The Skinny May 2012

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Issue 80 May 2012

“ DEATH GRIPS BOOKS EWAN MORRISON JONAH LEHRER CLUBS AUNTIE FLO FASHION ECA 2012 GRADUATE PREVIEW

IF YOU HOLD ON TO YOUR FEARS, YOU MIGHT NOT SURVIVE IN THE FUTURE

”

ZACH HILL

FILM SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS: BLOCKBUSTER VS INDIE MIA HANSON-LØVE GARETH EVANS NORTHERN LIGHTS MUSIC EL-P NEW ORDER GEOFF BARROW STAG & DAGGER FRIGHTENED RABBIT THE AFGHAN WHIGS MUSIC | FILM | CLUBS | THEATRE | TECH| ART | BOOKS | COMEDY | FASHION | TRAVEL | FOOD | DEVIANCE | LISTINGS

“Scotland’S anSwer to the Full Monty” John naughton, gQ

“warM-hearted and Funny. a MuSt See!” grant lauchlan, StV

enJoy reSponSibly.

in cineMaS June 1 © Sixteen Films, Why Not Productions, Wild Bunch, Les Films du Fleuve, Urania Pictures, France 2 Cinéma, British Film Institute MMXII

Cert TBC

CONTENTS

JUST ANNOUNCED

by arrangement with Primary Talent International

Photography: Steven Sebring

PATTI SMITH AND HER BAND

0 2 ABC GLASGOW Saint Etienne + special guests

New Album ‘Banga’ Out Monday 4th June JUST ANNOUNCED

A REGULAR MUISC / TRIPLEG

BY ARRANGEMENT WITH PRIMARY TALENT INTERNATIONAL

LIGHTSHIPS

W A

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RUFUS D

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W I

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Wednesday 23 May Glasgow Oran Mor

PHOTO: DARREN CARLE

WED 5TH SEPT

P.12 SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS VS INDIE FILMS

SAT 19TH MAY 02 ACADEMY GLASGOW

P.16 FRIGHTENED RABBIT TOUR THE HIGHLANDS

NEW ALBUM OUT OF THE GAME IN STORES NOW

THURS 13 DEC

FRI 14 DEC

0131 228 1155

0844 477 2000

USHER HALL O2 ACADEMY EDINBURGH GLASGOW

DOORS 7PM AFTERSHOW REGGAE DJS UNTIL 2AM

The Civil Wars The Lumineers Friday 2nd Nov O2 Academy

PHOTO: DAVID ANDERSON

plus special guests

Glasgow

Nanci

Griffith

EDINBURGH QUEEN’S HALL

MONDAY 30TH JULY 0131 668 2019

M AY 2 012 GLASGOW BARROWLAND

WEDNESDAY 4 JULY ANDREW

ROACHFORD

Thu 2nd Aug Nice & Sleazy Glasgow

SAT 02 JUNE O2 ABC GLASGOW

Dick

(ELECTRIC SIX)

Valentine does acoustic...

Friday 4 May

O2 ABC2 GlAsGOw

Friday 25th May O2 ABC2 GLASGOW

Issue 80, May 2012 © Radge Media Ltd.

EDITORIAL

Get in touch: E: hello@theskinny.co.uk T: 0131 467 4630 P: The Skinny, 3 Coates Place, Edinburgh, EH3 7AA

Editor Music & Online Editor Art Editor Books Editor Clubs Editor Comedy Editor Competitions Editor Deviance Editor DVD Editor Fashion Editor Film Editor Food Editor Heads Up Editor Listings/Cyberzap Editor Performance Editor Tech Editor Travel Editor

The Skinny is Scotland's largest independent entertainment & listings magazine, and offers a wide range of advertising packages and affordable ways to promote your business.

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E: sales@theskinny.co.uk All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the explicit permission of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within this publication do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the printer or the publisher.

Printed by Mortons Print Limited, Horncastle ABC verified Jan – Dec 2011: 32,162

a REGULAR MUSIC & AEG Live presentation

SAT 26TH MAY GLASGOW O2 ABC www.ticketmaster.co.uk www.regularmusic.com 0844 844 0444 or in person from Ticket Scotland:

Argyle Street Glasgow, Rose St Edinburgh & Ripping Records and all usual outlets 4

THE SKINNY

MAY 2012

P.71 EL-P TRACK BY TRACK GUIDE TO CANCER4CURE

P.42 ECA 2012 FASHION GRADUATE COLLECTION PREVIEWS

Rosamund West Dave Kerr Andrew Cattanach Keir 'Truth or' Hind Neil Murchison Bernard O’Leary David McGinty Ana Hine Keir Roper-Caldbeck Alexandra Fiddes Jamie Dunn Peter Simpson Anna Docherty Anna Docherty Gareth K. Vile Alex Cole Paul Mitchell

PRODUCTION Production Manager Designer Digital Intern Sub Editor printed on 100% recycled paper

Peter Marsden Lewis MacDonald Ellie Fraser Ray Philp

SALES/ACCOUNTS Sales Director Marketing Executive Sales Executive Accounts Administrator

Lara Moloney Michaela Hall George Sully Tom McCarthy Solen Collet

Publisher

Sophie Kyle

Contents

FRONT

DF CONCERTS & EVENTS PRESENTS… DF CONCERTS & EVENTS PRESENTS…

6: Skinny on tour, editorial rants, a Frabbit farewell to Take A Worm and Stop the Presses.

8: Heads Up: Every day in May, ways to work rest and play.. Or something similarly

rhyming.

FEATURES

10: Baws out sonic futurists Death Grips are no less extreme in interview, telling The

Skinny how they arrived blazed aff their nut at L.A. Reid's office and had their record contract printed off by Lord of Darkness, Simon Cowell.

12: Chin-strokers and knuckle-draggers of the silver screen face off to determine the

champ of our Top Trumps-inspired review of this summer's most anticipated block

buster and art house films. We like superheroes, it turns out.

14: Hunners of acts descend on various festivals this summer; we pick the ones that take

our fancy. Meanwhile, an ensemble cast of misfits from home and abroad give us the scoop on their festival experiences, and debunk some myths about what being

backstage is all about.

16: Our scribe joins Frightened Rabbit on their ten-day tour across the Highlands, taking

in the scenery and the whisky. So much whisky.

18: Erstwhile Welshman Gareth Evans discusses his visually-arresting (and very, very

violent) film The Raid.

18: Director Mia Hansen-Løve shares her passion for era-spanning narratives and her shift

from the front to the back of the camera.

20: Neuroscientist and author Jonah Lehrer explains the thinking behind his new book on

Creativity. Daydreaming is good for you, it turns out.

22: Geoff Barrow, he of Portishead, BEAK> and the no-bullshit Twitter account, reveals his

latest project DROKK, helmed alongside Ben Salisbury.

25: Mayfesto/Breaking Convention – Performance highlights across the Central Belt.

26: Introducing new book Tales from the Mall, author Ewan Morrison drags out Books ed

round an unidentified Glaswegian shopping centre, including a traumatic experience

in Build a Bear.

28: New Order’s Stephen Morris explains the Salford legends’ resurgence, their unfin-

ished record, and why he couldn’t find a steady job anywhere else 30: Introducing the Edinburgh International Festival's INsider scheme, with interviews

with a couple of the stars – Camille O'Sullivan collaborates with Shakespeare, and

Juilliard Dance bring their bright young performers across the pond to show off.

33: The Afghan Whigs are reforming after a 13-year hiatus. Greg Dulli invites us to catch

up on the band's essential back catalogue.

34: Glasgow's Auntie Flo shares details of his latest album, Future Rhythm Machine, and

unveils details of his wayfaring club night Highlife's second birthday.

35: Scotland’s first ever mass participation film project, Northern Lights, is looking for

vignettes about Scottish people's day-to-day lives – filmmaker Nick Higgins explains.

LIFESTYLE 37: Travel: A small town in the Texan desert proves an unlikely yet apt trove of Donald

Judd's Spartan box sculptures; and, looking forward to Brighton's The Great Escape.

39: Deviance: In the second of a two-part interview, independent Glasgow escort Laura

Lee lays bare the stigma of sex work.

40: Showcase: Glasgow's curating duo It's Our Playground have been injecting some fun

into the local scene for a while now – they show off some of their sources of inspiration.

42: Fashion: It's that time of year again... Edinburgh College of Art fashion students give

us a sneak peek at their final collections.

44: Food & Drink: Stuff your faces with the latest on food events happening around

Scotland. We also look tuck into some eye-popping burgers, washed down with

barrels of Whisky Stramash.

+ CLOCK OPERA

O2 ABC GLASGOW

+ Meredith Sheldon

WWW.THETEMPERTRAP.NET

EDINBURGH QUEENS HALL

MONDAY 14TH MAY

MONDAY 7TH MAY

GLASGOW ABC

TUESDAY 8TH MAY

+ TOY + BO NINGEN

NEW SINGLE ‘PRIMADONNA’ OUT NOW NEW ALBUM ‘ELECTRA HEART’ OUT NOW WWW.MARINAANDTHEDIAMONDS.COM

O2 ABC GLASGOW

PART OF THE WEST END FESTIVAL

TUESDAY 15TH MAY

GLASGOW CAPTAINS REST

WWW.THEHORRORS.CO.UK

SUNDAY 3RD JUNE

GLASGOW Oran Mor

Monday 4th June

+ GABRIEL BRUCE PLEASE NOTE: CHANGE OF VENUE (GLAS. ONLY) AND CHANGE OF DATES (BOTH SHOWS) - ORIGINAL TICKETS STILL VALID

GLASGOW O2 ABC2

EDINBURGH ELECTRIC CIRCUS THU 24TH MAY

WED 31ST MAY

The XCERTS

+ FATHERSON + CARNIVORES

GLASGOW GARAGE Wednesday 16th May

PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS

YOUNG HINES + LOJINX

GLASGOW ORAN MOR FRIDAY 25TH MAY

5TH STUDIO ALBUM ‘WHAT KIND OF WORLD’ OUT NOW

www.liannelahavas.com

L I A N N E L A H A VA S GLASGOW ORAN MOR SUN 6TH MAY

+ THE SUNSHINE SOCIAL + THE BEAUTIFUL LIES

GLASGOW BERKELEY SUITE

WEDNESDAY 16TH MAY WWW.IDREAMINCOLOURBAND.COM

+ JAKE BUGG

O2 ABC Glasgow

Thursday 17th May

REVIEW

47: Music: Stag & Dagger set up shop in Glasgow for the fourth year running, Phil Taylor

of Glasgow punk outfit Paws surveys the good, the bad and the ugly in this month's Dirty Dozen, and quality sonic gear from Death Grips, Squarepusher, Holy Mountain and DROKK, all reviewed.

54: Clubs: Where our discotheque correspondent vogues the shit out of the dancefloor

for a month and reports back on everything he can't remember, plus a round-up of

the best electronic music festivals outside Scotland.

56: Films: Reviews of new releases and previews of events – highlights include The Raid,

Cafe de Flore and American Pie: The Reunion, surprisingly.

58: Art: A quick look at a couple of Glasgow International's highlights, Wolfgang Tillmans

and Rob Kennedy.

59: Books: Reviews including The Panopticon, Time Warped and I'm Never Coming Back.

Tech: Netflicks and LoveFilm are better in America, apparently. Bloody typical.

60: Theatre: A season on the Arab Spring, and The Captain's Collection.

61: Comedy: Eurovision! It's exciting isn't it? One comedian looks forward to the musical

event of the year with a potted history of its highlights.

BACK

62: Competitions – win fabulous prizes.

63: Exhaustive listings for all of this month's goodies, for when you get sick of pish telly.

71: El-P gives us a track-by-track guide to his fucking terrifying new album. The rather

less avuncular Crystal Baws channels his inner Russell Grant-via-Charles Manson to lay out your doom-ridden future.

www.michaelkiwanuka.com Debut album ‘HOME AGAIN’ out now

GLASGOW THE ARCHES Thursday 24th May

+ WE ARE THE PHYSICS + BEAR ARMS

GLASGOW THE ARCHES WEDNESDAY 9TH MAY

DUKE SPECIAL EDINBURGH PLEASANCE THEATRE FRIDAY 18TH MAY GLASGOW ORAN MOR SATURDAY 19TH MAY www.dukespecial.com

PRESENTS

UR EAS & F L ER Y S S E M O A W / M CC E R E + R I TA N RCHES + SI OW THE A

GLASG AY 19TH MAY SATURD

ALT-J GLASGOW ART SCHOOL UNION MON 28TH MAY

For tickets call: 08444 999 990 or online: www.gigsinscotland.com www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Follow gigsinscotland on twitter @gigscot

May 2012

THE SKINNY

5

CHAT

E ditori a l In Film, we talk to Welshman and unlikely Indonesian filmmaker Gareth Evans about new movie The Raid, catch up with Mia Hansen Løve on new release Goodbye First Love, and play a merry game of Top Trumps with the summer’s blockbuster and indie releases. Turns out we’re easily swayed by explosions and tight lycra costumes.

In Art, we are mainly excited about a couple of exhibitions we’ve organised ourselves – Stephen Thorpe’s The Poetics of Space runs in Edinburgh’s Whitespace until 10 May, and our Showcase Shop collection of simply stunning prints by emergent artists will be on display in Glasgow’s Urban Outfitters from, well, 10 May-30 Jun. Yes, yes, blatant self-promotion alert. That aside, both will be visual treats, and you are advised to check them out. [Rosamund West]

THIS MONTH’S COVER Courtesy of photographer Chapman Baehler of MC Ride onstage in Pomona, California, April 2012

SHOT OF THE MONTH

Meshuggah, Garage, Glasgow, 15 Apr

By Ricky Skinner for more original photography go to www.Theskinny.co.uk

6

THE SKINNY

May 2012

photo: Gemma Burke

How to tell it’s nearly summer? Everyone starts barking on about the festivals, at home and abroad, optimistically imagining sunny days in warm fields and city streets immersed in a wealth of music, art, culture. The Skinny is no exception – this month we look towards that elusive sun with a rundown of the frankly astonishing array of musical delights that lie in store in the months ahead. If you don’t find a line-up you’re desperate to witness in our festival spread you’re probably dead inside.

Cover stars Death Grips will be appearing at one of the first flush of music multi-stagers, Stag and Dagger in Glasgow on Sat 19 May. If you haven’t heard them yet, you’re in for a terrifying treat. Interviewer Bram thinks they might be the most exciting thing to happen in music this century, a bold claim that will presumably prove divisive.

In other Music news, we sent one intrepid reporter on tour with Frightened Rabbit as they took to the road round the Highlands and Islands.

Whisky-fuelled adventures ensued. Our Music ed spent some time quizzing New Order’s Stephen Morris on their resurgence, continuing beef with Hooky and what they really think about all those Joy Division references. Afghan Whigs’ Greg Dulli also provided some insight into his band’s return from a 13-year hiatus with a guide to their essential back catalogue.

Books has a bit of an exciting month, as author Ewan Morrison embraces the section’s commitment to alternative interview scenarios by dragging Books ed Keir around an unnamed Glaswegian mall, including a reportedly harrowing visit to Build a Bear Workshop. All in the name of promoting his new book Tales from the Mall you understand.

Elsewhere, neuroscientist and writer Jonah Lehrer introduces his new work on creativity, which gives you license to stare out the window in the quest for more original thinking. Nice.

D o w n the F ront

A farewell to Take A Worm For A Walk Week Stereo, 5 April

rrrrr It is the bell-end of an era. Tonight at Stereo we witness the final demented howl of Glasgow’s monstrous Take A Worm For A Walk Week. We, the audience, should be lamenting the loss of this band, the country’s finest proponents of… what the fuck d’you call it? Sex Pest Metal? Cuntcore? But nobody here is sad. It’s difficult to feel sad when the stage is littered with large, brown jobby piñatas and fat, turgid dick-shaped shakers. Aye, you heard me. Fat, turgid dick-shaped shakers.

However, to focus on the props would do a disservice to one of the tightest, most thrilling performances

I’ve ever witnessed. Messrs Quimby, Docherty and Scott each have an HNC in metalwork. Maybe even an HND. Mr Liddell has an NQ in being a weirdo and I’ve heard Joe Q got his Standard Grade in PE, but decided to pursue other things. I’m very glad he did.

He’s a brilliant frontman for this brutal racket, and it’s virtually impossible to take your eyes off him (I really fancy you Joe… How’bout it?). The whole show is akin to a proud, rippling, tin penis trying to force itself into the least accommodating orifice available, and it’s just brilliant. Only thing is, it was the band’s final wish that I give the show 0/5 [The Skinny's website won’t go lower than 1, and since when the hell did bands dictate how many stars their own show gets, eh? - ed], so don’t give me any shit for this. It’s the way they wanted it. [Scott Hutchison] www.takeawormforawalkweek.bandcamp.com

SKINNY ON TOUR

Glasgow based musicians and Skinny aficionados Kieran Heather (Washington Irving, Endor) and Chris McGarry (John Knox Sex Club, Washington Irving) are currently on the road recording their new project Let’s Talk About Space, the follow up to 2010’s Let’s Talk About Trees. But where in the galaxy are they?

Enter your guess at www.theskinny.co.uk/ competitions and you might win a bottle of wine courtesy of our expert friends at VINO WINES.

Closing date: Thu 31 May Winners will be notified on the day of closing and will be required to respond within one week or the prize will be offered to another entrant. For full terms and conditions, go to www.theskinny.co.uk/ terms and www.drinkaware.co.uk for the facts.

CHAT

Heats for the Funny’s Funny competition take place at The Shack, Edinburgh on 23 May and 13 Jun. This is the second year of the competition which is open to anyone identifying themselves as female. It was set up by comedy enthusiasts in response to the Funny Women competition, which has faced allegations of financially exploiting participants and refusing to acknowledge transgender comics. Details at www. funnysfunny.org.uk/

killer Joe

Reel Talk

All Killer, No Filler Jamie Dunn It’s been interesting to observe, over the last few months, the tentative relationship that’s blossoming between Edinburgh International Film Festival and the Scottish mainstream media following their very public breakup in the lead up to last year’s disappointing festival. One likes to think that the Scotsman, the Herald et al. have perhaps realised that the apocalyptic headlines they were printing before EIFF even managed to release its weak programme may have been self-fulfilling prophecies that scared off both punters and distributors, but I think it’s the more considered (less car salesman-like) approach of EIFF’s new Artistic Director, Chris Fujiwara, that’s helped encourage the press to retract their claws.

By this time last year the festival team had written cheques they were unable to cash with talk about reinventing EIFF as a funky Meltdown-esque event that it evidently wasn’t in the position to deliver. But this year, following its regime change, EIFF has come over all enigmatic. We’ve not heard too much from Fujiwara so far, but what has been announced is very promising. Closing with Pixar’s Scottish-set Brave, for example, is kind of perfect, satisfying cinephiles, casual movie fans, tartan wavers and tourist boards alike.

EIFF’s second major announcement was that Japanese director Shinji Sômai will be one of this year’s retrospectives. Instead of rhetorical boasts about EIFF being “the festival of discovery” or “the brain of the British film industry,” Fugiwara’s walking the walk: by championing Sômai, a filmmaker virtually unknown in the west, EIFF is directly influencing critical discourse.

Retrospectives and the gala films are what give a festival its identity. Therefore EIFF’s most recent announcement, that New Hollywood firecracker William Friedkin’s Killer Joe will open proceedings on 20 June, suggest a new, refreshing attitude to programming. Friedkin’s film has almost no marketing cachet: it’s been roaming the festival circuit since Venice last year; it’s released UK-wide only nine days after it opens Edinburgh; and its cast (Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch and Juno Temple) offer little in the way of tabloid frenzy. Using supposition, then, the only reason I can see for it taking pride of place on opening night is simply that it’s good. For EIFF, choosing quality over kudos is a novel approach when it comes to galas – just look at some of the dire world premieres it’s chosen as festival bookends over the years.

In the Killer Joe press release Fugiwara says he intends “to deliver a diverse programme that will spotlight filmmaking of real artistic distinction.” In other words, EIFF 2012 will be more like Killer, and (hopefully) no filler.

Public Enemy by Euan Robertson

SoundExposed: Head along to the East Kilbride Arts Centre this month to catch a photography exhibition showcasing new and established photographers. By combining photos of home-grown talent and international acts, shot at some of Scotland's most famous music venues, SoundExposed captures the excitement and energy of Scotland’s live music scene. Until 20 May, Free. Including work by a load of The Skinny’s contributors past and present. East Kilbride Arts Centre, 51-53 Old Coach Road, East Kilbride

The (Un)R adical Issue of Consent There are some big problems in the way that we talk about sex and consent

CHERNOZEM: KINO! from 85A: Multidisciplinary arts impresarios 85A Collective present Judd Brucke’s short movie Chernozem, a horror with shades of German Expressionism about a man struggling for survival in a post-apocalyptic world, which 85A have developed into a hairraising ‘total cinema’ experience, cinematic performance piece entitled CHERNOZEM: KINO!.

Over three nights (3-5 May) it will screen every half hour at the Glue Factory, with screenings starting from 9pm. See www.85A.org.uk for more details

The Big Beach Ball gets Olympic approval with a Friendly Fire.

The Olympics are set to pay homage to the 11 hour dance-a-thon that is the inaugural Big Beach Ball in Aberdeen on 6 May by bringing the Olympic Torch to the event.

OK, it might not be the actual London 2012 edition but what better way to celebrate the beginning of summer at a beach in the north east of Scotland than having the 2006 Torino Winter Olympic torch there? That’s along with the announcement that Friendly Fires will be adding a DJ set to the already packed bill which features Derek Carter, Slam, Heartthrob and another 40 acts. Tickets and info at www.thebigbeachball.co.uk

Katherine McMahon Consent really shouldn’t be that radical. That we should have the final say over what we do with our bodies, and who gets to do what to them, shouldn’t really be something that we have to argue for; it should be a given. But all that we seem to hear about when it comes to consent is whether girls and women do or do not say no. There is the idea that girls should be taught that they must say no to sex, which can be seen with rape survivors having their every word pored over to establish if they said no loudly or clearly enough. In fact, the legal criteria for consent is the absence of a ‘no’.

This is hugely disempowering: it assumes that we are passive creatures who must wait for a man to come and woo us, at which point we may acquiesce or refuse. We are not, and that is not how it is supposed to work. What about our ‘yes’es’? Surely they count for something? Where does our sexual agency come into it? As it stands, it is assumed that the onus is on us, as girls and women, to communicate our dissent, rather than on both parties to actively seek a ‘yes’. This is a huge problem in cases of rape, but, important as that is, it’s not what I want to talk about.

Much less discussed are the everyday situations where someone might have sex to avoid an argument, or kiss because it’s just what you do with a partner. In these cases, willingness is based not on what each person actually wants at the time, but on a set of social expectations that can be difficult to flout. So ‘yes’ might sometimes mean ‘I don’t want to be rude’, or ‘I don’t want to be hurtful’, or ‘yes’ might be assumed, because it’s just what is expected in certain situations. Consent is suddenly blurry, because the option of ‘no’ was

not really there.

So consent is not just about saying no; it’s also about being able to say yes and mean it. Instead of teaching girls that they must say no to sex, sex education should foster an atmosphere where sex can be talked about openly between partners.

That means teaching both girls and boys that ‘no means no’, but it also means equipping them to seek a ‘yes’, with respect – teaching them to ask about, and discuss sex, and to question the expectations around it. It is as important that ‘yes means yes’ as it is that ‘no means no’. In my experience, a good discussion about consent makes sex better and more fun. Rather than a rejection, a ‘no’ becomes an affirmation of all the ‘yes’es’: it means that every time you have sex with your partner, you know that they really want to be doing it. Tackling all the insecurities that are tangled up in saying yes or no means that sex becomes more about pleasure and connection, and less about expectations and tiptoeing around potentially hurt feelings. And that kind of enthusiasm is sexy.

Enthusiastic and active consent, rather than the absence of a ‘no’ or the presence of an expectation, should be the baseline for sex. If that was what we taught our children – rather than just teaching girls that they should say no and teaching boys how to put a condom on a banana – the whole culture around sex would be totally different, so much healthier, and a lot more fun. It is important that when we say ‘no’, it is heard. It is important that we feel able to say ‘no’ whenever we want to. And it is vital that our ‘yes’es’ are heard, and that they mean something.

Sunset by Ellie Fraser

The Middle Place: From 5-13 May, The Old Ambulance Depot hosts an exhibition of new work

by Al White, David Lemm and Jamie Johnson. To coincide with the opening of The Onaway Trust Library, the three artists have created works concerned with the study and re-imagining of themes found within the histories and cultures of indigenous peoples. 77 Brunswick Street, Edinburgh, Free Preview Friday 4th May 7-9pm

Sights & Sounds runs at St John's Church, Princes St until 19 May, presenting the first solo show of painting work by one Ellie Fraser, who has been interning at The Skinny for the past 6 months. Go check it out – it's open 8am-4.45pm Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat, and 8am-4pm Sun. Free.

Help DFRNT release his new album: Edinburgh dub techno producer DFRNT is looking for help to fund the release of his new album, Fading.

The LP is to be released on digital and CD formats on his own imprint, Echodub, together with a 12” single should he reach his target. For more details on how to contribute, visit www.indiegogo. com/DFRNT-Fading-new-shiny-album-project

May 2012

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HEADS UP

WED 2 MAY

HE A D S UP SUN 6 MAY

MON 7 MAY

COMPILED BY: ANNA DOCHERTY

Michael Pedersen

FRI 11 MAY

SAT 12 MAY

Photo: Alex Woodward

Local screamers Divorce are currently busy recording their debut album, being let out for one night only to host a special album fundraiser – for which they’ll be joined by Ben Butler and Mousepad, Ultimate Thrush, The Cosmic Dead, and ExServicemen for one hella noisy line-up. Go support the cause, eh? The Old Hairdressers, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £4

The third in the series of RBS Museum Lates (yes, late night fun... in the museum!) takes on a ’wonderland’ theme, with your musical soundtrack provided by Django Django and Discopolis, alongside the usual themed installations, roaming creations, and pop-up surprises. And possibly baby meerkats. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, 7pm, £sold out

sat 19 May

Django Django

THE SKINNY

May 2012

Photo: David Anderson

Wed 23 May

8

Kelburn Castle and Country Park turns al fresco club night for The Psychedelic Forest Disco, all-nighter, with headliners Zombie Disco Squad playing alongside the likes of Billy Woods, Kris Wasabi, Chungo Bungo, and DJ NoFace across two main arenas, with your dancefloor for the night a sheltered forest canopy. Amen. Kelburn Castle and Country Park, 6pm, £23

It’s blue-arsed fly time again, as the one-ticket, multi-venue Shoreditch export of Stag and Dagger arrives in Glasgow with a suitably eclectic line-up set across multiple city centre venues – with Death Grips, Discopolis, Django Django, The Phantom Band, Die Hard, White Denim and a shed-load more getting us zigzagging across town like a mentalist. Various venues, Glasgow, £12 earlybird Death Grips

thu 24 may

fri 25 may

Glasgow’s Mono go about celebrating 35 of years of live gigging from The Fall, with a host of local bands and artists of the likes of Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lockpickers, Casual Sex, and Gropetown gathering to pay homage with a selection of covers of Fall classics. Mono, Glasgow, 5pm, £5

Experimental filmmaker Lis Rhodes takes over Tramway with a body of films that encompass performance, photography, composition, writing and political commentary between them. It’ll include her inspired film, Dresden Dynamo, made entirely without a camera, instead using physical marks made directly on the celluloid stretch. Tramway, Glasgow, until 24 Jun, Free

Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers

Photo: JAMES CADDEN

fri 18 May

Tousled-haired man offa the telly Simon Amstell returns to the live circuit with his brand new show, Numb, as self-deprecating and painfully honest as ever, his talent being making some brilliantly nuanced comedy out of the most tragic of existential quandaries. The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, 8pm, £21.50

Photo: Gemma Burke

thu 17 May

The ECA’s Fashion, Performance Costume, and Textile graduating students host their annual run of shows, taking their creations to a catwalk setting for a series of colourful multimedia shows. Marking the college’s recent merger with the University of Edinburgh, this year’s show will be held in the Old College’s Playfair Library. 23-25 May, various times, £15. See listings for details

Our March issue cover star, Canadian musician Claire Boucher (aka Grimes), finally takes to a venue near us, with the relatively intimate surrounds of The Berkeley Suite her setting. Deftly balancing dance beats and a supersaturation of vocal hooks against imperious bass synthesis, you’ll have to beg, borrow, or steal your way to a ticket. Berkeley Suite, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £sold out

Photo: Nuria Ruis

Those spoken word specialists at Words Per Minute stage their final regular Sunday swansong, for which they’re pulling together all their favourite folk from the last two years – naturally including yer man Alan Bissett, alongside Michael Pedersen, and Allan Wilson, plus live music from Becci Wallace, and Michael Cassidy. Plus the tease of some "very special guests". The Arches, Glasgow, 4pm, £5

Photo: Edmund Fraser

May, that’s summer, right? We take to the outdoors for Brew at the Bog, a psychedelic forest disco, and i Am’s boat party on the Clyde...

Fancy discounted tickets, VIP party passes, free drinks, and other such nifty benefits for use during Edinburgh International Festival, and beyond? Get yersel’ down to the INsider Festival launch where they’ll be revealing details of the exclusive opportunities the golden INsider pass can bring. The Hub, Edinburgh, 6pm, Free (booking in advance at INsider@eif.co.uk) Photo: Eoin Carey

Celebrating the pleasures of fashion, beats and dancing ’til you drop, Nightwalk returns for its annual club-meets-catwalk outing with a selection of local designers showcasing their spring/summer 2012 collections – amongst ’em Swedish-born, Glasgow-based designer Jenny Lööf and Scottish jewellery designer Bonnie Bling – backed by a live DJ soundtrack, as per.

The Arches, Glasgow, 8pm, £10

Photo: www.JohnJohnstonPhotography.co.uk

TUE 1 MAY

HEADS UP

SAT 5 MAY

Outdoor festival season is officially upon us, as Inverness plays host to BrewDog’s inaugural festival outing, BREW AT THE BOG. The pretty stellar line-up takes in Washington Irving, Endor, Over The Wall, Kitty The Lion, Stanley Odd, and The Seventeenth Century, amongst others. And beer. Loadsae beer. Bogbain Farm, Inverness, £45. Full info at brewatthebog.com

WASHINGTON IRVING

WED 9 MAY Educational comedy night on the block, BRIGHT CLUB, stages its monthly takeover of Edinburgh’s The Stand, with compere Susan Morrison introducing a new crop of comedic academics from Scotland’s universities, this time basing their skits around the theme of reflection.

