES, ROCKERS, Rock/metal, 19:00, £ 5.00

NINE CIRCLES, VAL VERDE, COBA FLYNN, BARFLY, Indie-rock, 20:00,

£ 5.00

LOGAN, SOZE, HEALTHY MINDS COLLAPSE, KING TUT’S, Not very melodic,

not hard, Scottish American-rock band., 20:30, £ 5.00

SUN 06 JAN THE HARRINGTONS, ROCKERS,

Rock/Metal, 19:00, £ 5.00

WED 09 JAN PEG & THE BOUFFANTS, REBEL HEARTS, ROCKERS, Rock/Metal, 19:00, £ 5.00

THU 10 JAN TERRA DIABLO, THE SERVANT, VERTIGO 101, BARFLY, Alt-rock, 20:00,

£ 5.00

SLEAZY CUM EASY, SONS OF THE MORNING STAR, BARFLY, Indierock, 20:00, £ 5.00

FIREBRAND BOY, AND, CUTE IN NEON PINK, RADIO WAVE GOODBYE, CEREBRAL SCARS, ROCKERS, Rock/Metal, 19:00, £ 5.00

FRI 11 JAN

FLOOK AND FRIENDS, DAMIEN DEMPSEY, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ABC1, Anglo-Irish four-piece, 18:30,

singer, now solo, 19:30, £ 12.50

£ 15.00

TUE 22 JAN

SUN 27 JAN

STEVE FORBERT & THE SOUNDBENDERS WITH JIM LAUDERDALE, CELTIC CONNECTIONS,

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY, BAR-

rock, 21:00, £TBC

ENDOR, Q WITHOUT U, NOON, IS THIS MUSIC?, THE 13TH NOTE, IndieSTEVE EARLE, ALLISON MOORER, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ROYAL CONCERT HALL, Country/folk

singer-songwriter, 19:30, £ 20.00 KORN, CARLING ACADEMY, Nu-metal kings, 19:00, Sold Out

FRI 18 JAN

RICOSHAY, THE INSIDE STORY, THE LITTLE EXTRAS, FIRST REPUBLIC, BARFLY, Indie-rock, 20:00, £ 5.00 ANDREW BACON, ABC2, Singer-

songwriter, 19:00, £ 6.00

SAT 12 JAN JAMIE BARNES & COCHISE, DEMONS EYE, THE FAKES, ROCKERS,

Rock/Metal, 19:00, £ 5.00

PHIL CAMPBELL, THE FORTUNATE SONS, THE DOLEDRUMS,

KING TUT’S, Singer-songwriter, 20:30, £ 5.00 THE BLOSSOM, ABC2, Indie-rock, 19:00, £ 6.00

SUN 13 JAN MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER, A DAY TO REMEMBER, OUTCRY COLLECTIVE, BARFLY, Southern rock/metal, 20:00, £ 9.00

RANDOM HAND, THE SKANX,

BARFLY, ska-punk-rap-metal mashup, 20:00, £ 6.00

ALL SYSTEMS GO, MIDAIR 91, SCARLET, ROCKERS, Rock/Metal, 19:00,

£ 5.00

MON 14 JAN SHOTGUN LIBIDO, BURNING EARTH, BARFLY, Young guns playing mid-

80s hair-metal, 20:00, £TBC

TUE 15 JAN NEVER ENOUGH, MECHANICAL SMILE, ROCKERS, Rock/Metal, 19:00, £ 5.00 SHATTERED REALM, BE MY HANDS, BARFLY, hardcore, 20:00, £ 8.00 THU 17 JAN RED SHIFT, ROCKERS, Rock/metal, 19:00,

£ 5.00

THINK:FIRE, ACUSIS, KING TUT’S,

Indie-rock, 20:30, £ 5.00

£ 5.00

THE PARLOTONES, ROSA PARKS, THE MOTION THEORY, BARFLY, Indie-rock, 20:00, £ 5.00

BELLOWHEAD, LISA KNAPP, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ABC1, Big-

WED 23 JAN

CLASSIC GRAND, Highlands band, 19:30, £ 12.50

band folk, 18:30, £ 13.00

CHERISH THE LADIES, LAZY BOY CHAIR, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ROYAL CONCERT HALL, Irish-

American supergroup, 19:30, £ 20.00 ALTER BRIDGE, CARLING ACADEMY, Hard rock with a metal sheen, 19:00, Sold Out

LAUREN MACCOLL WITH MAEVE MACKINNON, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ST. ANDREW’S IN

THE SQUARE, Performing their classic albums “When Leaves Fall” and “Don’t Sing Lovesongs”, 20:00, £ 12.50

THE BURNSONG SONG HOUSE WITH RODDY WOOMBLE AND NORMAN BLAKE, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ORAN MOR, Traditional Scot-

tish songwriting by pop musicians, 19:30, £ 12.50

HARDCORE SUPERSTAR, WHITE ACE, BARFLY, big in Sweden, 20:00, £ 9.00 SAT 19 JAN KEVIN MCDERMOTT, COLIN HAY, CELTIC CONNECTIONS,

ABC1, Singer-songwriters, 18:30, £ 13.00 STONE GODS, KING TUT’S, Rock cliches 1:01, 20:30, £ 11.00

DARKEST HOUR, GLAMOUR OF THE KILL, BARFLY, Mad techie metal,

Swedish indie-rock, 20:00, £ 5.00

ANDUCTION OF MARGRET, MIRNO, ROCKERS, Rock/Metal, 19:00,

ROBOTS IN DISGUISE, KING TUT’S,

PARKA, KIZZY STAR, THE DRAYMIN, KING TUT’S, Indie discoLOVE SPURTS, THE KOROVAS, THOUSAND SOUNDS, BARFLY,

ABC1, Leftfield US roots music, 18:30, £ 13.00 JUBILEE, BARFLY, Indie-rock, 20:00, £ 6.00

DAIMH & ANXHO LORENZO, TNT, CELTIC CONNECTIONS,

ON THE LEVEL, MEXICO, ROCKERS,

dancers, 20:30, £TBC

EMMA POLLOCK, BRENDAN CAMPBELL, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, CLASSIC GRAND, ex-Delgados

Senegalese singer-guitarist, 19:30, £ 20.00

JAMIE BARNES & COCHISE, JUNKYARD DAWGS, THE FAKES,

Status Quo tribute, 19:00, £ 5.00

BAABA MAAL WITH THE JENNA CUMMING TRIO, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ROYAL CONCERT HALL,

ROCKERS, Rock/Metal, 19:00, £ 5.00

20:00, £ 9.00

OLD BLIND DOGS WITH THE ALAN KELLY QUARTET, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ORAN MOR, Scottish folk band, 19:30, £ 12.50

PAUL BURCH, DIANA JONES, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, CLASSIC

GRAND, Nashville singer-songwriter, 19:30, £ 12.50

THE BOXER REBELLION, HEADWAY, BARFLY, Diet The National, 20:00, £ 5.00 HUNDRED REASONS, QMU, Post-

hardcore, 19:00, £ 11.50

SUN 20 JAN JULIE FOWLIS WITH CHRIS WOOD, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ABC1, Gaelic singer, 18:30, £ 13.00

THE JB CONSPIRACY, UNIT 13, BARFLY, Ska-rock, 20:00, £ 6.00

THE PEARLFISHERS, FINNISTON, CELTIC CONNECTIONS,

CLASSIC GRAND, Scottish alternative veterans, 19:30, £ 12.50

SOLAS WITH ANTJE DUVEKOT, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, OLD FRUIT-

MARKET, American Irish-jazz, 20:00, £ 16.00

BURNOUT 27, SEPARATE REALITY, BARFLY, a shouting rabble, 20:00, £ 5.00 MON 21 JAN TEDDY THOMPSON, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ABC1, Folk singersongwriter, 18:30, £ 13.00

THE ALMIGHTY, GARAGE, Hilariously

bad Glaswegian hard-rock band wielding an American rebel shtick worse than Jon Bon Jovi, 19:00, £ 16.50 JOHNNY FOREIGNER, THE 13TH NOTE, Theatrical and punky, 20:00, £TBC THE BLUETONES, CLASSIC GRAND, Britpop perennials, 19:00, £ 13.50

THE CHASE, I MISTOOK YOU FOR A HERO, DISCOVIETNAM, REDUNDANT, 7 CAR PILE UP,

ROCKERS, Rock/Metal, 19:00, £ 5.00 MY RUIN, CATHOUSE, Bloody hell, 19:00, £ 11.50

Electro-girlies made stupid by sex and tequila, 20:30, £ 8.00

VIKING SKILL FEAT JESS MARGERA (CKY), YEAR LONG DISASTER, DEAD BEAT CARNIVAL, BARFLY, Raging Speedhorn side-project,

20:00, £ 7.50

BALKANOPOLIS & KRIES, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ABC1,

Balkan music, 18:30, £ 13.50

SIC, FOR YOUR SINS, ROCKERS,

Rock/Metal, 19:00, £ 5.00

BERT JANSCH, ESPERS, ELIZA CARTHY, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ROYAL CONCERT HALL, Legendary

ROWLANDS, Dramatic rock, as per the name, 19:00, £ 12.50

JOHNNY FLYNN AND THE SUSSEX WIT, NICE ‘N SLEAZY’S, Imaginative old-time singer-songwriter, 19:00, £ 6.50

LE VENT DU NORD WITH BEOGA, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, CLASSIC GRAND, Quebecan quartet, 19:30, £ 12.50

CAMERA OBSCURA, THE TWILIGHT SAD, SHUTTER, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ABC1, Great Scottish

indie, 18:30, £ 13.00 STARS, ORAN MOR, Canadian indie-pop, 19:30, £TBC PINK FUZZ, ROCKERS, Rock/Metal, 19:00, £ 5.00

DELTASOUND, 3 DAYS BORN, BRONTO SKYLIFT, REDWORD, BARFLY, Geordie indie-rockers, 20:00, £ 5.00

OPERAHOUSE, BLITZHONEY, KING TUT’S, Indie-rock, 20:30, £ 5.00

MON 28 JAN SEASICK STEVE, ABC1, Crazy old hobo

trying to keep the travellin’ bluesman’ tradition alive, 19:00, £ 15.50

DAS WANDERLUST, BARFLY, delightfully wrong indie-pop from Middlesbrough, 20:00, £ 5.00 APPLE CANNON, ROCKERS, Rock/ Metal, 19:00, £ 5.00

A WILHELM SCREAM, FAILSAFE, ALL IDOLS FALL, KING TUT’S, Metal,

20:00, £ 7.00

DONNIE MUNRO, GIVEWAY, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ROYAL

CONCERT HALL, Former Runrig singer, 19:30, £ 16.00

TUE 29 JAN GREAT WHITE, CARLING ACADEMY,

Posturing hard-rock band that wished they had a millionth the chops of Led Zep, 19:00, £ 18.00

SUZY BOGGUS, WINGIN’ IT, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ABC1,

Acclaimed singer, 18:30, £ 13.00

K.D. LANG, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ROYAL CONCERT HALL, Grammy-

winning singer, 19:30, £ 30.00

BAILLIE & THE FAULT, FANGS, BARFLY, Indie-rock, 20:00, £ 7.00

WED 30 JAN MICHELLE SHOCKED WITH DARRELL SCOTT, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ABC1, US Roots, 18:30, £

13.00

ALY BAIN AND PHIL CUNNINGHAM, CELTIC CONNECTIONS,

OLD FRUITMARKET, Fiddle and accordion duo, 20:00, £ 16.00

AVENGED SEVENFOLD, CARLING ACADEMY, Hard-metal-core, it’s like that, 19:00, Sold Out THE NASH, THE LIMITS, ROCKERS, Rock/Metal, 19:00, £ 5.00 YETI, THE FOXES, BARFLY, Ex-Libertines bassist’s new band, 20:00, £ 8.50 BLACK KIDS, METRONOMY, IPSO FACTO, VICE LIVE, ABC2,

Shoreditch-mag and Top Man approved indie, 20:00, Free from vicelivetour.com

THU 31 JAN DUHKS, TIM O’BRIEN, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ABC1, Genre-busting Canadians, 18:30, £ 13.00

BOZILLA, + MORE TBA, THE END OF THE MONTH CLUB, THE 13TH

NOTE, Left-field electro-pop, 21:00, £TBC BARONESS, KYLESA, NICE ‘N SLEAZY’S, Metal, 19:00, £ 8.50 NINE BLACK ALPS, ABC2, Alt-rock, 19:00, £ 10.00

THE MEGANTIC OUTLAW, WITH SPECIAL GUESTS, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, CLASSIC GRAND, Gaelic

folk-rock, 19:30, £ 12.50

THE ROCKET SUMMER, KING

TUT’S, power-pop-punk-pish, 20:00, £ 7.50

LUKA BLOOM, CARA DILLON, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, OLD FRUIT-

MARKET, Irish singer-songwriter, 20:00, £ 16.00

PAIGE, PORTMAN, LOST ON CAMPUS, HEROS TO HOPING, ROCKERS, Rock/Metal, 19:00, £ 5.00

Scottish folk guitarist, 19:30, £ 16.00

DOUGIE MACLEAN, CHERRYHOLMES, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, OLD FRUITMARKET, “Caledonia”

singer, 20:00, £ 16.00

HEIDI TALBOT, LISSA SCHNECKENBURGER, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ST. ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE,

Cherish The Ladies’ singer, 20:00, £ 12.50

WE ARE THE PHYSICS, THE FIRE AND I, KING TUT’S, Attention Deficit Disorder,

SUN 27 JAN CAMERA OBSCURA, THE TWILIGHT SAD, SHUTTER, CELTIC CONNECTIONS Great Scottish indie ABC1, 18:30, £13.00

20:30, £ 6.00

THU 24 JAN BRICOLAGE, WAKE THE PRESIDENT, ZOEY VAN GOEY, SANTA DOG, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, CLASSIC GRAND, Up-and-coming Scottish bands, 19:30, £ 12.50

SHOOGLENIFTY, DAIMH, STEREOCANTO, ANNA MASSIE BAND, EMILY SMITH, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ABC1, Celtic showcase, 18:30, £ 13.50

BAD MANNERS, CATHOUSE, 2-tone/ska

veterans, 19:00, £ 16.50

FRI 25 JAN PACKWAY HANDLE BAND, HAREM SCAREM, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ORAN MOR, US bluegrass

group, 19:30, £ 12.50

MOISHE’S BAGEL WITH DEN FULE, CELTIC CONNECTIONS,

CLASSIC GRAND, Eclectic group with jazz, latin and balkan influences, 19:30, £ 12.50

CRAIG CASEY, THE ECHO SESSION, LE TEEF, THE MERCHANTS, BARFLY, Singer-songwriter, 20:00,

£ 5.00

KING CREOSOTE, JAMES YORKSTON, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ABC1, Fife’s finest fae the Fence,

18:30, £ 13.00

AIR TRAFFIC, QMU, Indie-rock, 19:00,

£ 13.00

PLAIN WHITE T’S, BARROWLANDS, US indie-pop, 19:00, Sold Out SAT 26 JAN THE DEAD GENERALS, BARFLY,

Indie-rock, 20:00, £ 6.00

PEATBOG FAIRIES WITH BREABACH, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ABC1, Skye-based groovers, 18:30, £ 13.00

ANNI ROSSI, ROLLIN HUNT,

THE 13TH NOTE, Classical kid gone viola pop wunderkind, 19:45, £TBC BRITISH SEA POWER, THE ARCHES, Loveable indie rogues, 19:00, £ 12.50

6 8 14 16 20 24 26 28 30 44 54 62

ISSUE 28 : : JANUARY 2008

HEADS UP Vox pops on fashion

FASHION The Skinny’s Fashion Special: where to ﬁnd the best clothes in Scotland

LGBT On being queer and punk, and the best queer punk bands around

FILM The Coen Brothers, and ﬁlms to look forward to in 2008

THEATRE The shittiest panto of the season GETTING CHIC (PAGE 8) COLIN MACDONALD

BOOKS The strange return of Jekyll and Hyde

GAMES Coping with ﬁrst quarter blues with help from Cheggers

ART

Escaping from iconography at the Botanic Gardens

SOUNDS

Henry Rollins, ones to watch in 2008, and the aftermath of The Skinny’s ON:07 conference

BEATS Marshall Jefferson, LTJ Bukem and a ful round of previews

LISTINGS The top events from around the country

EATING & DRINKING Getting the most out of the Edinburgh Farmers’ Market

THE SKINNY TEAM CONTRIBUTORS

TEENAGE FANCLUB, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, OLD FRUITMARKET,

PUBLISHER EDITOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR PRODUCTION EDITOR SALES EXECUTIVE ONLINE & SOUNDS EDITOR BEATS EDITOR LGBT EDITOR FILM EDITOR THEATRE EDITOR COMEDY EDITOR BOOKS EDITOR GAMES EDITOR ART EDITOR SHOWCASE EDITOR EATING & DRINKING EDITOR CLUBS LISTINGS LISTINGS ASSISTANT LAYOUT ASSISTANTS SUBEDITORS

The Fabulous Fannies, 21:30, £ 18.00

30 SECONDS TO MARS, BARROW-

LANDS, Melodramatic rock, 19:00, Sold Out

MINDY SMITH, GRANT CAMPBELL, CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ORAN MOR, Young singer-songwriter, 19:30, £ 12.50

CONTENTS

THE TWILIGHT SAD JAVIER VILLEGAS

SOPHIE KYLE RUPERT THOMSON MATT MACLEOD LEIGH PEARSON LARA MOLONEY DAVE KERR ALEX BURDEN NINE PAUL GREENWOOD HUGO FLUENDY EMMA LENNOX KEIR HIND JOSH WILSON ROSAMUND WEST CHARLOTTE RODENSTEDT RUTH MARSH ANDREW COOKE ALLY BROWN CHARLOTTE RODENSTEDT PAUL GREENWOOD NICK MITCHELL ROSAMUND WEST

Thanks to Ruth Marsh for editing the brilliant Festive Special supplement last issue, and to Debbie Martin for her excellent guide to the best of seasonal eating.

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

EVERYBODY LOVES KEITH CHEGWIN (PAGE 26)

THU 03 JAN

CONTENTS

LIVE MUSIC GLASGOW

LISTINGS

WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

Ryan Agee, Susan Anderson, Liam Arnold, Finbarr Bermingham, Graeme Blaikie, James Blake, Jamie Borthwick, Louisa Boyle, Ally Brown, Darren Carle, Colin Chapman, Philippa Cochrane, Dave Cook, Heather Crumley, Chris Cusack, Rosalie Doubal, Jennifer Felton, Neil Ferguson, Emily Foister, Bram Gieben, Matt Gollock, Rebecca Isherwood, Barry Jackson, Omar Jenning, Ema Johnson, Tobias Kahn, Wilbur Kane, Hamza Khan, Cara McGuigan, Kevin McHugh, Rosie McLean, Sean McNamara, Johnny Langlands, Al Majik, Phyllis Martin, Ted Maul, Sonia Mallan, Jonathan Melville, Sean Michaels, Nick Mitchell, Lara Moloney, Jonathan Robert Muirhead, Lucy Nicholas, Jonny Ogg, Neal Parsons, Julie Paterson, Scott Ramage, Kaitlin Rattray, Jenny Richards, Alex Rogers, Caroline Scott-Thomas, Graeme Strachan, Karen Taggart, Austin Tasseltine, Teddy, Gareth K Vile, Lindsay West, Kieran Westbrook

JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

HE SKINNY jeans by Lindsay West

EXPECT RAMPANT FASHION LARCENY ON THE RELEASE OF SEX AND THE CITY: THE MOVIE Straight up, no nonsense: fashion is stealing. With the last truly unique fashion idea born back when Karl Lagerfeld still had his own face, everything in our postmodern world is borrowed, burgled and recycled. So now, at the beginning of a new fashion year, ask not what novelties lie ahead, but rather whose pockets you'll be picking.

PLUNDER THE PAST

What do you get if you mix Spring/Summer's pandemic floral trend with layering hung over from Autumn/Winter (and you'll have to – this is Scotland, sweets)? Crack out your teenage angst and iron your Pearl Jam posters, because the answer is grunge, children. Though more Kings of Leon in checked shirts and epidermis-flush grey denim than Cobain's grubby cardigan; grungy layering will persist all the way to festival season. And when we're not being Bridget Fonda in Singles, we'll be doing ruffles, brights, lavender, orange, and the 40s.

MISAPPROPRIATE FROM THE MEDIA

There was a time, not so long ago, when fashion magazines barely had to fish for style inspiration. Why bother, when every Friday night, a big, juicy angelfish leapt on to their hooks, already in batter? Her name was Carrie Bradshaw, and this summer, the corsage is back, widescreen and feature-length. Expect rampant fashion larceny on the release of Sex and the City: The Movie; and for the pretenders to Carrie's TV crown, try Gossip Girl (ITV2). From the boffins responsible for The O.C., Gossip Girl resembles a serialised Cruel Intentions and its take on preppy

chic has made it the new BFF of stateside stylemakers. Let's be clear, Gossip Girl is obscene, conspicuous wealth at its most vulgar: over-privileged and under-fed teenagers with no-limit credit cards, an insubstantial moral index, and surnames ending in Roman numerals. But it is going to make you want a blazer.

STEAL FROM THE STYLISH

The trend for celebrity-authored and designer diffusion lines is here to stay, so make peace with plagiarizing the good and great, and get your Stella McCartney for Lesportsac handbag on order now. Also noteworthy is the Lee Cooper range by French starlet and Jane Birkin spawn, Lou Doillon. Tuxedo jackets and wide leg jeans, ingeniously inspired by literary tea leaf, the Artful Dodger.

RIP OFF A RAINBOW

Skinny Jeans readers, meet ombre. Ombre is a fancy-schmancy fashion magazine pseudonym for something you may have done in playgroup. Remember dipping wet paper into watereddown paint, bleeding two colours together? Well, Prada may have a job for you. Originally stolen from the aforementioned designers' Autumn/Winter handbag line, this practice of two colours pinching each other's mojo is going to be everywhere.

In closing, please note: what we refer to here is but metaphorical theft. Skinny Jeans will not be bailing you out, should you decide to swipe a pair of non-metaphorical slingbacks in Topshop. Dummy.

NORMSKI & ZEUS, BURN, THE

BUFF CLUB, Glasgow institition playing underground classics, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3), free for pub/club workers RESIDENTS, FRESH, THE POLO LOUNGE, Popular gay venue with house & indie, 23:00–3:00, £5

DJ ANDY & DJ DEC, POPTIMISM/ ROCKTIMISM, THE GARAGE, Pop & rock, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP

TUE 29 JAN ANDY WILSON & DJ KASH, ALL STAR, BAMBOO, Funk & hip pop, 22:00–3:00,

COLIN

from the 1960’s-1980’s , 22:00–3:00, £3, free with matric. After 12am

RESIDENTS, KILLER KITSCH,

MARK

PAUL

ANNA, 23, MODEL WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ITEM OF CLOTHING AND WHY? Probably my pumps. I live in my pumps; they are comfortable.

Expensive lingerie. (The Skinny notes he’s buying...) INSPIRATIONAL DESIGNER? A girl who works in my ofﬁce is very very good…Camille Lorigold.

WHO IS THE MOST STYLISH PERSON YOU KNOW? Both my sisters to be honest. ‘Cause I am the youngest I have always looked up to them and they always look good.

LAST ITEM? The wife’s dress and handbag; in fact underwear as well – a quality day out for me.

IF YOU COULD ONLY CHOOSE ONE - HATS, SCARF OR GLOVES, WHICH WOULD IT BE? A scarf – they look good and they keep you warm as well.

MOST FASHIONABLE? Glasgow of course. Look at Silverburn: it’s gorgeous.

HAVE YOU EVER RECEIVED A BAD CLOTHING PRESENT FOR CHRISTMAS AND HAD TO WEAR IT? Yes – one year for some reason everyone bought me purple so for about three months I felt like a big Ribena; I felt I had to wear them and now I don’t know why. WHAT ITEM CAN YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT? Probably my scarf – or pashmina. UNDERWEAR: SEXY OR SIMPLE? Simple - deﬁnitely. WHAT IS THE SEXIEST ITEM OF CLOTHING ON SOMEONE YOU FANCY? I love that clean-cut look, jeans and a white shirt. WHAT IS A MUST HAVE THIS WINTER? My pashmina – my favourite one is vibrant pink.

PETER SULLIVAN, 42, SURVEYOR FAVOURITE ITEM OF CLOTHING? My tartan joggies: they’re comfortable and I can doss about in the house in them. MOST STYLISH? My wife - she is looking pretty hot tonight. She was out shopping with Trisha yesterday and bought some dresses, Her name’s Karen. GLOVES/ HAT/ SCARF… For myself, gloves – keep your hands warm. BAD CLOTHES FOR CRIMBO? My brother once bought me a horrendous sweater. His wife had said “don’t buy it, it’s horrendous,” but he said there were loads of them. I said there are fucking lots of them ‘cause no-one wants to wear them. I didn’t wear it – I gave it to a charity shop. ACCESSORY? Cufﬂinks – they are deﬁnitely something I can’t live without. SEXIEST ITEM ON SOMEONE YOU FANCY?

PAUL LIGHTFOOT, 59, MARKETING DIRECTOR OF JMA ASSOCIATES FAVOURITE ITEM? WHY? I suppose my Martin Margiela velvet jacket that I’m wearing tomorrow night at the Style Awards. I bought it last week at Liberty’s in London where I live as well, and I went in there not wanting to really ﬁnd anything - but I had the most fantastic time there. It is just a gorgeous shop. STYLISH PERSON? I think Tom (Ford) has to be – I think he wears a pair of jeans, a jacket and a white shirt so well and I just love that style. GLOVES/ HATS/ SCARVES? Gloves ‘cause I have quite a few pairs… I do like scarves as well, but I have to say gloves. BAD PRESSIES? Throughout my life? Yes, the worst is probably one that my granny knitted in 1978. There is a picture of me at Christmas in a blue velour turtleneck as they were called then - with big red circles stitched in it. I loved it! ACCESSORY? Really my Hermes belt; it’s brown but its reversible: black on the back. SEXY OR SIMPLE? I go for comfort and an element of sex appeal. SEXIEST ITEM OF CLOTHING… I suppose what is really nice is a simple white shirt, tailored, that accentuates his physique. INSPIRATIONAL DESIGNER OF 2007? You’re going to be shocked, but this year I have bought a number of items from him - though I haven’t in the past - but Paul Smith. He has been fantastic this year. MARK CONLAN, 24, FASHION DESIGNER

LAST ITEM…. What have I bought…my Who Mac from Osman. GLASGOW OR EDINBURGH? Glasgow, ‘cause I’m from Glasgow and the people are more stylish.

FAVOURITE ITEM? Favourite ever? A tailored suit that I got made for me by Stephen Purvis, a Glasgow based tailor. He has a shop on Chancellor Street. It is amazing and a perfect ﬁt. MOST STYLISH PERSON YOU KNOW? From a male point of view... Franz Ferdinand. HAT, GLOVES OR SCARVES? Scarves, ‘cause they keep you warm. BAD PRESSIES FOR CRIMBO? Yes: a kind of cardigan with elbow patches on it - from an aunty that I no longer speak to. ACCESSORY? My parka. It is really warm and it’s good to have a hood. MUST HAVE… Long johns. Not tonight, but I wear them frequently if I am working in the cold. MOST STYLISH? Glasgow ‘cause its cosmopolitan, vibrant, a real city - good bars and many universities.

FAVOURITE ITEM? A Patricia Field catsuit and a Patricia Field big huge fluffy number: it’s a shrug I got in New York it looks like a… It looks a bit… I don’t know but I saw all this stuff in the window… And there was a shop called Members Only... I went into her store in New York and they were like (American accent): “This is her store honey!” And I was like: “Argh!” Mental. MOST STYLISH PERSON YOU KNOW? The most stylish person I know is me. I should have said Sarah Jessica Parker or Kate Moss. No, right now not me : Agyness Dean. I want to change it to Agyness Dean.

FAVOURITE ITEM? My silver pointy shoes. I made them myself and I can wear them with anything.

HATS, SCARVES OR GLOVES? Hats (see picture).

CHOOSE ONE? Hats. If you’re having a bad hair day you can cover it right up; if you need a haircut, peel it right off your face and it’s sorted.

UNDERWEAR? Sexy – I don’t do simple.

BAD CLOTHES? My aunty who likes to think she knows about fashion bought me a Prada top last year, but it was lycra and did not ﬁt for a damn. It was foul. I took it straight back and got a nice wallet. ONE ACCESSORY? My multibag. SEXIEST ITEM? I’m gay so a tailored shirt or tailored

BAD PRESENTS? No - people know me too well.

OATBEANIE, WHISTLEBINKIES, Indie-rock, 0:00–3:00, Free

TUE 08 JAN

GERRY LYONS, AFTER HOURS,

PARK BENCH SOCIAL CLUB, THE VILLAGE, Folk, 20:00, £TBC

THE BUFF CLUB, Pick & mix of everything, 23:00–3:00, £3

THE OFFENDERS, JAZZ BAR, Blues,

THE CATHOUSE, Metal, emo & rock, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12am with PIYP

WED 09 JAN

LIPTONS, Salsa classes from 8pm, free club from 10.15pm, 20:00–0:00, Free RESIDENTS, NEW FLESH, FURY MURRY’S, Rock, metal, punk, rap, industrial & alternative music, 22:00–3:00, £4, £2 from 10pm11pm, £1 with flyer/after 11pm

DAVE MULHOLLAND, POP ROCK-IT, CATWALK, Mixed Bag, 19:00–3:00,

Free

NICKQ, FREAK SCENE DJS, SQUARE GO!, MAGGIE MAYS, Live bands

& club, 20:00–3:00, £3

MON 21 JAN THE PARLOTONES, LUVA ANNA,

CABARET VOLTAIRE, Energetic rock, 19:00, Free

TUE 22 JAN

20:30, £3/£2

OMNIBLOB, NEW ROCK CHEMISTS, WHISTLEBINKIES, Indie-rock, 21:00, Free THU 10 JAN DAN COTTON QUINTET, JAZZ BAR,

Jazz drummer with sax player, 20:30, £3/£2

BROKEN RECORDS, THE KAYS LAVELLE, HERIOT WATT STUDENT’S UNION, Students & guests only, 21:00, Free

LUVA ANNA, COME ON GANG, KID CANAVERAL, WOODENBOX, FIST FULL OF FIVERS, RUBIX, HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, Indie-rock, 20:00, £ 5.00

THE CASPIAN SEA MONSTERS, THE JACK, WHISTLEBINKIES, Indie-rock,

20:00, £3/£2

VOLTAIRE, Unconventional singer-songwriter, 19:00, £ 6.50 THE BLUETONES, THE LIQUID ROOM, Britpop anthemeers, 19:00, £ 13.00

WED 23 JAN JOHNNY FOREIGNER, HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, Theatrical and punky, 20:00, £TBC ROSE KEMP, NEW FOUND SOUND, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Singersongwriter, 20:00, £ 6.00

MENDING HEARTS TRIO, JAZZ BAR, Western swing, 20:30, £3/£2

THU 24 JAN CANCEL THE ASTRONAUTS,

CABARET VOLTAIRE, Indie-pop, 19:00, £ 4.00 ALCHEMISTS OF SOUND, WHISTLEBINKIES, Indie-rock, 21:00, Free ATTIC LIGHTS, AIRSPIEL, HERIOT WATT STUDENT’S UNION, Students & guests only, 21:00, Free

FRI 25 JAN EAST STRIKE WEST, THE OCEAN FRACTURE, HITCHER, GAS GIANT, THE HIVE, Metal, 19:00, £TBC SOCIAL PARASITES, HENRY’S CELLAR

BAMBOO, Lounge, RnB & indie, 22:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with matric MARTIN BATE (BEAT 106), THE BUNKER BAR, Vintage rock & indie, 21:00–3:00, Free

21:00, Free

You’ve let us down Britain, but more importantly, you’ve let yourself down., 19:30, £ 25.00

rock, 0:00–3:00, Free

THU 31 JAN

FRI 11 JAN

ALEX & JOHN, 45 KICKS, THE BUFF CLUB, New York & underground school inspired beats, 23:00–3:00, £3 RESIDENTS, BABAZA, BELO, Hip hop with the funk, 22:00–3:00, £6, free b4 11pm

FRASER CAMPBELL QUARTET,

CABARET VOLTAIRE, Old-school chanteuse, 19:00, Free G-UNIT, JAZZ BAR, Not 50 Cent n that, this is local funk players, 20:30, £3/£2

RESIDENTS, CHILDREN OF THE 80S, CLASSIC GRAND, DJs & live performances, 80s tunes, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3)

RESIDENTS, CHIX ON DEX,

CHINAWHITE, Rock, funkpunk & house all mixed by lovely ladies, 22:00–3:00, £4, free b4 11pm

CRAIG MCGEE, CIGARETTES & F**K ALL, THE BUTTERFLY & THE PIG, Indie & rock ‘n’ roll, 21:00–1:00, Free

FREAKMENOOVERS DJS, FREAKMOVES, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF

ART, Fresh hip hop & funk cuts, Record Playerz in the bar, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3) JOHN, FREAKSCENE, POLAR BAR (ABC), Indie classics, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

D_FADE, DUNCAN HARVEY & BOOM MONK BEN, THE FUNKY PRECEDENT, SAINT JUDE’S, Hip hop, MARY-ANNE HOBBES, SLEEPLESS CREW, RUSTIE, HOW’S YOUR PARTY?, THE SUB CLUB, Bass, 23:00–3:00, £tbc

DJ FRAMIE, MIX GENERATOR, CATWALK, Classic rock, maetal & alternative, 19:00–3:00, Free

MARK ROBB, TANIA & FRIENDS, PLASTIC FUNK, BAMBOO, Funk,

soul & rock n roll, 22:30–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric

RADIOMAGNETIC DJS, RADIOMAGNETIC, GAZELLE, Funk, soul & latin

grooves, 20:00–3:00, Free

HI-FI SEAN & HUSHPUPPY, RECORD PLAYERZ, THE VIC BAR, Disco

electro, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3)

RESIDENTS, RUBBERMENSCH,

ABC2, A night for indie lovers, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric. DJ BILLY, SKINT, THE CATHOUSE, Metal, hip hop & rock, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with PIYP

GERRY LYONS & BRIAN, THE THURSDAY CLUB, THE GARAGE, Chart

anthems, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3), free b4 12am with PIYP

LAST ITEM I bought all of this outfit yesterday: pink skirt, black belt, pink neckerchief.

FIREWATER, Indie, soul, britpop, rock, punk, 16:00–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 10.30pm

HEADS UP

SOFTER RIDE, WHISTLEBINKIES, Indie-

WED 30 JAN

SEXY CLOTHING…. A white T-shirt on a guy who has got a really good body.

MOST FASHIONABLE Glasgow! Just walking through the streets when you are in Edinburgh you don’t get as much style. But everyone in the centre of Glasgow looks amazing, fucking amazing.

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, Good young band I shall term “punkabilly”, 20:00, £ 4.00 SIZE QUEEN, WHISTLEBINKIES, Indie-rock, 21:00, Free JOJOCOKE, WHISTLEBINKIES, Indie-rock, 0:00–3:00, Free

CABARET VOLTAIRE, Anticon troubadour, 19:00, £ 8.00 PRIME SUSPECT, WHISTLEBINKIES, Indie-rock, 21:00, Free OATBEANIE, WHISTLEBINKIES, Indie-rock, 0:00–3:00, Free JEAN MUNDELL, JAZZ BAR, Jazz vocalist, 20:30, £3/£2

rock, 21:00, Free

funk, soul & motown, 20:00–3:00, Free

ALISON, 27, ACTRESS

DICK DANGEROUS AND THE LOVE BASTARDS, THE NUKES,

BLUEBIRD, DOGTANION, SILENI,

LISA LITTLEWOOD & GRAEME FERGUSON, T.I.T., KARBON, Dance,

RESIDENTS, TONGUE IN CHEEK,

COLIN MCCREDIE, 35, ACTOR

ARK, Veteran anarcho-punks, 19:30, £ 5.00

SAT 05 JAN

SUN 20 JAN

SUN 06 JAN

CHRIS TRAYNOR, MJAM SALSA,

suit.

OI POLLOI, WHAT PRICE WONDERLAND, ATOMGEVITTER, FEINT, LE SOLEIL BRILLE, COLD DEAD HANDS PRESENTS…, THE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, Georgie post-rockers, 19:00, Free

EUGENE MCGUINESS, CABARET

DJ DEC & COLIN, DELIVERANCE,

MUST HAVE… All my new clothes that I bought at the inspirational designer Valentino’s ﬁnal collection at Paris Fashion Week.

TLEBINKIES, Indie-rock, 21:00, Free THE SCARECROWS, WHISTLEBINKIES, Indie-rock, 0:00–3:00, Free

KUBICHEK!, ROY’S IRON DNA,

THE OFFENDERS, JAZZ BAR, Blues,

22:30–3:00, £5 (£4)

SILVERBURN, GLASGOW

WASHINGTON STREET, WHIS-

MARTIN BATE (XFM), REVOLUTION, QMU, Rock & punk , 22:00–2:15, £2,

£1 members

Gutter Talk

WHICH IS THE MORE STYLISH CITY – GLASGOW OR EDINBURGH? Glasgow – I have lived here my whole life, every scene is here. When you walk around town, you will see something completely different, anything goes.

WWW.GWAAARGH.COM

ANNA

FRI 04 JAN

THEATRE FALL, NEW FOUND SOUND, PO NA NA, Indie-rock, 19:00, £ 5.00

THE BUFF CLUB, New wave, indie, electro, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3)

WHAT WAS THE LAST ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU BOUGHT? A pair of high heels. Since I bought them I haven’t worn them again, but they are pretty.

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

£4 (£2), free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric FOLKS, FOLK IT!, THE MIXING ROOMS, Up & coming folk musician session, 20:00–1:00, Free

PETER

RESIDENTS, KALEIDOSCOPE LIVE, ABC2, Old school rock & roll, soul, funk,

WHO HAS BEEN THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL DESIGNER OF 2007? I really like Roland Mouret stuff, simple and glamorous.

ALISON

LIVE MUSIC EDINBURGH

DJ TOAST, UP THE RACKET,

DJ NORMSKI, ZERO THURSDAYS, BOHO, Funk, electro & house,

JAMES BLUNT, CORN EXCHANGE,

JAZZ BAR, Saxophonist, 20:30, £3/£2 MODUS, WHISTLEBINKIES, Indie-rock, 21:00, Free BANNOCKBURN, WHISTLEBINKIES, Indie-rock, 0:00–3:00, Free

SAT 12 JAN FLATLINER, NANCY AND THE FAWCETS, THE ARK, 20:00, £TBC ONE DAY SPEAKERS, THE DIALS,

WHISTLEBINKIES, Indie-rock, 21:00, Free U-KNOW-HOO, WHISTLEBINKIES, Indierock, 0:00–3:00, Free

LOU HICKEY, THE FELT TIPS,

SAT 26 JAN A WILHELM SCREAM, FAILSAFE, ALL IDOLS FALL, THE HIVE, Metal, 19:00,

£ 7.00

THE SHITTY LIMITS, HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 19:00, £TBC

ROGUESTAR, WHISTLEBINKIES, Indie-

rock, 0:00–3:00, Free OPAL SKY, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Farewell gig from indie-rockers, 19:00, £ 5.00

SUN 27 JAN

EVISORAX, IGNOMINIOUS INCARCERATION, FRIDAY NIGHT GUNFIGHT, THE BLACK CHAIN,

DOMINIC WAXING LYRICAL, WOUNDED KNEE, THE BEGGAR GIRLS,, THE VOODOO ROOMS, Cabaret, with

WED 16 JAN PAUL HARRISON TRIO, JAZZ BAR, Jazz pianist & crew, 20:30, £3/£2 CHUTES, LEVY, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Fine local indie-rock, plus New Yorkers, 19:00, Free MEERSAULT, OVER THE WALL, LES ENFANT BASTARD, TRAMPOLINE PRESENTS, WEE RED BAR,

bands, poets, acrobats and clows, 20:30, £7/£6 MERZ, JACOB GOLDEN, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Folktronica, 19:00, £ 7.50 CHI CHAMPIONS, HYENA, HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, Hardcore punks, 20:00, £TBC PAUL POTTS, PLAYHOUSE, He murdered Nessun Dorma! He murdered it! Didn’t even hit the High C! WAKE UP PEOPLE!, 19:30, £ 23.50

MON 28 JAN OPERAHOUSE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Disco beats/chop guitar., 19:00, Free ANNI ROSSI, ROLLIN HUNT,

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, Classical kid gone viola pop wunderkind, 20:00, £TBC

Electronic-folk, & stuff, 19:00, £ 4.00

TUE 29 JAN

WHISTLEBINKIES, Indie-rock, 21:00, Free

MIKE KEARNEY TRIO, JAZZ BAR, Tom Waits-inspired jazz-rock, 20:30, £3/£2

DIRTY ROSE, COME IN TOKYO, THU 17 JAN THE MANIKEES, THE STRANDS,

HERIOT WATT STUDENT’S UNION, Students & guests only, 21:00, Free ANTJE DUVEKOT, JAZZ BAR, Folky singer-songwriter, 20:00, £10/£8

YETI, THE FOXES, THE LITTLE KICKS, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Harmony-driven psychedelic pop, 19:00, £ 8.00

PHAROAH SANDERS QUARTET, THE VOODOO ROOMS, Legendary jazz saxophonist, 19:00, £ 25.00

FRI 18 JAN

WED 30 JAN

JOE LEAN AND THE JING JANG JONG, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Hotly-tipped

LAURA VEIRS, MY HEART BREAKS, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Singer-

Londoners, 19:00, £ 7.00

ESTHER O’CONNOR, WHIS-

TLEBINKIES, Indie-rock, 21:00, Free DEMONS EYE, WHISTLEBINKIES, Indierock, 0:00–3:00, Free ALDEVIS TIBALDI QUARTET, JAZZ BAR, Saxophonist, 20:30, £3/£2

SAT 19 JAN DAVID FORD, THE HIVE, Singer-songwriter,

19:00, £ 8.50

21:30–3:00, £3 CJ, THE BUNKER BAR, Grunge & new rock, 21:00–3:00, Free KEVIN STEVENS, METROPOLITAN, Funk

glam-disco, 18:00, £ 5.00

& soul 45s, 21:00–0:00, Free

party, 20:00, £TBC

WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

BAR, 19:30, £TBC

THE PICTOIDS, WHISTLEBINKIES, Indie-

SUN 13 JAN

THE HIVE, Death metal, 19:00, £ 5.00 SIMON KEMPSTON, WHISTLEBINKIES, Indie-rock, 21:00, Free THE APPLE SCRUFFS, PO NA NA, Rocket-fuelled indie kids, 20:00, £TBC JESS ABRAMS, JAZZ BAR, New York singer, 20:30, £3/£2

PUPPYTOOTH, WEE RED BAR, ElectroPIEROGI RAMBO, FOXGANG PRESENTS…, MERIDIAN, Rock’n’roll dance

LISTINGS

HEADS UP

MON 28 JAN

songwriter, 19:00, £ 10.00

BLOOD RED SHOES, THE HIVE, Aggressive lipstick rock, 19:00, £ 6.00

KULA SHAKER, THE LIQUID ROOM, beyabeya-beya-tattva, 19:00, £ 17.00

THU 31 JAN CRASH MY MODEL CAR, 8 TRACK STEREO, HERIOT WATT

STUDENT’S UNION, Students & guests only, 21:00, Free

THE APPLE SCRUFFS, BLACK ARROWS, DEAD SEA SOULS, EWAN BUTLER , RIP IT UP PRESENTS…, WEE RED BAR, Rocket-fuelled indie

kids, 19:00, £ 4.00

JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

SAT 12 JAN GERRY LYONS, ABC SATURDAYS, ABC1, Soul, punk, rock & indie dance,

DJ ANDY & DJ DEC, POPTIMISM/ ROCKTIMISM, THE GARAGE, Pop & rock, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP

23:00–3:00, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

TUE 15 JAN

Electro, house & pop, 23:00–3:00, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

£4 (£2), free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric FOLKS, FOLK IT!, THE MIXING ROOMS, Up & coming folk musician session, 20:00–1:00, Free

DAVID SINCLAIR (KILLER KITSCH), ABC SATURDAYS, ABC2, LOOSE JOINTS & STEVIE ELEMENTS, BAD ROBOT, GLASGOW

SCHOOL OF ART, Rock to techno & breakbeats, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£5), £2 GSA, free after 12am GUESTS, DECODANCE, CLASSIC GRAND, Glamorous house, 23:00–3:00, £8

ANDY WILSON & DJ KASH, ALL STAR, BAMBOO, Funk & hip pop, 22:00–3:00,

RESIDENTS, KALEIDOSCOPE LIVE, ABC2, Old school rock & roll, soul, funk,

from the 1960’s-1980’s , 22:00–3:00, £3, free with matric. After 12am

MR. DIVINE & HUSHPUPPY, DIVINE!, THE VIC BAR, Northern soul, funk,

RESIDENTS, KILLER KITSCH,

RESIDENTS, DON’T FIGHT IT FEEL IT, MAGGIE MAYS, Indie, rock & roll,

MARTIN BATE (XFM), REVOLUTION, QMU, Rock & punk , 22:00–2:15, £2,

ska & mod tunes, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£5)

psyche, 23:00–3:00, £5

LIL RICH, GLAMORAMA, BOHO, 90s house, 80s classics, RnB & chart, 21:30–3:00, £8

RESIDENTS, GROOVEJET, MAS,

Weekly house & RnB mix, 23:00–3:00, £7 (£5)

CRAIG WILSON, HANOI ROCKS,

FIREWATER, Indie, rock & britpop, 12:00–3:00, £5 (£4), free b4 10.30pm

KRONOS DEVICE, INNER CITY ACID, SOUNDHAUS, Hard electro, 23:00–4:00,

£8

KEV MCFARLANE, STEPHEN LEE & WOODY, KARBON SATURDAYS, KARBON, House & hip hop classics,

22:30–3:00, £tbc

NEIL LANDSTRUMM, MISO, THE

IVY, Ravestep, dub, techno, acid, 20:30–1:00, £4 RESIDENTS, NU-SCHOOL, THE BUFF CLUB, Fresh northern soul, jazz & funk featuring live percussion, classics downstairs, 22:30–3:00, £6

RnB, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3)

RESIDENTS, COLD NIGHT SONG, THE GOAT, Guests & DJs play acoustic gems, 20:00–3:00, Free

DOMINIC MARTIN, KASH & MAX, DISCO BADGER, BAMBOO,

Classic house music all night long with other boogie next door, 22:00–3:00, £5 (£3), free b4 10.30pm/12.30pm with matric

JUMBLESALE SOUNDS, IT SURE BEATS WAITIN’, THE FLYING DUCK, Bass, percussion & scratching, 21:00–3:00, Free b4 11pm MARKY MARK, JUNK, THE BUFF CLUB, Jazz & funk featuring live percussion by Duffy, 23:00–3:00, £3, free with matric

JD TWITCH & JG WILKES, TATTIE TOES, OPTIMO, THE SUB CLUB, Maximum eclectic, 23:00–3:00, £8 (£7)

CIARAN O’TOOLE & KIERAN ELLIOT, ROCK ON THE SABBATH, CATWALK, Rock, 19:00–3:00, Free

PAUL CRAWFORD, SOUL SUNDAYS, FIREWATER, Indie, punk & rock,

16:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, SPANK, THE CATHOUSE,

Rock, punk & dance, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12am with PIYP

JON MANCINI & KRIS KEEGAN, TRICKY DISCO, KARBON, House,

23:00–3:00, £5

JIM DA BEST, WE LOVE SUNDAYS, BOHO, Party tunes & floor fillers,

21:30–3:00, £3

NEIL WYPER, THE BUNKER BAR, New &

old rock & electronica, 21:00–3:00, Free AARON PETRIE, METROPOLITAN, Chill & breakbeat house, 21:00–0:00, Free

MON 14 JAN NORMSKI & ZEUS, BURN, THE

hip hop & funk cuts, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£4)

SUN 20 JAN DJ RICHARD LEVINSON, CLUB PRIORY: RETOX ROOMS, BLANKET,

RnB, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3)

RESIDENTS, COLD NIGHT SONG,

RESIDENTS, CHARIOTEERS,

ROBBIE ROLEX & THE RADIO MAGNETIC SOUNDSYSTEM, THE

RESIDENTS, CHILDREN OF THE 80S, CLASSIC GRAND, DJs & live perfor-

DARIO BERNADI, METROPOLITAN,

SOUNDHAUS, Syd Barrett Tribute Night - psychedelic rock, 20:00–0:00, £5

mances, 80s tunes, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3)

RESIDENTS, CHIX ON DEX,

CHINAWHITE, Rock, funkpunk & house all mixed by lovely ladies, 22:00–3:00, £4, free b4 11pm

CRAIG MCGEE, CIGARETTES & F**K ALL, THE BUTTERFLY & THE PIG, Indie & rock ‘n’ roll, 21:00–1:00, Free

FREAKMENOOVERS DJS, FREAKMOVES, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF

ART, Fresh hip hop & funk cuts, Record Playerz in the bar, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3) JOHN, FREAKSCENE, POLAR BAR (ABC), Indie classics, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

D_FADE, DUNCAN HARVEY & BOOM MONK BEN, THE FUNKY PRECEDENT, SAINT JUDE’S, Hip hop,

Electronic disco & soul, 21:00–0:00, Free OOFT DJS, MISO, Re-edits, hip hop, house, balearic, 21:00–1:00, Free

MACSORLEYS BAR

SAT 26 JAN

GLASGOW

GERRY LYONS, ABC SATUR-

DAYS, ABC1, Soul, punk, rock & indie dance, 23:00–3:00, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

rrrr

Electro, house & pop, 23:00–3:00, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

INSIDE: Right in the heart of the city on Jamaica Street, MacSorleys offers a world of laid back drinking, ﬁreplaces, good munch and comfy couches. A lower and upper ﬂoor allow you to have a view of the stage from most angles so that the constant stream of live music on offer can be appreciated. From a cosy afternoon pint to a raucous evening venue – what more can you ask for?