Laughs and learning in one neat package: tick. The Stand, Edinburgh, 8.30pm, £5

PHOTO: IDIL SUKAN

TUE 8 MAY Former police sergeant-turned-stand-up ALFIE MOORE takes to The Stand to talk about the history of protests and riots, from the Nika riot in 532 AD through to the May Day riots in 1517, alongside his vibrant first hand accounts of being behind the riot shield... Plus standard truncheon innuendo. The Stand, Edinburgh, 8.30pm, £8. Also playing Glasgow’s The Stand on 21 May

THU 10 MAY

The Skinny (yes, us) are brightening the walls of Glasgow’s Urban Outfitters, presenting a showcase exhibition of seven artists’ work handpicked from previous Skinny magazine showcases. All prints are available to buy (via theskinny.co.uk/shop), and all are welcome to join us for the opening night. Urban Outfitters (top floor), Glasgow, 5pm-9pm, Free. Exhibition runs until 30 Jun TWO PENCE, RABIYA CHOUDHRY

SUSAN MORRISON

MON 14 MAY

TUE 15 MAY

WED 16 MAY

Weegie funnywoman KEARA MURPHY hosts her regular Monday fun night, Fit O’ The Giggles – showcasing a handpicked selection of all-new material from a host of acts taking in sketches, stand-up, mime, musical comedy, poetry, magic, cabaret, and, well, pretty much anything else they damn well fancy. City Cafe, Edinburgh, 8.30pm, £3 (£2)

THE HORRORS finally give their self-produced third LP, Skying, an outing in Glasgow (following their belated Edinburgh gig at the beginning of the year). Probably their most individual creation to date – managing to marry layered drone, pile-driving bass, and brass refrains into one gloriously listenable whole – it goes down a treat in a live setting. O2 ABC, Glasgow, 7pm, £14

Formerly of French experimentalists Herman Dune, man of many guises Andre Herman Dune takes to The Third Door’s basement as his current incarnation – STANLEY BRINKS. Backed by his new collaborators, Norwegian band The Flying Kaniks, he’ll knock out an indie-styled racket, equal parts vintage pop and anti-folk. The Third Door, Edinburgh, 7pm, £5

TUE 22 MAY

MON 21 MAY Louis Abbott and his merry six-piece, ADMIRAL FALLOW, prepare to colonise The Queen’s Hall’s stage for their usual rousing collective rabble of a thing, showcasing tracks from their new LP, Tree Bursts In Snow, which drops that very day. Bets that they also crack out live favourite Squealing Pigs for an audience singsong? Pretty much a given. The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, 7pm, £12.50

PHOTO: EUAN ROBERTSON

SUN 20 MAY Set up by former Selfridges stylist Judy Berger in 2005, JUDY’S AFFORDABLE VINTAGE FAIR returns to Edinburgh with a hand-selected jumbo lot of vintage goodies, offering up a mix of old-school threads and accessories for ladies and gents, alongside homewares, collectibles, haberdashery, handmade crafts, and other ephemera.

HMV Picture House, Edinburgh, noon-5pm, £2 (£1)

A magical ode to radio, rare records, and how a stack of vinyl that changed one man’s life, JOHN PEEL’S SHED tells the real life tale of how John Osbourne won a competition on John Peel’s Radio One show with the prize of a box of records that took eight years to listen to. Tron Theatre, Glasgow, 7.45pm, £15 (£12). Also playing Paisley Arts Centre the night before

PHOTO: SOLEN COLLET

PHOTO: MATTHEW BEECH

SUN 13 MAY Glasgow DJ AUNTIE FLO (aka Brian D’Souza) takes to Sneaky Pete’s for a late night full live set in support of his new mini album, Future Rhythm Machine (which he launches proper at Glasgow’s La Cheetah on 5 May).

You can also catch him at his Sub Club residency, Highlife, on 20 May. Man gets aboot. Sneaky Pete’s Edinburgh, 10pm, £5

SAT 26 MAY

PHOTO: INGRID MUR

FRI 4 MAY Official STAR WARS DAY (May the 4th, geddit?) brings with it myriad themed nights, from The Flying Duck’s intergalactic party featuring a pre-club Star Wars screening voted for by the punters, to Edinburgh Tekno Cartel’s ominously-titled ’Star Whores’ rave-off down’t Henry’s Cellar Bar. See listings for full details

PHOTO: JULIET BUCHAN

THU 3 MAY Fence Records’ label boss THE PICTISH TRAIL (aka Johnny Lynch) takes to the CCA resplendent with full beard and full band, performing new songs from his forthcoming album Secret Soundz Vol 2, alongside a handful of old faves. Familiar support comes from fellow Fencers Kid Canaveral, upping the indie-pop ante somewhat. CCA, Glasgow, 8pm, £10

The i AM crew venture out of their Tuesday night cocoon of Sub Club, taking to the Clyde for a bit o’ BOAT PARTY action.

Regular hosts Beta & Kappa will be supplying an eclectic soundtrack for the four-hour journey, before ferrying revellers to Sub Club’s after-bash where live guests Submerse and C.R.S.T. will join them. Pick up from Glasgow Science Centre, Glasgow, 7pm, £15

SUN 27 MAY

MON 28 MAY

Lock Up Your Daughters magazine present their occasional queer film night at Glasgow Film Theatre, for which they’ll be screening Lisa Cholodenko’s directorial debut, High Art, which depicts all-female attraction in an honest and original way, complete with touches of magic realism. GFT, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £7 (£5.50)

Straight out of Louisville, David Christian Pajo (aka PAPA M) pays a visit to Glasgow’s King Tut’s for a solo set, a rare thing for a man who’s in the past been more likely to be found playing live with the likes of Stereolab, Matmos, Tortoise, Bonnie ’Prince’ Billy, Interpol, and (currently) Yeah Yeah Yeahs. King Tut’s, Glasgow, 8pm, £10

MAY 2012

THE SKINNY

9

FEATURES

music

F u l l M e ta l F u t u r i s t s A full-frontal assault on the musical culture of 2012, Death Grips might just be the most important band to arrive so far this century. Zach Hill discusses raw reality, release and borrowing Simon Cowell’s printer

photo: Chapman Baehler

Interview: Bram E. Gieben

MC Ride onstage in Pomona, California, April 2012

10 THE SKINNY

May 2012

FEATURES Death Grips burst into the musical collective consciousness in 2011 with Exmilitary, a tour-deforce of punk attitude, soundsystem bass weight and no-holds-barred hip-hop. The album explored occult knowledge, economic collapse and technofuturism with a cathartic, purging emotional core centred on MC Ride’s apocalyptic vocal performances. Their live shows, where the album was transfigured into a snarling, hardcore behemoth of rock, dance music and rap, gained them the admiration of metal-heads, punks and hip-hop kids alike, leading many critics to declare them not just the future of hip-hop, but also the first truly important band of the twenty-first century.

Consisting of lyrical tornado MC Ride, producer and keyboardist Flatlander, ancillary members Mexican Girl and Info Warrior, plus legendary drum-destroyer Zach Hill (ex-of Hella, Wavves and a whole host of other groups), Death Grips are remorselessly avant-garde: challenging to listen to, but with a keen ear for melody, structure and dynamics – not to mention a lo-fi, tech-savvy approach to visuals and videos that makes the band unique among the current slew of hip-hop artists. Now signed to the none-more-corporate Epic Records for an undisclosed sum, the band have just released The Money Store, a full-frontal assault on the musical culture of 2012. We spoke to Zach Hill about the philosophy behind the band, their approach to music and visuals, the cathartic rush of their live shows, and the now-legendary tale of how they borrowed Simon Cowell’s printer.

Death Grips has become Hill’s main project now, how does he feel about that? “I felt a real need to return to centralising and focusing my creative energies into one thing, and having one outlet, rather than spreading my energies all over the place and not maximising a certain vision,” he says. How did he get involved with Death Grips?

“Stefan [MC Ride] and I were neighbours. We had conceptualised this group back in the summer of 2010, but just as friends talking about it. We got more and more serious, and in December 2010 we recorded the track Full Moon (Death Classic). That was the first go at this thing, and we just recognised the energy; we saw the potential for what we could do musically together.”

Was the release of Exmilitary for free, through online viral channels, a strategy designed to attract major label attention, or did the offer from Epic come as a surprise? “It came as a surprise,” Hill insists. “Nothing about the creative or the musical aspects of the group are at all forced or contrived, it’s all very natural. The start of the band has much more to do with our own personal lives; outside of doing music publically, we were just trying to think about it as honestly and genuinely as possible.” Hill describes Death Grips as: “Empowering music... for our own benefit, and for our own mental health. Everything to do with this group, all of that peripheral stuff is very much focused out of the creative aspect. There’s no angles, no strategies regarding some sort of business-like approach. It’s all about the music, or the visual aspects. It’s very honest.”

In other interviews Hill has mentioned that Epic offered the band ‘creative freedom’ – was it a negotiation? “The thing about the Epic meeting was that it was the opposite of everything you would expect about going into that scenario, which made perfect sense to us as a group, but also as futurists,” he elaborates. Over the course of our interview, he refers to the band as ‘futurists’ more than once – defining their philosophy by saying: “We’re always thinking about stigmas, and how they get attached to things. Our whole approach is to not operate based on outside opinions; on profiling. There was a majestic calling to that meeting, so a lot of what we were perceiving going in was abolished, and that itself gave us the sense that this would be the right move.

Based on their reaction to the music, you could tell that these people in that building – like L.A. Reid, Tricky Stewart and Angelica Cob-Baehler, all these heavyweight industry people... You could just tell that they were like: ‘Oh, fuck.’ That there was so much energy and feeling in the music that they had almost forgotten we were in a business meeting. They also knew that it was operating on a level they couldn’t understand – not entirely, but in a creative way. This isn’t a negative thing, I think

a lot of people would have that same reaction, but should be happening.’ To all of us, it’s a series of you could tell that even if they had wanted to mess improvisations, to the point where everything is with the creative vision of the group, they wouldn’t what we make it. It was a performance, or it felt know how to begin.” like that. That might be quite an abstract way of With Reid’s pedigree as an X-Factor judge and thinking, but that’s how we talk amongst ourselves.

If you’re an artist, the Cob-Baehler’s backcreative side of things ground in signing Katy never turns off. That Perry, Death Grips must whole exchange, that have been very different whole interaction – it was to the music they were performance art.” used to dealing with.

Are Death Grips “Understand... they ultimately trying to spend twenty-four hours say something about a day designing people’s the future of music, or careers. So if they hear the world? “When we music that hits on that talk about the future, same level, or that hits on we recognise that any kind of level of feelthe world is changing ing or emotion, they can every day,” says Hill. automatically sense that Zach Hill “It’s chaotic. Take the if it isn’t broke, don’t fix internet – you can be on it. It was kind of a relief: a site like Slashdot, one ‘We don’t even have of the most interesting, to do anything, just let intelligent sites in the these dudes keep doing world, reading this really what they’re doing.’” informative stuff, and at The band even used Sithe same time you can have some porn open in mon Cowell’s printer to print off the contract – was another window, and be jacking off to it simultaneit a surreal experience meeting the God Emperor ously. Those things are welded together, and it’s of manufactured pop? “The whole thing was a very much normal to have those ideas and mentalistrange experience,” reflects Hill. “To be honest, I ties all interwoven and coexisiting. It’s complex – went in there high as a kite. I was totally out of it. the filthiest grime can sit next to the most polished Well, not out of it, you know, but we smoke a lot thing; street-level of weed. Whatever. We attitudes existing right were in there, Stefan had next to the highest level graffitied the bathroom, of MIT [Massachusetts and then... it’s very hard Institute of Technology] to explain. We don’t knowledge. So when we even know these people, talk about the future, we and then all of a sudden believe that the future we’re sitting there with abolishes the notion the X-Factor host.” of being able to profile Although the experipeople. Homelessence was strange, the ness and poverty and band were in no way violence, the crash of rattled: “We believe in the American dollar – all juxtaposition, we think those things that seem things can coexist, we’re to be coming... we see into the one-ness of that every day, where everything,” explains Zach Hill we live. It’s a natural Hill. “They didn’t want influence, because a us to leave the building, lot of our friends, and they wanted the whole ourselves, have been in thing to go down right those scenarios. We see then and there. That’s the it every day, all around us, and we feel a kind of way it went with people like Rihanna. So we were energy from it. There are going to be times ahead getting ready to sign the shit, the printer didn’t – very soon I think – where things are going to look work, and Simon Cowell was the only one left in a lot different than they do now. That gets naturally the office, so he printed our contract out. There integrated into our music. Our music represents was a lot of humour within it, but at the same time, that.” we were like, ‘No, this is regular, man. This is what

There’s a lot of recycling and destruction that happens in the making of our music

We believe in juxtaposition, we think things can coexist, we're into the one-ness of everything

Zach Hill

In the aftermath of a Death Grips live show, you walk away feeling battered but purified by the experience. Is it just as cathartic for Hill?

“When we started, it wasn’t for anyone else and it wasn’t about getting a record deal, or anything like that. With Death Grips, it is all a release. For us, the whole point is to get lost, to get off into that energy. Basically the idea is like; all day you’re eating a meal, and the show, that’s where you shit it out. Afterwards you have relief, and you can eat again. Negativity becomes positive because of the energy on the other side, when we’re focused.

It makes us feel like: ‘Shit’s fucked. I can handle it though.’ Sharing that experience with us, that’s the hope, that the audience come out feeling the same way. We’re providing a space and an environment where people can be whatever they want to be, because that’s what we’re doing.”

Is MC Ride as intense offstage as he is onstage? “Yes. All of us are,” insists Hill. “I mean, of course he’s just like everybody else – he’s funny, he has a sense of humour, he’s very sharp. He’s not someone you would just go up to and start talking to. At the shows, I think he’s very lost in what he is doing. For all of us, it’s like that – we really try and go to this place, and most of the time we do. I don’t even remember when we play. That’s the whole point. It’s just gone.

And I think the same is true for Stefan, he’s just in the zone. It’s very honest and very real. I don’t think he’s even there a lot of the time when we’re doing what we do. That’s what we’re trying to achieve. There’s no difference between our art and our real lives.”

The third Death Grips album, No Love, is already in the works: “It transcends even the place we are right now, musically, just as hopefully The Money Store did with Exmilitary,” enthuses Hill. “The main thing I can really talk about now is the heaviness of it. I don’t necessarily mean just volume or noise, because the most quiet thing in the world, musically, can be one of the heaviest. I mean more dynamically. It’s so difficult to describe music – it’s very beat-oriented, but it has a strong emotional core. You’ll hear some of the loudest things we’ve ever done, but also some of the quietest things. It’s definitely not a departure... it’s a natural culmination. If you think of the records as a trinity, this one will be the point on the top of the triangle. It’s powerful music. We’re excited about it. It’s dangerous.”

In terms of the way that Death Grips are represented in their videos and artwork, does any one individual oversee this aspect of the band, and are there any particular visual artists they’d specifically like to work with? “No-one leads it,” says Hill. “We’re all very visually-oriented. In terms of collaborations in the future, we’ve been in correspondence with Crispin Glover, we might do a video together. We’ll see if it works out – it all goes back to that concept of improvisation. Every day. We’re very impulsive, but we know what we like and we know what we don’t.”

The conversation turns to Retrograde – an online project for which the band compiled a wall of 109 thirty-second musical samples of Death Grips playing live. The idea was to simulate the feeling of ‘living in a GIF’ – a reality that is suffused with glitches, that repeats itself. The project allows fans to experience the creative process behind the band: “People are always asking how we make our music, how we use samples – we would talk about music concrète, stuff like that, and that’s absolutely true – we often make music out of material that other people wouldn’t think to use. We might take a sample from YouTube and then build a whole song around it with these more hi-fi instruments, and then erase the sample from YouTube so it’s not even in the track. There’s a lot of recycling and destruction that happens in the making of our music.”

The result of all that recycling and destruction?

A liberating, transcendental process of creation and catharsis that is utterly unique in modern music; and strangely, an inversion of the band’s name. Death Grips celebrate life, and letting go.

Playing Stag & Dagger Festival in Glasgow on 19 May. The Money Store is out now on Epic Records www.thirdworlds.net

May 2012

THE SKINNY 11

FEATURES

film

B l o c k b u s t e r s v Art- h o u s e

We preview a summer of films, pitting the art-house against the event movie using a scientifically proven top trumps system that rates director kudos, fan anticipation, funniness, sexiness and that quintessential summer movie ingredient, explodiness Words: Thom Atkinson, Jamie Dunn, Chris Fyvie, and Kirsty Leckie-Palmer

The (Rare) Female Protagonist

The Brave Pixar’s latest, set in an olden-days Scotch-land where the men are big and drunk and the wummin ken their place, sees fiery Princess Merida (Kelly MacDonald) get in supernatural scrapes and rebel against this oppressive patriarchal hegemony. Or something. With classy comic voice talent (actual, real-life Scottish folk!) and the promise of an action-packed, swords-and-sporrans-fest, wee’ans and old-yins alike could be in for a treat. Trailers suggest dazzling visuals, a pure-hard-as-nails female lead and some good-natured fun-pokery at fairytale convention. Fingers crossed.

Director kudos: Not great: with the likes of Andrew Stanton and Brad Bird moving into live action the reins fall to Pixar newbies Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapmen. (2/5) Fan fever: It’s Pixar… everyone loves Pixar (4/5) Explodiness: Archery! Spookiness! Cabers! (4/5) Sexiness: They’re drawings, weirdo. And Merida ain’t no Jessica Rabbit. (2/5) Funniness: If Connelly, Ferguson, Coltrane and Thompson are given decent stuff, they can make it great. (4/5) Total: 16/25 [Chris Fyvie]

Anna Karenina Joe Wright, with the aid of muse Keira Knightley as the titular aristocratic heartbreaker, tackles Leo Tolstoy’s gargantuan treatise of seduction, repression, guilt, politics and... well, everything, really. Optimists will point to Wright’s success in essaying the desires that lurk beneath austerity in previous work and habit of getting the best out of Knightley; sceptics will be weary of the difficulty in adapting such opaque prose successfully and eliciting a performance from the rubbish bloke off Spooks (Matthew Macfadyen).

A tough one to call, but it’ll sure look pretty.

Director kudos: Though an undoubted talent, Wright’s very much hit-and-miss. Frequently in the same film. (3/5) Fan fever: Russian literature enthusiasts: not renowned for salivating over film adaptations. (2/5) Explodiness: Plenty combustible emotions, but don’t hold your breath for a car chase. (3/5) Sexiness: Stolen glances, unbearable sexual tension, all-consuming passion — basically the good bits from Atonement. (5/5) Funniness: Leo saved the LOLz for War & Peace. (1/5) Total: 14/25 [CF]

The British Stalwarts

endearing quirk-com (500) Days of Summer. (3/5) Fan fever: Factor in the comic book guys and it’s looking malarial. (5/5) Explodiness: Acrobatic gimp plus vicious, pixelated lizard equals carnage. (4/5) Sexiness: A feline Stone secures the sexy; spideysuit and accompanying odours not so much. (3/5) Funniness: Well, it couldn’t be more emo than the Raimi franchise. (2/5) Total: 17/25 [Kirsty Leckie-Palmer] Moonrise Kingdom A crayon correspondence between fledgling sweethearts Sam (Jared Gilman) and Suzy (Kara Hayward) sends the preadolescents flitting into the wilderness together, leaving their parents to exasperation, a brewing storm and some caricatured authority figures. As Wes Anderson scatters yet another ensemble over his tawny snapshot of 1960s New England, it’ll be eccentricity, not a showboat cast, that navigates Moonrise Kingdom beyond its strange promise of Ingmar Bergman’s Summer with Monika, with kids.

Director kudos: Wes Anderson. Not so much signature style as oddity incarnate. (5/5) Fan fever: Rushmore alumni are already scribbling fan posters and sewing patches onto kitsch tat for their Etsy stores. (3/5) Explodiness: Bruce Willis looks more Death Becomes Her than Die Hard, but there’s hope for some lightning (2/5) Sexiness: Bill Murray’s topless gooseflesh or Ed Norton in scout uniform? (1/5) Funniness: If you take your humour desert dry with a side order of enigma. (3/5) Total: 14/25 [KLP]

The Light Side of the Summer

The Amazing Spider-Man: Just 5 years after Sam Raimi slung out the spandex after taking a radioactive $890 million with SpiderMan 3, the money spider has come crawling back up the drainpipe. Brit Andrew Garfield will suit up as Peter Parker to tangle with his parents’ disappearance and first love Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) whilst variously mentored and menaced by Dr Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans). Director Marc Webb may accomplish a gutsy, glossy reboot with The Amazing Spider-Man, but any parallels to Nolan’s Batman are (spidey) senseless.

Director kudos: An incongruous choice bar his surname, Marc Webb’s only other feature is

12 THE SKINNY

May 2012

The Dark Side of the Summer

The Dark Knight Rising Spare a thought for Christian Bale’s Batman, always playing second fiddle to his antagonists. This ignominy looks to be compounded in the final installment of Christopher Nolan’s money printing trilogy as Bale’s millionaire vigilante has two charismatic

combatants to contend with: Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman and Tom Hardy’s heavy breather Bane, who was revealed to the moviegoing public last year in a six minute apéritif that showed him blowing up an American football pitch and mumbling some inaudible nonsense about taking over Gotham.

Director kudos: Nolan’s the master of the kind of portentous bombast that dazzles both Sight & Sound subscribers and Nuts mag knuckle scrapers. (4/5) Fan Fever: Fanboys have been nursing stonners since last year’s Bane-heavy prologue. (4/5) Explodiness: Nolan’s responsible for more cases of tinnitus than Led Zeppelin. (5/5) Sexiness: Anne Hathaway as Catwoman (5/5); Tom Hardy as a nude from the waist up Darth Vader (1/5); average. (3/5) Funniness: The last laugh to be had in a Nolan movie was David Bowie’s accent in The Prestige.

(1/5) Total: 17/25 [Jamie Dunn]

The Turin Horse Don’t wear a watch to a Béla Tarr movie. Time is immaterial. The Hungarian’s universe is one of both exacting boredom and sweaty-browed tension.

Winner of the Silver Bear at the 2011 Berlinale, Tarr’s latest, and reportedly last picture, tells the story of a decrepit farmer and his stoic daughter as they weather a six-day storm in their modest farmhouse. Action consists of 63% hardscrabble labour, 32% jacket potato scoffing, 4% drunk Hungarian philosophising and 1% gipsy cursing.

Director kudos: It’s Béla fucking Tarr. (5/5) Fan Fever: You don’t really get excited about seeing a Tarr film, you get prepared. (3/5) Explodiness: No explosions, but you start to get the feeling that the incessant gales that batter the farmhouse might be from some distant nuclear blast that’s wiped out humanity. (3/5) Sexiness: Couldn’t even give John Leslie wood. (1/5) Funniness: The unrelenting monotony actually becomes quite amusing. (3/5) Total: 15/25 [JD]

Prometheus With fifteen years lapsed since the last disappointing Alien instalment, Resurrection, the xenomorph maestro Ridley Scott returns with his attention turned to an oft-forgotten question; just who was the giant space jockey sat gut-wrenched in the original Alien film? Now undeniably established as a prequel to the original sci-fi masterpiece, a stellar cast including Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace and Charlize Theron assemble to investigate the far corners of the universe. The Skinny had the privilege to view the opening footage of the film and can inform it is unlikely to disappoint.

Director kudos: That’s Sir Ridley Scott for a reason you know. (5/5) Fan fever: Twice bitten by floundering sequels means audience may reserve judgement on this one. (3/5) Explodiness: Planet imploding eruptions may ensue. (4/5) Sexiness: An undeniably aesthetically pleasing Hollywood cast is more likely to space suit-up than strip down. (2/5) Funniness: In space no one will hear you laugh. (1/5) Total: 15/25 [Thom Atkinson]

The Angels’ Share As whisky distils in the Highlands about two percent of it evaporates into the air, which becomes known as the Angels’ share. Such rustic filmic flavours are that which instil Ken Loach’s latest look at British (Scotland this time) social realism.

A tale of new father Robbie (Paul Brannigan) who narrowly avoids a jail sentence and instead finds a nose for whisky as his life takes an unexpected turn. But just what does he have in mind for one of the world’s rarest bottles?

Director kudos: Having never sold out to the mainstream, Loach remains a class act. (5/5) Fan fever: There may be little fever, but Loach maintains a dedicated following. (3/5) Explodiness: More scrapes and tumbles than explosive rumblings. (1/5) Sexiness: A heavy bit of kilt action, but all in good humour. (2/5) Funniness: Expect light charm, but be prepared for true grit. (3/5) Total: 14/25 [TA] So, using The Skinny’s scientifically proven top trumps system, the most anticipated movies of the summer are The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises. Sounds about right.

FEATURE

THE NEW ALBUM OUT NOW KASSIDYMUSIC.COM

FEATURES

music

N o i s e o f S u mm e r With input from the cream of the year’s line-ups, we present a guide to the festival season’s first, second, third (and umpteenth) big weekends

Recent tourist board adverts have set out a persuasive argument for holidaying at home this year. “Where are the passports?” blusters a harried family man, rummaging wildly while Stephen Fry sips tea and scoffs from the side-lines. “It’s just not worth it you know?” sighs Melchett, with what seems a quite unreasonable level of disdain. In 2012, it seems, the very idea of travelling beyond our isles marks you out as a turncoat loon. “Green and pleasant land sums it up pretty well I think,” chips in Julie Walters from a country village so picturesque it might as well be a green-screened Pandora, while a ginger wizard jogs the chilly coasts of Anglesey with a rigor grin.

Later, Rupert Grint proves himself a thespian of the highest calibre by delivering the line “and why go all the way to Bondi, when you can come here, to Bridlington!” without rolling his eyes even a little.

National pride has never seemed so strained.

Yet there’s something missing from this rosy tableaux. When Fry crows of the “many events, all around the country” we have to look forward to, he’s referring to jubilee street parties and gargantuan sports days. But there are other reasons to take a stay-cation – to make pilgrimage to destinations where the miniature flag waving is optional and the sport more peripheral. We’re referring, or course, to the smorgasbord of music festivals stretching from now to… well, it’s not so much a summer-bound ‘season’ nowadays, more a never-ending succession of shindigs big and small: from city-set multi-pass events to middleof-nowhere mud-baths; goliath bacchanalian weekends to more modest single day jamborees; tried and tested stalwarts, to the worth-a-punt

Photo: Sol Nicol

Words: Chris Buckle

Wickerman

newbies vying for your patronage. Our guide, it goes without saying, can’t accommodate them all – there’s a lot of ground to cover...

AT HOME

Even as recently as a decade ago, festival previews were a simpler affair, dominated by a handful of big names. In Scotland, the biggest was, and remains, T in the Park (6-8 July), which, in its 18th year, shows no signs of relinquishing top dog status. Saturday night headliners The Stone Roses have probably shifted more tickets than any

Coke? Hookers?

Cocker!? Our backstage fantasies are shattered into a million pieces by this squad of festival misfits

Photo: Ian Allan

Interviews: Chris Buckle and Dave Kerr

Photo: wes kingston

Q&A: The unusual s u sp e c t s Philip Taylor (PAWS)

Where are you playing?

We are really excited about The Great Escape. We played a show for Vice in Brighton at the end of March and had a total blast. It was our first time in Brighton and the whole town is awesome. It felt nice to be by the sea and everyone was so chilled. We are playing three shows at Great Escape and I am very excited about playing on the end of Brighton Pier.

Tell us a secret about the VIP area...

It’s just a bunch of portakabins filled with drunk people.

There are festivals pretty much every weekend of the summer nowadays – golden age or overkill?

There are so many. Some of the big ones are so overbearing now that people are creating alternatives. I think it’s a good thing. People are just starting small festivals all over the place, ultimately creating new platforms.

other act this year, while reliable field-fillers Snow Patrol and Kasabian take top billing either side of the Manc resurrection. But while it’s businessas-usual in the upper echelons, the rest of the early announcements are a bewildering mix. Cher Lloyd, Mastodon and Simple Minds make unlikely bedfellows, but while cynics might cry ‘identity crisis’, others will throw themselves wholeheartedly into the eclectic array. With New Order, Florence & the Machine and, er, David Guetta also booked, organiser Geoff Ellis proves once again that few can match T for scale; our dance cards,

I think there’s one called the Imploding Inevitable festival as well. We’re thinking about doing another Fence bash in the East Neuk, but it might end up just being a piss up down the pub. WHO AM I KIDDING? Of course it will.

Best/worst past experiences?

The best always seems to involve The Flaming Lips and acid – a very good combo, and worth multiple attempts. The worst was holding in a jobby for four days cos I couldn’t face the festival toilets.

Although the relief felt at the first service station on the journey home was up there amongst my best festival experiences.

Tell us a secret about the VIP area...

Clean toilets. Free beer. Naked women. Naked men. Drugs. It’s where you can meet your heroes, and thoroughly embarrass yourself. I’ve accidentally harangued Thom Yorke, danced like a twat in front of Jarvis Cocker, and done the congo with Noel Gallagher. That’s nothing, though. Kenny’s brother once chatted up the tranny out of Hercules and Love Affair. Great days.

Go on, give us a peek at the Away Game line-up…

No. I’ve given the exclusive to Topman Skinny Jeans in association Clash Magazine for a BBC 5Live podcast. Sponsored by Carling. It’s going to be simulcast on Newsnight Scotland.

meanwhile, have reservations pencilled in for Brian Jonestown Massacre, Orbital, and, assuming we’re drunk enough, The Darkness.

Since 2006, RockNess (8-10 June) has been T’s plucky pretender; though a fraction of the size, it frequently scores highly for both its atmosphere and stunning loch-side location. As in previous years, great swathes of the bill can be separated into two camps: broad-appeal dance and chartfriendly indie/rock, with Deadmau5, Justice and Mylo on one side, Biffy Clyro, Mumford & Sons and The Drums on the other. Our eyes are drawn to Hudson Mohawke, The Rapture and Chic – three somewhat different acts with a shared knack for persuading crowds to cut loose. A comedy selection topped by Tim Minchin, meanwhile, tenders mirthful alternatives to all that blooming loud music.

With Scotland’s two tent-pole fixtures addressed, we turn our attention to other homegrown offerings. For those priced out of T, charity-do The Big Stooshie in Fife (4-6 May) features tributes to two of its headliners, with The Complete Stone Roses and Kazabian playing alongside James, Glasvegas and The Damned. On the same weekend, Aberdeen’s The Big Beach Ball (6 May) has put together a dance-heavy bill, with Derrick Carter, Mungo’s Hifi and Friendly Fires DJs amongst those dropping beats. There’s a midnight curfew, but if you’ve got the stamina, after-parties throughout the Granite City will keep things bouncing into the wee small hours.

Also this month is Brew at the Bog (5 May), hosted by beloved brewery Brewdog, who’ll be pitching tents and pouring pints on a farm just outside Inverness. The first half of their ‘New Music,

also a lot of European festivals coming up over the summer, all of which have names I can’t remember how to spell or pronounce.

Tell us a secret about the VIP/ backstage area...

Most of the time, it’s a cold portakabin.

Dream festival?

Location: the roof garden outside my flat – I’d like to roll out of my bed and straight to the stage and back into my bed straight after. Bands: Explosions in the Sky, Dr. Dre and Snoop, Bear Hands – a nice small festival.

There are festivals every other weekend now: golden age or overkill?

It gives people more options. Some of the bigger festivals seem to have just turned into a big pissup and people don’t really care about the bands playing, so having a lot of smaller festivals with up and coming bands for people who want to avoid that sort of thing is good.

14 THE SKINNY

May 2012

Johnny Lynch (The Pictish Trail) Where are you playing?

Just played our own Eye O’ the Dug, and now I’ve got Knockengorroch, Away Game, The Green Man Festival and End of The Road to look forward to.

Photo: Sally Jubb

Photo: Markus Thorsen

Aidan Moffat

Which festivals are you playing this year?

Mostly little ones: Long Division, Applecart and we’re doing the Mogwai I’ll Be Your Mirror thing in London.

Best and worst past festival experiences?

When Arab Strap used to do T in the Park, we always had a riot. I never saw any bands because I’d always end up on the waltzers at the fair with a handful of pills and a bottle of poppers. Good times!

Tell us a secret about the VIP area...

It’s mostly full of cunts.

Dream festival?

Heaven, Dusty Springfield, Otis Reading, John Peel compering…

Darren Lackie (We Were Promised Jetpacks)

Where are you playing?

At the moment we’re in Los Angeles having just played the first weekend of Coachella! There’re

Stephen Morris (New Order)

Where are you playing?

Oh bloody hell... T in the Park, Sonar, Summersonic in Japan, a festival in Serbia, another in Italy… quite a lot! Can’t remember them all, but I do like the element of surprise; you don’t want to lose that.

Do you remember your first?

I do, it was Buxton, 1973. Hells Angels took the festival over and drank it dry. You had Chuck Berry and Alex Harvey playing – he was absolutely fantastic. Edgar Broughton was on. Wizzard were

Photo: Cindy Frey

Bill Kelliher (Mastodon)

Where are you playing?

Honestly dude, I don’t really know what we’re doing. To me, it’s like I’m going to Europe for the festivals this summer, [and] it’s all mashed up together to my old ass. I know we’re doing Reading and Leeds, which is pretty huge. Download snubbed us this year. There’s a couple we’re playing with Metallica… but let’s just say I’m looking forward to them all.

Do you recall your first as a punter?

We didn’t really have many festivals in the States when I was a kid. We had Lollapalooza, that’s the first festival I ever went to, me and the wife used

Eigg for Away Game (20-22 July). After its 2010 debut sold out in minutes, this year’s tickets were doled out via a lottery, making it one of the most hotly anticipated events on the calendar. As per usual, the line-up is all very hush-hush, but we’d hazard a guess at a familiar face or two cropping up. Meanwhile, in East Kirkcarswell, Wickerman (20-21 July) has Scissor Sisters, Texas and The View pegged as headliners, with Human Don’t Be Angry, United Fruit and Martin John Henry putting meat to the bill’s bones; all that, and a ruddy great ceremonial fire. Over at Scone Palace, Rewind Scotland (21-22 July) offers the summer’s most boldly retro line-up, with Adam Ant, ABC, Altered Images – plus plenty of acts from elsewhere in the alphabet – generating a nostalgia extravaganza.

Continuing in a stately home vein, Kelburn Garden Party (30 June-1 July) invites Them Phantoms, Miaoux Miaoux and Hidden Masters to the grounds of its colourful castle for another edition of a much-loved soiree.

Entering August, Belladrum Tartan Heart (3-4 August) offers Travis, Slow Club and Frightened Rabbit, with plenty more to be announced.

The FRabbits were forced to cancel last year’s appearance due to US touring commitments, but

to go. I remember taking a bunch of liquid acid with her in ‘92 when Ministry were there playing on the Psalm 69 tour, one of the only times we ever tripped together.

We drove from my home in New York to Saratoga, about an hour away. When we got there, she, being the pretty girl that she is, asked some guy if she could borrow his ticket so she could get into the standing room. She snuck it to me through the fence, I grabbed it and went in; we ran up to the very front and as soon as we got there the barricade broke down and everyone came running up front. I just remember tripping hard, watching Al Jourgensen roar ‘SO WHAAT’.

Those fucking songs, pounding into my skull. Two drummers, all those samples and some super heavy metal guitar player just going crazy. It’s a very vivid memory of mine. Really incredible.

Back then, Lollapalooza was pretty much the only festival. You’d get to see Grateful Dead and stuff like that, but I was never into the hippy festivals – peace, love and all that horseshit.

Tell us a secret about the VIP area...

There is no secret, it’s pretty boring. Just a bunch of dweebs waiting to play. Nothing too crazy: maybe a couple of sit-ups going on, a couple beers happening, some red bull and vodkas, some drummers warming up. It’s quite lame really; we’re not like Mötley Crüe back in the 80s. Bands just aren’t like that anymore, man. There’s a lot of hockey-watching going on. I’m not a big fan, but that’s the common denominator.

You’re possibly the heaviest band in T’s 18 year history, sharing a bill with Snow Patrol and Cher Lloyd… What advice do you have for the uninitiated?

That’s something to be proud of, that’s cool.

They’re gonna hate us if they’re into that kinda shit. I would say bring some earplugs and a good book to read while we play.

Photo: Sam Brill T in the PArk

are ready to make good on the promise-to-play this time around – what nice boys. Finally, Doune the Rabbit Hole (24-26 August) moves site this year, setting its moniker geographically askew, but promising something pretty unique. Upping sticks from its former home in Doune, they’ve secured Duncarron Fort – the replica medieval village under construction near Stirling – as replacement venue.

The line-up is an expansive survey of predominantly Scottish talent, with the by now ubiquitous Phantom posse ensuring there’s no way you’ll miss them this summer, alongside Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat, Withered Hand, Sparrow and the Workshop and Holy Mountain. All worth storming the ramparts for.

SOUTH Of THE BORDER

So that’s Scotland in a nutshell, but there are plenty more festivals reachable without a passport (for the time being at least). Should Stag and Dagger whet your appetite for urban festivalling, Brighton’s The Great Escape (10-12 May) supplies opportunity to gorge. 300 bands in 30 venues is far too much to take in here, so we’ll just plug our own slice of the action, with The Skinny and the Scottish Music Industry Association putting on a showcase of PAWs, Admiral Fallow and

Photo: Iona Spence

supposed to be on as well but they didn’t like it because it was raining.

Tell us a secret about the VIP area...

It’s bloody boring. Gillian [Gilbert, Stephen’s wife and keyboardist in New Order] is good at it, but I always feel very insecure because I don’t know who half these people are. I can’t do names and faces, but she’s always going ‘d’you know who that was?’

I don’t know why she bothers, because I don’t. That makes me feel even more insecure, so I just go and sit in a shed on me own.

You’re in the Slam Tent as a punter, Blue Monday comes on: what do you do?

Think ‘oh, brilliant!’ We went on a boat trip in Australia recently and someone decided to play it on vinyl, which wasn’t a good idea on a boat. That was quite amusing – everybody still tried to dance while it scratched and went ‘wrrrrreeekawhrrrrrt!’

Insider

Graeme Ronald (Remember Remember)

Where are you playing?

We’ll be playing The Insider festival in Aviemore, and Òran Mór for the last night of the West End Festival.

Will you take the opportunity to catch others on the bills?

Absolutely. Not many of the acts have been announced yet for The Insider, but I’m excited about the Optimo Espacio Presents stuff.

Best/worst aspects of festivals?

Being a little wimp geek, I hate camping. When All Tomorrow’s Parties came along I finally found a festival I could enjoy, with the whole camping element removed. They should all be like that!

Tell us a secret about the VIP area...

There’s NO coke or hookers, anywhere.

Photo: Pete Dunlop

New Beer’ promise is fulfilled by a line-up including Over the Wall, Washington Irving and Three Blind Wolves, while the latter half will be enforced by a ‘no alcohol unless it’s Brewdog’ decree. A fortnight later in Glasgow, Stag and Dagger (19 May) takes over a bunch of the city’s venues to serve up a stellar platter including our frankly terrifying current cover stars Death Grips, flanked by The Phantom Band and Django Django. Moving into June, Kilmarnock hosts a Dirty Weekender (1-3 June) headlined by We Were Promised Jetpacks, Bombskare and The LaFontaines, with Carnivores, A Fight You Can’t Win, and former Inspiral Carpets member Tom Hingley also due to perform.

Less orthodox is The Insider Olympiad (1517 June), which hosts an alt-Olympics in the forests of Aviemore. There’ll be fewer record-breaking displays of human endurance than the London boondoggle, but a better soundtrack: Remember Remember, Meursault, Dead Man’s Waltz, plus an Optimo stage take-over featuring Den Haan and Organs of Love. Sports-wise, they’ve scheduled a never-ending relay, tug-of-war contest, an egg and spoon race, and plenty more besides: champion. Should the ‘sport/music’ synthesis tickle your fancy, there’s also Downhill Downtown (9-10 June), which brings King Creosote, Admiral Fallow, Los Phantos and a whole lot of mountain bikes to the Nevis Centre in Fort William.

Less physically demanding is Solas (22-24 June), in Wiston by Biggar, which will stage debates and a late-night film club (in which they’ll flagrantly break the first two rules of Fight Club), alongside the expected musical attractions. Its theme this year is ‘Fields in Motion’ – a phrase adapted from a Bruce Cockburn lyric, and the basis of a specially-commissioned poem by Padraig O’Tuama. Does V festival have a specially-commissioned poem?

No it does not. Music bookings include Admiral Fallow and Washington Irving – both of which are also slated for Heb Celt (11-14 July) a fortnight later: a four day folk-fest on Stornoway, with The Proclaimers, The Waterboys and Roddy Woomble earning the big font.

The island-hopping continues the following week, when Fence reacquaint themselves with

Photo: Kenny McColl

FEATURES

Barry Burns (Mogwai)

Which festival(s) are you playing?

We’re only playing IBYM festival in England, so far. After last year’s ridiculous tour schedule, we are kind of taking it easy on the touring front apart from a bunch of Canada/US/Mexico and South American dates.

Bwani Junction. Read about the other 99% over at escapegreat.com.

While it’s a shame Guided By Voices bailed, All Tomorrow’s Parties: I’ll Be Your Mirror (2527 May) remains one of the year’s most interesting line-ups: Wells & Moffat, Wolves in the Throne Room, Death Grips, Dirty Three, Mudhoney… and that’s before we broach the headliners: Mogwai, The Afghan Whigs and Slayer, performing Reign in Blood in its entirety.

If that’s not heavy enough, Download (810 June) once again takes residency of rock mecca Donington Castle: Metallica (performing The Black Album), Black Sabbath and The Prodigy sit atop a bill of punk (NOFX), metal (Megadeth), and other genres guaranteed to startle your gran. Take her to Hop Farm (29 June-1 July) instead, which boasts exclusive appearances from Bob Dylan and Peter Gabriel, alongside fellow old-timers like Patti Smith, The Stranglers and Joan Armatrading. Later in the year, spin-off event A Day at the Hop (8 September) lands another UK exclusive in the distinguished form of Leonard Cohen; in fact, if you prefer headliners with a few miles on the clock, you’re spoilt for choice, with Green Man (17-19 August) topped by Van Morrison and Bestival (6-9 September) by Stevie Wonder (Feist, The Walkmen, and Of Montreal help fill out the former’s stages; The XX, Sigur Ros and Roots Manuva the latter’s).

Veteran double-header Reading and Leeds (24-26 August) proffer The Cure, Kasabian and Foo Fighters across three days and two sites, but it’s the de-mothballed At the Drive-In and The Shins that stand out most. Elsewhere in their respective arenas, the Lock-Up has assembled a solid selection of punk sorts, topped by Less Than Jake and Social Distortion. At the other end of the scale, both musically and size-wise, is Indietracks (6-8 July), which unites the complementary worlds of indie-pop and locomotives by setting up shop beside a railway station in Derbyshire, and bringing Veronica Falls, Allo Darlin and The Monochrome Set along for the journey.

And if you can’t find something that appeals amongst that lot, there’s always surfing in Bridlington – we hear the water’s lovely.

Will you take the opportunity to catch others on the bill?

Definitely. The bill for the whole thing looks great but especially our day with Codeine, Soft Moon, Antoni Maiovvi, Chavez and Floor. Too good.

Best and worst aspects/past experiences of festivals?

The best thing is meeting all your friends in bands or music industry folk that you rarely see, plus we’ve had some of our best gigs at festivals in Spain and Japan. The worst thing is probably that a lot of people don’t really see it as a gig (myself included sometimes) so it can be a bit odd. Music to me is best enjoyed indoors and many festivals are outside. The food is usually garbage bag or a dare.

Tell us a secret about the VIP area...

Vastly overrated area. They should, in fact, rename it the VOA. Apart from the abundance of actual seats, it’s not so great. We’ve behaved rather badly in the past but we’re a bit older now... (that’s an Olympicgrade non-sequitur).

There are festivals pretty much every weekend of the summer nowadays – golden age or overkill?

I remember when UK festivals had quite an assortment of bands that a varied demographic would attend but now it seems like most of them have become for people who like festival ‘events’ rather than people who like music. The selection is often nothing short of heinous but I think that’s why ATP, Supersonic and other smaller festivals have popped up. You could say that the Leeds, Reading et al were like the Emerson, Lake and Palmer and then ATP et al are the punk movement, but you’d sound a bit daft if you said that. Jus’ sayin’.

Headliners along with Slayer at ATP: IBYM – a match made (south of) heaven? At least some of the band are fans, aren’t they...?

I think Slayer will be very entertaining. I doubt I could tell you one of their song names right enough... I think Dom might enjoy it but most likely we all will.

May 2012

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FEATURES

music

S c o t t i s h W i n d , S c o t t i s h R a i n: Frightened R abbit’s Highl and Tour As Scott Hutchison & co approach recording their fourth album, their first for a major label, the band opted for the road less travelled to preview new material. The Skinny caught up with them for a few drams on their Highland excursion Words and Photos: Darren Carle

If history does indeed repeat itself, then some wide-eyed, aspiring young musician will have been watching Frightened Rabbit’s whirlwind tour of the Scottish Highlands intently. Such was the experience of frontman Scott Hutchison back in 2000 when Idlewild, then on a steady ascent themselves, played previously unknown territories such as Skye and Fort William. “I was at an impressionable age and I just thought it looked like a lot of fun,” says Scott of the genesis for his band’s ten-date roam of the nooks and crannies of the west coast.

At the behest of their new label, Atlantic Records, The Skinny is invited along for the ride, joining the ragged five-piece for their mid-point Aviemore show and seeing the venture through to its conclusion in Dunoon, via Stornoway, Portree and Strathpeffer. “We didn’t grow up in these places,” says drummer Grant Hutchison. “But it was a similar thing in the south of Scotland, where bands just didn’t come to play. If they had, I know how big an event it would have been.”

‘Event’ is a choice word. Each of these small communities certainly feels the relative upheaval of normal life as the FRabbits roll through town.

On our night at Aviemore’s Old Bridge Inn, a partly humorous sign apologises for the inconvenience, promising that normality will return tomorrow.

Inevitably it does, but for one night, a quaint local boozer in a small Scottish town becomes a hub for sweaty euphoric music fans, near and far. “There are definitely enough local people coming to the gigs,” asserts Scott. “But those coming from further afield are getting something a bit different to what they would in Glasgow or Edinburgh.”

Over our five nights on tour with the quintet, the variety of venues certainly provides a range of live experiences, from the aforementioned village pub, through a shiny new arts centre, to a more rustic community hall on sequential nights. “I really like the spirit of adapting to whatever room you might find yourself in from night to night,” continues Scott on the allure of the experience. “Along with being able to really meet and speak to people who are into our music, that’s pretty much the whole point of it.”

The Stornoway show itself (the band’s seventh of the tour and The Skinny’s second) marks the beginning of the full-on electric performances, something the band clearly relish post-gig. “It was great to get back into that sound,” beams guitarist Andy Monaghan. The gaggle of young island kids centre-front, letting loose in ecstatic style didn’t hurt either. “It loosens you up a bit and gets you pulling a few more shapes too,” he confesses.

Yet with a 4am rise for the ferry to Skye the following morning, outright celebrations are kept in check. Instead, the boys indulge in a few convivial whiskies and open up about some of the new material they’ve been showcasing so far. “Oil Slick is one of my favourites,” claims guitar and keys man Gordon Skene. “We played it hella fast tonight though. It’s supposed to be more sleazy.”

The set-list’s perpetual new song is certainly something a little different for the group. Built on a, dare we say, funky bass riff, it slowly evolves into a sombre plateau of propelling vocals. The excellent Government Frost meanwhile is even less identifiable as a Frightened Rabbit song, with a cyclical guitar hook and an intentionally cool vocal delivery from Scott. There’s little sign of the flourishes, the crowd-friendly choruses and the overall sheen people may be expecting from a major label album.

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May 2012

“I made it very, very clear [to the band] that I was tired of my own way of doing things,” begins Scott on the writing process for album number four. “What people have become used to Frightened Rabbit being, that can only go so far.

There’s only so much of that kind of music that you can write.” Having been the driving force and, by his own admission, “extremely anal” about the output of the band to this point, it’s a bold, and for the rest of the band, welcome move.

“Before I joined, they were my favourite Scottish band,” admits last-man-in Gordon. “Obviously I took the songs at face value, so to even have a small part in putting new songs together is pretty mind-blowing. It was hard at first, but it’s becoming easier and easier for me to contribute.”

Andy, a longer-term member of the group is noless enthralled. “It’s great to be more involved,” he agrees. “But it’s good having the continuity of Scott’s lyrics. We need that.” Gordon nods sagely; “It needs to be somebody’s baby, or it ends up getting a bit schizophrenic.”

Though Scott may be relinquishing his captain’s hat in some respects, it’s still very much his ship lyrically and thematically. “You never really know what the overall themes will be until you’ve put it all together,” he says. “But I’ve tried to write some wider stories about society in general. It’s still about human interaction, maybe most songs are, but I think I’ve widened the scope of it beyond my own personal experiences.” At this point Grant helpfully chips in with his own take on the album’s lyrical development. “There’s a lot less ‘fuck you’s’ in it,” he laughs.

With that, we all indulge in a final Talisker before hitting the hay. The following day’s journey to Skye is long but scenic, bringing to mind another reason for embarking on this venture. “Driving through Scotland’s incredible scenery is a huge part of the tour that can’t be ignored,” admits Scott. It’s no less amazing when we hit Portree in Skye, the background for what will turn out to be a great show. With deft foresight, the band opt for a small function room over a more obvious stage

hall to set up shop, much to the chagrin of the venue organisers with eyes on extra ticket sales.

“The whole idea of this was to get smaller venues,” explains Scott. “Wee sweat-boxes where everyone feels a bit crammed and we feel close to the crowd.” It’s a gamble that pays off. The sound hits a sweet-spot of volume and warmth, the atmosphere is electric from the start and the crowd are, well...“There was something a bit wild about the audience there that I didn’t see coming,” says a visibly euphoric Scott immediately backstage. “That’s the nice thing about this tour – not knowing what everyone is going to be like from night to night.”

After the usual round of photos and autographs with fans, the band hit a nearby bar for, yes, a wee dram or six. A quiz machine is spotted in the corner and all five Rabbits gather around to strip a virtual Noel Edmonds of a few quid. Scott even displays a canny knowledge of Celebrity Big Brother contestants. A prompt closing time ensures things spill out onto the streets and The Skinny is briefly reminded, via a couple of young, drunken town dwellers, that even on an island as beautiful and remote as this, Friday nights can still get a bit ‘fighty’.

A slight change of plan on Saturday means a detour to a local whisky distillery near Strathpeffer, the penultimate night of the tour. After perusing the oats, vats and barrels of Glen Ord, the brothers Hutchison load up on supplies for the remainder of the tour. “If my voice is a bit shot then, funnily enough, whisky is probably the best cure I’ve found – on a purely medicinal level,” claims Scott clutching his carrier bag. “I should probably get it on prescription.”

With the weekend’s shopping done, we arrive at the Spa Pavilion in Strathpeffer and, with the band set for a week of rehearsals the day after the tour, talk resumes on the new album. “I tried something with the last record [2010’s The Winter of Mixed Drinks] that I don’t think necessarily worked,” admits Scott. “It was supposed to be a really, really big sounding album with lots of epic

FEATURES

What people have become used to Frightened Rabbit being, that can only go so far Scott Hutchison

pop songs, but I think we reached a saturation point with it.”

For its follow up, the band will be holing up in Monnow Valley Studio in South Wales with producer Leo Abrahams (who counts David Byrne and Brian Eno among his credits). “We’ve been taking lots of elements from the demos over into the studio tracks,” continues Scott of the process so far. “It’s that kind of ethos, where those bits in the sketchbook maybe make it over as well.

It helps to stop it becoming this polished studio affair.”

It suggests that those put off by the band signing to Atlantic Records should perhaps hold fire.

“We want to make sure that it’s not clouded in massive, pompous arrangements,” assures Scott.

“So string sections, luscious horn arrangements and layers of sound are just not really interesting to us anymore. It’s going to be sparser and rawer but with a familiar thread. I just feel that re-treading old ground would be like treating your fans like pricks. That said, some people definitely won’t like what they’re about to get.”

For tonight in Strathpeffer though, fans are getting exactly what they want. “I just chucked my bag in the hotel room and there was a bunch of folk in the bar, chugging the beers and singing Keep Yourself Warm,” laughs Gordon. “Maybe we should play that one,” he states deadpan of the tour’s habitual closer. And surely they do, to the biggest and rowdiest crowd of the tour, making it something of a highlight for the band. “I’ve never seen a mosh pit with crowd-surfers at a Frightened Rabbit gig,” marvels bassist Billy Kennedy.

Celebrations move to a packed pub across the street where Scott is given some career advice from a ‘fan’. Words are inaudible, but from Scott’s demeanour the band look worried that things are going to get ugly. It eventually dispels and Scott fills in the gaps. “He was just telling me we needed a better guitarist, less ‘woah-oh-ahwoahs’ in our songs and that we’ll never make it as a stadium band at this rate,” he shrugs with a what-can-you-say look. His credentials in this

field? “Oh, he was a roadie for James once,” smiles Scott.

With hangovers aplenty it’s off to the resort town of Dunoon for the tour finale. The scenery en route is Tweeted by the band as being more like middle-earth than west Scotland, and it’s hard to argue. A school night and ferry trip for out-oftowners compounds a slightly smaller crowd than may have been hoped for, but it’s a rousing send-off nonetheless.

Backstage, the band ready themselves for the long trip back to Glasgow, followed by a week in rehearsals from tomorrow afternoon. “We’re just going to be hammering out the songs, then taking them up another level in the studio so when they get to people’s ears, they’re as honed as they can possibly be,” states Scott. And after the album is finished? “I’m fairly sure we’ll be touring for about a year or more. I hope so anyway. We’re really prepared to hammer the arse out of it, so to speak.” Grant eyes his brother wearily. “I dunno, I’m not planning on hammering any arses,” he laughs.

As a final question, we ask Scott if the tour has been all he had hoped for. “There was a romantic picture in my head of what it would be like and what kind of shows we would be doing,” he begins. “And it has totally met those expectations.

Normal tours with purpose-built venues can get a bit samey. It’s also been great from the point of view of a tourist. You might not have time to go and see the sights but you see a side to places when you’re on tour that’s a little different to what most people get. Some of the experiences we’ve had, I will genuinely never forget.”

Frightened Rabbit play Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, Inverness on 3 Aug www.frightenedrabbit.com

May 2012

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FEATURES

film

West Meets East He’s the man behind the most exciting martial arts movie to come out of Asia in years. His name is Gareth Evans... and he’s Welsh. We spoke to the talented director after his blistering new film The Raid closed GFF 2012’s FrightFest in style Interview: Jamie Dunn

It’s the final day of Glasgow Film Festival 2012 and I’m up with the lark to speak to Welsh director Gareth Evans, the man responsible for the most talked about film at this year’s event, before he catches a flight back to his adopted home of Indonesia. The film in question is The Raid, a fat-free, high-octane martial arts flick that only a few hours earlier tore the roof off the GFT as it closed FrightFest, GFF’s blood splattered genre movie weekend. When I meet a bright-eyed Evans, he’s still flying high from the ecstatic response. “It killed,” beams the Welshman. “We’ve seen it a couple of times with different audiences and there are these certain moments where Iko [Uwais, The Raid’s star] and I kind of elbow each other and we’re like, ‘oh, that bit is coming up soon, are they going to react?’ And when they do we just giggle like kids.”

Evans made his feature debut with 2006’s littleseen Footsteps, but in 2008, after failing to find a

footing on the British film industry ladder (“I didn’t really do enough to get myself known here, it was my own fault”), he left behind the green, green, grass of home when his Indonesian partner secured him a gig on some documentaries back in her home country. Their subject was pencak silat, Indonesia’s indigenous martial arts. The experience changed his life. “It was like six months of falling in love with silat,” he tells me. “The idea of actually working out there seemed to make sense. It was an easy move to make.” One of the students featured in the silat series was Uwais, Evans’ future leading man in The Raid and his 2009 sophomore film Merantau. “It sounds super clichéd but he had a real screen presence about him, even when he was just warming up with the rest of the team. I knew I had to work with him.”

The Raid wears its cinematic influences on its sleeve, borrowing from the likes of [REC], Die Hard, Attack on Precinct 13 and classic Bruce

Movie Løve

May sees the release of Goodbye First Love, the third film from Mia Hansen-Løve. The Skinny sat down with the talented director to discuss how she caught the filmmaking bug, and her era-spanning narratives Interview: Philip Concannon

The first connection I had with film was this physical experience on set, which had an incredible intensity of feeling that has never left me Mia Hansen-Løve

“I’m sorry, I speak a lot,” Mia Hansen-Løve says, suddenly breaking off in mid-sentence. “It’s because I know you are my last interview today and I want to say everything.” It comes as no surprise, because it’s clear from her short but impressive career that she’s a filmmaker with plenty to say. In five years Hansen-Løve has directed three features and is currently working on her fourth. Her 2007 debut All is Forgiven told the story

We didn’t have anyone looking over our shoulder when we were making it – it was literally whatever we wanted to do Gareth Evans

Lee movies, but at no point does it feel derivative.

The simple setup – a squad of rookie cops enter a Jakarta tower block, filled with drug dealers and killers, with the aim of taking down the crime lord who controls the city’s underworld from his penthouse flat – offered Evans a streamline plot from which to hang some of the most impressive onscreen fights in recent memory. Perhaps what makes the picture so fresh is that its director achieves this breakneck action without having to resort to the shaky cam style that’s become de rigueur in Western filmmaking.

“Sometimes what [other filmmakers] do is they’ll shoot for coverage rather than make specific shots for the fight,” explains Evans of the practice of shooting a scattering of shots (wide, over-the-shoulder, close-up etc.), with the final sequence being constructed in the editing suite.

Evans’ approach is more rigorous: fight choreography dictates the shots. “We made a video storyboard of the entire fights, so every single shot that we used is chosen because it’s the shot that we want to use to show off that sequence.

By the time we’re in preproduction we’ve got a template we can use of every shot movementwise, props-wise, lighting position, make-up continuity, everything.” The result is lucid editing and framing that’s the antithesis of Michael Bay’s headbanging frenetics.

Hollywood has certainly taken note of The Raid’s success at festivals around the world. As is Tinseltown’s way, an English language remake will soon go into production. Evans is surprisingly upbeat about this prospect. “I genuinely feel like there’s a lot of room for improvement in terms of the central concept,” he says with refreshing honesty. When asked if he’d be interested in directing the remake himself he doesn’t miss a beat. “It has to be a fresh pair of eyes coming towards it, and they have to be given that freedom to run with it too. We didn’t have anyone looking over our shoulders when we were making it – it was literally whatever we wanted to do.”

The Raid is released 18 May by Momentum pictures facebook.com/TheRaidUK

of a troubled father-daughter relationship, while her acclaimed 2009 film The Father of My Children drew on the life of Humbert Balsan (a celebrated French film producer who committed suicide in 2005) to sensitively and powerfully explore themes of family, art, life and grief; but the director’s third feature, Goodbye First Love, is her most nakedly personal film to date.

Hansen-Løve describes this tale of teenage love’s ups and downs as a kind of prequel to her first two features (“this may be a stupid and funny comparison, but it’s like Star Wars,” she laughs) and in many ways it’s her most ambitious and challenging film to date, forcing her to pour many painful emotions onto the screen. “I could never have made it as my first film,” she admits, “Maybe The Father of My Children was more difficult to write technically, but in terms of how you feel about the material it was much easier to write than this one.” The personal resonances for the director are there for all to see, with the relationship between Camille (Lola Créton) and Lorenz (Magne Håvard Brekke) mirroring that of Hansen-Løve and Olivier Assayas, who was her mentor and later her husband. Assayas gave Hansen-Løve her first

taste of filmmaking when he cast the 17 year-old in Late August, Early September and changed the course of her life. “The first connection I had with film was this physical experience on set, which had an incredible intensity of feeling that has never left me,” she recalls. “I loved it. I loved it so much, but I loved it because he trusted me and his trust gave me incredible self-confidence. I never found that again, it was just in these two films with Olivier.”

Such self-confidence is surely evident from the way Goodbye First Love encompasses a whole decade in the lives of its characters with fluidity and elegance, but Hansen-Løve plays down this achievement. “In a way, I think it’s more natural for me to tell a story that stretches over many years than to tell a story over a very short time” she says. “The only way I know how to express the feelings I want to express through my films is by showing different moments in a life, and how the past resonates into the present, to show the connection of this moment.” She admits that she makes life difficult for herself, though. “You know, after every film I have thought, ‘Oh, it would be so nice to make a film that happens over a weekend and to stop with this passing of time thing,’ but I can’t avoid it with every film. There are films I love that only take place in one day or one week, and I feel jealous because I can’t do it!”

Hansen-Løve is taking this tendency to extremes with her next film Lost in Music, which will follow a DJ over the course of twenty years and will be released as two separate features. “After Goodbye First Love I again thought that it would be nice to do a simple film and instead I did the worst thing I could ever do” she sighs, “I wrote a very expensive film, no famous actors, only young people, and it’s about music so the rights for the music will cost like €€500,000. After this one I promise I will make a simple film with a big star!”

We’ll have to wait and see if Hansen-Løve keeps that promise, but whatever she decides to do next it will undoubtedly be a film worth waiting for.

Goodbye First Love is released 4 May by Artificial Eye www.artificial-eye.com

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May 2012

FEATURES

books

THE SCIENCE OF C R E AT I V I T Y JONAH LEHRER is a writer and neuroscientist whose work bridges the gap between art and science by exploring creativity through science INTERVIEW: JAMES CARSON

Daydreaming is incredibly valuable for creativity, so long as you’re aware of what you’re daydreaming and you write it down JONAH LEHRER

LEHRER HAS written three books to date, Proust Was a Neuroscientist, How We Decide, and his latest, Imagine: How Creativity Works. Our reviewer James Carson said that Imagine ‘underlines just how much we’ve learned about the brain’s creative properties.’ We sent him to learn more by interviewing Lehrer: One of the most intriguing aspects of your books is the idea that being stumped is an important part of the creative process. Why is it only when we’ve stopped searching that often the answer arrives?

It’s all to do with the nature of attention. When we’re focusing too hard on finding the answer to a problem, it’s like a fishbone in the throat; it’s the wrong answer. But when we stop, relax, have a shower or a coffee, we turn the spotlight on the right answer.

Andrew Sullivan recently observed that the internet is killing boredom, and he said that’s bad for problem-solving and creativity. Do you think the web is making us more or less imaginative?

It’s too easy to generalise, but it’s true that when I’m bored, I turn to my phone, and I email and send tweets. But that means I’m losing daydreaming time, and daydreaming is incredibly valuable for creativity, so long as you’re aware of what you’re daydreaming and you write it down. So now when I go for a hike, I leave my phone behind!

You write about how Shakespeare was strongly influenced by the culture of his time, and how he shamelessly borrowed from other writers. Do you think we’ve become too stressed about plagiarism and forgotten how to be influenced by others’ work?

I don’t think plagiarism’s the problem. But I do think, especially in the US, we’re overly strict when it comes to copyright. We’ve put up too many walls around ideas, forgetting that creativity offers a new commentary on old ideas.

The book demonstrates the importance of idea-sharing in the development of successful cities. Do you think a city like Glasgow, which has reinvented itself so many times, can learn from this?

I think collaboration can be applied to all cities. The most successful cities have mayors and administrations that don’t get in the way, while maximising the upsides of spaces where different people bump into each other. And the important message is that, unlike corporations, cities almost never die.

Has what you have learned about how creativity works influenced your own creative processes?

I used to force myself to continue working, and ended up exhausted. Now, I’m more likely to relax and take breaks because I know that down time can be when ideas happen. Also, I’m quite a shy person, but I’ve learned to network more, and because I know the value to creativity of increasing your social circle, I’m more likely to engage in conversation with strangers. At conferences, I’ve learned the value of small talk. That’s how I met the guy who found an alternative to the mop. I got talking to this guy, and when he told me he was involved in cleaning products, I thought, oh gosh, how do I get out of this? But then he told me about the Swiffer, and that’s the story that starts off the book.

You have an ability to explain very complex ideas in an accessible way. Is it hard for you to make it look so easy?