DAVID SINCLAIR (KILLER KITSCH), ABC SATURDAYS, ABC2, LOOSE JOINTS & STEVIE ELEMENTS, BAD ROBOT, GLASGOW

SCOTTIE B & JACKMASTER,

SCHOOL OF ART, Rock to techno & breakbeats, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£5), £2 GSA, free after 12am GUESTS, DECODANCE, CLASSIC GRAND, Glamorous house, 23:00–3:00, £8

DJ FRAMIE, MIX GENERATOR,

ska & mod tunes, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£5)

HOW’S YOUR PARTY?, THE SUB CLUB, Eclectic dance, 23:00–3:00, £tbc

GERRY LYONS, AFTER HOURS,

CATWALK, Classic rock, maetal & alternative, 19:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, DON’T FIGHT IT FEEL IT, MAGGIE MAYS, Indie, rock & roll,

DJ DEC & COLIN, DELIVERANCE,

THE BUFF CLUB, Old school tunes, 22:30–3:00, £6

Bass, percussion & scratching, 21:00–3:00, Free b4 11pm MARKY MARK, JUNK, THE BUFF CLUB, Jazz & funk featuring live percussion by Duffy, 23:00–3:00, £3, free with matric

PLASTIC FUNK, BAMBOO, Funk, soul & rock n roll, 22:30–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric

LIL RICH, GLAMORAMA, BOHO, 90s

WED 16 JAN

CHRIS TRAYNOR, MJAM SALSA,

DAVE MULHOLLAND, POP ROCK-IT, CATWALK, Mixed Bag, 19:00–3:00,

Free

NICKQ, FREAK SCENE DJS, SQUARE GO!, MAGGIE MAYS, Live bands

& club, 20:00–3:00, £3

RESIDENTS, TONGUE IN CHEEK,

BAMBOO, Lounge, RnB & indie, 22:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with matric MARTIN BATE (BEAT 106), THE BUNKER BAR, Vintage rock & indie, 21:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, CHILDREN OF THE 80S, CLASSIC GRAND, DJs & live performances, 80s tunes, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3)

RESIDENTS, CHIX ON DEX,

CHINAWHITE, Rock, funkpunk & house all mixed by lovely ladies, 22:00–3:00, £4, free b4 11pm

CRAIG MCGEE, CIGARETTES & F**K ALL, THE BUTTERFLY & THE PIG, Indie & rock ‘n’ roll, 21:00–1:00, Free

FREAKMENOOVERS DJS, FREAKMOVES, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF

ART, Fresh hip hop & funk cuts, Record Playerz in the bar, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3) JOHN, FREAKSCENE, POLAR BAR (ABC), Indie classics, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

D_FADE, DUNCAN HARVEY & BOOM MONK BEN, THE FUNKY PRECEDENT, SAINT JUDE’S, Hip hop,

funk, soul & motown, 20:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, HOW’S YOUR PARTY?, THE SUB CLUB, Eclectic dance, 23:00–3:00, £tbc

DJ FRAMIE, MIX GENERATOR, CATWALK, Classic rock, maetal & alternative, 19:00–3:00, Free

MARK ROBB, TANIA & FRIENDS, PLASTIC FUNK, BAMBOO, Funk,

soul & rock n roll, 22:30–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric

RADIOMAGNETIC DJS, RADIO-

MAGNETIC, GAZELLE, Funk, soul & latin grooves, 20:00–3:00, Free

HI-FI SEAN & HUSHPUPPY, RECORD PLAYERZ, THE VIC BAR, Disco

electro, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3)

RESIDENTS, RUBBERMENSCH,

ABC2, A night for indie lovers, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric. DJ BILLY, SKINT, THE CATHOUSE, Metal, hip hop & rock, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with PIYP

GERRY LYONS & BRIAN, THE THURSDAY CLUB, THE GARAGE, Chart

anthems, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3), free b4 12am with PIYP

DJ TOAST, UP THE RACKET,

FIREWATER, Indie, soul, britpop, rock, punk, 16:00–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 10.30pm

DJ NORMSKI, ZERO THURSDAYS, BOHO, Funk, electro & house,

21:30–3:00, £3 CJ, THE BUNKER BAR, Grunge & new rock, 21:00–3:00, Free KEVIN STEVENS, METROPOLITAN, Funk & soul 45s, 21:00–0:00, Free

FRI 18 JAN EUAN NEILSON, ABC FRIDAYS,

ABC1, Genre mash-up, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

BARRY & BILLY, BALLBREAKER,

THE CATHOUSE, Rock & metal, 22:30–3:00, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free b4 11.30am with PIYP

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

CRAIG MCGEE, HORRORSHOW,

GORDIE & JACK, OLD SCHOOL, NEAL SCARBOROUGH, MARK DOC, COLIN BELL, RECTIFY,

SOUNDHAUS, Hardstyle, rech-trance, techno, minimal, 23:00–4:00, £8 (£6)

NICOLA WALKER, ROUTE 666, CATWALK, Rock, 19:00–3:00, Free

DJ HUSHPUPPY (ART SCHOOL) & CHRIS GEDDES (BELLE & SEBASTIAN), SOUND MUSEUM, BREL, Retro soul, 21:00–1:00, Free

MARK ROBB, SPARKIES 45S,

CAFÉ RIO, Jazz, funk & soul, 20:00–0:00, Free

GEOFF M, JUNIOR CAMPOS & MAX, TOXIC POP, BAMBOO, House

music, hip hop & lounge, 22:00–3:00, £5, free b4 11pm/12.30am students

DJ MINGO-GO & DJ CASIO, VIBRATIONS, CLASSIC GRAND, Electro, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£4)

MARTIN BATE (XFM), VICE,

THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, Indie rock party, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free b4 11.30pm with PIYP TAM COYLE, THE BUNKER BAR, Vintage rock & indie, 21:00–3:00, Free

ROBBIE ROLEX & THE RADIO MAGNETIC SOUNDSYSTEM, THE GOAT, Eclectic, 20:00–3:00, Free

DARIO BERNADI, METROPOLITAN,

Electronic disco & soul, 21:00–0:00, Free OOFT DJS, MISO, Re-edits, hip hop, house, balearic, 21:00–1:00, Free

SAT 19 JAN

DOMINIC MARTIN, KASH &

JUMBLESALE SOUNDS, IT SURE BEATS WAITIN’, THE FLYING DUCK,

JD TWITCH & JG WILKES, BLURT, OPTIMO, THE SUB CLUB,

Maximum eclectic, 23:00–3:00, £tbc

CIARAN O’TOOLE & KIERAN ELLIOT, ROCK ON THE SABBATH, CATWALK, Rock, 19:00–3:00, Free

PAUL CRAWFORD, SOUL SUNDAYS, FIREWATER, Indie, punk & rock,

16:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, SPANK, THE CATHOUSE,

Rock, punk & dance, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12am with PIYP

JON MANCINI & KRIS KEEGAN, TRICKY DISCO, KARBON, House,

LOOSE JOINTS & STEVIE ELEMENTS, BAD ROBOT, GLASGOW

SCHOOL OF ART, Rock to techno & breakbeats, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£5), £2 GSA, free after 12am GUESTS, DECODANCE, CLASSIC GRAND, Glamorous house, 23:00–3:00, £8

MR. DIVINE & HUSHPUPPY, DIVINE!, THE VIC BAR, Northern soul, funk,

ska & mod tunes, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£5)

RESIDENTS, DON’T FIGHT IT FEEL IT, MAGGIE MAYS, Indie, rock & roll,

HI-FI SEAN & HUSHPUPPY, RECORD PLAYERZ, THE VIC BAR, Disco

electro, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3)

RESIDENTS, RUBBERMENSCH,

ABC2, A night for indie lovers, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric. DJ BILLY, SKINT, THE CATHOUSE, Metal, hip hop & rock, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with PIYP

GERRY LYONS & BRIAN, THE THURSDAY CLUB, THE GARAGE, Chart

21:30–3:00, £3

FIREWATER, Indie, soul, britpop, rock, punk, 16:00–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 10.30pm

DJ TOAST, UP THE RACKET,

NEIL WYPER, THE BUNKER BAR, New &

DJ NORMSKI, ZERO THURSDAYS, BOHO, Funk, electro & house,

old rock & electronica, 21:00–3:00, Free AARON PETRIE, METROPOLITAN, Chill & breakbeat house, 21:00–0:00, Free

MON 21 JAN NORMSKI & ZEUS, BURN, THE

DAVID SINCLAIR (KILLER KITSCH), ABC SATURDAYS, ABC2,

20:00–0:00, £2

grooves, 20:00–3:00, Free

JIM DA BEST, WE LOVE SUNDAYS, BOHO, Party tunes & floor fillers,

TUE 22 JAN

RESIDENTS, ARGONAUT SOUNDS, THE IVY, Reggae soundsystem,

RADIOMAGNETIC DJS, RADIOMAGNETIC, GAZELLE, Funk, soul & latin

anthems, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3), free b4 12am with PIYP

DJ ANDY & DJ DEC, POPTIMISM/ ROCKTIMISM, THE GARAGE, Pop & rock,

Electro, house & pop, 23:00–3:00, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

MARK ROBB, TANIA & FRIENDS,

23:00–3:00, £5

GERRY LYONS, ABC SATURDAYS, ABC1, Soul, punk, rock & indie dance,

23:00–3:00, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

funk, soul & motown, 20:00–3:00, Free

23:00–3:00, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP

ANDY WILSON & DJ KASH, ALL STAR, BAMBOO, Funk & hip pop, 22:00–3:00,

£4 (£2), free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric FOLKS, FOLK IT!, THE MIXING ROOMS, Up & coming folk musician session, 20:00–1:00, Free

RESIDENTS, KALEIDOSCOPE LIVE, ABC2, Old school rock & roll, soul, funk,

21:30–3:00, £3 CJ, THE BUNKER BAR, Grunge & new rock, 21:00–3:00, Free KEVIN STEVENS, METROPOLITAN, Funk & soul 45s, 21:00–0:00, Free

FRI 25 JAN EUAN NEILSON, ABC FRIDAYS,

ABC1, Genre mash-up, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

BARRY & BILLY, BALLBREAKER,

THE CATHOUSE, Rock & metal, 22:30–3:00, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free b4 11.30am with PIYP

STEWART REID, BOOGIE DOWN,

BLUU, Jazz, disco & house sounds, 22:00–3:00, £5, free b4 11pm RESIDENTS, COMPUTELOVE, THE MIXING ROOMS, Electronic sounds, 20:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, ELECTROBALL, KARBON, 80’s, nu-wave, rock & punk, 22:30–3:00, £tbc

JIM DA BEST, FLIRTINI FRIDAYS,

from the 1960’s-1980’s , 22:00–3:00, £3, free with matric. After 12am

BOHO, Party tunes & floor fillers, 21:30–3:00, £6 LISA LITTLEWOOD, FLUID, MAS, Funky house, 23:00–3:00, £5

THE BUFF CLUB, New wave, indie, electro, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3)

of hip hop, funk, RnB & soul, 21:00–0:00, Free

£1 members

hip hop & funk cuts, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£4)

RESIDENTS, KILLER KITSCH,

MARTIN BATE (XFM), REVOLUTION, QMU, Rock & punk , 22:00–2:15, £2,

RESIDENTS, FREAKMENOOVERS, RUST BAR, Early doors serving FREAKMENOOVERS DJS, FREAKMENOOVERS, BLANKET, Fresh MARK ROBB, HOME OF THE GROOVES, MAGGIE MAYS, Jazz, funk, soul,

psyche, 23:00–3:00, £5

LISA LITTLEWOOD & GRAEME FERGUSON, T.I.T., KARBON, Dance,

house, 80s classics, RnB & chart, 21:30–3:00, £8 RESIDENTS, GROOVEJET, MAS, Weekly house & RnB mix, 23:00–3:00, £7 (£5)

22:30–3:00, £5 (£4)

23:00–3:00, £5

WED 23 JAN

FIREWATER, Indie, rock, punk, electro, soul, britpop, 21:00–3:00, £5 (£4), free b4 10.30pm RESIDENTS, NOJ, POLAR BAR (ABC), No Music Policy, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

LIL RICH, GLAMORAMA, BOHO, 90s

CRAIG WILSON, HANOI ROCKS,

FIREWATER, Indie, rock & britpop, 12:00–3:00, £5 (£4), free b4 10.30pm

ROBBIE ROLEX & NEL, HIP DROP, BREL, Funk, soul, electro & disco,

21:00–1:00, Free

RESIDENTS, HOME COOKIN’,

BELO, Urban music showcase, 22:00–3:00, £7, free b4 11pm

STEVIE SOLE MIDDLETON, DOMENIC MARTIN & SCOTTIE B, HOMEGROWN, BAMBOO, House and

smooth RnB, jazz & funk, 21:00–3:00, £5, free b4 10.30pm/12.30am students

KEV MCFARLANE, STEPHEN LEE & WOODY, KARBON SATURDAYS, KARBON, House & hip hop classics,

22:30–3:00, £tbc

RESIDENTS, NU-SCHOOL, THE

BUFF CLUB, Fresh northern soul, jazz & funk featuring live percussion, classics downstairs, 22:30–3:00, £6

SCOTT MAC, MARK EG, REFRESH, CLUB CLINIC, Hard trance, electro,

GERRY LYONS, AFTER HOURS, THE BUFF CLUB, Pick & mix of everything, 23:00–3:00, £3

DJ DEC & COLIN, DELIVERANCE, THE CATHOUSE, Metal, emo & rock, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12am with PIYP

CHRIS TRAYNOR, MJAM SALSA,

DAVE MULHOLLAND, POP ROCK-IT, CATWALK, Mixed Bag, 19:00–3:00,

Free

NICKQ, FREAK SCENE DJS, SQUARE GO!, MAGGIE MAYS, Live bands

& club, 20:00–3:00, £3

RESIDENTS, TONGUE IN CHEEK,

BAMBOO, Lounge, RnB & indie, 22:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with matric MARTIN BATE (BEAT 106), THE BUNKER BAR, Vintage rock & indie, 21:00–3:00, Free

techno, house, 23:00–3:00, £tbc

THU 24 JAN

CATWALK, Classic & cult rock, 19:00–3:00, Free

ALEX & JOHN, 45 KICKS, THE BUFF CLUB, New York & underground school inspired beats, 23:00–3:00, £3 RESIDENTS, BABAZA, BELO, Hip hop with the funk, 22:00–3:00, £6, free b4 11pm

CIARAN O’TOOLE, ROUTE 666, HARRI & DOM, SUBCULTURE,

THE SUB CLUB, Weekly snapshot of the ever-evolving house blueprint, 23:00–3:00, £8, £5 b4 12am

CRAIG MCGEE, HORRORSHOW,

GORDIE & JACK, OLD SCHOOL,

THE BUFF CLUB, Old school tunes, 22:30–3:00, £6

DERRICK MAY, SLAM, ROB HOOD, JACK DE MARSEILLE, ALEX UNDER, PRESSURE, THE ARCHES, Techno, 22:00–3:00, £18

NICOLA WALKER, ROUTE 666, CATWALK, Rock, 19:00–3:00, Free

DJ HUSHPUPPY (ART SCHOOL) & CHRIS GEDDES (BELLE & SEBASTIAN), SOUND MUSEUM, BREL, Retro soul, 21:00–1:00, Free

MARK ROBB, SPARKIES 45S,

CAFÉ RIO, Jazz, funk & soul, 20:00–0:00, Free

GEOFF M, JUNIOR CAMPOS & MAX, TOXIC POP, BAMBOO, House

music, hip hop & lounge, 22:00–3:00, £5, free b4 11pm/12.30am students

DJ MINGO-GO & DJ CASIO, VIBRATIONS, CLASSIC GRAND, Electro, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£4)

MARTIN BATE (XFM), VICE,

THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, Indie rock party, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free b4 11.30pm with PIYP TAM COYLE, THE BUNKER BAR, Vintage rock & indie, 21:00–3:00, Free

EACH MONTH, YOU GIVE US THE INSIDE TRACK ON WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT IN YOUR AREA. TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAVOURITE SOCIAL VENUE BY SUBMITTING YOUR REVIEW TO WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK AND DON’T FORGET TO LET US KNOW YOUR READER RATING!

GOAT, Eclectic, 20:00–3:00, Free

MAX, DISCO BADGER, BAMBOO, Classic house music all night long with other boogie next door, 22:00–3:00, £5 (£3), free b4 10.30pm/12.30pm with matric

ALEX & JOHN, 45 KICKS, THE BUFF CLUB, New York & underground school inspired beats, 23:00–3:00, £3 RESIDENTS, BABAZA, BELO, Hip hop with the funk, 22:00–3:00, £6, free b4 11pm

DJ RICHARD LEVINSON, CLUB PRIORY: RETOX ROOMS, BLANKET,

of hip hop, funk, RnB & soul, 21:00–0:00, Free

HOUSE, Under-18 club with metal, emo & punk, 17:00–21:30, £6 (£3) DJ TOAST & MASH, THE BUNKER BAR, Eclectic, 21:00–3:00, Free BARRY, ERIC & BILLY, THE CATHOUSE, All things rock, 22:30–3:00, £6 (£5), free b4 11pm with PIYP PAUL NEEDLES, THE GOAT, Eclectic, 20:00–3:00, Free RESIDENTS, MACSORLEYS, Eclectic preclub music, 21:00–3:00, Free SCOTT STRACHAN, METROPOLITAN, House & funk, 21:00–3:00, Free

FIREWATER, Indie, rock, punk, electro, soul, britpop, 21:00–3:00, £5 (£4), free b4 10.30pm RESIDENTS, NOJ, POLAR BAR (ABC), No Music Policy, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

22:30–3:00, £5 (£4)

HARRI & DOM, SUBCULTURE,

SUN 13 JAN

RESIDENTS, FREAKMENOOVERS, RUST BAR, Early doors serving

RESIDENTS, VOODOO, THE CAT-

THE GOAT, Guests & DJs play acoustic gems, 20:00–3:00, Free

THU 17 JAN

THE SUB CLUB, Weekly snapshot of the ever-evolving house blueprint, 23:00–3:00, £8, £5 b4 12am RESIDENTS, VOODOO, THE CATHOUSE, Under-18 club with metal, emo & punk, 17:00–21:30, £6 (£3) DJ TOAST & MASH, THE BUNKER BAR, Eclectic, 21:00–3:00, Free BARRY, ERIC & BILLY, THE CATHOUSE, All things rock, 22:30–3:00, £6 (£5), free b4 11pm with PIYP PAUL NEEDLES, THE GOAT, Eclectic, 20:00–3:00, Free RESIDENTS, MACSORLEYS, Eclectic preclub music, 21:00–3:00, Free SCOTT STRACHAN, METROPOLITAN, House & funk, 21:00–3:00, Free

BOHO, Party tunes & floor fillers, 21:30–3:00, £6 LISA LITTLEWOOD, FLUID, MAS, Funky house, 23:00–3:00, £5

VENUE REVIEWS

23:00–3:00, £5

LISA LITTLEWOOD & GRAEME FERGUSON, T.I.T., KARBON, Dance,

CIARAN O’TOOLE, ROUTE 666,

CATWALK, Classic & cult rock, 19:00–3:00, Free

JIM DA BEST, FLIRTINI FRIDAYS,

£1 members

THE CATHOUSE, Metal, emo & rock, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12am with PIYP

smooth RnB, jazz & funk, 21:00–3:00, £5, free b4 10.30pm/12.30am students

KARBON, 80’s, nu-wave, rock & punk, 22:30–3:00, £tbc

MARK ROBB, HOME OF THE GROOVES, MAGGIE MAYS, Jazz, funk, soul,

RESIDENTS, HOME COOKIN’,

STEVIE SOLE MIDDLETON, DOMENIC MARTIN & SCOTTIE B, HOMEGROWN, BAMBOO, House and

RESIDENTS, ELECTROBALL,

FREAKMENOOVERS DJS, FREAKMENOOVERS, BLANKET, Fresh

THE BUFF CLUB, Pick & mix of everything, 23:00–3:00, £3

BELO, Urban music showcase, 22:00–3:00, £7, free b4 11pm

BLUU, Jazz, disco & house sounds, 22:00–3:00, £5, free b4 11pm RESIDENTS, COMPUTELOVE, THE MIXING ROOMS, Electronic sounds, 20:00–3:00, Free

THE BUFF CLUB, New wave, indie, electro, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3)

ROBBIE ROLEX & NEL, HIP DROP, BREL, Funk, soul, electro & disco,

21:00–1:00, Free

STEWART REID, BOOGIE DOWN,

HEADS UP

CLUBBING GLASGOW

MR. DIVINE & HUSHPUPPY, DIVINE!, THE VIC BAR, Northern soul, funk,

psyche, 23:00–3:00, £5

house, 80s classics, RnB & chart, 21:30–3:00, £8

RESIDENTS, GROOVEJET, MAS,

Weekly house & RnB mix, 23:00–3:00, £7 (£5)

CRAIG WILSON, HANOI ROCKS,

FIREWATER, Indie, rock & britpop, 12:00–3:00, £5 (£4), free b4 10.30pm

ROBBIE ROLEX & NEL, HIP DROP, BREL, Funk, soul, electro & disco,

21:00–1:00, Free

RESIDENTS, HOME COOKIN’,

BELO, Urban music showcase, 22:00–3:00, £7, free b4 11pm

STEVIE SOLE MIDDLETON, DOMENIC MARTIN & SCOTTIE B, HOMEGROWN, BAMBOO, House and

smooth RnB, jazz & funk, 21:00–3:00, £5, free b4 10.30pm/12.30am students

KEV MCFARLANE, STEPHEN LEE & WOODY, KARBON SATURDAYS, KARBON, House & hip hop classics,

CLIENTELE: Young to old all come along and gather for a natter and to enjoy the jovial atmosphere. People on laptops and those having an early dinner congregate upstairs while the hardcore drinkers keep near the bar, jostling and bouncing around, especially when the music gets so loud you can’t hear your pals. MAGIC MOMENT: Looking down that hot girl's top from the balcony; getting chatted up by gadges for your own amusement; and watching still unknown bands getting the whole place boogieing away. ATMOSPHERE: Amongst a mixed bunch of music fans and paper readers, get up to your own thing and relax. For a venue MacSorley's has a very homely feel, especially after a good meal gives you a warm feeling inside. Excitable and lively in the evening as music ﬁlls your head.

RESIDENTS, NU-SCHOOL, THE

OPENER: “What? WHAT? He put his hands where? You went on a dare? Hang on I can’t hear a bloody word you are saying... Start again.” [Esme Jones]

CIARAN O’TOOLE, ROUTE 666,

MACSORLEYS, 42 JAMAICA STREET, GLASGOW 0141 221 8499

22:30–3:00, £tbc

BUFF CLUB, Fresh northern soul, jazz & funk featuring live percussion, classics downstairs, 22:30–3:00, £6

CATWALK, Classic & cult rock, 19:00–3:00, Free

HARRI & DOM, SUBCULTURE,

THE SUB CLUB, Weekly snapshot of the ever-evolving house blueprint, 23:00–3:00, £8, £5 b4 12am RESIDENTS, VOODOO, THE CATHOUSE, Under-18 club with metal, emo & punk, 17:00–21:30, £6 (£3)

PERRY LOUIS, WEAK AT THE KNEES, BASURA BLANCA, Soul & funk, 21:00–2:00, £6

DJ TOAST & MASH, THE BUNKER BAR,

SECRET ARCADE EDINBURGH

rrr

Eclectic, 21:00–3:00, Free

OPENER: “Często pan tu bywa?” (“Do you come here often?”) [Esme Jones]

BARRY, ERIC & BILLY, THE CATHOUSE,

All things rock, 22:30–3:00, £6 (£5), free b4 11pm with PIYP PAUL NEEDLES, THE GOAT, Eclectic, 20:00–3:00, Free RESIDENTS, MACSORLEYS, Eclectic preclub music, 21:00–3:00, Free SCOTT STRACHAN, METROPOLITAN, House & funk, 21:00–3:00, Free

SUN 27 JAN DJ RICHARD LEVINSON, CLUB PRIORY: RETOX ROOMS, BLANKET,

RnB, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3)

RESIDENTS, COLD NIGHT SONG, THE GOAT, Guests & DJs play acoustic gems, 20:00–3:00, Free

DOMINIC MARTIN, KASH & MAX, DISCO BADGER, BAMBOO,

Classic house music all night long with other boogie next door, 22:00–3:00, £5 (£3), free b4 10.30pm/12.30pm with matric

JUMBLESALE SOUNDS, IT SURE BEATS WAITIN’, THE FLYING DUCK,

INSIDE: The downstairs bar (The Arcade) serves as an old man and tourist haven, while the new upstairs area (Secret Arcade), with two rooms and aimed at a younger crowd, appears to have had a Friesian cow explosion. With funky and innovative artwork, intimate tables, candlelight, open decks and projector screen there is plenty to keep you occupied, while in the back room you can be left to your own devices.

PREVIEW

23:00–3:00, £6 (£5)

Scottish literary and radical-political hero Kevin Williamson guarantees a challenging and entertaining time. From being the ﬁrst to publish such off-mainstream writers as Irvine Welsh and Alan Warner, with his underground publishing house Rebel Inc, to being the first person to be physically removed from the Scottish Parliament when he staged a protest there wearing a George Bush mask, Williamson has been there on the front line. For this evening’s event he will be reading from his ﬁrst book of poetry, In a Room Darkened.

CIARAN O’TOOLE & KIERAN ELLIOT, ROCK ON THE SABBATH, CATWALK, Rock, 19:00–3:00, Free

PAUL CRAWFORD, SOUL SUNDAYS, FIREWATER, Indie, punk & rock,

16:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, SPANK, THE CATHOUSE, Rock, punk & dance, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12am with PIYP JON MANCINI & KRIS KEEGAN, TRICKY DISCO, KARBON, House,

23:00–3:00, £5

JIM DA BEST, WE LOVE SUN-

DAYS, BOHO, Party tunes & floor fillers, 21:30–3:00, £3 NEIL WYPER, THE BUNKER BAR, New & old rock & electronica, 21:00–3:00, Free AARON PETRIE, METROPOLITAN, Chill & breakbeat house, 21:00–0:00, Free

LISTINGS

SECRET ARCADE, OFF COCKBURN STREET, EDINBURGH 0131 220 1297

CLIENTELE: As a Polish vodka bar, the clientele is unsurprisingly predominantly Polish, especially with DJ Jacek Zamoski being a regular at the weekend. But open decks nights and movies on a Sunday mean that the crowd can be a range of students and locals alike. Only open in the evenings, the Secret Arcade guarantees a level of pleasant rowdiness.

Bass, percussion & scratching, 21:00–3:00, Free b4 11pm MARKY MARK, JUNK, THE BUFF CLUB, Jazz & funk featuring live percussion by Duffy, 23:00–3:00, £3, free with matric

JD TWITCH & JG WILKES, OPTIMO, THE SUB CLUB, Maximum eclectic,

MAGIC MOMENT: Being able to find a seat when the rest of town is rammed. Sampling strange and flavoursome vodkas (well-priced, they stock over 80) that warm you to the ends of your fingers and toes. Also, coming in through the back alley (Jackson Close) and feeling like you’re smuggling in a back door gives a sense of secret satisfaction.

THE BRIDGE READINGS: KEVIN WILLIAMSON

FRI 1 FEB, 7PM, NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SCOTLAND, EDINBURGH, 0131 623 4675

WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

THE SKINNY ON TOUR ON THE RIVE GAUCHE IN PARIS, IN FULL VIEW OF NOTRE DAME , LAURA ESSLEMONT PLANS HER NEXT NIGHT OUT IN SCOTLAND

SEND YOUR PHOTOS FOR SKINNY ON TOUR TO: LETTERS@SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

FISHER & PRICE, MISS CHRIS & MARTIN VALENTINE, TASTE,

CABARET VOLTAIRE, Legendary gay-friendly club, 23:00–3:00, £6, £5 b4 11.30pm

MON 28 JAN RESIDENTS, HAPPY MONDAYS,

PO NA NA, Night for students & Industry folk, indie, rock & funk, 23:00–3:00, £3, free for students/ industry

JAMES COMBE, THE LATIN QUARTER, MEDINA, Salsa, funk & latin

Scottish winters are crap: they’re long, black, and know how to get to your chilly-bones no matter how many layers you sport. Scottish girls are crap too, ‘cause they never go out without any underwear on, when clearly the weather means it doesn’t make the blindest bit of difference. Now, we don’t want to responsible for the biggest surge in hypothermia since records began, nor be accused of ﬂagrant sexism, but check out these photos and tell us layers combined with glimpses of lady-ﬂesh aren’t hot as hell. Plus, we’re happy to acknowledge that girls look magic all wrapped up in baggy boy’s togs. Before you even know it it’ll be summer, and guys’ll be sitting outside pubs with no shirts on, catching tan and checking each other out. All is fair and glorious…

MASH & JON PLEASED, ROLLER DISCO, LULU, Past & future electronic classics,

£4 (£2), free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric FOLKS, FOLK IT!, THE MIXING ROOMS, Up & coming folk musician session, 20:00–1:00, Free

early nineties youth club disco, 21:00–5:00, £2, free b4 11pm

20:00–3:00, £4.99, free b4 11pm

RESIDENTS, THE PIT, THE HIVE, Rock &

metal, 23:00–3:00, Free

GARY MAC & GUESTS, WE ARE … ELECTRIC, CABARET VOLTAIRE, House,

& funk, 19:00–3:00, Free

DJ BEEFY & WOLFJAZZ, TRADE UNION, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Night for deserv-

ing bar & club staff, 22:00–3:00, £2, £1 Trade Union members/ECCF members JEZ HILL, LULU, Classic pop & funk anthems, 20:00–3:00, £5, free b4 10pm IAIN STRETCH MACFADYEN, THE VOODOO ROOMS, Open Mic, 21:00–0:00, Free

TUE 29 JAN RESIDENTS, ANTICS, THE HIVE, Rock, emo, punk & metal, 23:00–3:00, Free MR. JINX, THE DIAMOND DICE,

old metal & hard rock, 20:00–3:00, Free

ANDY WILSON & DJ KASH, ALL STAR, BAMBOO, Funk & hip pop, 22:00–3:00,

MARTIN BATE (XFM), REVOLUTION, QMU, Rock & punk , 22:00–2:15, £2,

THU 31 JAN

THE CATHOUSE, Metal, emo & rock, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12am with PIYP

DJ DEC & COLIN, DELIVERANCE, CHRIS TRAYNOR, MJAM SALSA,

LIPTONS, Salsa classes from 8pm, free club from 10.15pm, 20:00–0:00, Free MARTIN BATE (BEAT 106), THE BUNKER BAR, Vintage rock & indie, 21:00–3:00, Free

THU 03 JAN ALEX & JOHN, 45 KICKS, THE BUFF

CABARET VOLTAIRE, Blend of electro, techno, drum & bass, breakbeat, healthy mid-week rave, 23:00–3:00, Free

DAVA & HOBBES, SYNTHETIC LOVE, LULU, Eclectic set, 20:00–3:00, £4, free

RESIDENTS, LIC IT, CITRUS CLUB,

Student night, 23:00–3:00, £2, free b4 12am BLACK SPRING DJS, LIMBO, THE VOODOO ROOMS, A place where girls dance and anything can happen, 20:00–1:00, £4

JACEK ZAMOJSKI & GUESTS, POLYPHONIC SOCIAL CLUB,

THE PHAROAH SANDERS QUARTET, THE VOODOO ROOMS, Jazz Saxophone, WED 30 JAN

breaks & techno, 23:00–3:00, Free

DJ AKI, TUESDAY HEARTBREAK, THE JAZZ BAR, Funk, 23:30–3:00, Free

JAMES LONGWARTH, VIBE, EGO, Weekly gay club playing chart, 23:00–3:00, £4 19:00–1:00, £25

PACMAN, JOY, BASS INVASION, SECRET ARCADE, Drum & bass, breakbeat, 21:00–1:00, Free

BLACK SPRING DJS, BLACK SPRING ROCKS, THE JAZZ BAR, Music

to make girls dance, 23:30–3:00, Free

DJ JEZ HILL, CHAMBLES, OPAL

LOUNGE, Funk & chart, 21:00–3:00, £5 (£4)

BREADMARK & JOHNNY CASHBACK, THE GOOD GROOVE, PIVO CAFFE, Funk, afrobeat, latin breaks & house, 19:00–3:00, Free

AL MAJIK, CHUBBY COX & GUEST, SIREN, THE HIVE, Electro, house,

GARETH SOMERVILLE, FRAZER MCGLINCHEY & GUESTS, SOULED OUT, OPAL LOUNGE, Soul, disco

& dance, 22:00–3:00, £3, free b4 12am JEZ HILL, STILETTO, LULU, Electro-pop, classics & disco, 20:00–3:00, £5, free b4 10pm

HUGGY, CRAIG SMITH, YINYANG, SHANGHAI (UNDERNEATH LE MONDE), House, 22:00–3:00, £6 (£3)

THE DEPARTURE LOUNGE DJS,

ASSEMBLY BAR, Jazz to breakbeats, 21:00–1:00, Free

CLUBBING DUNDEE FRI 04 JAN

THU 17 JAN

SILICONE SOUL & HEADWAY, HEADWAY, THE READING ROOMS, House,

DJ DAVID, FELT ALTERNATIVE DISCO, THE READING ROOMS, Danceably

electro, techno & breaks, 22:30–2:30, £5 before midnight / £7 after RESIDENTS, SKOOLZ OUT, THE ART BAR, Funky house to deep space techno, 17:00–2:30, Free

SAT 05 JAN DJ DESPERADO DAN, PLASTIC SOUL, THE READING ROOMS, Hip hop, soul,

reggae, afro, funk & dub, 22:30–2:30, £5 MARCUS AUGUSTUS, THE ART BAR, Funky house & techno, 21:00–2:30, Free

WED 09 JAN MASH DJS, THE ART BAR, Eclectic mix of

old favourites, 21:00–2:30, Free

THU 10 JAN DJ DAVID, FELT ALTERNATIVE DISCO, THE READING ROOMS, Danceably alternative, 22:30–2:30, £5, £3 b4 12am

FRI 11 JAN BIG G, ELECTRIC LADY, THE READ-

ING ROOMS, Electronic, house & broken beat, 22:30–2:30, £5 RESIDENTS, SKOOLZ OUT, THE ART BAR, Electro & acid, 17:00–2:30, Free

SAT 12 JAN DJS DESPERADO DAN & MISS DLOVE, PLASTIC SOUL, THE READING ROOMS, Hip hop, soul, reggae, afro, funk & dub, 22:30–2:30, £5

TUE 15 JAN RESIDENTS, THE ART BAR, Open Mic,

20:00–2:00, Free

WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

alternative, 22:30–2:30, £5, £3 b4 12am

FRI 18 JAN SPECIAL ED, PROFESSA FRESH & JZY, PANGEA, THE READING ROOMS,

Drum & bass, breaks, 22:30–2:30, £tbc MARCUS AUGUSTUS, THE ART BAR, Funky house & techno, 17:00–2:30, Free

SAT 19 JAN DJS DESPERADO DAN & POINT TO C (PEDDIE STREET SOUNDSYSTEM), PLASTIC SOUL, THE

READING ROOMS, Hip hop, soul, reggae, afro, funk & dub, 22:30–2:30, £5 STU ROCK, THE ART BAR, Deep & underground house, 21:00–2:30, Free

THU 24 JAN DJ DAVID, FELT ALTERNATIVE DISCO, THE READING ROOMS, Danceably alternative, 22:30–2:30, £5, £3 b4 12am

FRI 25 JAN CHRIS LAKE, THE READING ROOMS,

22:30–2:30, £tbc

STU ROCK, THE ART BAR, Deep & underground house, 17:00–2:30, Free

SAT 26 JAN TODDLA T (SMALL ARMS FIYA), DJ DESPERADO DAN, PLASTIC SOUL, THE READING ROOMS, Hip hop, soul,

reggae, afro, funk & dub, 22:30–2:30, £8, £6 b4 11.30pm MASH DJS, THE ART BAR, Eclectic mix of old favourites, 21:00–2:30, Free

GOAT, Eclectic, 20:00–3:00, Free

CRAIG MCGEE, CIGARETTES & F**K ALL, THE BUTTERFLY & THE PIG, Indie

Electronic disco & soul, 21:00–0:00, Free

FREAKMENOOVERS DJS, FREAKMOVES, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF

GERRY LYONS, ABC SATURDAYS, ABC1, Soul, punk, rock & indie dance,

& rock ‘n’ roll, 21:00–1:00, Free

ART, Fresh hip hop & funk cuts, Record Playerz in the bar, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3) JOHN, FREAKSCENE, POLAR BAR (ABC), Indie classics, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

D_FADE, DUNCAN HARVEY & BOOM MONK BEN, THE FUNKY PRECEDENT, SAINT JUDE’S, Hip hop, funk, soul & motown, 20:00–3:00, Free

DJ FRAMIE, MIX GENERATOR, CATWALK, Classic rock, maetal & alternative, 19:00–3:00, Free

MARK ROBB, TANIA & FRIENDS, PLASTIC FUNK, BAMBOO, Funk,

soul & rock n roll, 22:30–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric

SAT 05 JAN 23:00–3:00, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

DAVID SINCLAIR (KILLER KITSCH), ABC SATURDAYS, ABC2,

Electro, house & pop, 23:00–3:00, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

LOOSE JOINTS & STEVIE ELEMENTS, BAD ROBOT, GLASGOW

SCHOOL OF ART, Rock to techno & breakbeats, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£5), £2 GSA, free after 12am GUESTS, DECODANCE, CLASSIC GRAND, Glamorous house, 23:00–3:00, £8

MR. DIVINE & HUSHPUPPY, DIVINE!, THE VIC BAR, Northern soul, funk,

ska & mod tunes, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£5)

RADIOMAGNETIC DJS, RADIOMAGNETIC, GAZELLE, Funk, soul & latin

RESIDENTS, DON’T FIGHT IT FEEL IT, MAGGIE MAYS, Indie, rock & roll,

HI-FI SEAN & HUSHPUPPY, RECORD PLAYERZ, THE VIC BAR, Disco

LIL RICH, GLAMORAMA, BOHO, 90s

grooves, 20:00–3:00, Free

electro, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3)

RESIDENTS, RUBBERMENSCH,

ABC2, A night for indie lovers, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric. DJ BILLY, SKINT, THE CATHOUSE, Metal, hip hop & rock, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with PIYP

psyche, 23:00–3:00, £5

house, 80s classics, RnB & chart, 21:30–3:00, £8

RESIDENTS, GROOVEJET, MAS,

Weekly house & RnB mix, 23:00–3:00, £7 (£5)

FRI 04 JAN EUAN NEILSON, ABC FRIDAYS,

ABC1, Genre mash-up, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

BARRY & BILLY, BALLBREAKER,

THE CATHOUSE, Rock & metal, 22:30–3:00, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free b4 11.30am with PIYP

STEWART REID, BOOGIE DOWN,

BLUU, Jazz, disco & house sounds, 22:00–3:00, £5, free b4 11pm RESIDENTS, COMPUTELOVE, THE MIXING ROOMS, Electronic sounds, 20:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, ELECTROBALL, KARBON, 80’s, nu-wave, rock & punk, 22:30–3:00, £tbc

JIM DA BEST, FLIRTINI FRIDAYS,

BOHO, Party tunes & floor fillers, 21:30–3:00, £6 LISA LITTLEWOOD, FLUID, MAS, Funky house, 23:00–3:00, £5

RESIDENTS, FREAKMENOOVERS, RUST BAR, Early doors serving of hip hop, funk, RnB & soul, 21:00–0:00, Free

RESIDENTS, HOME COOKIN’,

BELO, Urban music showcase, 22:00–3:00, £7, free b4 11pm

smooth RnB, jazz & funk, 21:00–3:00, £5, free b4 10.30pm/12.30am students

KEV MCFARLANE, STEPHEN LEE & WOODY, KARBON SATURDAYS, KARBON, House & hip hop classics,

22:30–3:00, £tbc

RESIDENTS, NU-SCHOOL, THE

BUFF CLUB, Fresh northern soul, jazz & funk featuring live percussion, classics downstairs, 22:30–3:00, £6

CIARAN O’TOOLE, ROUTE 666,

CATWALK, Classic & cult rock, 19:00–3:00, Free HARRI & DOM, SUBCULTURE, THE SUB CLUB, Weekly snapshot of the ever-evolving house blueprint, 23:00–3:00, £8, £5 b4 12am RESIDENTS, VOODOO, THE CATHOUSE, Under-18 club with metal, emo & punk, 17:00–21:30, £6 (£3) DJ TOAST & MASH, THE BUNKER BAR, Eclectic, 21:00–3:00, Free BARRY, ERIC & BILLY, THE CATHOUSE, All things rock, 22:30–3:00, £6 (£5), free b4 11pm with PIYP PAUL NEEDLES, THE GOAT, Eclectic, 20:00–3:00, Free RESIDENTS, MACSORLEYS, Eclectic preclub music, 21:00–3:00, Free SCOTT STRACHAN, METROPOLITAN, House & funk, 21:00–3:00, Free

SUN 06 JAN

FREAKMENOOVERS DJS, FREAKMENOOVERS, BLANKET, Fresh

DJ RICHARD LEVINSON, CLUB PRIORY: RETOX ROOMS, BLANKET,

MARK ROBB, HOME OF THE GROOVES, MAGGIE MAYS, Jazz, funk, soul,

RESIDENTS, COLD NIGHT SONG,

hip hop & funk cuts, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£4)

23:00–3:00, £5

21:30–3:00, £3

RnB, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3)

THE GOAT, Guests & DJs play acoustic gems, 20:00–3:00, Free

CATWALK, Classic rock, maetal & alternative, 19:00–3:00, Free

MARK ROBB, TANIA & FRIENDS, PLASTIC FUNK, BAMBOO, Funk, RADIOMAGNETIC DJS, RADIOMAGNETIC, GAZELLE, Funk, soul & latin HI-FI SEAN & HUSHPUPPY, RECORD PLAYERZ, THE VIC BAR, Disco

electro, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3)

RESIDENTS, RUBBERMENSCH,

ABC2, A night for indie lovers, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric. DJ BILLY, SKINT, THE CATHOUSE, Metal, hip hop & rock, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with PIYP

GERRY LYONS & BRIAN, THE THURSDAY CLUB, THE GARAGE, Chart

anthems, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3), free b4 12am with PIYP

NEIL WYPER, THE BUNKER BAR, New & old rock & electronica, 21:00–3:00, Free AARON PETRIE, METROPOLITAN, Chill & breakbeat house, 21:00–0:00, Free

DJ TOAST, UP THE RACKET,

MON 07 JAN

21:30–3:00, £3 CJ, THE BUNKER BAR, Grunge & new rock, 21:00–3:00, Free KEVIN STEVENS, METROPOLITAN, Funk & soul 45s, 21:00–0:00, Free

NORMSKI & ZEUS, BURN, THE BUFF CLUB, Glasgow institition playing underground classics, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3), free for pub/club workers RESIDENTS, FRESH, THE POLO LOUNGE, Popular gay venue with house & indie, 23:00–3:00, £5

DJ ANDY & DJ DEC, POPTIMISM/ ROCKTIMISM, THE GARAGE, Pop & rock, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP

TUE 08 JAN ANDY WILSON & DJ KASH, ALL STAR, BAMBOO, Funk & hip pop, 22:00–3:00,

£4 (£2), free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric FOLKS, FOLK IT!, THE MIXING ROOMS, Up & coming folk musician session, 20:00–1:00, Free

RESIDENTS, KALEIDOSCOPE LIVE, ABC2, Old school rock & roll, soul, funk,

from the 1960’s-1980’s , 22:00–3:00, £3, free with matric. After 12am

RESIDENTS, KILLER KITSCH, THE BUFF CLUB, New wave, indie, electro, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3)

MARTIN BATE (XFM), REVOLUTION, QMU, Rock & punk , 22:00–2:15, £2,

£1 members

WED 09 JAN

STEVIE SOLE MIDDLETON, DOMENIC MARTIN & SCOTTIE B, HOMEGROWN, BAMBOO, House and

21:30–3:00, £3 CJ, THE BUNKER BAR, Grunge & new rock, 21:00–3:00, Free KEVIN STEVENS, METROPOLITAN, Funk & soul 45s, 21:00–0:00, Free

JIM DA BEST, WE LOVE SUNDAYS, BOHO, Party tunes & floor fillers,

ROBBIE ROLEX & NEL, HIP DROP, BREL, Funk, soul, electro & disco,

DJ TOAST, UP THE RACKET,

DJ NORMSKI, ZERO THURSDAYS, BOHO, Funk, electro & house,

JON MANCINI & KRIS KEEGAN, TRICKY DISCO, KARBON, House,

LISA LITTLEWOOD & GRAEME FERGUSON, T.I.T., KARBON, Dance,

FIREWATER, Indie, rock & britpop, 12:00–3:00, £5 (£4), free b4 10.30pm

21:00–1:00, Free

FIREWATER, Indie, soul, britpop, rock, punk, 16:00–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 10.30pm

RESIDENTS, SPANK, THE CATHOUSE,

CRAIG WILSON, HANOI ROCKS,

GERRY LYONS & BRIAN, THE THURSDAY CLUB, THE GARAGE, Chart

anthems, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3), free b4 12am with PIYP

16:00–3:00, Free

23:00–3:00, £6 (£4)

DARIO BERNADI, METROPOLITAN,

DJ FRAMIE, MIX GENERATOR,

grooves, 20:00–3:00, Free

CATWALK, Rock, 19:00–3:00, Free

23:00–3:00, £5

THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, Indie rock party, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free b4 11.30pm with PIYP TAM COYLE, THE BUNKER BAR, Vintage rock & indie, 21:00–3:00, Free

funk, soul & motown, 20:00–3:00, Free

CIARAN O’TOOLE & KIERAN ELLIOT, ROCK ON THE SABBATH,

Rock, punk & dance, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12am with PIYP

DJ MINGO-GO & DJ CASIO, VIBRATIONS, CLASSIC GRAND, Electro,

D_FADE, DUNCAN HARVEY & BOOM MONK BEN, THE FUNKY PRECEDENT, SAINT JUDE’S, Hip hop,

soul & rock n roll, 22:30–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric

music, hip hop & lounge, 22:00–3:00, £5, free b4 11pm/12.30am students

CHINAWHITE, Rock, funkpunk & house all mixed by lovely ladies, 22:00–3:00, £4, free b4 11pm

PIVO CAFFE, Electric mash up dance grooves, 19:00–3:00, Free RESIDENTS, SALSA DISCO, CUBA NORTE, Salsa dance & tasty tapas, 22:00–1:00, Free RESIDENTS, SICK NOTE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Fidget house, booty bass, indie, new wave, 23:00–3:00, Free

b4 11pm

RIO, Jazz, funk & soul, 20:00–0:00, Free

GEOFF M, JUNIOR CAMPOS & MAX, TOXIC POP, BAMBOO, House

JOHN, FREAKSCENE, POLAR BAR (ABC), Indie classics, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

JD TWITCH & JG WILKES, OPTIMO, THE SUB CLUB, Maximum eclectic,

PAUL CRAWFORD, SOUL SUNDAYS, FIREWATER, Indie, punk & rock,

ROBBIE ROLEX & THE RADIO MAGNETIC SOUNDSYSTEM, THE

£5 (£3)

Bass, percussion & scratching, 21:00–3:00, Free b4 11pm MARKY MARK, JUNK, THE BUFF CLUB, Jazz & funk featuring live percussion by Duffy, 23:00–3:00, £3, free with matric

MARK ROBB, SPARKIES 45S, CAFÉ

BREL, Retro soul, 21:00–1:00, Free

mances, 80s tunes, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3)

RESIDENTS, CHIX ON DEX,

JUMBLESALE SOUNDS, IT SURE BEATS WAITIN’, THE FLYING DUCK,

23:00–3:00, £6 (£5)

22:00–3:00, £3 (£2)

CHRISTER, MIKEY HUNTER, DOWZER, CLAUDIO, ANDY NUHI, KRAVE, FAITH, Party house, 22:00–3:00,

DOMINIC MARTIN, KASH &

MAX, DISCO BADGER, BAMBOO, Classic house music all night long with other boogie next door, 22:00–3:00, £5 (£3), free b4 10.30pm/12.30pm with matric

DJ HUSHPUPPY (ART SCHOOL) & CHRIS GEDDES (BELLE & SEBASTIAN), SOUND MUSEUM,

GRV, Cakes & tunes, 20:00–0:00, Free

RESIDENTS, CHILDREN OF THE 80S, CLASSIC GRAND, DJs & live perfor-

RESIDENTS, SPITFIRES SOCIAL CLUB, RED, Indie social club, 21:00–3:00, Free EDINBURGH LOCALS, SPLIT,

CATWALK, Rock, 19:00–3:00, Free

MARTIN BATE (XFM), VICE,

KIPP$ & MASTER CAIRD, GRAFITTI, MEDINA, Party tunes all night,

OPAL LOUNGE, Original soul, funk, disco, latin & hip hop, 22:00–3:00, Free

THE BUFF CLUB, Old school tunes, 22:30–3:00, £6

CLUB, New York & underground school inspired beats, 23:00–3:00, £3 RESIDENTS, BABAZA, BELO, Hip hop with the funk, 22:00–3:00, £6, free b4 11pm

THE LIQUID ROOM, House music all night long, 22:30–3:00, Free

21:00–3:00, Free

CLUB, Electro, techno, acid, 23:00–3:00, £7 (£5)

NICOLA WALKER, ROUTE 666,

DICK DANGEROUS & THE LOVE BASTARDS, EVER SO SWEET, THE

DJ STUART JOHNSTON, FRUNT,

AUTOMAT, LORY D, DAVEY RED, NUMBERS VS MONOX, THE SUB

22:30–3:00, £5 (£4)

LISA LITTLEWOOD & GRAEME FERGUSON, T.I.T., KARBON, Dance, WED 02 JAN

THE JAZZ BAR, Live hip hop, funky beats, 23:30–3:00, Free RESIDENTS, ALTER EGO, PO NA NA, DJ Diverse with indie, rock n roll & electro, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3) RESIDENTS, BUMP, THE LIQUID ROOM, Chart, 22:30–3:00, £2 (£1)

FIREWATER, Indie, rock, punk, electro, soul, britpop, 21:00–3:00, £5 (£4), free b4 10.30pm RESIDENTS, NOJ, POLAR BAR (ABC), No Music Policy, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

GORDIE & JACK, OLD SCHOOL,

electro, tech-house & breaks with rotating guests in the back, 23:00–3:00, Free RESIDENTS, BARAKA, Funk, soul, disco, dancehall & reggae, 20:00–1:00, Free

THE FREAKY FAMILY, 100% ORGANIC HIP HOP LIVE SESSION,

CRAIG MCGEE, HORRORSHOW,

£1 members

MASSA, Hip hop, RnB & grime, 22:00–3:00, £5

FRYER & GINO, MOTHERFUNK,

Another criticism directed at fashion, recently at least, is that of a lack of big new ideas. But fashion is supposed to reﬂect the atmosphere and zeitgeist of its time, so isn’t it appropriate that in an age crying out for big ideas (forgive me if I don’t think social networking counts) there aren’t many to be found in fashion? Instead, The Skinny Fashion Special 2008 is all about new ways to wear existing styles: punks in tweed suits, girls in guys’ skater gear, and retro styles as lounge-wear for the home. I hope you feel inspired by our recommendations, and I see some Victoriana club kids the next time I’m out. Oh wait, I think I already did… [RJ Thomson]

TUE 01 JAN

Modern music & timeless classics, 22:00–3:00, £3, free b4 12am

ASTROBOY & BREADMARK, SOUNDS GOOD, PIVO CAFFE, Soul, jazz

CLUBBING GLASGOW

MC BLONDEX, AWESOME WELLS, JERK ALERT, RED, Indie meets

DJ NU-CLEAR, TOXIK, OPIUM, New &

NICK A.K.A. & THE DALEK, INDIE MIX, PIVO CAFFE, Indie, alt, Mashup & bootlegs,

Fashion gets a bad name. Style, fashion’s more reliable older brother, is more important. But, for one thing, style is very hard to defi ne. The best advice I’ve had on style is simple: wear the things you like, all the time. In practice this works pretty well: you don’t need to spend long getting dressed in the morning, and you can always walk around feeling comfortable, at least in your outfit. But the implied message here is rather negative: don’t feel the need to change. Fashion, in one of its best senses, is an affi rmation of the need to embrace change, to live with change, to make change part of how we present ourselves to the world.

Northern soul, 70s funk, disco, 22:30–3:00, £4, free b4 12am RESIDENTS, INDI-GO, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie & alternative, 22:30–3:00, £2, £1 students

house, 22:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, MOJO, OPAL LOUNGE,

A girl can get away with anything...

RESIDENTS, FREAK, CITRUS CLUB,

22:30–3:00, £5 (£4)

FIREWATER, Indie, soul, britpop, rock, punk, 16:00–3:00, £4 (£3), free b4 10.30pm

DJ NORMSKI, ZERO THURSDAYS, BOHO, Funk, electro & house,

FRI 11 JAN EUAN NEILSON, ABC FRIDAYS,

ABC1, Genre mash-up, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

BARRY & BILLY, BALLBREAKER,

THE CATHOUSE, Rock & metal, 22:30–3:00, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free b4 11.30am with PIYP

SKWEE SHOWCASE W/ PAVAN & RIGAS, BALLERS SOCIAL CLUB, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Electronic-hyph, 23:00–3:00, £5

STEWART REID, BOOGIE DOWN,

BLUU, Jazz, disco & house sounds, 22:00–3:00, £5, free b4 11pm RESIDENTS, COMPUTELOVE, THE MIXING ROOMS, Electronic sounds, 20:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, ELECTROBALL, KARBON, 80’s, nu-wave, rock & punk, 22:30–3:00, £tbc

JIM DA BEST, FLIRTINI FRIDAYS,

BOHO, Party tunes & floor fillers, 21:30–3:00, £6 LISA LITTLEWOOD, FLUID, MAS, Funky house, 23:00–3:00, £5

RESIDENTS, FREAKMENOOVERS, RUST BAR, Early doors serving of hip hop, funk, RnB & soul, 21:00–0:00, Free

FREAKMENOOVERS DJS, FREAKMENOOVERS, BLANKET, Fresh

GERRY LYONS, AFTER HOURS, THE BUFF CLUB, Pick & mix of everything, 23:00–3:00, £3

DJ DEC & COLIN, DELIVERANCE, THE CATHOUSE, Metal, emo & rock, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12am with PIYP

CHRIS TRAYNOR, MJAM SALSA,

DAVE MULHOLLAND, POP ROCK-IT, CATWALK, Mixed Bag, 19:00–3:00,

hip hop & funk cuts, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£4)

MARK ROBB, HOME OF THE GROOVES, MAGGIE MAYS, Jazz, funk, soul,

23:00–3:00, £5

CRAIG MCGEE, HORRORSHOW,

FIREWATER, Indie, rock, punk, electro, soul, britpop, 21:00–3:00, £5 (£4), free b4 10.30pm RESIDENTS, NOJ, POLAR BAR (ABC), No Music Policy, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

GORDIE & JACK, OLD SCHOOL,

THE BUFF CLUB, Old school tunes, 22:30–3:00, £6

NICOLA WALKER, ROUTE 666, CATWALK, Rock, 19:00–3:00, Free

NICKQ, FREAK SCENE DJS, SQUARE GO!, MAGGIE MAYS, Live bands

DJ HUSHPUPPY (ART SCHOOL) & CHRIS GEDDES (BELLE & SEBASTIAN), SOUND MUSEUM,

RESIDENTS, TONGUE IN CHEEK,

MARK ROBB, SPARKIES 45S, CAFÉ

Free

& club, 20:00–3:00, £3

BREL, Retro soul, 21:00–1:00, Free

BAMBOO, Lounge, RnB & indie, 22:00–3:00, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with matric MARTIN BATE (BEAT 106), THE BUNKER BAR, Vintage rock & indie, 21:00–3:00, Free

FULL PHAT, JOHNNY WHOOP, DAVE SHADES, DAVID MOTTRAM, SYMBIOSIS, SOUNDHAUS,

THU 10 JAN ALEX & JOHN, 45 KICKS, THE BUFF

CLUB, New York & underground school inspired beats, 23:00–3:00, £3 RESIDENTS, BABAZA, BELO, Hip hop with the funk, 22:00–3:00, £6, free b4 11pm

RESIDENTS, CHILDREN OF THE 80S, CLASSIC GRAND, DJs & live performances, 80s tunes, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£3)

RESIDENTS, CHIX ON DEX,

CHINAWHITE, Rock, funkpunk & house all mixed by lovely ladies, 22:00–3:00, £4, free b4 11pm

RIO, Jazz, funk & soul, 20:00–0:00, Free

Drum & bass, techno, 22:30–4:00, £7 (£6)

GEOFF M, JUNIOR CAMPOS & MAX, TOXIC POP, BAMBOO, House

music, hip hop & lounge, 22:00–3:00, £5, free b4 11pm/12.30am students

DJ MINGO-GO & DJ CASIO, VIBRATIONS, CLASSIC GRAND, Electro, 23:00–3:00, £6 (£4)

MARTIN BATE (XFM), VICE,

THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, Indie rock party, 23:00–3:00, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free b4 11.30pm with PIYP TAM COYLE, THE BUNKER BAR, Vintage rock & indie, 21:00–3:00, Free

CRAIG MCGEE, CIGARETTES & F**K ALL, THE BUTTERFLY & THE PIG, Indie

ROBBIE ROLEX & THE RADIO MAGNETIC SOUNDSYSTEM, THE

FREAKMENOOVERS DJS, FREAKMOVES, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF

DARIO BERNADI, METROPOLITAN,

& rock ‘n’ roll, 21:00–1:00, Free

ART, Fresh hip hop & funk cuts, Record Playerz in the bar, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£3)

GOAT, Eclectic, 20:00–3:00, Free

Electronic disco & soul, 21:00–0:00, Free OOFT DJS, MISO, Re-edits, hip hop, house, balearic, 21:00–1:00, Free

JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

LISTINGS

RESIDENTS, SIENTELO!, EL BARRIO, Latin America music mixed with chart tunes, 23:00–3:00, Free

CLUBBING EDINBURGH RESIDENTS, LIC IT, CITRUS CLUB, Student night, 23:00–3:00, £2, free b4 12am BLACK SPRING DJS, LIMBO, THE VOODOO ROOMS, A place where girls dance and anything can happen, 20:00–1:00, £4 JACEK ZAMOJSKI & GUESTS, POLYPHONIC SOCIAL CLUB,

AL MAJIK, CHUBBY COX & GUEST, SIREN, THE HIVE, Electro, house,

breaks & techno, 23:00–3:00, Free

GARETH SOMERVILLE, FRAZER MCGLINCHEY & GUESTS, SOULED OUT, OPAL LOUNGE, Soul, disco

& dance, 22:00–3:00, £3, free b4 12am JEZ HILL, STILETTO, LULU, Electro-pop, classics & disco, 20:00–3:00, £5, free b4 10pm

HUGGY, CRAIG SMITH, YINYANG, SHANGHAI (UNDERNEATH LE MONDE), House, 22:00–3:00, £6 (£3)

THE DEPARTURE LOUNGE DJS,

JOHN HUTCHISON (TOKYOBLU), SOPHISTIFUNK, CITY, House remixes, funky RnB & bootlegs, 23:00–3:00, £8 (£4) RESIDENTS, TEASE AGE, CITRUS CLUB, All things rock, motown, alternative & soul, 22:30–3:00, £6, free b4 11pm

RESIDENTS, VEGAS! THE JANUARY SALE, THE VOODOO ROOMS, Lounge, retro, ratpack, 21:00–3:00, £7

GARETH SOMERVILLE (ULTRAGROOVE) & JONNIE LYLEY (SCRATCH), ASSEMBLY BAR, House to hip

hop, 21:00–1:00, Free

DANNY TENNENT, GARETH SOMERVILLE, ISLA BLIGE & THE BLOND FLASH, LULU, Soul, funk, house &

latin, 20:00–3:00, £7, free b4 12am

SUN 13 JAN RESIDENTS, ALL BACK TO MINE, OPAL LOUNGE, Eclectic mix of personal favourites, 22:00–3:00, £3, free b4 11pm

IAN ANDERSON & BISCUIT D, BACK TO BASICS, PIVO CAFFE, Retro dance, 90s & disco, 19:00–3:00, Free

DALE LUSH & FRIENDS, BOOTY,

MEDINA, Soul, funk, disco & chart, 22:00–3:00, £5

BREADMARK & JOHNNY CASHBACK, THE GOOD GROOVE, PIVO

CAFFE, Funk, afrobeat, latin breaks & house, 19:00–3:00, Free RESIDENTS, FREAK, CITRUS CLUB, Northern soul, 70s funk, disco, 22:30–3:00, £4, free b4 12am RESIDENTS, INDI-GO, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie & alternative, 22:30–3:00, £2, £1 students

MC BLONDEX, AWESOME WELLS, JERK ALERT, RED, Indie meets

early nineties youth club disco, 21:00–5:00, £2, free b4 11pm

MASH & JON PLEASED, ROLLER DISCO, LULU, Past & future electronic classics,

20:00–3:00, £4.99, free b4 11pm RESIDENTS, THE PIT, THE HIVE, Rock & metal, 23:00–3:00, Free DJ NU-CLEAR, TOXIK, OPIUM, New & old metal & hard rock, 20:00–3:00, Free

GARY MAC & GUESTS, WE ARE … ELECTRIC, CABARET VOLTAIRE, House,

electro, tech-house & breaks with rotating guests in the back, 23:00–3:00, Free RESIDENTS, BARAKA, Funk, soul, disco, dancehall & reggae, 20:00–1:00, Free

RESIDENTS, CURIOUS? SUNDAY JOINT, THE BONGO CLUB, Diverse selection

THU 17 JAN

ALIVE & JIGGIN’, HLI, ASSEMBLY ROOMS CEILIDH, ASSEMBLY ROOMS,

SAM JOSE, TALL PAUL, EASY SUNDAY, THE JAZZ BAR, Lounge,

RESIDENTS, BIG TOE’S HI FI, WEE

DEREK MARTIN & STUART JOHNSTON, FRICTION, LIQUID

ASSEMBLY BAR, Jazz to breakbeats, 21:00–1:00, Free

FRI 11 JAN Ceilidh, 20:00–0:00, £ 10.00

RED BAR, Dub, reggae, dancehall, dubstep, 22:30–3:00, £5 (£4)

SCOTT ELLIOT, CRAIG GEE & GAV GRANT ON ROTATION, CLUB CLASSICS, PIVO CAFFE, Classic

club music from the past 15 years, 17:00–3:00, Free DJ NICKI & GUESTS, CULT, PO NA NA, Hip hop, disco, funk & RnB, 22:00–3:00, £5, £2.50 b4 11pm RESIDENTS, DE LUXE, HUDSON CLUB, Funky house with resident DJs, 23:00–3:00, £3, free b4 12am RESIDENTS, EVOL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie, hip hop, alternative beats & rock, 22:30–3:00, £5

DOUBLE D & ISLA, GET FUNK’D,

MEDINA, Hip hop to house, 22:00–3:00, £4, £3 b4 11pm RESIDENTS, MISFITS, THE HIVE, Indie, electro, punk, rock, retro & a tequila girl, 23:00–3:00, £3, free b4 12am

ASTROBOY, DIGITAL JONES, B-BURG, RED RACK’EM, MOONSTEP, THE VOODOO ROOMS, Hip hop, space

disco, electronic, funk, 21:00–1:00, £5

RESIDENTS, PLANET EARTH, CIT-

RUS CLUB, 80s tunes with residents, 22:30–3:00, £5, free b4 11pm

RESIDENTS, SALSA CARIBE!, THE

LOT, Salsa DJs on the special wooden dancefloor, 21:00–1:30, £5, £4 b4 9.30pm GECKO 3, SKUNKFUNK, THE JAZZ BAR, Acid, funk, reggae, 23:30–3:00, £5 (£3) RESIDENTS, SOLESCIENCE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, The 3rd annual house bang-off, 23:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, UNKNOWN PLEASURES, TEVIOT UNION, Indie club,

21:00–3:00, £3 (£2)

TROUBLE DJS, ASSEMBLY BAR,

Disco, hip hop, house, techno & broken beats, 17:00–1:00, Free

DANNY TENNENT, GARETH SOMERVILLE, ISLA BLIGE & THE BLOND FLASH, LULU, Soul, funk, house &

latin, 20:00–3:00, £7, free b4 12am JEZ HILL, OPAL LOUNGE, Upfront & classic tunes, 22:00–3:00, £6, free b4 12am

SAT 12 JAN RESIDENTS, THE 4C, PIVO CAFFE, Four Corners afro, latin, funk & soul, 22:00–3:00, Free

JASON CORTEZ, ANDY OPEL, PAUL FINLAYSON, DISKOKITTEN, BERLIN, House classics, ibiza anthems, mash ups, bootlegs, 22:00–3:00, £5 FUZ & LEE, ECLECTIC MUD, THE HIDE, Funk, blues, electronic, eclectic, 21:00–1:00, Free CHRIS & PAUL, THE EGG, WEE RED BAR, Indie, garage, punk, ska & more at the Art College’s long running institution, 23:00–3:00, £5, £4 students/members

RESIDENTS, KARNIVAL VS BEATROOT, CABARET VOLTAIRE, House, techno, 23:00–3:00, £8, £6 b4 12am

MARK B & GUESTS, LIQUID SOUL, PO NA NA, Chirpy music, 22:30–3:00,

£6, £3 b4 11pm

NASTY P & CUNNIE, MUCH MORE, MEDINA, Hip-hop & funk cuts,

22:00–3:00, £4, £3 b4 11pm

of music, free internet & games, 16:00–3:00, £3, free b4 11pm

23:30–3:00, Free

ROOM, Weekly dance club, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), £1 Centro card RESIDENTS, KAYOS, OPIUM, Rock, metal & indie, 20:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, NEON/HELLRAISERS BALL, THE HIVE, Goth, indie, bleep, industrial, punk & eighties, 23:00–3:00, Free

TRENDY WENDY, PLAYGIRL MANSIONS, LULU, Chart pop & glam, 23:00–3:00, £4

RESIDENTS, SCOTTISH HOBO SOCIETY (LIVE), THE BONGO CLUB, Al-

ternative music for justified sinners, 22:30–3:00, £3

JOHN HUTCHISON (TOKYOBLU), SHAKE, SHANGHAI (UNDERNEATH LE

MONDE), House, soulful & funky, 23:00–3:00, £3 RESIDENTS, SIENTELO!, EL BARRIO, Latin America music mixed with chart tunes, 23:00–3:00, Free

FISHER & PRICE, MISS CHRIS & MARTIN VALENTINE, TASTE,

CABARET VOLTAIRE, Legendary gay-friendly club, 23:00–3:00, £6, £5 b4 11.30pm

MON 14 JAN RESIDENTS, HAPPY MONDAYS,

PO NA NA, Night for students & Industry folk, indie, rock & funk, 23:00–3:00, £3, free for students/ industry

JAMES COMBE, THE LATIN QUARTER, MEDINA, Salsa, funk & latin

house, 22:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, MOJO, OPAL LOUNGE,

Modern music & timeless classics, 22:00–3:00, £3, free b4 12am

ASTROBOY & BREADMARK, SOUNDS GOOD, PIVO CAFFE, Soul, jazz

& funk, 19:00–3:00, Free

DJ BEEFY & WOLFJAZZ, TRADE UNION, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Night for de-

serving bar & club staff, 22:00–3:00, £2, £1 Trade Union members/ECCF members JEZ HILL, LULU, Classic pop & funk anthems, 20:00–3:00, £5, free b4 10pm IAIN STRETCH MACFADYEN, THE VOODOO ROOMS, Open Mic, 21:00–0:00, Free

TUE 15 JAN RESIDENTS, ANTICS, THE HIVE, Rock,

emo, punk & metal, 23:00–3:00, Free

MR. JINX, THE DIAMOND DICE,

MASSA, Hip hop, RnB & grime, 22:00–3:00, £5

DJ STUART JOHNSTON, FRUNT, THE LIQUID ROOM, House music all night long, 22:30–3:00, Free

NICK A.K.A. & THE DALEK, INDIE MIX, PIVO CAFFE, Indie, alt, Mashup & bootlegs, 21:00–3:00, Free

FRYER & GINO, MOTHERFUNK,

OPAL LOUNGE, Original soul, funk, disco, latin & hip hop, 22:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, SPITFIRES SOCIAL CLUB, RED, Indie social club, 21:00–3:00, Free EDINBURGH LOCALS, SPLIT, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Blend of electro, techno, drum & bass, breakbeat, healthy mid-week rave, 23:00–3:00, Free

DAVA & HOBBES, SYNTHETIC LOVE, LULU, Eclectic set, 20:00–3:00, £4, free b4 11pm

DJ PAPI & ALEX GATO, PARTY NIGHT, EL BARRIO, Salsa night with free

DJ AKI, TUESDAY HEARTBREAK,

RESIDENTS, RETRIBUTION, STUDIO

Weekly gay club playing chart, 23:00–3:00, £4

classes from 10pm, 23:00–3:00, Free

24, Rock, alternative, 23:00–3:00, £5, £3 students RESIDENTS, SANCTUARY, STUDIO 24, Underage goth club, 18:00–21:00, £7 (£5)

DAS CONTRAS, SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY, THE JAZZ BAR, Live

latin, jazz & funk music, 23:00–3:00, £5, £3 b4 11.30pm

ROTATING RESIDENTS, SLASHDOT, THE HIVE, Techno & electro, drum & bass, breaks, indie, punk, new wave, 23:00–3:00, £5, free b4 12am

THE JAZZ BAR, Funk, 23:30–3:00, Free

JAMES LONGWARTH, VIBE, EGO,

THE FREAKY FAMILY, 100% ORGANIC HIP HOP LIVE SESSION,

KIPP$ & MASTER CAIRD, GRAFITTI, MEDINA, Party tunes all night,

22:00–3:00, £3 (£2)

RESIDENTS, LIC IT, CITRUS CLUB,

Student night, 23:00–3:00, £2, free b4 12am BLACK SPRING DJS, LIMBO, THE VOODOO ROOMS, A place where girls dance and anything can happen, 20:00–1:00, £4

JACEK ZAMOJSKI & GUESTS, POLYPHONIC SOCIAL CLUB,

AL MAJIK, CHUBBY COX &

GUEST, SIREN, THE HIVE, Electro, house, breaks & techno, 23:00–3:00, Free

GARETH SOMERVILLE, FRAZER MCGLINCHEY & GUESTS, SOULED OUT, OPAL LOUNGE, Soul, disco & dance, 22:00–3:00, £3, free b4 12am

JEZ HILL, STILETTO, LULU, Electro-pop,

classics & disco, 20:00–3:00, £5, free b4 10pm

HUGGY, CRAIG SMITH, YINYANG, SHANGHAI (UNDERNEATH LE MONDE), House, 22:00–3:00, £6 (£3)

THE DEPARTURE LOUNGE DJS,

ASSEMBLY BAR, Jazz to breakbeats, 21:00–1:00, Free

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

BAR, Indie, garage, punk, ska & more at the Art College’s long running institution, 23:00–3:00, £5, £4 students/members

MARK B & GUESTS, LIQUID SOUL, PO NA NA, Chirpy music, 22:30–3:00,

£6, £3 b4 11pm

NASTY P & CUNNIE, MUCH MORE, MEDINA, Hip-hop & funk cuts,

22:00–3:00, £4, £3 b4 11pm

RESIDENTS, FOUR CORNERS,

THE BONGO CLUB, Reggae, hip hop, afro, latin breaks, 22:00–3:00, £5, £3 b4 12am

DOUBLE D & ISLA, GET FUNK’D,

MEDINA, Hip hop to house, 22:00–3:00, £4, £3 b4 11pm RESIDENTS, MISFITS, THE HIVE, Indie, electro, punk, rock, retro & a tequila girl, 23:00–3:00, £3, free b4 12am RESIDENTS, PLANET EARTH, CITRUS CLUB, 80s tunes with residents, 22:30–3:00, £5, free b4 11pm RESIDENTS, SALSA CARIBE!, THE LOT, Salsa DJs on the special wooden dancefloor, 21:00–1:30, £5, £4 b4 9.30pm DIWAN, SKUNKFUNK, THE JAZZ BAR, Afrobeat, 23:30–3:00, £5 (£3)

24, Rock, alternative, 23:00–3:00, £5, £3 students RESIDENTS, SANCTUARY, STUDIO 24, Underage goth club, 18:00–21:00, £7 (£5)

MOSA FUNK CLUB, SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY, THE JAZZ BAR, Live

latin, jazz & funk music, 23:00–3:00, £5, £3 b4 11.30pm

DAVA & HOBBES, SYNTHETIC LOVE, LULU, Eclectic set, 20:00–3:00, £4, free b4 11pm

THE JAZZ BAR, Funk, 23:30–3:00, Free

WED 23 JAN PACMAN, JOY, BASS INVASION, SECRET ARCADE, Drum & bass, breakbeat, 21:00–1:00, Free

funky RnB & bootlegs, 23:00–3:00, £8 (£4)

CLUB, All things rock, motown, alternative & soul, 22:30–3:00, £6, free b4 11pm

ROBIN MUNRO, ULTRAGROOVE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, House, 23:00–3:00, £8 (£6)

GARETH SOMERVILLE (ULTRAGROOVE) & JONNIE LYLEY (SCRATCH), ASSEMBLY BAR, House to hip

hop, 21:00–1:00, Free

DANNY TENNENT, GARETH SOMERVILLE, ISLA BLIGE & THE BLOND FLASH, LULU, Soul, funk, house &

latin, 20:00–3:00, £7, free b4 12am FRYER, THE VOODOO ROOMS, Soul, funk, hip hop, 21:00–1:00, Free

SUN 20 JAN RESIDENTS, ALL BACK TO MINE, OPAL LOUNGE, Eclectic mix of personal favourites, 22:00–3:00, £3, free b4 11pm

IAN ANDERSON & BISCUIT D, BACK TO BASICS, PIVO CAFFE, Retro dance, 90s & disco, 19:00–3:00, Free

DALE LUSH & FRIENDS, BOOTY,

MEDINA, Soul, funk, disco & chart, 22:00–3:00, £5

RESIDENTS, CURIOUS? SUNDAY JOINT, THE BONGO CLUB, Diverse selection

of music, free internet & games, 16:00–3:00, £3, free b4 11pm

SAM JOSE, TALL PAUL, EASY SUNDAY, THE JAZZ BAR, Lounge, 23:30–3:00, Free

DEREK MARTIN & STUART JOHNSTON, FRICTION, LIQUID

ROOM, Weekly dance club, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), £1 Centro card RESIDENTS, KAYOS, OPIUM, Rock, metal & indie, 20:00–3:00, Free

industrial, punk & eighties, 23:00–3:00, Free

23:00–3:00, £4

ternative music for justified sinners, 22:30–3:00, £3

JOHN HUTCHISON (TOKYOBLU), SHAKE, SHANGHAI (UNDERNEATH LE

MONDE), House, soulful & funky, 23:00–3:00, £3 RESIDENTS, SIENTELO!, EL BARRIO, Latin America music mixed with chart tunes, 23:00–3:00, Free

FISHER & PRICE, MISS CHRIS & MARTIN VALENTINE, TASTE,

CABARET VOLTAIRE, Legendary gay-friendly club, 23:00–3:00, £6, £5 b4 11.30pm

MON 21 JAN RESIDENTS, HAPPY MONDAYS,

PO NA NA, Night for students & Industry folk, indie, rock & funk, 23:00–3:00, £3, free for students/ industry

JAMES COMBE, THE LATIN QUARTER, MEDINA, Salsa, funk & latin

house, 22:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, MOJO, OPAL LOUNGE,

Modern music & timeless classics, 22:00–3:00, £3, free b4 12am

ASTROBOY & BREADMARK, SOUNDS GOOD, PIVO CAFFE, Soul, jazz

& funk, 19:00–3:00, Free

DJ BEEFY & WOLFJAZZ, TRADE UNION, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Night for de-

RESIDENTS, ANTICS, THE HIVE, Rock, emo, punk & metal, 23:00–3:00, Free

MR. JINX, THE DIAMOND DICE,

MASSA, Hip hop, RnB & grime, 22:00–3:00, £5

DJ STUART JOHNSTON, FRUNT, THE LIQUID ROOM, House music all night long, 22:30–3:00, Free

DOUBLE D & ISLA, GET FUNK’D,

UNCLE SAMSON, SKUNKFUNK,

THE JAZZ BAR, 14-piece superfunk, 23:30–3:00, £5 (£3)

ALEX METRIC, SILICON SOUL, SUGARBEAT, CABARET VOLTAIRE, House,

electro, 80s, 23:00–3:00, £7

DJ JEZ HILL, CHAMBLES, OPAL

21:00–3:00, £3 (£2)

BREADMARK & JOHNNY CASHBACK, THE GOOD GROOVE, PIVO

RESIDENTS, TEASE AGE, CITRUS

RESIDENTS, DE LUXE, HUDSON CLUB, Funky house with resident DJs, 23:00–3:00, £3, free b4 12am RESIDENTS, EVOL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie, hip hop, alternative beats & rock, 22:30–3:00, £5 THE GUSSETS, FAST, THE BONGO CLUB, Rock, electro, punk, funk, 23:00–3:00, £5

BLACK SPRING DJS, BLACK SPRING ROCKS, THE JAZZ BAR, Music

JOHN HUTCHISON (TOKYOBLU), SOPHISTIFUNK, CITY, House remixes,

breaks, indie, punk, new wave, 23:00–3:00, £5, free b4 12am

TUE 22 JAN

latin, 20:00–3:00, £7, free b4 12am JEZ HILL, OPAL LOUNGE, Upfront & classic tunes, 22:00–3:00, £6, free b4 12am

CABARET VOLTAIRE, Blend of electro, techno, drum & bass, breakbeat, healthy mid-week rave, 23:00–3:00, Free

to make girls dance, 23:30–3:00, Free

TROUBLE DJS, ASSEMBLY BAR,

DANNY TENNENT, GARETH SOMERVILLE, ISLA BLIGE & THE BLOND FLASH, LULU, Soul, funk, house &

RESIDENTS, SPITFIRES SOCIAL CLUB, RED, Indie social club, 21:00–3:00, Free EDINBURGH LOCALS, SPLIT,

ROTATING RESIDENTS, SLASHDOT, THE HIVE, Techno & electro, drum & bass,

RESIDENTS, UNKNOWN PLEASURES, TEVIOT UNION, Indie club,

CABARET VOLTAIRE, Old school funk & hip hop, 23:00–3:00, £5

OPAL LOUNGE, Original soul, funk, disco, latin & hip hop, 22:00–3:00, Free

JAMES LONGWARTH, VIBE, EGO, Weekly gay club playing chart, 23:00–3:00, £4

classes from 10pm, 23:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, SOUL BISCUITS,

FRYER & GINO, MOTHERFUNK,

RESIDENTS, RETRIBUTION, STUDIO

RESIDENTS, SCOTTISH HOBO SOCIETY (LIVE), THE BONGO CLUB, Al-

21:00–3:00, Free

DJ AKI, TUESDAY HEARTBREAK,

SCOTT ELLIOT, CRAIG GEE & GAV GRANT ON ROTATION, CLUB CLASSICS, PIVO CAFFE, Classic

RED BAR, Electronica, 23:00–3:00, £5

NICK A.K.A. & THE DALEK, INDIE MIX, PIVO CAFFE, Indie, alt, Mashup & bootlegs,

DJ PAPI & ALEX GATO, PARTY NIGHT, EL BARRIO, Salsa night with free

TRENDY WENDY, PLAYGIRL MANSIONS, LULU, Chart pop & glam,

Disco, hip hop, house, techno & broken beats, 17:00–1:00, Free

DJ JEZ HILL, CHAMBLES, OPAL LOUNGE, Funk & chart, 21:00–3:00, £5 (£4)

CHRIS & PAUL, THE EGG, WEE RED

SHADOW DANCER, CHRISTOPHER D ASHLEY, AMPBOX, WEE

PACMAN, JOY, BASS INVASION,

to make girls dance, 23:30–3:00, Free

hop & breaks, 17:00–3:00, Free

FRI 18 JAN

WED 16 JAN

BLACK SPRING DJS, BLACK SPRING ROCKS, THE JAZZ BAR, Music

MANGOMAD & DJ DEFAULT, DUB2CLUB, PIVO CAFFE, Dance, indie, hip

RESIDENTS, NEON/HELLRAISERS BALL, THE HIVE, Goth, indie, bleep,

21:00–3:00, £3 (£2)

SECRET ARCADE, Drum & bass, breakbeat, 21:00–1:00, Free

SAT 19 JAN

LOUNGE, Funk & chart, 21:00–3:00, £5 (£4)

MC BLONDEX, AWESOME WELLS, JERK ALERT, RED, Indie meets early nineties youth club disco, 21:00–5:00, £2, free b4 11pm

RESIDENTS, UNKNOWN PLEASURES, TEVIOT UNION, Indie club,

TROUBLE DJS, ASSEMBLY BAR, Disco, hip hop, house, techno & broken beats, 17:00–1:00, Free

DANNY TENNENT, GARETH SOMERVILLE, ISLA BLIGE & THE BLOND FLASH, LULU, Soul, funk, house &

latin, 20:00–3:00, £7, free b4 12am JEZ HILL, OPAL LOUNGE, Upfront & classic tunes, 22:00–3:00, £6, free b4 12am

SAT 26 JAN MANGOMAD & DJ DEFAULT, DUB2CLUB, PIVO CAFFE, Dance, indie, hip

hop & breaks, 17:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, THE PIT, THE HIVE, Rock &

CHRIS & PAUL, THE EGG, WEE RED BAR, Indie, garage, punk, ska & more at the Art College’s long running institution, 23:00–3:00, £5, £4 students/members

DJ NU-CLEAR, TOXIK, OPIUM, New &

SOUL, PO NA NA, Chirpy music, 22:30–3:00, £6, £3 b4 11pm

MASH & JON PLEASED, ROLLER DISCO, LULU, Past & future electronic classics, 20:00–3:00, £4.99, free b4 11pm

metal, 23:00–3:00, Free

old metal & hard rock, 20:00–3:00, Free

LARRY TEE, WE ARE … ELECTRIC, CABARET VOLTAIRE, House, electro,

tech-house & breaks with rotating guests in the back, 23:00–3:00, Free RESIDENTS, BARAKA, Funk, soul, disco, dancehall & reggae, 20:00–1:00, Free

THU 24 JAN THE FREAKY FAMILY, 100% ORGANIC HIP HOP LIVE SESSION,

RESIDENTS, COSMIC CLUB,

STUDIO 24, Psychedelic trance, dub, chillout, 22:00–3:00, £3

KIPP$ & MASTER CAIRD, GRAFITTI, MEDINA, Party tunes all night,

22:00–3:00, £3 (£2) RESIDENTS, LIC IT, CITRUS CLUB, Student night, 23:00–3:00, £2, free b4 12am BLACK SPRING DJS, LIMBO, THE VOODOO ROOMS, A place where girls dance and anything can happen, 20:00–1:00, £4

JACEK ZAMOJSKI & GUESTS, POLYPHONIC SOCIAL CLUB,

MARK B & GUESTS, LIQUID

NASTY P & CUNNIE, MUCH MORE, MEDINA, Hip-hop & funk cuts,

22:00–3:00, £4, £3 b4 11pm

TWITCH & WILKES, OPTIMO, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Very eclectic dance, 23:00–3:00, £10

DJ PAPI & ALEX GATO, PARTY NIGHT, EL BARRIO, Salsa night with free classes from 10pm, 23:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, RETRIBUTION, STUDIO 24, Rock, alternative, 23:00–3:00, £5, £3 students

RESIDENTS, SANCTUARY, STUDIO

24, Underage goth club, 18:00–21:00, £7 (£5)

JOE ACHESON QUARTET, SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY, THE JAZZ

BAR, Live latin, jazz & funk music, 23:00–3:00, £5, £3 b4 11.30pm

ROTATING RESIDENTS, SLASHDOT, THE HIVE, Techno & electro, drum & bass, breaks, indie, punk, new wave, 23:00–3:00, £5, free b4 12am

JOHN HUTCHISON (TOKYOBLU), SOPHISTIFUNK, CITY, House remixes, funky RnB & bootlegs, 23:00–3:00, £8 (£4)

RESIDENTS, TEASE AGE, CITRUS

CLUB, All things rock, motown, alternative & soul, 22:30–3:00, £6, free b4 11pm

GARETH SOMERVILLE (ULTRAGROOVE) & JONNIE LYLEY (SCRATCH), ASSEMBLY BAR, House to hip

hop, 21:00–1:00, Free

DANNY TENNENT, GARETH SOMERVILLE, ISLA BLIGE & THE BLOND FLASH, LULU, Soul, funk, house &

latin, 20:00–3:00, £7, free b4 12am JOSEPH MALIK, THE VOODOO ROOMS, Eclectic set, 21:00–1:00, Free

SUN 27 JAN

AL MAJIK, CHUBBY COX & GUEST, SIREN, THE HIVE, Electro, house,

RESIDENTS, ALL BACK TO MINE,

GARETH SOMERVILLE, FRAZER MCGLINCHEY & GUESTS, SOULED OUT, OPAL LOUNGE, Soul, disco

IAN ANDERSON & BISCUIT D, BACK TO BASICS, PIVO CAFFE, Retro

breaks & techno, 23:00–3:00, Free

& dance, 22:00–3:00, £3, free b4 12am JEZ HILL, STILETTO, LULU, Electro-pop, classics & disco, 20:00–3:00, £5, free b4 10pm

HUGGY, CRAIG SMITH, YINYANG, SHANGHAI (UNDERNEATH LE MONDE), House, 22:00–3:00, £6 (£3)

THE DEPARTURE LOUNGE DJS,

ASSEMBLY BAR, Jazz to breakbeats, 21:00–1:00, Free

FRI 25 JAN ALIVE & JIGGIN’, HLI, ASSEMBLY ROOMS CEILIDH, ASSEMBLY ROOMS, Ceilidh, 20:00–0:00, £10

TALL PAUL, ANGUS, SAM JOSE, PROFESSOR PLASTIC, BUBBLEGUM BOOGALOO, THE VOODOO

ROOMS, Retro, lounge, pop, instrumentals, funky soul, 21:00–1:00, Free

SCOTT ELLIOT, CRAIG GEE & GAV GRANT ON ROTATION, CLUB CLASSICS, PIVO CAFFE, Classic

club music from the past 15 years, 17:00–3:00, Free DJ NICKI & GUESTS, CULT, PO NA NA, Hip hop, disco, funk & RnB, 22:00–3:00, £5, £2.50 b4 11pm

CLOTHES

OPAL LOUNGE, Eclectic mix of personal favourites, 22:00–3:00, £3, free b4 11pm

dance, 90s & disco, 19:00–3:00, Free

DALE LUSH & FRIENDS, BOOTY,

MEDINA, Soul, funk, disco & chart, 22:00–3:00, £5

RESIDENTS, CURIOUS? SUNDAY JOINT, THE BONGO CLUB, Diverse selection

Opposite page left: Alexa wears sweatshirt by Stussy, shoes by Nike. Homeboy wears Ofﬁcial hat from Goodstead; Stussy shirt, Fenchurch jeans, white Etnies all from Focus; jacket model’s own Opposite page right: Sweatshirt by Stussy, shoes by Nike. Top Left: Alexa wears charcoal dress from Goodstead, Coal hat from Focus

of music, free internet & games, 16:00–3:00, £3, free b4 11pm

Top Right: White Sweatshirt from Goodstead; pants, model’s own; jewellery, model’s own; shoes, white Etnies from Focus

SAM JOSE, TALL PAUL, EASY SUNDAY, THE JAZZ BAR, Lounge, 23:30–3:00, Free

Above: Gsus Industries dress, Ofﬁcial hat, Etnies shoes, all from Goodstead; umbrella & underwear model’s own.

DEREK MARTIN & STUART JOHNSTON, FRICTION, LIQUID

Left: Alexa wears ﬂoral print zip top and jogging bottoms by Gsus Industries, both from Goodstead. Homeboy wears Ofﬁcial hat from Goodstead; Stussy shirt, Fenchurch jeans, white Etnies all from Focus; jacket model’s own

ROOM, Weekly dance club, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), £1 Centro card RESIDENTS, KAYOS, OPIUM, Rock, metal & indie, 20:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, NEON/HELLRAISERS BALL, THE HIVE, Goth, indie, bleep, industrial, punk & eighties, 23:00–3:00, Free

TRENDY WENDY, PLAYGIRL MANSIONS, LULU, Chart pop & glam, 23:00–3:00, £4

RESIDENTS, SCOTTISH HOBO SOCIETY (LIVE), THE BONGO CLUB, Al-

ternative music for justified sinners, 22:30–3:00, £3

JOHN HUTCHISON (TOKYOBLU),

SHAKE, SHANGHAI (UNDERNEATH LE MONDE), House, soulful & funky, 23:00–3:00, £3

LISTINGS

CREW Photographer: Devon Walshe Model: Alexandra Ionescu Many thanks to Goodstead and Focus. Goodstead: 55 Bread Street, Edinburgh www.goodstead.co.uk Focus Edinburgh: 44 West Port Focus Glasgow: 83 Queen Street www.focuspocus.co.uk

GARY DOBSUN; STUART MURPHY, THE STAND IMPROV, THE

STAND, On the spot hilarity, 20:30, £5/£2.50

EDINBURGH

Homegirls

TUE 01 JAN MARTIN BIGPIG MOR; GRAEME THOMAS; THE STAND PLAYERS; AILSA JOHNSTON., HOOTFEST!, THE STAND, Hosted by Raymond Mearns., 21:00, £12/£10

GARY DOBSUN; STUART MURPHY, WHO’S LUNCH IS IT ANYWAY?, THE STAND, Beat even the

worst hangover with two hours of free improvised comedy, 12:30, Free

WED 02 JAN MARTIN BIGPIG MOR; GRAEME THOMAS; THE STAND PLAYERS; AILSA JOHNSTON., HOOTFEST!, THE STAND, Hosted by Raymond Mearns., 21:00, £12/£10

Flip ﬂops. ‘Trackie Bs’. Ugg boots. How these became socially acceptable items of clothing we’ll never know, but seriously, this is a clear sign that the world is going to shit. Take some pride people! Even when you’re at home, you never know who might call by – so look sharp at all times. The better dressed you are in general, the more likely someone interesting is going to call. It’s a happy circle. This shoot is designed to make it clear that there’s more to life than getting glitzy on a Saturday night; that true glamour comes from taking your comfort wear seriously. We mean it: good things come to those who cut it.

GARY DOBSUN; STUART MURPHY, WHO’S LUNCH IS IT ANYWAY?, THE STAND, Beat even the

worst hangover with two hours of free improvised comedy from resident duo, 12:30, Free

THU 03 JAN GLENN WOOL; ANDY VAN DER BORGH; LIAM MULLONE; THE WEE MAN, THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE STAND, If you’ve not seen Glen

Wool, then what’s wrong with you? Go see him!, 21:00, £7/£6/£3

FRI 04 JAN GLENN WOOL; ANDY VAN DER BORGH; LIAM MULLONE; THE WEE MAN, THE STAND, THE STAND,

Hosted by Susan Morrison, 21:00, £9/£8/£5

SAT 05 JAN GLENN WOOL; ANDY VAN DER BORGH; LIAM MULLONE; THE WEE MAN, THE STAND, THE STAND,

by Raymond Mearns., 21:00, £7/£6/£3

FRI 18 JAN ROGER MONKHOUSE, WIL HODGSON, JO JO SUTHERLAND AND CHRIS FORBES., THE STAND , THE STAND, Hosted by Susan

GARY DOBSUN; STUART MURPHY, WHO’S LUNCH IS IT ANYWAY?, THE STAND, Beat even the

BRENDAN BURKE; DES MCLEAN; STEVE SHANYASKI.,

JONGLEURS, Dance to comedy and drink to music all at the same time., 19:00, £ 15.00

BRENDAN BURKE; DES MCLEAN; STEVE SHANYASKI; DAVE STRANG., THE STAND, Hosted by

Joe Heenan, 21:00, £ 12.00

SUN 06 JAN STEVE SHANYASKI; DAVE STRANG; AUSTIN LOW., MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE, THE STAND, Show some respect

TBC, HERESY, JEKYLL AND HYDE, Dark

SKETCH TROUPE, ROUGH CUTS, THE STAND, Sketches from the

BRUCE MORTON; JOSH HOWIE; NICK DAVIES; DAVE STRANG, THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE STAND,

Hosted by Susan Morrison, 21:00, £7/£6/£3

Susan Morrison, 21:00, £9/£8/£5

by Bruce Morton, 21:00, £ 12.00

SUN 27 JAN GARY DOBSUN; STUART MURPHY, WHO’S LUNCH IS IT ANYWAY?, THE STAND, Beat even the

worst hangover with two hours of free improvised comedy, 12:30, Free

THU 10 JAN ANTONY KING; DAVE WARD; PATRICK ROLINK; AUSTIN LOW, THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE STAND,

Hosted by Raymond Mearns., 20:30, £7/£6/£3

FRI 11 JAN ANTONY KING; DAVE WARD; PATRICK ROLINK; AUSTIN LOW, THE STAND, Hosted by Raymond Mearns., 20:30, £9/£8/£5

CAREY MARX; ANVIL SPRINSTEIN; SANDY NELSON; JOHN SCOTT, JONGLEURS COMEDY CLUB, JONGLEURS, Dance to comedy

and drink to music all at the same time., 19:00, £ 12.00

SAT 12 JAN CAREY MARX; ANVIL SPRINSTEIN; SANDY NELSON; JOHN SCOTT, JONGLEURS COMEDY CLUB, JONGLEURS, Dance to comedy

THE STAND, Hosted by Raymond Mearns., 20:30, £ 12.00

NICK DAVIES; PHIL DIFFER, RED RAW, THE STAND, The best, the worst and the

SUN 13 JAN

SAT 12 JAN

TUE 29 JAN

Devlin, 20:30, £5/£4/£1

new, 20:30, £ 2.00

BRUCE FUMMEY, ABOUT THE JACOBITES, THE STAND, Bruce brings

his crass, offbeat style to the brutal, romantic and laugh out loud funny period of Scottish history leading up to Culloden., 20:30, £5/£4

PETE FIRMAN; TOM DEACON , PLEASANCE CABARET BAR,

Lemoncustard returns with its games, sweets and new BYOB policy making it extra special. There’s comedy too!, 19:30, Free

THE PLEASANCE, See channel 4 magician and Chortle’s student comedian of the year, 19:30, £6/£5

SUN 13 JAN

WED 30 JAN

GARY DOBSUN; STUART MURPHY, WHO’S LUNCH IS IT ANYWAY?, THE STAND, Beat even the

KEVIN BRIDGES; JOHN ROSS, THE BEST OF SCOTTISH, THE

MON 14 JAN JILL PEACOCK; GUS TAWSE,

RED RAW, THE STAND, The best, the worst and the new, 20:30, £ 2.00

WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

WED 23 JAN

THU 24 JAN

Comedy Unit, 20:30, £5/£2.50

ANTONY KING; DAVE WARD; PATRICK ROLINK; AUSTIN LOW,

DAVE WARD; NEIL MCFARLANE; CHRIS FORBES; DAVE HEFFRON., MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE, THE STAND, Show

some respect for the Sunday Service, 20:30, £5/£4/£1

FRI 25 JAN

TUE 15 JAN JILL PEACOCK; GUS TAWSE, RED RAW, THE STAND, The best, the worst

and the new, 20:30, £2/£1

TBA, BENEFIT IN AID OF DIABETES UK SCOTLAND, THE STAND,

Living between sugar highs and insulin lows is no fun so support this cause!, 20:30, £7/£5

THU 17 JAN OWEN O’NEILL; ANDREW LAWRENCE; GUS TAWSE, THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE STAND, Hosted by Bruce Devlin, 20:30, £7/£6/£3

club music from the past 15 years, 17:00–3:00, Free

THE BLACK DOG, ESPION, CLUTTER HOUSE, STUDIO 24, Techno, 23:00–3:00, £8 (£6)

DJ NICKI & GUESTS, CULT, PO NA

NA, Hip hop, disco, funk & RnB, 22:00–3:00, £5, £2.50 b4 11pm RESIDENTS, DE LUXE, HUDSON CLUB, Funky house with resident DJs, 23:00–3:00, £3, free b4 12am RESIDENTS, EVOL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie, hip hop, alternative beats & rock, 22:30–3:00, £5

DOUBLE D & ISLA, GET FUNK’D,

THE DIRTY MARTINIS, SKUNKFUNK, THE JAZZ BAR, Funk & soul,

23:30–3:00, £5 (£3)

TOKYOBLU JOHN & IAIN, TOKYOBLU, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Live house, RESIDENTS, UNKNOWN PLEASURES, TEVIOT UNION, Indie club, TROUBLE DJS, ASSEMBLY BAR,

Disco, hip hop, house, techno & broken beats, 17:00–1:00, Free

DANNY TENNENT, GARETH SOMERVILLE, ISLA BLIGE & THE BLOND FLASH, LULU, Soul, funk, house &

metal & indie, 20:00–3:00, Free

industrial, punk & eighties, 23:00–3:00, Free

TRENDY WENDY, PLAYGIRL MANSIONS, LULU, Chart pop & glam, 23:00–3:00, £4

RESIDENTS, SCOTTISH HOBO SOCIETY (LIVE), THE BONGO CLUB, Al-

ternative music for justified sinners, 22:30–3:00, £3

JOHN HUTCHISON (TOKYOBLU), SHAKE, SHANGHAI (UNDERNEATH LE

MONDE), House, soulful & funky, 23:00–3:00, £3 RESIDENTS, SIENTELO!, EL BARRIO, Latin America music mixed with chart tunes, 23:00–3:00, Free

FISHER & PRICE, MISS CHRIS & MARTIN VALENTINE, TASTE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Legendary gay-friendly club, 23:00–3:00, £6, £5 b4 11.30pm

MON 07 JAN RESIDENTS, HAPPY MONDAYS, PO NA NA, Night for students & Industry folk, indie, rock & funk, 23:00–3:00, £3, free for students/industry

JAMES COMBE, THE LATIN QUARTER, MEDINA, Salsa, funk & latin house, 22:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, MOJO, OPAL LOUNGE,

Modern music & timeless classics, 22:00–3:00, £3, free b4 12am

ASTROBOY & BREADMARK, SOUNDS GOOD, PIVO CAFFE, Soul, jazz

& funk, 19:00–3:00, Free

DJ BEEFY & WOLFJAZZ, TRADE UNION, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Night for de-

latin, 20:00–3:00, £7, free b4 12am JEZ HILL, OPAL LOUNGE, Upfront & classic tunes, 22:00–3:00, £6, free b4 12am JOSEPH MALIK, THE VOODOO ROOMS, Eclectic set, 21:00–1:00, Free

RESIDENTS, ANTICS, THE HIVE, Rock, emo, punk & metal, 23:00–3:00, Free

SAT 05 JAN

DJ STUART JOHNSTON, FRUNT,

MANGOMAD & DJ DEFAULT, DUB2CLUB, PIVO CAFFE, Dance, indie, hip

hop & breaks, 17:00–3:00, Free

CHRIS & PAUL, THE EGG, WEE RED

TUE 08 JAN MR. JINX, THE DIAMOND DICE,

MASSA, Hip hop, RnB & grime, 22:00–3:00, £5

THE LIQUID ROOM, House music all night long, 22:30–3:00, Free

NICK A.K.A. & THE DALEK, INDIE MIX, PIVO CAFFE, Indie, alt, Mashup & bootlegs, 21:00–3:00, Free

BAR, Indie, garage, punk, ska & more at the Art College’s long running institution, 23:00–3:00, £5, £4 students/members FISHER & PRICE, FEVER, EGO, House, eclectic, 23:00–3:00, £10 (£8)

FRYER & GINO, MOTHERFUNK,

£6, £3 b4 11pm

CABARET VOLTAIRE, Blend of electro, techno, drum & bass, breakbeat, healthy mid-week rave, 23:00–3:00, Free

MARK B & GUESTS, LIQUID SOUL, PO NA NA, Chirpy music, 22:30–3:00,

NASTY P & CUNNIE, MUCH MORE, MEDINA, Hip-hop & funk cuts,

OPAL LOUNGE, Original soul, funk, disco, latin & hip hop, 22:00–3:00, Free

RESIDENTS, SPITFIRES SOCIAL CLUB, RED, Indie social club, 21:00–3:00, Free EDINBURGH LOCALS, SPLIT,

RICHARD MORTON; KEVIN HAYES; GEORGE EGG, JONGLEURS COMEDY CLUB,

22:00–3:00, £4, £3 b4 11pm

DAVA & HOBBES, SYNTHETIC LOVE, LULU, Eclectic set, 20:00–3:00, £4, free

JONGLEURS, Dance to comedy and drink to music all at the same time., 19:00, £ 12.00

classes from 10pm, 23:00–3:00, Free

DJ AKI, TUESDAY HEARTBREAK,

RESIDENTS, RETRIBUTION,

STEVE HUGHES; JOHN GILLICK; JOHN ROSS; BARRY MCDONALD, THE STAND, Hosted by Raymond Mearns., 20:30, £9/£8/£5

SAT 26 JAN RICHARD MORTON; KEVIN HAYES; GEORGE EGG, JONGLEURS COMEDY CLUB, JONGLEURS, Dance to comedy and drink to music all at the same time., 19:00, £ 15.00

SUN 27 JAN JOHN GILLICK; ANTONY MURRAY; KATIE CRAIG; GORDON ALEXANDER., MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE, THE STAND, Show some respect for the Sunday Service, 20:30, £5/£4/£1

MON 28 JAN RAYMOND MEARNS; PAUL PIRIE; ALLEN CHALMERS, DANCE MONKEY BOY, DANCE, THE STAND, Improv and calamity, 20:30, £ 4.00

KEIR MCALLISTER; PHIL DIFFER, RED RAW, THE STAND, The best,

THU 31 JAN

Mearns., 21:00, £7/£6/£3

STAND, Hosted by Raymond Mearns., 20:30, £7/£6/£3

STEVEN DICK; ALLAN MILLER; TEDDY, THE AMAZING BASTARDS!!, THE STAND, See the comedy

WED 16 JAN

MICHAEL SMILEY; NEIL DOUGAN; KAREN BAYLEY; GORDON ALEXANDER., THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE STAND, Hosted by Raymond

STEVE HUGHES; JOHN GILLICK; JOHN ROSS; BARRY MCDONALD, THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE

TUE 29 JAN

STAND, Hosted by Sandy Nelson, 20:30, £6/$5/£3

TBC, HERESY, JEKYLL AND HYDE, Dark laughs and controversy abound in comedy’s dark dungeon, 21:00, £ 3.00

JONGLEURS, Dance to comedy and drink to music all at the same time., 19:00, £ 8.00

MON 14 JAN

section for their Amazing Column!, 20:30, £3/£2

RESIDENTS, NEON/HELLRAISERS BALL, THE HIVE, Goth, indie, bleep,

21:00–3:00, £3 (£2)

KEVIN HAYES; GEORGE EGG, JONGLEURS COMEDY CLUB,

laughs and controversy abound in comedy’s dark dungeon, 21:00, £ 3.00

RESIDENTS, KAYOS, OPIUM, Rock,

SCOTT ELLIOT, CRAIG GEE & GAV GRANT ON ROTATION, CLUB CLASSICS, PIVO CAFFE, Classic

the worst and the new, 20:30, £2/£1

WED 09 JAN

the worst and the new, 20:30, £2/£1

FRI 04 JAN

GARY LITTLE; THE STAND PLAYERS, RED RAW, THE STAND, The best,

THU 24 JAN

PLEASANCE, Featuring one third of We Are Klang Steve Hall, 19:30, £6/£5

CLUBBING EDINBURGH

23:00–3:00, £ 3.00

STEVEN DICK; NEIL MCFARLANE, RED RAW, THE STAND, The best,

MON 28 JAN

STAND, Hosted by the very likable Jason Cook, 20:30, £5/£4/£1

TUE 22 JAN

TUE 08 JAN

ALISTAIR BARRIE; JASON COOK; DEREK JOHNSTON; RICKY CALLAN, THE STAND, THE STAND, Hosted

DEREK JOHNSTON; JEFF O’BOYLE; LIZZIE MARAN., THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN, THE

Improv and calamity, 20:30, £ 4.00

provides ongoing high dependency care and short term intensive care for babies 27 weeks gestation and above., 20:30, £ 7.00

Improv and calamity, 20:30, £ 4.00

FRI 11 JAN

worst hangover with two hours of free improvised comedy, 12:30, Free

RAYMOND MEARNS; PAUL PIRIE; ALLEN CHALMERS, DANCE MONKEY BOY, DANCE, THE STAND,

and drink to music all at the same time., 19:00, £ 15.00

MYSTERY COMEDIANS, LEMONCUSTARD COMEDY CLUB, HARLEQUIN CAFE, BUCCLEUCH ST,

MON 21 JAN

MON 07 JAN

OSH HOWIE; NICK DAVIES; PHIL DIFFER, THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN, THE STAND, Hosted by Bruce

by Bruce Devlin, 21:00, £ 12.00

THE STAND, Show some respect for the Sunday Service, 20:30, £5/£4/£1

BILLY KIRKWOOD; THE STAND IMPROV, RED RAW, THE STAND, The

STEVE HUGHES, JOSH HOWIE, NICK DAVIES AND COLIN OWENS., THE STAND , THE STAND, Hosted

ALISTAIR BARRIE; JASON COOK; DEREK JOHNSTON; RICKY CALLAN, THE STAND, THE STAND, Hosted

ANDREW LAWRENCE; JOJO SUTHERLAND; PHIL DIFFER; BARRY MCDONALD., MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE,

MON 21 JAN

WED 09 JAN

by Bruce Devlin, 21:00, £9/£8/£5

SUN 20 JAN

GAVIN WEBSTER; THE REVEREND OBADIAH STEPPENWOLFE III; VLADIMIR MCTAVISH; SUSAN CALMAN; BILLY KIRKWOOD , BENEFIT IN AID OF PRICESS ROYAL SPECIAL CARE BABY UNIT, THE STAND, The Special Care Baby Unit

SAT 26 JAN

STAND, Hosted by Bruce Devlin, 21:00, £7/£6/£3

JONGLEURS, Dance to comedy and drink to music all at the same time., 19:00, £ 15.00

for the Sunday Service, 20:30, £5/£4/£1

now comedy nights at this new weekly slot for the cabaret bar comics., 19:30, £6/£5

ALISTAIR BARRIE; JASON COOK; DEREK JOHNSTON; RICKY CALLAN, THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE

OWEN O’NEILL; ANDREW LAWRENCE; GUS TAWSE, THE STAND,

worst hangover with two hours of free improvised comedy, 12:30, Free

BRUCE MORTON; JOSH HOWIE; NICK DAVIES; DAVE STRANG, THE STAND , THE STAND, Hosted by

TBC, HERESY, JEKYLL AND HYDE, Dark laughs and controversy abound in comedy’s dark dungeon, 21:00, £ 3.00

JONGLEURS, Dance to comedy and drink to music all at the same time., 19:00, £ 12.00

PATRICK ROLINK; MARK WALKER; RICK RIGHT; MATT KIRSHEN, JONGLEURS COMEDY CLUB,

TUE 08 JAN

THU 10 JAN

PATRICK ROLINK; MARK WALKER; RICK RIGHT; MATT KIRSHEN, JONGLEURS COMEDY CLUB,

ROGER MONKHOUSE; WIL HODGSON; JO JO SUTHERLAND; CHRIS FORBES, THE STAND , THE STAND, Hosted by Susan

by Joe Heenan, 20:30, £5/£4/£1

SAT 19 JAN

KEVIN BRIDGES; JOHN ROSS, JONGLEURS COMEDY CLUB,

SAT 05 JAN

WIL HODGSON; GUS TAWSE; DEE CUSTANCE., THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN, THE STAND, Hosted

comedy and drink to music all at the same time., 19:00, £ 12.00

FRI 04 JAN

SAT 19 JAN

SUN 20 JAN

KEVIN GILDEA; MICHAEL LEGGE; CRAIG HILL; DOMINIC WOODWARD, JONGLEURS COMEDY CLUB, JONGLEURS, Dance to

Hosted by Bruce Devlin, 21:00, £ 12.00

THE STAND, Hosted by Joe Heenan, 20:30, £9/£8/£5

Morrison, 21:00, £ 12.00

OWEN O’NEILL; ANDREW LAWRENCE; GUS TAWSE, THE STAND,

Hosted by Sandy Nelson, 20:30, £7/£6/£3

Morrison, 21:00, £9/£8/£5

FRI 25 JAN

battle against each other for no known reason, 20:30, £5/£4/£2.50

FASHION

ROGER MONKHOUSE; WIL HODGSON; JO JO SUTHERLAND; CHRIS FORBES, THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE STAND, Hosted

raw material, 20:30, £ 2.00

SKETCH TROUPE, MELTING POT, THE STAND, Sketches from new writers

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

laughs and controversy abound in comedy’s dark dungeon, 21:00, £ 3.00

STEVE HALL; HENNING WHEN , PLEASANCE CABARET BAR, THE

MARTY MCLEAN; JOSEPH WILSON , PLEASANCE CABARET BAR, THE PLEASANCE, Tuesday nights are

with some top stand-up, 20:30, £ 6.00

BRENDAN BURKE; DES MCLEAN; STEVE SHANYASKI., THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE STAND,

ANDY VAN DER BORGH; LIAM MULLONE; DAVE HEFFRON, THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN, THE

STEVEN DICK; NEIL MCFARLANE, RED RAW, THE STAND, New and

Hosted by Bruce Devlin, 20:30, £9/£8/£5

TOM STADE; JOHN ROSS;GUS TAWSE; THE WEE MAN; JOE HEENAN, THE STAND’S FIRST FOOT, THE STAND, Start the New Year in style

TBC, HERESY, JEKYLL AND HYDE, Dark

TUE 22 JAN

MON 07 JAN

WED 02 JAN

THU 03 JAN

SUN 06 JAN

worst hangover with two hours of free improvised comedy, 12:30, Free

FRI 18 JAN

THU 17 JAN

best, the worst and the new, 20:30, £ 2.00

GARY DOBSUN; STUART MURPHY, WHO’S LUNCH IS IT ANYWAY?, THE STAND, Beat even the

Crosby is usually fooling around in sketches with Pappy’s Fun Club, tonight is a chance to see his stand up., 19:30, £6/£5

Hosted by Susan Morrison, 21:00, £ 12.00

STAND, Hosted by the green goblin herself, Susan Calman., 20:30, £5/£4/£1

Many thanks to Godiva and Platform Soul for an awesome selection of clobber. Their ranges and stock are on healthy rotation, but head down sharpish before these choices are snapped up. Platform Soul: 58 Home Street, Tollcross, Edinburgh 0131 229 6316 www.platform-soul.com Godiva: 9 West Port, Edinburgh 0131 221 9212 www.godivaboutique.co.uk Photographer: Jethro Collins Production: Esther Cain Models: Molly and Georgina Make-up: Pebbles

STEVE WILLIAMS; MATTHEW CROSBY , PLEASANCE CABARET BAR, THE PLEASANCE, Matthew

GLASGOW

the worst and the new, 20:30, £2/£1

DJ PAPI & ALEX GATO, PARTY NIGHT, EL BARRIO, Salsa night with free

STUDIO 24, Rock, alternative, 23:00–3:00, £5, £3 students RESIDENTS, SANCTUARY, STUDIO 24, Underage goth club, 18:00–21:00, £7 (£5)

HOOK’T UP, GABRIEL LATCHIN, SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY, THE JAZZ BAR, Live latin, jazz & funk music, 23:00–3:00, £5, £3 b4 11.30pm

ROTATING RESIDENTS, SLASHDOT, THE HIVE, Techno & electro, drum & bass, breaks, indie, punk, new wave, 23:00–3:00, £5, free b4 12am

JOHN HUTCHISON (TOKYOBLU), SOPHISTIFUNK, CITY, House remixes, funky RnB & bootlegs, 23:00–3:00, £8 (£4)

JASON STIRLAND, ANDREW DIVINE, SOUL SPECTRUM,

THE VOODOO ROOMS, Deep funk & soul, 21:00–1:00, Free RESIDENTS, TEASE AGE, CITRUS CLUB, All things rock, motown, alternative & soul, 22:30–3:00, £6, free b4 11pm

RESIDENTS, ULTRAGROOVE,

b4 11pm

THE JAZZ BAR, Funk, 23:30–3:00, Free

JAMES LONGWARTH, VIBE, EGO, Weekly gay club playing chart, 23:00–3:00, £4 WED 09 JAN PACMAN, JOY, BASS INVASION, SECRET ARCADE, Drum & bass, breakbeat, 21:00–1:00, Free

BLACK SPRING DJS, BLACK SPRING ROCKS, THE JAZZ BAR, Music

to make girls dance, 23:30–3:00, Free

DJ JEZ HILL, CHAMBLES, OPAL LOUNGE, Funk & chart, 21:00–3:00, £5 (£4)

BREADMARK & JOHNNY CASHBACK, THE GOOD GROOVE, PIVO

CABARET VOLTAIRE, House, 23:00–3:00, £5, free b4 12am

MC BLONDEX, AWESOME WELLS, JERK ALERT, RED, Indie meets

hop, 21:00–1:00, Free

MASH & JON PLEASED, ROLLER DISCO, LULU, Past & future electronic classics,

GARETH SOMERVILLE (ULTRAGROOVE) & JONNIE LYLEY (SCRATCH), ASSEMBLY BAR, House to hip DANNY TENNENT, GARETH SOMERVILLE, ISLA BLIGE & THE BLOND FLASH, LULU, Soul, funk, house &

latin, 20:00–3:00, £7, free b4 12am

early nineties youth club disco, 21:00–5:00, £2, free b4 11pm

20:00–3:00, £4.99, free b4 11pm

RESIDENTS, THE PIT, THE HIVE, Rock

& metal, 23:00–3:00, Free

DJ NU-CLEAR, TOXIK, OPIUM, New & old metal & hard rock, 20:00–3:00, Free

SUN 06 JAN

WED 30 JAN

RESIDENTS, ALL BACK TO MINE,

IAN COPPINGER; NEIL DOUGAN; FREDERICK COOKE., BEST OF IRISH COMEDY, THE STAND, Hosted by

IAN ANDERSON & BISCUIT D, BACK TO BASICS, PIVO CAFFE, Retro

GARY MAC & GUESTS, WE ARE … ELECTRIC, CABARET VOLTAIRE,

OPAL LOUNGE, Eclectic mix of personal favourites, 22:00–3:00, £3, free b4 11pm

House, electro, tech-house & breaks with rotating guests in the back, 23:00–3:00, Free RESIDENTS, BARAKA, Funk, soul, disco, dancehall & reggae, 20:00–1:00, Free

dance, 90s & disco, 19:00–3:00, Free

THU 10 JAN

THU 31 JAN

MEDINA, Soul, funk, disco & chart, 22:00–3:00, £5

THE FREAKY FAMILY, 100% ORGANIC HIP HOP LIVE SESSION,

IAN COPPINGER; NEIL DOUGAN; FREDERICK COOKE., THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE STAND,

of music, free internet & games, 16:00–3:00, £3, free b4 11pm

Michael Smiley, 20:30, £7/£6/£4

Hosted by Sandy Nelson, 20:30, £7/£6/£3

ROB COLLINS; ANTHONY KING; STEVE GRIBBIN, JONGLEURS COMEDY CLUB, JONGLEURS, Dance to comedy and drink to music all at the same time., 19:00, £ 8.00

DALE LUSH & FRIENDS, BOOTY,

RESIDENTS, CURIOUS? SUNDAY JOINT, THE BONGO CLUB, Diverse selection SAM JOSE, TALL PAUL, EASY SUNDAY, THE JAZZ BAR, Lounge, 23:30–3:00, Free

DEREK MARTIN & STUART JOHNSTON, FRICTION, LIQUID

ROOM, Weekly dance club, 23:00–3:00, £4 (£2), £1 Centro card

KIPP$ & MASTER CAIRD,

GRAFITTI, MEDINA, Party tunes all night, 22:00–3:00, £3 (£2)

JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

LISTINGS

COMEDY

TUE 15 JAN

ARTS

NATIONAL WAR MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND

KELVINGROVE ART GALLERY AND MUSEUM

EDINBURGH

GROUP SHOW, COMMANDO COUNTRY, Examining Scotland’s key role in

forming Britain’s famous Commando forces until Fri 01 Feb, 9:45–16:45, Mon-Sun, Free

GROUP SHOW, KYLIE THE EXHIBITION, Fri 21 Sep–Sun 13 Jan,

CITY ART CENTRE VARIOUS, SEEING DRAGONS IN THE CLOUDS, Ten British artists create

fabulous work from the seemingly humdrum. Sat 24 Nov–Sat 12 Jan, 10:00/12:00(Sun)–17:00, Mon-Sun, Free

VARIOUS, TEN DECADES,

Edinburgh College of Art Centenary Exhibition - a retrospective journey through works of esteemed eca alumni and academics, including a 1952 life drawing of Sir Sean Connery Sat 27 Oct–Sun 20 Jan, 10:00/12:00(Sun)–17:00, Mon-Sun, Free

VARIOUS, SCISSORS, PAPER, STONE, An exhibition of innovative con-

temporary works by makers who live, work or trained in Edinburgh Sat 13 Oct–Wed 09 Jan, 10:00/12:00(Sun)–17:00, Mon-Sun, Free

EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS GROUP SHOW, REVEAL 2008, A group exhibition showcasing some of the best printmaking talent emerging from the Scottish art colleges over the last 3 years. Including works by Pio Abad, Gordon Robin Brown and Jessica Harrison. Sat 19 Jan–Sat 08 Mar, 10:00–18:00, Tue-Sat.