No part of the writing process is easy for me, and I’m very jealous of writers who seem to get it right first time. I go through lots of drafts, editing, tweaking, and seeking input from others. I’ve also been lucky to encounter scientists who are very clear thinkers and translators – I couldn’t improve on their quotes!

IMAGINE: HOW CREATIVITY WORKS IS OUT NOW. IT’S PUBLISHED BY CANONGATE, AND THE COVER PRICE £18.99

3 Films

Boris Gerrets 14 April – 20 May 2012, Mon - Sun 12 - 4.30pm

Bon papillon gallery – café - framing MISCELLANY MAY Group show including

Elena Kourenkova Gordon Wilson Chris Brook -from MAY 12TH ** Open every day except Tuesday **

CAFÉ – BESPOKE FRAMING 15 Howe St, Edinburgh EH3 6TE blogging at www.bonpapillon.com

Boris Gerrets & Guy Brett In-Conversation: 19 May, 3 - 4.30pm This event is part of the Ignite 2012 festival in Dundee.

A unique In-Conversation Event will feature the artist and the internationally respected art critic and curator Guy Brett, who has curated numerous outstanding exhibitions at leading art venues including Tate Modern, The Hayward Gallery, and The Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid, to draw out a trajectory of Gerrets’ practice in the context of his multi-disciplinary background in arts.

This exhibition is mounted at Centrespace, Visual Research Centre.

Visual Research Centre, part of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, 152 Nethergate Dundee DD1 4DY 01382 385 330

Cooper Gallery

exhibitions@dundee.ac.uk www.exhibitions.dundee.ac.uk

20 THE SKINNY

MAY 2012

RSA ANNUAL EXHIBITION THE ARTIST'S STUDIO

28 April-6 June ADMISSION £5 / Conc. £2 Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh www.royalscottishacademy.org Measuring Personal Space, The studio of Bill Scott PRSA

royal scottish academy

Features

art

SHOWCASE SHOP: AR TISTs IN PROFILE

In December 2011, in the Creative Scotland offices in Edinburgh’s Waverley Gate, The Skinny launched the first collection of its Showcase Shop, a collaborative venture with online art site Culture Label. The aim of the shop was simple – to take seven of the emergent artists who had featured in the magazine’s Showcase section in the last five years, and have them create bespoke collections of limited edition prints which could then be bought online, thereby providing them with exposure and a way to make some money from their artwork, and giving the public the chance to own beautiful works by early career artists. This month, we’re bringing the original prints to Glasgow’s Urban Outfitters for an exhibition in the real world, so we caught up with the artists to get a bit of background on their work.

The Skinny Showcase Shop will be on show in Urban Outfitters, Glasgow, 11 May-30 Jun All prints are limited to an edition of 25. Those over £100 can be purchased with the Own Art scheme, providing interest free loans to be paid in ten equal monthly installments www.theskinny.co.uk/shop

Massacre of the Innocents

Rachel MacLean is a digital and video artist based in Glasgow, who graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 2009. She’s exhibited widely to much acclaim at home and abroad, and recently created music videos for Glasgow favourites Errors and The Phantom Band. For the Culture Label collection she produced two new works, a diptych of prints entitled The Innocents and Massacre of the Innocents (pictured). She says, “Broadly speaking I’m influenced by visions or depictions of otherworldly, dreamlike or fantasy spaces. The prints are inspired by the Biblical tale – I’ve always been intrigued by the paintings of this scene in art history. Quite often it’s depicted in a kind of Mannerist style, almost eroticised, interlocking flesh, these men throwing babies, women clinging onto babies. I quite like that this very violent event is made into something quite sublime or beautiful, glamourised.

“In the images I’m dressed up as cats, but clearly as a human dressed up as cats. I was keen to have quite a strong notion of gender as well, busty sort of beauty queen type figures and then these macho body builder type men interacting in this world.

The two images are mirror images – the first one is this kind of arcadia, referencing a pastoral paradise with these figures lounging around drinking coffee and sort of touching each other up, and the second one references the Massacre of the Innocents images. There’s a shift in the tone of the images. I like the idea of these characters becoming these branded, commodified references.”

Puesta del Sol

Puppet Quartet

Jamie Johnson is an illustrator based in Edinburgh who graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone in 2011. “I use quite a variety of media, a lot of fine line drawings, lots of elements of collage, photocopies, watercolour paints. I try to bring it together quite intuitively. I take observations from everyday narratives and reinterpret them through my own imagination.

“The pieces for Culture Label were done specifically for the project. In this case it was a lot of disparate elements brought together in a seemingly random but constructed manner, to further delve into this otherworldy narrative I’m trying to explore, using components from the everyday. Two of the pieces are specifically inspired by visiting townships in South Africa in 2010. One of the pieces, Puppet Quartet (pictured), was based on a Johannesburg street fair, a sort of community project – they made these giant puppets that were controlled by sticks, and guys were playing trumpets; it was all quite surreal but a really good jovial atmosphere. And quite low-key, there weren’t a lot of people around for the sort of effort that had been put into these puppets and the whole set up of it. It resonated with the kind of themes I’d been looking at before going. So I took some sketches and reinterpreted it slightly.”

Ross Fraser McLean is a Dundee-based photographer. For the Showcase Shop he presents a series of images of Cuba taken during the 50th anniversary of the revolution on an Olympus OM2N camera that’s older than him.

“The interesting thing to me about these images is that they’re all reactions without too much thought being put in. After that there was quite a bit of time spent trying to perfect the colours and the levels and the tones – from something that was taken in quite a spontaneous, almost throwaway manner, they’ve lived on beyond that.

“The slightly ironic thing about the images is that they pay homage to the 1970s American photographers, colourists from that era who will never be able to go legally to Cuba. I suppose to me they mark an era in Cuba’s history that I hope will live on.

“Puesta del Sol (pictured), the sunset image, is a strong one for me. Even though it was a night shot set up with a tripod and so on it’s deliberately slightly squint, a way of saying ‘Screw you Photoshop!’ It’s good to leave the flaws in.”

one pence

Rabiya Choudhry is a painter who lives in Edinburgh. She graduated from ECA in 2006, has shown in Collective, DCA and in the Edinburgh International Festival, and has lately been exhibiting in Edinburgh, Paris and Prague.

“Family’s a big theme for me – a lot of my work comes from memory, the subconscious, dreams.

Everything’s threaded from my upbringing. I like to have fun and make pictures I’d like to hang on my wall and make me laugh – there’s always a bit of humour behind everything.

“I grew up in a house where there wasn’t much art, so the television was kind of the exhibition space – that’s where a lot of my influences came from. A lot of cartoons, films. I watch a lot of horror films. I’d say my dad’s a big influence, his religion, his belief in Islam is fascinating to me.

“I made some money for the Culture Label collection. I made three drawings in red ink; money – lack of it, desire for it. I wanted to make these intricate drawings of money and I used red because it’s the colour of blood. Using the designs of the three coins themselves – one pence, two pence, a pound – and doing my own version. That’s what I’m always trying to do, trying to bring things to life more with a sense of humour and make them look a bit better than they do.”

Solar Evolution

Mandala

Becky Bolton and Louise Chappell have been working collaboratively as Good Wives and Warriors since 2007, soon after they graduated from the Painting Department at The Glasgow School of Art. They divide their time between designing large-scale installations for fine art settings and undertaking design commissions for companies in the UK and abroad, including Absolut Vodka, Adidas and Swatch. They have exhibited around the world, including shows in Berlin, Paris, Melbourne, Buenos Aires and San Francisco and have been featured in a number of publications and books including ICON Magazine, Wired Magazine and the Taschen books Illustration Now!3 and Portraits. They are currently based in London, UK. For the Skinny Shop first collection they’ve put together a selection of prints inspired by mandalas.

David Lemm is an artist and illustrator who lives in Edinburgh. He studied animation at Duncan of Jordanstone. You can see more of his work in the flesh in The Middle Place, an exhibition with fellow artists Jamie Johnson and Al White, in Edinburgh’s Old Ambulance Depot, 4-13 May. “I guess the main thrust of my work is finding structure or some sort of narrative or natural systems that occur within chaos and entropy, particularly within the natural world. I try to apply that to both my commissioned and personal work.

I’m fascinated with cosmology and the need we have for structure in a belief system, the need to apply a framework on which we can find meaning in chaos.

“Solar Evolution (pictured) is a fairly straightforward illustration of the evolution and life of the sun pared down to abstract shapes. Trying to convey that weighty concept as simply and elegantly as possible.”

Killing Joke

Markus Thorsen was born in a small seaside town in Norway. He got a degree in Photography from Edinburgh College of Art, and worked for The Skinny, where he photographed live concerts and artists being interviewed. From his images of concerts around Edinburgh he made a book called LIVE – A Collection of Bands from the Edinburgh Live Scene that also earned him a solo exhibition in the Edinburgh Festival 2010. He was a Fujifilm Student Award 2008 merit winner and got nominated for Event Photographer of the Year at The Scottish New Music Awards 2011. For this collection he offers up a selection of his live music photography, black and white images of artists including Killing Joke (pictured), Marina and the Diamonds, Mogwai and the Prodigy.

May 2012

THE SKINNY 21

F EAT U RE S

music

Gaze into the Fist of Geoff Portishead’s Geoff Barrow gives us the lowdown on his new Judge Dredd-inspired synth project, DROKK Interview: Bram E. Gieben

Geoff Barrow spent some time in the wilderness after the release of Portishead’s eponymous second album, but since the equal parts stunning and challenging return the band achieved with Third, he has regained his passion for making music, and has been involved in a wealth of new projects, bringing his own Invada label back to the UK, helping to curate All Tomorrow’s Parties, and making three new collaborative albums.

The forty-one track hip-hop project he released with Australian producer Katalyst and long-time Portishead-affiliate 7Stu7, under the name Quakers, debuted last month on Stones Throw, to widespread acclaim. He also has a new album with his experimental band BEAK> dropping in May. But perhaps the most fascinating project he’s been involved in of late is DROKK, a collaboration with score composer Ben Salisbury, conceived as a concept album about that most celebrated of British comics characters, Judge Dredd.

With a big-budget film adaptation of Judge Dredd being released this year, the project is well-timed, but as Barrow tells us, it all grew out of his lifelong passion for British sci-fi comic book institution 2000AD. The Skinny caught up with Barrow to find out about the surprising origins of DROKK, the genesis of the epic Quakers album, and what the future holds for Portishead.

How did the making of DROKK compare with the other albums he’s been involved in? “There aren’t many records I’ve made which I could say were truly pleasurable experiences,” Barrow admits, “but this one was. It came together really easily. We were approached with the opportunity to do a film score as a project, with the idea of it being synth-based. The project for the film didn’t really work out, but we just kind of kept on going!

Because of the type of music that it was, and because I’ve always been a 2000AD fan, it just made sense to connect it with 2000AD and Mega-City One. So, we went to see the guys at 2000AD, and they were up for the concept and supported it.”

Is there a connection between DROKK and the forthcoming movie Dredd, with Karl Urban? “No, there’s no connection now,” Barrow replies. Was there any point at which he was tempted to try and get in touch with the film-makers, and see if anything could be done to join the two projects?

Barrow hesitates for a second. “Well, basically, that was the film we were working on. It didn’t work out, for lots of different reasons. Because the film’s still in production, and there’s massive secrecy around the project, I’d rather not go into it. One thing I can say is that it was an absolutely brilliant experience: I became good friends with (Dredd script-writer) Alex Garland. The film is going to be fucking brilliant. Categorically, there is absolutely no bad feeling between us and any of the film-makers. It was just a project which didn’t work out, but Ben and I decided to carry on with the project in a different form. The relationship with the film-makers and with Alex is so good, that there’s no way I would want people to think there was any kind of problem between us.”

In the process of making the album, Barrow and Salisbury utilised vintage synthesizers and analogue equipment: “As soon as I got this Oberheim Two-Voice, which Ade [Utley, Portishead’s resident aficionado] helped me find, basically I went and bought another one!” Barrow laughs. “I just kind of went: ‘It’s not enough! I want more!’

There’s a photograph which will be on the album of us with our three Two-Voice synths. Which essentially means we’ve got a Sixteen Voice. I was always inspired by 2000AD musically anyway: once we linked up the synths, it just seemed like the perfect thing to do with them, like a continuation of 2000AD in music. It all fit into place, like Cinderella’s bloody slipper!”

22 THE SKINNY

May 2012

Throughout the recording, Barrow turned back to the comics he read when he was growing up: “It’s such a strong memory for me: it’s ingrained in my brain. It’s really, really important – part of my formative years. 2000AD is as important to me as Public Enemy, and Eric B and Rakim. If you think about what 2000AD was talking about, and when it came out, it was a really brilliant, fascinating social commentary. It’s like what Star Trek was in the sixties in America. It was that, to Thatcher’s Britain, and in a weekly comic, which is really weird. I was dyslexic, so it was the one kind of thing I could read that was fairly grown-up. From sixteen, music took over. I just stopped reading everything. But 2000AD has always been part of the music I make. Always.”

How does his time working with Portishead differ to this new experience with Salisbury? “Portishead are just three very different people who work together, but ultimately we hear when something turns us on musically, and that’s usually something similar, even though we come from very different walks of life.” It wasn’t all plain sailing, however: “Writing a Portishead tune is always incredibly difficult,” he admits. “We try and aspire to the things that turn us on. That could be some mad classical thing, or Can, or Silver Apples, or Delia Derbyshire or Leonard Cohen. People like that are true innovators and incredible songwriters, and we’re just people... so to set ourselves the task of being as good as that, well... it’s quite a task.

Whether we reach that level or not, I don’t know, but it’s something we feel we have to attempt.”

2000AD is as important to me as Public Enemy, and Eric B and Rakim Geoff Barrow

Back at the start of Barrow’s career with Portishead, the media seemed to want to set up a kind of Blur vs. Oasis style opposition between his band, and fellow Bristolians Massive Attack. Barrow is quick to downplay any rivalry or comparisons between the two bands: “I worked with those guys years and years ago. I was the guy who made their sandwiches! Massive Attack was British soul music, proper street soul, and I don’t mean ‘street soul’ in any derogatory way to them. Blue Lines is a masterpiece. It draws on completely different things. I can remember them not liking Beth’s voice at all, and that was kind of understandable, because she wasn’t a soul singer as such.”

Back in the here and now, Barrow also has Quakers to talk about, a long-distance collaboration that involved three producers and thirty-five emcees from several different countries and time zones. Barrow describes it as a “drunken MySpace record”. The album took four years to make: “There’s beats from years ago, beats put together the last week before we handed it over to Stones Throw,” he explains. “It was genuinely a MySpace record – it was conceived online, with a bottle of wine or six, finding emcees who were cool, or people who were coming through town – Ashley [aka Katalyst, one third of Quakers] is a promoter in Australia, so he knows a lot about who is touring and when. We’d go backstage and chat to them. It was a nice feeling – we just wanted to stay away from the whole thing of approaching managers and saying: ‘The bloke from Portishead wants to make a hip-hop record.’ We weren’t interested in that.”

At what point did Stones Throw get involved with Quakers, and was there any pressure or obligation to use their emcees? “I wouldn’t call it pressure! We just said: ‘Yes please!’” laughs Barrow. “I knew Chris [Manak, aka Peanut Butter Wolf, Stones Throw founder] years ago, through Andy Smith. I talked to him a few times about stuff. We kept chatting, and then eventually the Anika record went through Stones Throw. We got chatting again then, and I said I was working on a hip-hop record, and he was definitely interested.

I really like the hip-hop stuff on Stones Throw, but I really like the other stuff as well – stuff like Jonwayne, that newer side of the label that’s really confusing people. They’re nice people at Stones Throw, and we met up when I was touring with Anika, and again when we were touring with Portishead. Where they’re going as a label now, I just think it’s really, really good.”

Did the synth-led material Barrow was producing for DROKK influence Quakers? “All three projects have kind of rolled into each other,” he says. “There’s a track on Quakers that loops a BEAK> track, for example. They’re all synced.

There are synth parts on the new BEAK> album that people will think sounds like DROKK. It’s all one big mashup. The people I’m working with all dig their gear.”

Finally, to ask Barrow the question on everybody’s lips – when will we hear a new Portishead album? “I’ve finished all of my other musical projects now, so I can concentrate on Portishead,” he reveals. “I’m moving studios right now, and it’s been a bit of a nightmare – it looks like a studio, but nobody’s done any soundproofing, so the people upstairs just hear everything. So I’ve got to work on that, and then just bash in to the new Portishead stuff. The fourth album is definitely on its way.”

DROKK: Music Inspired By Mega-City One is released on 7 May via Invada Records. The new BEAK> album is released in June. Quakers is out now via Stones Throw.

To read the full interview click on www.theskinny.co.uk/music www.invada.co.uk/drokk

Know when to unplug. Please drink Jack Daniel’s responsibly.

Copyright © 2012 JACK DANIEL’S. All rights reserved. JACK DANIEL’s and OLD NO. 7 are registered trademarks

theatre

FEATURES

M ay f e s t o The forward-thinking theatre festival sets out its stall for 2012 Words: Gareth K Vile

“My understanding is that the festival not only offers ‘theatre with an edge’ but it appears to offer diversity,” says Ramesh Meyyappan – who kicks off Mayfesto 2012 with his daring aerial performance Snails and Ketchup. “The programme does present a range of quite different performances – not only in terms of companies and individuals presenting work but also in the style of work – including readings and talks.”

Mayfesto is one of Andy Arnold’s most exciting innovations during his tenure as the Tron’s artistic director. In its three years of existence, it has championed theatre that has explicitly political intentions, directly relates to current political events or reflects new approaches to drama. This year, the English riots of 2011, bombings in Ireland and the Arab Spring and the poetic realism of Italo Calvino all get referenced: following on from Behaviour at The Arches, it continues Glasgow’s perpetual festivals of forward thinking theatre.

Collaborations run through the programme: the NTS has made the Tron its hub for the next installment of its Five Minute Theatre Programme – an innovative cross-over of live action and YouTube style documentation. Meyyappan teamed up with Iron Oxide, Edinburgh’s powerhouse of site-specific

performance and is supported by the Cultural Olympiad. Egyptian artists Laila Soliman and Mustafa Said have No Time for Art 0+1, part of National Theatre of Scotland’s One Day in Spring Season.

And Ankur lead a series of public debates while controversial former SSP MSP Rosie Kane takes a vaudeville trip through her personal journey.

Meyyappan observes that Snails and Ketchup shares characteristics with other pieces in the programme. “There are a couple of pieces that focus on very human stories – Minute and Midday, Fight Night, No Time for Art and Chalk Farm. They all seem to focus on the individual, the difficulties they face, their resilience and the impact of events and people in their lives,” he comments.

“Snails and Ketchup is just that – a boy who makes a decision that his life would be easier if he somehow separated himself from his family, then the consequences of this decision.”

Beyond this, the programming follows many different strands. Irish work has always been part of Mayfesto – this year Minute After Midnight discusses the Omagh Bombing, Fight Night gets physical in a tale of a boxer’s comeback trail. Yet the additional emphasis on new work this year sees Kieran Hurley – fresh from hitting the Beats

snails and ketchup

as part of The platform 18 Awards – preview his collaboration with Julia Taudevin, and a series of readings of brand new and unseen works – include shorts from comedy superstar Alan Ackybourne and neo-brutalist Patrick Marber, who wrote Closer, an incisive satire on post-modern identity and false intimacy that found fame as a film.

If an overall theme does exist, it is succintly summed up by Meyyappan’s description of his own style. “It is storytelling.” Throughout Mayfesto, performers and writers who believe that theatre is a place for direct and meaningful

communication – whether explicitly political like Rosie Kane, or more philosophical, like Meyyappan – and use it to stimulate discussion. Mayfesto has slowly established itself from its roots in Andy Arnold’s enthusiasm for political theatre, through an emphasis on work from the Celtic nations into its latest, most comprehensive identity, as a Festival of engaged, intelligent theatre.

MAYFESTO, Tue 1 - Sat 19 May, The Tron, Various Times and prices www.tron.co.uk/mayfesto

Hip Hop for the Masses Tony Mills – b-boy and contemporary dancer, MC of the Castle Rocks street dance competitions and wild style fashion originator – takes up his familiar co-host role at Breakin’ Convention 2012 Words: Gareth K Vile

and the dancers.”

And other nations are leading b-boys in their new directions. “On the theatre front, I still think France leads the way,” Mills continues. “They have been producing work in this genre for many years and have a good infrastructure in place to support such artists.” In the UK, the prestigious British Dance Edition – a showcase for professional companies, invited BC, Champloo, Avant Garde and Room 2 Manoeuvre (Mill’s own crew) to appear.

“It’s encouraging that work within this genre is seen as part of the dance fabric of the UK,” notes Mills. And within the scene, “BC is also doing their bit to develop choreographic talent through their back to the lab programme and supporting collaborations involving UK artists.”

Mills is very aware of the dual nature of Breakin’ Convention: “Every time it comes to Scotland, it is a huge catalyst for local groups to get in the studio and start creating. It makes a huge difference when you have something to aim for with regards to a performance and even more so when it is such a huge platform,” he observes on the local crews, including Jackin’ The Box and Heavy Smokers, who will be rocking the EFT. The international acts are going to be really exciting and will showcase highly technical hip hop/breaking from current Battle of the Year champions, Vagabonds, with a more conceptual take from Clash 66. Both companies are an example of how hip hop dance in the theatre is not just a novelty but that these artists bring a world class level of skill, commitment and creativity to the genre.

Jackin' the Box

Sadler’s Wells Theatre | Sat 5-Mon 7 May Edinburgh Festival Theatre | Fri 18 May & Sat 19 May Various times and prices Inverness Eden Court | Tue 22 May www.breakinconvention.com/events/ festival/breakin-convention-2012-tour

Heavy Smokers

May 2012

photo: Wilde Oates Photography

With the jamboree of hip hop dance heading on to Inverness after its bi-annual visit to Edinburgh, Breakin’ Convention’s mash-up of street crews and theatrical companies is reaching out further. After the success of mainstream crew Flawless, on TV and at the Fringe, break dance has held its place in the commercial world: yet it retains an energy that comes from beyond the theatre and the big productions.

“From day one, BC has always been about trying to take the vibe from the street into the theatre,” explains Mills. “With this in mind foyer activity is given just as much importance as that which happens on stage. As soon as the doors open people can expect local DJs spinning and drummers drumming for dancers on the open floor. If you want to learn how to top rock, drop, footwork into freeze there will be workshops on offer from local dancers. Or if art on paper is more your thing, we’ll also have graffiti artists in the house to show how to bag your tag. And don’t forget to look out for free giveaways throughout the evening. We’ll also have live performances from Fife hip hop crews UNIK and WOTT crew.”

The confidence of the hip-hop scene is not surprising: both in dance and music, authenticity and ostentatious display have always been crucial.

Even back in its earliest incarnations at Sadler’s Wells in London, The Convention aimed to put the dance into context, surrounding it with the graffiti artists, fashion designs and rappers that are part of the broader hip-hop culture. And although it was once a very American form, Mills affirms that the entire world has been inspired. “In terms of the battle scene really the level is pretty high across the board. There are more competitions these days and the internet allows footage to blaze around the world: all this helps to push the scene

THE SKINNY 25

books

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INTERVIEW FROM A MALL EWAN MORRISON is the acclaimed author of a trilogy of novels – Swung, Distance and Menage – about alternative sexuality. And so naturally he’s followed these up with an examination of the way we shop. Let’s go to a mall with him and see what happens WORDS: KEIR HIND

BUT BEFORE the interview, a basic review to get you up to speed: Tales from the Mall is a potent mix of fiction, anecdotes and polemic about the effect of malls on our culture, and on world culture generally. The true stories about the heavy-handed practices of security guards, or how malls have generally changed communities are troubling enough. However the fictional passages, where Morrison all too convincingly shows how mall culture affects the behaviour of his characters, are where the book becomes really terrifying. It’s a highly convincing argument that our current retail models, based on a false premise of infinite expansion, are damaging our culture and ourselves. This is the kind of book that feels not so much written as inevitably produced. It’s well researched, and well written, but its real strength is that it has a force to it which comes straight from the convictions of the author, not to mention the abundance of evidence his case draws on.

With that done, Ewan Morrison picks me up in his car and we head off to a large Glaswegian mall. Which one, you say? Does it matter? “I’ve been in different places around the world that I’ve seen the impact that malls have,” Morrison says, as we head along the motorway. “I lived in America for three years and whenever you go to, say, New Jersey, you get exactly the same kind of thing. So I was aware of just how ‘malled’ Scotland was getting, Glasgow in particular. Glasgow’s an incredibly huge retail city now, we’ve dedicated so much of our rebuilding and restructuring towards things like Braehead, and Silverburn.”

These malls affect each other. “Buchanan Galleries is getting refitted,” says the author “and St Enoch had to get refitted because of Buchanan Galleries, it’s a sort of retail turf war. Glasgow has become a retail city, but it’s a very successful one. Buchanan Street is the seventh largest retail avenue in the world, apparently”.

As we pull in to the typically gigantic car park, Morrison explains about his interest in the subject.

“My parents were very anti-Americanisation when I was growing up,” he says, “but now this could be America – it’s exactly the same shopping malls all over the world. And that must be having some impact on the Scottish psyche, although we maybe haven’t investigated that very much.” We’re getting out of the car at this point “Glaswegians have always been very big on clothes – well, not always, but since even before shopping malls they’ve spent more on fashion than the rest of the country.” By contrast, he says, “Edinburgh’s quite bohemian, so people look terrible. Too many hippies and folk with trust funds in Edinburgh. I’m quite devoted to Glasgow, even though it’s kind of trashy and commercial.” That, I tell him, is our pull quote right there.

As we walk through the mall entrance, Morrison asks, “Have you noticed that there must have been some kind of corporate decision in Glasgow that every new building should be metal colour? All the way along the Clyde it’s happening, including Zaha Hadid’s Riverside museum. The template was set with the Armadillo… “ But at this point we’re distracted by a shiny mall map. It’s interactive, but we can’t get it to work. The author becomes interested in Build-A-Bear. “It’s really paradoxical,” he says. “You’ve got Build-A-Bear for the kids, and near that Ann Summers and La Senza, which kids are kept away from. I’ve actually seen kids left outside Ann Summers – they’re not allowed in – while their mums are inside buying lingerie and stuff.” This is a reasonably new development. “It’s quite a revolutionary thing to have a sex shop in a shopping mall. There were protests about them when they first started, not here, but down south there were concerned community groups trying to shut them down. There were Islamic protests as well, because there was an inflatable doll called

26 THE SKINNY

MAY 2012

Edinburgh’s quite bohemian, so people look terrible. Too many hippies and folk with trust funds in Edinburgh. I’m quite devoted to Glasgow, even though it’s kind of trashy and commercial EWAN MORRISON

ILLUSTRATION: PETER LOCKE

‘Mustapha shag’,” Morrison says. “They were offended by that, apparently”.

We haven’t yet found Build-A-Bear, but have reached the large, well-known department store at one end of the centre. This is one of the ‘anchors’ malls are built around – two large, popular stores that are placed at opposing ends, which, Morrison explains, is “your classic ‘barbell’, long corridor and another large store at the end.” These bring further expansion. “Once the mall brought an infrastructure all of the stuff outside came afterwards and just spread out. It creates the road and sewage network which can then be used for all of the extra shops around,” says the author. “It’s very pretty in here though, eh?” It’s airy, anyway. “I was in St Enoch’s today, which has Hamley’s now. They were without a second anchor for a while, so they were struggling.”

We make our way to the opposite anchor, and Morrison looks at the shoppers as we go. “It’s an interesting question, are malls for children and parents, or are they for young single people?

It seems that mall shoppers are people in their twenties now, but it used to be quite family based.

Singles are the target market for consumerism in general, because singles consume 14% more than families.” We don’t seem to have passed many families as we reach the end. We do, however, find a map that tells us where Build-A Bear is, so we head there.

As we go, I ask Morrison about the effects of these commuter-based retail hubs. “New towns have a real problem on their hands,“ he says.

“East Kilbride’s been struggling, because it was originally a council-owned shopping centre, and if you design a town around a shopping centre, you’re buggered if it goes out of business…” But now we come to Build-A Bear.

Which I find creepy as hell. I turn off the tape as I’m dragged in, so this brief transcript is from memory: Author: “So they buy these skins…”

Interviewer: “Okay, can we go now?”

Author “…and they’re stuffed here...”

Interviewer: “Okay, can we go now?”

Author: “The market is saturated with bear toys, so they’ve come up with different outfits for your bear, and you can even get a Darth Vader bear now. Look, there’s a camouflage bear” Interviewer: “Right, so you lose it and have to buy a new one. Can we go now?”

Author: “In some ways, consumerism is laid ‘bare’ by Build-a-Bear” Interviewer: “Okay, we’re definitely going now”.

We escape to the food court, where we come across a fancy new eatery, where some elderly people are in evidence. “I like how old people are starting to come in to malls. It’s actually an extraordinary development, because old people have generally stuck to town centres before, but they’re starting to migrate,” says Morrison. “I didn’t know this place was here,” he says. “This is great,” he continues. “I wouldn’t eat here myself though.” We decide instead to try to walk around to the back of the complex, to see if it’s possible.

On the way I ask Morrison about the stories in the book, specifically whether he had to force himself to write mall-set fiction. “I just went back over my own life and thought ‘how many stories do I have from malls’, rather than trying to squeeze a story into a mall,” he says, as we look for a way around the mall. “This is one of the great American problems, that it’s all built around the car,” although we eventually find our way reasonably easily.

Nevertheless, there’s some American influence round back, as we find an abandoned funfair straight out of Scooby-Doo. Appropriately, Morrison starts telling me about abandoned ‘ghost malls’. “I saw one in America that was completely abandoned, but I was too scared to go inside,” he says. But on a lesser scale “There are certain bits of the East Kilbride shopping mall where you go past empty shop after empty shop, thankfully redeemed by the upper floors which got redeveloped and people go there to eat and buy top-end jewellery. But the ground floor is really sad.” The back of the mall is pretty dreary itself, so we head back round to the car park.

As we walk around, I ask about the notion of ‘a jail in the mall’, a reasonably popular urban myth.

Sadly, Morrison hasn’t heard anything. “One of the mall security guys told me that it’s actually really hard to hold shoplifters, because you can’t touch them, physically. You can coerce them verbally, and try to convince them that they’re in trouble and that they have to stay, but you can’t actually restrain them. Some top tips there for potential shoplifters…”

Sinister tales are nothing new however, he explains with the car park in sight. “It’s surprising in terms of fiction how often people have to have something dramatic and deadly going on in a mall, like a man with a gun, or a secret subbasement where people are tortured and their brains are extracted. Even JG Ballard had this secret fascist organisation that was running the mall and wanted to preserve the social order of passive zombie-like consumers. It seems hard to imagine the mall in fiction as something other than malevolent.”

And at that, we realise we’ve lost the car.

WE GOT OUT EVENTUALLY. TALES FROM THE MALL IS RELEASED ON 1 MAY, PUBLISHED BY CARGO, AND IT COSTS £9.99

Degree Show 2012 The School of Arts & Creative Industries’ annual Degree Show celebrates the creative achievement of our graduates with an exhibition of design, photography, advertising, film and television work.

Courses featured in the show in include: BDes (Hons) Design & Digital Arts BDes (Hons) Graphic Design BDes (Hons) Interior Architecture BDes (Hons) Product Design BA (Hons) Photography & Film BA (Hons) Television MSc Creative Advertising MA/MDes Design Screen Academy Scotland

Open to the public: Friday 25 May – Friday 1 June Monday – Friday: 10am-6pm Saturday & Sunday: 10am-5pm Merchiston Campus, Colinton Road, Edinburgh EH10 5DT www.edinburghnapierdegreeshow.com

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music

S T R A N G E W E AT H E R NEW ORDER’s STEPHEN MORRIS explains the Salford legends’ resurgence, their unfinished record, and why he couldn’t find a steady job anywhere else INTERVIEW: DAVE KERR

IT’S BEEN an uncertain era for New Order since Peter Hook declared, in a blaze of acrimony, that the dance rock innovators were finished upon his departure in 2007. Stopping short of definitively backing up his claim, frontman Bernard Sumner found refuge in Bad Lieutenant, a group which eventually counted each latter-day member of New Order besides Hook in its touring line-up.