EMBASSY GALLERY SOLO SHOW, MIKE CHAVEZDAWSON, Sat 19 Jan–Thu 10 Jan,

12:00–17:00, Thurs-Sun, Free

FRUITMARKET GALLERY SOLO SHOW, ROMAN SIGNER, Sculptures, installations and films that bring everyday objects together in unexpected ways. Fri 02 Nov–Sun 27 Jan, 11:00(MonSat)/12:00(Sun)–18:00 (Mon-Sat)/17:00(Sun), Mon-Sun, Free

INGLEBY GALLERY GROUP SHOW, BRIAN CATLING AND THE HEAD OF ‘BOBBY AWL’, Part of the year-long 10th birthday cel-

ebrations Sat 12 Jan–Sat 19 Jan, 10:00–17:00, Mon-Sun, Free

GROUP SHOW, HOWARD HODGKIN AND EDGAR DEGAS,

Part of the year-long 10th birthday celebrations Sat 26 Jan–Sat 02 Feb, 10:00–17:00, Mon-Sun, Free

INSTITUT FRANÇAIS D’ECOSSE GROUP SHOW, DAVE MICHAEL CLARKE AND MICHELLE NAISMITH: YÉ-YÉ, Scottish artists, French

experience. Performance-based show. Sat 24 Nov–Thu 10 Jan, Times vary, Mon-Sat, Free

INVERLEITH HOUSE COLLABORATION, SMITH/ STEWART, Sculpture, film and installation from internationally renowned Glasgow-based artists Fri 02 Nov–Sun 20 Jan, 10:00–17:30, Tue-Sun, Free

MODERN ART GALLERIES JOHN WATSON PRIZE, PAUL CHIAPPE, Taking anonymous vintage photographs as his source material, Chiappe produces highly detailed pencil drawings of groups of unknown children. Sat 01 Dec–Sun 24 Feb, 10:00–17:00, Mon-Sun.

GROUP SHOW, THE SCIENTIFIC ASPECT OF SURREALISM, The

work of Grace Pailthorpe and Reuben Mednikoff Sat 12 Jan–Sun 20 Apr, 10:00–17:00, Mon-Sun, Free

NATIONAL GALLERIES COMPLEX SOLO SHOW, TURNER IN JANUARY, Welcome the New Year with a wonderful Scottish tradition: the annual display of Turner watercolours. Tue 01 Jan–Tue 29 Jan, 10:00–17:00/19:00 (Thur), Mon-Sun, Free

NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCOTLAND SOLO SHOW, JOAN EARDLEY, Exhaustive retrospective of the painter’s works, drawing and on canvas Tue 06 Nov–Sun 13 Jan, 10:00–18:00, Mon-Sun, Free

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND GROUP SHOW, JERWOOD PRIZE 2007: JEWELLERY, Discover a diverse and exciting collection of contemporary pieces that push the boundaries of what jewellery is today. Fri 12 Oct–Sun 02 Mar, 10:00–17:00, Mon-Sun, £6(£5)

10:00(Mon-Thu, Sat), 11:00 (Fri, Sun)–17:00, Mon-Sun, Free

OPEN EYE GALLERY

MARY MARY

GROUP SHOW, GROUP SHOW,

COLLABORATION, ANTHEA HAMILTON & THOMAS KRATZ,

Including unsettling paintings by Heather Nevay from 20 Oct 10:00–18:00 (Mon-Fri)/16:00(Sat), Mon-Sat, open all year, Free

PORTRAIT GALLERY SOLO SHOW, BP PORTRAIT AWARD 2007, Presenting some of the

very best examples of contemporary portrait painting. Fri 14 Dec–Sun 27 Apr, 10:00–17:00, Mon-Sun, £4(£3)

SOLO SHOW, JOANNA KANE: THE SOMNAMBULISTS, he Som-

nambulists is a haunting series of photographic portraits taken from a famous collection of phrenological heads now on loan to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Tue 22 Jan–Sun 06 Apr, 10:00–17:00, Mon-Sun, Free

QUEEN’S GALLERY VARIOUS ARTISTS, BRUEGEL TO RUBENS: MASTERS OF FLEMISH PAINTING, The first exhibition

ever mounted of Flemish paintings in the Royal Collection Fri 28 Sep–Sun 06 Apr, 9:30–18:00, Mon-Sun, £5 (£4.50)

SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART SIR BASIL SPENCE, BACK TO THE FUTURE, Retrospective of the

Scottish architect Fri 19 Oct–Sun 10 Feb, 10:00–17:00, Mon-Sun, £6(£4)

TOM PHILLIPS, A HUMUMENT, Solo show of the British artist’s Humument, a treated Victorian novel, one of the most successful artist’s books Sat 06 Oct–Sun 06 Jan, 10:00–17:00, Mon-Sun.

The starting point for the exhibition is a series of erotic Polaroid photographs by the Italian designer Carlo Mollino in the early 1960’s, which depict prostitutes, staged with his designed objects. Sun 16 Dec–Sat 26 Jan, 12:00–17:00, Thurs-Sat, Free

Dec–Sat 23 Feb, 11:00–17:00, Tue-Sat, Free

RECOAT GALLERY SOLO SHOW, ANDREW RAE, A show by the famous illustrator and animator, Andrew Rae. The exhibition will take the title of one of his books published by Concrete Hermit, “Of Beasts and Machines”. Sat 01 Nov–Wed 13 Feb, 12:00–20:00, Tue-Sun, Free

ous times, £15 - 9.50

ROWAN TREE THEATRE COMPANY, BARRY, Frederic Mohr’s

play receives an overdue 25th anniversary revival by one of Scotland’s foremost chamber theatre companies with Isabella Jarrett in the lead role. Wed 23 Jan–Sun 27 Jan, 7.30pm, £12-3

KING’S THEATRE SLEEPING BEAUTY, Panto until Sun 27 Jan, various times, £21.50-6.50

DOCTOR DOOLITTLE, Tommy Steele

GROUP SHOW, REMAKE/REMODEL, Group Show Sat 12 Jan–Sat 26

talks to the animals Wed 30 Jan–Sun 13 Jan, 7.30pm/2.30pm, £32-15.75

Jan, 11:00–17:00, Tue-Sat, Free

PAVILION THEATRE

STUDIO WAREHOUSE, 100 EASTVALE PLACE

CINDERELLA, Panto until Mon 07 Jan, various times, £16/14/13

TRAVERSE THEATRE

EETING BEAUTY: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE SPELL GOES WRONG, Panto until Sun 10 Feb, various

TRAVERSE THEATRE COMPANY, LONDON STREET SAUNA, Preview

EDINBURGH

NEW FUTURES, RSMAD BA students present staged readings of a selection of scripts submitted to the Traverse over the past year from Sat 19 Jan, 7.30pm, £5/3.50

times, £16.50 - 6

EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE SCOTTISH BALLET, SLEEPING BEAUTY, Ashley Page’s company rework the

fairy tale classic to Tchaikovsky score Sat 05 Jan– Mon 21 Jan, 7.30pm with some matinees, £30.50-6.50

RSMAD, EUGENE ONEGIN,

RSMAD team up with Scottish Opera to present Tchiakovsky’s score of Pushkin’s classic tale Fri 01 Feb–Sun 13 Jan, 7.15pm, £20-9

KING’S THEATRE GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS, Panto until Sun 10 Feb, various

reading of new work by Traverse protégé Sam Holcroft from Thu 17 Jan, 7.30pm, £5/3.50

RSAMD DRAMA, NEW YEAR,

SRISHTI - NINA RAJARANO DANCE CREATIONS, PLAY BALL, Dance triple bill presented in association with Dancebase Sun 27 Jan–Sun 20 Jan, 8pm, £13/8/5

TRAVERSE THEATRE COMPANY, CLASS ACT, Local school drama groups

stage plays written with the help of a team of professional writers and directors from Thu 31 Jan, 7.30pm, £5/3.50

times, £20.50 - 6.50

DUNDEE REP DUNDEE REP ENSEMBLE, JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, panto Wed 02

Rice and Webber’s popular musical Thu 03 Jan– Sun 03 Feb, 7.30pm, £25.50-6.25

ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE LYCEUM THEATRE COMPANY, GLASS MENAGERIE, Tennessee

Williams’ portrayal of a disintegrating family in the American Deep South Sat 12 Jan–Fri 01 Feb, 7.45pm plus matinees, £25 - 11 plus various concessions

While certain looks come and go, sometimes all that’s needed to make an outﬁt is one outstanding item. This is where independent shops come in: with rare or even unique lines, stock chosen through personal passion, and a friendly environment suited to casual shopping, looking for the best statement pieces becomes an easy-going pleasure. Scotland is blessed with a great selection of indie clothes shops, and the best thing to do is to get out and browse for the things that catch your own eye. Still, we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t pick out a couple of items we thought deserving of special mention…

DUNDEE

PLAYHOUSE JOSEPH AND HIS AMAZING TECHNICOLOUR DREAMCOAT,

CHOICE ITEMS

This beautiful brown and black ﬂoral sun dress with satin trim (Totty Rocks, £159) is sure to add a touch of class to your summer wardrobe, but its more subdued hues should work well if introduced early as part of a spring layers look.

Jan–Sun 27 Jan, various times, £13 - 7.50

DUNDEE REP YOUTH THEATRE COMPANY & DUNDEE REP ENSEMBLE, THE CHILDREN, Edward

TOTTY ROCKS, 40 VICTORIA ST, EDINBURGH WWW.TOTTYROCKS.CO.UK

Bond’s dark tale of a teenager’s unquestioning loyalty to his mother Fri 18 Jan–Sun 06 Jan, 7.45pm, £5/4/2

INTERNATIONAL OBJECT THEATRE FESTIVAL, MANIPULATE, Puppet theatre and animation for adults Thu 24 Jan–Sun 20 Jan, various times, various prices

GROUP SHOW, T CHRISTY COLE, Sat 19 Jan–Wed 02 Feb, 12:00–18:00, Wed-Sun, Free

THE BURRELL COLLECTION JOSEPH CRAWHALL, CRAWHALL 2007: REYNARD THE FOX, features ten watercolours

STILLS GALLERY

10:00–17:00, Tue-Sat, Free

CITIZENS THEATRE COMPANY, PETER PAN, Panto until Sun 03 Feb, vari-

SORCHA DALLAS

ARCHITECTURE 1956-87, The first major retrospective of the work of one of the UK’s most distinguished architecture practices Sun 11 Mar–Thu 02 Oct, 10:30(Mon, WedSat)/11:00(Tue)/12:00(Sun)–17:00, Mon-Sun, £3(£1.50)

SOLO SHOW, ALAN MICHAEL: TOUCH VOID, Sat 19 Jan–Sat 01 Mar,

Brian Friel’s tale of English soldiers in Donegal Thu 24 Jan–Mon 14 Jan, 7.30pm, £16-3

David Hare’s two hander on sexual politics Wed 23 Jan–Sun 06 Feb, 7.30pm, £12-3

THE LIGHTHOUSE

TALBOT RICE

ARCHES THEATRE COMPANY, TRANSLATIONS, Andy Arnold directs

SOLO SHOW, SPENCER SWEENEY: OUR GANG, Mon 01

SOLO SHOW, THE LEGACY OF TIM STEAD , The legacy of artist,

Gersht explores landscapes embedded with both personal and historic resonance in his stunning film The Forest and photographic series The Clearing. Sat 03 Nov–Sun 20 Jan, 11:00–18:00, Mon-Sun, Free

CITIZENS THEATRE

REPLICO THEATRE COMPANY, THE BLUE ROOM, New production of

illustrating the medieval fable of Reynard the Fox Sat 20 Oct–Sun 02 Mar, 10:00(Mon, Thur, Sat)/11:00(Fri/Sun)–17:00, Mon-Sun, Free

SOLO SHOW, ORI GERSHT, Ori

GLASGOW

MODERN INSTITUTE

SCOTTISH STORYTELLING CENTRE

designer and poet Tim Stead, including sculpture, poetry and furniture designs Mon 01 Oct–Sat 05 Jan, 10:00–18:00, Mon-Sat, Free

THEATRE

THE SKINNY selections

TRON THEATRE

Perfect for posing without blaring, or showing up at the gym with your sense of irony intact, is this ghetto blaster weekend bag (Swish, £35). No gimmick this, the bag is large and hard-wearing - so expect to turn heads on years’ worth of weekends away.

GILLESPIE, KIDD & COIA,

GROUP SHOW, GLASGOW 1999 DESIGN MEDAL 2007, An opportunity

SWISH, 22-24 VICTORIA STREET, EDINBURGH WWW.SWISHONTHE.COM

to see work by a new generation of design talent Thu 11 Oct–Sun 13 Jan, 10:30(Mon, Wed-Sat)/11:00(Tue)/12:00(Sun)–17:00, MonSun, Free

TOP STORES

SOLO SHOW, STUART HAYGARTH, Stuart Haygarth works on design

projects that revolve around the collection of objects. Sat 12 Jan–Sun 24 Feb, 10:30(Mon, Wed-Sat)/11:00(Tue)/12:00(Sun)–17:00, MonSun, Free

The shop The Skinny has been most excited about recently is Goodlife, which opened recently on West Nile Street in Glasgow. With a philosophy that aims to combine streetwear with high-end couture, their commitment has seen them seek out limited edition ranges from London and Japan (in fact Goodlife is the only store in Britain where you can get a number of their lines). With major fashion superstores like Harvey Nichols now ﬁrmly established in Scotland, it’s innovative set-ups like Goodlife that will make sure the nation continues to be that bit different and imaginative, that bit more exciting.

GLASGOW CCA OPENENDED GROUP, MOVES, Exploring the relationships between choreography, space, human movement and technology Sat 24 Nov–Mon 01 Dec, 11:00–18:00, MonFri, Free

COLLINS GALLERY GROUP SHOW, BREAKING THE MOULD, Showing for the first time in Glas-

GOODLIFE, 134 WEST NILE STREET, GLASGOW 0141 333 0095

gow, IAPMA presents a challenging exhibition of 2D and 3D contemporary artwork by over 30 leading, international papermakers. Mon 01 Dec–Sat 16 Feb, 12:00–17:00, Mon-Sat, Free

GOODLIFE

To a more established Scottish set-up, hats off go to Xile, recently announced as the Young Fashion Independent Retailer of the Year at the 2007 Drapers Awards. To ﬁnalise for these prestigious UK-wide awards is an achievement in itself; to win is a real coup for the Edinburgh-based Xile. Their strengths were demonstrated to be excellent general knowledge about the wide range of brands they stock, and an impressive rate of staff retention (many have been with the company for over ten years, since the company’s foundation in 1991). More impressive still is that this success comes right after the company’s recent win at the Scottish Retail Awards, where Xile scooped the award for Independent Retailer of the Year. Nice work indeed. Why not head down to their January sale and see what all the acclaim is for?

COMPASS GALLERY GROUP SHOW, THE COMPASS GALLERY CHRISTMAS SHOW, a huge selection of works by numerous artists from near and far - from recent graduates, to many of the most established and popular including a good selection of Compass Gallery’s regular exhibitors. Fri 23 Nov–Thu 31 Jan, 10:00–17:30, Mon-Sat, Free

GLASGOW GALLERY OF MODERN ART GROUP SHOW, BLIND FAITH: CONTEMPORARY ART AND HUMAN RIGHTS, Artists Anne Elliot, Lisa Fleming and Jane McInally have been working with young people from Restorative Justice and drivers from Glasgow Taxis to develop new work exploring sectarianism, identity, nation and territorialism. Mon 15 Oct–Sun 20 Jan, 10:00(Mon-Thu)/11:00(Fri-Sun)–17:00(FriWed)/20:00(Thur), Mon-Sun, Free

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

FASHION

LISTINGS

CUTTING-EDGE FASHION FROM XILE DINO FORTE

LISTINGS

WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

XILE, PRINCES MALL AND OCEAN TERMINAL, EDINBURGH WWW.XILECLOTHING.COM

JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

the full-t i me

Punks

DEMOCRACY HAS HAD ITS TIME. AT LEAST, IT MIGHT STILL HAVE SOMETHING TO OFFER TO, SAY, PAKISTAN (HERES HOPING), BUT IN A DEVELOPED CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY WE SHOULD REALLY BE LOOKING FOR A POLITICAL MODEL THAT’S A BIT MORE, YOU KNOW, INVOLVED THAN JUST PUTTING A CROSS IN BOX EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS. THAT’S NOT FREEDOM. FREEDOM COMES FROM CHOOSING HOW YOU EARN YOUR MONEY, AND WHERE YOU SPEND IT. THE SKINNY IS PROUD TO PRESENT THIS SHOOT, CONSISTING ENTIRELY OF LOCALLY CRAFTED CLOTHES PRODUCED TO HIGH ETHICAL AND ECO-FRIENDLY STANDARDS. TRADITIONAL STYLES: THE FUTURE OF PUNK.

ALBUM REVIEWS SOMA COMPILATION 2007 (SOMA)

rrrr Another year, another set of successful releases from those clever Soma boys, who se e m to have a sense of consistency and delivery others can only dream of. With a roster of acts that always produce for a lucrative yet underground market, they have a history to be truly proud of. This album is a celebration of all the new treats that have been offered this year, including gems such as Azure from Slam, which reminded us just what good producers Slam are when they aren’t running Scotland’s best club night or festival dance tent. Other brilliant tracks are the ethereal A Field from Martin Wheeler AKA Vector Lovers, as well as Lee van Dowski providing a work of perfect minimalism with his building and ultimately relentless The Strike Pandemonium. People will try to act in-the-know and say that certain genres are ‘in’ or ‘out’ and club culture is alive or dead, but throughout it all Soma always delivers the goods. [Sean McNamara] OUT NOW

A STATE OF MIND & SKREIN

PRE-EMPTIVE NOSTALGIA (DENTED RECORDS)

rrrrr A State of Mind’s playful, golden vibes nonchalantly sidestep the g n a r l i n e s s of archetypal cutting-edge UK hip-hop with this godsend of a record. Diversity is key, down to the ﬁnest detail. The Funky Poet and Green-T (note his bassy verbosity: he is the UK’s Charlie 2na incarnate) have recruited the granular wisecracks of Dented Record’s Dinner Lady Pimp Skrein to catalyse their rounded vocal flow. Deckspert DJ Sativo comes into his own on Everything Stays the Same, warmly embracing instrumental samples with a nod to KNO’s Takin the Loss. Selecting a single gem track is tricky on a ﬂawless release, but I kid you not

in saying that the title track has potential to be Buddy’s successor. It’s true that a tangible affection for the old skool (plus soul, jazz and reggae) informs the structure of the melodies, vocals and the album as a whole, but without infringing on the imaginative faculty which prompted DJ Vadim to dub them “the leaders of the new school”. A rare hybrid of quality and accessibility, ASM is a band to watch out for. And if you like them, check Ninja Tune’s similarly upbeat master-of-fusion Kid Kanevil. But for fuck’s sake buy this first! [Rosie McLean] OUT NOW

SAUL WILLIAMS

THE INEVITABLE RISE AND FALL OF NIGGY TARDUST (MUSICANE)

rrrr Saul Williams’ third full-length LP, released via online distributor Musicane, is a collaboration with Nine Inch Nails producer/frontman Trent Reznor. Williams has never trodden the same path as his fellow MCs; more of a poet than a hip-hop traditionalist, his production choices have often run to hard and off-kilter beats. Working with Reznor provides a few moments of inspired fusion - The Ritual marries a restrained industrial/electro beat to militant couplets, No One Ever Does links Reznor’s trademark muted pianos to a gently sung refrain, while the magnificent Tr(n)igger loops shards of Public Enemy’s Welcome To The Terrordome to an appropriately rabble-rousing rap. Although lacking both the philosophical bite of Williams’ previous work and the focused intensity of Reznor’s recent Year Zero opus, Niggy Tardust hangs together well - a fascinating soundclash of dark industrial beats and conscious rap. The feeling that Williams’ lyrical concerns might alienate NIN fans, and that Reznor’s walls of guitar noise might overwhelm Williams’ hip-hop headz is perhaps the point - the two styles grind and bump against each other like mismatched dancers, refusing to be conﬁned by listeners’ expectations. As rewarding as it is challenging, the album only really falls down on its spurious cover of U2’s Sunday Bloody Sunday. [Bram Gieben] OUT NOW ORDER ONLINE FROM NIGGYTARDUST.COM

OBSIDIAN MILLIMETRE

(ORETIC RECORDS)

rrrr Obsidian sound like Boards of Canada and The Cocteau Twins exercising their right to deformed and retarded children, dragging the listener through intense pastures of droning guitars, reverbheavy percussion and swathes of synths. The title track sees sole member Terence J McGaughey groaning lyrics that fall somewhere between a death rattle and an orgasmic moan. Rather like Throbbing Gristle, it’s an incredibly intense experience, and often falls into brilliantly discordant moments. The vocals can be a little too high in the mix at times, and mask McGaughey’s talents on guitar, drums and electronics, but complaining about the production levels seems a little ridiculous when it’s so intense. Occasionally the tension between beauty and pain breaks, and I Fell Into A Mirror sees McGaughey mournfully lamenting “my skin’s a motorway”, whilst the closing track Black Dog Avenue is almost joyous with its upbeat guitar line. This isn’t like the relentless misery of Joy Division, and whilst the music of Obsidian is murky and dark, it taps into the droning power of Mogwai that lifts the listener beyond the everyday. [Liam Arnold] OUT NOW

SINGLE REVIEWS BODYROX AND LUCIANA

WHAT PLANET YOU ON?

(UNIVERSAL/ISLAND RECORDS)

rrrr It’s taken them over a year to release the follow up to last year’s massive Ivor Novello nominated single Yeah Yeah, but the second single from house duo Bodyrox does not disappoint. From the opening beat this track is packed full of phat, electro basslines, clean, fresh production and catchy lyrics. The bass literally has the speakers blowing out, and, teamed with Luciana’s familiar attitudinal voice this makes for one seriously twisted disco track. This is a colourful, impressive, dirty house track and is a deﬁnite improvement on their previous single. Having been dubbed by Zane Lowe as “an anthem in the making” this track is set to hit all the right spots in 2008. [Louisa Boyle] OUT NOW WWW.MYSPACE.COM/BODYROX

IKO ITZU

THE ELECTRONIC FIGHTER (STEAL MY OIL RECORDS)

rrr Electronic Fi g hte r i s a n unusual and intriguing name for an album, and this de b u t by the Cologne-based ar tist is definitely an intriguing affair. Verging on the minimal, it initially comes across as the bridge between the main-room anthems of producers like Steve Angello, and the warm delicacy of Gui Boratto. Many of the tracks are epic instrumentals that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Kompakt compilation. However, some tracks feature generic vocals from souless singers, which sound average and clichéd. The end result is an album which isn’t sure if it wants to be a serious tech-house release or a radio-friendly collection waiting to be a mainstream success. With a little more focus there could be either a cross-over hit or an underground anthem on this album, but it’s too unsure of what it wants to be. [Scott Ramage] RELEASE DATE: 7 JAN

TRIPLE DARKNESS ANATHEMA/HERESEY (FT KYZA)

(HIGHER HEIGHTS RECORDS)

rrr UK hip-hop goes all mystical on yo’ ass with this one, with the various voices that make up Triple Darkness dropping skits about Egyptian pharaohs, sun gods and other mystical references. But in case you couldn’t guess, it’s really about rapping, and London. The consistently excellent Chemo helms this one, and his mix of rolling piano and crisp hi-hats makes for a head-nodding, introspective piece of work. Better than most. [Liam Arnold] RELEASE DATE: 7 JAN

SHARAM JEY

MESSAGE TO LOVE (KING KONG RECORDS)

r Some tough German electro here from the Colo gne based producer

Sharam Jey as he releases the fourth single from his 4 Da Loverz album. Despite the fact that the album had the worst name of 2007, this single will do little to improve his fortunes. Erratic electro more annoying than shingles (particularly the main Alex Metric mix) and sounding like R2D2 having a ﬁt of some kind, this is one record too many from Sharam. Thankfully the Glimmers take over with a decent remix. Other mixes come from Kaos and Lou Lou and are barely listenable, but if you’ve made it that far through the CD you deserve a medal. Or a slap. [Sean McNamara] OUT NOW WWW.SHARAMJEY.COM

MOSES

FRIDAY NIGHT

(TOP OF THE WORLD RECORDS)

rrrr Friday Night is the debut single from Londonbased DJ, MC and producer Moses, featuring renowned MCs Stamma Kid and Stylo G. This is a feelgood urban house track with fast beats and smooth vocals, designed to make you want to go out and party all night long. This tune already has the support of 1Xtra and Pete Tong. The single features a bouncing dub remix, with vocals encouraging the crowd to “jump, jump, jump” and “boogie boogie”, making Friday Night perfect for ﬁlling the danceﬂoor in all the hottest clubs. Expect big things from this artist. [Karen Taggart] RELEASE DATE: 18 FEB WWW.MOSESFRANCISCO.COM WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ MOSESFRANCISCO

DEADBEAT

EASTWARD ON TO MECCA (WAGON REPAIR)

rrrr Sticking with the dense, dancehall-inﬂected style of dub that he moved towards on Journeyman’s Annual, and continued with his awesome remix of Pole’s Sylvenstein, Montreal’s Scot t Monteith drops another banging EP. These three tunes offer up different perspectives on the same

DJ CHART

FEATURED ALBUM

THE FREQ RESIDENTS

ATJAZZ

FULL CIRCLE

basic sounds, with the Mecca Drum Jack and Mecca Dub doing exactly what they say on the tin. Balancing crunchy percussion with spacious, King Tubby Echochamber work, this is for the head as well as the feet. [Liam Arnold] RELEASE DATE: 14 JAN WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ DEADBEATCOMPUTERMUSIC

BONDE DO ROLE MARINA GASOLINA (DOMINO)

rr The riotous Brazilians h ave a f i l t hy image that would suf fice in itself to fill out just about any grimy venue; being the only baile funk group in cohorts with both Cansei De Ser Sexy and Diplo, they’ve managed to send the party kids wild from here to Bangkok. Although maintaining no illusions of profundity, their latest release Marina Gasolina can be described as little more than a clumsily chosen ska-reminiscent horn solo layered with feisty vocals and then distorted beyond recognition. Remixes by Crookers, Peaches and Fake Blood present us with even dirtier interpretations of the track, all turning up the bass in an attempt to reduce it to the kind of beat-ridden fodder the majority of us love to listen to in any rough underground techno club come midnight; but the phrase ‘you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear’ comes to mind. [Emily Foister] OUT NOW

UNKLE

HOLD MY HAND (SURRENDER ALL)

rrrr Hold My Hand is the second single f r o m U n k l e’s third album Wa r Stor ie s. A stomping start transgresses into a pounding, menacing groove with dirty licks and dark, hard beats with James Lavelle on vocals, telling a tale of wants, needs and obsession. B-side Heaven is a chilled out affair, taken from the soundtrack to the upcoming film Odyssey in Rome. Soulful, heartfelt lyrics complement the slow, sweeping guitars and strings perfectly. With this release Unkle have again evolved in a different direction, constantly surprising the listener with a rockier vibe than previous albums, and a very Primal Scream-esque sound. [Karen Taggart] OUT NOW WWW.UNKLE.COM WWW.MYSPACE.COM/UNKLE

THE FREQ RESIDENTS BRIAN AND MURRAY KICK OFF THE FIRST OF TWELVE NEW DJ CHARTS FOR THE YEAR WITH THEIR TOP FIVE FAVOURITE TRACKS OF 2007. FREQ LOOKS SET TO RETURN TO THE SUB CLUB IN FEB 2008 SO CONTAIN YOUR EXCITEMENT AND HUNGER FOR FREQY HOUSE AND TECHNO UNTIL THEN!

(MANTIS RECORDINGS)

MURRAY

BRIAN

rrrr

1. ANNA - KLEINES ABC (AUTIST)

1. LUKA & LAZO - MF NAME (MO'S FERRY)

A real groover that builds up a treat with its locked down bassline.

A minimal smasher yet highly complex and exciting with a seriously funky groove to move your butt along to.

Departing from the largely instrumental blueprint of previous full-length efforts, That Something and Labfunk, Derby-based producer Martin Iveson utilises vocalists on every track of his latest Atjazz offering, Full Circle. Embracing disco, soul, broken-beat and hiphop inﬂuences he’s avoided the edgier, more technoinfluenced sound favoured by so many of today’s house producers to create a deliciously sumptuous, home listening affair. Featuring collaborations with Sonar Kollektiv’s Clara Hill, ex-Communards’ member Sarah-Jane Morris, Dawne B, Clyde, Ernesto and the legendary Robert Owens, it’s singer Amalia's breathy

2. ANTHONY COLLINS & MARC ANTONA - SHARKS (MICRO-FIBRES)

2. GERALD MITCHELL & DJ 3000 - ALIA [GARY MARTIN REMIX] (MOTECH)

French collaboration builds step by step into a dark, bleepy heavyweight.

Killer remix that's unmistakably Gary Martin with jackin' live percussion and exotic mesmerising strings.

3. PANTHA DU PRINCE - URLICHTEN (DIAL)

3. MARK AUGUST - WARM (INNERVISIONS)

Lovely rolling bassline and unexpected chimes make me smile.

Ideal for when the DJ wants to switch gears from mellow to peak time.

4. SUPERMAYER - TWO OF US (KOMPACT)

4. BUSHWACKA! - REMEMBER [DUB] (OLMETO)

Glockenspiel? Xylophone? I dunno. Whatever it is I love it.

Insane sound effect-ﬁlled track - genius!

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

vocals that seduce the ears first on opening track, One. Elsewhere, brass rubs up against a stuttering break on Parallels, with Dawne B; Owens emotes to his usual high standard over the steady groove of Love Someone, and Clara Hill provides some beautiful harmonies for the boogie of Before; only a few examples from a collection that sidesteps musical fashions and is all the better for it. [Colin Chapman] RELEASE DATE: 4 FEB

WWW.ATJAZZ.CO.UK

5. M.A.N.D.Y. & BOOKA SHADE FEAT. LAURIE ANDERSON - OH, SUPERMAN (GET PHYSICAL)

Too much fun! Brings a smile to any danceﬂoor!

5. STEPHEN BEAUPRE - LES FILLES [MOLE REMIX] (MUSIQUE RISQUEE)

Long twirling discoﬁed tech house that will hypnotise any listener on the planet.

BEATS

CLOTHES: Opposite page: Christoffer is wearing 2 peice chalk style navy suit: £295. Jerome is wearing window pane check 3 peice suit: £195 jacket, £75 trousers, £55 waist coat and a slim fit contrast collar shirt: £39. All from Walker Slater. This page top right: Jerome and Christoffer are wearing same as above; Coryn is wearing a floral tea dress £119 and a waist jacket £195, both from Totty Rocks. This page top left: Coryn is wearing redmac with pony print trim from Totty Rocks, £245 & earings from Caroline Cloughley, £35. This page middle left: Coryn is wearing a black and white floral pocket skirt £89 and a black Keira top £69, both from Totty Rocks. This page bottom: Jerome is wearing an Indian floral print tailored shirt £89, Coryn is wearing a floral tea dress (£119) and earings (£45) and necklace (£75) from Caroline Cloughley, Christoffer is wearing a Printed Tailored Shirt £89. All from Totty Rocks. CREW: Hair and Make-up: Michelle Lee. Photographer: Colin Macdonald (Bloody Honey). Models: Coryn (The Model Team), Jerome from The Sphygs and Christoffer from The Vivians. Producer: Charlotte Rodenstedt (Bloody Honey). Thanks to: Grant Anderson, Rosamund West, Totty Rocks, Walker Slater and Caroline Cloughley. Caroline Cloughley’s jewellery can be bought at Owl and Lion, 15 Grassmarket, Edinburgh

EDITORIAL Hello and welcome to another themed LGBT section. This time we’re looking at queer punk, which means that hijacking my own editorial to discuss J Church is at least halfway on-topic.

A little over three years ago, I finally saw them play. It wasn’t like an ordinary gig for me. I’d recently rediscovered freedom after an abusive relationship; I was doing my damnedest to let nothing restrict me any more, but major surgery came as a surprise. To compensate for everything I missed while I was recuperating, I vowed to catch J Church on their European tour as soon as the doctor said I could fly. So that’s how come I wound up in Munich, alone; all it took was an email to the local punks, complete strangers who gave me a place to crash. They also gave me food and drink and free entry to shows. The J Church show wasn’t The Best Gig In The World Ever, but they played every song that all of the current members knew, and it was just what I’d wanted. That weekend I left my comfort zone and discovered that that suited me just fine. So, cheesy as it may sound, for me Lance’s voice always evokes that amazing, can-do feeling, a reminder of all the positive things about punk.

Queer and Punk I am both a queer kid and a punk kid - I go to punk shows and hang out with punks, and I go to gay clubs and hang out with queers. But I don’t feel that I properly assimilate into either ‘scene’. And whilst I know that this is a good thing, that singular identities are boring and terribly inﬂexible, I want to look at why I think there’s so little crossover between these scenes.

ﬁghting against how the majority tells you to act, then how can you act like the majority when it comes to sex-type-stuff? The biggest way schools, parents, the church, and other institutions control youth is by telling them who they have to love and fuck. How you have to act according to the rules of being a girl or a boy. Who says girls can’t be butch? Who says boys can’t be fags?”

The meaning of the term ‘queer’, as opposed to ‘gay and lesbian’, means, in the way I use it and the way in which it has been recently reclaimed, ‘non-heteronormative’. It is a ‘post-gay’ term, based on the idea that heterosexuality, homosexuality and the middle ground of ‘bi’ are constructed ideas. That an individual’s sexuality, gender and desire do not ﬁt neatly into these binary boxes.

However, the way I see it is that the majority of punks are experimenting with this stuff starting from the privileged point of heterosexuality or from a background of hetero-monogamous relationships. So their task is to unpick the hetero conditioning they have been brought up with. But for those who grew up queer and have not grown up with primarily opposite-sex desires, their lives have been spent as the ‘other’ to a heterosexual norm, so their starting point for politics is different to that of a hetero-queer punk.

The punk community is (supposedly) all about challenging concepts of normality, and the politics represent a faith in the individual and an ideal of freedom of the individual coupled with a sense of community. Sexuality, gender and relationships are often challenged. Punk’s approach to sexuality is like its approach to most things: it’s radical and outside of normal boundaries, and this is why I love being in the punk community. J.D.s homocore fanzine explained why punk is queer: “When you’re reading Maximum RocknRoll, everything is question authority - question rules applied to music, ecology, politics, the mosh pit ... But what about sex? If you’re

As his friend Walter remarked recently, “I have never heard anyone in my whole life say, ‘Wow, Lance Hahn is a real prick’.” There’s none of that punkerthan-thou bullshit going on in J Church’s songs, and this was reﬂected in Lance’s interactions with everyone he met. He was sincere, he was funny, and he had time for everybody. Lance died on 21 October, aged forty, after a long battle against kidney failure. It goes without saying that he is missed, but it’s hard to explain just how much. [Nine]

THOUGH DIGITAL IS INCREASINGLY THE FORMAT OF CHOICE FOR MANY DJS AND PRODUCERS, FIRECRACKER RECORDINGS OFFERS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF VINYL’S ENDURING APPEAL. COLIN CHAPMAN FINDS OUT MORE.

Different contexts create different cultural codes for punks and for queers. Often, I feel like my ‘codes’ are what make me not feel entirely assimilated to either scene. I feel that the way I look does not say ‘dyke’ enough in the gay scene, because there are some punk ‘codes’ going on which have little or no meaning in the gay scene. The gay scene revolves around alcohol, and being straight-edge is unheard of. Although I don’t drink, I go to queer drinking venues and support these capitalistic establishments, which is completely against my politics. In the punk scene, I whinge so much when shows are at over-18 drinking venues, so I feel weird even telling my punk friends about what

Coming about “through a mind of its own,” as label founder Lindsay Todd puts it, the Edinburgh label Firecracker Recordings was set up in 2003. Now three EPs old it has featured the productions of Gav Sutherland (Fudge Fingas), Nick Moore (Linkwood) and Lindsay Todd, who records with Nick as Linkwood Family.

I do in the gay scene. And appearance-wise I often feel weird about some of the things I wear when I am in the punk scene, that I look too ‘shiny’ and new, that I look too ‘mainstream dyke’. I even modify my look slightly according to where I am going. Whilst punk fits more with my politics, I still need gay venues. This is because I’m still a queer person in a heterocentric world, and places like these are the few spaces where we’re guaranteed to be the majority, and feel, in our sexuality at least, not like the Other. However, the pitfalls of the mainstream ‘gay and lesbian’ scene in general are that I am othered in different ways. I don’t fit the dyke uniform in image; I identify as ‘queer’ and have relationships with those who are classified as male by dominant categorising of gender; I don’t do monogamy and I’m interested in a new model of relationships based on loving and fucking many. I still feel weird, just in a different way to the weird I feel in hetero contexts. ‘Gay and lesbian’ is political only insofar as it seeks assimilation, acceptance on the terms of the rest of ‘normal’ society. Meanwhile, punk rejects assimilation and the values of dominant society. However, punk is still a predominantly straight scene and punks still predominantly have the privilege of heterosexuality. Punks need to try and understand why queers may feel pressured to look a certain way, to behave in ways which they would class as ‘selling out’, and why their ability to label it ‘selling out’ is a privilege.

“Nick and I were working on a track for Joseph Malik’s second album, but we had musical differences and ended up missing our deadline for submission,” he explains. “We came back to it six months later and decided it was good enough to put out.” Though a bit of struggle, they raised enough funds to press it up and Miles Away was the first of three tracks on what became the debut Firecracker EP. However, getting it released was only the first hurdle. “We got knocked back from loads of distributors, so I decided to go London to see if I could sell it to record shops, direct. Vinyl Junkies was the first I approached and luckily enough, they bought all our stock.” Though a good financial deal at the time, with hindsight Lindsay believes it didn’t really help their international sales. “Aside from their London shop, the only other distribution channels were their two outlets in Japan and they ended up sitting on a lot of vinyl.” However, with all three eventually selling out, the record went on to become a bit of a cult release. They decided to repeat the same exercise for their follow-up EP, but broke away for their third. “We felt we needed a bit more exposure - I took over UK and European distribution and before they went bust, Goya covered Japan and other countries. We now use Rubadub’s

distribution arm, Blackhole." Though the label’s sound leans towards house, it merges a range of other elements - techno, jazz, soul, reggae, hip-hop and beyond, illustrating the various inﬂuences of the trio, as Todd explains: “Nick’s into the Shefﬁeld sound of early Warp, people like LFO, older Detroit techno, Sun-Ra and a lot of other free-jazz stuff. Gav and I are keen on a lot of 90s house; stuff on labels such as Strictly Rhythm in their heyday. I also appreciate a lot of what comes out of Detroit, regardless of musical style.” Indeed, tracks like Gettin’ Togetha and Fate give a healthy nod to Motor City producer Moodymann, but though all three are serious about their music, they also like to inject a bit of humour into proceedings. “We’ve always put a kind of tongue-in-cheek novelty track on each EP, and I think that’s become part of their appeal.”

is now on its second pressing and the previous two are set for re-release. They’ve also enjoyed support from Gilles Peterson, Jazzanova, DJ Spinna and Osunlade, which Lindsay describes as “a pat on the back" for their efforts: “Getting positive feedback from guys who’ve been our heroes and having the opportunity to discuss future projects with them has been fantastic.” The future’s looking bright too. A website selling their releases in both vinyl and digital format is planned, as is a retrospective compilation album. Collaborative efforts alongside Manchester artist Trus’me are already underway and they’ve approached artists they respect to remix some of their back catalogue. All this marks out Firecracker as one to watch in 2008. WWW.MYSPACE.COM/FIRECRACKERRECORDINGS WWW.FIRECRACKERRECORDINGS.CO.UK

Aside from the music, Firecracker has a deﬁnite ‘look’ - each release is on 10” vinyl and its distinctive artwork combines bold typography with collage and comic strip illustrations, courtesy of Nick’s brother. Having previously worked at Underground Solu'shun, Lindsay's gathered inside knowledge on what attracts record buyers. “It needs to be collectable – it helps if it looks good, is in a strange format and the music’s a bit odd. Nowadays, there’s no point in putting out a white label... you could just download a track like that. You need to have a bit of vision, use creativity to help shift your product.” It’s certainly helped their cause; the third EP

I see separate queer spaces – ‘ghettoisation’ as a necessity still, a place for queer people to be reassured that they are not freaks. And I understand, if not support, the assimilation and mainstream nature of gay venues. Maybe once we are stronger as individuals, we can turn around and critique society, but it can be hard to become self-assured enough to make yourself the minority and the aberration again. In this way, I see queer spaces as a stepping stone to radicalisation, not as an end in themselves, but as a means to an end.

✹

TOP

Firecracker Recordings

LUCY NICHOLAS ASKS IF YOU CAN BE PART OF BOTH THE PUNK AND GAY SCENES WITHOUT HAVING TO MODIFY YOURSELF IN EACH SETTING?

J Church formed in 1992, named after a San Francisco metro line, and played “anarchosituationist pop-punk”. Although the line-up varied greatly over the years, one person remained constant – co-founder Lance Hahn. When I got into them, it was thrilling to discover so much energy present in one band: Lance’s clear voice stands out over the music, which frequently sounds like a celebration no matter what the topic is. One of my favourites, As I Lie …, just makes you want to get up and dance, even though it’s the tale of a bike courier who’s just been hit by a bus. “I kinda wish I’d kept that data entry job,” he muses shortly before lights out. Sound of Mariachi Bands describes a couple of people working dead-end jobs, struggling to make ends meet, and yet there’s something uplifting in the sound, if not in the lyrics. As time went by, J Church became a familiar comfort to me. Their back catalogue is so enormous I’m not sure anyone has ﬁgured out exactly how much they recorded, and my extensive collection is probably just the tip of the iceberg. I reckon there’s a J Church song for every occasion.

BEATS

LGBT

Labels Special: Vinyl Pyrotechnics

EVENTS

THE WAYWARD CLOUD (TIAN BIAN YI DUO YUN)

2 JAN @ 5:30PM, 3 JAN @ 3PM & 8:30PM GLASGOW FILM THEATRE, 12 ROSE ST, GLASGOW

A surreal, messy, camp, musical Taiwanese film exploring the porn industry. £5.50/4

So, whilst the queer community needs to start looking towards a more radical politics, the punk community needs to continue the work of undoing its heterocentric perspective and realising the privileged stand-point of many of the individuals within it - for whom the immediate need to ﬁght for reformist ‘equality’ on the terms of the mainstream isn’t so urgent or useful.

HEARTS ON OUR SLEEVES 7 JAN @ 7PM

LGBT CENTRE FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING, 9 HOWE ST, EDINBURGH

Launch evening, with live music, for a new exhibition celebrating diversity. You can view the art through the rest of January. FREE

OUT AND SAFE

26 JAN, 10AM – 3:45PM DISCOVERY POINT, DUNDEE

An event bringing together LGBT people and police to discuss attitudes to crime and barriers to reporting. FREE, BUT PLEASE REGISTER VIA SCOTT@EQUALITYNETWORK.ORG OR 07020 933952

TALKING ABOUT LGBT FAMILIES

“I DON’T DO MONOGAMY AND I’M INTERESTED IN A NEW MODEL OF RELATIONSHIPS BASED ON LOVING AND FUCKING MANY.”

AN EARLIER VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VILLAGE BIKE ZINE.

2 FEB, 1-4PM

JURY’S INN, JEFFREY STREET, EDINBURGH

An Equality Network event for LGBT parents and would be parents to meet with family professionals: what do you need to know? FREE, BUT BOOKING ESSENTIAL: CONTACT JANE@ EQUALITY-NETWORK.ORG OR 0131 467 6039 ERIN MCGRATH

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

LGBT

WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

by Jonny Ogg

by Nine

THE SKINNY BIDS FAREWELL TO MANGA AS IT APPROACHES ITS 12TH AND FINAL BIRTHDAY

Manga stands out in the Scottish scene as the ultimate pioneer and catalyst of Scottish drum and bass. We’re talking here of a 12year-old club in a world scene that spans only a few years more than that. The club’s founder members, DJ G*Mac and visual artist Dr Strangelove, were later joined by DJ Kid, The General and MCs Feelman, Sonny and AJ, amongst many others who have come and gone, and have together worked furiously through the trials and tribulations of club promotion. While initially crowd numbers at their fortnightly gigs dwindled, a change to monthly events and a push on promotion saw the club become a fundamental fixture in the UK’s new underground clubbing movement. This status was underlined when Radio 1’s One in the Jungle event broadcast live from the night in October 1997. Additionally, the club's affiliation with Manga films allowed it to present exclusive pre-club showings of the latest features from the film company, a bespoke idea that today’s clubs should really be looking to emulate. From this point the club's reputation escalated and bookings included the influential live act Reprazent through to the USA’s Dieselboy; making it a firm building block in the global drum and bass scene. Its end will mark the loss of a true player in the genre.

So what now for the people who put the club together? Well, The General and MC Feelman will never be too far away from the scene and will be showing their faces and skills as guests at various nights throughout Scotland. DJ Kid continues to head up his own imprint, Restless Natives Records, and DJs throughout the south of England as well as the occasional Scottish show. And G*Mac, as well as DJing at and promoting the clubnight Bass Syndicate, has recently played at Fabric in London and can be seen lurking behind the counter at Edinburgh’s premier independent store Underground Solu’shn.

Formed in Oregon in the nineties, Team Dresch described their sound as “lesbionic punk rock” – word is that the term ‘lesbionic’ was in fact coined by the judge who reckoned guitarist/vocalist Jody essentially invited her own assault when she was queer-bashed after a show in Portland. They were angry and funny and catchy. They also reformed in 2004, although their reunion shows haven’t made it beyond the States as yet. But they’re still inciting inspiration, revolution and crushes among dykes the world over, and their members have gone on to various projects, including The Butchies and the now-defunct Mr Lady Records (who put out Le Tigre’s ﬁrst two albums).

Hang on though, we’ve still got one last Manga to go, and you would expect nothing less from the club but to go out in style. Commix and DJ DIE are set to close the ﬁnal chapter on 19 January with a mighty bang. The production duo Commix have recently released their album Call to Mind to critical acclaim, an album which presents deep soul-led drum and bass with elements of house and techno. Commix are tipped for great things and this chance to catch them as relative newbies is a chance not to be missed. DJ DIE on the other hand made his Scottish debut at Manga many moons ago and remains one of d’n’b’s worldwide authorities. He started his career alongside Roni Size and together they formed the massive Full Cycle Recordings. Releasing numerous tracks and albums under various pseudonyms there is no doubt that DJ DIE is set to take the roof off the Liquid Room in an event to end all events. Resident DJs G*Mac, DJ Kid and The General will be joined by MCs Feelman and AJ along with VJs Topsoil Projects and A-DAN. So, if you have never been to Manga, this really is your last chance, and the advice is to get in early because the tickets are sure to be in high demand. Farewell Manga.

SCH

TEAM DRESCH

DRE

Some clubs struggle to make it past their ﬁrst night, so when you hear of a club approaching its 12th year you know that this really must be a force to be reckoned with. Manga’s 12th birthday looms and a buzz always goes around the Scottish scene at this time of year to see what the promoters will pull out of the bag. But forget about that for a second; the news is not all good. While a celebration will be had, and while turning 12-years-old is mere adolescence in human terms, the people behind Manga have decided to put the club into a gracious and well-earned retirement.

IF YOU'RE JUST TUNING IN TO QUEER PUNK AND ITS OFFSHOOTS, HERE ARE A FEW KEY BANDS TO GET YOU STARTED

TEAM

Manga

LGBT

A Brief and Incomplete Guide to Queercore

The Final Chapter:

PANSY DIVISION

The ﬁrst Pansy Division album I picked up, Wish I’d Taken Pictures, combines sexually explicit pop-punk with safer sex references and resources for queer youth. Although Dick of Death is, as background music, the song most likely to stop visitors in their tracks, my personal favourite might be Sidewalk Sale, as it describes so well the assembly of desperate leftovers you ﬁnd hovering outside the club after closing time. (“Don’t want to go home alone, but how low will you go? Self-respect is about to fail, feeling pathetic at the sidewalk sale.”) Formed in 1991, they’re still going strong.

DJ KID

10PM - 4AM (TBC), £11+BF (ADVANCE)

One of the ﬁrst queercore bands hailing from the UK, Sister George’s album Drag King featured the message F**K YOUR HEALTHY GAY LIFESTYLE! on the back cover. Along with 100 x No!, their mocking cover of Tom Robinson’s (Sing if You’re) Glad to be Gay - featuring a sample of Aileen Wuornos explaining “We kill in self-defence” - this more than set the scene. Let’s Breed similarly took the piss out of the hetero mainstream. Sister George didn’t last very long, but they made an exciting impact on queers in the British indie/punk scene.

WWW.PANSYDIVISION.COM

TRIBE 8

frequently topless and wearing a strap-on – as well as the band’s humour and politics. Nowadays, they play once in a blue moon, with Breedlove focusing on various other projects, such as homohop, radio shows, and the novel and ﬁlm Godspeed. WWW.TRIBE8.COM

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/SISTERGEORGEX

LIMP WRIST

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/TEAMDRESCH

PANSY DIVISION

SISTER GEORGE

Los Crudos were best-known for the furious, 37-second We’re That Spic Band, so when vocalist Martin Sorrondeguy went on to form queercore band Limp Wrist, their signature tune I Love Hardcore Boys, I Love Boys Hardcore was a logical progression. Deﬁantly against assimilation, typical lyrics attack homophobic punks, closeted conservatives and image-obsessed queers. The band members live on opposing coasts of the USA, so they rarely get together to play shows, but all the same they’ve managed an impressive discography. WWW.MYSPACE.COM/LIMPWRIST

TRIBE 8

Putting the riot in riot grrrl, this all-dyke band played explosive shows, and had a focus on queer, transgender, multiracial and working class visibility. The award-winning Tribe 8 documentary, Rise Above, captures the live experience – with founder Lynn Breedlove

JAYNE COUNTY

A couple of years after forming Wayne County and the Electric Chairs in 1977, Wayne transitioned to Jayne, but JAYNE COUNTY continued to fuck shit up like she’d always done. Song titles like Cream in My Jeans, Toilet Love, Fuck Off and Everyone’s an Asshole But Me reveal an unmistakably snotty 70s punk attitude. She’s also appeared in numerous ﬁlms, plays and musicals, and published the autobiography Man Enough to be a Woman. And she’s still around, these days largely taking aim at the Bush administration. WWW.JAYNECOUNTY.COM

DJ G*MAC

PREVIEWS EDINBURGH & DUNDEE ECLECTIC MUD

CLUTTER HOUSE, STUDIO 24, EDINBURGH, 4 JAN

THE HIDE, EDINBURGH, JAN 12

Since its launch in November, Clutter House has been busy making a name for itself as the place to be for a proper old skool rave, with crazy visuals, smiley décor and colourful props. With an ethos of “dress silly, dance funny, and smile,” while playing party tunes ranging from cutting edge electronica, breaks and dubstep to wonky techno and rave classics. As well as bringing back the original DJs and artists from back in the day combined with those who currently push the boundaries of electronic music, for the ﬁrst night of the year Clutter House have gone all out, with techno legends The Black Dog (Soma, RS Recordings), electro wizard Espion (Orson, Camouﬂage), the experimental, eclectic Double Helix (Audiodacity) and resident/promoter Absolute Chancer. Grab a glowstick, blow your whistle, and get back to some good old raving for 2008. [Karen Taggart]

Eclectic Mud is a new monthly listening experience brought to you by Lee (FBI, Shaft, Madchester, Rev Funk) and Fuz (Rev Funk, Leith FM). Their aim is to get away from the idea of a club; instead creating a space to listen to a variety of great tunes in a relaxed atmosphere, played to you by music lovers who are record collectors ﬁrst and foremost. It’s basically a variation on a music session with your mates, only with a bar and better soundsystem! The music policy is eclectic to say the least, encompassing every genre known to man, including funk, acid-folk, latin, jump-blues, psych, bubblegum pop, electronica, big band, go-go, jazz and ska, to name but a huge handful. Fuz and Lee have more than 50 years of record collecting between them, so there will be no lack of choice cuts. Expect to hear stuff you’ve never heard before, and be prepared to shake your thing on the danceﬂoor. [Karen Taggart]

11PM-3AM, £6/£8

9PM – 1AM, FREE.

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/CLUTTERHOUSERAVE

THE HIDE IS IN THE BASEMENT OF THE ARGYLE BAR, MARCHMONT.

STEREOTYPE 5TH BIRTHDAY PARTY BERLIN, EDINBURGH, 26 JAN

Stereotype, one of Edinburgh’s most popular and inﬂuential funky house nights, is celebrating its ﬁfth birthday this month, featuring a gathering of ‘Stereotype Allstars’ and surprise guests. Nearly all of the DJs who have helped turn Stereotype into such an institution will be making an appearance on the night, including storming sets from Huggy (resident and promoter), Ryan Ellis, the Solescience boys, Beefy and WolfJazz, Kipps, Master Caird and Ricky Reid. Aiming to put on “the party to end all parties” this promises to be a smashing night for all you house-heads, so get yourself down for a boogie in Berlin, and help blow out the birthday candles. [Karen Taggart] 10PM – 4AM (TBC), £8/£10 WWW.STEREOTYPEMUSIC.CO.UK WWW.MYSPACE.COM/STEREOTYPECLUB

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ECLECTICMUD

THE LAUREL TREE

STRIPPED AND WIRED, DROUTHY NEEEBORS, DUNDEE, 31 JAN Stripped and Wired is an eclectic electro-accoustic monthly night, originally Mondo Mimmo’s baby. It has long since evolved into a collective effort, and Mondo brings together a variety of visual artists and musicians for showcase. This time Drouthy Neebors’ basement will be playing host to experimental programmer The Laurel Tree, an Edinburgh-based musician who has dabbled in almost everything. Whether behind a piano, a microphone or a guitar, The Laurel Tree is always a force to be reckoned with. This latest foray into the world of computerised composition sees her going as far as she can into new territory and her own quirkily titled brand of toy-tronica. With Wii remotes, gamepads and other

toys on stage, and using software she designed, she’ll be pushing it as far as it goes. [James Blake] 9PM-TBC, £3

SHY FX, NOISIA & MORE

XPLICIT’S 3RD BIRTHDAY, POTTERROW, EDINBURGH, 25 JAN

Headspin has managed to hold its own at the Bongo Club, month after month, successful New Year after New Year. Their music policy has always been an endearing factor for punters; not too rigid as to alienate crowds, and not to loose as to confuse them. The club began on 23 Jan in 1998, so technically they will be ten years and three days, but what’s a few hours difference amongst clubbers? As usual there will be a predominantly funk ﬂavour held together by hip-hop, soul, reggae, disco, breaks, house... basically a lot of what Beats features! Allan Dunbar, Steve Austin, Colin Millar, and Dava will be on four deck duty (though not at the same time!) alongside live percussion from Bongo Dave and live visuals by Foundlight. They’re concentrating on the hits you’ve loved from past Headspins for the event, so you can relive your earlier clubbing days! They’re not looking for a slow down after this milestone birthday, so enjoy the funky years ahead! [Alex Burden]

From the explosive launch night in 2005, Xplicit quickly established itself as Scotland’s high ﬂyer, combining the biggest and the best with some of the sickest residents around. Even Edinburgh University’s Potterow with its 1000 capacity has struggled to contain the scale of Xplicit’s orbit sized events over the past year. For what stratosphere are they next destined? January 2008 will tell, as we see Xplicit storming into their third year. If the birthday bash line up is anything to go by, it’s going to be another stupendous year for d’n’b in these parts. Headliner Shy-FX has been wrapped up in producing his new album to be released in March, collaborating with Kano and compadre Dizzee Rascal, with whom he worked on 2007’s Maths and English. Noisia (Vision) make their long-awaited return with their ﬂawless miscellany of breaks and techy d’n’b, after testifying in an interview that Xplicit was their favourite 2006 show. Also, Sub Focus is set to unleash a coiled spring of new album material (courtesy of Andy C’s Ram Records), and supporting them all be ENO, Paul Reset, Morphy, and MCs Eksman, Tonn Piper and BZ. Like d’n’b? Then don’t miss this! [Rosie McLean]

11PM-3AM, £8

10PM-3AM, £12 ADVANCE

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/STRIPPEDANDWIRED WWW.MYSPACE.COM/THELAURELTREE

HEADSPIN 10TH BIRTHDAY

THE BONGO CLUB, EDINBURGH, 26 JAN

NOISIA

THE BLACK DOG

BEATS

WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

JANUARY 08 THE SKINNY

Logical Productions:

EDITORIAL At the risk of repeating both myself from last month and Jon’s preview feature this month, 2008 is looking good for movies. So good in fact that the reviews page has been kicked into touch this month to make room for the preview. Or possibly it’s because we haven’t actually seen any January releases - I’m not sure which. The decorations will barely be down before festivals kick off with the Glasgow Film Festival next month, which is getting bigger and better every year. Then it’s straight into awards season. Keep an eye on There Will Be Blood and Sweeney Todd, but No Country For Old Men will win the best picture Oscar. You heard it here ﬁrst. Have fun and see you in February. Paul.

4 JAN

Y UAR JAN

No Country For Old Men THE CURRENT OSCAR FRONTRUNNER, THE COEN BROTHERS’ NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, FIRST WOWED AUDIENCES AT THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL IN MAY, WHERE PAUL GREENWOOD CAUGHT UP WITH THEM AND SOME OF THE CAST...

For a man who is very much one of the British dance industry’s most recognisable faces, Daniel Williamson, known professionally as LTJ Bukem, is a strangely distant and private figure. Over the past 16 years, he has cut a defiantly original and personal path which takes in being a performer, producer and DJ across a range of genres. Pinning him down for an interview when people from all sectors of the industry want a piece of time is difficult, but we finally do to talk Exit Festival.

Set in West Texas in the early 1980s, and based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, No Country For Old Men is the new film from Ethan and Joel Coen, the brothers responsible for some of the best American films of the last quarter century. What does their latest bring? “Some people have characterised the film as a western but in our minds, in genre terms, it’s closer to a crime story,” says Joel. “That is a particularly rich vein as far as our movies are concerned. The book was fascinating because it was almost a pulp novel but it took the genre and did some very unexpected things with it. It didn’t fulfil the usual expectations of those kinds of stories. The three main characters never really meet, they just circle each other, and that was unusual and interesting to us.”

11 JAN

4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS (15) BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD (TBC) CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR (15) DAN IN REAL LIFE (PG) THE LADY VANISHES (U) MAN IN THE CHAIR (TBC)

18 JAN

ALIENS VS PREDATOR - REQUIEM (15) BACK TO NORMANDY (TBC) THE GOOD NIGHT (TBC) NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (15) SHOT IN BOMBAY (TBC) WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY (15)

25 JAN

As for the humour and the unique Coen style, Ethan says “The humour is what we saw in the book, it’s there in the book. There wasn’t an ambition to supply any of ourselves; I certainly hope we didn’t. Maybe we’re more alive to certain parts than other people might be but it all derives from the novel.” “All the decisions that have anything to do with the production in general and style in particular are subject to the ruling factor of the material. You don’t look at it in any larger sense. Anything people bring away from the films are not products of conscious design, we look at the story and try to tailor the style to the material.” What were they looking for from the film? “It’s refreshing for us to do different kinds of things,” says Ethan. “We’d just done a couple of comedies and this being different in tone is part of the reason we did it. As for it being our best film in however many years, it’s hard for us to think about it in those terms.”

BLACK WATER (TBC) IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH (15) THE ITALIAN (TBC) LIBERO (TBC) OUR DAILY BREAD (TBC) THE SAVAGES (15) SWEENEY TODD (TBC) SYDNEY WHITE (12A)

Joel: “One of the pleasures of dong an adaptation as opposed to our own story is that when we do our own story we frequently write for actors that we’ve worked with before. But when you’re doing an adaptation the characters are provided by the novel and it’s an opportunity to meet and cast new people. There’s no one really in it that we’ve worked with before and that’s kind of unusual for us.”

BLACK WATER

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

Joel continues: “Parts of the book are lifted verbatim but they appear in the book as ﬁrst person ruminations by the sheriff in alternating chapters outside of the action. One of the interesting challenges of adapting the novel was how to preserve that voice. In certain cases we took his words but put them into the context of a scene usually involving the sheriff and the deputy.”

Bukem has been an ominous presence on the UK dance music scene since his ﬁrst DJ gig at a small venue near London’s Charing Cross Road, over 20 years ago. Following a storming set at 1990’s Raindance Festival, national fame came with the release of his debut single Logical Progression in 1991. Since then, he’s barely stopped for breath, wowing critics and audiences alike with his stunning DJ sets and ﬂoor-burning record releases. Up until 2004, he averaged around two releases per year, both on his own label and others – this on top of playing just about every major club and festival known to the living world. It is no surprise then, that after the release of the Progression Sessions 10 - Germany Live 2004 mix album that he decided he’d had enough for a while.

As Joel says, it doesn’t feature any of the stock players who’ve been turning up in Coen brother movies for decades: John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, Frances McDormand, Jon Polito. Instead they opted for actors who were “of the region” in the shape of Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Woody Harrelson, as well as the “exotic” Javier Bardem. So how did Bardem and Brolin get involved? “I lied to them,” laughs Bardem. “I told them

THE COEN BROTHERS

I read it but they don’t know that I can’t read English. They sent me the script and I said I loved it. That’s why I have this look in the movie; it’s because I don’t know what I’m saying.” Josh Brolin: “Sam Shepard told me that the Coens were making his book into a movie and he hoped they didn’t screw it up. I read it in a couple of days but I didn’t imagine I was gonna play Llewellyn or Chigurh or anybody. It was brought to my attention that I could audition for it so when I was working on Grindhouse my audition tape was filmed by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino during lunch and when it was sent to Joel and Ethan their only comment was ‘who lit it?’. So obviously I didn’t make much of an impression. I have the greatest agent on earth and I got Ethan’s cellphone number and wouldn’t leave him alone. They finally said OK to meeting me.” The most surprising bit of casting comes in the shape of Glasgow’s Kelly Macdonald. So how did the Trainspotting star convince the Coens she was, in a manner of speaking, their man? “It took them a while,” she says. “They searched high and low before they thought ‘the Scottish girl will have to do’. I’ve got a very good friend who’s a dialogue coach and I got a bit obsessive about it and I also really enjoy doing accents. I had a radio documentary that I listened to a lot where everyone was from Lubbock, Texas. They took two months to phone me back.” “It’s true,” agrees Joel. “We actually resisted meeting Kelly for a while. The casting director said ‘there’s this really great Scottish actress who wants to come in’ and we went ‘Scottish?!’ I remember the first time she came in and we started talking and she had this Glaswegian accent and we went ‘there’s no fucking way that this is gonna work….’ and it was shocking when she opened her mouth and started doing

by Jonathan Robert Muirhead

THE SKINNY TRACKS DOWN LTJ BUKEM AMIDST INCREASING PRODUCTION WORK AND GIGS ACROSS THE WORLD TO TALK ABOUT HIS NEW MIX ALBUM AND DVD.

Audiences seem to be divided between those who think the ﬁlm is a masterpiece and those who enjoy it but are a little disoriented by the ending. “That’s how the book ends,” argues Ethan. “That feeling of not having a resolution is how the story ends in the novel. We didn’t want to be slavish to the book but we loved it and we wanted to be faithful to the spirit of it.”

ALICE IN THE CITIES (TBC) EL VIOLIN (TBC) HALF MOON (TBC) LUST, CAUTION (18) P.S I LOVE YOU (12A)

LTJ Bukem

✹

RELEASE SCHEDULE

BEATS

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the Texas accent.” A change in the rules of the Director’s Guild of America has meant that the brothers are now co-credited as director of their films, where in the past Joel was director and Ethan was producer. Has anything changed as a result of this? “In reality nothing has changed,” says Ethan. “The Guild agreed that we could be credited as co-directors. The distinction was kind of artificial from the get-go so we just made what was unofficially the case officially the case.” Joel continues: “We’ve always co-directed the movies, but what’s interesting, especially in the context of Cannes, is that in the past we’ve won the best director prize and it’s always been the two of us. There’s always been a recognition in Cannes that we’ve co-directed the movies and the fact that it’s now reflected in the credits is really just a formal thing. Nothing has changed as far as the work on the set is concerned.”

hearing it, we may not even have such choice aural treats as Switch to enlighten our own world today, so maybe it’s not only Bukem who should be offering his thanks to Mr. Crouch. The Skinny puts it to Bukem that it sounds as though he’s got a pretty full plate in the upcoming months. “Yeah, absolutely, but that’s the way I like it. It’s just going back to the way it was before, putting out lots of new stuff for people to hear on 12" and such like. We’re looking to put out six to eight 12"s and a couple of albums a year,” he says. After what his press people have termed “a well earned break,” Bukem has very much come back to the fore in recent months. “2008 will see many new projects and a few familiar concepts updated for this new era of audio/ visual consumption,” is Bukem’s ofﬁcial line. Switch, released back in November, was his ﬁrst release of any kind since his 2004 Germany Live mix album. “We’ve been going for such a long time, 15 years plus," he explains. "We needed some time to have a break, basically.”

Bukem presently has a number of projects on the go, all tied in with his Goodlooking record label, including a mix November saw the album and DVD of 2007's Exit release of the split IT’S JUST GOING BACK Festival, the Serbian gathering single Switch/Drum TO THE WAY IT WAS which just won Festival of Toolz on Bukem’s own the Year. "Yeah, we did The Goodlooking record BEFORE, PUTTING OUT label, a collaborative LOTS OF NEW STUFF FOR Exit festival this year, which really something, we had effort between Bukem PEOPLE TO HEAR ON 12” was some cameras ﬁlming and it (whose Switch takes was really just an amazing up the A-Side) and MC experience,” he enthuses. From Conrad & Furney, who observing the previews available online this occupy the B-side with Drum Toolz. Switch DVD should be something really special, was something of a revelation for Bukem’s including spectacular visuals alongside fanbase, with its swishing, danceﬂoor friendly some of LTJ's classic hits and forthcoming drum patterns and frenetic, stop-start productions. rhythm. It successfully marries the deeper side of drum and bass with the creamy, He sees the sounds of today as being some progressive face of nu-rave, of which we have of the best ever to come out of the dance seen so much recently in the media. This is scene: "It’s just amazing what we’re hearing no accident - as Bukem himself says, it is a these days; I’m just really excited about it.” reaction to “a carefully considered climate Tantalisingly, he reveals that he “will be change in the music industry.” If it continues spending much of next year working on a new to produce releases of this quality, then the album,” as well as having two forthcoming change is certainly also a welcome one. It Logical Progression gigs in the pipeline. continues the fascination Bukem holds with the jazz fusion genre, a style of music he was THE EXIT FESTIVAL MIX ALBUM AND DVD FROM LTJ BUKEM introduced to at school by his music teacher, AND GOODLOOKING RECORDS IS DUE FOR FEB RELEASE a man named Nigel Crouch and one which he still holds in the highest regard today. Without WWW.GOODLOOKING.ORG

This is echoed by the actors’ experience of working with the Coens. “It’s kind of strange,” says Brolin. “They’re like one guy with two heads, but they have an understanding of their own sensibilities that allow them to do what they do. I can’t imagine doing it with my brother. It’s very subtle, they put a lot of work and a lot of trust in their casting so they don’t have to do a lot of work on the set and they can focus on other aspects of making the ﬁlm.” Javier Bardem: “I was truly disappointed when I heard they sleep in separate beds. Did I enjoy working with the Coens? Yes, a lot. Did I enjoy my haircut? No.” DIR: ETHAN COEN, JOEL COEN STARS: JOSH BROLIN, JAVIER BARDEM, TOMMY LEE JONES, KELLY MACDONALD RELEASE DATE: 18 JAN CERT: 15 WWW.NOCOUNTRYFOROLDMEN.COM

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LTJ BUKEM

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JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

FILM

REVIEW

Going Flat Out:

The Hetherington Research Club

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

A NIGHT OUT CLUBBING WITHOUT LEAVING THE FLAT? THE INTIMATE HETHERINGTON RESEARCH CLUB IS MAKING NIGHTLIFE A MUCH MORE HOMELY EXPERIENCE

rrrr

by Sean McNamara

DIR: ETHAN COEN, JOEL COEN

As most students past or present will know, the studying can often play second fiddle to the partying, with so many clubs offering cheesy student nights for the masses. Some dens of debauchery designed for students and their friends have that little something extra to offer however, and that is definitely the case with the Hetherington Research Club - two flats converted into a venue for some of the best underground nights in Glasgow, and garnering a growing reputation. The venue is still used as a student union for postgraduates at Glasgow University but non-members can now access the array of nights by simply getting signed in. With regular nights such as the wondrous eclectic music fest that is Audio Ice Cream and the more indie-focused Feed the 5000, they are now joined by a raft of nights to whet the appetite.

STARS: JOSH BROLIN, JAVIER BARDEM, TOMMY LEE JONES, KELLY MACDONALD

Traxx’ Jamie Thomson. Andy Thompson, promoter of Hunter and Palmers, tells the Skinny why the Research Club matches his night perfectly: “It’s quality music in a unique and intimate venue. It’s basically two tenement flats with bars on either floor.” Andy originally visited the venue on a previous night and was impressed enough to start his own night there. “I first visited the venue when Optimo used it for one of their Black Rabbit Whorehouse nights earlier this year and have wanted to do something there since,” he explains. “It [was] the perfect size for Pilooski’s profile and sound just now,” says Andy, referencing the recent appearance of the rising Parisian DJ, launched into fame through his recent remix of Frankie Valli’s Begging - a definite one to watch in the next year.

The night was one of many Manager of the club Fiona “IT’S QUALITY MUSIC unmissable events in the Dalrymple explains to us just growing roster of regular IN A UNIQUE AND what makes the venue unique: and irregular nights at the INTIMATE VENUE” “The building is a converted Hetherington Research Club. Victorian house, with many Although the club is still of the original period fixtures, so has a more listed as members only, most Saturdays look house party feel than many venues nearby. accessible to anyone with a distinguished and It is a fairly small venue, which suits a more developed musical palate. intimate style of gathering.” The cosy club has Dalrymple tells us that many of the regular also recently been used by big hitters such as nights are set to return in the new year, Optimo, and is growing via word of mouth in plus plenty of other exciting new projects. Glasgow at the moment. This has been fuelled Huntley and Palmers returns in February by SubCity radio getting in on the action with with good cause, as Andy Thompson tells their own club nights. us: “The feedback from our first event was One event to make its debut in December is excellent, with the venue in particular being the Huntley and Palmers Audio Club. The club praised to the highest!” All the events have is named after the 50s terminology used in that special underground flavour that suits regards to homosexuals and prostitutes, when the venue so perfectly, and are hard to legally committees discussed their decriminalisation. find elsewhere in the city, so keep checking the The December launch welcomed Pilooski and website for the latest in up and coming nights.

RELEASE DATE: 18 JAN CERT: 15

It has been a long time since we got a truly great movie from the Coen brothers. No Country For Old Men is so close to being a great movie you can taste it. As it stands though, an air of dissatisfaction, bordering on loss, hangs over it. This is down to the Coens’ decision to follow Cormac McCarthy’s source novel to the letter until, at some point during the final act, it flies completely off the rails, resulting in an anti-climax of devastating proportions. With so much investment for so little resolution, you can’t help but feel cheated. I first saw the film in Cannes back in May and there was an audible gasp from the audience when the end title came up, the applause coming out as polite and bewildered, instead of the thunderous ovation that seemed to have been building for 90 per cent of the running time. Plot-wise, it’s straightforward enough, as Brolin’s Texan trailer-type finds $2m at the scene of a drug deal turned bloodbath. Wisely realising that some bad people might be interested in retrieving it, he legs it with the cash and spends the rest of the movie on the run from Anton Chigurh (Bardem), a relentless killer, while Jones’s sheriff in turn chases Chigurh. As a chase thriller, No Country For Old Men is almost perfect, consistently matching the very best moments of Leon, Collateral, The Terminator, the Bourne films and any number of greats, as devastating violence, vicious humour and canny characterisation combine for an intense and enormously exciting experience. If it had remained a genre piece, instead of the morality play the Coens want it to be, it may have emerged as an all time classic. On the back of Bardem’s probable Oscar, Anton Chigurh will emerge as one of the most memorable psychopaths in cinema history, destined to be mentioned in the same breath as Hannibal Lecter and Michael Myers. It’s a bone-chilling turn, his dead

THE HETHERINGTON RESEARCH CLUB STEPHANIE STEWART

PREVIEWS GLASGOW KRONOS DEVICES

INNER CITY ACID, SOUNDHAUS, GLASGOW, 12 JAN The week after New Year is always a push to get partied-out clubbers back on the dancefloor. However, January’s Inner City Acid looks set to do just that with a full throttle assault to kick 2008 off with a bang. Thrashing out a melting pot of acid house, electro, techno and breaks with a twist of garage, punk and trip-hop, the ICA residents Monsieur DeLarge, Jon Virtue and John Cannon will be spinning their own unique sound on the first ICA of the year. Joining them will be special guests Kronos Device aka Bass Junkie and Dexorcist who will provide a heavy portion of electro bass, hip-hop and jungle-influenced beats. Kronos Device are renowned for imposing mayhem upon the dancefloor with their distinct mix of electro-robotic, trippy, bassed up beats and dark, acidic techno. For techno enthusiasts this is a rare opportunity to see some of the scene’s finest under one roof so get your dancing shoes at the ready for an ICA extravaganza. [Louisa Boyle] 11PM - 4AM, £TBC

PROPAGANDA

RED ALERT, BLACKFRIARS, GLASGOW, 19 JAN For a healthy helping of down and dirty drum and bass to blast you into 2008, Red Alert presents a Scottish exclusive with scene legend Propaganda. Spinning out an eclectic hybrid of techno and drum and bass wherever he goes, Propaganda’s Andy Buckley has successfully carried the Propaganda name from strength to strength since splitting from Propaganda co-founder Matt React in 2006. Arguably one of the most respected artists of the moment in the scene, Propaganda’s material is a hybrid fusion of old school Detroit techno with deep, hard-hitting bass-lines of busy, banging drum and bass. Teamed with hints of jungle, garage, house, acid and electro there’s no doubt that Propaganda will have Blackfriars crammed with a diverse range of beat loving punters. Red Alert

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

will also feature residents Alcane, JL Boco, Aeroplane Dope and MC SI-AN. Whether you’re a discerning techno/d’n’b enthusiast or simply keen on a quality night of hard and fast beats, get down to Red Alert for a seriously fantastic night. [Louisa Boyle] 11PM – 3AM, £7

JOE GODDARD (HOT CHIP) & VICARIOUS BLISS

DEATH DISCO, THE ARCHES, GLASGOW, 19 JAN A new year begins and once again Death Disco starts it even bigger than the one before. No longer the new kid on the block, it is now the powerhouse of the cavernous venue, pulling in sell-out crowds every time. Originally Death Disco ﬁtted nicely with the slightly older, more decadent clubbers, but is now the place for all ages to come together and celebrate great tunes and fantastic ﬂamboyance. The January blues become the January neon multi-colours this month with the help of Joe from Hot Chip, an excellent DJ in his own right and worthy of the headline spot. Alongside him is the electro onslaught of Vicarious Bliss, who appears as part of a global tour and is one of the emerging talents of the Ed Banger Records stable. Completing the bill are the ever reliable DJ Mingo-go, Record Playerz, Johnny Whoop and The Microsluts for a low key yet devastating start to the new year. [Sean McNamara]

BLURT (LIVE)

OPTIMO, SUB CLUB, GLASGOW, 20 JAN Optimo never stops breaking those darn boundaries and producing night after night to educate the ears whilst having some old fashioned Sunday fun. Possibly the finest band in the world with an onomatopoeic name, Blurt contine the trend when they hit the Subby once more to break your ears and bend your minds. They were formed back in 1980 by the enigmatic Ted Milton in the town of Stroud, one of those tiny English villages often described as ‘sleepy’ (a euphemism for ‘dead’), the kind of rural backwater Lord Summerisle would consider behind the times. After 28 years of touring and recording, still no-one in the world sounds anything like Blurt, with their unique mixture of screaming, saxophone, hypnotic guitars, bass and whatever else they can lay their hands on. Somewhere between no-wave, noise and hard bop, Blurt are a surprisingly fun (and sensory abusing!) grooving racket and brought the place down when they played Optimo last year. This is in part due to main man Milton’s tendency to deliver songs in four different personalities. Go open your mind on a Sunday night and let in Blurt’s crazed and time-warped, unholy din. [Sean McNamara and Liam Arnold] 11PM-3AM, £TBA WWW.MYSPACE.COM/TEDMILTONBLURT

10PM-5AM, £12 WWW.DEATHDISCO.INFO

WEAK AT THE KNEES

BASURA BLANCA, THE BRUNSWICK, GLASGOW, 26 JAN

BLURT

Weak at the Knees launches its second UK residency this month at The Brunswick Hotel’s Basura Blanca venue. Making its Glasgow debut, the long running night specialising in the ﬁnest 70s-meets-80s soul, funk, boogie and jazzfunk will be hosted by DJ Perry Louis. Resident at London’s legendary Jazz Café for the past decade, Louis is also the founder and choreographer of the Jazzcotech Dancers, who specialise in the untapped artform of Old Skool Jazz Dance; a

style unique to the UK which grew from its 70s and 80s jazz/soul/funk scene. Aside from regular performances at their own Messin’ Around night at The Jazz Café, they’ve made numerous appearances at jazz festivals across the globe. Joining him on a rotating basis will be DJs Ronnie Cold Sweat, Nico, Colin Scott and Lloyd The Boogie Boy, with dates in February and March also conﬁrmed. [Colin Chapman] 9PM - 2AM, £6 NEXT DATES: 23 FEB & 29 MAR WWW.JAZZCOTECH.COM

LORY D (LIVE), AUTOMAT & DAVEY RED, NUMBERS VS MONOX SUB CLUB, GLASGOW, 4 JAN

A great cure for the January blues, Numbers launch their monthly Sub Club residency with another Monox hook-up, in celebration of Lory D’s (Rephlex) debut on Numbers’ Wireblock label. An ex-DMC champion, he’s been rocking crowds in excess of 10,000 in his Italian homeland (where he holds legendary status), since the early days of rave. The UK spotlight fell on his Sounds Never Seen label thanks to Rephlex’s 2003 retrospective collection which gathered up all his hard-to-ﬁnd early output. Admired by everyone from Richard D James to the Skam posse thanks to his dark blend of electroid tweaking and old skool percussion, the prince of Italian acid delivers killer danceﬂoor moves in the darkest possible way. French operator Automat (Point.One Recordings) will also be on hand to cut up electro, techno and acid in his trademark energetic fashion while Rochdale’s Davey Red (Spanner) will also be taking a turn deck-side, with support naturally coming from Numbers and Monox residents. [Colin Chapman]

PREVIEW GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL Cards or no cards, this Valentine’s Day is guaranteed to stoke up the passions of Scottish film lovers. Glasgow Film Festival 2008 kicks off on 14 February, and for 11 glorious days, the second city will play host to over 100 screenings – from UK premieres to venerated classics, defiant documentaries to world film gems. Expect the red carpets to be rolled out for GFF08’s gala performances, as the festival unveils some of the most eagerly awaited cinema releases of the year. Chief among these is the surprise film – ye pays yer money, ye takes yer chances... Camp icon and Hollywood grande dame Bette Davis is the subject of this year’s retrospective marking the centenary of her birth. The Bette-thon kicks off on Valentine’s Day with wartime weepie Now Voyager, with

JAVIER BARDEM IN NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN eyes betraying not a hint of emotion as he decides who lives and dies on the toss of a coin. Brolin is also a revelation in what has been a great year for him, but Jones frustratingly remains a peripheral figure in a film in which he represents the moral centre. Ultimately, No Country For Old Men is a very strong film that’s just a couple of bad decisions away from being a masterpiece. [Paul Greenwood] WWW.NOCOUNTRYFOROLDMEN.COM

Jezebel, All About Eve, and What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? clawing hard at its heels. The Great Scots programme will celebrate Scottish talent behind and in front of the camera, while the Best of British promises the cream of UK cinema - from the first feature of a bright new talent, to the latest offerings from veteran industry talent. Looking further afield, a wealth of European cinema, world film, and American indies will also be represented. Canadian cinema receives a special focus, as do shorts and Reel Life documentaries. And, of course, FrightFest will be splattering its reliably grisly cocktail of blood, gore and hauntings for those who prefer to view their films between their fingers - showings always sell out fast. With festival venues all round the city, and tickets costing little more than a pint of beer, it’s the perfect excuse to get square eyes in the name of culture. Cupid, get it right up ye. [Cara McGuigan] WWW.GLASGOWFILMFESTIVAL.ORG.UK

11PM – 3AM, £7/LIMITED £5 GUESTLIST FROM WWW.NORTHSOUTHDIVIDE.COM WWW.WIREBLOCK.COM

BETTE DAVIS AT THE GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL

WWW.POINTONERECORDINGS.COM

BEATS

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JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

2008 Preview

AS THE CELLULOID HIGHS (ARISE THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND) AND LOWS (GOOD LUCK FORGETTING GOOD LUCK, CHUCK) OF 2007 FADE TO BLACK, ANOTHER BATCH OF HOPEFULS ARE WAITING FOR THE TRAILERS TO FINISH SO THEY CAN HAVE THEIR 90 MINUTES OF FAME. FROM AGEING ARCHAEOLOGISTS TO DEMON BARBERS, DRUG DEALS GONE WRONG TO HOMEMADE REMAKES OF BACK TO THE FUTURE, 2008 IS ALREADY SHAPING UP TO BE A MEMORABLE YEAR FOR CINEMAGOERS, HOPEFULLY FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS. SO GRAB SOME POPCORN, SWITCH OFF YOUR MOBILE PHONE AND PREPARE FOR A WHISTLE-STOP TOUR OF THIRTY UPCOMING CINEMATIC OFFERINGS FROM THE YEAR AHEAD…

by Jonathan Melville

ACTION/THRILLER

Nineteen years after his last adventure, the man in the hat is back. Again. Harrison Ford dons battered fedora in Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (May), taking on the Nazi hordes (maybe) in the jungle (probably) with his son in tow (possibly). Plot details are sketchy but, if the cast list - including Ray Winstone, Jim Broadbent and the return of Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood - and on-set photos are to believed it should be a highlight of the year. Another celluloid icon returns in the as-yet untitled (Ian Fleming short story titles Property of a Lady and Risico are

COMEDY

How’s this for high-concept: in Be Kind Rewind (February), Jerry (Jack Black) discovers his brain is magnetised when he inadvertently erases all the movies at his friend’s video rental store. Now he must remake movies such as Ghostbusters, Robocop and Back to the Future on a shoestring budget so that the customers won’t notice. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’s Michel Gondry directs. A pet project of Ben Stiller’s for nearly 20 years, Tropic Thunder (August) tells of a group of actors (including Robert

ROMANCE Perhaps the oddest romance of the year, Christina Ricci is Penelope (February), a young woman cursed with the face of a pig until she ﬁnds true love. We guarantee there’ll be no jokes about hammy acting in The Skinny when it’s released. Garnering mixed reviews at Cannes in 2007, Wong Kar Wai’s My Blueberry Nights (February) is a romantic comedy about a young woman (singer Nora Jones) on a road trip across America, seeking the true meaning of love and meeting odd characters along the way. Jude Law and Rachel Weisz support. There are also a number of jumps from various sources to the silver screen this summer. Pierce Brosnan swaps gadgets, girls and guns for Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! in Mamma Mia (July) as the hit musical arrives in cinemas. Sex and the City: The Movie (TBC) sees the cast of the HBO series reunite after four years away, while Confessions of a Shopaholic (August) is based on the bestselling novel that introduced one-woman shopping phenomenon Becky Bloomwood to an eager readership. Confessions… stars rom-com regular Isla Fisher as Becky.

rumoured) Bond 22 (November). Locations such as Italy, Panama and the Swiss Alps provide the backdrop while Judi Dench returns to the ﬁeld as M, but still no sign of a new Q. This time around the focus will hopefully be more on Daniel Craig’s acting talents than his swimming trunks. Dundee’s ﬁnest, Brian Cox, is Frank Perry, an institutionalised convict 12 years into a life sentence without parole in The Escapist (April). When his estranged daughter falls ill, he is determined to make peace with her before it's too late. He develops an ingenious escape plan, and recruits a dysfunctional band of allies. A promising thriller-cum-

Evan Almighty. How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (October) is an adaptation of Toby Litt’s novel of the same name and stars Simon Pegg as Sidney, a British journalist snapped up by a high-proﬁ le magazine in New York. Pegg’s ﬁ lms can be hit-and-miss but he’s always watchable.

Does Steve Carell ever sleep? This time he’s playing a man who’s fallen in love with his brother’s new girlfriend Marie (Juliette Binoche), in Dan in Real Life (January). Thanks to a family reunion, Dan has to be in her company longer than he’d like. Let’s hope it’s more 40 Year Old Virgin than

The ﬁ nal comedy of interest arrives in the form of The Bucket List (February). Directed by This is Spinal Tap’s Rob Reiner, it stars Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as two terminally ill men who escape from a cancer ward and head off on a road trip with a wish list of to-dos before they die.

SCI-FI/FANTASY Sequels and prequels rule in 2008 as a mixture of old favourites and newcomers vie for supremacy. Holy bat sequels! The return of the caped crusader in Batman Begins (2005) was nothing short of a revelation, banishing memories of Joel Schumacher’s camp Batman & Robin (1997) to the depths of the batcave. In The Dark Knight (July), Christian Bale returns as Bats alongside Michael Caine as Alfred, while Heath Ledger tries to out-manic Jack Nicholson as the Joker. Shrouded in secrecy, the viral marketing campaign for Cloverﬁ eld (February) suggests Godzilla meets the black smoke from producer JJ Abrahms and writer Drew Goddard’s TV series Lost. Whatever it’s about, expect much hype. There’s no sign of William “I don’t

do cameos” Shatner in Star Trek XI (December). Instead, it’s up to a new crew to boldly go where numerous casts have gone before, though Leonard Nimoy turns up as an older Spock alongside newbies Zachary Quinto (Sylar in Heroes) as his younger self and Winona Ryder as his mum. Simon Pegg as Scotty could steal the show. In Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (August), Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and co ﬁght against the minions of the underworld in Guillermo Del Toro’s continuation of the saga, while Ed Norton discovers it’s still not easy being green in The Incredible Hulk (June) as he takes on lead actor duties from Eric Bana in the hulked-up sequel. This time around, Tim Roth co-stars as new adversary The Abomination, whose strength exceeds even the Hulk’s.

OSCAR POSSIBILITIES Wooing the Academy for the prize of a golden statuette come February is never an exact science; the following selection of ﬁlms each has something that might just tip the scales in their favour, but There Will Be Blood is already emerging as the one to beat, in my opinion.

From 19th Century London to modern day America via 1940s Shanghai, drama in 2008 is nothing if not well travelled.

latest, Lust, Caution (January). 1942 Shanghai is the location for this tale told in ﬂashback of spying and high society starring Joan Chen and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai.

Music, murder and a bit of mystery are all present in Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (January), the ﬁ lm version of Stephen Sondheim’s musical based on the 19th Century legend. Johnny Depp is Todd alongside Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs Lovett, both usually worth the price of entrance to any ﬁ lm. Alan Rickman could steal the picture as Judge Turpin.

Based on the 1927 novel Oil!, There Will Be Blood (February) sees the return to cinema screens of Daniel Day-Lewis as a prospector who strikes it rich in crude oil. As his fortune grows, his life soon starts to fall apart around him. Boogie Nights and Magnolia director Paul Thomas Anderson directs as well as providing the screenplay.

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

Finally, just when you thought it was safe to go back into the enemy occupied jungle, Sly Stallone returns as Rambo (February). With Stallone also directing, expect lots of guns and just a few explosions.

Downey Jr and Jack Black) shooting a big-budget war movie who are inadvertently forced to use their limited training in a real war scenario. As both director and star, Stiller is usually a safe pair of hands (see 1994’s Reality Bites) while two decades of rewrites must surely count for something.

DRAMA

Thanks to a contract that sees him set free from the tuxedo between Bonds, Flashbacks Of A Fool (March) stars Daniel Craig as Joe Scott, a drug-addled Hollywood actor whose fame is fading fast. Elsewhere, dubbed by the Los Angeles Times “a brooding meditation on the unnerving power and terrible cost of emotional and political masquerades”, is Ang Lee’s

slacker-comedy arrives in the form of David Gordon Green’s Pineapple Express (September). Hollywood wunderkind Seth Rogen (Knocked Up) and one-time Green Goblin James Franco (they also co-starred in short-lived TV show Freaks & Geeks) go on the run from the police after one of them witnesses a cop commit murder.

In Man in the Chair (January), Christopher Plummer is Glen “Flash” Madden, the last living cast member from Citizen Kane. Flash befriends cinema-loving car thief Cameron, who only committed the crime because the vehicle was an exact replica of the one in John Carpenter’s Christine (1983). Cameron is now on a mission to become a director, or “man in the chair”, and Flash just might be able to help him out.

Also a hot favourite is In The Valley Of Elah (January), Crash director and Bond 22 scribe Paul Haggis’s story about a couple’s search for their son, recently returned from Iraq. It’s said to contain a career-best performance from Tommy Lee Jones, while being described as heralding a return to anti-war ﬂicks in the same vein as Coming Home (1978). Tom Hanks is the titular Wilson in Mike Hodge’s Charlie Wilson’s War (January), based on the true story of a Texan congressman whose covert dealings in Afghanistan led to the formation of the Taliban. One rule of Hollywood thumb? Oscar hearts Tom (and co-star Julia Roberts). Nick Broomﬁeld’s Battle for Haditha (February) is a controversial dramatisation of the events which led to the massacre of 24 men, women and children in Haditha, Iraq in 2005. Professional and amateur actors mingle as events unfold. The story of pregnant Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) as she makes choices about her unborn baby is the premise of Juno (February). There’s already an Oscar buzz surrounding Jennifer Garner for the role of adoptive mother Vanessa, while Arrested Development’s Jason Bateman is said to add some dramatic heart to the picture as her husband.

FILM

2008

REVIEWS THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE (KÖRKARLEN) - 1921 rrrr

in yon Scrying Bowl...

DIR: VICTOR SJÖRSTRÖM STARS: HILDA BORGSTRÖM, ASTRID HOLM, VICTOR SJÖRSTRÖM

by Alex Burden, Ema Johnson, Liam Arnold, Omar Jenning, & Scott Ramage

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, WE'VE RECEIVED LOADS OF TIPS FOR GREATNESS IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS AND FORMULATED A FEW OF OUR OWN FROM THE GRAPEVINE AND GOOD OL' FASHIONED CRITIQUE. READ ON FOR OUR 2008 PREDICTIONS!

eeping it local to begin with, the future looks rich for house and techno in The Skinny’s in-house scrying bowl. Local boys like Rustie and Double Helix demand at least one eye on them this year. Following on from the success of the Jagz the Smack EP, Rustie's just appeared on the Dress to Sweat Vol 2 compilation, dropping more killer bass and bleeps.He’s also to to team up with 215: The Freshest Kids on the Cafe De Phresh EP, due for release early this year. Moving away from the two-step electro-funk that made his debut so intoxicating, Café De Phresh is pure Baltimore Bass, with Cerebral Vortex and Buddy Leezle weighing in on vocal duties. Double Helix, with their mix of beat poetry and mangled circuitry and ethos of dismantling musical with linguistic structures can be found on the Action! Disco! Crunk's Not Dead 2 compilation and playing gigs around the country. Also worth checking out is Hum and Haw, Alex Smoke and Jim Hutchinson's new label, which will be bringing you releases from Fool, Smoke's hip-hop project, as well as his techy output. If you missed their launch party check out the myspace. Over in Glasgow, Desolation Yes! frontman Paul Elliot describes their futuristic yet retrospective sounds as "electro-dance-rockpop." Brought together by Paul’s 'Musicians Wanted' sign in Glasgow institution Missing Records, the band are currently promoting their recent double A-side single Templeton/ Instinct and gearing up for the release of their debut album CyberNation later this spring. Album aside, 2008 will see more shows and further releases from the group: “We’re also going to release our second single Futurepop at the end of February. We’re hoping to get a couple of club remixes done, and the plan is to release it as a twelve-inch single. It’s probably our most dance track – it’s almost disco-esque. We’ve already had a few remixes back – one from Ian Carmichael who used to be in One Dove, who has done remixes for bands such as Death In Vegas.” Scrying on a more international plane we see Let's Go Outside, signed to the Soma/Pnuma imprint. The twisted mind behind the pulsing rhythms and distorted subject matter resides in Portland, Oregon, suitably far away dash for if he lived here, he'd have to endure crazed fans waiting outside his door for one more hit of music. His style takes in a variety of techno shades, but the inﬂuences aren't musical. "Dreams and my physical environment play a large role in my production," says Let's Go Outside. "Most of the instruments I create are either from my ﬁeld recordings or synthetic reconstructions of something that showed up in my brain for no apparent reason... All that music seems to have subconsciously amalgamated into a giant electronic music wad

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

FILM/DVD

DVD RELEASE DATE: 11 FEB CERT: 12

T hi s wa s re portedly Ingmar Bergman’s favourite film – and no wonder. Legend has it that the last sinner to die on New Year’s Eve is condemned to drive the carriage of death for a year, reaping souls. This year it is the malicious drunkard David Holm (Sjörström), killed in a brawl at the stroke of midnight, who is forced to confront the misery he has wreaked in life. Sjörström was an innovative, pioneering filmmaker and many of his techniques have a modern feel. He uses flashbacks and unsettling superimposition as a rich backdrop to this unflinching analysis of life, death, despair and redemption. Subtle, absorbing performances avoid the melodrama which characterises so many films of this era. It may be a silent classic, but the new score by KTL creates an intense sonic experience of disquietingly resonant bass, distant guitar chords and surreal noises of sawing, hammering and tearing, all of which

from which bits get extracted when it comes time to add rhythm to the soundscapes." The one man-machine approached Soma with a massive 100 tracks for his debut album, released on 31 December. It transpires that he has just over 500 masters of which he is proud enough to present to the public, which doesn't factor in the songs he does not keep. "It's not my intention to have a large library for the sake of appearing to be proliﬁc," he says. "I make music almost every day for self-preservation. Everything I see, hear, and feel stays in my head until I get it out by manifesting it. Art makes the chatter go away."

LET’S GO OUTSIDE

His tracks feature tainted innocence in juxtaposition with filthy mind-juddering beats. Why does he adopt such brain-creeping combinations: "There is contrast in everything. For any idea I'm trying to convey, I want its equal and opposite to be present for balance... It's these ideas-gone-too-far that are usually the ones I turn into music. For every exploration of fantasy, I throw in an anchor of reality.” Let's Go Outside will be touring Europe across February and March, both playing live and DJing. Cambridge duo Guy Brewer and George Levings are Commix. Their album Call to Mind is one of the most spectacular drum and bass albums to be produced in recent times, and was released on Metalheadz in October 2007. Levings and Brewer met just after leaving school, and have been making music for almost 10 years, individually and as Commix. Drawing inspiration from greats such as Detroit techno artist Derrick May, and American soul singer Billy Paul, the duo, originally a trio up until 2004, first released on vinyl for such highly respected labels such as DJ:SS Formation Records, C.I.A, Horizons Music and Hospital Records. Even the godfather of drum and bass, Fabio, and tastemakers DJ Marky and Marcus Intalex, have spun out their tunes - it wasn't long before Metalheadz came knocking at their door in 2005, blown away by their Satellite Song track. It was featured on the coveted Metalheadz - MDZ05 compilation, and then as a critical 12” alongside tracks Urban Legend and If I Should Fall. Brewer is a self-taught musical wizard working predominantly with samples, and firmly believes that you don’t have to know how to play an instrument to make music, whereas Levings comes from a solid soul-funk background: “He knows a lot about chords and things which really add another dimension to the music,” comments Brewer. The music shifts and morphs through the genre's range seamlessly, and samples Reawaken Your Mind's back catalogue to the barrage of tunes it has absorbed over the last decade. Like the Grizzly Bear by John Stark that peers out from the cover artwork, it's as gentle as it is fierce. Call to Mind is certainly testament to Brewer's belief that people will always want something tactile when it comes to owning music - as a conceptual idea it's something you want to own rather than just dip into. Check out our feature

serve to push you to the edge of your seat. Modern viewers will be gripped and terrified in a whole new way. [Caroline Scott-Thomas]

BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT rrrrr DIR: RIDLEY SCOTT STARS: HARRISON FORD, RUTGER HAUER, SEAN YOUNG, DARYL HANNAH OUT NOW CERT: 15

Blade Runner has been released yet again, 25 years af ter its original incarnation was accompanied by bad reviews and even worse box office returns. It’s been 15 years since the bet ter-received Director’s Cut which, oddly, had very little input from the director. This time around, Ridley Scott delivers what he calls the final, definitive version. Harrison Ford stars as Rick Deckard, a retired cop summoned by the LAPD to track down and kill four renegade humanoids known as replicants. Seeking their maker to force him to prolong their fouryear life span, Rutger Hauer is their chilling leader, Roy, while the breathtaking Daryl Hannah costars as the pleasure unit, Pris. As Deckard begins brutally tracking down the replicants, he ﬁnds

another humanoid, porcelain-like beauty Rachel (Young), with whom he falls in love. With its constant rain, dark skies, neon lights, overcrowded pavements and flying cars, Scott’s vision of 2019 LA remains one of the most visually stunning worlds ever committed to fi lm. It’s a vision of the future that’s influenced so many films since 1982; you can see its footprint in movies like Dark City, The Matrix, AI and Minority Report, and its stunning neo-noir world is a place that should be seen by everyone. While the term ‘remastered’ can be found on thousands of DVDs these days, here’s a box-set worthy of the title, with its cleaned-up print and sound both adding to what was already a tremendous movie experience. Scott skilfully and seamlessly adds new, extended scenes while tidying up others he was never happy with. This five-disc set contains The Final Cut plus all of the previously released versions of the film, as well as Dangerous Days, an all-new four-hour documentary. Also included is a rarely seen work-print, which contains alternative music, deleted footage and new voice-overs, while an extra disc includes documentaries on the restoration process and some ‘making of’ featurettes. Despite an RRP of £30.99, this box-set is an essential purchase for all sci-fi buffs. With 678 minutes worth of viewing, the future has never looked more bleak or brilliant. [Kevin McHugh]

NARUTO THE MOVIE: NINJA CLASH IN THE LAND OF SNOW rr DIR: TENSAI OKAMURA S TA R S : C A M C L A R K E , FLANAGAN, KATE HIGGINS

MAILE

OUT NOW CERT: 12

Based on the anime and manga series Naruto by Massashi Kishimoto, this tale begins with Princess Gale and the seven coloured chakra defeating the evil enemy, leaving you wondering where the story can go. It becomes apparent that this is just a movie within a movie and Princess Gale is actually Yukie Fujikaze, an actress that Naruto and his team of ninjas are on a mission to protect as they embark on a journey to the land of snow. The leading lady is annoying, unlikeable and struggles to gain any sympathy, yet Naruto’s constant will to persevere is the overbearing moral of the story. The intertwining of the actual plot and the ﬁlm that Yukie is shooting becomes quite farcical, and while there are twists and turns throughout they are predictable and unoriginal. The ninja superpowers are captivating, from avalanches of wolves to fighting white whales, and the ju-jitsu taking place is far fetched and thoroughly enjoyable. However, this instalment

in the Naruto missions is only for hardcore fans and most could give the American accents, exaggerated expressions and evil English villains a miss. [Lara Moloney]

SOMEONE ELSE rrrr

THE SEVENTH SEAL rrrrr DIR: INGMAR BERGMAN S TA R S: M A X VO N SY D OW, B I B I ANDERSSON, GUNNAR BJORNSTRAND OUT NOW CERT: PG

DIR: COL SPECTOR STARS: STEPHEN MANGAN, SUSAN LY N C H , C H R I S C O G H I L L , L A R A BELMONT RELEASE DATE: 28 JAN CERT: 15

David (Mangan), an unfulfilled and impassionate photograp h e r, d u m p s the ever-reliable L i s a ( Ly n c h) after being struck with a dose of ‘the grass is always greener’. Unfortunately for him, his latest squeeze, the maverick Nina (Belmont) has caught the same virus. With a little help from Matt (Coghill), a man of few words and even fewer brain cells, David sets out on a quest to ﬁll the void left by the two women. With beautifully set scenes reminiscent of Woody Allen’s Manhattan and frank dialogue that makes for uncomfortable viewing, Someone Else is a brutally honest and scarily realistic sneak-peak into the life of British singles. Real and relatable, this expose of modern day singles simultaneously sparks feelings of anger and empathy at David’s inexpert dealings with relationships and the opposite sex. [Caitlin Rattray]

Returning crusaders, travelling performers a n d vill a g e folk meet during the time of the plague and a re fo rc e d, in the midst of death, to consider the meaning of life. The Seventh Seal is a kind of a road movie; the journey towards a knight’s estate holding the plot together as those on the journey grow as individuals - whether they survive the plague is less important than coming to terms with their existential doubts. Mixed with almost Shakespearian bawd and slapstick, this masterpiece isn’t all doom and gloom – well, it isn’t all gloom. Containing some of cinema’s most celebrated images, notably the scenes where the grim reaper plays chess with the knight (von Sydow), Bergman’s classic cer tainly deser ves its place on any ‘ﬁlms to see before you die’ list. Just make sure it’s not the last film you see before you die – unless you’re in an agnostic mood, or fancy a game of chess. [Kieran Westbrook]

COMMIX SARAH GINN

"ALL THAT MUSIC SEEMS TO HAVE SUBCONSCIOUSLY AMALGAMATED INTO A GIANT ELECTRONIC MUSIC WAD FROM WHICH BITS GET EXTRACTED WHEN IT COMES TIME TO ADD RHYTHM" - LET'S GO OUTSIDE on the last ever Manga club event on p47 befittingly, Commix will be headlining, at one of their many slots across the UK in 2008. The man of the moment tearing up the pirate and commercial stations alike is a top MC from North London. Wretch 32 has been about for a few years, mostly as one third of The Movement, but he's finally breaking through the glass ceiling of the UK hip-hop elite, solo, and will continue to do so to a greater degree in 2008. Wretch 32 is gaining some serious appeal after receiving accolades for his efforts on the Learn From My Mixtape release. So what makes him different than any other MC out of London you ask? Well for starters he considers himself an ‘edutainer’ - “I’m able to make entertaining music that also carries strong messages.” Like most MCs he struggled to be heard, but Wretch 32 was fortunate enough to impress several key DJs early in his quest. However, the push he received from BBC 1xtra was beneficial beyond his expectations. 1xtra has a history of thrusting fresh talent to the fore: Corrine Bailey Rae, Sway, JME, Skepta, Dizzee, and L-Marie are just a few names that have been blessed by their support in the past. Their help made it possible for Wretch to gain nationwide exposure. Now the time has come for Wretch 32 to move us closer to the imminent release of his first full length LP, Wretrospective, and going on latest single Punctuation, it will be punctuated by enjoyable brit-hop and clever wordplay: “(Wretrospective) has so many different levels to it. If you listen,

it has longevity because the content and structure is so apparent in today’s society. It’s what the country needs music-wise; being conscious without being corny with it." 2006 and 2007 saw dubstep reach omnipresence. Infecting other genres like a virus, and with a colossal international fanbase, its current status is massive. Where do we go from here? The answer comes straight outta Croydon: check out our full-length interview with Benga online. And more hallelujahs for those about to rock, such as more Italo sounds from a range of peeps (nods to Gomma), killer tracks from Lukid and Daedalus on London-based Werk Records, a bit of a rave revival, the curious George Pringle and new sounds from the relaunching Fakt Recordings. Get Fakt 01; a mix album compiled by Black Russian, a mysterious new wonky house artist, and featuring the likes of Tom Real Catz and Fake Hero, it should be the ﬁrst of many top releases. Next month The Skinny talks with another one of our tips for next year - the kings of two-step, Chromeo, about their Grandmas' objections to new song Momma's Boy, and French literature. WWW.MYSPACE.COM/GEORGEPRINGLE WWW.MYSPACE.COM/RUSTIEBEETZ WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DOUBLEHELIXONLINE WWW.WERK-IT.COM WWW.MYSPACE.COM/LUKID WWW.MYSPACE.COM/BENGABEATS WWW.MYSPACE.COM/COMMIX WWW.MYSPACE.COM/WRETCHCLART WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DESOLATIONYES

BEATS

WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

Highlights

EDITORIAL

Happy New Year and welcome to 2008. Even though it’s January and the full complement of hangovers and general party excess have no doubt taken their toll, and the last thing on most people’s minds is yet more seasonal jollity, much of theatreland is still trying to punt festive cheer in the form of the fag end of their marathon panto runs. So it was with some trepidation, and with the certain knowledge that not much else of anything was going on drama-wise, that The Skinny broke its no-pantos-covered-here rule and checked out Goldilocks at The Kings Theatre in Edinburgh using the ﬂimsy excuse that its circus theme made it different and therefore worthy of your valuable attention. Laugh? I nearly swallowed my tongue while quickly offering the vicar more tannin-based refreshment. Read all about it here.

However, some theatres are showing the ﬁrst signs of life with the release of their Spring seasons. Not least, Scotland’s new writing theatre The Traverse which is exclusively previewed here. Also of note is the Manipulate festival of puppetry and animation at Dundee Rep. If puppetry makes you think of cloying children’s pifﬂe such as Fingerbobs or Punch and Judy shows at antique children’s parties or village fetes (not sure what they are but if you live in a village perhaps you know), then think again. This is puppetry as in the art of marionettes and shadowplays and deals strictly with grownup themes and adult content. Star Skinny newshound and critic-at-large Gareth K Vile gets the lowdown. Which brings us neatly to February: this editor will be reporting from Brazil and the aforementioned Gary Vile (real name not punk-inspired moniker) will be deputising more than capably until my return. Ate entau, as the inscrutable swimwear models say on Copacabana!