And so it remained until late last year, when a request that Sumner and co play two benefit gigs for an ailing friend attracted the attention of original New Order keyboardist Gillian Gilbert, prompting a full-blown reprisal without Hook’s involvement or blessing. The ugliness took another turn this March when he accused his successor, Bad Lieutenant’s Tom Chapman, of miming to his recorded basslines in concert.

Today, both parties stand belligerently firm in their conviction that there’s no way back, thanks to a grievance that spiralled once Hook bought the rights to the Haçienda brand, then took Joy Division’s legacy into his own hands by touring Unknown Pleasures, Closer and now rarities album Still with his latest project, The Light. As they prepare to tour, we navigate the minefield that is New Order 2012 and speak to Morris about the band’s controversial third act without their old comrade.

Just last year you said: “When you get in a band you never consider the day it’ll all just stop,” Of course, 2007-2011 wasn’t your first hiatus. To your mind, had New Order really split for good when Peter Hook left?

NEW ORDER 2012

No, I don’t think so. There was the thing in the early 90s after Republic when people asked me ‘Do you think New Order will ever do anything again?’ and I foolishly said ‘No!’ At that point I did think we’d split and that was it and there’d be no more New Order. Then Rob [Gretton, late New Order and Joy Division manager] rang us up and we got back together again. This time I’m going to say no, I never thought we’d split! We’re just the sort of band who go away and come back together again.

Fans would argue that New Order is a band with constituent members that are uniquely vital to its success. Were efforts made to approach Peter once you reached the decision to play these gigs?

Well, not really. We started off doing it thinking this would just be a small charity thing. It was really that that made us do it as New Order. It was for Michael Shamberg, who was Factory America, he produced all the New Order videos and it was just to raise money for him. Originally we were

going to do it as Bad Lieutenant, then Gillian got involved and we just said ‘Well, this is New Order really, isn’t it?’ It’s just kind of snowballed. Hooky’s not spoke to us in God knows how many years, and never told us about any of the things that he was doing. So no, there wasn’t!

Peter made the rift in the band public via the medium of MySpace, were his reasons for leaving made known or are you still guessing?

Yeah. The thing about it is that when we went away for a bit in the 90s we didn’t really talk about it, which is fine. You just keep your own counsel about it, and then when you get back together in a room it’s that much easier to sort things out really. But when you go public it all gets over exaggerated and it very easily gets polarised and I think it just reaches a point where it’s very hard to go back…or climb down.

Had the band intended to wind down, for any period of time, in 2007?

No, not at all. We’d just done Waiting for the Sirens’ Call and had enough material for two albums: We still have. We’ve got this whole bunch of tracks that we want to put out. You could say ‘Eugh, they’re just the outtakes that weren’t good enough to put on the last album,’ but they’re not.

Basically, we realised we had two albums; it was more about how to split [the material]. So we ended up finishing off the first lot, but we still had eight tracks leftover. The idea was that we would finish those quite quickly, because everything with New Order seems to take five years. For

• Hand pulled cask ale • Food served from noon until 9.30pm (Sundays 12.30pm - 8pm)

• 15% off all food every Monday from 5pm • 10% student discount on food at all times largest Probably the dinburgh! nachos in E

28 THE SKINNY

MAY 2012

• Metal, punk & goth jukebox 23-25 St. Leonard’s Street, Edinburgh EH8 9QN •

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reason or another, history shows what, it never happened. Obviously there’s no way we can add to them now, it’s just a thing in itself, which is going to be like an eight track mini-album. We’re trying hard to get them out.

What do you say to those accusations that the band have used recordings of Peter’s bass parts live?

[Laughs] I say they’re outrageous! No, we haven’t used any recordings of Hooky live. Even with Hooky, we’d have two parts going and he couldn’t play two bases! Anyway, there’s only one song where Tom recorded his bass for an overdub.

Considering that the personnel in both bands is practically the same, minus Gillian, do Bad Lieutenant and New Order feel like particularly different groups from the inside?

It’s a bit of a misconception really, because Bad Lieutenant – and I’m not talking about it in the past tense because it is still knocking about somewhere – Bernard, Phil and Jake, they’re Bad Lieutenant really. They just roped me in to play the drums. At that time I thought I’d have a go at being a session drummer, but the only person who asked me to play drums for ‘em was Bernard – it was like bloody coals to Newcastle. Tom was like me, he just played in the band and we were both playing songs that had already been written, which wasn’t the case with New Order where we were all involved.

In New Order’s later years the band seemed more comfortable with celebrating Joy Division’s catalogue. Will that continue into this new tour?

The Joy Division thing happened in ‘98 when we first got back together, and we felt, well, why the bloody hell don’t we play Joy Division songs?

From that point we were playing 50/50 Joy Division and New Order. This time around there might be the odd Joy Division song, but it’s mostly New Order. When we said we’d do these gigs we sat down and listened to all New Order’s stuff and it

Hooky’s not spoken to us in God knows how many years Stephen Morris

was a case of ‘Oh, why’ve we never played that one?’ There’s been a few! One of the things about having Tom is that he’s got a different perspective on the songs; Phil [Cunningham, guitarist and keyboardist since 2001] too, to a certain extent. They come in and say ‘Why do you never do Thieves Like Us?’ If we can’t think of a good reason we’ll have a go. Some work out well, some don’t work out at all, but you’ve got to go through the same amount of effort to do this justice.

What did you make of [Anton Corbijn’s biopic of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis] Control when it came out – was it an accurate portrayal of those times in your opinion, having lived through it?

It tells a story, it’s largely Ian’s story, which is quite a tragic one. It’s a funny thing Control; I think it might’ve been because it was so close to 24 Hour Party People, but when it first came out I was a little bit blasé about it, like ‘oh, it’s another film.’ But it’s a completely different mood – it’s like Carry On New Order / Factory Records as opposed to the Ian Curtis story. The first few times I saw it I just thought ‘That’s a great film, but it’s about somebody else.’ But when it actually dawns on you that it’s about a portion of your life I get quite upset when I watch it now.

For decades, Joy Division have been a common touchstone for any band that aspires to be dark, minimal and atmospheric. Does the flippant ubiquity of the band’s name in the music press ever grate on you, or has it been flattery all the way?

It grated early on. John Peel memorably said ‘Will bands please stop sending me tapes just because they sound like some sort of second rate Joy Division,’ which was quite early on in the eighties. Lately, I do find it very flattering and I am constantly amazed by people, particularly young people you come across who say ‘Ah, I think Joy Division are great.’ And it’s like ‘You weren’t even born, what do you know about it?’ I can only attribute that to the fact there isn’t that much of

Joy Division and it’s not rammed down people’s throats. I mean, there are obviously the record company reissues – repackaging things – which is a little bit beyond our control. But the actual band itself, there isn’t much out there, there are hardly any videos, so you kind of invent a bit of Joy Division in your head, which I quite like.

Do you foresee a future for New Order beyond the current dates? Bernard recently alluded to the possibility of writing on tour; has that become a reality?

Writing on tour – never gonna work, that one.

It’s one step at a time, I think. When your life, particularly at this stage, gets mapped out too far ahead, you start resenting it, and it’s not very inspirational when you know what you’re doing this time next year. There’s a vague understanding that when we’ve done these gigs we might try writing some stuff and see what happens.

But certainly this idea of ‘Oh, we’ve got to do an album for Warners, and it’s got to be finished for July’ – there’s none of that, because that’s horrible. I mean, deadlines are great, they serve a purpose but it’s not a level of commitment that we’d want to get into at this point.

Rumour has it you have a ‘tell-all’ biography in the works. Is there any truth to that?

[Laughs] It’s not a tell-all biography for a start!

It’s called What Is Jazz? There’s a bit of a biography thing in it, but it’s loosely about what happens to people in bands generally. They always seem to start off as four lads, a gang, and then they turn into a band. Then they take on certain roles whether they like it or not. I’m just fascinated by the way the lead singer always turns into a lead singer, the drummer turns into the drummer, and the bassist, well, you know. Where do these archetypes come from? Is it purely Spinal Tap? I don’t know, this’ll all be in me book.

Playing Glasgow O2 Academy on 5 May; Edinburgh Usher Hall on 6 May and T in the Park, Balado on 6 Jul. Read the full interview online at www.theskinny.co.uk/music www.facebook.com/NewOrderOfficial

CHArLES AvEry | PAuL CHiAPPE | LAyLA CurtiS | nAtHALiE DE BriEy | MoynA FLAnniGAn LuCA FrEi | EuAn GrAy | SAM GriFFin | MAriE HArnEtt | CALLuM innES ALAn JoHnSton | AnDrEw MACkEnziE | DAviD SHriGLEy | GrAEME toDD | AinSLiE yuLE

5 May to 8 July 2012 City Art Centre 2 Market Street Edinburgh EH1 1DE 0131 529 3993 www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk Monday to Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday 12pm–5pm ADMiSSion FrEE A Parliament of Lines has been curated by Euan Gray image: Marie Harnett, irene (detail) 2012, © courtesy Alan Cristea Gallery, London

May 2012

THE SKINNY 29

A d v e r t i s e m e n t F EAT U RE : I n s i d e r s c h e m e

festival

I N s i d e t h e F e s ti va l

©Opera North

Photo: J C Carbonne

In past years, the Edinburgh International Festival has taken energy from emphasising a particular geographical location: last year investigated the Far East, while 2010 took a journey into the New World. Appropriately for the year when the Olympics arrives in the UK, the 2012 International Festival programme is determinedly broad in scope, mixing up familiar companies – Batsheva Dance impressed four years ago with the compilation work Deca Dance 2008, and the Mariinsky Ballet are perhaps better known by their Soviet name, The Kirov – and emerging new talents, most notably in Juilliard Dance from the Juilliard School’s triple bill and the European Union Youth Orchestra. With forty-seven nations represented the emphasis is on diversity and celebration, echoing the sentiments of the Festival’s founders who consciously responded, in 1947, to the horrors of WWII by building this platform for cultural community and understanding.

While the world is invited to Edinburgh, Scotland is presenting its own artistic excellence back to the world. James MacMillan has a new composition, commissioned by the Hebrides Ensemble; Vanishing Point, one of Scotland’s most energetic and imaginative theatre companies, use Alice in Wonderland as their inspiration point. And Scottish Opera, after the success of their short opera mixed bills 5:15 have a selection of newly minted short scores.

Both the International Festival and the Fringe provide Scotland with much of the inspiration for its year round vital artistic energy. Jonathan Mills’ 2012 programme is an introduction to previously unknown pleasures – the Russian and Polish visions of Shakespeare – and a comforting reminder of past triumphs – Romanian director Silviu Purcărete,

fondly remembered for a spectacular reading of Faust, brings his Gulliver’s Travels and The Sixteen make it four festivals in a row through an rendition of Purcell’s King Arthur.

Placing the younger companies alongside such august names sends a clear message: Edinburgh International Festival is not merely about recognising the established artists, but supporting the future. More than a selection of the good and the great, the International Festival is a survey of art’s present and potential.

The Insider Scheme

Now in its third year, INsider is a special membership programme offering enthusiasts of theatre, opera, music and dance a chance for closer involvement with the Festival, to meet like-minded souls and enjoy discounts and socials around Scotland’s cultural hubs.

A year’s membership costs just £25 and will open up access to preview performances, discounts on shows, invitations to VIP parties and behind the scenes opportunities during August’s Edinburgh International Festival, and throughout the following year.

Last year INsider members enjoyed free backstage tours and talks with Stephen Earnhart, Director of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle; Tim Supple, Director of One Thousand and One Nights; and John Robb, International Festival Head of Technical, of the set of Die Frau ohne Schatten. Plus an exclusive out-ofhours free tour of Hiroshi Sugimoto’s Lightning Fields exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art with exhibition curator Simon Groom.

INsider events take place outside of Festival time as well – since Festival 2011 there have been

evening drinks, exclusive access to cultural events and special offers only available to members. Details for INsider events in 2012 will be announced in detail throughout the year. We can reveal exclusively now that INsiders can look forward to: • Festival events including three drinks receptions around performances, with the opportunity to meet world leading artists and Festival staff. Receptions are planned around The Rape of Lucrece on 22 August, Juilliard Dance on 25 August and Wonderland on 30 August. Save the dates in your diary now. Artists’ schedules in Edinburgh do sometimes change but where plans for receptions change there’ll be an equally exciting do!

• Rare opportunities to watch rehearsals in Edinburgh prior to shows opening at the Festival • Backstage tours of spectacular, beautifully designed sets in the company of Festival Technical staff Throughout the year members will receive invitations to private views of exhibitions and events, including those associated with The Skinny as well as ticket offers and discounts for a range of cultural events, and competitions to win exclusive prizes.

Additional networking opportunities outside of festival times will be guaranteed with Festival Socials, which take place every two months on the second Thursday of the month in the Traverse bar.

INsiders receive 50% off a range of EIF tickets, listed to the right, as well as 10% all year round at Cafe Hub.

T h e C at Loo k s at the Bard Cabaret star Camille O’Sullivan returns to Edinburgh with a unique collaboration, jumping from the Fringe to the International Festival to work with the Royal Shakespeare Company on The Rape of Lucrece Interview: Gareth K Vile

Photo: RSC/Ellie Kurttz

Although Camille has dominated the Fringe’s cabaret programme over the last decade – once the star turn of the Spiegeltent, every year has seen her move into and conquer larger venues – 2012 sees her first entry into the International Festival.

And while she retains elements of her performance persona offstage – she is charming, witty and passionate about her songs – she is surprisingly modest. She even admits to a little stage-fright at the prospect of her International Festival debut.

“It is really exciting,” she says. “And a very different experience. I am returning to Edinburgh in a different guise: as an actress and a co-composer with Feargal Murray.” Supported by the Royal Shakespeare Company, Camille and Murray have taken Shakespeare’s The Rape of Lucrece and re-imagined it through song and storytelling.

Best known for her vibrant re-interpretations of songs

by Nick Cave, Jacques Brel and other, sometimes unexpected, writers, Camille’s powerful voice has the smooth grace of the chanteuse and the raucous energy of rock’n’roll: as the cabaret revival gathered pace across the world, her musical choices went far beyond the predictable cabaret standards and encouraged other artists to imitate her style and ambition.

Director Elizabeth Freestone noticed Camille’s ability to evoke the darker, less travelled roads of desire and realised that she could bring her talents to bear on one of Shakespeare’s non-theatrical poems. Her last Fringe piece – Feel – proved that Camille could switch between characters and moods fluidly: her unaccompanied version of Brel’s Amsterdam is chilling and despairing, while the encore, Cave’s Ship Song, becomes an unabashed celebration of passion. The first challenge was to convert Lucrece into a performance.

Reworking Lucrece with Freestone, Camille

30 THE SKINNY

May 2012

laughs that she has “taken an epic poem of about one hundred and thirty pages and reduced it to eighty-five minutes and about twelve songs. I play three different people, and I am alone on stage.”

Shakespeare’s poem is intensely serious – it focusses on a violent episode from Roman history, as King Tarquin assaults the virtuous Lucrece, which would lead to the collapse of the Roman monarchy.

“I am explaining the story as the narrator,” Camille notes. “Then morphing into him and then into her.”

Camille’s audience in Edinburgh is loyal and even fanatical: they are known for cheering her with some unique noises. “As long as no-one miaows, we ought to be okay,” she jokes, referring to their habit of making cat noises in approval. As the previews in Stratford revealed, alongside her work as an actress – she appeared in the film Mrs Henderson Presents and stage productions of Sweeney Todd – Camille is more than capable of making the transition from cabaret. Her biggest worry was not practical – “remembering the stuff is not the problem,” she confides. “But at least in your own show you can step in and out of character!”

While her run this year in Edinburgh will be shorter than usual – only four nights against her usual month-long marathon – Camille is clearly excited by the challenge. She enthuses about the time working on the production in Stratford. “We were there at the same time they were doing King Lear, and it was wonderful to hear the actor’s own natural way of saying Shakespeare’s words.” The restlessness of her touring schedule and expanding repertoire makes this meeting with Shakespeare a logical evolution: she has frequently identified her enthusiasm for Brel, Tom Waits, Thom Yorke and Dylan as an admiration for their elegant, precise language. On her past record, the Bard may be about to receive a unique interpreter.

A d v e r t i s e m e n t F EAT U RE : I n s i d e r s c h e m e

INSIDER SHOWS 2008: Macbeth

The Rape of Lucrece

TR Warszawa After William Shakespeare Sat 11-Mon 13 Aug, Thu 16-Sat 18 Aug 7.30pm, Wed 15 Aug 2pm Lowland Hall, Royal Highland Centre Performed in Polish with English supertitles

Royal Shakespeare Company William Shakespeare, adapted by Elizabeth Freestone, Feargal Murray and Camille O’Sullivan Performed by Camille O’Sullivan, accompanied by Feargal Murray on piano Wed 22-Sun 26 Aug 9pm, Sat 25 Aug Touch Tour 7.45pm, Audio Description 8.45pm Royal Lyceum Theatre Performed in English

Set in a contemporary and brutal Middle Eastern conflict, 2008: Macbeth is unflinching in its depiction of the machine of violence that, once set in motion, works faster and ever more efficiently.

With spectacular pyrotechnics, immersive video effects and an extraordinary, layered soundscape that plays tricks on the ear, Shakespeare’s web of politics, ambition and the supernatural is transformed into a contemporary, and highly physical filmic theatre.

Full Price £35 £30 INsider Price £17.50 £15 eif.co.uk/macbeth ************

Photo: Rosalie O’Connor

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (As You Like It)

N e w D a n c e G e n e r at i o n

August sees New York’s world famous JuilLiard School arrive in Edinburgh with a triple bill of performances introducing the dance stars of tomorrow Interview: Gareth K Vile

There is no lack of ambition in the Juilliard School: their mission states that they aim to attract the most talented performing artists and develop them into the stars of the future and positive advocates for the arts. Their dance company’s triple bill reflects this vision: a European premiere from Alexander Ekman, Netherlands Dance Theatre 2’s associate choreographer, a classic from José Limón and Nacho Duato’s scorching journey into his native landscape, Gnawa.

Reflecting the enthusiasm for emerging artists in this year’s programme, Juilliard Dance not only introduce the talent of their dancers, but provide a brief survey of how contemporary choreography and ballet are coming together. José Limón was one of America’s twentieth century dynamos: originally training to be a painter, he was inspired by the possibility of expressing a confident masculinity through dance: the selection for the International Festival, The Waldstein Sonata, is a rare example of his use of romantic classical music: Limón was a teacher at Juilliard, and his inclusion emphasises his legacy as both an educator and a choreographer who combined technical grace and contemporary power.

Like Limón, Alexander Ekman began as a dancer before moving into choreography: his pieces have been performed as installations in museums, demonstrating how dance is no longer only found in the theatre, but reaches out to other venues and genres. Episode 31, performed here, shares Limón’s fascination with tough energy, evoking ritualistic movement and exploiting the young company’s traditional technique to showcase their versatility and ability.

Despite being a student company, Juilliard Dance have a tradition of taking on some of the great works in the modern repertoire: they have performed pieces by Jerome Robbins and Merce Cunningham, and have built a reputation for preserving signature choreographies from the American modern dance cannon.

Zack Winkour, 22, is one of the young dancers who will be coming across to Edinburgh in August, and he admits that he is already excited.

“I’ve been to the festival two times before: and I am a huge fan of haggis and the National Galleries!” He is certain that Juilliard have something special lined up. He is in two of the pieces – Gnawa and Episode 31, and explains that “the two pieces have a very different attitude. Episode 31 is extremely energetic and very very youthful: it is really fun to do and rigorous in terms of the counting and being all together in very tight units. And it’s very modern and full of energy.

And sort of exhausting! Gnawa is very tribal and full of tonnes of energy and precision.

“I was just talking to another one of my classmates who is coming with me,” Winkour observes. “And it is going to be an incredibly physical show: both of the two pieces are very athletic.” Since Winkour is due to graduate before his arrival in August, “It will be my last tour with the company. It will be a nice send off. We are all excited to be performing in the Playhouse theatre: it is three times the size of the one that we have at the school!”

For Winkour, his training at Juilliard has been ideal. Apart from the repertoire, he says, “One great thing about Juilliard – the big draw – is the sheer density of resources and how many bright young talented people who are committed are there. So I have had an opportunity to work with a lot of musicians at the school, which has been really exciting.” Inspired by the rigorous training, he has cultivated an interest in choreography, contemporary dance and even directing opera. He already has his own performance company.

It is the same distinctive energy of Juilliard, and the rich pool of talent that inspired Winkour to audition that promises to make the Juilliard’s performance unique. As Winkour concludes, “We are bringing over a show that is full of youth and sophistication!”

Chekhov International theatre festival Dmitry Krymov’s Laboratory School of Dramatic Art Theatre Production Fri 24 & Sat 25 Aug 7.30pm, Sun 26 Aug 2.30pm King’s Theatre, Edinburgh Performed in Russian with English supertitles

Shakespeare’s magical, shapeshifting play – a joyous combination of incongruous things: dumbstruck actors, suppressed emotions running riot, masterly solecism, divine blundering and, finally, craftsmen transformed into poets... From Russia comes the world premiere of Dmitry Krymov’s interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Full Price £12 to £30 INsider Price £6 to £15 eif.co.uk/midsummer **************

Wonderland Vanishing Point Wed 29 Aug - Sat 1 Sep 7.30pm Royal Lyceum Theatre Performed in English

In a darkly subversive take on the themes of Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll’s classic tale, Wonderland examines the attraction of fame and stardom, the desire for something more, the allure of the erotic and the invasion of pornography into modern popular culture. Dreamlike, edgy and intensely physical, it is a mystery about a door that – once opened – is almost impossible to close, a story about curiosity, temptation and power.

Please note this performance contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children.

Full Price £10 to £30 INsider Price £5 to £15 eif.co.uk/wonderland *************

Villa+Discurso Teatro Playa Mon 20-Tue 21 Aug 7.30pm The Hub Performed in Spanish with English supertitles

Chilean playwright and director Guillermo Calderón explores the heart of his nation, with language of intensity and passion, in a double bill of searing contemporary dramas exposing both a terrible heritage and the great humanity it inspired.

Full Price £25 INsider Price £12.50 eif.co.uk/villadiscurso ************

Shakespeare's tragic poem The Rape of Lucrece, a terrible tale of lust, rape and politics, is both beautiful and violent. From political chronicle to sexual thriller, the poem’s exquisite tragedy is fully revealed in a hypnotic evening of song and storytelling.

Full Price £10 to £30 INsider Price £5 to £15 eif.co.uk/rapeoflucrece ***********

And then, one thousand years of peace Ballet Preljocaj Fri 17 - Sun 19 Aug 7.30pm The Edinburgh Playhouse

Initially created in collaboration with the Bolshoi Theatre, And then, one thousand years of peace fuses two distinct styles of movement – the fast, driving power of renowned French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj's contemporary work with the grand classical ballet of the Bolshoi. Set to a pulsating soundtrack by techno music legend Laurent Garnier, mixed with samples from Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata, the work combines intricate and edgy action with slow, graceful movement in an ever-evolving dance that reveals our innermost hopes, desires and fears.

Full Price £10 to £30 INsider Price £5 to £15 eif.co.uk/preljocaj1 ********

Juilliard Dance (triple bill) Sat 25 - Mon 27 Aug 8.00pm The Edinburgh Playhouse

The Waldstein Sonata

Created by Juilliard teacher and modern dance pioneer José Limón, The Waldstein Sonata is set to Beethoven’s lively and playful sonata of the same name and features many of Limón’s characteristic movements, sweeping gestures and group interaction.

Gnawa

Driven by the rhythms of the Mediterranean, acclaimed Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato’s Gnawa captivates with sensual, bold and pulsating movement.

Episode 31

Stylish young Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman’s new commission, exclusively for Juilliard, is an energetic playground of dance.

Full Price £10 to £30 INsider Price £5 to £15 eif.co.uk/juilliard **********

Hora Batsheva Dance Company Thu 30 Aug - Sat 1 Sep 7.30pm The Edinburgh Playhouse

Hora is a thrilling spectacle of movement, an emotional rollercoaster that successfully highlights – in a company that deliberately works without soloists – the uniqueness of each one of the dancers. Isao Tomita’s alien soundtrack blends great classical works by Wagner, Ives and Debussy with the theme from Star Wars and music featured in 2001: A Space Odyssey, as the dancers twist, jerk and articulate their way through Naharin’s striking choreography with insect-like precision and grace.

The Makropulos Case (New Production Premiere)

European Union Youth Orchestra

Opera North Sat 11 & Mon 13 Aug 7.15pm Mon 13 Aug Touch Tour 6pm, Audio Description 7pm Festival Theatre, Edinburgh Sung in English with English supertitles

Richard Causton Twenty-Seven Heavens (New Music 20x12 UK premiere) Debussy Nocturnes Busoni Piano Concerto Thu 23 Aug 8pm Usher Hall

Leoš Janácek’s penultimate opera is at once a mystery thriller and a meditation on desire and eternal life.

It keeps its audience guessing until its thrilling conclusion's transcendent revelations on life and love, and features some of the composer’s most radiant, life-affirming music.

The exceptional young players of the European Union Youth Orchestra take on one of the largest and grandest piano concertos ever written.

Busoni’s vast creation, with a male chorus swelling its overwhelming conclusion, is rarely performed because of the demands it places on its performers. The rich, deep sound of acclaimed US pianist Garrick Ohlsson is ideal for the piece’s vast canvas.

Full Price £16 to £68 INsider Price £8 to £34 eif.co.uk/makropulos

Full Price £12 to £42 INsider Price £6 to £21 eif.co.uk/euyo

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Scottish Opera

One of four new works which are the culmination of a five-year plan by Scotland’s national opera company to explore what opera might mean in the 21st century.

Clemency James MacMillan Libretto by Michael Symmons Roberts Fri 31 Aug 8pm & Sat 1 Sep 4pm Sat 1 Sep Touch Tour 2.45pm, Audio Description 3.45pm King’s Theatre, Edinburgh Sung in English with English supertitles

Clemency puts a contemporary twist to a Biblical tale, creating the spiritual intensity and reflection for which James MacMillan’s work is so well known, and was received to great acclaim at its world premiere in London’s Royal Opera House in May 2011. MacMillan’s richly coloured 50-minute work is for the intimate forces of five singers and string orchestra and is a haunting piece with a potent lasting impact.

Full Price £25 £12.50 INsider Price £12.50 £6.25 eif.co.uk/clemency

Cleveland Orchestra 01 Lutoslawski Concerto for Orchestra Smetana Má Vlast (parts 1 – 4) Tue 21 Aug 8pm Usher Hall

Best known for the unforgettable ‘Vltava’ (also known as ‘The Moldau’), which vividly depicts the country’s mighty river, the six symphonic poems of Má Vlast, ‘My Homeland’, conjure the spirit of Smetana’s beloved Bohemia, conveying its history, traditions and nature in music of wonder and imagination.

Franz Welser-Möst and his mighty Cleveland Orchestra bring their power and precision to the piece in a welcome return to the Festival. eif.co.uk/cleveland1

Cleveland Orchestra 02 Lutoslawski Piano Concerto Smetana Má Vlast (parts 5 – 6) Shostakovich Symphony No 6 Wed 22 Aug 8pm Usher Hall

Franz Welser-Möst concludes the Cleveland Orchestra’s account of Smetana’s Má Vlast with the powerful final movements, which depict the glories of Bohemian pride in music of blazing defiance. Shostakovich wrote his seldom-heard Symphony No 6 just after the dark years of Stalin’s purges, and the jollity of its conclusion makes a startling contrast with its haunting opening.

Compelling German pianist Lars Vogt is the soloist in Lutoslawski’s Piano Concerto, a piece full of energy and shimmering colours that proudly displays the inspiration its composer took from Chopin and Rachmaninov.

Full Price £10 to £30 INsider Price £5 to £15 eif.co.uk/hora

Full Price £12 to £42 INsider Price £6 to £21

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The Nutcracker BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra National Youth Choir of Scotland Sat 25 Aug 7.30pm Usher Hall

Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker suite is one of the composer’s best-loved works, with timeless pieces including the ‘Trepak’, ‘Waltz of the Flowers’ and ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’. Josep Pons directs the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in sumptuous music that’s perfect for festive occasions of all seasons, and enchants listeners whatever their age.

Full Price £12 to £42 INsider Price £6 to £21 eif.co.uk/nutcracker *********

Arcangelo and Iestyn Davies Music by George Frideric Handel and Nicola Antonio Porpora Thu 16 Aug 5.45pm Greyfriars Kirk

Exciting young period-instrument ensemble Arcangelo makes its Festival debut with the acclaimed countertenor Iestyn Davies. Handel and Porpora were two great rival composers in the 18th century – both composers strove for ever greater feats of expression, as displayed in the simmering passions of their chamber cantatas performed today.

Full Price £20 INsider Price £10 eif.co.uk/arcangelo **************

Calder Quartet Mozart String Quartet in C K465 ‘Dissonance’ Thomas Adès Arcadiana Andrew Norman ‘... toward sunrise and the prime of light...’

Mendelssohn String Quartet in F minor Op 80 Mon 20 Aug 11am The Queen’s Hall

The players of the Calder Quartet from Los Angeles are as at ease performing with rock musicians Airborne Toxic Event and Andrew WK as they are in their incisive interpretations of the Classical repertoire.

They have collaborated extensively with British composer Thomas Adès, and their lyrical performances of his nostalgic Arcadiana, seven exquisite miniatures evoking idyllic memories of places real and imagined, have been widely acclaimed.

Alongside a rapturous short piece by young US composer Andrew Norman and the glowing melodies of Mozart’s ‘Dissonance’ Quartet, they also perform Mendelssohn’s last major work, a hugely impassioned piece full of rage and lamentation, written shortly after the death of the composer’s beloved sister.

Full Price £8 to £29 INsider Price £4 to £14.50 eif.co.uk/calder

May 2012

THE SKINNY 31

Rebir th of the Cool

As the reunited Afghan Whigs prepare to take the stage for the first time in 13 years, a reflective Greg Dulli offers an album by album guide to the inimitable soul rockers’ catalogue INTERVIEW: Dave Kerr

Black Love (1996) was your score for an aborted film project, so the legend goes.

You stripped away the distortion and brought your soul influences to the front; there’s a consistent finesse to it that the previous albums only really hinted at. You’ve called it your “misunderstood baby.”

I think everybody has ‘who am I’ moments in their life; I found myself squarely in the middle of one there and just began to build a literary conceit around it. I really love the songs on Black Love and the feel that it has – like that intro and how it begins. As I’ve gone back through the records, I had a little bit of ambivalence about it for a while, but again, when I was preparing that acoustic tour, I was surprised to end up playing songs that the Whigs really didn’t play live from that record.

I enjoyed how connected to the songs I felt. In a lot of ways I think I raced past myself a little bit, and had to play catch up later. I’m very proud of Black Love and I think it has some really beautiful and important personal moments for me on there that maybe I didn’t see at the time, but I certainly see now.

The Skinny won’t lie to you, Greg. We’re well acquainted with the band’s career, but never did track down Big Top Halloween (1988); what did we miss?

You didn’t miss much! You missed some teenage kids trying to figure out how to record, write songs, and play with each other. There’re a couple of interesting moments, but we pretty much walked away from it really quickly. It got us gigs and ostensibly got us heard by Sub Pop, so that was the positive from that.