✹

TOP

SHOWS

#1 MANIPULATE

INTERNATIONAL OBJECT THEATRE COMPANY DUNDEE REP, 23-26 JAN

Festival showcasing puppetry as a vital adult form

#2 TRANSLATIONS

ARCHES THEATRE COMPANY CITIZENS THEATRE, GLASGOW, 23 JAN – 2 FEB

Andy Arnold directs Brian Friel’s tale of English soldiery out of place in Donegal

#3 GLASS MENAGERIE LYCEUM THEATRE COMPANY

ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE, EDINBURGH, 11 JAN – 9 FEB

Jemima Levick directs Tennessee Williams’ portrayal of a disintegrating family in the American Deep South

#4 THE BLUE ROOM

REPLICO THEATRE COMPANY CITIZENS THEATRE, GLASGOW, 22 – 26 JAN

New production of David Hare’s two handed investigation of sexual politics

#5 PLAY BALL

SRISHTI – NINA RAJARANI DANCE CREATIONS TRAVERSE THEATRE, EDINBURGH, 26 JAN

Dance triple bill from top Asian company

MANIPULATE

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

by Hugo Fluendy

SCOTLAND’S NEW WRITING THEATRE HAS A NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR. ALTHOUGH IT’S TOO SOON FOR DOMINIC HILL TO HAVE MADE AN IMPACT, THE FIRST FULL SEASON UNDER HIS CHARGE WILL BE THE MOST KEENLY WATCHED IN MORE THAN A DECADE. TRAVERSE ASSOCIATE PRODUCER LAURA COLLIER LAYS OUT THE FULL TRAVERSE SPRING SEASON 2008 EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE SKINNY There's a lot on, so let's get straight into it. Centrepiece to this Spring’s offering at The Traverse is John Byrne’s long-awaited Nova Scotia, the so-called fourth part of the classic Slab Boys trilogy. Commissioned by The Traverse way back in 2002, the play has been some six years in the gestation. But 2003’s smoking ban almost put the kibosh on the play seeing the light of day – at least in Scotland – altogether. Byrne has described main characters Phil McCann and Spanky Farrell as ‘young, sharp and bored – they do as little work and as much smoking as possible’, and the thought of using talc fags was too much for the great man. In a sharp rebuke to what he perceived as censorship, Byrne threatened to ban any Scottish performances of his work. Thankfully, the difficulties of a smoke-free stage have been overcome and we can look forward to the work’s premiere at The Traverse on 29 April. Written in the aftermath of the revelation that his mentally disturbed mother had been sexually abused by his grandfather, the play continues the series’ thinly veiled autobiography. Like Byrne and his partner, the actor Tilda Swinton, who live there, the play is set in the Highlands and the central character’s mother is also schizophrenic. The play is yet to be cast and Collier is tight lipped about who will be invited to read for the two main parts. However, previous productions since the series premiere in 1978 at The Traverse have featured some of the biggest names in Scottish stage and screen such as Robert Carlyle, Robbie Coltrane and Alan Cumming. And with one acclaimed off-Broadway production starring Val Kilmer, Kevin Bacon and Sean Penn, the expectation that this latest might feature the odd celebrity is not unfounded. Quality is one thing that is for sure however. Quite simply, Collier gushes, “This is a wonderful, wonderful play.” Another keynote production will be disabled actor company Graeae and Graham Eatough’s Suspect Culture collaboration Static. As with all of Graeae’s work, the performances will be fully signed and audio-described. But more than guaranteeing access, the techniques resonate neatly with a plot that revolves around recorded sounds, in this case from beyond the grave. A young widow discovers a compilation tape made by her husband, and Dan Rebellato’s plot details her obsessive quest to decode some kind of message from the cassette. The audio-visual theme to the evening will be developed with the screening of a short film Missing, also directed by Eatough. “The audience will be buying a ticket not only for Static but for the short film as well, which is a piece which I saw at the Edinburgh International Film Festival this summer. And whilst they’re not connected in terms of characters, they’re both very much about loss and grieving, so it’s interesting seeing film and theatre in one space,” she explains. Interestingly, the connection with the Film Festival is precursor to a full-blown collaboration with a series of co-curated events during its new time slot this June. Among other highlights, Max Stafford-Clark’s new writing company Out of Joint return in February with the premiere of a David Edgar-penned piece called Testing The Echo. “This is going to be very interesting indeed,” enthuses Collier. “The last time they were here was with a studio piece [November 2007’s Flightpath]. This time they’ve gone big and gone into Traverse 1. We have a longstanding relationship with Out of Joint because the [Artistic] Director Maxwell Stafford-Clark

HOFESH UPRISING CHRIS TAYLOR

THE MOTHERSHIP

Completing the ﬂagship dramas for Spring is Birmingham Rep production The Mothership. Somewhat unusually for a headline production in the main theatre Traverse 1, the play is written for a young audience. Collier takes up the story: “It’s an absolutely joyous play which I read several months ago now. It’s by a writer who’s well known to us, Douglas Maxwell. He’s written masses and masses for The Traverse and is absolutely a Scottish institution. The humour in his writing is wonderful, particularly in this piece which is aimed at a slightly younger age group of around 14 plus.” Dance too is well served with choreographerof-the-moment Hofesh Shechter reprising his energetic Uprising, that ﬁrst wowed Traverse audiences back in October 2006 but is this time paired with Southbank Centre and Sadler's Wells-commissioned In Your Rooms. Again, this is the product of an ongoing collaboration with Scotland’s national centre for dance, Dance Base. Indeed, if there’s one thing that binds this very diverse programme together into a cohesive whole, it’s these little connections that make up a sort of extended Traverse family. “Those connections happen all the time,” agrees Collier. “The very fact that Douglas Maxwell is doing his new production with Birmingham Rep for instance – Douglas has worked with us for years now as part of his journey. Now he’s very much a developed artist and he’s gone onto work with Birmingham Rep. We were with Douglas from the very early days and we also have a longstanding relationship with Birmingham Rep, so that’s just one little connection.” WWW.TRAVERSE.CO.UK

STATIC

TS H G I L H G I H

FROM THE TRAVERSE SPRING SEASON 2008

Marshall Jefferson by Alex Burden

GO BREAK SOME NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS: WE’RE MOVING INTO 2008 WITH A SCENE THAT’S NEVER BEEN HEALTHIER DRUM & BASS CURRICULUM So another year passes; 2007 was witness to some of the biggest drum and bass events Scotland has ever seen. From DJ Craze playing a diverse set at Manga back in January to Pendulum rocking it to 1,000 clubbers at Potterow in November, 2007 also saw the launch of a whole host of new clubnights and venues, not only for drum and bass but for breaks and dubstep as well. We’re moving into 2008 with a scene that’s never been healthier. On 10 Jan in Edinburgh, RED STAR INSTITUTE will be showcasing a healthy selection of local talent with TEKAMINE, MANU AND DJ HAY HAY all playing (Red Bar, 10.30pm–3am, free). Across in Dundee on 18 Jan, top breaks/d'n'b night PANGEA will be up to their usual antics at The Reading Rooms (10pm-3am, £5), then back over in Edinburgh on 19 Jan, pioneering Scottish drum and bass night MANGA will be hosting their last ever event at the Liquid Room. Manga have been putting on events for 12 years now and during that time they’ve brought some of the biggest names up to Scotland. For their ﬁnal chapter they’ve made no exception: COMMIX, fresh from releasing their Call To Mind album on Metalheadz will be headlining alongside DJ DIE OF FULL CYCLE (11pm-3am, £11). On the same night RED ALERT will be taking over Blackfriars

HIP HOP HIGHLIGHTS

used to be Artistic Director here, many, many years ago before he went on to run The Royal Court.” Edgar, fresh from the RSC’s recent triumphant adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby, uses the often fraught interactions of a group of people preparing to become British citizens as a lens with which to examine the way we deﬁne ourselves as a nation. Young Vic Associate Matthew Dunster directs a cast which includes 2007 TMA-nominee Kirsty Bushell.

The Stuff of Legend:

Clubbing

First up, a small matter of business - if you know your stuff on Scottish hip-hop and can imagine your name and words right here, then get in touch with alexb@ skinnymag.co.uk - you could be our new hip-hop columnist! We’re also looking to expand our coverage, so bring your ideas to the table and we can talk about it! Next, why not GIVE IT SOME at the Bongo Club on 12 Jan (11pm-3am, £4/£6)? Coming up for its fifth birthday, DJRED6 will be spinning the 45s and 7”s: funk, soul, r&b and hip hop tip, with DECOY ROY in the back room playing reggae, dub, ska and roots. Or, if you can’t handle their funk, perhaps dabble in some baile-funk... and hip-hop, jungle, and dubstep at VOLUME!. The decision will be hard as both are on the same night, but Volume! will have the darker edge - not so much swing your hips as judder your body and philosophise with the lights off (11pm-3am, £3 b4 12am/£5). MCs are welcome to get down early (10.30pm) for a chance to perform on the night. Then scoot over to Cabaret Voltaire on 18 Jan for the return of SOUL BISCUITS (11pm-3am, £5). Guests for the night are still to be confirmed, but NASTY P, GINO AND BABES will most definitely be there for their special 80s night. Not

FOR THE LAST DJ PROFILE IN OUR BACARDI SERIES, WE END ON A DEFINITE HIGH. READ ON TO FIND OUT HOW A PUSHY SALESMAN SPARKED PRODUCTION, WHAT GENRE CLUBS ARE DOING FOR DANCE MUSIC AND WHERE THE INDUSTRY GOES FROM HERE. in Glasgow with the Scottish debut of PROPAGANDA (11pm-3am, £7). Finally, XPLICIT will be celebrating their third birthday at Potterow on 25 Jan (11pm-3am, £12) with one of their biggest line-ups to date: SHY FX, NOISIA AND SUB FOCUS will all be headlining with support from ENO, PAUL RESET AND MORPHY. Noisia tore the roof off when they played at Xplicit a year ago, mashing up breaks and drum and bass ﬂawlessly so don't miss it! Another month packed full of top nights... and you thought January was a month of resting! [Al Majik]

COMMIX SARAH GINN

cheesy, bouffant, spandex-wearing 80s but so-good-ithurts choice hip-hop: get thee a beats education (learnt that in skool I did). The self-proclaimed ‘turntablist’, NASTY P, was recently featured on Cash Money’s mix tape, and he has his own solo album, When The Smoke Clears out on KFM records. Also check out nerd rapper BLEUBIRD and the city’s own SILENI playing the Cab on 20 Jan (details tbc): Canadian-born Bleubird rolls off political and comedic rhymes with an undeniable ﬂair. On 25 Jan DJ IQ AND NORTHERNXPOSURE will be taking over The Caves in Edinburgh (11pm-3am, £10), for a night of unadulterated UK hip-hop. Locals NorthernXposure also have a new album, Revelations, due out over the next few months, as well as an exclusive 12” with Mungo’s Hi-Fi. DJ IQ, a UK under 18 DMC Champion at the age of 17, will be further promoting his Live! From The Sofa, released last September. Then round off the month with HEADSPIN’s 10th Birthday at the Bongo Club (11pm-3am, £8) on 26 Jan with grooving hip-hop and lots more. Be sure to check out our preview on the East Coast page and online feature for all the facts! Unfortunately it’s looking a little light on the hip-hop in the surrounding areas.... ‘mon Glasgow and Dundee give us your rhymes! [Struan Abewt]

HOUSE OF TECHNO

TESTING THE ECHO 6-9 FEB

David Edgar’s new play about Moslems preparing for UK citizenship

PALMSTAR POPPY 14-16 FEB

Valentine’s Day special, David Paul Jones’ ‘theatre for the ear’

STATIC

27 FEB-1 MARCH Graeae & Suspect Culture present tale of loss and bereavement. A young widow suspects her husband is trying to communicate with her from beyond the grave through a compilation tape. Preceded by short ﬁlm Missing.

UPRISING/IN YOUR ROOMS 22 MARCH

Hofesh Shechter choreographs critically acclaimed dance double bill

THE MOTHER SHIP 25-29 MARCH

Birmingham Rep presents new comedic work for younger audience by Scottish playwright Douglas Maxwell

NOVA SCOTIA 29 APRIL – 27 MAY

Traverse Theatre Company presents fourth instalment of John Byrne’s acclaimed series

THEATRE

A few new nights rear their heads in the new year to spit out more bass, beats and excuses to get smashed, with Ampbox promoting cross-country, cross-media events in both Edinburgh’s Wee Red Bar and Glasgow’s Art School. SHADOW DANCER fae Boys Noize and CHRISTOPHER D. ASHLEY (Sunday Best) will be playing live sets, as well as the usual art and video presentations (Edinburgh 18 Jan, Glasgow 19 Jan, 11pm-3am, £5). And deﬁnitely not one for scenesters, residents FUZ AND LEE continue ECLECTIC MUD’s crusade to destroy all genres at the Hide (underneath the Argyle Bar) on Saturday 12 Jan (9pm1am, free). Playing whatever they feel like and then some, Eclectic Mud is an interesting experiment with the club format that’s well worth checking out. Mark a date in your diary in your own blood to get down to CLUTTER HOUSE on 4 Jan (Studio 24, 11pm-3am, £8/£6) with one of the true legends of the techno scene, THE BLACK DOG. But if you’re broke in January, you can always get down to the RED STAR INSTITUTE (Red, Thursdays, 10pm-3am) for some freebies. Staying with the Institute on 17 Jan it’s a dubstep v techno fest with ANDFULLSTOP, MR FROSTY AND GARETH KING facing off over the wheels of steel. In Glasgow there are three big ones to catch, with another NUMBERS V MONOX spectacular to wreck your head and a bit of a nasty one from the ICA gang. The former is at the Subby with LORY D, AUTOMAT AND DAVEY RED, plus the usual gang of miscreants making a hell of a noise (4 Jan, 11pm-3am, £5/£7). Go break some new year’s resolutions. Then the INNER CITY ACID boys present a live set from KRONOS DEVICE,

WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

THE BLACK DOG

the finest purveyor of space-age robotic techno on 12 Jan (Soundhaus, 10.30pm-3am, £tbc). And finishing off the month in fine style, KINKY AFRO bring TODDLA T’s splintered take on dub and dancehall to blow up the Sub Club (25 Jan, 10.30pm-3am, £8/£10). As if you needed another reason to move to Dundee, CHRIS LAKE (Rising Music), billed as the best thing from Scotland since Mylo, makes the trek from Aberdeen to bring his euphoric take on electro-house to the Reading Rooms on 25 Jan (10.30pm-3am, £10) with residents KEN SWIFT AND MIKRO.DOT. [Liam Arnold]

You can't mention Marshall Jefferson's name without a few knowing nods amongst house, techno, and Chicago fans. Not only responsible for bringing house music to new conclusions through the use of the Roland 303 and keys, Marshall Jefferson is also part of the collective talents who pushed forward acid and deep house. Many of his own songs have reached anthemic status, still striking a chord with crowds today, from house to techno to funk to acid fans: they are, in a word, classics. Move Your Body, 7 Ways to Jack, and Open Our Eyes are just a few of these, and Marshall is just as well known for producing new artists and launching them into the spotlight. It's hard to argue with the fact that Marshall Jefferson played a hugely instrumental role in the evolution of house as we know it, and helped put Chicago on the map for dance music. Indeed, you did not hear keys on early house tracks, and after the pianofi lled Move Your Body was released in 1986, it was highlighted as a sound intrinsic to composition, along with the introduction of the Roland 303. Born in Illnois in 1959, Jefferson grew up on early heavy metal and old school rock, including Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, even Elton John's earlier material. So how did a rock fan with no musical training get into making house? Apart from awakening to the sounds of house through frequent trips to Chicago's Music Box Club and The Warehouse to see Frankie Knuckles, it seems that a pushy salesman in a music store is to thank in some way. On a trip to a record shop with a guitarist friend, the salesman tried convincing him that it was important to purchase a Yamaha TX1. "The man said 'Hey, with this thing you can play keyboard like Stevie Wonder, even if you don't know how to play.' I believed him," explains Marshall. To cut an amusing yet successful line of sales patter short, Marshall, who was working at the post office at the time, was given a “huge line of credit,” and smoothly talked into purchasing a sequencer, keyboard, drum machine and mixer worth $9000. He jokes that his friends came over to see and laughed at him for "at least five hours: 'Motherfucker bought all this stuff and he don't know how to play it!' I wrote my fi rst song three days later and the next year I had Move Your Body out. I'm telling you, DJs all over the world started hiring keyboard players to play keyboards like Marshall Jefferson!" he laughs. Since then he's worked with Kim Mazelle, Ce Ce Rogers, Robert Owens, and Curtis McClaine, to name a few, headlined the fi rst House Music Tour of Europe in 1987, and produced Acid Trax with Phuture in 1987, simultaneously bringing DJ Pierre and the acid house movement to light. Not happy with staying in the confi nes of one genre, the release of Open Our Eyes, which carried the "psychedelic vibes" of Jimi Hendrix that Marshall was fond of, marked the starting point for his move into deep house. He has witnessed and played a part in the many subgenres to trail off the umbrella of house, but interprets the last few years as concerning, becoming too formatted and separated out by temporal genre-specific clubs. Is it segmented to the point of no more creativity? "There hasn't really been anything new for a number of years now and it is almost impossible for something totally new to break out and get big unless it comes out on the radio, and that's ridiculous because innovation has always come from the dancefloor. Now, the dancefloor's closed baby. I think I'm gonna go for innovation on the radio and do something new. As a matter of fact I got somebody from

“YOU ALWAYS THINK THAT YOU CAN STEP IN AND SHAKE THINGS UP A BIT, I THINK THAT WAS MY INTENTION.” last year's [2006] Bacardi DJ Competition that I'm working with now. The name of the group is F-Generation and they won a recording session with me. I kept in touch and now I'm working with them." The house veteran is still going strong eight years into the 21st Century, and this is reassuring; he is a mentor who can connect you with the past and help achieve a sense of history and change. The present could have been very different if Marshall had stayed in retirement in the early 90s: does he feel as if he was spurred into work because the scene needed a shake-up? "You always think that you can step in and shake things up a bit; I think that was my intention. It's just a bit difﬁcult because of today's market, there's like 30,000 records coming out every week. When I was younger there was like 5-25 a week. If you've done something good it's maybe not going to get noticed." His plans for the year ahead indicate that there is no slow-down on the horizon - from working on a track for Robert Owens' new album (the next one to be released after Night Time Stories, released Feb!), to producing new material with newcomers the F-Generation, and ﬁ nding "the next Elvis!"

YOU CAN CATCH MARSHALL ON THE NEW CHICAGO LP, A 33-TRACK DOUBLE CD CONCEIVED BY STEVE HURLEY AND SHANNON SYAS (DJ SKIP) SHOWCASING THE BEST OF CHICAGO HOUSE. APPEARING ALONGSIDE THEM ARE ROY DAVIS JNR, DJ PIERRE, STACY KIDD, AND FARLEY ‘JACKMASTER’ FUNK. ALSO CHECK OUT LOOPMASTERS ARTIST SERIES V3: MARSHALL JEFFERSON - HOUSE GENERATION. THE SERIES FEATURES ROYALT Y FREE SAMPLES AVAILABLE IN SEVERAL PROGRAM FORMATS, AND THIS ULTIMATE COLLECTION HAS EVERY KIND OF CUT, LOOP AND SAMPLE A BUDDING HOUSE PRODUCER COULD EVER WISH FOR. TURN TO OUR COMPETITIONS SECTION TO WIN A COPY! AND A SPECIAL THANK-YOU GOES OUT TO BACARDI AND MN2S WHO MADE THIS SERIES POSSIBLE! CHECK OUT ONLINE FOR OUR EXTENDED INTERVIEW!

JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

BEATS

THEATRE Chapter & Traverse

EDITORIAL 2008. My god. I imagined by this point we would have pretty much arrived at Jetsons’ style transport and dayglo wear as a matter of principle. Looking outside it’s plain to see that there are still plenty cars, bikes, planes, and trains, and drainpipe jeans are still in fashion (when are they going away? I’m fed up seeing half the nation bend over to pick something up and getting a good flash of the dark side of the moon). Looking back inside and at the Beats page plan I can forsee with reasonable confidence the following treats to kick off 2008... First up we have the recent release of Fabriclive 37, the first full-on dubstep release for Fabric from Rusko & Caspa, which should have been rocking your new socks off at Xmas. Second in line for first-footing we have house godfather Marshall Jefferson on recent developments, as well as our predictions and interviews with the artists who we think will be grabbing your attention this year (there’s more chance of us being right than there is of Jetsons’ transport arriving!), including Commix, Let’s Go Outside, Desolation Yes!, and Wretch 32. Then we make acquintances with the Hetherington Research Club, a new intimate venue for Glasgow’s underground community such as the new Huntley and Palmers Audio Club. We share a nip o’ whisky with Edinburgh label Firecracker, and find out what bangers they have for 2008, and say a sad farewell to Manga, one of Edinburgh’s longest running d&b institutions. Rounding off our features, LTJ Bukem talks to us about his mix DVD from 2007’s Exit Festival, due for release next month. Then there’s the previews, the reviews and even more online - think of it as Beats: The Extended Version. It ain’t a freakin’ flying spacemachine but it is darn good readin’. Later/Alex

Ripping up Fabric:

Caspa & Rusko Late 2007: as end-of-year charts start to pile up like the snows of pre-global warming Christmas past, up steps the consistently excellent FabricLive mix series, to chuck in their tuppence-worth to the ongoing dubstep gold rush. But rather than asking Skream or Burial to mix the CD – two DJs already fawned over by the mainstream press and clubbing fraternity - they turned to Leeds-

Rusko explains that he got into dubstep through other styles of music: “Initially I got into dubstep through UK dub, like Iration Steppas, Bush Chemists, Vibronics… I know a lot of people came from garage. Dubstep is like one big melting pot of inﬂuences. I’ve always listened to a lot of drum & bass; that’s inﬂuenced a lot of tracks. At the moment, I’m all about the crossover. [I’m] working with Benny Page... done a tune with Clipz… its all cross-breeding!”

RELEASE DATE: 4 FEB

#2 A STATE OF MIND & SKREIN - PREEMPTIVE NOSTALGIA (DENTED RECORDS) A State of Mind’s playful, golden vibes nonchalantly sidestep the gnarliness of archetypal cutting-edge UK hip-hop with this godsend of a record. Diversity is key, down to the ﬁnest detail.

Rusko recently came to Edinburgh’s Cabaret Voltaire for a gig, at the behest of recent arrivals on the Edinburgh club scene, from Brighton: Dub Pressure. How was the atmosphere? “Awesome! Sometimes when you play in London, you get used to people being a bit conscious. In Edinburgh they didn’t care! They were HAVIN’ IT! There was some moshing, someone [got] headbutted outside, [there was] beer all over the decks. All in all a pretty wild one! Loads of crew came out too - I wanna do Glasgow next. Hopefully next year I’ll come and spill more beer, and jump up and down again.”

OUT NOW

#3 SAUL WILLIAMS - THE INEVITABLE RISE AND FALL OF NIGGY TARDUST (MUSICANE) A fascinating soundclash of dark industrial beats and conscious rap. The two styles of Williams’ poetic hip-hop and Trent Reznor’s walls of guitar and smothered piano grind and bump against each other like mismatched dancers, refusing to be conﬁned by listeners’ expectations. OUT NOW

A NORMAL HEART

rrr UNSOPHISTICATED YET HEARTFELT Theatre company Civil Disobediance formed in response to news that diagnoses of HIV in Scotland are at their highest levels since records began. Recently chosen as one of the 100 Greatest Plays of the Twentieth Century, A Normal Heart is their opening shot in a campaign to raise awareness and funds. Telford graduate Paul Comrie is Ned Weeks, a passionate gay activist fighting for action against the embryonic epidemic, aided by Emma Brookner, a wheelchair-bound physician who persuades him to campaign to the homosexual community while she struggles for research funding. Ned forms a group, only to be rejected as its president for his intensity. As the death toll spirals, Ned attacks those close to him for their lack of direct action - his straight-laced brother Ben (Stuart Nicol), closeted ex-marine Bruce Niles (Gareth Morrison) and his new lover, journalist Felix Turner (David Wallace). Comrie plays Weeks with dry directness but begins with intensity at full volume, giving little room for modulation. Firing dense speeches at each other leaves the cast physically immobile and Comrie struggles to enervate the lecturing tone of their early dialogues. Wallace brings unaffected naturalism and a light comedic touch to his louche Felix, while Nicol is robustly convincing as Ben Weeks. Morrison's Niles is grufﬂy understated, Philip Burns puts emotional flair into Mickey Marcus, a health worker whose livelihood is threatened for being in the campaign, and Andy Thompson is pert as camp follower Tommy Boatright. The set is barely existent and the direction relies on the emotional intensity of the subject matter to carry the audience away.

now we tackle millions. The strongest element of this unsophisticated yet heartfelt production is not the poignancy of death but the restless moral conundrum of when, where and how to take action against threats to our survival. [Phyllis Martin]

However, the story is engaging and the cast relax into their roles as the tension rises. The tragedy is heightened as they face hundreds of cases where

RUN ENDED NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND, EDINBURGH WWW.THENORMALHEART.COM

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

rrr AS MUCH AS THE SKINNY REALLY WANTS TO UNEQUIVOCALLY LIKE THIS SHOW, THERE ARE THINGS THAT JUST DON’T WORK. The festive season is still with us (just) and even the most world weary in our midst enjoy the comfort of fondly remembered treats at this time of year. It’s a Wonderful Life is undoubtedly one of those, especially a stage adaptation with Rosslyn Chapel as a backdrop. It’s probably the best Christmas ﬁlm ever made, with a story that genuinely pulls at every heartstring you have. A small reminder, in case you’ve forgotten (how could you!): George Bailey grew up dreaming of escape from Bedford Falls and travelling the world. However, he stays to ensure that the vile Mr Potter does not take control of the every aspect of town life. One dark Christmas Eve George despairs at the road his life has taken, only to be saved from suicide by Clarence Oddbody, Angel Second Class. This production remains meticulously faithful to the original ﬁlm. Very little is cut out and the likeable and hardworking cast make a pretty good job of bringing all

With Rusko currently working on a remix for Claude Von Stroke, his own drum & bass productions (under the name Tintin) and an exclusive re-dub of ragga jungle and dub anthem Police In Helicopter, it looks like early 2008 will be a busy time for this particular sub warrior. Catch a ﬁre – grab a copy of FabricLive 37 and, as one of Caspa’s samples advises: “Hold tight, rudeboy.”

#4 OBSIDIAN – MILLIMETRE (ORETIC RECORDS) Whilst the music of Obsidian is murky and dark, it taps into the droning power of Mogwai that lifts the listener beyond the everyday. OUT NOW

#5 ROBERT OWENS - NIGHT TIME STORIES (COMPOST RECORDS) Possibly the deﬁnitive voice in the history of house music, Robert Owens’ new album Night Time Stories sees him add trademark tones to music from Wahoo, Jimpster, Atjazz, Charles Webster, Marc Romboy and Simbad.

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

As energetic and hyperactive in person as his tunes are on vinyl, Rusko attributes the rough and ready style of FabricLive 37 to his free party background: “Coming from Leeds,

the dub and soundsystem street culture was a lot more prevalent. I still make my tunes doing live mixdowns on the ﬂy, in a ruba–dub style – I guess that’s the northern in me.” Where was dubstep’s home in Leeds? “SUBDUB! Every month at the West Indian. That was always the good one: saw so many inﬂuential people there. Used to go to a lot of free parties with the soundsystem up in the woods in Leeds too. RAVERS!”

Another aspect that Caspa and Rusko’s mix showcases is the diversity of the dubstep sound, with beats ranging from garage 2-step to layered breakbeat, to pounding hardcore and ska. “Yeah, dubstep is very diverse,” agrees Rusko. “The mix is very kinda truthful in a way. It was unplanned: recorded straight out of our record bags, off the cuff. It is as close as you can get to seeing us play. There are tunes from a diverse range of producers on there, but we just do our thing – if it’s a fat bassline it’s all good!”

#1 ATJAZZ - FULL CIRCLE (MANTIS RECORDINGS) Embracing disco, soul, broken-beat and hip-hop inﬂuences he’s avoided the edgier, more technoinﬂuenced sound favoured by so many of today’s house producers to create a deliciously sumptuous, home listening affair.

based jump-up dubstep producer Rusko and his DJ partner Caspa, who have delivered a slamming, genre-defying smack in the kisser of a mix.

One of the duo’s biggest tunes has been the anthemic, string-laden dub of Cockney Violins. A later track in the mix is titled Cockney Thug. What’s the reasoning behind all the Cockney chat? “It is a kind of running theme innit!” says Rusko. “There’s a Cockney Pipes and Cockney Rug too – it could go on forever! A lot of our tunes we make quite quickly while there’s still that initial excitement. I think it’s important to get that into the music and get that feeling to the crowd.”

ALBUMS

RELEASE DATE: 25 FEB

by Bram Gieben

THINK YOU KNOW DUBSTEP? NOT UNTIL YOU'VE HEARD THE IN-YOUR-FACE DROPS AND MUTANT SUBS OF CASPA & RUSKO...

Rusko is looking forward to the exposure the high-proﬁle Fabric mix will bring: “Most of the usual Fabric CD audience will not have heard any dubstep. Maybe [they will have] heard about it, but [will] certainly not [have experienced] a raw, dubplate-for-dubplate mix like the CD.”

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THEATRE

BEATS

REVIEWS

the characters to life. Fraser Sivewright plays George just as he should – right down to some of James Stewart’s mannerisms – making him a likeable, honest, principled and yet very human character. Susan Coyle is very engaging as George’s wife Mary and Colin Moncrieff is admirable as Clarence, George’s brother Harry and Mr Potter. Frankly, the man deserves a medal: three very different characters, all essential to the piece - and he never misses a beat. However, as much as The Skinny really wants to unequivocally like this show, there are things that just don’t work. Rosslyn Chapel is an intriguing venue, and could make the right play an unmissable event. Unfortunately, a tale of small town America is not the right play and the combination leaves you wondering why NonsenseRoom made that choice, especially as performing to a small audience in the round makes some of the stage business feel clunky when it could have been seamless in a traditional theatre set-up. The point of using a non-traditional, unusual, and, in this case, fascinating venue for theatre is that it should bring a life of its own to the piece, not leave the audience questioning the point. Especially when the venue is as cold as Rosslyn Chapel is on a December night. Also, this stage version sticks to its ﬁlmic source too literally, making scenes short and choppy in places. Theatre is a different medium and giving actors the opportunity to develop their characters further and build the connections with a very intimate audience requires a different approach to the writing than a barely changed ﬁlm script will allow. It is a shame that a great story and a good cast are let down by basic production issues and stage craft. This is a play that will give you your dose of Christmas nostalgia, but it won’t stay with you much past the festive season. [Philippa Cochrane]

FABRICLIVE 37: CASPA & RUSKO IS OUT NOW. WWW.MYSPACE.COM/RUSKONFIRE

RUN ENDED ROSSLYN CHAPEL, MIDLOTHIAN WWW.NONSENSEROOM.CO.UK

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/CASPADUBSTEP CASPA & RUSKO

WWW.FABRICLONDON.COM

BEATS

WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

Hosted at Dundee Rep, the Manipulate Festival evolved from the collaboration of Puppet Animation Scotland and Projector Animation Festival, and emphasises the close links between puppet theatre and animation, boasting a multitude of international companies. Puppet Animation Scotland is best known for its annual, and extensive, festival for young people, which is represented in most towns and cities across the nation. But Manipulate is a more adult affair: the brochure describes the shows in terms familiar to enthusiasts of physical theatre or live art. In Light!, Campaignie Mossoux-Bonte, whom Hart acknowledges as “primarily a dance company using the body to cast complex and eerie shadows”, grapple with existential terror; Stephen Mottram brings his Seed Carriers up from England to haunt the audience with visions of an insectoid humanity. Theatre Velo follows a lost soul into the further reaches of

his imagination in Appel d’Air, a work that transforms mundane objects into potent symbolism. The puppetry festival segues into Projector’s Hot Animation Festival. Before this begins, the puppetry moves out of the theatre and into the community. Hart explains that “we have five days of masterclasses, working in shadow theatre, and Stephen Mottram looking at the relationship between the puppet, the puppeteer and their relationship with the audience. We are also working with the Dundee Literacy 16 to 24 project to create a short animation film with young people.” One show - Angel - is being staged in support of homeless charity Shelter. Alongside the exhibition of designs for the Cannon Hill Puppet Theatre, hung in the Dundee Rep foyer, these workshops and events extend the festival beyond the auditorium, and engage with future audiences and performers, as well as placing the performances in a clear social context. Hart sees this “as an intensification of our core event, the Puppet Animation Festival, which is aimed at three to twelve year olds.” Puppet Animation Scotland has, in the past year, taken puppetry into 158 Scottish venues and has seen attendance grow to nearly 20,000 people in 2007. Manipulate applies this enthusiastic outreach to puppetry for adults. Not content to merely stage shows, it allows the audience to engage with the medium and draw the connections between puppetry and the aesthetic languages of dance or mime.

GOLDILOCKS THE RITUALISED CALL AND RESPONSE OF THE WHOLE PANTOMIME FORM LENDS ITSELF WITH CHILLING PRECISION TO THE INCULCATION OF VALUES.

So it was with some surprise to note this is institution as in the Macpherson report into the Stephen Lawrence murder. Like many others, The Skinny had previously viewed political correctness as another example of a North American lack of irony, nothing that couldn’t be handled with a degree of common sense and tolerance. But after taking a friend’s nine year old son to Goldilocks at The Kings, the case for a more formal approach to prejudice begins to seem reasonable. If this was edgy drama aimed at intellectual sophisticates used to dealing with moral ambiguity then bring it on, but faced with the serried ranks of attitudinal blank slates, children in their formative years in the very act of forming their opinions, then some authorial responsibility is called for. Certainly not casual racism. Okay Polish plumber gags aren’t exactly the slaying of Martin Luther King but it’s that very throwaway inconsequentiality that makes them so offensive. Nor snobbery. With an audience composed largely of middle class kids in cub and school uniforms, the jokes mocking the good folks from Niddrie – a council estate on Edinburgh’s

JAMES MACKENZIE, THREE BEARS AND CLAIRE DARGO

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

RELEASE DATE: 7 JAN WWW.KHARMA45.COM

BAUER

STARTING AGAIN (NAZ)

rrr W hat wa s s o damn good about the 8 0 s a ny way ? ‘Synth-pop!’ chorus Bauer in unison, before they play you a spin of their new single which showcases one of the better uses of the synth in recent times. But with The Killers, Bravery et al only too happy to make the much maligned instrument the centre of the song again, it’s not as if our eardrums have been in dire need of the 'synth-effect' lately is it? Still, Starting Again presses all the right buttons, then sits back and waits to go rocketing up the Downloads char t. All cynicism aside though, Bauer actually sound like they mean it. [Barry Jackson]

Most importantly, Manipulate promises to establish puppetry and animation as mature art forms. As has been the case with comic books, they have often been derided as limited in scope or potential. While plenty of novelty acts may have repositioned themselves as adult through explicit themes or shocking tactics, Manipulate is a showcase for more thoughtful and eloquent expressions of the puppeteers art.

RELEASE DATE: 21 JAN WWW.BAUERONLINE.CO.UK

FROM 22-26 JANUARY 2008 HOT ANIMATION 29TH JAN- 2 FEBRUARY WWW.PUPPETANIMATION.ORG

THE ELECTRIC CITY DARK SKIES

MOLLY SWEENEY

r The panto at The Kings Theatre is an Edinburgh Christmas institution. With a history dating back to 1906’s debut performance of Cinderella, it’s as part and gift-wrapped parcel of the festive season in the capital as mince pies, holly and carol singing. But despite an otherwise standard-issue Auld Reekie upbringing, The Skinny had never been to one before now.

The festival features sophisticated, even disturbing themes. Childlike it is not. The Seed Carriers, which has been challenging audiences for a decade, takes influences from the nightmarish paintings of Bosch and the films of the Quay brothers. Hart notes that “it uses a very old technique alongside contemporary themes”. Its detailed creation of a microcosmic society is disturbing and advertised as unsuitable for children in any circumstances. Likewise, Light! examines the shadow-play of existence, dwelling on the fear evoked by darkness and the body. Those familiar with the films of Jan Svankmajer or the more Gothic experiments of Tim Burton will be enthralled: those whose experience is limited to Orville might be shocked. There are moments of beauty and clarity in both works, but they are hard won and original: both works express fierce, individual visions and work towards a new aesthetic.

outskirts – seemed particularly egregious. Sexism of course came with the story but a few positive female roles might have gone some way to counterbalance its dated narrative rather than the aggregate character ‘girls’ which merely served as a clumsy cipher for promiscuity. Even the forced humour couldn’t disguise the sad truth of our nation’s favourite anti-social behaviour: binge drinking. Oh how we laughed as Allan Stewart’s character Gertie downed a pint of Crème de Menthe mixed with whisky, gin and vodka, reeled hilariously around the stage for a good thirty seconds and was then ﬁghting ﬁt to continue his/her search for the next minority to victimise, neatly missing out the potentially violent, puking and incapacitated stages familiar to our mature readers. The ritualised call and response of the whole pantomime form lends itself with chilling precision to the inculcation of values. The boo and hiss of the villain, the ‘behind you’ mentality drumming, with each ritualised interaction, entire value systems into gullible heads. And here’s the point: the squawking rows of pre-teens had no conception of the drawbacks of heavy drinking, or indeed the societal injustices that lead to sink estates or the sinister undertones to racial stereotyping. But presumably the writer(s) did and they should know better. [Hugo Fluendy] UNTIL JANUARY 20 KINGS THEATRE, EDINBURGH WWW.EFT.CO.UK

(SUPERVISION)

rrrr

Now pay attention: this is the sound of manufactured authentic-

STEPHEN FRETWELL ity. The Electric City so desperately want to be for real - it oozes out of every note and strangled, over-pronounced vowel, but their take on proper, authentic rock is far too polished to meet their own ends. This is absolutely fine if you want to pretend to like guitar music, but everything from the slippery yet spiky riffs to the hamﬁsted attempts at creating an air of impending doom are so obviously calculated that the song loses any meaning it might have had. This makes Fall Out Boy look like pioneers. [Heather Crumley] RELEASE DATE: 14 JAN WWW.THELECTRICCITY.COM

KHARMA 45 COME ON (WARNER)

rr K h a r m a 4 5’s second single, Come On, is exactly the kind of melodic electro - indie that floats a round on radio airwaves and inside heads for months without ever really having a name or a face. All beguiling synth-driven pop-rock with a latent punk inﬂuence, it carries the om-

NOW

(FICTION)

rr The second single to be lifted from Stephen Fretwell’s second album, Man On The Roof, is disappointingly generic singer-songwriter fare that does not follow up on the promise of his Magpie material. Granted, Now is head and shoulders above many of the MOR ballads that clog up the airwaves these days - it’s a well-crafted tune, Fretwell’s singing is quite affecting and the whole thing ambles along nicely enough - but ultimately it all sounds a little too derivative. Why this track was released when there are arguably more worthy tracks on the album is a mystery. Don’t let this put you off exploring Fretwell’s more interesting side. [Graeme Blaikie] RELEASE DATE: 14 JAN WWW.STEPHENFRETWELL.COM

JONAH MATRANGA NOT ABOUT A GIRL OR A PLACE (XTRA MILE)

rr This Massachusetts born singersongwriter has been churning out

the tunes since 1991, with his first band Far, and then solo project onelinedrawing. Enough time to amass a reasonably sizeable following, but also, you would suspect, enough time to write some decent tunes. This, the first single from latest album, And, is a bythe-numbers country pop ballad, dealing, in true troubadour fashion, with love, the scriptures, the end of the world... you know the schtick. Catchy yes, but in a brain grating way; like a 12-year-old learning guitar in his bedroom. This is that 12year-old’s first song, and thus gets two stars for effort. [Wilbur Kane] RELEASE DATE: 14 JAN WWW.JONAHMATRANGA.COM

WAKE THE PRESIDENT REMEMBER FUN (ELECTRIC HONEY)

rrrr Wake The President’s second 7” single Remember Fun ignores the fact that we’re closing in on the end of the 2000s and plucks its jangle pop straight from the mid1980s and its twee magic from the mid-1990s. They hit all the key areas. Infectious melody? Check. Wry and glum lyrics at odds with cheery melody? Check. Catchy wordless refrain? Check. These Glaswegians are signed to Stow College’s Electric Honey Records. I’m not going to claim that they’re the second coming of a certain Glaswegian band that started off on the same label with legendary style… but it’s tempting. [Tobias Kahn] OUT NOW WAKE THE PRESIDENT PL AY THE CLASSIC GRAND, GLASGOW ON 24 JAN WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ WAKETHEPRESDENT

THE DIRTY DOZEN A NEW YEAR OF NEW MUSICAL MASTERPIECES? NICK MITCHELL ASSESSES THE FIRST BATCH... Plenty of new music to sample this month, but before the new come the seasoned veterans, though you could hardly call Sons And Daughters fogies and Darling (4 stars, 14 Jan) is another winner from the best exponents of Spector-meets-Cave guitar-pop. The Kills have often been lumbered with the ‘poor man’s White Stripes’ tag but they’re miles better than that, and comeback track U.R.A Fever (3 stars, 7 Jan) reclaims their primal chemistry with overhauled production. The ever-reliable British Sea Power return with a fanfare, Waving Flags (4 stars, 7 Jan) no less. Big, epic but not self-important, the waves of guitar break overhead while a chanted chorus aims straight for the heart. And now for those fresh-faced newbies... Hello Wembley claim to be a backlash against “style over substance bands like Bloc Party or Franz Ferdinand”. But their meek rebellion, Up Great Britain (1 star, 14 Jan), is an embarrassingly daft, Sex Pistols-aping whine about how modern life, like, sucks. Kele and Kapranos can sleep soundly for now. Lightspeed Champion’s Tell Me What It’s Worth (2 stars, 7 Jan) is disappointing, considering former Test Icicle Dev Hynes’s talent: this sugary warbler is distinctly ho-hum. Similarly uninspired is Single Sedative (2 stars, 14 Jan), the debut from Pennsylvanian trio Eastern Conference Champions. For those old enough, this has a whiff of Reef about it. Says it all really [Oi, you can’t mess with Replenish! - Ed]. The Courteeners are, ostensibly, another northern band who sing about dole queues and a ‘bit of rough’, and What Took You So Long? (2 stars, 14 Jan) is stuck in a time warp of 80s chiming guitar and social inertia. Matters improve with Brighton’s South Central, the latest act to scale the boundary fence between rock and dance. Golden Dawn (3 stars, 7 Jan) is a gut-wrenching mash of feedback, techno, robot voices and the barely identiﬁable remains of guitar. Former OBE frontman Matt Thomson resurfaces with a new band and a record deal: Disco Dancer (3 stars, 7 Jan) by Parka will be familiar to fans of Edinburgh’s favourite punk-funk sons, although it’s been given the commercial treatment here. In its short history so far this column has saved its harshest words for acoustic solo ar tists, but Aussie troubadour Derrin Nauendor f’s Shipwrecked (3 stars, 17 Jan) is undeserving of such scorn – he’s got character see. The eccentric SAY may hail from darkest Lancashire, but they’re no miserablists. Instead, Yr Kicks (4 stars, 28 Jan) is a happy-clappy, shimmering indie-pop mirage. But single of the month goes to The Mae Shi for Run To Your Grave (4 stars, 14 jan). In uncertain times, nostalgia is good and this tune uses one of the pre-installed beats from my childhood keyboard as the intro before its lo-ﬁ rhythm is developed with fuzzy guitar and an ice-melting chorus. Genius.

CELEBRATES A DEEP VIVACITY EVEN IN THE FINAL MOMENTS OF ENCROACHING DARKNESS.

Molly Sweeney is a lengthy study of an intimate story. Driven by personal obsessions, Molly’s husband and a local surgeon conspire to restore her sight, only to plunge her into degenerative mental illness. Unlike many stage presentations of psychological disorder, Molly Sweeney is precise and distressing, following Molly’s tragedy without patronising either the character or those affected by her behaviour.

kind Frank, Molly’s inability to deal with sight and Dr Rice’s alcoholic desperation; yet it is impossible to dislike them. Even an insane Molly radiates a delicate warmth, and Frank’s selfishness is comprehensible within his enthusiasms. The ﬁrst half comprehensively introduces the three characters. The unravelling of the tragedy in the second is lent pathos by the audience’s familiarity with their relationships.

The strength of Brian Friel’s script is matched by stunning performances. If Dr Rice is melodramatic, this reveals the inner romanticism that his clinical persona struggles to hide. Husband Frank is self-centred and effusive without losing a natural charm, though his lack of compassion is revealed in his ultimate rejection of Molly. And Cara Kelly, Molly herself, is passionately windswept, celebrating a deep vivacity even in the ﬁnal moments of encroaching darkness.

The cumulative effect is heartbreaking; the early compassion is gradually replaced by failure. Friel avoids the hysterical or spectacular, preferring to unfold the action through the characters’ own interpretations and responses. Eschewing grand themes, Molly Sweeney is a poetic tragedy with its feet ﬁrmly on the earth. [Gareth K Vile]

RUN ENDED #1 BLACK MOUNTAIN - IN THE FUTURE (JAGJAGUWAR) CITIZENS THEATRE, GLASGOW

AND DAUGHTERS - THIS GIFT (DOMINO) The plot exposes the self-interest of #2 theSONS apparently WWW.CITZ.CO.UK #3 CHARLOTTEFIELD - WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR (FATCAT) #4 ONE MORE GRAIN - ISLE OF GRAIN (WHITE HEAT) #5 AIDAN JOHN MOFFAT - I CAN HEAR YOUR HEART (CHEMIKAL UNDERGROUND)

CARA KELLY & MICHAEL GLANN MURPHY IN MOLLY SWEENEY

Simon Hart, the artistic director of Manipulate, has a clear vision for Scotland’s new puppetry festival for adults. “We want to get across to the general audience that object theatre is more than just the Muppets.” Celebrating an art form often marginalised as childish, Manipulate aims at a mature audience, introducing adult themes and stretching the possibilities of puppetery. “All of the pieces take things that might be seen as quite safe - like marionettes - and use them in a way that is unsettling. Expectations are regularly subverted.”

SINGLE REVIEWS

nipresent influences of The Faint and fuses it with a passing hint of big beat and a bit of Madchester Hacienda-tastic indie ambience thrown in for measure. It’s exuberant stuff, but ultimately it just doesn’t wave its arm high or enthusiastically enough to distinguish it from its peers. [Neil Ferguson]

THEATRE

WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

SOUNDS

Shadowplay

THIS MONTH'S PUPPETRY FESTIVAL MANIPULATE AT DUNDEE REP RELOCATES THE MARIONETTES ART INTO AN ADULT, MORE SHADOWY REALM OF EXISTENTIAL TERROR AND NIGHTMARISH OTHERNESS. GARETH K. VILE MEETS THE MAN PULLING THE STRINGS.

RELEASE DATE: 7 JAN

AIDAN JOHN MOFFAT I CAN HEAR YOUR HEART (CHEMIKAL UNDERGROUND)

rrr Te n Ye a r s o f Tears rang out A r a b S t r a p’s fi nal kiss-off to a fer vent fanbase in 20 0 6 but it seems Aidan Moffat still has some maudlin tales of drunken sex trysts to get off his chest. I Can Hear Your Heart collects poems, musings and a ten minute spoken-word denouement into what is billed as a ‘semiautobiographical’ dissection of the psyche of the modern-day manboy. Oh, and ned-baiting phone pranks for good measure. Amongst the conceit and juvenility there are some heart-wrenching moments, not least at the utterance of the albums title, innocently whispered to our cheating protagonist on Good Morning. The incidental music is, on the whole, beautiful stuff, from wistful Spanish horns to medieval folk, an exotic flavour to particularly sordid home-grown tales. There’s a question mark over its longevity but for fans of the ‘Strap - and really, who else is going to buy this - it’s like a date with an old flame. [Darren Carle] RELEASE DATE: 28 JAN WWW.CHEMIKAL.CO.UK WWW.AIDANMOFFAT.CO.UK

GERRY MITCHELL & LITTLE SPARTA RAGGED GARDEN (FIRE)

rrr Last month, the British press carried the story of a man in India who married a dog in order to ward of f a curse. That, I’m sure, had nothing to do with Gerry Mitchell or long time collaborators Little Sparta. But in an age when unseemly weddings are deemed newsworthy, this second album proves the matrimony of chalk and cheese can be done with subtlety and beauty, if not always taking the most lighthearted way possible. It would be wrong to call Little Sparta spoken word artist Mitchell’s backing band: one compliments the other almost perfectly. The traditional acoustic instrumentation and morbid lyrical drone take turns in the driver’s seat, neither outstaying their welcome, the result being an album that’s compelling and enchanting, despite its lack of a clear centrepiece. It may seem fundamentally wrong to describe something ﬁxated on death, spooks, blood, hell and hate as beautiful but in Ragged Garden, it all sounds just lovely. [Finbarr Bermingham] RELEASE DATE: 21 JAN WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ GERARDMITCHELL

DAWN LANDES FIREPROOF

(BOY SCOUT/FARGO)

rrrr D e spite its sombre leanings, Fireproof isn’t nearly as melancholy

as the track listing might suggest (see Private Little Hell and Dig Me a Hole). Moments of moderate eccentricity are scattered throughout a consistently rewarding album, however Landes is at her best on her softer numbers, such as I’m in Love with the Night, Twilight and album highlight Tired of this Life. With hints of her native Kentucky peeking through, this is an understated and quietly optimistic record, well structured, intelligently arranged and a perfect example of less amounting to more. Fireproof is imbued with the same sense of unfussy ease that permeated the earlier work of Cat Power. Sure, some plucked notes die on the fretboard, the tuning can be suspect and the vocals often lazily sway either side of perfect, but such is the unpolished and natural feel of this tenderly delivered album of bittersweet reﬂection. [Chris Cusack] RELEASE DATE: 28 JAN WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DAWNLANDES

ROBOTS IN DISGUISE WE’RE IN THE MUSIC BIZ (PRESIDENT)

r No, they’re not another Transformers spin-off but they are equally as childish. Robots In Disguise comprise London duo Dee Plume and Sue Denim and make some of the most hackneyed attempts at electro-pop you’re ever likely to hear. They cameoed in sitcom The Mighty Boosh (ﬁrst as ‘The Electro Girls’) and they should really have left their musical careers behind in that world of northern jazzmen and talking gorillas. CSS is the obvious point of reference, but whereas Lovefoxxx’s band can at least churn out a tune to offset the superﬁciality, We’re In The Music Biz is devoid of melody, hook and, well, anything of any consequence. Imagine the unlikely scenario: a pair of empty-headed socialites buy a keyboard, write songs solely about getting wasted, clothes and shagging, sing them really annoyingly, and - hey presto! - there’s a record deal. It’s not often that an album has absolutely no redeeming qualities; but here we have exactly that. [Nick Mitchell] Release Date: 21 Jan (Digital), 4 Apr (Physical)

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ ADRIANCROWLEY

BRITISH SEA POWER DO YOU LIKE ROCK MUSIC? (ROUGH TRADE)

rrr On British Sea Power’s sophomore album, Open Season, it seemed that the new-wave dissonance of their debut had been swept away to reveal they’d been writing conventional pop songs in thrall of Echo and the Bunnymen all along. On Do You Like Rock Music?, the enigmatic Brighton four-piece have regained their edge while simultaneously upping the production ante. The opening salvo of militaristic All In It swells to Jason Piercesized grandeur, mini-epic Lights Out For Darker Skies gives us a ‘buy one, get one free’ on great guitar riffs, while Waving Flag’s angular pop melody recalls early single Carrion but with a joyriding angelic choir that’ll stick in your head like a crystal ice pick. When BSP take their foot off the gas we get forgettable Smiths cast-offs like Open The Door, but for the most part they are a band who can answer the question posed by the album’s title with an unequivocal ‘yes’. [Darren Carle] RELEASE DATE: 14 JAN BRITISH SEA POWER PLAY THE ARCHES, GLASGOW ON 26 JAN

CHARLOTTEFIELD WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR (FATCAT)

rrrr In its less violent moments, What Are Friends For betrays the not-insignificant influence it takes from late ‘90s North American forefathers like Jawbox and Fugazi and adds plenty to

the recipe to avoid accusations of being entirely derivative. Snakes sees Charlotteﬁeld bucking posthardcore expectations, beginning with some memorable swelling bass per forated by 5/4 snare. Late Repeat too, with a cynical lounge sentiment, is reminiscent of Dischord Records at its most intelligent. The album’s feel is consistent, having been recorded within one secluded week, and it’s strewn with some truly inspired moments of drumming and robust, compelling bass-work. Building on these strong foundations, two sneering and often caustic guitars kick up stones and break windows throughout as the vocals disaffectedly relate their misanthropy. Charlottefield certainly take no prisoners with their vitriolic musical stabbings and post-hardcore cynicism but, crucially, have included enough depth of material to produce an accomplished and superbly well-balanced album. [Chris Cusack] RELEASE DATE: 21 JAN WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ CHARLOTTEFIELD

SONS AND DAUGHTERS THIS GIFT (DOMINO)

rrrr A singleminded producer can have a profound effect on a band’s direction. When former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler was asked to produce Sons and Daughters’ third album, his message to the band was: “Don’t be afraid of writing pop songs.” As a result, the songs are tightly packed, chorus-driven and commercial. But that’s not the whole story. This isn’t pop in the faketanned, bleached-teeth sense; this is pop that’s been led astray, casting off its superﬁcial skin to reveal a dark, sexual core. Adele Bethel has matured as an observational songwriter, singing convincingly about lost souls, stiﬂing relationships, soul-searching and inane celebrity culture. Sonically, the predatory guitar of Gilt Complex, the Motown stomp of The Nest or the rockabilly zip of Chains all testify to a new-found diversity. There are songs where the band’s old

FEATURED ALBUM BLACK MOUNTAIN IN THE FUTURE (JAGJAGUWAR)

rrrrr

limitations re-emerge, but to make a 12-track album where potential singles outnumber duds is a feat in itself. [Nick Mitchell] RELEASE DATE: 28 JAN SONS AND DAUGHTERS PLAY ABC, GLASGOW ON 15 FEB AND QUEEN’S HALL, EDINBURGH ON 16 FEB WWW.SONSANDDAUGHTERSLOVEYOU.COM

DEAN OWENS WHISKY HEARTS (VERMILLION ROAD)

rr Recorded in Nashville, Edinburgh singer Dean O w e n s’ t h i r d a lb u m s e e m s to have be en pieced together on the plane home. It boasts some quality tunes (see Sand in My Shoes and Beth on the Trampoline), a good voice and a varied, if tried and tested spectrum of subject matter (politics, the environment, ageing), while the stand out countrified trio of Raining in Glasgow, Whisky Hearts and Man From Leith demonstrate that when he gets it right, he gets it spot on, at times sounding like a fresh faced Richard Ashcroft. So it’s unfortunate that too much of Whisky Hearts is almost instantly forgettable. “I wouldn’t remember me either,” he unwittingly offers on Leaving to Remain. With 15 tracks and at almost an hour long, he should have heeded his self critique; half of this could have been sacriﬁced, resulting in an excellent mini album. In such exciting times for local music, it’s difﬁcult to get worked up about Whisky Hearts. [Finbarr Bermingham] OUT NOW WWW.DEANOWENS.COM

ONE MORE GRAIN ISLE OF GRAIN (WHITE HEAT)

rrrr The emergence of One More G r a i n’s f i r s t album, Pigeon English, in spring last year was a welcome oddity in a music scene chocka-block with poseurs in skinny ﬁt jeans, and their second builds on the achievements of that debut

magniﬁcently. Whether or not you’re taken with them depends on how you feel about monologues delivered in a northern accent, as on lead single Having A Ball. The accompanying music wouldn’t sound out of place on a Bad Seeds LP or Bernard Hermann’s Taxi Driver soundtrack; all seedy, squalling horns and moody grooves best suited to the midnight hour. Perhaps it shouldn’t work, but somehow it all melds together to become a captivating listen. Daniel Patrick Quinn imparts his eccentric nuggets of wisdom in a more endearing manner than rock’s great curmudgeon, Mark E Smith, to whom he is often compared. Though perhaps not the most accessible of records, Isle of Grain could propel this band to another level. [Graeme Blaikie] RELEASE DATE: 28 JAN WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ONEMOREGRAIN

MISSISSIPPI WITCH BLACK GAMBLE

(COLONY2 & REDCOB)

rrr London’s Mississippi Witch are another member of the consiste ntly rewa rd ing genre of two-piece blues revivalists. They aren’t going in any directions the Black Keys or the White Stripes haven’t already been but that’s ok; the blues aren’t about being original, the blues are about being badass, which these guys unreservedly are. Just For Roosevelt is a Led Zeppelin sized romp that includes one of the favourite themes of bluesmen – travelling around America having sex and killing people. Elsewhere, Albuquerque New Mexico effortlessly combines the bouncy swagger of the Kings of Leon with darkly psychedelic undercurrents reminiscent of the Black Angels, while the slyly funky Starving of the Bee is charmingly dark with its mix of woozy banjo, pounding piano chords, slide guitar, and chant-like vocals. Mississippi Witch haven’t yet entirely mastered the art of the killer riff, and there’s a minority of tracks on the record that descend into bland blues-punk but this debut is still bursting with raw power. [Tobias Kahn] RELEASE DATE: 21 JAN WW.MYSPACE.COM/MISSISSIPPIWITCH

TOP 5 ALBUMS #1 BLACK MOUNTAIN - IN THE FUTURE (JAGJAGUWAR) #2 SONS AND DAUGHTERS - THIS GIFT (DOMINO) #3 CHARLOTTEFIELD - WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR (FATCAT) #4 ONE MORE GRAIN - ISLE OF GRAIN (WHITE HEAT) #5 AIDAN JOHN MOFFAT - I CAN HEAR YOUR HEART (CHEMIKAL UNDERGROUND)

COMEDY

SUSIE’S WHOLEFOOD DINER

The Amazing Bastards’

Amazing Column by Teddy

THE AMAZING BASTARDS ARE STEVEN DICK, ALLAN MILLER, AND TEDDY. THEY HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED AS “HORRIBLY FUNNY” BY THE DAILY RECORD, AND AS “CRIME FIGHTING SUPERMODELS” BY ALLAN. If the ABs were The Defenders of the Earth then Steven would be Mandrake. Just because he’s a magician. Quite a lazy analogy, but then that’s what we're all about. Steven’s powers include being jammy and doing the dishes. Allan is the kung-fu fighter of the group. Not so much because he possesses any skills in this area, more because he has some of the headbands. Allan’s special powers include worrying and having retro facial hair. Teddy sounds cuddly, which is handy because he's fat. Sometimes. Depending on whether he's on a month long health kick, or on the 11 month binge. Teddy’s special powers include encyclopaedic football knowledge and causing offence. Now, let our first article begin… Greetings – this is Teddy the Amazing Bastard, giving you the lowdown on how us Bastards spent our New Year. I’ve decided for the ‘image’ I should try to write with an American influence. We’re not American, readers. We’re Scottish. But somehow if you’re an American comedian you can spend your life drunk in a lapdancing bar and it sounds cool. If we did it, it would just sound sleazy. So just for this New Year, because we adhere to no narrative boundaries – we’re American comedians. Next month we won’t be. Deal with it.