Was it intended to be a means to that end?

Anything I’ve ever tried to do I’ve tried to make perfect. Man, we just didn’t have the know-how or the ability at that particular time. We were kind of stupid. We threw the kitchen sink at it – we listened to a lot of different kinds of music. There are our attempts at funk, blues, country music (laughs), heavy metal, punk rock. It was literally, like, splattering paint all over a canvas and trying to make something out of it. After we put out Up In It we never played a song from Big Top Halloween ever again. We left it behind. In most ways we consider Up In It our first record.

Pre-internet, it seemed as though Up In It was your first album. Did the band effectively bury Big Top Halloween?

We made a thousand copies, and just never made it again. It’s rare among the collectors, although my mom has 20 copies under her dresser.

By Congregation (1992) the Whigs seemed to be catching their stride, which is a luxury that bands on their third album aren’t really afforded by the music industry or the public these days…

Sure, that’s what happened back then; you got a chance to get your legs. That record, to me, is when we became the band we were trying to be. We were unafraid to play slow and mid-tempo songs, and started to work out our guitar interplay; the playing between the people in the band was unconscious and we had that ESP you get when you don’t even have to look at the other guy, you can just feel what he’s gonna do and get ready to match it. That record has a lot of magical moments on it for me.

I did this acoustic tour a year and a half ago and played Let Me Lie To You; I remembered thinking that was a song that was going to go on and if anyone at Sub Pop tried to talk me out of it… well, that just wasn’t going to happen. It wasn’t a very Sub Poppy song, but it was my song and it was crucial to the tone of the record. I never had to defend it; Jonathan loved the song and that record set the template for what was going to come next.

Photo: Sam Holden

Up in It (1990) was the Sub Pop debut – loud, gritty and obnoxious. At the time you were the first band from outside the northwest to put an album out on the label; did you feel that the Afghan Whigs belonged there?

Yeah, Jonathan [Poneman, the label’s cofounder] took care of us; he was a nurturer you could say. When we got out there – I mean, I was certainly aware of and enjoyed a lot of Sub Pop’s music – I probably began to tailor my songwriting a little to perhaps fit in there, which is the only time I ever did that. Then I got self-conscious. That said, there are some songs on there that are very un-Sub Pop and I think, like, Son of the South for instance was pure southern rock, that freaked some people out a little bit. I look back on that record and there are a few songs that I really still like.

Greg Dulli

We stayed true to ourselves.

Always walked our own line, for better or worse…

Greg Dulli

You’re talking about testing the limits of the label, but on the other hand Nirvana had become a global phenomenon by this time. Did your aspirations change, knowing that Sub Pop now had international clout?

I kept my head in the band, I never existed in a vacuum, I was certainly aware of everything that was going on around me. I was finishing Congregation when Nevermind was released. I heard Nevermind and you couldn’t miss it. I was in California by that point and they were playing Teen Spirit non-stop. You literally couldn’t go anywhere and not hear that song. But we, like we always did, stayed true to ourselves. Always walked our own line, for better or for worse…

It paid off, coming into Gentlemen (1993) – Debonair cracked the top 20 of the US singles chart and network TV beckoned. How did the band take it?

For one thing, [with Debonair] I was trying to nick the opening riff to I Want You Back by the Jackson 5, which was the first song that really made an impression on me. In a way I was trying to pay homage to it. There was a little wink wink going on there. The fact that one popped out and people paid attention to it… I was not surprised, that was by design.

Which brings back the old question: Did Mr Cobain try something similar with Teen Spirit?

Right! When I first heard that, the second or third listen I said to someone, ‘That’s More Than A Feeling!’ Which is a great song; no problem there…

1965 (1998) was your swansong. Glorious and upbeat, but in a strange way it played out like it was hurtling towards the end. Did you realise this?

No, it was not intended to be the last album. I tried to consciously write songs that would be on the radio. We had signed to a major label and I was ready to be on the radio. I think it’s the most fun record that we made, it was the most fun to play those songs live. People called it a party record, I wouldn’t completely say that; there’s a certain undertow to it. It’s a celebration, but there are always clouds in my celebrations!

There’s a great lyric in Omerta: ’I don’t sleep ‘cuz sleep iz the cousin of death. Least that’s what Nas say,’ which is about the only real point of reference that pins this album to the 1990s...

That’s always the goal; I’m trying to make songs that I want to listen to always. Anymore than that, like the I Want You Back nick – sorta ties me to being a kid brought up in the 70s. Honestly, from Congregation on, even parts of Up In It – I can go back, as we’re on the eve of being that band again and playing these songs again, I could not be more proud of what we did. And that’s just really honest. I really wouldn’t do this if I didn’t feel we were going to come out and play a great show.

It’s exciting.

The Afghan Whigs play ATP’s I’ll Be Your Mirror at London’s Alexandra Palace on 27 May and Primavera Sound, Barcelona on 31 May. Visit their website for updates on their unfolding European tour schedule. Read the full interview online at www.theskinny.co.uk/music www.theafghanwhigs.com

Photo: Sam Holden

music

FEATURES

May 2012

THE SKINNY 33

clubs

FEATURES

Goan With The Flo The release of Auntie Flo’s first mini-album and the second anniversary of his global sound parties, Highlife, both take place this month and, as he tells us, these two events are intricately connected Interview: Ronan Martin

William McKeown (1962-2011) George Paxton – Remarkable Trees Agnes Martin Centenary – Gabriel (1976) 12 May to 8 July Inverleith House Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh www.rbge.ac.uk/inverleith-house 10 to 5.30, Tuesday to Sunday Admission free

34 THE SKINNY

May 2012

Trawling through the new releases section of record shops and online distributors can be a thankless task at times. Too many artists and labels are content to peddle stale variations of tried and tested formulas with seemingly no effort having been made to keep things absorbing and inventive. Without a commitment to ingenuity and experimentation, electronic music can quickly become saturated with rather uninspiring material.

A similar condition afflicts club nights, with many promoters looking for safe, certified crowd-pullers, often at the expense of real ingenuity.

Thankfully, a lack of vibrancy isn’t a charge you could level at Auntie Flo, AKA Glasgow-based producer, DJ and promoter, Brian D’Souza. Over the space of two years, D’Souza has found himself a residency at Sub Club with his Highlife nights and has caught the attention of the likes of Ricardo Villalobos, Gilles Peterson and Caribou with last year’s Goan Highlife EP and the follow up single, ‘Oh My Days. These tracks provided the first glimpses of an engaging style which skilfully marries elements of house, afrobeat and UK bass music. “The Auntie Flo project comes out of Highlife and what we are trying to do there.

The two things fit nicely together,” says D’Souza.

“With Highlife we’re trying to explore different music from around the world and I guess with Auntie Flo I’m trying to take inspiration from what we play at Highlife and create my own music from those influences.”

This month sees Huntleys and Palmers Audio Club release Future Rhythm Machine, an Auntie Flo mini album which develops and diversifies the artist’s sound. While the music he released last year was unmistakably club-oriented, this eight track offering showcases the Glaswegian’s flexibility and full range, merging rhythms and samples from African and South American music with features of contemporary house. “On every single track I’ve tried to show a different type of flavour. There’s fast tracks, slow tracks, ones that are really upbeat and ones that are more experimental. They’re all over the place but the idea was to make them all work together in some kind of coherent album format.”

That the album does have a coherent feel to it is quite an achievement considering the variety of styles it exhibits. The scope is broadened considerably with the inclusion of collaborations with Chilean singer Mamacita and South African Esa Williams, who is a regular at Glasgow’s Subculture

and Sensu nights. The former lends mesmerising vocals to the summery La Samaria, while the latter is also a key contributor to Auntie Flo’s live setup, having impressed with a set at one of the Highlife parties. “I asked Esa to do the night but said we’d prefer him to play music from his homeland rather than his normal Subculture kind of set and he was totally into that. He was playing with a live percussion set up while he was DJing and the crowd was going absolutely mental.”

“When I had a few releases, I wanted to do a live show but didn’t want it to just be me. I’m conscious of making live sets feel like a performance rather than just someone standing with a laptop and I really wanted to collaborate with someone. Esa was the obvious candidate. We always joke that he had forgotten that he was African and I have reminded him. So, he’s gone back to his roots a little bit.”

Having already launched the album at London’s Fabric club, and with launches coming up at La Cheetah and Sneaky Pete’s, D’Souza is also preparing to mark the second birthday of Highlife later in the month. He remains focussed on creating unique parties and has been encouraged by the reactions he has had from crowds so far.

“Glasgow is quite an open-minded place, music wise,” he explains. “That’s the best thing about the city, people are aware of music that exists outside of the most popular styles. Most people are quite open to ideas as long as it makes them dance and have a party. Highlife can definitely do that.”

True to the club’s ethos of experimentation, the birthday special will feature a set from William Bennett, the often controversial mind behind power electronics act, Whitehouse – a favourite of Optimo’s when they held the same Sunday slot as Highlife. Bennett will appear under new moniker, Cut Hands, offering a distinctive take on ‘afro noise’, which combines elements of African and Haitian percussion with experimental electronics.

“The second birthday will be cool. It’s a bit of a curveball,” Brian enthuses. “It will be completely different. I think quite a lot of our crowd who usually come expecting to have a nice dance on a Sunday at the Sub Club will be like ‘what the hell is this?’ But that’s the point. We want to challenge people a little bit as well.”

Auntie Flo launches Future Rhythm Machine on Sat 5 May at La Cheetah Club and on Sun 13 May at Sneaky Pete’s Highlife’s 2nd Birthday is on Sun 20 May featuring Cut Hands www.auntieflo.in

FEATURES

film

A N AT I O N O N F I L M Scotland’s first ever mass participation film project, Northern Lights, is looking for vignettes about Scottish people’s day-to-day lives. The Skinny spoke to filmmaker NICK HIGGINS, the driving force behind the venture, to find out more INTERVIEW: DANNY SCOTT

FROM 1937 to the early fifties the Mass Observation movement deployed hundreds of volunteers across the country to document day-to-day British life. Their technology was, however, limited to diaries and the odd recorded conversation at public events.

This national introspection has returned, only now it arises in a world where a few touches on a phone screen is all it takes to broadcast your thoughts to a global audience. Last year’s Life in a Day took advantage of this technology to document events of one day (24 July, 2010) on a global scale through the lens of 80,000 edited YouTube hours. Olympics-inspired Britain in a Day will follow on later this year.

Fascinated by Scotland’s place in this picture but keen to avoid “hundreds of clips of coffee pots boiling,” documentary director Nick Higgins came up with the idea for Northern Lights, Scotland’s first mass participation documentary film project and one that aims to portray the country on a larger canvas.

“I felt that this is a remarkable time in Scotland’s history and rather than commission an established director to shoot a poetic portrait of the nation I thought ‘OK let’s try and do this.’

“With digital technology people have the opportunity to share films about themselves that will have the power to change the way people think. And this is away from their representation on mainstream media, and politicians representing their interests. It’s digital democratisation.”

Funded by The Year of Creative Scotland, Higgins and his team have invited the Scottish public, and diaspora, to upload their vignettes to www. wearenorthernlights.com by 21 June 2012. The final film will go on tour this winter.

With a credits list of political documentaries under his belt, Higgins has softened his focus to pose three main questions to the Scottish public: What can you see? What do you wish you had seen? What would you like to see? And the project is already well underway with new films submitted every day.

“What Northern Lights might be is beginning to emerge, something that’s not necessarily communicated in the language of mainstream politics.

It’s the distance between the Scotland we have in our heads, and the reality of day-to-day life. That’s where it can get interesting, when we can connect the ways we actually behave and think with some of the things we dream our country to be. And all that suffused with a distinctly Scottish humour.”

For the film’s director, or perhaps curator, opening out the filmmaking process and playing with the director/subject relationship is exciting.

With digital technology people have the opportunity to share films about themselves that will have the power to change the way people think NICK HIGGINS

“It is a daring thing to hand over the controls to the public but it is tremendously exciting. You can make real discoveries, things that you would never get as a documentary filmmaker. I am effectively invisible and handing over directorial control to everyone.”

To engage remote and disadvantaged communities in the project, the Northern Lights team is taking to the road to host over 50 workshops across Scotland. People are also encouraged to host their own workshops using downloadable materials. Watching oneself on screen provides a unique discomfort but for the famously introverted Scots, Higgins thinks the project offers us a unique language to communicate our thoughts about our country’s past, present and future.

“We struggle with how to communicate time. Film is perfect for this. It doesn’t force us to find a language for time, we just see it and recognise it. It can be with melancholy, nostalgia and sometimes with hilarity. We have ambitions for that, to cover all those things. It will be about life and its highs and lows but there will be something distinctly Scottish about that.

We want to convince people that their lives are part of this bigger portrait of the nation. What people think is boring or uninteresting in their own life or community can be fascinating for those outside.”

FILMED CONTRIBUTIONS MUST BE UPLOADED TO THE NORTHERN LIGHTS WEBSITE BY 21 JUNE 2012 AND YOU MUST BE OVER 14 TO SUBMIT TO THE PROJECT. JOIN NORTHERN LIGHTS ON FACEBOOK: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/WEARENORTHERNLIGHTS FOLLOW NORTHERN LIGHTS ON TWITTER: @WERNLIGHTS WEARENORTHERNLIGHTS.COM

MAY 2012

THE SKINNY 35

travel

LIFESTYLE

No country for old boxes Our man in Texas takes in Marfa, as much an art installation as a town Words: Keir Roper-Caldbeck

Image: Tim Brown Architechture

artworks seemed pinched things to me, hermetically sealed from their surroundings by a dense web of selfreference and the impenetrable language of art theory.

But then they took us into the artillery sheds.

Long windows ran down both sides of the two long, low buildings. The ragged, threadbare Chinati Mountains could be seen in the distance. One hundred large, rectangular boxes were laid out in even rows. All had exactly the same external dimensions, but were constructed from planes of polished aluminium elaborately arranged, never repeating themselves. The desert

Image: sashafatcat

It was lucky that we hadn’t come to this small West Texas town just to see the mysterious lights which, it is said, can be seen flickering on the horizon from a point just outside of the town limits, an unexplained, miniature Aurora Borealis. The two day drive from Galveston, on the Gulf of Mexico, had taken us across a large swathe of the Lone Star state. The scenery had been monotonous and the heat oppressive. Only ‘No Trespassing’ signs and barbed wire fences punctuated the endless miles of scrub. But as we approached Marfa we came to the high desert. The air freshened, and the scenery opened out to sweeping, arid grasslands. Rawboned hills lounged on the horizon. A vast sky ranged overhead.

Marfa had little of the straggling, neon-lit development that we had grown accustomed to on the approaches to the other towns we had passed through. Sober white and pastel stucco buildings lined the broad, empty streets; an elaborate, Italianate confection of a courthouse presided at the town’s centre. Founded as a railroad water stop in the 1880s, Marfa seemed a place bypassed by the last half century.

Yet there were signs that this was no ordinary Texan country town. There was a cool, uncluttered bookshop with shelves filled with slab-like art monographs, and a café serving organic coffee that was a far cry from the weak, stewed stuff we’d been served in diners across the state. As we walked around the centre we noticed that many of the immaculately maintained commercial properties didn’t seem to house any discernible business. Instead, they had a small card in the window on which the name ‘Donald Judd’ featured prominently.

This was the real reason that we had come to Marfa.

In the early 1970s New York-based artist Donald Judd, looking for a place to create permanent installations of work by him and by artists he admired, had begun to buy up property in this small backwater. By the time of his death in 1994 he owned a significant portion of the town. Since then his legacy has been managed by the Chinati Foundation while Marfa has been colonised by other artists following in his footsteps. They have brought with them new galleries, a small boutique hotel, and art-loving visitors. Celebrities have been spotted in Carmen’s, the local diner, eating doughnuts alongside ranchers in ten-gallon hats.

After checking into our motel, we walked down to the largest of Judd’s properties, Fort Russell, a former military base on the south side of town with a history stretching back to the days of Pancho Villa. At the office of the Chinati Foundation we booked ourselves onto a guided tour the following day, and then headed across a field that lay in front of the fort, towards what looked like groups of enormous culverts abandoned by a civil engineering project. These huge, square sections of reinforced concrete were one of Judd’s permanent installations.

One of the leading figures of the minimalist movement, his work often consisted of simple geometric shapes made from a variety of materials. Most of all, he loved boxes: wooden boxes and metal boxes; boxes painted bright colours and boxes left naked; boxes sociably convened in groups, or boxes sulking on their own; boxes lazing on the floor or marching up the walls. Here in Marfa, with space to burn, he had decided to make the biggest boxes he could.

While his gallery-bound boxes have at times left me cold, as we wandered along the gently arcing paths that had been trodden through the bleached prairie grass between the groups, I warmed to these ones. Quietly monumental, they forced us to concentrate on the stillness of the desert air; as their shadows moved with the sun, we looked up to the dome of the sky above and could almost feel the earth turning beneath our feet.

The following day, still muttering about our failed expedition to see the Marfa Lights the previous evening, we joined the tour. The first stop was a warehouse near the town centre filled with cars scrunched up like giant paper balls, sculptures by John Chamberlain. They brought to mind the grisly fate of James Dean, whose last film, Giant, had been shot in Marfa.

Walking with the tour group, we passed the high adobe wall that surrounded The Block, the compound where Judd had lived and worked in conditions of almost monastic simplicity to the sound of bagpipe music played at full volume. Back at Fort Russell, we were taken to the Arena, an echoing former gymnasium that Judd had kitted out with a small living area tucked into a corner. Outside, there was a barbecue and a hot tub.

The fittings and furnishings were of Judd’s own design; all right angles and straight lines, they looked heavy, austerely beautiful, and very uncomfortable. The purpose of the building itself was unclear. Was it a giant party room? An enormous bedsit? No one seemed to know.

As I mused on the tendency of successful artists to display the megalomania of Bond villains, setting up sinister sounding foundations and building vast studio complexes of dubious utility, we were led into a series of sheds filled with one stern, cerebral artwork after another. I began to have that nagging sensation I often have around contemporary art: I felt underwhelmed, eager to move on. Surrounded by the magnificent West Texas landscape and anticipating the natural grandeur of our next destination, Big Bend National Park, these

sunlight flooded in, setting off chains of reflections; as we moved among them, the boxes appeared to shift and melt and re-form like quicksilver mirages.

Returning to the town centre it became easy to see why Judd had been drawn to Marfa. The town seemed an exercise in pure geometry set against the emptiness of the desert. Buildings formed low, regular shapes against the ever-changing sky; the wide streets and the railway tracks that passed through the centre of town marched towards vanishing points on the horizon. The artist, who had been an argumentative, often cantankerous figure on the New York art scene, had found inspiration living and working in this austere town, and his severe, stripped-down art had found its natural home in the elemental landscapes of West Texas.

Image: sashafatcat

Image: Dennis Yang

“Can you see anything?”

“Just spots in front of my eyes from all this staring into the dark.”

Parked in a lay-by and facing out into the desert, our car was occasionally rocked by trucks racing past on the highway. We covered our eyes to protect them from the dazzle of the headlights. It grew darker until the horizon dissolved and land and sky merged. Tonight it seemed that The Marfa Lights would remain hidden under a bushel. An hour passed before we reluctantly drove back into Marfa.

May 2012

THE SKINNY 37

LIFESTYLE

travel

T h e G r e at E s c a p e , Brighton

PAWS

Photo: Sol Nicol

Admiral Fallow

Photo: Euan Robertson

A festival so good The Skinny dug a tunnel to the south coast to curate our own stage Words: Paul Mitchell

A festival which doubles up as a conference and industry showcase might sound like it’s taking itself a tad seriously, but all of this can be forgiven when such a festival guarantees one of the more solidly exciting line-ups year after year (well, since 2006 anyway). The Great Escape, taking place between 10-12 May in picturesque Brighton, showcases hundreds of acts (about 300 at last count, in over 30 venues) all the while taking the ‘showcase’ aspect so seriously that it’s been dubbed the British SXSW. And if there’s a case to be shown, well, The Skinny wants to be there.

And so we will be there, arm in arm with The Scottish Music Industry Association – our very own stage considerately set aside for us, and some kick-ass bands to put on there. PAWS, those ‘sarcastically energetic’ Glasgow-based pop-punk rockers are there to celebrate their recent signing to Fat Cat. A perfect fit for the seaside, Edinburgh’s Bwani Junction are there to start one hell of an afrobeat party, and well, if you haven’t seen an Admiral Fallow gig, you obviously don’t live

Animation Digital Interaction Design Interior Environmental Design Jewellery & Metal Design Time Based Art & Digital Film Fine Art Art & Philosophy Graphic Design Product Design Illustration Textile Design

38 THE SKINNY

May 2012

anywhere near Scotland and will be rectifying this oversight as soon as humanly possible, right?

So, if the sea, great Scottish music and the chance to take the walking tour to Katie Price’s birthplace aren’t enough, there’s a skinful of stuff happening all over the town. Acts from previous years who played the festival in relative obscurity have included Bon Iver and a lassie called Adele, whom we hear has gone on to big things, so who this year’s Ed Sheeran will be, well, we can’t say yet.

Though we have given it a stab, featuring acts such as our March cover star Grimes, Com Truise, the simply ace Django Django and remix maestro Max Cooper on these very pages in the past short while. And we in the Travel department are particularly intrigued to see the likes of Perfume Genius, Boy Friend and Africa Express Sound System.

Brighton is easy to get to from Scotland via train, plane or automobile. Alternatively, digging a tunnel called either Tom, Dick or Harry has been known to work. To book the ‘festival hostel’, aka Stalag Luft III, visit escapegreat.com escapegreat.com

Dundee’s Brightest Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design Degree Show 19 May - 27 May 2012 DJCAD, University of Dundee 13 Perth Road. Dundee dundee.ac.uk/degreeshow

deviance

LIFESTYLE

C o n v e r s at i o n s w i t h a n Independent Escor t Pa r t 2 In the second of our two-part interview with independent Glasgow escort Laura Lee, she tells Ana Hine about the stigma associated with sex work Illustration: Nick Cocozza

Can you tell me a time where the buddy system failed – how would you change it to make sure something like that doesn’t happen again?

There was one lady who asked me to do security for her one night in Glasgow. That’s where she calls me when she gets there and calls me when she leaves. I wouldn’t say this was a failure though, more of a success. We have code words in place, obviously I’m not going to reveal them now, but just say for example I had told her when she gets there if she says, “Hi, I’m here. Everything’s fine.”

Then that’s okay. But if she gets there and phones me and says, “Hi, I’m here. Everything’s fine. Ooh, he’s just given me a lovely glass of wine.” Then I know something’s up.

She gets there and there’s no communication from her for about twenty minutes after she’s due to arrive. I’m thinking, hum… odd. I phone her. She says, “Hey, I’m sorry I meant to phone you. Everything’s fine, I’m just having a nice glass of wine.” I phone through to the hotel and I get through to the guy’s room. I say, “There’s a girl there who doesn’t feel particularly safe with you at the moment.” He says, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I say, “Well how would you like it if I phone the reception of this hotel and tell them you have a prostitute in your room that you’re holding against her will? Not clever. I’d let her go if I were you.” He did.

It emerged that he was high, out of his nut on coke. She was dead scared and he was being really forceful with her. I guess it pays to be really ballsy in those situations.

Oh, I had one girl (this is a couple years ago) and she phoned me up, “I’ve got my first booking!” I was like, “Oh cool!” She asked me to do

security for her. I ask her what she’s got planned.

She says they’re going to pay her time and a half.

I’m like, “Why…?” She says, “Oh, cause it’s two guys. They want to do double penetration.”

“Nooooo! Are you mad?!” What chance to do you stand against one guy, let alone against two?

Someone with a bit more savvy and experience, like myself, might do that. But that would only be when I’d checked both references for both guys and have names and faces on record.

This girl was going in totally green. It could have been really bad.

I had a dreadful booking the other night, and I phoned this lady (her friend ____ who is touring with her). It’s just good to be able to let it out.

Similarly if a booking’s been really great, we’ll brag about it to each other. “I’ve just been rolling around with a twenty-five year-old marine, had multiple orgasms, and I got paid for it!” It keeps you sane.

Some men who I've spoken to have said they have had problems with getting emotionally attached to people they saw.

Well I’ve had, I have, present tense, very strong feelings for one of my clients. I would never tell him because it would ruin the professional aspect of it. I’ve had situations where clients will say they’ve developed feelings for me. You’ve just got to have really strong boundaries and say, “Look, I’m a paid companion. It’s great that you feel that way, and I’m really flattered, but if you continue to use that sort of language I’m afraid I won’t be able to see you anymore.”

Of course it happens. There’s this saying, isn’t there, that you can’t have sex without love. Clearly

I don’t feel that way, I have sex for commercial reasons, but certain men do. They read something into it that just isn’t there.

It’s possible to have a really strong friendship with them. There are guys I’ve known for years who will take me away for the weekend. I mean, let’s face it, if you don’t get on as people you’re not going to last that length of time.

Do you ever have to deal with jealousy from partners outside your job?

I don’t really like to speak about it, because that’s my private life. I have quite an unorthodox relationship. But then, it’s 2012, what’s an orthodox relationship anymore?

How does the stigma surrounding sex work affect your life?

The only reason I don’t show my face on my website is because of my daughter and because of the stigma that surrounds what I do. I find that really hard to deal with. It’s not that I’m ashamed about it, not at all, but she would be picked on at school.

There’s no two ways about that and it’s not fair on her. I don’t feel that she should suffer as a result of what I choose to do for a living.

She knows what I do. Well, in a watered down fashion. She’s still quite young and she’s still at the stage where she thinks sex is the most boring thing that she’s ever heard of. Long may that last.

She has her head around the idea that I provide companionship. I’ve talked about it to her and told her that some people think it’s appalling, they hate what I do and hate me for doing it, so that’s why it’s essential we don’t talk about it at parent’s night.

There’s this saying, isn’t there, that you can’t have sex without love. Clearly I don’t feel that way, I have sex for commercial reasons, but certain men do. They read something into it that just isn’t there Laura Lee

May 2012

THE SKINNY 39

showcase

LIFESTYLE

I t 's O u r P l ay g r o u n d: UN K N O W N S O LD I E RS

Based in Glasgow, It’s Our Playground is the curatorial project of French artists Camille le Houezec & Joey Villemont (b.1986).

It’s Our Playground’s versatile website is at the same time a portfolio and an artist run space on the internet. In its projects, IOP pursue reflection around the modes of presentation, display and exhibition, using text and suggestive means to add insight to their work.

The website’s homepage overcomes the ’limiting’ constraints of a physical exhibition space.

That practice comes from a daily exploration of the endless ’reserves’ of the internet and the collection of documents (reproductions of works, found images, texts, videos, etc.), accumulated on computers. This practice simultaneously requires the need to organise knowledge, classify and compare findings to tell new stories. Considering its context, the homepage is an immaterial and playful exhibition space that takes the internet’s inherent qualities (easy access, fast and almost free), to produce unexpected narratives, reversing the hierarchy between pieces.

In a more physical world, IOP projects may take the form of sculptures, exhibitions or installations, using curation itself as a medium. In DOVBLE TROVBLE, a recent show they curated at CCA and online, they explored the results of the influence of daily internet use in young artists’ practices.

In the past year they have opened the curatorship to other practitioners like French art critic Timothée Chailloux, and soon Aurélien Mole will be curating a show in collaboration with a project by Candice Jacobs at Thoresdby Street, Nottingham.

They are currently working towards the new programme of Studio Warehouse Gallery, which starts in September 2012.

”For this Showcase, we decided to pay tribute to those anonymous images accumulated on our hard drives. Those ‘internet found’ images that can sometimes be the starting point of a project and which, combined with artists' works of art, make IOP's specificity. ”They are symptomatic of the remarkable dissemination of images on the web. Appearing beyond the acknowledged non-differentiaton between low-brow and high brow, they symbolise the “Hey Bro” of the iconic vitality of our recent years and the ones to come.”

– It's Our Playground

40 THE SKINNY

May 2012

LIFESTYLE

May 2012

THE SKINNY 41

LIFESTYLE

fashion

FASHION FUTURE

ECA Fashion’s 2012 graduates preview their collections

1 42 THE SKINNY

MAY 2012

LIFESTYLE

1. Jackie McLardie 2. Marie Leiknes 3. Emma Hardstaff 4. Louise Bennetts in front of art work by Leigh-Anne Thomson. Shoes by Topshop – RAVER £55 5. Kate Krsywania/Shoes by Topshop – PILOT £85.00

2

3

4 Photographer David Anderson www.dnanderson.co.uk Photography Assistant Ingrida Danieliute Make up/Hair Stylist Kimberley Dewar kimberleydewar@hotmail. co.uk Fashion Styling Alexandra Fiddes Styling Assistant Nadine Walker Model Lauren from Model Team www.modelteam.co.uk Location Edinburgh College of Art Shoes Topshop www.topshop.co.uk

ECA Fashion Show 2012 Wed 23 May 6.30pm & 8.30pm, Thu 24 May 8.30pm, Fri 25 May 6.30pm & 8.30pm Playfair Library, The University of Edinburgh, Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH8 9YL Tickets cost £15 each (plus 50p booking fee) They can be purchased via Hub Tickets (www.hubtickets.co.uk/) #ecafashionshow www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/ edinburgh-college-art/fashion-show/2012

5 May 2012

THE SKINNY 43

LIFESTYLE

food & drink

Whisk y Str amash-Up We catch up with one of the brains behind this month’s Whisky Stramash to talk sneering, dramatic direction, and organising five different events at once

With Lewis MacDonald Like a minority-voted government repressing our national social assets, Phagomania is often themed on 'taking things too far'. Has any dining platform invited more gluttony and profligacy that verging upon the morally challenging than the humble sandwich? This month we pay tribute to one particular online collection of breaded capers: insanewiches. And you thought you had constructed something pretty pimpin' at 2am a few months ago with the fridge's leftovers... www.insanewiches.com

Words: Peter Simpson

Phag oman ia

The Stramash’s highpoint is the Jura Murder Mystery, described as “Scooby Doo meets Coronation Street”

wich-t craf

The Cubewich

The dadwich

oof t!

Quadruple Down

The five faces of Whisky Stramash. They're lovely really

44 THE SKINNY

May 2012

For Darroch, what is arguably the most unconventional part of the Stramash is the most anticipated. The Jura Murder Mystery, gleefully described as ‘Scooby Doo meets Coronation Street’, will see attendees attempt to solve a murderous, whisky-inspired riddle in order to win a trip to the Herbides.

“It’s not exactly Hamlet, but it’s going to be good fun. The mystery is actually quite tricky, and there’s only really one subtle clue that could give the game away. That’s taken the most work out of everything, there’s been a lot of planning and we’re going through rehearsals at the moment.

“We’ve recruited the guys from the Edinburgh Whisky Blog to act as a kind of ‘face’ of the event.

They’ll be there to lead people around, make sure that they are comfortable and getting into everything that’s going on, making sure that no matter what your whisky knowledge you still have a good time. They all know their stuff, and to be honest it’s the kind of role I wish I was doing – but instead I’ve got to organise everything!”

We take it Darroch has never had to run rehearsals for a whisky event before? “No, no,” comes the reply, “this is a new thing for me.” It’s clear that this is a passion project aimed at everyone, that’s about fun around whisky, rather than whisky with some fun tacked on.

“We wanted to have three or four key pieces for people to get involved with,” Darroch says.

“We’ve made sure that everything is fun and engaging, and that it challenges thoughts on

whisky. We didn’t want things half done, and ideally people should leave thinking ‘Wow, that was great.’”

Whisky Stramash’s location, character and selection of events-within-events seem, for all the talk of including everyone, to skew away from the Tweed-y eyebrow-mongers associated with whisky appreciation. This feels like a whisky event for cool people, a mild oxymoron which Darroch acknowledges.

“Whisky has never been cool, really,” he says.

“People have always been protective of it. You’ll go to events and ask a bit of a newbie question, and people will visibly sneer. But look at beer, and BrewDog sticking two fingers up to convention and bringing new people into the fold. I wouldn’t say we’re as radical as them, but we do want people to be challenged and that’s at the core of the event. There’s a change going on in Scotch, and we’d like to be at the cutting edge of it.

“At some other events, you pay a tenner to basically walk around and have stuff sold to you.

That’s not what we want to do. We want to give people value for money, for people to say it was amazing and that they got involved in a really fun event.” They’ll say they were at a whisky event with chemistry, cocktails and amateur dramatics, and onlookers will be confused and envious.

Sounds like the result the Stramash is going for.

Whisky Stramash, Surgeons’ Hall Edinburgh, 26-27 May, £25

The Book Endwiches

As if these weren't enough, behold the recent news event of a man who took obscene advantage of a Japanese Burger King offer for additional bacon slices on your burger. 1050 slices. He took this beast back to the office, and was promptly sick.

bacoen m crazy

http://rocketnews24.com/

Darroch Ramsay isn’t too sure about the direction that whisky events have taken. “Things can be a bit pretentious, and a bit... trainspotterish. Scotch is about chewing the fat and enjoying people’s company, and you don’t want to suck the fun out of it by worrying about really minute details.” His response – take over Edinburgh’s Surgeons’ Hall and fill it with whisky chemistry, haircare, and amateur dramatics. Clearly, Whisky Stramash is about pumping the fun back into whisky with an industrial hose.

A background in the world of ‘brand management’ has taken Darroch across the world to all kinds of whisky shindigs, and he and partner Scott Martin knew they wanted to put on an event that could offer something different. “We wanted something really approachable,” he says, “where it didn’t matter whether you had 25 years of knowledge or 25 minutes.

“The Stramash is about challenging everyone’s perceptions, and everyone should leave feeling different about whisky.” Looking at the programme, that last part shouldn’t be a problem.

Some of the biggest names in whisky are present, but in unexpected scenarios. Glenfiddich are bringing an ‘atmospheric room’ that can take visitors on a virtual tour of their distillery while facing a barrage on the senses. Dewar’s are responsible for the aforementioned hair advice, with a Sweeney Todd-inspired barber on site.

There will be whisky caviar, molecular science, and a cocktail bar.

All above: www.insanewiches.com

insane

Natural energy

AROUND THE WORLD IN 20 DR INKS:

SCOTL AND

You don’t need to travel across the world to find great beers; sometimes it’s as simple as travelling across the street

coffee bar

café

Voted ‘Best Espresso’ in Scotland (SCAE)

Superfoods and a natural diet will increase your energy levels & wellbeing, so you look and feel better... faster!

WORDS: RICHARD TAYLOR SCOTTISH BEER is undergoing something of a renaissance. As the old monoliths crumble – Edinburgh’s Fountainbridge Brewery being the latest – producers are springing up everywhere. Front and centre in this charge are those whipper-snappers from Fraserburgh, BrewDog. Since blasting onto the scene in 2007 the self-styled ‘cure’ for the ‘sickness’ of British beer have built a range that delights, confounds and hurts the eyes in equal measure.

Writing about beer in Scotland inevitably means talking about BrewDog (look, we’re doing it now).

They have brilliant PR and a clear, consistent message, but for all their bravado, there are plenty of other brewers who quietly get on with it and produce beer just as good as Brewdog’s.

Tempest Brewing are one of the most exciting new breweries in Scotland despite operating from an abandoned dairy in Kelso. Still shy of their second birthday, Tempest have embraced cask ales, keg beer, and now bottling with their Red Eye Flight Mocha Porter. It’s a belter, the added cocoa, demerara sugar and coffee beans giving it a long, roasted finish.

Black Isle are going great guns with new beers invented, old ones revamped, and naming conventions cast asunder. Recent releases have been dedicated to the immortal voice of rugby’s Bill McLaren, and the brewery tortoise Geoffrey. Still, their classic Organic Blonde is possibly Scotland’s

best lager – the Hersbrucker and Hallertau hops sing through with their crisp, refreshing grassiness.

Williams Brothers are your men for historic beers, and you can still find some of their Nollaig brew in beer shops in litre-sized re-sealable jugs, thus earning bonus points for eco-friendliness. Hand-picked spruce tips were added to the recipe, yielding a fantastic festive aroma and a sticky, resinous sweetness. It really is like drinking a Christmas tree.

Edinburgh’s Robert Knops doesn’t have his own brewery yet – he’s an example of a ‘cuckoo’ brewer, a terrible piece of wording signifying he’s brewing using someone else’s equipment. His latest beer, Black Cork, is a wonderful recreation of an old Edinburgh style allegedly favoured by Deacon Brodie. Dark chocolate, blackcurrant and a rich, creamy mouth-feel make it really stand out.

Lodged deep in the Fife countryside, Stuart McLuckie brews things that interest him, whenever he likes. He then labels the bottles by hand, before personally dropping them off at retailers.

The ultimate in local, independent microbrewing, this is old-school stuff – done purely for the love of creating recipes. The Brown Stout is simply one of the best Scottish beers I’ve ever had, proving that sometimes in order to be heard, you don’t need to shout the loudest or, indeed, at all.

RICHARD IS THE EDITOR OF THE BEERCAST PODCAST

LUCKY YOU! Present this flyer to claim a free coffee, and enter our prize draw to win a free meal for two Sourcing ingredients from the best local, Scottish produce 291, Byres Road, Glasgow

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Shop online at www.realfoods.co.uk 37 Broughton St, Edinburgh EH1 3JU 8 Brougham St, Edinburgh EH3 9JH

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FOOD NEWS WITH PETER SIMPSON

May’s Food News celebrates the circle of life, invokes economic game theory, and looks a little confused THE WORLD of food is a broad and inclusive church. For example, this month marks the 6th annual World Potato Congress, where dignitaries from across the globe will gather in Edinburgh to talk spuds. We mention this to point out that, in context, a recreational demonstration of butchery techniques isn’t as unsettling as it perhaps should be.

Hopetoun Farm’s resident butcher Derek Mackintosh will talk you through the ins and outs of turning a lovely spring lamb into a disembodied pile of tastiness, as well as showing you the processes and skills needed to rear livestock, lull them into a false sense of security, then slice them up into kebab-friendly pieces.

If killing isn’t your thing, then what about finding?

Let chef Paul Wedgwood and his foraging pals take you on an educational rollercoaster of mud, wild berries and belligerent cyclists, as you learn all you need to know about wild food from the best in the business. We know we keep harping on about foraging, but it’s only because we reckon the fresh air will be good for you. There’s lunch included as well, if that swings it for you.

If not, then you could do worse than Flavour Taster in Dumfries, which combines the dual pleasures of brevity and good food.

A miniaturised version of Dumfries & Galloway’s Flavour Fortnight food festival, it’s a chance to try stuff from off the beaten track and go through the array of workshops, tastings and markets without having to stick around in that part of the world for too long. And it’s on a Bank Holiday weekend, so

it’s something of a zero sum proposition anyway.

Something more urban would be better, though, wouldn’t it? Glasgow’s Ubiquitous Chip has just the thing, with their May Feast line-up of special events. You can craft your own whisky with distillers from Burns Stewart. You can eat lots of posh cheese at a gourmet tasting evening. You can even – and this is stretching credulity, even for this column – go onto the Chip’s roof terrace to try an array of German sausages while a man reads Franz Kafka in the background. Broad and inclusive, this food lark, broad and inclusive.

HOPETOUN FARM SHOP MATERCLASS, HOPETOUN FARM, 3 MAY, £10; GO FORAGING, WEDGWOOD RESTAURANT EDINBURGH, 26-27 MAY 10AM, £85 PP; FLAVOUR TASTER, 4-6 MAY, VARIOUS VENUES, DUMFRIES; MAY FEAST, UBIQUITOUS CHIP GLASGOW, 19-24 MAY, VARIOUS DATES/PRICES

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MAY 2012

THE SKINNY 45

REVIEW

f e a t u r i n g

supported by / le taic bho

presenting partners

46 THE SKINNY

MAY 2012

official media partner

music

REVIEW

LIVE MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS

T he M eta l C o lum n

As festival season approaches some say there’s a dearth of good gigs at home; Stag & Dagger 2012 thinks differently

Now firmly established on Glasgow’s spring gigging calendar, Stag and Dagger has endured huge extremes of weather in the city. As music fans trooped from one venue to another in 2010, they were baked by blistering heat, while last year a canoe might have been an appropriate means of travel between sites as a taxi or bus. No matter; the bill was so weighty that the hoardes willingly braved the monsoon for a swatch at a bill that packed exhilarating sets from the varied likes of Warpaint, Three Trapped Tigers and Desalvo.

So who knows what climate awaits this year’s festivities – at this stage you wouldn’t bet against snow. What you can bank on is another tasty event that caters for all tastes across a number of venues (ABC, CCA, Sleazys, The Art School, Stereo, Chambre 69, Captain's Rest) with the pride of modern Scotland's underground rubbing shoulders with tested international hypes on Saturday, 19 May. For a kick-off, we have erstwhile Fiery Furnace Eleanor Friedberger (playing CCA), bringing the chirpy vibes of Last Summer to the table. Rising Stockholm electropop trio Niki and the Dove will be swooping in to the Art School; see them at close quarters while you can. Willy Mason also rears his bonce above the parapet with a set at the CCA. The soulful New York troubadour has been quiet lately,

photo: Alex Woodward

Do Not Miss:

Die Hard

despite showing genuine promise with two albums in the last decade. Currently at work on his next one, forthcoming material appears to be a certainty while Mason’s sunny stage demeanour should attract fans old and new, whatever the weather.

We can exclusively give you the full bill and running order of The Skinny stage at Stereo, which promises to be a meal in itself. Electronic

Divorce Album Fundraiser The Old Hairdressers, 11 May

Recording music does not come cheaply, kids.

Aye, so Lou Barlow got away with making albums on a shoestring with his four track in the eighties, but times (and standards) have changed. Hell, we’re willing to bet Bon Iver still managed to blow a few grand just by titting about in that log cabin. So spare a thought for Divorce, surely Glasgow’s hardest working band of recent years, who have been threatening a vicious debut for some time now and could do with the dough to make it happen this summer.

Shaking a can in their corner for this vital fundraiser are esteemed and varied local brethren such as the delirious Ben Butler & Mousepad, screeching high-tempo punkers Ultimate Thrush, psych disciples The Cosmic Dead, and, eh, some band called The Ex-Servicemen. In their own words: “help out a bunch of broke-ass punks!” That autotune software and Nicki Minaj cameo won’t pay for itself. [Benny Blanco] £4, 7pm divorcetheband.blogspot.com

photo: Eoin Carey

Miaoux Miaoux

photo: Euan Robertson

Discopolis

photo: Eoin Carey

Words: Stu Lewis and Benny Blanco

prodigy Miaoux Miaoux offers a taste of his imminent debut LP (19:15), and if Bear in Heaven (21:00) shake the building with the devastating synths of tracks like Lovesick Teenagers and Dust Cloud, then our May cover stars Death Grips (22:15) will raze it to the ground with a terrifying yet cathartic set of futuristic hip-hop. Leave it to Wirral producer Forest Swords (23:30), then, to pick up the pieces with his brittle but stellar electronic dreamscapes.

What about the homegrown contingent? Well, there’s plenty of that too, assuming we can stretch the definition to include Django Django (O2ABC). You probably know the story: Despite now being London-based, these guys met at Edinburgh College of Art and they’ll doubtless still be hailed as returning heroes at the other end of the M8 (even if their drummer is a Fifer). Their long-awaited debut longplayer has already been touted as an early album of the year contender, while its inventive singles to date have been all over the radio. Despite their experimental leanings, they've retained an undeniable mass appeal. In other words, get down early.

Moving from vaguely local to very much local are The Phantom Band (also at O2ABC). With two much loved albums now firmly under their belt, we’re hoping this Stag and Dagger appearance will be a mix of the classics (Left Hand Wave and Goodnight Arrow, please) and a smattering of the new stuff (yes, LP3 is in the oven). Either way, expect Rick Redbeard and co to throw down.

A much lesser known quantity are Die Hard (Captain's Rest), whose debut we clocked a few months back. Yet to play a gig (or even reveal their faces), this is a band working purely to its own agenda. But if they can harness the quality of their recorded output (ambient pop meets dark electro) with the live show, then the anonymity they so clearly strive for simply can’t last. See the band above.

With recent additions including Glasgow's Holy Esque (Captain's Rest) who'll no doubt go down a treat with fans of recent tourmates Wu Lyf; leftfield doo-wop wonder Adam Stafford (Nice'n'Sleazy), and Edinburgh's euphoric bright young things Discopolis (Captain's Rest), we're still barely scratching the surface of this 40+ band bill.

Keep an eye on www.theskinny.co.uk and Stag and Dagger's website for developing information (including The Skinny stage's final, as yet to be announced guest) and the full running order in the lead up to the event. www.staganddagger.co.uk

As festival season gets underway, we find that many of our favourite bands are preoccupied in distant lands, leaving us here in the dirt, so to speak, and with only a handful of worthwhile opportunities to get into the pit and raise our doom claw. So this month, more than most, you’ll be needing us to provide you with viable ways to spend leisure time that don’t involve playing Dungeons & Dragons in yer pants, but we’ll get through May together people.

First up is a devastating triple blow of death metal with a horrible moniker at Studio 24: Prostitute Disfigurement, Desecration and Cancerous Womb (3 May) are likely to give your lugs a pummelling, with a faithfully gore-obsessed dedication to the genre. Leave mother at Asda. If you demand your pop-punk with a touch of the gothic and macabre, Illinois veterans Alkaline Trio seek to deliver. With last year’s primarily acoustic LP Damnesia under their arm, Matt Skiba and co make good on their postponed UK tour, taking to Auld Reekie’s HMV Picture House (7 May).

Cited by Trent Reznor as an influential force on Nine Inch Nails, NYC’s Prong have been bringing us metal in a multitude of forms since the late eighties: thrash, groove, industrial and hardcore punk are all represented in the rock club classic Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck. Expect their date at the Cathouse (11 May) – part of their Beg to Differ tour – to offer an early taste of their schizophrenic new LP Carved Into Stone.

Known for their relentless live energy and work ethic, American punkers This is Hell promote their latest shredder Black Mass with a show at Stereo (13 May) alongside Feed the Rhino. Not that we in any way advocate the coaxing of rhinoceri with edible matter in enclosed gig venues.

Maryland/Pennsylvania powerviolence outfit Full of Hell are probably going to grind anyone present to ash at the Banshee Labyrinth (16 May) if their recorded sludgefest Roots of Earth Are Consuming My Home is a fair warning.

They’re flanked by a healthily brutal lineup featuring Grieved, Run Off With Gypsies, No Island and Drug Couple. Over in Glasgow, “post-modern ambient metal” (yes, that’s a thing) champs Analogue of the Sun take the floor alongside rising instrumental riffologists What the Blood Revealed in Bar Bloc on the same night.

What’s this? Recently resurrected stoner Gods, Sleep, take The Arches (22 May), supported by their pals: the sublime, Neurosisworshipping A Storm of Light. Unmissable. Oh, and if you’re fussed for seeing Rock & Roll Hall of Fame party pooper Axl Rose give slick treatment to his catalogue without the dream team of Slash, Duff and Izzy, Guns N’ Roses take to the SECC (25 May). Remember, punctuality’s a laugh in Axl’s book, so don’t count on making that Nightrain home. Elsewhere, hardcore beardies Cancer Bats make a cheeky appearance at O2 Academy’s Slam Dunk Scotland 2012 (29 May) in amongst a bunch of emo bands that rock a lot less hard. Taking Back Sunday?

Lambs to the slaughter. {Ross Watson}

Sleep's MARIJUANAUT may come to party

May 2012

THE SKINNY 47

R E V I E W : L ive M u s i c

Orbital O2 Academy, 7 Apr

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Meshuggah The Garage, 15 Apr

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You know it’s about to go down when Jens Kidman rolls back his eyes and sticks out his nashers. Meshuggah emerge to the ominous churn of Obsidian, but the show finds its true groove with a crushingly heavy runthrough of new track Demiurge as Kidman growls and the crowd headbangs like malfunctioning robots. The material from 2008’s ObZen has aged well; songs like Combustion and Bleed have become thrilling live staples.

Of course, it’s the thrashier numbers that please the most: the Swedish quintet bring a

typically annihilative performance of New Millennium Cyanide Christ to the table, while the speed-injected encore of Future Breed Machine from 1995’s Destroy Erase Improve is a surprising yet wholly welcome inclusion. Meshuggah have been touring some of these songs for almost two decades now, but tonight they sound positively enraged, and by the time they bring the curtain down with Dancers to a Discordant System, minds are fried and bodies are left twitching. [Ross Watson]

Graham Coxon The Garage, 17 Apr

rrrrr Betatone Distraction look rather pleased with themselves tonight, as well they might: for each stop of his tour, Mr Coxon has sought nominations for support acts and chosen his favourite, meaning their very presence comes with a quite clear-cut seal of approval. “I’ve been listening to him since I was a wee boy!” grins singer Ray Elma as the band gear up for closing number Process Replaces Content, its robust melodies lapped up by a vocal fan club.

In the trailer for his recentlyreleased eighth album, Graham Coxon explains the appeal of live performance as he sees it.

However short the set, it’s about having the opportunity “to go berserk, to get your ears blasted,

48 THE SKINNY

May 2012

to jump about, to kiss girls, to fall over, to get thrown out...” The Skinny refrains from all of the above (well, our ears ring a bit...), and in a relatively quiet midweek Garage, the majority of the room behaves likewise.

Yet despite a slightly plodding mid-section, the evening remains a hit. A+E contains some of his finest solo material, and from Advice (loud, abrasive, catchy as hell) through to Running for Your Life’s whirling guitar onslaught, it’s well-represented in the set.

Scattered amidst are gnarled pop nuggets from elsewhere in his impressively large and varied discography: Freakin’ Out is an inevitable encore fixture, a grungy I Can’t Look at Your Skin prompts yelps, while Tripping Over douses the pace and demonstrates the delicacy beneath the decibels. [Chris Buckle] www.grahamcoxon.co.uk

photo: Kenny McCoLL

Butcher Boy Cottiers, 6 Apr

rrrrr Reverieme open tonight depleted and in mild disarray; guitarist Andrew Lindsay is caught in traffic, and no one knows how to work the tuner on his pedal. Furthermore, the set order is causing befuddlement, and even with the pedal’s mysteries unlocked by the band’s harried latecomer, great chunks of their slot are lost to between-song set-ups. Such awkwardness would wither most acts, but somehow it boosts Louise Connell’s charm, whether playing solo with ukulele, or all in with band, with the attractively dainty Water in My Eyes a highlight.

Long before we’re told it’s John Hunt’s birthday today, Butcher Boy’s set feels like a special occasion. Not in the pomp and circumstance sense – they’re too

classily reserved – but rather projecting a homely warmth. Maybe it’s the bank holiday air; perhaps it’s the prettiness of Cottiers’ ex-ecclesiastical surroundings; or maybe it’s the fact that significant numbers of the bands’ friends and family seem to have turned out for the show – whatever the reasons, it amounts to a relaxed and convivial atmosphere.

The setlist reflects this sense of occasion, with The Eighteenth Emergency getting dusted off for what we’re told is its first live airing since 2007, while debut album cuts including I Know Who You Could Be are also welcome. Elsewhere, Helping Hands exerts an understated magnetism, while The Kiss Will Marry Us is heart-stoppingly tender – all adding up to a very Good Friday indeed. [Chris Buckle] Butcher Boy play their first Edinburgh show on 14 Apr, Pleasance Theatre. www.butcher-boy.co.uk

Monoganon CCA, 13 Apr

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www.meshuggah.net

photo: Michael Gallacher

Devout fans of tonight’s headliners give We Are Knuckle Dragger a hard time for their rawer, relatively less technical sound, but they sure as hell get the testosterone going, which is all they seem to be concerned about anyway. Dipping into their Albini-assisted debut, the abrasive Geordie trio proudly live up to their name by surrendering to their primitive instincts onstage, delivering a performance high on energy and intensity.

D.C prog-metallers Animals As Leaders are perhaps more tailored to this crowd’s demands for complex excellence. Founder Tosin Abasi’s reported history as a student at the Atlanta Institute of Music must be a cover story for a more likely scenario: he’s descended from an alien race of expert guitar players. His relentless, complex shredding is grounded by a lighter, jazz-tinged rhythm section. On one hand, it’s instrumental wankery at its most extreme, but their minimarathons are hypnotising and a fine primer for our hosts.

www.orbitalofficial.com

photo: Kenny McCoLL

photo: Ricky Skinner

As suggested in their recent interview with The Skinny, Orbital are keen not to lean on their old hits in the live settings, but also to not disappoint the ‘old skool’ masses with excessive experimentation.

It seems that in deciding the tour setlist the Hartnoll brothers have chosen to fire through Wonky’s softer and melodic material at the start before plunging into harder familiar territory. Celebrated producer Mark ‘Flood’ Ellis’s involvement on the new album is heavily sensed in live tracks such as Silent Sun, the melody of which draws comparisons with Depeche Mode.

A searing synth breakdown mid-set introduces the controversially divisive Beelzedub, a hardlined remix of 1991’s malevolent Butthole Surferssampling techno anthem Satan.

The original version’s absence in the setlist is painfully noticeable, but this new dangerous venture effectively ignites the crowd’s passion to dance. The fans have clearly been waiting Orbital’s whole career for the duo to push that envelope and unleash these drilly snare rolls. The encore encourages a sea of writhing bodies madly convulsing to Chime Crime 303 acid squelches and the buzzing aggression of Where Is It Going?.

There’s still a heavy presence of nostalgia throughout this current tour set; the sight of so many glassy-eyed ‘never say die’ ravers smiling, hugging and leaving their worries at the door during Belfast, and the now staple Bon Jovi/ Belinda Carlisle mashup midway into Halcyon (to which every member of the audience sings along to) is a reminder that Orbital are still very much about a time and place. [Timothy McQuillian]

Perfectly coupled with the vérité style film clips of botanic gardens and Scandinavian skylines projected above the band, Monoganon, the brainchild of the giggly and sprightly John B McKenna, jet off with their own take on the road trip soundtrack (by way of last year’s Songs to Swim To).

It’s clear to hear from McKenna’s accomplished standard of songwriting why the man is so respected amongst his contemporaries; spouting sombre vocals with

Odd Future O2 ABC, 1 Apr

rrrrr The touts are doing brisk business outside the ABC tonight.

Inside the venue, the queue for the merch stall almost rivals that of the bar. Odd Future, who are known for their entrepreneurial spirit, would no doubt approve.

The LA collective have attracted some fierce criticism, mostly centred around their lyrical content, ever since rising to prominence. But the several young men (and one woman) who shamble onstage tonight don’t seem particularly fearsome.

In fact, for the first half hour of the show, they seem rather awkward. Then Mike G makes one particularly bad slip up, and the resulting slagging from his bandmates seems to put them at ease – remorseless teasing being

an indigenous brogue, his lyrics weave their way through moody guitar harmonies and frequently fierce jazzy drum crescendos.

Comparisons to the initial spirit of REM feel deservedly accurate for a man whose popularity has clearly spread its infectious way through the audience, so much so that demanding an encore seems only natural. Not failing to uphold his reputation as an infamous inter-song patter merchant, McKenna also keeps his promise of putting on a show that’s genuinely heartwarming.

[Timothy McQuillian] www.facebook.com/monoganon

an Odd Future forte.

The best tracks are led by their three finest MCs; Hodgy Beats, Domo Genesis and the undisputed leader of the gang, Tyler, the Creator. Odd Future play a 90 minute set but they could easily have played 90 more. It’s their principle downside – the sheer number of members, tracks, and side projects competing for your attention has a dizzying effect.

The quality of the material dips and rises according to when they were recorded and who leads them. The fierce electro and stinging rhymes of Rella is a world removed from dumb shoutalong tracks like MellowHype’s Fuck the Police. Odd Future are evolving at breathtaking speed; love them or loathe them, it looks like yesterday’s provocateurs are ready to become tomorrow’s hiphop superstars. [Chris McCall] www.oddfuture.com

records

REVIEW: SINGLES

The Dir t y Dozen

With his two bandmates otherwise engaged, the gargantuan responsibility of reviewing the month’s singles rests squarely on the shoulders of Phil Taylor from Glasgow trio PAWS. Can he withstand the terrible auto-tuned RnB vocals? Will the CDs actually work?

QUIZMASTER: Chris McCall PHOTOS: WES KINGSTON

The Magnetic Fields – Quick! (Domino, 7 May) Phil: This is The Magnetic Fields? It doesn’t sound like them.

(The Skinny quickly checks the stereo to ensure there’s not been an embarrassing mix-up) Phil: Yeah I like it. I do like Stephin Merritt. It’s got a good sound. It would fit well on a skate video or something like that. It’s got a happy, dozy feel to it that I like. I’ll give it a seven. We’re off to a good start.

Trailer Trash Tracys – Los Angered (Double Six, 7 May) Phil: Nah, I’m not digging this. It’s a bit lacklustre.

I’ve heard their name a bunch of times, but this isn’t really for me. I’ll give it a four.

Reptar – Stuck In My ID (Lucky Numbers, Out Now) Phil: This isn’t for me. This blows. It sounds too much like MGMT. It even references MGMT on the press release. It’s the sort of thing I can imagine people at a festival would enjoy. I’ll give it a three.

Theme Park – 2 Hours (Transgressive, 7 May) Phil: I don’t really like his voice. The guitars are cool, which is good. I could see myself skating to this if it was an instrumental. That’s how I generally judge new music, whether I could skate to it. But that vocal really isn’t doing it for me. It could have done with a stronger take, it sounds a bit half-assed.

For that, I’ll give it a five.

It’s not often you meet people that just decide ‘fuck it’ and want to make a go of it. I remember seeing Rachel at a festival, when she was working on a burger van. I was asking her what she was doing after the summer, was she going to uni etc.

But she was like ‘Nah, I’m moving to Glasgow to play guitar.’ It’s the ethic I admire.

People from up north can be so hard on themselves. In Glasgow, in big cities, if a project doesn’t work out, people will generally wait a while and try again or at least try something different. But up north, people seem to give up if it doesn’t work out.

People are going to hate on me for this, the punk band giving the single of the month to a folk singer, but this gets 10 out of 10.

Kick To Kill – Avalanche (Flowers In The Dustbin, 14 May) Phil: [reading press release aloud] ‘A genuine successor to Joy Division and The Stooges’. I’m intrigued. This had better be good, that’s a pretty big claim to make. I don’t see how you can be like The Stooges and Joy Division, so I can’t agree with that quote. Everything in this song is at exactly the same pace. I was expecting a big chorus or something.

I enjoy bits of this – it’s got a good bass line. But if you’re going to put quotes like that out in the press release, then you’re really going to have to match up.

And this doesn’t, I don’t think. So I’ll give it a five.

Patrick Watson – Into Giants (Domino, Out Now) Phil: I’m not going to lie, it’s not the kind of thing that I would go home to listen to. I’m usually pretty cynical when it comes to any kind of acoustic singer/songwriter. But this is good, I like the production.

It’s well arranged. I think this is something that Matt [PAWS bassist] would really like. It’s impossible for me to give this a fair score. I’ll give it a five. I think Matt would have given it at least two more.

Diagrams – Ghost Lit (Full Time Hobby, 7 May) Phil: This might sound like a bizarre observation to make, but his voice reminds me of the bassist in Bloc Party. I think it could have done with more ‘oomph’, it’s just trundling along aimlessly. Poor lyrics. It’s boring. I think it’s worth a three. I feel awful judging people’s music like this! [laughs] The Wind-Up Birds – Cross Country (Sturdy, 14 May) [30 seconds into the single, and there’s no sound coming from The Skinny’s speakers. There’s an awkward silence] The Skinny: We’ve got a bit of a problem, there doesn’t appear to be any sound coming from this CD. Phil: [laughs] Well this gets a zero! So much for Sturdy records. They’re not so sturdy are they?

Bang On! – Fars Yer Whoop (Big Dada, 7 May) Phil: What the fuck does Fars Yer Whoop mean?

Are they from Aberdeen or something? No, I would never listen to this, not ever. Turn it off. Why is it that on so many supposed rap or RnB tunes, everyone’s voice sounds the same? Why do they all insist on using vocoders? I do like hip-hop, but not

Rachel Sermanni plays Òran Mór on 11 May. PAWS play Nice’n’Sleazy on 20 May www.facebook.com/wehavepaws

this. This I can’t deal with. I retreat from that kind of vocal. It’s just not me at all. It gets a two.

EP REVIEW Holy Esque

Lower Dens – Propagation (Ribbon, 14 May) Phil: Everything has been so slow in these singles. I like fast music. I mean I like all kinds of music, but the majority of these singles have had a lazy theme.

Having said that, this sounds a lot better than most of the others. The production is good, the vocals are good. But it’s too sleepy. I’m not feeling this at all, it’s too spaced out.

Richard Hawley – Leave Your Body Behind You (Parlophone, 7 May) Phil: I’ve never heard of him. [studies press release] But he’s on Parlophone. According to this, the single sounds like the 13th Floor Elevators. I do like the 13th Floor Elevators, so he’s got that to live up to. It sounds like Oasis – I mean, not like an Oasis song, but the guitars – although I do like that bass line. I think a majority of the releases so far have had that kind of slow, trippy vibe to them. I like urgency in music. And there’s been nothing like that so far.

The Skinny: What do you think the other guys in the band would make of this?

Phil: I think Josh (PAWS drummer) would have liked the psychedelic feel of it and parts of the music. I don’t think he would have enjoyed the vocal, but I don’t think he would be hating on it. I’m giving it a four.

Holy Esque EP Holy Esque, 30 Apr

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SINGLE OF THE MONTH Rachel Sermanni – Eggshells (Middle of Nowhere, 14 May) Phil: I generally don’t listen to much folk or singer-songwriters, but I can really relate to this song. It reminds me of home. It speaks to me, because she’s from up north. I like this because I can picture the landscape when she’s singing. The north of Scotland is such a barren fucking place, but there’s a lot of creative spirit bubbling under up there.

Holy Esque’s self-released debut EP is an auspicious start for the young Glasgow-based band. They have a cathartic, transcendent sound that harks back to the widescreen indie rock of Gold Against The Soul-era Manics, with an insistent, jagged melodic edge to their riffs which at times recalls John Peel favourites The Undertones.

What raises the band head and shoulders above their influences, and indeed most of the current crop of Glasgow guitar-wranglers, are the rasping, fluttering vocals of Pat Hynes; an unearthly, vibrato wail that recalls Kurt Cobain and Ian Ball of Gomez.

Anthemic, emotional, mosh-inciter Rose is the standout track, and has an epic sweep, while the sedate, feedback-saturated Loneliest Loneliness has a touch of dusted, Mazzy Star-esque blues. Throughout, the EP is a remarkably coherent and extraordinarily polished offering from a band who could well be destined for greatness. [Bram E. Gieben] Playing Dundee Doghouse on 4 May; Glasgow Stereo on 5 May and Captain’s Rest as part of Stag & Dagger Festival on 19 May www.facebook.com/HolyEsque

May 2012

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records

REV I E W : A L BU M S

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: El-P

Cancer4Cure Fat Possum, 22 May

rrrrr It’s been five years since El-P’s I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead. There’s not much point prefixing anything the rapper/producer behind the Definitive Jux label does with ‘seminal’ – it’s all been seminal. Cancer4Cure is no exception, pushing experimental hip-hop remorselessly forward.