Me and the guys was (I know it should be ‘were’ but get into the image!) hanging out in a little bar down a little alley off a sidestreet that was halfway to hell. We’d been drinking fingers (what is a finger anyway?) of neat bourbon. The dames was queuing up for autographs and cumshots but we was having none of it. Eventually the clock struck twelve. We stood up. Steven pulled a rabbit out of his ass and handed it to a delighted young lady. I sobbed gently for all the guys I killed in ‘Nam (what an activity holiday that was), and Miller threw his glass of bourbon into the fire and announced that the next punk through the door was going direct to kingdom come courtesy of Killer Miller Airways.

FRESH VEGETAR IAN & VEGAN CUISINE HOME MADE CAK

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B SED & BYO N E C I L Y L FU L

LIVE MUSIC

51 WEST NICOLSON ST EDINBURGH , EH8 9DB 0131 667 8729

45 minutes later and the door ﬁnally opened. We all took a sharp intake of breath. A little old lady collecting for the Salvation Army swaggered in rattling her coin jar. Miller didn't have to think twice: BOOM! Still, as we told her family, if you wear that uniform – you have to expect that someday you’re gonna be buried in it. I hope you all had as good a New Year as we did. See all you Bastards at the next show.

THE AMAZING BASTARDS, THE GLASGOW STAND MON 14 JANUARY, 20:30, £3 (£2)

Top 5 Free Comedy! by Emma Lennox

DON'T LET THE JANUARY BLUES DRAG YOU DOWN, CHEAP LAUGHS ARE IN...

#1 PODCAST

#3 LIVE WHOSE LUNCH IS IT ANYWAY

John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman reunite for a satirically patriotic swipe at Anglo-American relations.

Ingenious Edinburgh Stand impro-smiths Gary and Stu perk up those Sunday blues. Every Sunday 12:30pm.

#2 BLOG

#4 WEBSITE

Having run for an impressive 5 years, Herring’s comic diaries are an insight into the absurdities of everyday life.

Refreshingly there’s no viewer-created content on this beta internet TV site, just lots of good comedians, including Steve Punt, Andy Zaltzman and the creators behind Stella Street.

THE BUGLE

RICHARD HERRING WARMING UP

LOG.TV

WWW.ROBOTSINDISGUISE.CO.UK

ADRIAN CROWLEY

LONG DISTANCE SWIMMER (TIN ANGEL)

rrrr Adrian Crowley is one of the veterans of the folk scene that has blossomed in the UK over the last five to ten years. In fact, he and the Fence Collective – James Yorkston guests on the album - seem to be cornering the market in a marginal subgenre for the marine obsessed. Aqua-folk, anybody? The majority of the album consists of beautifully warm pared-down numbers and it’s one of the surest traps in the world to get lulled by his sopo-

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

Just as Neil Young enters a new phase of acclaim with Chrome Dreams II and Page and Plant dust down their ﬂares to blow some young ‘uns out the water with their stone aged wares, it seems the stars have aligned with perfect timing for the inception of Black Mountain’s sophomore opus. Wearing the inﬂuences of these titanic forefathers proudly on their collective sleeve, the Canadian quintet carry on further up the psych rock path commenced by their eponymous 2005 debut with a record that sounds familiar yet simultaneously like nothing else of this time. Dripping with soul, In the Future's groove dramatically changes tack from song to song yet there's a recurring Middle Eastern ambience that underpins it to attain an utterly absorbing cohesion. The wayward dynamics of the LP tug it in various directions; see the DJ Shadowtinted organ-driven menace of Wucan, the haunting power of Amber Webber’s vocal over a gothic, thunderous backdrop on Tyrants and the Bowie-meets-Sabbath space jam that Bright Lights masterfully morphs into. Shrugging off the ironic smegma that the Darkness et al left behind in the wake of their tongue-in-cheek cock rock antics, Black Mountain serve a reminder that it's not all about gimmicks and knock one right out of the park with this irresistibly sincere Godzillasized effort. [Dave Kerr] RELEASE DATE: 21 JAN WWW.BLACKMOUNTAINARMY.COM

#5 DVD

ONLINE REVIEWS

The Skinny, courtesy of Go Faster Stripe, are offering Stewart Lee’s 90s Comedian for free! Email lennox@ skinnymag.co.uk with your reason why you deserve it. Funniest wins.

BOB COLLUM & THE WELFARE MOTHERS SET THE STUPID FREE (ATOMIC POWERED) r ACTRESS HANDS BOYS NEED JAZZ (LIFE IS EASY)

CHRIS BATHGATE A CORK TALE WAKE (QUITE SCIENTIFIC) rrr SIA SOME PEOPLE HAVE REAL PROBLEMS (MONKEY PUZZLE) rrr ALY & AJ INSOMNIATIC (HOLLYWOOD) rr KEVIN MCDERMOTT WISE TO THE FADE (NO STRINGS) r THE PARSONAGE THIS AIN'T NO LOVEY DOVEY (SELF RELEASED) rrr

SOUNDS

WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

THEATRE/COMEDY

ALBUM REVIEWS

riﬁc voice, and lost in the tales he tells. A few tracks break the mould; These Icy Waters is almost reminiscent of Stereolab, and Harmony Row is another ‘full band’ number with a great piece of Calexico style mariachi horn. In the best way possible, this is more of the same, and you’d be a hard bastard not to ﬁnd yourself whimsically imagining the ocean as you listen to this gorgeous record. [Matt Gollock]

by Ally Brown

THE SKINNY’S FIRST MUSIC CONFERENCE WAS CONCERNED WITH THE HOTTEST TOPIC AROUND: IN A DIGITAL AGE, HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET PEOPLE TO PAY? A TRICKY ONE, BUT WE ENJOYED OURSELVES...

KEIR ‘JEKYLL AND’ HIND THINKS THAT STEVENSON’S SKILL AS A WRITER IS STILL ABUNDANTLY CLEAR TODAY This February, Edinburgh’s City of Literature scheme will repeat the same nifty trick they pulled last year - the ‘One Book, One Edinburgh’ reading campaign. This proposed to get as many people in town as possible reading the same book at once – last year it was Stevenson’s Kidnapped, this year it will be Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. This was cunningly handled last February, with free copies of the unabridged Kidnapped, an abridged version and a graphic novel all distributed to schools and libraries citywide. Thousands of free copies were additionally distributed through cafes, bars and hotels. How well did it work? Well, because the scheme cleverly took advantage of the much documented appetite that people have for stuff - particularly when it’s free stuff - it worked superbly. Even though the book was being gifted all over town it still started selling enough copies to make Waterstone’s bestseller lists in Edinburgh – in fact, the novel, the graphic novel and a Scots language version (‘Kidnappit’) all featured. Magically, Robert Louis Stevenson was the talk of the town in a way he hadn’t been for over a century. And to follow this feat, this year the ‘One Book, One City’ routine has been further refined. The choice of book is significant. Jekyll and Hyde is better known than Kidnapped, so much so that it’s become an everyday expression. And it’s a shorter book, so even the busiest of Edinburghers can easily find time in their schedules to read or re-read it. There have been innumerable film, stage and television adaptations, and yet the book lends itself to re-reading because it has a complex, layered structure that’s never been completely captured in other media. Jekyll and Hyde is a tale containing many tales as a lawyer, with the very Victorian name Gabriel

John Utterson, investigates the affairs of the mysterious Mr Hyde, eventually realising the truth of his connection to Dr Jekyll when he discovers a series of letters. Anyone who hasn’t read the book will still almost certainly know what the twist is at the conclusion, and yet because of the form of the tale, where Utterson’s investigation continuously unveils more of Hyde’s secrets, there is a gripping sense of urgency throughout. Stevenson’s skill as a writer is still abundantly clear today. Still, anyone preferring a lighter read (or wanting their weans to gie them peace) will be glad to know that writer Alan Grant and artist Cam Kennedy will adapt the story into a graphic novel, just as they did with Kidnapped. The graphic novel of Kidnapped was massively popular, though at 64 pages it did have to be drastically abridged. But since Jekyll and Hyde is a shorter novel or (just because I like the term) ‘novella’, it lends itself to a much better type of adaptation –call it ‘a graphic novella’ in fact. And since Robert Louis Stevenson is otherwise indisposed, it’s nice that Alan Grant will be appearing at the Royal College of Surgeons on 29 January to talk about his work with Denise Mina. He’ll almost certainly bring up his work on Jekyll and Hyde, which you should consider a taster of February’s project - when it’ll be on everyone’s lips. So get ready, because Stevensonmania is about to take the capital by storm all over again. You have been warned. SEE EDINBURGH’S CITY OF LITERATURE HOMEPAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION: WWW.CITYOFLITERATURE.COM THE SCOTTISH ARTS COUNCIL EDINBURGH LECTURE FEATURING ALAN GRANT, ENTITLED ‘WRITING TOMORROW YESTERDAY: HOW FICTION BECAME REALITY’ IS ON AT THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF EDINBURGH ON 29 JANUARY 2008 AT 7PM.

REVIEWS THE GOLDEN HOUR BOOK

THIRTY-THREE TEETH

rrrr

The second installment of Cot te r ill’s mystery series featuring the aging sleuth, Dr Siri Paiboun, is a world apart from your average crime thriller. Set in the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos in the late 1970s, following the takeover of the Communist Pathet Lao, Dr Siri is the national coroner whose task it is to investigate a succession of peculiar killings. The venerable detective is sent to the old royalist capital of Luang Prabang, but becomes embroiled in a plot to rid the country of its king and all the royal spirits. Meanwhile, a terrifying beast is on the loose in the city of Vientiane, leaving a trail of brutalised bodies in its wake. An intriguing blend of mysticism and communism, there is little doubt that Cotterill’s many years spent in South East Asia have helped to bring real colour and exoticism to this fascinating tale. “Confused psychic [and] disheartened communist”, Dr Siri, is at times as infuriating as he is affable, but he

BY THE FOREST CAFE WRITERS

Written and printed by the people at Edinburgh’s own Forest café, this rather lovely wee book should be bought for the ﬁne writing it contains, and should also be bought for the CD attached to it, which is full of aural goodness. It’s a collection of pieces that have, one way or another, been performed at the Forest Café in the past year. And, again, this book should be bought because this café is an extremely admirable project. It’s run by Forest, a non-proﬁt organisation dedicated to providing space for the arts in Edinburgh, space it funds through schemes like the café and this book. If this review, so far, seems like a hard sell, it’s because the project is worth supporting. The content is no letdown, however, with Nick Holdstock’s Once and Jane Flett’s poetry particular standouts. However, the standard is consistently high, and what could have been a worthy tome is an unexpected treat. [Keir Hind] OUT NOW, PUBLISHED BY FOREST PUBLICATIONS, COVER PRICE £8.99 INCLUDING CD.

BY COLIN COTTERILL

rrrr

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

lends real humour to the macabre findings that punctuate the book. Cotterill’s characters are engaging, the plot twists gripping and the political and geographical situation make for a very refreshing angle on the detective genre. [Rebecca Isherwood] OUT NOW, PUBLISHED BY QUERCUS, COVER PRICE £12.99 HARDBACK.

A GOOD SCHOOL BY RICHARD YATES

rrrr Richard Yates’ books were near-universally well reviewed during his lifetime, and yet he never sold more than 12,000 copies of any of his books in hardback. Now, 15 years after his death, his books are being reissued to critical acclaim and are actually beginning to sell. A Good School is probably the best starting point for anyone looking to begin reading Yates – a highly recommended activity. It’s a quick read, at 169 pages, and the quality of writing is evident on every page. Yates is a master of third person narrative, only ever focusing on one character’s thoughts, but

constantly changing focus and entering the mind of a new character. He uses this method here to build up a picture of the pupils and staff at an all-boys private school, which is a small community unto itself. Gradually the problems of all the pupils, and worse, the staff, become apparent. And then World War Two begins, and their lives intertwine in more and more unpredictable ways. No-one is all good or all bad, and the book is riveting because of that; for good or for ill, every character evokes empathy. [Ryan Agee] OUT NOW, PUBLISHED BY VINTAGE C L A S S I C S , C OV E R PR I C E £ 7. 9 9 PAPERBACK.

TREE OF SMOKE BY DENIS JOHNSON

rrrrr Denis Johnson may be the greatest American writer who is not generally known to the reading public. Tree of S m o ke s h o ul d change that. It’s a big book, in terms of weight, as it’s just over 600 pages, and in terms of its setting: the Vietnam war. It starts in 1963, just after Kennedy is shot, and ends 20 years later. Oh, and it’s just won

rrrr

there haven’t been more collections like this. This one is edited by Alistair Findlay, a poet who was once on Hibs’ books, and it’s a joy to read. One tiny criticism: there aren’t enough poems here. Many of the pieces here are extracted from longer works. But if Scotland needs more quality writing about football, this is a good summary to start with. And it’s a highly enjoyable one, with everything covered, from football in the streets, parks, and shipyards, to Denis Law, ‘Twisting like spaghetti / Wrapped round a fork’ or Bill Shankly, ‘Football boots in one hand / Football’s soul in the other’. As an editor, Findlay plays it like Dalglish, all skill and cunning, with his well judged flicks and tricks including putting The Fields of Athenry and The Sash back to back, and having Hugh MacDiarmid’s pithy Glasgow, 1960 supplemented later by Tom Leonard’s witty response from ‘situations contemporary and theoretical’, and later again by James Robertson’s clever Glasgow 2015. He also contributes a comprehensive introduction from which poetry fans can learn about football, and football fans about poetry. At the end of the day, it’s a brilliant book. [Keir Hind]

Given the centrality of football in Scottish culture, it’s strange that

OUT NOW, PUBLISHED BY LUATH, COVER PRICE £7.99 PAPERBACK.

America’s National Book Award. The plot follows a large number of characters during the course of the Vietnam war and beyond, but the moral centre of the book is one Skip Sands, who gets drawn into a CIA operation called Tree of Smoke. This exercise may be valid, but it seems likely that it’s only useful to those who are running it, people who are unavailable for questioning. In this sense, it’s the war in microcosm – and by ‘the war’ here, read ‘most wars’. Outwith the black-ops the book depicts a speciﬁc situation on the ground, drawing a convincing picture of Vietnam through the inclusion of some well-realised Vietnamese characters. Johnson’s prose has been criticised on occasion for complexity, but Tree of Smoke only gradually becomes complicated, and by then it’s no bad thing. Probably the most important big book since Don DeLillo’s Underworld. [Keir Hind] OUT NOW, PUBLISHED BY PICADOR, COVER PRICE £16.99 HARDBACK.

100 FAVORITE SCOTTISH FOOTBALL POEMS EDITED BY ALISTAIR FINDLAY.

BOOKS

December 10 2007 was a momentous day for music. Led Zeppelin reunited to perform in front of 20,000 celebrities and businessmen in London, but were upstaged by support star Paolo Nutini (not really); Radiohead's revolutionary pay-what-you-like download experiment ofﬁcially ended with the closure of inrainbows.com; and The Skinny hosted its ﬁrst music conference in front of musicians, promoters, band managers, label bosses and assorted music geeks in Edinburgh's Reid Hall.

QUOTES FROM THE CONFERENCE FLOOR

ON:07 featured a world-class line-up. An introduction from Simon Frith, one of Britain's greatest ever pop music critics and the man who established the Mercury Music Prize, was followed by a fascinating lesson in music biz economics from Will Page, Executive Director of Research for the MCPS-PRS Alliance. That was followed by the keynote speech from Peter Jenner, former manager of Pink Floyd and The Clash among others, the man who staged the Rolling Stones' free 1969 gig in Hyde Park in front of a quarter of a million fans, and the Secretary-General of the International Music Managers Forum. Finally, Bebo's Director of Strategy Evan Cohen gave a multimedia demonstration explaining how the music industry might be able to utilise the advances of web 2.0. Then, being a generous bunch, we gave out free curry and alcohol to anyone who followed us to the pub.

“I think it was great that The Skinny was able to bring together people from the Scottish arts community to bounce ideas around.

There the discussion continued about the potential effects of uncontrollable internet ﬁle-sharing on the record industry. Will Page made a salient point that millions of fans used illegal avenues to acquire the new Radiohead album, even after the band offered it as a legal download for free. How can any label expect to earn money from sales when even the most devoted fanbase on the internet is so entrenched in the habit of stealing music that they refuse that offer? In the chain between the music consumer and the music creator, who will remain relevant enough to continue to justify their jobs? Will the perceived crisis in the record industry be balanced out by an attendant boom for the live music sector?

ANDREW MCGARRY, PET PIRANHA RECORDS

LORRAINE SIMPSON INTERVIEWED AT THE GRV WWW.FACTION.CO.UK

LORRAINE SIMPSON, HOLYROOD MAGAZINE “I think it was a very interesting idea that The Skinny brought to Edinburgh. I thought that the panellists had lots to say about what’s happening in music, and they are going to be shaping what might happen in the industry in the future. PETER JENNER SPEAKS ON THE PANEL WWW.FACTION.CO.UK

Peter Jenner posited that broadband customers should be required to pay £2 extra per month to contribute to a fund for distribution among musicians and record producers. This would add up to approximately £1.2bn per year, almost exactly the value of the UK record industry per year. This would render free downloading a legitimate way for consumers to access music, and make Britain a world innovator on this tricky issue. Jenner will continue to lobby parliament on this in 2008. ON:07 wasn't able to make any easy conclusions, because there aren’t any. As Simon Frith said in his introduction: experts have been making predictions about music and the ever-in-crisis industry for decades, and most of these predictions haven't come true. The cassette market was ﬂattened by the advent of CDs, but there are still many who doubt whether the physical CD will be overrun by a desire for incorporeal digital tracks in quite the same way. Unzipping a download for Christmas hardly has the same appeal, does it? In a time of uncertainty, ON:07 sought to ask thought-provoking questions, discuss a few of the many potential angles, and provide the beer and nibbles. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Keep an eye out for more analysis on www. skinnymag.co.uk and in the paper in the months to come.

WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

“I completely agree that buying a physical record is going to become a niche market. The days of people selling mass amounts of records are gone, and I think that’s a good thing. But you have to be careful not to put things that apply to the major labels together with the Scottish indie community. We’ll always keep doing what we’re doing, and people will always want to hear those records.”

“I think that Peter Jenner made a really beautiful point that having music in society is a fundamental human right, and that we’re very happy to pay for public goods like street-lighting or public defence, where everybody pays a tax and everybody beneﬁts but nobody owns.”

PETER JENNER It’s great to come here … you can feel that what’s happening in Scotland is very interesting and very positive. I’ve enjoyed it, it’s been good fun and stimulating.” POST-CONFERENCE WIND-DOWN AT THE GRV WWW.FACTION.CO.UK

WILL PAGE Will Page was directly involved with the paywhat-you-like internet release of In Rainbows, and is perfectly positioned to comment on the biggest music biz story of 2007. "The Radiohead case, for me, is the biggest and most important paradigm shift in the music industry ever. Think about it: who do you really require to carry money from the consumer back to the creator? They’ve managed to make a lot of money, and make it now. There was no sublicensing record deal, which would take their cream off the milk; there’s no sub-publishing arrangement where there could be double-dipping; there’s no collecting society which charges a commission: the money reaches the band now. In

similar situations those artists could be waiting months, if not years, for that money to ﬁnally come home to roost. However, I think there was a missed opportunity for them, in that they didn’t have an ex-ante tip jar to say "if you download the album for free and really enjoy it, fancy leaving a tip?". Also, there’s tension that exists between the big hit artists and everyone else. I think one of the problems with interpreting the Radiohead deal is that they are rejecting the cross-subsidisation model that exists at all levels. They believe “Why should we be subsidising some guy who had a hit in the 1960s?”. Well, that guy who had a hit in the 60s could say “Why was I subsidising you when you were unknown outside Oxford?”. There’s no right or wrong, that’s a legitimate conversation.

JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

ON:07

THE SKINNY ON:07 THE CHALLENGE OF THE NEW REALITY

BOOKS Free Books! Or, The Strange Return of Jekyll and Hyde

Make Model

SPONSORED BY

'THE NEW THIS' OR 'THE NEXT BIG THAT'? WHATEVER, FINBARR BERMINGHAM ENCOUNTERS SUBSTANCE GALORE IN THE GLASGOW SEXTET'S CORNER Entering 2008, Make Model ﬁ nd themselves in an enviable position. At the tender age of six months, they were snapped up by a major record label. Before putting the ﬁ nishing touches to their debut album (being mixed by Rich Costey - Franz Ferdinand, Foo Fighters, Jurassic 5 - and pencilled in for release in the summer of this year), they spent the tail end

of 2007 warming up for Malcolm Middleton on his major UK city tour. The Skinny caught up with the Glasgow sextet in a Mexican restaurant to see what all the fuss was about. If it was starry-eyed pillow talk we were hoping for, we had another thing coming. The British media’s obligatory annual search for

'the New This' and 'the Next Big That' has been kind to Make Model. Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire are two names that have been bandied about almost habitually. Humbling stuff indeed, but do such comparisons come with a certain level of pressure? “It’s flattering,” Lewis Gale admits. “I understand where the comparisons come from, but I don’t think we sound like them. Broken Social Scene are a huge influence on us, as are a lot of bands on the Arts and Crafts label. There are a lot of us on stage, and like a lot of the Canadian bands, there’s a lot of emotional content we’re getting at. But I don’t think our songs are like theirs. There's even more of a nod to dance music in our stuff, more of an electronic influence.” A stage hosting Make Model - which perhaps reflects the true nature of those comparisons is guaranteed to be packed with three things: bodies, passion and atmosphere. The very audible presence of female vocalist Aimi Gold only adds to the aesthetic correlation, but they ain’t no tribute band. Make Model have carved out an exciting sound of their own, which may explain the shotgun signature of the band to EMI. “We think they are probably one of the more bohemian labels, if you could describe one as that,” Gale explains between mouthfuls. “Of course they want to see a return on their investment, but they haven't been putting massive pressure on us to get the album out in a rush.”

MAKE MODEL JACK WADDINGTON

Q without U

The creative traps of being signed to a major label are well documented, but there is no denying the huge benefit, especially in the infancy stages of a music career. Having spoken to many of their peers over the past year or two, a lack of investment is often cited as the biggest drawback and there is a difference between selling your soul and making a living, as Make Model are well aware. “Lots of bands starting out find it difficult to fund themselves, so in that sense we're definitely lucky. We've gone from working shitty jobs in places like call centres to being able to throw ourselves fully into this.” Of course, core to the success of any band is a loyal fanbase and Make Model have certainly been drawing their following from all over the country, but what of the transatlantic precedent set by The Twilight Sad (who Make Model hope to be doing some local shows with shortly) last year? “We're more focussed on gaining a strong following over in Scotland and the UK before we start looking to America, although obviously breaking the States is an ambition.” Backed up with nothing, ambition can be a desperate thing. In Make Model's corner, however, there is substance galore, and there just might be the makings of something big. THE SINGLE, THE WAS, IS OUT NOW ON EMI WWW.MYSPACE.COM/MAKEMODEL

SPONSORED BY

by Graeme Blaikie

"LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT OUR NAME WOULD NEARLY GET US SUED BY THE DIY BASTIONS OF THE FREE WORLD. FUCK 'EM, WE'RE KEEPING IT!” - TAM KILLDEAN The story of Glaswegian quartet Q without U is one that has been unfolding gradually since the band's formation in 2003, but these are undoubtedly exciting times for the band. Recent single One Piece Puzzle is an exuberant nugget of new wave indie that contains all the quirky energy of Ballboy or Jeepster-era Snow Patrol, and they've just completed a Scottish tour that included a date with Kiwi duo The Brunettes. “They were probably the nicest band we've ever played with,” Q without U frontman Tam tells The Skinny. “They actually got us a bit pissed before we went on, as we were all playing some bizarre New Zealand drinking game. I'm not sure, with hindsight, if that was because they liked us or if they wanted us to go up and be a shambles!” This recent gathering of pace is set to continue into the New Year, with a few additional gigs planned down south and more new songs in the ofﬁ ng. “We're swaying between releasing an EP/mini-album and a full-length album, but either way there'll be something out around February,” says Tam. Although the band have been around for a few years, there hasn’t been a great deal of recorded material made available on general release as yet, but if you rummage hard you might ﬁ nd copies of their 2004 EP You Say Pop (Like It's A Dirty Word) and 2006 single Slow Clap. Embracing the wonders of

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

MySpace, however, there have been plenty of MP3s made available, yet Tam is evidently a romantic when it comes to ﬁ nding ways to release the music: “We like the old school idea of not having singles featuring on any other release, which makes them more collectable, and we like to stick 'limited edition run' on things when in fact it’s just we're too skint to get any more pressed up!”

a U', which I thought was a cool name for a band. Little did I know it would nearly get us sued by the DIY bastions of the free world. They sent us a letter threatening to sue us if we didn't change our name a few years back, which we promptly ignored. Fuck 'em, we're keeping it!”

With an attitude like that and their clear independent spirit, Q without U are sure to go from strength to strength on their own terms. Q WITHOUT U PLAY 13TH NOTE, GLASGOW ON 17 JAN THE SINGLE, ONE PIECE PUZZLE, IS OUT NOW ON SMALLTOWN AMERICA RECORDS WWW.QWITHOUTU.COM

As Q without U's sound has been likened to everyone from the Super Furries to Duran Duran, the conversation soon comes around to wondering where the band place themselves in rock's great canon. “I can see the Super Furries thing in terms of the electronic/synth element we've got, whilst we've always had a really strong pop ethic to the way we write. I'd say we're a dash of Clor, two tablespoons of Seafood and a light drizzle of Idlewild.” Though the band are fast establishing an identity of their own, they’ve nevertheless rufﬂed a few feathers amongst fans of the now defunct US band Q and Not U who have taken umbrage to the close similarity of the two bands' monikers. “I had a hilarious email exchange with this 12-year-old kid from Houston who was threatening to put a hex on me if we didn't change our name. Our name actually came from a line in The Simpsons. When Ned Flanders' wife, Maude, had just died, Marge asked him how he was, to which he replied, 'Oh Marge, I'm like a Q without

Q WITHOUT U

SOUNDS

BARROWLAND, 11 DEC

rrr A m e r e 24 h o u r s a f te r L e d Zeppelin’s ‘historic’ comeback, Mexican duo Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero are cheekily teasing a much smaller, and more frugal Barrowland audience with the opening bars of the rock legends’ signature tune. However, it’s stopped by Rodrigo almost instantly; ‘No Stairway, denied!’. RYG’s effortless fusion of their heavy rock roots with fast-paced, acoustic guitar dynamics amounts to more than the odd segue of classic rock-riffs that keeps tonight’s audience enthralled. On their own material, Gabriela shows some incredible percussive-guitar playing, while Rodrigo, with breathless dexterity, ekes out the last modicum of life from his Spanish sixstring, all played out on big screen projectors for our mesmerization. There’s the odd lull, such as solo spots proving that elongated guitar-wankery translates no better on acoustic than it does on electric. However, a Latino ﬂourished medley of Hendrix, White Stripes and, yes, at last, the Zep, sends home some very happy amigos. [Darren Carle]

by Dave Cook

2008 LOOKS LIKELY TO PICK UP WHERE LAST YEAR LEFT OFF: IN RUDE HEALTH Ah quarter one, the period usually regarded as a quagmire of shit releases while developers all take a break after a hectic year. With most of 2007's triple-A titles released just in time for Christmas, 2008 looks set to start off with not so much a bang but a quiet pop, right? Wrong! In fact this year Q1 is something of a fi rst for the gaming industry with loads of heavyweight releases due to hit the shelves during what is usually a dead season. 2008 looks likely to pick up where last year left off in bloody good rude health. That's right, it's yearly rundown time... Where to begin with such a great roster of titles? For starters Tecmo's Nina Gaiden will enjoy a claret-soaked sequel on XBOX 360 that will have the Daily Mail crying shenanigans from the rooftops. It's faster, it's meaner and at least as brutal. Ryu Hayabusa can use a new set of weapons from wrist blades to giant scythes to hack enemies to pieces while spirals and twirls of blood paint the gorgeous Japanese locales a deep shade of red. The outrageous difficulty from the previous game has been toned down a bit but hardcore players can choose to revert to the original difficulty if they wish. Looks set to be a classic.

will cure those woes. Adding a fresh spin on the guitar phenomenon, the game comes packaged not only with a guitar controller but with drums and a microphone too. The idea is to get two or three of your mates round to your place or together online, forming a band and playing songs in their entirety. The possibilities are endless, setting up battle of the bands: downloading new tunes and practising each instrument or tuning up your vocals will make this game a winner. With songs from Arctic Monkeys, Muse and Jet there will be a style to suit everyone here. For horror fans, Condemned 2: Bloodshot, the sequel to Sega's psychological thriller, hits stores in January. Main man Ethan Thomas returns although the terrifying events of the fi rst game have left him a bone-a-fide psycho. Enlisted one last time by the police to help catch a notorious serial killer, Thomas must enter the seedy underworld of drug addicts, raving nut-jobs and killers once more. Featuring better combat, crushing finishing moves and spine-chilling horror this is shaping up rather nicely.

WWW.RODGAB.COM

ROISIN MURPHY ABC, 1 DEC ROCK STAR

The 25th of January sees the long-waited release of Criterion's Burnout Paradise, the true sequel to Burnout Revenge on both PS3 and XBOX 360. Taking a cue from racing MMO Test Drive Unlimited, racers battle it out across Paradise City in real time, where most drivers on the streets are real players. Simply drive up to another player, challenge them to a duel and plot your own track around the city’s twisting roads. Feeling mischievous? Then disrupt other players’ races by taking them out mid-race uninvited for maximum smugness. This one is going to be as chaotic and fast as they come.

Last, but by no means least, there’s gargantuan Nintendo epic Super Smash Bros Brawl. Due for a March release this is THE game worth shelling out on a Wii for: a beat-‘em-up featuring characters that have appeared on Nintendo consoles over the years including Metal Gear's Solid Snake, Sonic The Hedgehog, Pit from NES classic Kid Ikarus and cheeky chappie Wario. Battling it across famous levels such as the Mushroom Kingdom, Sonic's Green Hill Zone and many more this is the ultimate collaborative effort in video gaming. Did we forget to mention it also has level editors and online battle modes? This will be one of Nintendo's ﬁnest moments.

For those let down by the cookie-cutter nature of Guitar Hero III, Rock Band by Harmonix

So that's the pick of the bunch. All you need now is the cash to pay for them all.

rrrr “Drop dope rhymes and ask questions later,” spits Roisin Murphy in an ill-advised hip-hopper’s tongue. “You know me better than I know myself,” she later confides while the crowd feels the truth of these words- Murphy has opted for a see through white top, sans brassiere. Oops. Luckily these are the only faux pas of the night. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing Murphy take to the stage before, you’ll know she was born for such theatrical delights. With her soaring voice, per-track costume changes, treasure chest of accessories and backing singers with looks and moves to rival the scary manne-

quin women in that Robert Palmer video, it’s a show of the visual kind, which at times eclipses the music itself. Sticking almost entirely to the fruits of latest LP Overpowered, the ABC populace laps up tracks rendered in more epic glory than the album does justice. Movie Star, Footprints and the album’s title track show where Moloko’s past success and Murphy’s future lies. [Sonia Mallan] HTTP://ROISIN.PAPERHEADS.CO.UK

BABYSHAMBLES SECC, 1 DEC

rrrr The SECC holds its own special kind of dread for gigging types, the monstrous chasm known far and wide for devouring a band’s dynamics in the heat of the performance. The devoted ‘shambles fans and Doherty rubber-neckers here tonight hold their breath as the band enters. Busting into action, the foursome make a stunning statement of intent with a roaring turn of Carry On Up The Morning. Using this momentum, Babyshambles hurtle through an hour of almost exclusively Shotter’s Nation tracks. Taking a quick breather, they return with Drew McConnell clutching a double bass and gather into a tight corner of the vast stage for some low-key tracks taken from older material, Doherty’s solo work and his Libertines catalogue. By now it seems they’ve combated the SECC beast with staggering ease, and it’ll take no great effort to whip it up one last time for Albion and Fuck Forever. Down goes the curtain on their ﬁrst arena tour, and although they still suit the smaller, sweatier stage, they prove that they do arenas on par with the best. [Jamie Borthwick] WWW.BABYSHAMBLES.NET

INTERPOL

CARLING ACADEMY, 3 DEC

rrrr Success and credibility often make uneasy bedfellows yet, somehow, Interpol - contrary to the title of latest single There’s No I

BURNOUT PARADISE

REVIEWS BLACKSITE (MIDWAY)

rrr ‘The re’s nothing original under the sun’, or so the saying goes. These days that’s how the action side of the gaming industry seems to be going. With practically every big release built from the same shiny Unreal 3 engine and looking damn similar as a result, it’s hardly surprising that some games have just opted to forgo original thought completely. After establishing its hackneyed premise, Blacksite borrows from the best and does it well, robbing style, story and sequences from just about every other shooter made in the last few years. From aliens bursting from the ground and walls to long driving and gunning sequences, there’s little here that wasn’t in another game, meaning you’ll be entertained but almost never surprised. Not that it’s a bad game: a few bugs and glitches aside, it’s a highly enjoyable FPS with a decent campaign and some fun multiplayer modes. It is however short, and with a story that bears little replay value. One unusual factor

in Threesome - seem to be quite comfortably bunked up with both. As well dressed and charismatic as ever, the New Yorkers continue to bask in the air of inescapable cool surrounding them. Tonight their music shimmers as much as it propels and the new material betrays the same sense of unapologetic romanticism that made their previous work so affecting. Though opener Pioneer to the Falls is arguably the highlight, the tempo of the set undulates perfectly throughout, rising with the likes of Obstacle No.1 and gently slowing again during Pace is the Trick and the inspired NYC. On more than one occasion - despite the surrounding capacity audience - it’s easy to feel like you’re alone in the venue with just the band and the hairs on the back of your neck. [Chris Cusack] WWW.MYSPACE.COM/INTERPOL

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE

THE ACADEMY, 28 NOV

rr It pains me to type it but lamenting the Queens of old could become the way of the future. The combination of Josh Homme’s devil-tongued cool, Nick Oliveri’s bare-chested buffoonery and Mark Lanegan’s haunting apparition-like rouse were the attributes which made these unpredictable desert dwelling outlaws such an exciting proposition just a few short years ago. Maybe their latest LP was more in the vein of what Rated R junkies were after, but the trading in of rough and ready for slick and shiny is transparent tonight. Sick, Sick, Sick ruptures awkwardly from the PA and struggles to crawl its way around the Academy’s hollow shell while reminders of Homme’s genius - like Misﬁt Love’s mechanical stomp, something akin to Aphex Twin covering Beat It – are hushed when he turns Feel Good Hit of the Summer into a Spandau Ballet medley and makes a daring attempt to imitate Oliveri’s bark on Millionaire and Lanegan’s growl on Song for the Dead. It’s not a good look. [Johnny Langlands] WWW.QOTSA.COM

PREVIEWS EDINBURGH DUTY FREE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, DATES VARY Following on from previous evenings where the likes of The Vivians, The Acute and Frightened Rabbit have played to capacity crowds, those nice folks at Cabaret Voltaire have organised another round of Duty Free events to see us through these cold, cash-strapped January nights. The deal is a no-brainer: turn up on the night to be treated to an early bird performance by a selection of up-and-coming talents - and it’s free! There are three bands each night, comprising promising local acts and hotly tipped bands from the UK and beyond. Conﬁrmed for 16 Jan are Edinburgh-based indie-rockers Chutes, who recently supported The Wombats and The Twilight Sad, and those purveyors of tuneful, dramatic pop, Levy, who Tim Wheeler from Ash promisingly declared “the best band from New York in years”. 21 Jan sees alternative rock quartet The Parlotones roll in from their native Johannesburg to preview tracks from their forthcoming third album, A World Next Door To Yours, along with Dundonian trio Luva Anna, whose mix of indie rock and folk has been likened to The Coral. Then, on 28 Jan, there’s some high-octane, choppy guitar pop from Camden four-piece Operahouse, whose new single Born A Boy is released that very day. Check the Cabaret Voltaire website for the latest additions to this exciting series of gratis performances to kickstart your year in gigs. [Graeme Blaikie] 7PM, FREE WWW.THECABARETVOLTAIRE.COM

THE HURRICANES

WINTER DANCE PARTY, 23 FEB Everyone likes The Kinks right? And, god, wouldn’t it be, like, so amazing if they rekindled the sound of their swinging 60’s beat-pop and showed today’s young whippersnappers what’s what? Perhaps not - anyone who witnessed Ray Davies’ abysmal showing at the Festival Theatre earlier this year would surely prefer to gouge out their own eardrums with a rusted spoon. But if you’re desperate for a ﬁx of Kinks-esque melody infused with a smattering of contemporary rockabilly then get yourself down to the Winter Dance Party (the location of which is top secret at the minute) and check out the rather blustery Edinburgh quartet, The Hurricanes. Frantic of heart and harmonically deranged, these quirky, retrospective tunesmiths writhe around to a display of quick-witted keys, tumbling percussion and rash, blistered riffs. Armed with a full throttled set of toe-tapping jingle-poppery – possibly including a triumphant reprisal of Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On – The Hurricanes just might stand to blow you Kinks lovers away. Keep an eye on their website for more details. [Alex Rogers] TBC, £TBC WW.MYSPACE.COM/THEHURRICANES14

in Blacksite is the obvious political angle; with it beginning in a hopeless search through Iraqi bunkers for WMDs and running a scathing indictment of US military policy, while telling a tired alien conspiracy story and making snide jokes about the Bush administration. There’s also an unusual amount of character morality apparent, with some very dubious allies and decisions throughout, that come as a rare surprise in a largely cliché-ﬁlled game. [Graeme Strachan] OUT NOW FOR 360/PC/PS3 RRP £39.99

PUZZLESPHERE (IN2GAMES)

rrr Combating the wireless inventiven e s s of th e Nintendo Wii was never going to be easy. So it’s with a wry s mil e that I have to commend In2Games for making the only non-sport game in the REAL PLAY series, a reversed version of the Gamecube perennial Super Monkeyball. But instead of tilting the map, you hold a wireless

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

sphere, which looks exactly like a Thermal Detonator; and every movement you make spins a silver ball around a series of perilous hazard courses. But it’s not for everyone: the controller is so sensitive it will irritate the living hell out of some people; one miscalculation and the Puzzlesphere will plummet to a crashing death - thoughtlessly looking at your watch can send the ball spinning off the top of a building. But with a little perseverance and practice, Puzzlesphere becomes a brilliantly addictive little game. [Graeme Strachan] OUT NOW ON PS2 RRP. £39.99

CHEGGERS’ PARTY QUIZ (OXYGEN)

rr Oh hurrah, oh happy day! Everyone’s favourite villageidiot celebrity presenter now has his own quiz game. In this inoffensive test of common knowledge, Keith Chegwin is rendered in full 3D computer graphics as some form

of homunculus mannequin, giving instructions and taking quiz master duties, attired in an ill-fi tting shirt and looking like the drunken postpub audience at whom this game is most likely aimed. The questions are just a mix of simple ones based on random pop stars, TV shows and actors. With no option to change the difficulty, the game remains at a level designed to test even the most intelligent toddler, but no-one else. In fact the only option available is to choose the length of the quiz, depending on your tolerance for his grating chirpy voice. The ‘wacky’ CGI Cheggers and his intrusive and often utterly irrelevant comments aside, this actually makes for an enjoyable quiz game, with the Wii version standing out as players wave their Wiimote around in a bid to answer first. Certainly enough to keep you entertained after a night out on the tiles, and for obsessive fans of Chegwin’s harmless madcappery (‘?’ - ed.), it could be just up your street. Quizmaster aside, the problem is that there isn’t enough content here to warrant forking out on what is little more than a polished DVD-game with celebrity endorsement. [Graeme Strachan] OUT NOW ON WII/PC/PS2

LEGO STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA

GLASGOW

(TT GAMES/LUCASARTS)

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EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY

Not entirely a new game in its own right, The Complete Collection is exactly that; the previous two games, encompassing both trilogies, with some extra content thrown in for good measure - in one box. So, if you have played either, there isn’t that much for you here. For those new to the concept, the game is (and you can probably imagine the whole ‘pitch’ here) Star Wars... but Lego! While this does sound weak, it works surprisingly well. Executed in a great tongue-in-cheek manner it couldn’t be more fun to guide a little Lego Lando around making his moves on the princess at every available opportunity, and blasting the legs off C3P0 is as therapeutic as you would hope. Gameplay is linear shooting with some occasional puzzles (simple to the point of obscure sometimes...), and while the game breaks no boundaries it is one that people of all ages can pick up and enjoy. An ideal game to sit and play with your kids. [Josh Wilson]

BARROWLAND, 27 JAN

Recently announced as the curators of the May 2008 All Tomorrows Parties music festival, this Texan postrock quartet have found their cinematic soundscapes

laced with elaborately developed guitar work and enthusiastic and moving live shows have won them fans far and wide. Their 10 minute long songs and a host of LPs with such poignant titles as The World Is Not a Cold Dead Place proved them worthy of being chosen to write the soundtrack for 2004’s Friday Night Lights, not to mention their songs appearing in One Tree Hill, two Cadillac adverts and the trailer for the ﬁlm Shopgirl in 2005. The instrumentalists seemingly fell into the genre after none of them automatically assumed the role of leader within the group, preferring instead to share song writing responsibilities and each keeping their own say in the music they make. Heavily influenced by Mogwai when they began, they have since been quoted in having such aims as ‘immediately grabbing your attention and getting into your emotions.’ Keep your Kleenex to hand. [Emily Foister] 7PM, £12.50 SUPPORT COMES FROM ELUVIUM WWW.EXPLOSIONSINTHESKY.COM

SOUNDS OF SCOTLAND @ CELTIC CONNECTIONS THE CLASSIC GRAND, 24 JAN

This year’s Celtic Connections festival may feature bands from far-flung corners of the globe, but it’s also a fine opportunity to catch some contemporary underthe-radar Scottish performers in the context of the world stage. As part of their ‘Sounds of New Scotland’ event, Celtic Connections have drawn together hot bands like Zoey van Goey, whose badges are no doubt to be found on the lapel of many an art student in town, the Kapranos-endorsed Bricolage and those sharp suited Say Dirty boys, Wake The President. A bill decidedly cheery and light-hearted counterbalances the serious nature of other bands at the festival. Three-piece Zoey van Goey’s members may hail from Canada, Ireland and England, but their sound fits perfectly into the indelible grooves set by Scottish troubadours Belle and Sebastian or The Pastels. They recently released their first single on the aforementioned Say Dirty. By now, Bricolage must be well on their way to indie success: after sold out singles and basement shows in Amsterdam, they’re recording their debut album on the same label as The Go! Team. And if all that indie-cred still hasn’t got you convinced, Wake The President’s smart folk pop songs will. A bill so finely chosen is rare, and bands this good rarer still. [Hamza K] 7.30PM, £10.50

WWW.CELTICCONNECTIONS.COM

SPECTRUM STEREO, 5 JAN

In 1982 Pete Kember met Jason Pierce at art college in the West Midlands. Sharing a predilection for mind-expanding music and other similar substances, they formed Spacemen 3 and, along with My Bloody Valentine and the Jesus & Mary Chain, would go on to define the shoegaze aesthetic of late ‘80s indie. Following their drug-addled 1990 split, Pierce went on to new heights as leader of the epic Spiritualized, while Kember changed his name to Sonic Boom and continued to make minimal psych-rock with new band Spectrum. Although Spectrum never reached the reverential status bestowed upon Spiritualized, the similarities between the two bands – translucent guitar drones, 60s organ, gospel leanings - are striking, and unsurprising. This is a rare chance to hear an unsung pioneer of modern music - Sonic Boom will perform both Spectrum and Spacemen 3 songs, and Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite will be manning the wheels of steel as guest DJ for the night. [Nick Mitchell] 8PM, £TBC WWW.MYSPACE.COM/SPECTRUMOFFICIALPAGE

OUT NOW FOR PS2/X360/WII WWW.LUCASARTS.COM/GAMES/ LEGOSTARWARSII

GAMES

RODRIGO Y GABRIELA WWW.EUANANDERSONPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY

JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

SOUNDS

GAMES The Q1 Blues

RODRIGO Y GABRIELA

AKRON FAMILY PETE DUNLOP

LIVE REVIEWS EDINBURGH SONS AND DAUGHTERS

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 2 DEC

rrrr Welcome to a night where Hull rhymes with shite, The Stooges are “boring fucks” and technical requests on volume levels are given in pubic measurements (a ‘baw hair’ to be precise). Sons and Daughters certainly provide some colloquial laughs and bare-faced iconoclasm, but it is matched by their mesmerising stage presence. Singer Adele Bethel shakes, shimmies and at one point seems to orgasm to the primal drums ricocheting like thunder claps across the venue. With new album This Gift on the horizon, the mixed-sex offspring don’t bat an eyelid at playing as much new material as old. Referred to as their ‘pop song’, Chains nails the band’s thrall to girl-group harmonies better than they’ve ever done. Of course it’s the likes of Medicine and Johnny Cash (segued cheekily enough with I Wanna Be Your Dog) that gets the front rows moving, and rightly so. Calls for their Adamski cover are unanswered but tonight’s show is a ‘Killer’ in its own right. [Darren Carle] WWW.SONSANDDAUGHTERSLOVEYOU.COM

BENBECULA RECORDS NIGHT WEE RED BAR, 30 NOV

rrr As part of The Wee Red Bar’s excellent monthly free music night, Benbecula Records steps in to generously put on seven – count ‘em – acts tonight. Ranging from space rock to skewed electronica, the evening has most bases covered. Genaro are the closest to a conventional band amongst the lot; with urgent vocals eerily reminiscent to Ian Curtis contrasting nicely with the tick-tock rhythm section that pins down the sound, as chiming guitars cloud the room. The marriage of chorused feedback and relentless beats brings bands like Acceleradeck to mind, and it’s when the vocals fade leaving the music to build that Genaro truly shines. Reverbaphon are another on the growing list of inventive ‘man + guitar + sampler’ acts

around at the moment. While you might expect Warp-styled beats at a night like this, the tumbling snares that litter the electronic percussion keeps them interesting. Reverbaphon’s sound is dense at the low end, brittle at the top, and squawks and chirrups pinprick the whole throughout. Lamentably, the constant twittering of the art school crowd nearly overpowers some of the more reﬂective sounding acts, but overall tonight proves an interesting showcase of a varied Scottish label. [Matt Gollock] GENARO BY GENARO AND HERE COMES EVERYONE BY REVERBAPHON ARE OUT NOW ON BENBECULA WWW.BENBECULA.COM

FOUND / MAKE MODEL OUT OF THE BLUE, 4 DEC

rrrr FOUND have just released their second album to glowing reviews. Make Model have just signed to EMI and their debut album is one of the most eagerly anticipated Scottish LPs of 2008. If it’s all about the timing, as we’re constantly reminded, then it doesn’t get much better than this. Forget boughs of holly, it’s multicoloured hanging buckets, a collection of rotating bathroom mirrors freshly purchased from the Bargain Store and a superb DIY light show that the I Fly Spitﬁres crew have decked the halls of Out Of The Blue Café with tonight. If that sounds ludicrous, good: that ﬁts like a glove. If there’s one group in Scotland suited to a bespoke setting, it’s FOUND (4/5). Exuberant on stage as on record, it’s easy to see why they’ve previously opted to play warehouses – even storage containers: their spacious sound comes into its own in the commodious venue. Taking the marvellous When You Fall from one crescendo to the next, afore a projected backdrop of paper planes epitomises the soaring quality of their set tonight and for a band whose part appeal is their lackadaisicalness, they’re remarkably tight on-stage. “Edinburgh needs an injection of life,” FOUND’S Tommy recently told The Skinny. Cometh the hour... With the UK press gripped in the search for an Arcade Fire or Broken Social Scene to call their own,

Make Model (4/5) are big news just now. Arcade Fire? No: a female vocal normally leads to such superficial comparisons. BSS? Maybe: Czech Neck is tonight’s 7/4 Shoreline. Scrutiny aside, it’s an excellent performance. As the out of season sunset harmonies of The Was resonate around the hall, all cockles are receptively warmed and toes involuntarily tapped. The Christmassy theme commences with the passing out of mince pies and mulled wine, but just one thing: isn’t the music of this time of year supposed to be shit? [Finbarr Bermingham]

as the band are obscured by red smoke, but there’s emotional gravitas here too, particularly in their revelator y first single Daddy’s Gone. It’s no surprise when their sixth and ﬁnal song of the evening is a cover of the Ronettes’ Be My Baby; it clearly inspires everything they do. If Glasvegas can continue to re-contextualise one of the 20th century’s greatest pop songs for the 21st, there’ll be no stopping them. [Ally Brown] WWW.MYSPACE.COM/GLASVEGAS

BURNSONG FESTIVAL

THIS MESS WE KEEP RESHAPING BY FOUND IS OUT NOW ON FENCE

QUEEN’S HALL, 2 DEC

FOUND PL AY LIMBO AT VOODOO ROOMS, EDINBURGH ON 24 JAN

Tonight is the third culmination of Burnsong’s attempt at promoting, encouraging and nurturing songwriting in Scotland by locking up a collection of musicians in a house for a week. The quality of the songs tonight is quite remarkable, considering that they have all been written over such a short period. The musicians in question this year are Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake, Idlewild’s Roddy Wo o m b l e , J o M a n g o, N u a l a Kennedy, Louise Quinn, L-Marie, FOUND’s Ziggy Campbell and the patron of the event, Midge Ure. Most of the songs are pleasant pop songs with dashes of folk, brought to life largely by the quality and variety of the vocals on offer. However, Campbell emerges as the curator of some of the evening’s ﬁnest moments; his twelve-string guitar work on the Zeppelin-esque November Blues and the quirky Plate Smashing Song is magnificent, while the percussion that comes forth from his laptop gets the heads ringing. The show is well supported by a receptive audience in the comfortable surroundings of the Queens Hall, the acoustics and prestigious environs of which help to bring the show to life and do justice to a ﬁne assembly of songs and their writers. [Neal Parsons]

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/MAKEMODEL

GLASVEGAS

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 7 DEC

rrrr In a way, it’s ridiculous that Glasvegas should already be receiving such hype on the basis of just five songs. But on the other hand, the way people of all ages are responding to the handful of tracks made available on MySpace is incredible. It’s like an Oasis crowd, with gangs of men and boys hugging and punching the air and singing along from the depths of their throats. They’ve only recorded half an album, but tonight this Cab Vol crowd knows all the words. Glasvegas’ anthemic choruses are wrapped in a dreamy haze, just

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WWW.BURNSONG.COM

MALCOLM MIDDLETON

THE LIQUID ROOM, 6 DEC

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QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE JOHN LEWIS

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

The ever-upward trajector y of Malcolm Middleton’s solo path so far has been well deserved and pleasing to witness, and tonight he and his band are on quietly confident form as the release of

should-be Christmas Number One single We’re All Going To Die approaches. Malcolm’s unintentionally hilarious asides entertain the faithful (“my patter’s shite”; “we’ve played that already, ya fanny”), while his inimitablely self-deprecating quips are also present as he dismisses No Modest Bear, with its poppy keyboard riff, as “a bit daft.” The set list strikes a ﬁne balance between musically upbeat tracks, such as the country-tinged Fuck It, I Love You, and his more introverted songs, like the excellent anti-festive season mope of Burst Noel. The presence of Jenny Reeve on vocals and violin brings added beauty and poignancy to the poetic realism of Middleton’s lyrics so that, rather ironically, everyone leaves with a smile on their face. [Graeme Blaikie] WWW.MALCOLMMIDDLETON.CO.UK

may be true for two-thirds of the band, the latter does them such a disservice. Although superﬁcially the New York-based trio’s sound seems like it’s held together with nothing but coffee grits and a prayer tonight, the shifts through fo l k , a f r o - b e a t , h i p - h o p a n d noise are second nature to these guys - they do it without blinking. Onstage, they’re an animated, charismatic lot and they need do little to whip up an audience ﬁngerclick-along. And the voices. Oh my, the voices. Their hirsute chorus singing, angelically in time, has the Beat Club patrons joining in whether they like it or not. Even after nigh on 90 minutes of playing, their frenetic 15 minute parting salvo of Raising the Sparks and Ed is a Portal ends way too soon for these true believers. [Matt Gollock] WWW.AKRONFAMILY.COM

GLASGOW

FAT WORM OF ERROR

FUTURE OF THE LEFT

BARFLY, 6 DEC

rrrr The new project of former Mclusky and Jarcrew members, Future Of The Left released an exhilarating debut album in October that flew under too many radars. Curses was a record of ludicrous thoughts snarled by Andy Falkous’s tonguein-cheek, over chugging punk guitarwork, and bent into the kind of melodic shape that Fugazi and the Pixies first conjured. The Barfly is tiny, so we can feel the jocular aggression like welcoming heat from a fire, every song bristling with manic tension and playful hooks that beg to be yelped with glee: “Colin is a pussy, a very pretty pussy!”, “s-ss-sausage on a stick, yeeaah!”, and so on. It makes no sense at all, yet it also makes no sense that Future Of The Left are still playing such wee venues for wee crowds. If a band this good can’t at least book out the Barrowlands, there really is no Future. [Ally Brown] CURSES IS OUT NOW ON TOO PURE. WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ FUTUREOFTHELEFT

AKRON/FAMILY

THE BEAT CLUB, 28 NOV

rrrr It seems people have issues describing Akron/Family without using the words ‘beard’ and/or ‘ramshackle’ but while the former

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 24 NOV

Its 3pm on a Saturday and That Fucking Tank (4/5), yet another brilliantly offbeat musical car-crash from the disproportionately productive English hovel of Leeds, have wound their way north for a matinee performance to a groggy Sleazy’s. Swinging wildly between lethargic jazz and crushing artpunk, the baritone guitar bends and grinds against the minimalist kit. Meanwhile, recently re-united collaborator (and ex-member of Dananananaykroyd) Giles Bailey shrewdly wraps words around the shifting time signatures and helps TFT maintain both their momentum and the audience’s attention throughout. After such an immense display, headliners Fat Worm of Error (2/5) are spectacularly underwhelming. Whimsical, unstructured meanderings narrated by falsetto squeals and random nihilistic gibberish from men in strange outfits; they perfectly showcase the esoteric – some would say rubbish - side of Load Records and bring to mind the Butthole Surfers’ notorious Locust Abortion Technician album being covered by a drunken skifﬂe band. Well… they got here from Massachusetts, so someone must be buying it. [Austin Tasseltine] WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ FATWORMOFERROR WWW.MYSPACE.COM/LANDSANDBODY

SOUNDS

ART

Smith/Stewart:

EDITORIAL Happy New Year! In keeping with the January spirit of duality, a reﬂection on time past and an anticipation of the year to come: my art highlights of 2007 began with the intimate, tragi-comic confessional video work of Anastasia Klose in Melbourne’s ACCA, works which lent me an unexpected appreciation of the lesserknown compositions of Don McLean. Back in Scotland, I was both surprised and touched by Richard Long’s National Galleries retrospective, and refreshed to witness the inexplicable effect of the current Smith/ Stewart exhibition. The drawings of the Sprezzatura Maze dazzled me with their intricacy and ambition of scale, while the Collective’s New Works Scotland Programme has continued to impress with both the quality of work selected and the range of accompanying events. A rare privilege for me has been hearing from artists, gallerists and curators who have exhibitions that demand to be seen. My regret is there may be those who I didn’t hear from, and therefore much I did not get the chance to see. In the year ahead I hope to be able to see more, do more, write more. I hope to be able to continue and expand the promotion of the work of artists and writers at the beginning of their careers, both through the coverage and listings offered by the art section and in the opportunities for display provided by our very own Showcase pages. My New Year’s wish is that writers and artists should continue to take the chance of sending in their work, thus helping The Skinny to continue striving to provide cutting-edge coverage peerless in style and range. To sum up, get in touch! rosamund@skinnymag.co.uk

✹

TOP

EVENTS

#1 SMITH/STEWART

INVERLEITH HOUSE, EDINBURGH. TIL 3 FEB Immersing minimal-esque sculpture exploring power, control and censorship.

#2 ANTHEA HAMILTON & THOMAS KRATZ

MARY MARY, GLASGOW. TIL 26 JAN Collaborative 3D work inspired by erotic Polaroids by the Italian designer Carlo Mollino.

#3 JOANNE KANE: THE SOMNAMBULISTS

SCOTTISH NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, EDINBURGH. 22 JAN-6 APR ‘Portraits from before photography’ made using digital techniques and phrenological heads. Sounds intriguingly sinister.

Enter Love and Enter Death by Rosamund West

ART DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PACKED WITH ICONOGRAPHY TO PROVOKE A REACTION, AS ROSAMUND WEST DISCOVERS AT AN INSTALLATION IN EDINBURGH'S BOTANIC GARDENS

‘This’ is the current exhibition of Glasgowbased artists Smith/Stewart, an installation of black wooden beams intersecting, dissecting four rooms over two floors in the heart of Edinburgh’s Botanics. In the first room, the first impression: two black beams hovering at eye level, cutting across the space of the room. They are utterly, utterly dark, as if deliberately contradicting the Impressionists' and secondary school art teachers’ beloved refrain of “There is no such thing as black.” There is indeed such a thing, and here it is, so dark it is like a void, a censorship of the very air of the middle of the room. It is nothing in its purest form, a black hole over our eyes excising the centre of our vision, throwing us off balance, skewing our perceptions in the white rooms of the gallery. Alone in the space, the beams draw in the eye, acting as a strange vacuum. When other people are present the works become interactive, their perfect positioning at a relatively universal head height causing a visual decapitation of the others in the space. The floating black strip, a three-dimensional manifestation of an old-fashioned censor’s stripe, affects our interactions, creating a room of editedout heads and faces of figures which are inexplicably still mobile. Simultaneously, the lack of perspective resultant from the extreme black of the beams inspires an image of the decapitated figures bearing the great stripes upon their shoulders. The process of examining the space is, in turn, an unusual one. The duo’s interest in action and reaction and, indeed, in the exploration of power is here manifest in the difficulty of moving through the rooms. Ducking and diving, the viewer is repeatedly surprised by

#5 HOWARD HODGKIN & EDGAR DEGAS

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INGLEBY GALLERY, EDINBURGH. 26 JAN – 2 FEB Another superstar pseudo-collaboration from the gallery’s frankly astonishing year-long birthday celebrations.

SMITH/STEWART

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

THEN WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU… SMITH/STEWART

“IT IS REFRESHING, IN AN ART WORLD OF ASSEMBLAGES AND INSTALLATIONS OVERLOADED WITH ICONOGRAPHY AND SIGNIFIERS, TO WITNESS THE POTENTIALLY OVERWHELMING EFFECT OF WORK SEEMINGLY SO SIMPLIFIED” the unexpected arrangements of the beams - T-forms, crosses invisible on first entrance. The segments through which we must move are reminiscent of pens, enclosures created by fencing reduced to a minimal signifier, the act of interfering with our vision resulting in disorientation, clumsy movement, a constant heedfulness of the gallerists’ warnings to mind our heads. This reduction of sculpture to the minimal, the pure line utterly affecting our experience of and physical relation to the space itself, is reminiscent of the thread installations of Fred Sandback. It is refreshing, in an art world of assemblages and installations overloaded with iconography and signifiers, to witness the potentially overwhelming effect of work seemingly so simplified. Beyond our literal, physical experience of the installation within the gallery the beams also have the effect of prompting a re-examination of Inverleith House and its surrounds. The horizontal lines cut across the room, leading the gaze to the walls into which they pretend to vanish, drawing us outwards to the world

beyond. The structure alludes to its existence outwith the building, as if perhaps the gallery is a mere garb, a cloak around an ancient structure which has more to do with the natural surrounds than it does with the airy rooms and winding stairwell of the wellappointed Edinburgh mansionhouse. Somehow we become more aware of the trees, the grass, the view up to that oft-depicted Edinburgh skyline. The black beams have an almost primal effect - they are all, and also nothing. To somewhat plagiarise the title they are of love, and also of death. These are works that have provoked strong reactions in those who have experienced them. A note in the visitor’s book which seemed to sum up their strange, almost eerie effect: “At ﬁrst I thought- ‘what the hell?’ But I’ve been back three times now. I don’t know why.” They inspire a degree of reﬂection which is truly refreshing.

UNTIL 3 FEB, INVELEITH HOUSE, EDINBURGH

REVIEW Michelle Naismith/David Michael Clarke

Yé-Yé

SORCHA DALLAS, GLASGOW. TIL 26 JAN

CAN YOU TURN A FOOT IN THE DOOR INTO THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME?

Superficially, this should not be the kind of work which encourages verbosity. That, at least, was my first impression. Then, spending a little time in the rooms of Inverleith House, first alone then later, on a return visit, in company, it became apparent that this is a strangely wonderful thing to experience, inexplicably touching, moving, immersing.

Exhibition bringing together cross-generational artists who use performance as an integral part of their practice.

#4 RE-MAKE/RE-MODEL

THE SKINNY

The exhibition room at the top of the stairs reeks of privilege. Presided over by the elusive Madame X, trash-existentialist rock band Post-Gods, and a tanned guy in white pants, this is a party only very loosely attached to the rigours of the everyday. Whilst the ﬁctitious glamour and allure of these guests ﬁlls the room with boundless splendour, it is the glittering philosophical touchstones which adorn the accompanying text that seal this exhibition's expensive air of exclusivity. With references to their namesake, Friedrich Nietzsche, and song titles such as Thinking About Nothing, the Post-Gods’ sardonic folder of lyrics sits as a veritable wank-bank for the aspiring philosophy student. And in fact, masturbating may have a lot to do with this. For a

To help us make the most of this growth, we are currently looking for a Sales Executive to work across all our platforms of activity. You will need to be enthusiastic, bright, committed, well organised and well informed. In return you can expect all the benefits of joining an exciting media venture in the early stages of its development, including target-driven pay and great personal opportunities, as well as the chance to work as part of a fun team as we go from strength to strength. If you would like to know more, visit www.skinnymag.co.uk and click ‘get involved’ (the button is in the top left of the homepage).

long time sex has been theoretically entangled with the vagaries of performativity, and with Yé-Yé the concept of camp, famously declared to be the greatest extension of the idea of ‘life as theatre’, is to the fore of both artists' work. This revisitation of 1960s French pop not only negotiates the ‘hyper’ worlds of fashion and music, but also unearths a new stage for the consideration of contemporary art practices. Art, as it sits at its franchised remove to the world, whether it vainly holds a mirror to, or merely mingles with, reality, is greatly illuminated by this comparison with superﬁcial pop. This exhibition brilliantly delivers a series of pleasures, from the hollow joy of the philosophical ‘in joke’, to the reverie of the self-indulgent contemplation of art in itself. [Rosalie Doubal] UNTIL 10 JAN, INSTITUT FRANCAIS D’ECOSSE

The Skinny, Scotland’s cutting edge culture magazine, is expanding in 2008. This year we will start distributing Scotland-wide, launch a new website, throw massive parties, host live art events and more.

Make 2008 your decisive year…

‘one of the best listings mags in Britain … the skinny straight from the hipster’s mouth’ Guardian Online

YÉ-YÉ

ART

A Stormy High

@ The Wee Red Bar 6 Dec

rrr

THE VANCOUVER QUINTET ARE BACK WITH THEIR FIERCE BRAND OF PSYCH ROCK AND WHAT COULD PROVE TO BE THEIR CAREER-DEFINING LP. AMBER WEBBER AND MATT CAMIRAND TELL DAVE KERR WHAT KEPT THEM IN THE GAME.

Welcoming visitors with a home-made adult film in the foyer, I wondered on arrival exactly what ‘Art in the Dark’ was likely to involve… Inside the bar-cum-venue, or venue-cum-bar, people mingled, sipping beers in the darkened room. Divided by blackened curtains that made up the artiﬁcial walls for the artwork to be displayed in, it was unfortunate that most of the works did not seem to have been made with the night’s theme in mind. The few that had were the successes of the event – particularly Sheena Leach, whose tent, lit from the inside and mimicking the conventional white cube gallery style, stole much of the attention.

You’re all involved with a various projects besides this one; do you ever butt heads when it comes to making time for Black Mountain? Matt: “It doesn’t seem to be a problem, when Black Mountain is working we all put 100% of our time into it and don’t do anything else, but I can only do it for so long - like two years - before I’m sick of everybody and don’t want to look at anyone anymore. We tried to go into the studio after we ﬁnished promoting the last album but everybody was really burnt out and unfocussed, so we abandoned the recordings and took a year off to do some other music. It’s the only way this band can survive. Then when we came back to it last January everybody was amped. We wrote nine songs in ﬁve days. It’s exciting just to come back after a break and know it’s gonna work." Most of you are also involved with Insite, an organisation that works with the poor, the drug addicted and the mentally ill in Vancouver. Lyrically and musically, a lot of your songs feel as though they could easily have been conceived by people who are caught up in those worlds. Has the impact of working in that kind of environment come to inform the tone of the music? Amber: “We don’t really write songs about our jobs or anything but it does come out one way or another. Vancouver has a major drug problem, it’s pretty bad out there, so a lot of friends of ours - practically half of the people we know work in the downtown Eastside, which is sort of like the ghetto of Vancouver. We’ve all worked

2007’s brilliant semi-autobiographical release The Stage Names deals with literature, film, theatre and performance, all subjects the affable Sheff is ostensibly well versed in and glad to discuss at length. “I always wanted to make movies, way before I started singing or playing an instrument,” he explains. “I love a film that creates its own world, like David Lynch’s work. But there are also some very silly movies that do the same. Take Slap Shot (a 1977 movie based around the tribulations of a mediocre hockey team). It was a real inspiration when I was writing The Stage Names - how often do you see sports movies that aren’t either fantastical like Field Of Dreams, or based around some sort of massive success? The same goes for any fictional work about rock bands. I think the record shows

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

A successful night, certainly to blame for a few sore heads the following morning; it’s just a shame that the event seemed unsure as to whether it was primarily about the unusual environment, or the exhibits on display. [Kieran Westbrook]

Growing up in the ex-mining town of Kelty has inspired this current exhibition of linear prints and documentary-style footage. In Blackhall Square a band of houses forms a panoramic view of the street. There is no misleading attempt to soften the edges or hint of anything existing beyond the drab residential strip. An empty void above and below the horizon of houses replaces any sky or suggestion of nature. The artist successfully reflects the insular, tough characteristics of his home town. Other bleak yet exquisitely detailed monotone prints of his neighbourhood are punctured with humour and warmth. Although to us each road may look the same, Nelson is sharing with the viewer a reference to a personal, everyday journey written in the Fifer’s dialect. A showreel forms the second part of the exhibition in which Nelson’s storytelling skills accompany snapshots of his print work. There are interviews with friends, tales and comic strip-

like stills of family holidays, as well as humorous accounts of martial arts antics in the street. Nelson’s ongoing narrative bridges the gap often lost between the artist and their viewer and at the same time emphasises the gritty realism that is the basis for much of his work. [Jennifer Felton] EXHIBITION FINISHED. PART OF THE NEW WORK SCOTLAND PROGRAMME, COLLECTIVE GALLERY, EDINBURGH. WWW.COLLECTIVEGALLERY.NET

DONALD URQUHART: INVISIBLE IDEAS rrr The basement in the City Art Centre where Donald Urquhart’s exhibition is located provides peaceful sanctuary from a rain-drenched Waverley. Although Urquhart is a Scottish artist best known for his public artworks, this exhibition, Invisible Ideas, reveals the importance of drawing to his practice. Urquhart explores the land through a variety of methods. He examines our environment’s alluring qualities, as well as questioning where we

place ourselves within it. The show is all new work except for a single drawing from 1977. This drawing, Study of a Thistle, can be easily identiﬁed and lies in stark contrast to his newer works. These depict vast landscapes, and, in comparison to the thistle, are much harder to locate. However, Urquhart’s careful attention to detail and tremendous concentration remain apparent across this 30-year timespan. Many drawings are placed next to counterparts in colour or pencil. These painted planes seem like an effort to strip back and simplify the work further, providing a tool to help us reach the height of poetic dialogue the land suggests. In places where the coloured strip would occur through the drawing its effect is more of an interruption, carrying aesthetic concerns which dissect the works’ explicit resonance. Overall the show exudes a mindful stillness, providing a consolation in the landless culture of city life. [Jenny Richards] UNTIL 16 FEB, CIT Y ART CENTRE, EDINBURGH WWW.CAC.ORG.UK

BLACK MOUNTAIN

in that ﬁeld for ﬁve years or longer, so at this point we’re all just casual workers at those places. When we’re in town and we don’t have any money we’ll take shifts and whatnot. We’re maybe not so into it as we once were, we’re not as involved in social work anymore… Music is our number one right now.” The new album seems to align itself with an older, classic rock aesthetic, not least in its physical presentation. Is the artwork intended to hark back to the epic efforts of Floyd, Sabbath and Zeppelin in their day? Matt: “This time around we chose to have Jeremy, our keyboard player, do the artwork, and Jeremy is a fan of [Aubrey Powell] who did the art direction for Houses of the Holy and all that killer shit, he’s obsessed with this guy. I think that ties the whole album together." A rather unlikely mix of bands have become

Further On Down the Okkervil River Whilst it’s undeniable that revelations write headlines, it’s also incontestable that sometimes such revelations can be uncomfortable. It will come as no surprise to any fans of Okkervil River that their lead singer and chief songwriter Will Sheff is an articulate, informed and topical conversationalist. Nothing groundbreaking there, but the extent to which his conversation mirrors his art is comforting and perhaps explains why, even in interview, it's more like speaking to an old friend than a distant stranger.

The DJ set began an hour into the evening, transforming the mood and drawing attention towards a trippy projection of misshapen people swimming across the screen. The simultaneity of the works was actually a coincidence, but it was interesting to witness how much the crowd was drawn to the screen and away from the other exhibits as soon as the intrusive music kicked in.

JASON NELSON rrr

more realistic scenarios…it’s about just plugging away and trying to confront why we are doing this. It highlights the massive frustrations that inevitably come before success.” Success is not something that has eluded Okkervil River of late. Sheff admits his life and career have changed immeasurably over the past year. “Some of the things I was terrified about before are gone now, I don’t have to worry about them,” he offers, although he's adamant that the stress and work it took to put the band in its current position almost outweighs the benefit. Relentless touring (February’s gig in Cab Vol will be their second Scottish date in a little over three months) seems to correlate with the increasing amount of music piracy, which means bands have to fight for their money these days. “Even if you’re Coldplay you’ve got to work hard these days. There’s so much that goes into our records: love, care and affection, that we can only be exhausted, but very proud.” With such a hectic schedule, Sheff has little time to himself. “I just get to steal a week or two here and there, not very often though.” It’s again unsurprising to learn that he likes to spend these stolen weeks reading and relaxing. The band name itself is taken from a Tolstoy novel and their

fans of Black Mountain and since invited you to out to play gigs and record with them. What has your working relationship with these super fans been like? Matt: “It’s so awesome that Mudhoney and Portishead asked us to play All Tomorrow’s Parties and UNKLE [wanted to collaborate with us], but they came to us and like our record… it’s just a really nice compliment. Our inﬂuences, I think, are pretty exclusively not contemporary, with the exception of maybe some 80s punk, like Black Flag. My favourite band is this group called The Sadies from Canada who are completely unknown country rock, they sound like the Byrds, on Sweetheart of the Rodeo kind of shit. For me personally - being the bass player - when we go into the studio to write, all that’s on my mind is James Jamerson, Mike Motown, the Meters, and stuff like that… The epic great bass players (laughs). It’s like my chance to pretend I’m those guys.”

"IT’S EXCITING JUST TO COME BACK AFTER A BREAK AND KNOW IT’S GONNA WORK. IT’S THE ONLY WAY THIS BAND CAN SURVIVE." - MATT CAMIRAND Is there anyone of a more modern style whose music you can get into? Matt: “Well Ghostface Killah is my favourite artist in hip-hop ever. I actually rapped at a Ghostface concert, ‘cos I snuck in when he was at South by Southwest and got right up front. It was this knee-high stage and he was like ‘what do you wanna hear?’ I called out a song, he did it and then he stuck the mic right in my face and I rapped for 30 seconds. It was like a dream come true.”

ART IN THE DARK/DARIUS JONES

ART IN THE DARK/DIANE EDWARDS

DONALD URQUHART

IN THE FUTURE IS OUT ON 21 JAN VIA JAGJAGUWAR

FINBARR BERMINGHAM CATCHES UP WITH WILL SHEFF TO LEARN THAT LIFE REALLY DOES IMITATE ART SOMETIMES, EVEN IF THE AUTHOR IS IN DENIAL

OKKERVIL RIVER

latest album features a track written about tragic American poet John Berryman quick and easy proof of the way in which Sheff's cultured nature manifests itself. He personally, however, is uncertain as to how inextricable the link between his two loves of literature and music is. "It would be remiss of me to say you couldn’t just like a rock song without being up on the literary knowledge that’s behind it. While I like to read, I don’t

like to put on airs. I’m just a rock singer!” Maybe so, but at this point in time, at the top of his game, rock singers don’t come much more reﬁned than Will Sheff, and bands don’t get much better than Okkervil River. OKKERVIL RIVER PLAY CABARET VOLTAIRE ON 3 FEB THE STAGE NAMES IS OUT NOW ON JAGUAGUWAR WWW.MYSPACE.COM/OKKERVILRIVER

SOUNDS

WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

ART

Art in the Dark

Black Mountain:

SOUNDS

Henry Rollins:

EDITORIAL Happy New Year! Out with the old and in with the new, right? Well, that’s not entirely the true in the case of this issue. Y’see, Henry Rollins has been running the block for too long to be politely shunted aside for the sake of making way for the next coming fad. Henry Rollins is what happens when rock stars spend less time on drugs and styling their hair: this issue we have a chat with the man to ﬁnd out what’s getting him irked in his upcoming spoken word show. Besides the cultural commentary of icons from the world of punk rock, 2008 also kicks off with a duo of terriﬁc new records from Vancouver psych rockers Black Mountain and Glasgow’s own spit ‘n’ sawdust rock ‘n’ rollers Sons and Daughters. Both albums are reviewed and the acts are interviewed in these very pages. We’ve also prepared you something of a ‘should shine this year if there’s any fucking justice’ list of bands from various persuasions, all of whom we’ve been impressed by over the last few months. Seek them out, download their demos, buy their EP – whatever, just don’t come moaning to us when they’re playing the SECC and you wish somebody had given you the, ahem, Skinny much sooner. Dig in. /DGK

✹

A MUSO’S

TOP 10

YEASAYER

Given the eclecticism of All Hour Cymbals, it was no surprise that Yeasayer gave us a top ten covering ﬁve decades, three continents, million-selling mega-hits, out-of-print odd-jobs, and multiple styles and fashions. It's a far-out list that deﬁes obvious logic; just how we like it.

The Everyman WITH THE COMING ELECTION YEAR IN HIS CROSSHAIRS, PUNK ROCK LEGEND HENRY ROLLINS TELLS MATT GOLLOCK EXACTLY WHY THE PRESENT SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ORDER IN THE US CONTINUES TO GIVE HIM AMPLE FODDER FOR HIS SPOKEN WORD TOURS "I am not really a people person," states Henry Rollins ﬂatly. Fancying himself as something of an agitator, the label of 'Everyman' might cause him to shirk. Yet the passion with which he speaks about the people he encounters on his travels suggests he's as eager to listen and open-minded an individual as they come. Just don't expect any pleasant chit-chat about the weather. Rollins' natural progression from music to broadcasting in recent times has highlighted his general willingness to step up to any platform that has arrived in his path. But his TV and radio shows have also afforded him the opportunity to spotlight the copious causes he champions. Case and point: he recently interviewed two US Marines who had toured in Iraq and were against the occupation, and this ability to view a situation in greyscale makes him a powerful commentator. "I've never met a soldier that says 'I like killing people'" he says. "Their job is to not get blown up, and in this situation you ﬁnd people become very apolitical." This is true of the man himself, as while he is politically aware, he has little truck with political culture. In fact, when asked whether he feels any sense of hope in the coming election year, Rollins elicits a swift "No."

YEASAYER ALEXANDER WAGNER

"If there's another Republican president, I'll not be surprised. The US isn't ready for Hilary Clinton or Barack Obama," he forecasts, before he summarily dismisses the tactics of the former ﬁrst lady. "[Clinton] answers questions like a Republican. The truth is really quick; the truth is like getting a broken nose. Lying takes a lot of words."

#1 Cyndi Lauper – Time After Time (pop ballad classic) #2 Ja Rule & Lil Wayne – Uh-Ohhh! (recent ﬂop single) #3 Percy Sledge – It Tears Me Up (minor R&B hit 1966) #4 Rich Boy – Throw Some D’s (massive rap hit) #5 Kate Bush – Suspended In Gaffa (from The Dreaming, 1982) #6 Arthur Russell – Hollow Tree – (left-ﬁeld disco) #7 Fleetwood Mac – That’s Alright – (70s rock) #8 High Places – Days Incorporated (experimental Brooklynites) #9 Hallelujah Chicken Run Band – Take One (pioneering Zimbabwean musician LP) #10 Kraftwerk – Ralf und Florian (pre-Autobahn LP) YEASAYER PLAY KING TUT’S, GLASGOW ON 8 MAR ALL HOUR CYMBALS IS OUT NOW ON WE ARE FREE HTTP://WWW.MYSPACE.COM/YEASAYER

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

Put this disdain for potential future leaders of the free world aside, however, and Rollins reveals himself to be a patriot – in the sense that he truly believes in the idea and ideal of what America should be, but is keenly aware of its shortcomings and how the Republicans continue to use fear as their primary means to keep a stranglehold on the population. "I love that 'We the people' stuff. 'Me, me, me' is going to kill us all, but America's complicit in its own problems and it's only when the toilets stop working that something will be done." Short of taking a plunger to the situation himself, Rollins' animated and motivational spoken word tours allow him to maintain a loud voice without any higher political aspirations, and the power of non-alignment affords him the freedom to be outspoken without using doublespeak. "Sometimes when Clinton spoke I'd have to shower to wash the oil off me," he frowns. Enough said. So how does this political climate inﬂuence the cultural landscape he's so involved in? When it's suggested that X-Factor/Pop Idol blandness has perhaps fuelled a Newtonian pushing of the boundaries in music, TV and ﬁlm, he doesn't sound entirely convinced. Regardless of genre or scale of production, Rollins suggests there's always going to be someone around to ask: "what happens if we put two times the

HENRY ROLLINS

amount of gunpowder in the canon?" Moreover, at the turn of the millennium Rollins himself predicted the boom of nostalgia presently manifesting itself in ﬁlm remakes and band reformations: "All the zeroes are going to seem very lonely," he quipped. Though now he admits to enjoying the familiarity of 70s radio shows. In relation to bands reforming however, he reckons the authenticity factor is dependant on how it's done. "Seeing a band in their 50s playing music they wrote in their 20s may be not such a thrill." But, quoting Dinosaur Jr as an example and proclaiming 2007's Beyond as one of his favourite albums of the year, Rollins suggests that if they're making new music that is valid and exciting then it's fair game in some instances. Rollins has been approached to reform Black Flag, and he'd probably make a fortune even if it was just him playing the spoons, but don't hold your breath. Coming from a tumultuous place both geographically and artistically, Rollins hardly struggles for spoken word material. To keep shows fresh he mixes centrepiece stories with 'topic of the day' improv. His forthcoming tour's 'scripted' material is based upon his travels to Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan and Pakistan in 2007. Besides

earning himself some solid loyalty points with Emirates Airlines, he found this pilgrimage as an anonymous traveller with the sole aim of meeting local people from each area to be a complete success. "Hi, I'm Henry" was his no frills opening gambit and he insists he received nothing but goodwill from everyone he met, even after they discovered he was an American. Although it seems that Rollins reciprocated this goodwill with warmth during his travels, do not expect it to be extended if you heckle during his performance. "I don't like to interact during the show," he warns. "Afterwards, I answer every question; I do every photo and sign everything. But when someone talks during the show it's like they open a wound and fuck it." Call that a light-hearted warning. By now you may have a certain slow sinking feeling when Henry Rollins says "In America we are watching the slow death, or not so slow death, of critical thinking", but after just ﬁve minutes of bearing audience to one of this man's many monologues, rest assured that all hope and willingness to rock the applecart will be rightfully restored. HENRY ROLLINS PLAYS THEATRE ROYAL, GLASGOW, ON 3 FEB 2008

SOUNDS

Its not often a band releases an album only to say they don’t really mind if people like it or not. When The Skinny meets Enon’s John Schmersal, however, that’s exactly what follows. “I wasn’t concerned with whether people liked it or not cause I felt we’d been successful in what we’d tried to do,” he says.

JIM GELLATLY'S X-POSURE TOP 10

WITH A BACK CATALOGUE AS LONG AS YOUR ARM AND A MUSICAL PEDIGREE TO MAKE MANY A MORE PROMINENT BAND BLUSH, ENON CONTINUE TO DEFY INDUSTRY STANDARDS WITH THEIR OWN BRAND OF ALTERNATIVE ROCK. NEAL PARSONS CATCHES UP WITH FRONTMAN JOHN SCHMERSAL TO FIND OUT HOW HE DOES IT

5 FREE SONGS YOU CAN LEGALLY DOWNLOAD, LISTEN TO AND LOVE BY SEAN MICHAELS

'YOUNG FREE AND SIMPLE'

2 ATTIC LIGHTS

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“I would be very surprised if all of a sudden people were bowled over and got really into us,” he concedes. Far from being demoralised by this, however, he says he’s liberated by it. “We’re doing things at our own pace to make the music we want to make. I can work on music whenever I want to in my basement. For me that’s more valuable than worrying about being successful. I don’t want that to be a condition of why I’m making music."

#1 THE OWLS PEPPERMINT PATTY

The return of Dan Bejar - Canadian, New Pornographer, favourite of this author. Foam Hands shows him ever-witchy, ever-mischievous, singing wild and sage lyrics over the rising boom of an indie rock band; climbing icebergs to a skewed, true climax.

TOP 10 TO WACH FOR IN 2008

For those familiar with Enon’s own brand of alternative indie rock, this won’t come as a surprise. Completed by drummer Matt Schultz and bassist Toko Yasuda, who shares vocal duties with Schmersal, their sound is one that meshes together a whole variety of styles: punk, electronica and pop, to name a few. When you also consider that in their time they've used the sound of smashing crockery as percussion, it would be fair to say that Enon are an unconventional lot.

1. GREENDAY 2. U2 3. FRANZ FERDINAND 4. THE FRATELLIS 5. THE VIEW 6. THE COURTEENERS 7. ONE NIGHT ONLY 8. JOE LEAN AND THE JING JANG JONGS 9. RAZORLIGHT 10. SONS AND DAUGHTERS

This latest release, however, could well be the record that forces them into the wider collective consciousness, despite Schmersal's denial. Ironically, far from being a deliberate push for recognition, this is simply a result of their new laid-back approach. Recorded in Schmersal’s own basement studio in Philadelphia, Glass Geysers, released last October, is certainly Enon’s most palatable

3 TWIN ATLANTIC

'AUDIENCE AND AUDIO'

4 DESOLATION YES!

'TEMPLETON (SHINE LIKE A STAR)'

5 GLASVEGAS

'IT'S MY OWN CHEATING HEART THAT MAKES ME CRY'

6 EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS 'SINGLE SEDATIVE'

7 STATE WARNING 'AFTER HOURS'

8 ADELE

'CHASING PAVEMENTS'

9 JUNO! VS MANDA RIN 'THESE BOYS ARE ATHLETES'

10 THINK:FIRE '40 LOVE'

A soft, sweet ode to Peppermint Patty - she perhaps of Peanuts comics, or perhaps not. A lovely piece with its heart in the chorus, where The Owls' voices meet and diverge, catching all the late afternoon light. Download at: http://www.magicmarkerrecords. com/mmr043.html

#2 DESTROYER - FOAM HANDS

ENON EMILY WILSON

effort to date. “We really tried to work out the songs beforehand by jamming them out and spending as little time as possible recording them,” he says. “We weren’t fussing too much with overdubbing, so it’s raw - more of a rock album.” To illustrate this point, Schmersal tells The Skinny that fans coming to see them on their current European tour will be presented with a more straightforward live performance than previously given. “Well the new record is a bit more stripped down, and so we’re following that cue for the touring,” he says. “It will have electronic elements but we’re not doing a lot of the more keyboardy jams for this tour. The live show is going to be very fast-paced dancey

rock‘n’roll.” Currently attached to the legendary Touch and Go Records, the original home of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio and The Butthole Surfers, Enon are being given room to develop into a devastatingly dynamic group. For a band that is old fashioned in method - they still think in terms of sides A and B when writing an LP - but progressive in sound, theirs is an experiment which is sure to continue to yield explosive results.

Live Music

Highlights by Ted Maul

ENOUGH HYPERBOLE, JUST MAKE SURE YOU CATCH DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS BEFORE THEY ROLL OUT OF TOWN

The album in question, Glass Geysers…Carbon Clouds, is Enon’s fourth album proper, and Schmersal is of the opinion that it's unlikely to be the record that launches them into the upper echelons.

1 URBNRI

SOUNDS

T R A H S C T R S Carry on, Enon A T R S CH RTS A T H R A TS C ARTS AR TS CH ARTS AR TS CH ARTS H R C A H RTS HARTSS HA RTS C HART S C A H S C ART CHARTTS CH ARTS CHAR TS CH ARTS CHAR TS CH ARTS CHAR TS CH ARTS CHAR TS CH ARTS CHAR TS CH ARTS CHAR TS CH ARTS CHAR CH ARTS CH

DOWNLOAD AT: HTTP://WWW.MERGERECORDS.COM/ AUDIO/DESTROYER/FOAMHANDS.MP3

#3 LACROSSE - SUNSHINER A gang of Swedes doing the thing that Swedes do these days: jaunty pop from Gothenburg, all pearly smiles and carefree guitars, a sing-along with the swell of nostalgia in its chest. When the drums kick in and the volume rises you can imagine everyone

throwing their winter hats into the air, stomping their boots in the snow, letting their scarves trail behind them in the wind. DOWNLOAD AT: HTTP://WWW.TAPETERECORDS.DE/ DOWNLOAD/

#4 FIRE ON FIRE - HANGMAN Backporch fingerpick and then full-on big-voiced HOLLERS. “AH-WOO,” they sing, like the final song of a man whose head rests on the chopping block. As the mandolin flutters, the condemned sounds contented. “Even the hangman has friends!” DOWNLOAD AT: HTTP://YOUNGGODRECORDS.COM/ PRODUCT.ASP?P_ID=53

#5 DANIEL ROSSEN - TOO LITTLE TOO LATE Grizzly Bear's Daniel Rossen covers Jo Jo and turns the stuff of cheeseball karaoke into something a little more ambivalent, a little more mysterious. He sings with himself over bass-drum and detuned piano, chasing a melody that's been harnessed to different horses than Jo Jo's, going to different places, hoping for a different beating heart. DOWNLOAD AT: HTTP://GRIZZLY-BEAR.NET/BLOG/?P=225

EDINBURGH

GLASGOW

What better way to usher in the New Year than with the warm familiarity of the BLUETONES – the aural equivalent of a hot mug of cocoa? The ‘Tones will be hitting up the Liquid Room once again on 22 Jan to deploy a no-doubt ﬁnely honed set of fan favourites and classic singles. The Blue Army will be out in force as always, ensuring a great atmosphere for this gig.

Pioneers of British Emo (for better or worse) and also known as The Band that Almost Made It, it seems like decades since HUNDRED REASONS blew up, but they’re still writing, recording and playing killer gigs. Fuelled by Colin Doran’s furious stage presence, they’ve got a hardcore fanbase that will ensure a cracking gig. QMU, 19 Jan.

Delightful American indie lady LAURA VEIRS swoops into Cabaret Voltaire on 30 Jan for a spot of evocative songsmithery. With lyrics that are haunted by the natural landscape and a knack for crafting unusual and surprising soundscapes, this could be very interesting indeed.

Glasgow’s best kept secret, WE ARE THE PHYSICS, bring their crazy math-pop sound to King Tut’s on 23 Jan for what is bound to be an unmissable gig. Dark, danceable and Devo-tastic are just three words to describe their curiously agreeable sound. Enjoy the madness.

Also on 30 Jan, devilish duo BLOOD RED SHOES drop into the Hive for a short, sharp set of pummelling punk rock noise. Finesse tends to go out the window during their live shows; replaced with a pure instrument-shredding intensity that is captivating to watch. No frills and noisy as fuck.

Similarly spiky of riff and meaty of beat, THE FUTUREHEADS will demolish Strathclyde Union on 24 Jan with a steamrolling set of chugging riffola and crazy harmonies. They may have been ﬂying under the mainstream radar for a while, but that only makes these Sunderland lads hungrier. Gratuitous pogoing will be mandatory.

If you still can’t quite believe it’s 2008 then KULA SHAKER are here to help you tap that retro vein with a fat bag of Tattva. Crispian and the boys are often derided for peddling hippy mush, but a gander at their live show proves that they have serious focus and a stash of hits. Incense or no incense, they know how to rock it. Liquid Room, 30 Jan.

Straight outta Alabama, DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS be representing for the South when they roll up to Oran Mor on 29 Jan. The Truckers are one of those weird, rare groups that are untouched by the hype machine; they just play their Southern rock with passion and soul and say to hell with marketing. Enough hyperbole, just make sure you catch these one-offs before they roll out of town.

ENON PLAY CABARET VOLTAIRE, EDINBURGH ON 5 FEB AND THE NEW STEREO, GLASGOW ON 6 FEB GLASS GEYSERS...CARBON CLOUDS IS OUT NOW ON TOUCH & GO WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ENONMUSIC

METAL UP YOUR ASS! IT'S A NEW YEAR WITH PLENTY OF NEW MUSIC REACHING SCOTLAND, BUT ALONGSIDE IT COME THOSE WELCOME SMATTERINGS OF THE OLD AND FAMILIAR A happy 2008 to y’all; let it be one laden with the best of heavy music. It's a new year with plenty of new music reaching Scotland, but alongside it come those welcome smatterings of the old and familiar. If you’re promoting or playing in a new metal or hardcore band and want MUYA to check you out, get in touch by emailing dave@skinnymag.co.uk. If we like what we see 'n' hear, you could be featured alongside previews of shows like the four smackers we've got cooking this month. Ploughing through the New Year's sleet and snow, brutal Glasgow-based metalcore merchants By My Hands take it to Dexter’s on Sunday 13 Jan in Dundee. Bleed from Within beef up the bill with some serious guitar shredding. Over in the capital on the same evening, The Hive hosts Wigan grindcore incendiaries

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

DANIEL ROSSEN

Envisorax. The band, signed to 30 Days of Night Records, have support from Somerset’s Ignominious Incarceration and local stalwarts Friday Night Gunﬁght and The Black Chain.

WIN A GIG AT CABARET VOLTAIRE

Still going in spite of the current emo zeitgeist, the KoRn loyal will be marching through the icy climes to Glasgow's Carling Academy on Thursday 17 Jan for a recital of the Bakersﬁeld four (or is that three)'s numetal classics and death disco nuggets from their latest LP.

WITH THE PISTOLAS AND MONKEY SWALLOWS THE UNIVERSE

Norwich indie disco slayers The Pistolas and charming Shefﬁeld simians Monkey Swallows the Universe play gigs in the capital on 7 and 11 February respectively. One of the best venues in the whole damn town, Cabaret Voltaire, is giving four local acts (no jugglers, mind) the opportunity to show and prove their mettle with a half hour support slot, approved by us clowns at THE SKINNY.

Lastly, playing The Cathouse on Monday 21 Jan, female fronted My Ruin are over from California to throw down their patented heavy southern rock sound, with support from Die So Fluid and Plastic Toys. Well worth braving the elements for.

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS

All you have to do to enter is send your demo and contact details to 'Monkey Pistol Cab Vol Comp', The Drill Hall, 30-38 Dalmeny Street, EH6 8RG, or you can e-mail links to your music to dave@skinnymag.co.uk, either method to arrive by no later than Friday 25 Jan. Winners will be selected by The Skinny's Sounds team and notiﬁed by 31 Jan.

KORN

SOUNDS

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BREAKING BOUNDARIES IN MUSIC JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

2008's Ones to Watch FINBARR BERMINGHAM DUSTS OFF THE OLD CRYSTAL BALL TO TRY AND MAKE YOUR SEARCH FOR THE ‘NEXT BIG THING’ A LITTLE LESS SERENDIPITOUS... May we present to you a smattering of the bands that The Skinny reckons could be making waves in 2008, locally, nationally and—fuggit —internationally. With the Scottish scene in healthy shape, singling out some of those talents that could take the extra step over the next 12 months ain’t easy. Over the past year though, there have been a few that stand out as prime candidates. Edinburgh’s Broken Records have been wowing us for a while. Beirut comparisons aren’t unreasonable; such is the multitude of instruments at their disposal and panoramic nature of their tracks.

From the ever-fertile West Coast scene, expect movements from the marvellous Frightened Rabbit. They create simple but quite brilliant folk rock, and they make it very loud. Brighton’s FatCat Records will do well to push them even further. Fellow Glaswegians Make Model - recently signed to EMI, no less - have been busy putting the ﬁ nal touches to their ﬁ rst LP, which is scheduled for release in Spring 2008. Based on their live shows and demos, this should be one to keep an ear out for. As featured within these very pages last issue, purveyors of a more gothic kind of pop rock than the norm, the endlessly charming Glasvegas can also only be destined for bigger things. Carluke’s Genaro also came to the fore last summer with their superb eponymous record. Don’t bet against the demand for their soulful, well-crafted tunes continuing to swell. If you like your hooks heavier, look out for Glasgow-based experimentalists Take A Worm For A Walk Week. A renowned live act, their riotous noise-core showcases the dexterity that comes with their anarchy. Last year’s full on self-titled LP pushed boundaries within the genre, yet the band simply describe themselves as ‘Rock, Rock, Rock’, and frankly, we couldn’t have put it better ourselves. Toning it down slightly are The Damn Shames. Their progress from ramshackle early gigs to becoming far tighter groove merchants loaded with truculent basslines has been thrilling to observe. “It would be a damn shame if these lads don’t reach a wider audience”, we said in review last year. Let’s hope it happens in 2008.

MORE OVER THERE... ‡

FRIGHTENED RABBIT WWW.KDY-SIDE.COM

THE SKINNY JANUARY 08

Sons and Daughters Dark side of the tune

Part two...

2008's Ones to Watch NOAH AND THE WHALE

THEY CARVED A NICHE FANBASE WITH THEIR FIRST TWO (OR ONE AND A HALF) INCENDIARY RECORDS, AND NOW SONS AND DAUGHTERS TELL NICK MITCHELL THEY'RE READY FOR MORE Set deep in the West End of Glasgow, the Rio Café feels like the ideal place to interview Sons and Daughters. It has that classic feel of 1950s Americana with its four-seater booths and solid, oversized bar; yet the noisy chatter of the mid-afternoon clientele confi rms to the ear that this is most definitely Glasgow. Kinda like Sons and Daughters. On entering this scene ten minutes before the pre-arranged meeting time, I spot half the band already – diligently – here. Singer Adele and guitarist Scott slouch in a booth nursing large coffees, eyes scanning the room for impending journo; both are dressed and styled that bit more carefully than your average human being, making them easily identifiable. When I introduce myself they seem to relax and smile genuinely, and prove easy-going company. Bassist Ailidh and drummer David are en route, they explain, so I order a coffee, withhold my tape recorder and let them tuck into a late lunch of French toast (Adele) and egg bagel (Scott). The other half of Sons and Daughters soon arrive and all four disappear outside for a quick cigarette (or perhaps to discuss interview tactics) before it's down to business. Now the complete unit, their individual personalities quickly emerge: Adele is enthusiastic and friendly; Scott sharp and focused; Ailidh quiet but interesting; and David is, well, the drummer – his detached, almost bored demeanour belies a keen sense of humour. Sons and Daughters began life through Adele and David's involvement with Arab Strap's touring band in 2001. Adele takes up the story: “I had a guitar on the tour bus and roped Dave in early on and he said, drunkenly, 'Yeah, yeah, I'll play the drums.' It was an idea for a while. So when we got home we had a bit of time off and Ailidh and I started playing together. We recorded some terrible demos in Ailidh's bathroom. We thought it would be cool to hang mics from the shower, sorta DIY, but actually it was rubbish.” David refutes: “It sounded alright!” When they eventually graduated from bathroom to studio and recruited Scott on guitar and backing vocals, they recorded Love the Cup over four days in 2003 with “whatever songs we had”. It was picked up by cult New York label Ba Da Bing and, after much publicity and promo postage, Domino – the label hosting friends and mutual appreciators Franz Ferdinand – decided to give the minialbum a shinier release in 2004. Follow-up The Repulsion Box was an equally raw, undiluted vial of rock'n'roll poison, and received more acclaim for its intense country-blues and dark outlaw soul. As we speak, Sons and Daughters have just returned to the publicity circus with the single Gilt Complex; its title a neat pun on our national obsession with empty-headed Big Brother contestants. “It's about hating celebrity culture and being sick of people making money and having no talent,” Adele says. “It's like a car crash though. You've gotta look at it haven't

Will the rest of the UK step out of the postLibertines lull it’s wallowed in for the past few years? Well, in the shape of London singer songwriter FrYars, things are looking up. Framing infectious, intelligent ditties with electronic beats isn’t a new thing, but it’s rarely done so brilliantly. With an EP not long out and an album in the pipeline, this chap could stand to go the distance.

you?” For a B-side, the band covered Adamski's Killer, a strange choice, though not actually a conscious one, as David explains: “I think we'd started playing Papa Was A Rolling Stone by The Temptations and it's the same chords so we went, 'ach, it's Killer'.” This all pre-empts Sons and Daughters' third album, This Gift, set for release in late January. “The album's been a really long process,” Scott says. “We started it in January, only ﬁnished it in July and mastered it in September. So we're really proud of it but really sick of it.” The song-writing dates back to 2006, when the band secluded themselves in a West Highland cottage - “a cool wee house up in the hills, surrounded by rabbits and sheep”.

For some old fashioned rock and roll this year, look no further than Vincent Vincent and The Villains. Harking back to a time when radios crackled and harmonies were compulsory, they’ve been about for while already, but their debut LP this February should put them ﬁ rmly in the public eye. Continuing the theme of decent bands with silly names, London folkies Noah and the Whale are another set to ascend. Refreshingly engaging and seemingly written somewhere the sun always shines, check out their excellent single Five Years Time for a tantalising taster.

Adele: “There wasn't anything to do really.” Ailidh: “There were a lot of board games.” David: “What was that game that Ailidh hated and we all liked?”

Of course, it would be completely impudent to think a year would go by without an inﬂux of non-UK acts to co-dominate the music scene. Despite being around for what seems like aeons, 2008 will see the release of Canadian upstarts Tokyo Police Club’s hotly anticipated debut album. Going by their EPs, it should be worth the wait. If there’s any justice, they’re likely to be one of the biggest imports of the year.

Ailidh: “Balderdash. It was just really boring after a while.” Scott (pretending he's concerned about their image): “Naw it was actually mental. There was loads of drugs...” Adele: “It was really meant as a family place so we found all the board games in a cupboard...” Scott: “But it was also really mental and edgy!” The eventual recording of This Gift saw the band progress to higher strata of creative freedom. “Before it had been like one recording session and a mixing session with a chunk of writing in front of it,” David says. “But this time it was spread out so we had more time to consider it.” Scott agrees: “We weren't exactly writing in the studio but we'd record, get time off, then go back and realise what was lacking.” In Suede legend Bernard Butler, they also beneﬁted from a producer equally feared and revered. Domino boss Laurence Bell had originally suggested three producers but they decided to work with Butler after a successful demo session. The band talk about him admiringly, but was it such a cosy working relationship? Adele: “I think he really tried to put us under as much pressure as he could, and it worked.” Ailidh: “He's one of the old school producers, whereas Victor [Van Vugt, who produced The Repulsion Box] let us do our own thing.” David: “Before, it was all about capturing the real, live sound, but Bernard wanted to take a more layered approach and build the whole thing up.” Scott: “It's a lot more sonically impressive because of that. Everything's been tweaked and we've got exactly the right tones. It's a wider palette.”

Also rolling off the endless conveyor belt of Canadian music is Torontonian outﬁt Born Rufﬁans. Anyone that writes songs about Kurt Vonnegut and covers Grizzly Bear was always going to be worth a spin, and in this case many more. Their record Red Yellow and Blue is out in February. SONS AND DAUGHTERS PETE DUNLOP

“IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE BANDS THAT CAME FROM GLASGOW AND ARE SUCCESSFUL NOW, NONE OF THEM SOUND LIKE EACH OTHER: MOGWAI, BELLE AND SEBASTIAN, FRANZ... IT TELLS YOU A LOT” If that means that the visceral intensity of their previous sound has been somewhat tamed (and Adele confi rms that it’s “not as angry”), it also means that This Gift is crammed full of accomplished pop songs. But while they've taken musical inspiration from 1960s symphonic pop on songs like The Nest, any trace of innocence is stamped into the ground with a lyrical content informed by Adele's fascination with the darker side of life: depression, break-ups, self-harm, Sylvia Plath and Ken Loach films all figure in her songwriting. When I ask them what they expect from This Gift, Adele answers, tentatively: “I think this one's probably our breakthrough record.” Scott

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continues: “I think it's a really good record for tasting who we are; a bit more sense of humour about it, a colourful record, more varied. It's a bit more representative of our taste I think.” If their prediction proves true and they become a mainstream act, it will be the culmination of an unusually patient success story in today's excitable music industry, and the band are grateful for the chance they've had to develop. Scott: “We've wanted to do that from the beginning. If you look at great bands like Tindersticks, they grow over ten albums or whatever...” Adele: “I think it's the only way to have a proper career now. In the short period of time we've been around we've seen bands get pushed for one record and then the label isn't interested.” David: “It's really sad that there's this obsession with 'the new'. It's not 'oh that great band Clinic have a new record out', it's 'oh Clinic, they've had two records, what's fucking new?' It's gonna implode at some point.” Sons and Daughters themselves aren't

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immune to hype, and although they proﬁted early on from Alex Kapranos's complimentary words, they don't feel part of any Scottish or Glaswegian 'scene'. Rather than rebel against collectivism, the band explain that it's because, in their opinion, such a scene just doesn't exist. Scott: “One thing about Glasgow is that it's such a broad church. I mean you've got electronica, rock... there's no bandwagonjumping up here as far as I can see, whereas in London you get that - bands thinking 'we better sound like The Libertines this week'...” Ailidh: “It's more like there are people who are into music.” David : “If you look at all the bands that came from Glasgow and are successful now, none of them sound like each other: Mogwai, Belle and Sebastian, Franz... It tells you a lot.” But in my journalistic urge to place them in context, I make the mistake of suggesting a loose association with Primal Scream's 12-bar rock'n'roll. Adele starts laughing; David's face drops.

Adele: “I'm laughing 'cos Dave hates Primal Scream. I actually don't mind them and I know what you mean. Although some would say Primal Scream were bandwagon-jumpers of their time.” David (disdainfully): “They're having a laugh you know, they're having a good time.” Adele: “But Country Girl was one of my favourite songs last year.” Despite my faux-pas we reclaim amicable ground before winding up for their photocall with our snapper. I leave Sons and Daughters as they sit in the booth staring meaningfully up into the camera lens, looking every bit the band on the verge of something. Right now that 'something' is anyone's call, but one safe bet is that this year will be their making or breaking. Complacency just isn't their style.

THIS GIFT IS RELEASED ON 28 JAN VIA DOMINO. WWW.SONSANDDAUGHTERSLOVEYOU.COM SONS AND DAUGHTERS PLAY ABC, GLASGOW ON 15 FEB AND QUEEN’S HALL, EDINBURGH ON 16 FEB

MGMT are gathering steam and hype in New York, and it can only be a matter of time before the fuss becomes airborne. New Wave-esque Time to Pretend was one of the best tracks of the last year. Recently snapped up by Columbia, the imminent release of their ﬁ rst album Oracular Spectacular cannot go unheralded. If the indie rock and dance worlds collided and cast themselves into a horriﬁc skinny jean-wearing ‘nu-rave’ tailspin in 2007, then let’s hope Ghosthustler can go some way to halting the freefall. The Texans are unsigned, but with the online draw they’ve accrued it doesn’t seem to matter at this point. Their style is in the ilk of LCD Soundsystem, with more synths and an even deeper groove; get on it before Morrisey’s chums at the NME sink their teeth in. Rounding things up we have a band whose recent debut album was slightly overlooked amid the latter quarter of 2007’s hectic release schedule. This shouldn’t detract from the quality of what Yeasayer offer though; any doubters should seek no further evidence than their uber-ambient single, 2080. So that’s your lot. Just thank us later eh?

JANUARY 08

THE SKINNY

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A few good bands