Full-frontal assault breakbeats underpin glimmering synths and treated guitars on opener Request Denied, as William Burroughs instructs us to “storm the studio”.

First single The Full Retard, with its thrilling refrain (“You should pump this shit, like they do in the future”) cuts to the heart of El-P’s appeal, replete with high-concept science fiction rhymes and bizarre, mind-spinning samples. Crunk, dubstep, art-rock and industrial have

Geoff Barrow & Ben Salisbury DROKK: Music Inspired

By Mega-City One Invada, 7 May

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all been processed and incorporated, but without the cynical intention of capturing the audiences of those styles. Rather, El-P absorbs them like the amoebic life-form from Akira.

His penchant for analogue synths is evident – each bass and melodic pattern is fat, swollen and real, unprocessed. Lyrically, his flow is reference-heavy, absurdist, its intensity never lessened by the abstract imagery. When we look back on the hip-hop of early C21, Cancer4Cure will stand tall above the floodwaters of nostalgia. El-P is one of the few great artists still inhabiting the form. [Bram E. Gieben] www.facebook.com/THEREALELP

Jesus H. Foxx

Nick Waterhouse

Song, by Toad, 14 May

Innovative Leisure, 14 May

Endless Knocking

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Geoff Barrow of Portishead and film score composer Ben Salisbury have created something truly unique in DROKK, their soundtrack for Mega-City One, home of UK comics’ ultimate lawman, Judge Dredd. The most obvious reference points are John Carpenter’s 1970s scores, Giorgio Moroder, The Goblins’ work on Suspiria and Vangelis’ work on Blade Runner.

By using vintage equipment, DROKK are not seeking to imitate these Old Masters of synth music. Rather, they are exploring their techniques and approaches, and breaking new ground in the process. The duo create a soundscape of interlocking melodies and rhythms which are completely absorbing and hypnotic. Its intense, huge, rounded synth tones play like the last minute of Portishead’s Machine Gun, but expanded to fill a whole album; delineating an entire, imagined city. DROKK does an incredible job of capturing the feel of Dredd’s dystopian, overpopulated megalopolis, and the dark, dangerous alleys it contains. [Bram E. Gieben]

Seven members comprise this leftfield Edinburgh indie outfit, who mingle strings, cornet, and glockenspiel with more orthodox instrumentation. Yet even the guitars and percussion here are deployed with imaginative verve, somehow interlocking influences that range from Afrobeat and minimalist composition to gentle post-rock melancholy. The weirdly disjointed pitch-shifts of the backing vocals on tracks like Permanent Defeat suggest a poppier, more immediately accessible take on the Dirty Projectors’ labyrinthine song structures.

Such breadth of ambition could result in a mess, but Jesus H. Foxx have a gift for intricate composition, a melodic sensibility, and an astute ability to strip things back when appropriate. Half the Man You Were overlays delayed guitar arpeggios with shimmering crescendos of distortion, but such bursts of intensity are juxtaposed with the honeyed pop of songs like So Much Water. Somehow, Endless Knocking shoehorns a disparate range of influences into a whole that’s both cohesive and, above all, fun. [Sam Wiseman]

www.invada.co.uk

www.facebook.com/jesushfoxx

Time’s All Gone

rrrRR Although only 25, San Francisco’s Nick Waterhouse excavates the roots of American popular music with an unnervingly obsessive attention to detail. In contrast to Mark Ronson, whose production adds a contemporary sheen to the sounds of 50s and 60s Detroit and New Orleans, Waterhouse insists upon using only vintage amps and recording equipment. Time’s All Gone, as a result, has an uncanny graininess, as though the funk-inflected guitars, saxophone and organ really were being transmitted from another era.

For Waterhouse, this disorientingly atemporal quality is to be welcomed: “a record is a moment in time,” he states, “and something recorded in 1955 is the same as something recorded in 2010”. Sonically, yes; but Time’s All Gone cannot, as a result, be easily comprehended within its contemporary cultural context. Yet the catchiness of the riffs here, combined with Waterhouse’s instinctive ability to blur the boundaries between soul, R&B and funk, suggests that may be an advantage. [Sam Wiseman] www.nickwaterhouse.com

Mothlite

It Hugs Back

Squarepusher

Kscope, 14 May

4AD, 7 May

Warp, 14 May

Dark Age

rrrrR Daniel O’Sullivan’s acclaimed Ulver has a tendency to traverse a truly abstract path between the realms of shoegaze, metal and black ambient, while his collaboration with Steve Moore, Miracle, remains firmly rooted in the universe of synth-pop. His solo Mothlite moniker makes eerily effective work of hybridising the disparate styles of these two projects, landing somewhere not far from the majestic highs and lows of Talk Talk’s The Colour of Spring.

With his second album under the guise, O’Sullivan makes a sustained effort to sing from the stomach out, minimally affecting his pitch, which is perfect for the overdubbed goth-pop harmonies that suit this type of music (nowhere are his warm choruses more prominent than on the title track). To imagine Tears for Fears’ Roland Orzabal singing with The Big Pink could have been a suitable comparison, but would do a disservice to the lush layers of ambient beats, tribal drums and keyboard arpeggios that O’Sullivan uniquely fuses. [Timothy McQuillian]

Laughing Party

rrrRR As if It Hugs Back’s band name wasn’t misleadingly twee enough, Laughing Party’s title and colourful cover seem like a concerted effort to build up preconceptions – only to plough headlong through them with inventive and expansive opener The Big E. It takes confidence to open with a 15-minute, spacerock goliath (the ‘E’ is presumably short for ‘epic’), though as it rides its hypnotic bassline through inventively noisy landscapes, it more than warrants its forefront placing.

While its density and energy is exhilarating, it’s an exhausting point of entry, and with 50 minutes of record hot on its heels, sustaining so high a watermark is a tall order. Against the odds, Laughing Party largely retains its composure, thanks to diversifying miniatures like Half American. But there remains an underlying feeling that, while there are more than enough ideas to sustain the album’s duration, there’s not quite the stamina. [Chris Buckle] www.ithugsback.co.uk

www.kscopemusic.com/mothlite/

Ufabulum

rrrrR You’d be forgiven for thinking that Tom Jenkinson was making a break for the mainstream after hearing the symphonic grandstanding of Ufabulum’s opening track, 4001.

It’s a pose that lasts a full 30 seconds before the hilariously depressed sounding bass wubs of Unreal Square (clearly an amused nod to Skrillex and co.) confirm that, yes, Tom is fucking with us again.

Jenkinson manages another couple of relatively accessible joints – Energy Wizard is a spunky upbeat workout, whilst Stadium Ice is what breakfast TV themes will sound like in the year 3000 – before a psychogenic fugue takes hold and things get fucking dark and nasty: Drax 2 revels in dystopian squelch before Dark Steering employs oppressive quasi-human funk and ruthlessly cold melody lines to approximate the atmosphere of a Borg disco. Ufabulum’s jarring stylistic schism may make the album tough to digest for many people, but the quality of Jenkinson’s craftsmanship remains constant throughout.

[Mark Shukla] www.warp.net/squarepusher

OFF!

Two Wings

Slugabed

Vice Records, 7 May

Tin Angel, Out now

Ninja Tune, 7 May

OFF!

rrrrR In a time when even your average beatdown-heavy ‘hardcore’ band sounds polished, pristine and conventional, OFF!’s self-titled debut in all its 17-minute glory is a brazen, full-on salute to the routine destruction – both self and civil – of the LA punk scene some 30-odd years ago. With Keith Morris (Black Flag, Circle Jerks) on pipes, the album is a crash course in how to use the four-chord weaponry of old without sounding tired or contrived.

Steven McDonald (Redd Kross), Mario Rubalcaba (Rocket From The Crypt, Hot Snakes) and Dimitri Coats (Burning Brides) provide urgent, punchy slabs of angsty noise upon which Morris blurts some of his most pained and acerbic rants, with tracks like Feelings Are Meant To Be Hurt, Borrow and Bomb and I Need One (I Want One) proving some of the most exciting 50-second bursts you’re likely to hear in this all-too-sedate era of modern punk rock. [Ryan Drever] Playing King Tut’s, Glasgow on 21 Jun www.offofficial.com

50 THE SKINNY

May 2012

Love’s Spring

rrrRR

Time Team

rrrRR

Too often, ‘folk’ is used as a rigid template to which musicians adhere far too strictly, rehashing the past rather than creating something new. This is a criticism that cannot be levelled at Glasgow’s Two Wings. The first thing you hear on their debut is singer Hanna Tuulikki’s unique, expressive voice: part elfin, ethereal siren, part dusky lounge singer. It’s swiftly followed by Ben Reynolds’ galloping bluesy electric guitar, and as opening track Eikon reaches its crescendo, it does so in a flood of triumphant brass, deft drums, and soaring vocals.

Though Love’s Spring is peppered with the traditions of folk, its songs are cross-pollinated with elements of country, classic rock, psychedelia and soul to create singular arrangements. But it’s the album’s boldest – often brassiest – tracks (Eikon; Just Like; Forbidden Sublime) that leave the most indelible impression, where Two Wings sound at their most untethered. A brave, curious debut – and it’s not often that can be said of a contemporary folk record. [S.J. Purcell]

Welding a playful axe to electronic music of the past, the young and rising star of Slugabed, aka Gregory Feldwick, has revealed a penchant for dressing up bass music as something that can be a bit more palatable to the techno elite.

There is a definite attempt to combine garage influences with classic synth fetishism, as exemplified by the warm and welcome gaseous 8-bit keyboard turns that twist themselves throughout the muchhyped second single Sex. With throwbacks to G-funk and the Pokemon Red soundtrack scattered across this LP, tracks like the comically titled Unicorn Suplex are laudable, but several key sequences lack the requisite punch that might take this material to the next level. Slugabed proves his ability to turn out fascinating melodies on every track and the album is not without its bangers (Mountains Come Out of the Sky), but Time Team feels regrettably unfocused, hopefully a trait that will pass with experience on future releases. [Timothy McQuillian]

www.twowings.bandcamp.com

www.ninjatune.net/artist/slugabed

RE V IE W : ALB U M S

Mummy Short Arms

I Like Trains

Taffy

Flowers In The Dustbin, 21 May

I Like Records, 7 May

Club ac30, 7 May

rrrRR

rrrrR

Old Jack’s Windowless Playhouse In an ideal world, Mummy Short Arms would have called in Steve Albini to produce their debut album. He would have been the man to capture the full intensity of this Glasgow band and their snarling frontman James Allan. In reality, fledgling bands don’t often work with super-producers, so we’re left with an album that merely hints at the damage this seven-piece could do if they were let fully off the leash.

Change, their second single, has a definite ring of Mclusky about it, and even better is Silicone Dream, which allows Allan to holler in his best Black Francis style. He’s the undoubted star of Mummy Short Arms; his voice drives along even the more pedestrian numbers with its menace. Old Jack’s Windowless Playhouse isn’t quite the breakthrough it could have been, but it’s a definite step in the right direction with unquestionably worthy moments to grab your attention. [Chris McCall] www.facebook.com/mummyshortarms

The Shallows

It would be too easy to write off I Like Trains as post-rock also-rans; over the last five years the Leeds outfit have flirted with the notion of a breakthrough, winning acclaim for their dense soundscapes and charcoal subject matter. Yet, as time has moved on the band has dissolved into the background, cast aside as the nearly-but-not-quite-men. With any justice, album number three should change all that.

Produced by Wild Beasts’ collaborator Richard Formby, these nine tracks are a mesmerising progression from the introverted haze of old.

Led by the poised, melancholic tones of David Martin, numbers like The Hive and We Used To Talk make their way under the skin with deft use of guitar and synthesizer. Lyrically, it’s often grim, but moments of euphoria balance the scales, as in the thrilling, bass-driven Mnemosyne. Far from the spent force one might foolishly presume, The Shallows finds I Like Trains at the top of their game. An extraordinary and evocative return. [Billy Hamilton]

Caramel Sunset

rrrRR In the UK, Britpop’s spectre – not Pulp or Blur, but the bread and butter bands that once padded out Shine compilations – has kept a penitently low profile of late, with recent home-grown nostalgia hits chiefly inspired by the shoegazing late-80s or alt-rock early-90s (not that we’re complaining – the appeal of fuzzy guitars and sugary choruses of any vintage is ever-strong round our way).

Japan’s Taffy, by comparison, have a crush on the period’s produce and no qualms about showing it, creating an album with instant appeal that suggests it sometimes takes an outside perspective to pinpoint what makes a genre click. They pay particular tribute to female-fronted acts like Sleeper and Echobelly, with the chords of opener Between making a slight return to It Girl aesthetics, while So Long rinses great things in Iris’s candied vocals. Punk at heart, Taffy are retrograde and proud; old-fashioned yet, somehow, never passé. [Chris Buckle] www.taffy8.com

www.iliketrains.co.uk

Bigg Jus

Machines That Make Civilization Fun Lyrically, Bigg Jus hasn’t switched up the formula much for Machines... – his flows are still acerbic, passionate attacks on inequality and established power structures – but a voice as fearless and political as his is perhaps more important now than it ever was.

Musically, there is a heavy electronic influence at work here, which although not as head-crushingly forward-looking as his old Company Flow partner’s recent efforts, is nonetheless an excellent match for his visceral, intelligent rhymes, and closer to the template established on Funcrusher Plus.

Advanced Lightbody Activation contains some incredible free association: “Killer pathogens / Cryptic three letter acronyms / Triangulate EMP scalar axiom / Neurotransmitter frequency perception management...”, while Empire Is A Bitch is a clear-eyed assassination of political hypocrites: “Whether your revolution is for real or controlled descent / Believe or get co-opted.” Far from instant gratification, what this album offers is a puzzle-box of rhymes and beats to decode; at times cryptic, at others feral and intense. [Bram E. Gieben]

Electric Honey, 7 May

Wichita, 7 May

In the Belly of the Brazen Bull

rrrrR

rrRRR

Glasgow five-piece French Wives describe Dreams of the Inbetween as “finally sounding how we always wanted to sound.” It’s how we want them to sound too: big and bold one minute, quietly coaxing you closer the next. They’ve taken their time getting to this point, but the patience has paid off, their increased confidence most apparent on the two re-recordings to make the album: Halloween cuts to the chase quicker, and consequently brings a greater impact; while Me Vs. Me slows a beat, slices off the ending, and surrenders its choppiness to unlock the song’s previouslycompromised potential.

Throughout, tracks mesh satisfyingly, with motifs weaving through the record: The Inbetween, for instance, picks up on the melodies of preceding track Back Breaker while simultaneously foreshadowing Younger’s refrain, creating a rewarding sense of cohesion. Elsewhere in the same song, Stuart Dougan sings “it’s not a masterpiece / you will discover this.” Perhaps not, but it’ll do nicely. [Chris Buckle]

These are bleak times for the mid-noughties’ bright young things: The Libertines are a spent force, Razorlight have collapsed under Jonny Borrell’s gargantuan ego, and the Kaiser Chiefs are more often treading water than predicting riots.

Leeds-raised trio The Cribs are yet to rival the NME ubiquity of their contemporaries, but their sharp blasts of rugged indie-rock – once bolstered by the addition of Johnny Marr – were a leap ahead of midweights like The Others.

Album five, In the Belly of the Brazen Bull, finds the Jarman brothers retreading familiar ground. Built around the band’s calling-card of barbed riffs and shouty vocals, Chi-Town and Come On And Be a Noone ring out as misty-eyed odes to simpler times. Much of the album follows suit, vying between the jangly Cure-lite balladry of Butterflies and the meandering clang of Pure O. This is the sound of a band caught in a time warp; sadly, for The Cribs there’s no going back.

[Billy Hamilton]

Playing Dexter’s, Dundee on 4 May and Captain’s Rest, Glasgow on 7 May

Playing Glasgow Barrowlands on 11 May

www.frenchwives.co.uk

www.thecribs.com

Admiral Fallow

Damon Albarn

Holy Mountain

Nettwerk, 21 May

Parlophone, 7 May

Chemikal Underground, 7 May

Tree Bursts In Snow

Dr Dee

rrrRR Admiral Fallow are a success story to warm the most jaded of hearts, their measured ascent possessing the kind of slow-burn, grass roots momentum that can’t help but cheer those observing from below. Tree Bursts in Snow is a safely (but assuredly) judged next step, with a bid for the major leagues polish that ingrains some pedestrian elements, but otherwise brings out the best in them.

Louis Abbot’s lyrics continue to embrace a populist sentiment built for communal choruses, with The Way You Were Raised, for instance, anthemic in both message (onwards and upwards) and delivery (Springsteen via Auld Reekie). Elsewhere, key words include ‘conquer’ and ‘courage’, suggesting a band unafraid of aspirational urges.

Musical affinities with Frightened Rabbit remain, and there’s a strong chance that the oft-remarked-upon stylistic comparisons will translate into similarities in success. When you consider the FRabbits’ profile leap from Sing the Greys to Midnight Organ Fight, Admiral Fallow’s triumphs seem set to snowball. [Chris Buckle]

Lower Dens Nootropics Domino , Out now

rrrrR Nootropics is named after a kind of drug which alters the brain’s supply of neurochemicals in order to boost memory and intelligence; and right enough, it plays out like a trip. It has two distinct personalities which on the surface seem contradictory, but which, in reality, inhabit the same space gloriously.

The Yin is the percussive, Kraut-ish sound on the superlative Brains and infectious Candy. For the Yang, see the synth-heavy lugubrious dream-pop that percolates Propagation and swathes of Side B. Lead singer Jana Hunter, a member of Devendra Banhart’s rolling posse, has fleeted between projects for years. Nootropics, though, is one of the most finely composed records we’ve heard this year. Freak folk, this is not. Case in point: the drift from the fuzzy warm stupor of Lion In Winter Pt. 1 to the punchy, Errors-esque effervescence of Pt. 2; a transition that’s too purposeful, too brilliant to be anything but deliberate. [Finbarr Bermingham] www.lowerdens.com

The Cribs

Dreams of the Inbetween

Mush, 7 May

rrrrR

French Wives

rrRRR Damon Albarn’s Dr Dee began life as an opera, debuting at the Manchester International Festival last year. As an album, the lack of visual material does hinder enjoyment and understanding: the work was conceived to tell the life story of Elizabethan occultist John Dee, but Albarn’s abstract, impressionist lyrics fail to tell anything resembling a coherent story about the man or his interests.

What Albarn does achieve is a sometimes charming, sometimes vomitously twee evocation of late-period Elizabethan culture: the rising organ and brass melodies of The Golden Dawn, and the flutes and layered choral performances throughout paint a vivid picture of the times, but often err too close to Blackadder territory. The songs which feature Albarn front and centre are subtle, understated folk ballads (O Spirit, Animate Us; The Marvelous Dream). Some are forgettable; on others, enjoyment is marred only by a failure to map them to the historical facts and myths about Dee’s life. An ambitious, flawed project, let down by its scope and vision rather than its execution [Bram E. Gieben] www.doctorjohndee.tumblr.com

The Top five 1 El-P

Cancer4Cure

2 Geoff Barrow & Ben Salisbury

DROKK: Music Inspired

By Mega-City One

3 Squarepusher

Ufabulum

4 Holy Mountain Earth Measures

5 Lower Dens Nootropics

Earth Measures

rrrrR A welcome addition to Scotland’s heavy rock landscape, Earth Measures’ six tracks begin as short, snappy and barbed stabs at punk-rock, before evolving into longer, sprawling and increasingly psychedelic journeys. By the midway point, somewhere in the thick of fan favourite Swifty Fuckwit, the mood completely transforms into fuzz-faced bass-heavy ecstasy. The album’s doomy closer, Silent Hawk, arrives like the crowning soundtrack to an inebriated night in a sweaty dive.

Significantly, the core duo of McGlone and Flett (now a three-piece, with the inclusion of Desalvo and Idlewild’s Allan Stewart on bass) were among the first creative forces in Glasgow’s accidental ‘noize’ scene of recent years (a non-exhaustive list encompassing such varied and confrontational bands as Divorce, United Fruit and Hey Enemy). Yet recordings from Holy Mountain surface infrequently (thus far they’ve released one tour EP in the last three years). A hazardous guess would be that it’s difficult to neatly harness their on-stage adrenaline, but Earth Measures makes a sterling attempt. Crank it to full bore. [Timothy McQuillian]

Richard Hawley

Standing At The Sky’s Edge Parlophone, 7 May

rrRRR Cave dwellers! One-time Pulp and Longpigs guitarist Richard Hawley found solo success in the mid-noughties by writing melodic baroque pop that perfectly suited his rich baritone voice. He took a darker turn on 2009’s Truelove’s Gutter, but it’s still fair to say that his decision to venture down a highway firmly marked ‘psychedelic rock’ is a brave one.

We get off to a bad start with She Brings the Sunlight, echoing a latter-day, shroomed-out Oasis, but with none of the verve required to carry it off. Time Will Bring You Winter, meanwhile, is as ridiculous as its title suggests. Hawley has stated his desire to move away from the orchestration of past output and he can certainly wield an axe with the best of them. But quite why he would choose to bury his finest attribute – his voice – behind a wall of guitars is mystifying. It leaves us with little to love about this record and even less to remember.

[Chris McCall] www.richardhawley.co.uk

May 2012

THE SKINNY 51

REVIEW: NEW BLOOD

music

THE INBET WEENERS Fifteen months in the making, FRENCH WIVES release their debut Dream of the Inbetween later this month. “I’m sure the thought’s crossed all our minds already,” ponders frontman Stuart Dougan. “‘What if people don’t like it…?’”

INTERVIEW: CHRIS BUCKLE PHOTO: EMILY WYLDE

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52 THE SKINNY

NIGHT CLUB

MAY 2012

BAR

421 SAUCHIEHALL ST

GLASGOW

FRENCH WIVES formed nearly four years ago, when founding duo Stuart Dougan (vocals, guitars) and Scott MacPherson (guitars, vocals) met online.

“It’s pretty embarrassing really,” winces Stuart of their MySpace-indebted roots. “We should just say we met in Sleazy's – everyone else does…”

The rest of the band – Chris Barclay (bass), Jonny Smith (drums) and Siobhan Anderson (violin, vocals) – were recruited through friends, and before long they were whipping up emotionallycharged indie-pop and gigging their way round Glasgow; a pretty straightforward origin story by all accounts. “I really wanted to say that we all had the same mother,” suggests Scott when asked if they’ve ever been tempted to embellish the story with lies, but Stuart displays stronger scruples.

“I think we have given some nonsense versions in the past,” he says, “but generally we tell the truth.” While honesty is an admirable trait, it has its risks. “I don’t think any of us would have joined if we’d known at the time that you two met on MySpace…” deadpans Chris; Siobhan and Jonny nod their heads unsmilingly.

'I wish I had started younger,' goes the refrain of French Wives’ latest single, but when it comes to recording and releasing their debut album, quite the opposite is true. “For a couple of years, someone from Electric Honey had been in touch about putting out an album, but it never really happened,” explains Stuart. “And to be honest, we weren’t really in a position to do it before – we just felt we weren’t at that stage yet. Maybe in different circumstances we would have, but it wouldn’t have been as good as the one we have now, so I’m glad we waited.” When Electric Honey made enquiries again last year, the band decided they were ready to take the plunge, but rather than rely wholly upon existing material, they holed themselves away and wrote “Like we’d never written before,” as Scott puts it. “I think in those few months, our songwriting stepped up a level,” agrees Stuart.

The result, Dreams of the Inbetween, was produced by Tony Doogan, known for his work with Belle and Sebastian and Mogwai amongst others.

REVIEW: NEW BLOOD “We made a short list of all the producers we wanted to work with, and he was near the top, but we never actually thought he’d do it,” says Scott.

“I think it helped that he was a proper grown-up – generally speaking, if he made a suggestion, we listened to it. Whereas if it had been someone our age, we might have been a bit like, ‘naw, shut it’.”

“The guy’s a genius,” Stuart enthuses. “We’d play a song through, then sit and talk about it for two hours – to have someone like that talking you through your songs was really amazing.”

Frustratingly, ‘administrative issues’ (“mostly on our part,” they’re quick to add) forced the studio sessions to a halt just one week in, leaving the band to unblock funding delays then reschedule wherever Doogan’s diary permitted. Gradually, over three or four sessions spread over twice as many months, the album took shape, guided along by their straight-talking producer. “I think it’s easy to surround yourself with ‘yes men’ when you’re recording your first album,” reckons Stuart, “whereas Tony is the absolute ultimate ‘no man’.

You quickly learn that if Tony’s suggesting cutting out a big section of your song, that’s probably because it’s not very good.” Siobhan likens him to a strict teacher you don’t want to get on the wrong side of. “Oh definitely, you want to keep him happy,” agrees Stuart. “He came to see us live for the first time last week and said, ‘that was pretty good’. That’s really high praise from him!”

Doogan’s input extended beyond his musical input. “Because we’re, as he puts it, ‘a little bit green’, it was quite good just chatting to him about the music industry in general,” says Stuart.

“To be honest, we probably took so long recording because we kept asking him to tell more Belle and Sebastian stories...”

Only two previously released tracks – Me Vs. Me and Halloween – made their way on to the album, both in significantly re-worked recordings.

“They both changed quite a lot,” nods Scott – a metamorphosis that necessitated a painful, but rewarding, letting-go. But the results, they insist, are far more faithful to their original intentions, the

band “finally sounding how we want to sound,” in especially who’ve been really positive about us Stuart’s words. “We knew how we should sound, and really stuck by us. We’re a really independent band – we don’t have any management, even but didn’t know how, which is where Tony came the deal with Electric Honey is not a conventional in. Some people that have heard the album, if record deal – so it can be hard to reach big press they have been quite attached to the old versions, outlets and things like that. So having the support don’t think the new ones are as good, but it would of bloggers is really important in getting us out have been petty to make an album with this great there, especially down south.” producer, who’s been helping you with all your Earlier this year, they took steps towards extendother songs, and then go, ‘oh no, not this one, we ing that support base to further flung markets by know better about this one, this one’s fine.’” Not flying to Texas for South by Southwest. “We’d everyone’s ready to say goodbye to the earlier heard a lot of different viewpoints about how and versions (“My mum was gutted when she heard why bands should go the new Halloween for the first time…” chips in to SXSW, but I think our Chris), but then again, main motivation was we suggest, ‘preferring more personal – to take the early work’ scores this band we’d worked instant indie points… on for four years over to “Aye, folk will be like, ‘I America was enough for prefer the one with the us. I think if we hadn’t hiss on it,’” laughs Scott. taken the opportunity, “‘The longer version with we’d always look back crap vocals, that’s my and regret it. What if the favourite…’” counters album gets crap reviews, Stuart. and we decide we hate Earlier this year, French each other and don’t Wives came fourth in the want to be in a band inaugural Blog Sound anymore, and we’ve of 2012 poll, positioned missed that chance?”

Stuart Dougan as an alternative to the Raising the airfares BBC’s annual list. That with ceilidhs and must have felt pretty benefit shows, the good? “The blog thing band followed Austin was really unexpected,” with a handful of gigs says Scott. “We didn’t even know it was running, elsewhere in the States. “It was amazing,” Stuart to be honest, until we made the long-list, and when says of the response. “No one has any cynicism they said we were in the top 5 as well, it was a bit or pre-conceptions, it’s just like [puts on American of a shock, because all the bands are quite big: accent] ‘Oh hey man, what’s the name of your Theme Park are doing well, Friends are doing well, band? Fresh Waves, that’s awesome! I’m going and Beth Jeans Houghton, and Daughter, and to totally come and see you guys, that’s rad!’ And then… us? They’re all much bigger names, so it then at the end: ‘Oh dude, I am so fucking stoked, was nice to be included in their company.” that was great, can I give you guys some money?’

“We’ve always had pretty good blog support,” There was no back-biting, or bitchiness, or considers Stuart. “There’re a lot in Glasgow anything like that.” A Scottish Showcase gig with

What if the album gets crap reviews, and we decide we hate each other and don’t want to be in a band anymore?

We Were Promised Jetpacks and Django Django, amongst others, was particularly rewarding.

“Because of bands like Frightened Rabbit, and going further back, Teenage Fanclub and people like that, a lot of Americans have this kind of emotional affinity with Scottish music,” reckons Scott.

“We’re seen as a wee country with a lot of good bands, so that was a good card to have – ‘we’re Scottish, we must be good!’”

With US visas and album launch preparations monopolising the band’s time lately, closer to home festivals have thus far taken a back seat: they’re sure they’ll get “one or two” lined up, but organising everything themselves makes forward planning tricky. “I think the nature of the industry is that it does take some people till after their first album to really establish themselves,” suggests Stuart, “so if the album does well and someone was interested in managing us, or acting as our UK booking agent or something like that…” He breaks off. “I’m putting those things very specifically…”

We offer our services as a go-between: French Wives, WLTM… “We should try that,” Scott laughs, “go on dating sites and look for booking agents…” Before we head off to draft the ad, is there anything else the band craves – for instance, any acts whose level of success they look at and think, ‘aye, that’d do nicely’? “We’re good friends with Admiral Fallow,” ventures Stuart, “and I still can’t quite comprehend how big they seem to have got. I played in a band at school with Kev [Brolly] called Ellroy. It’s crazy to think that we once did a medley of Hey Ya by Outkast and She Wants to Move by N.E.R.D. in a school hall, and now they’re headlining the Barrowlands. And it seems to have been quite organic for them – they released a record, people loved it, and now they’re playing the Barrowlands. If enough people like what you do, then you will always get to that next level.”

Playing Dexter’s, Dundee on 4 May and Captain’s Rest, Glasgow on 7 May. Dream Of The Inbetween is released on 7 May via Electric Honey www.frenchwives.co.uk

May 2012

THE SKINNY 53

REVIEWS: PREVIEWS

clubs

CLUBBING HIGHLIGHTS WORDS: NEIL MURCHISON

PSYCHEDELIC FOREST DISCO AT KELBURN CASTLE

TRIBUTE & LA CHEETAH PRESENT THEO PARRISH

KELBURN CASTLE, SAT 12 MAY, 6PM-4AM, £23 + BF

FRI 4 MAY, LA CHEETAH (DOWNSTAIRS @ MAX’S KANSAS CITY), 11PM - 3AM, £12

As summer beckons the prospect of al fresco partying in Scotland becomes a little more realistic and so, after last year’s sell out success, the Psychedelic Forest Disco returns to the grounds of Kelburn Castle boasting a varied lineup across two areas. Making this event a little extra special is the fairytale setting in which it all takes place, with the leafy grounds set to be lit up spectacularly and with plenty of variety in the beats on offer, this year’s Psychedelic Forest Disco promises to be a memorable one.

Headlining the Viewpoint Stage is London’s Zombie Disco Squad (aka Nat Self), whose work has been showcased on labels such as Dirtybird, Jackmode and Made To Play. Self will offer a particularly buoyant brand of party-focussed house music with occasional nods in the direction of hip hop, baile funk and ghettotech. Glasgow-based Rebecca Vasmant will also take to the turntables, having gained acclaim with mixes for the likes of Ministry Of Sound and Sven Vath’s Cocoon.

Fellow Glaswegian Billy Woods will be providing disco delights while Soul Foundation and electro outfit Digital Jones play live. The Electrikal Tent will host dub act Chungo Bungo who will bring a reggae vibe to the proceedings, while DJ NoFace and Smiddy are sure to be in full on party mode.

[Ronan Martin]

The first weekend of May is set to get sweaty as Tribute and La Cheetah Club conspire to bring sonic welder Theo Parrish to the cosy confines of Max’s increasingly infamous basement. A truly independent figure in underground dance music, Parrish has never shied from challenging the commonality of what defines ‘house’ as his ever-evolving sets shift from Detroit techno, house, jazz, ambient, funk and beyond, all of which are held together by a framework of soulful sensibility which seems to lie at the root of his musical ethos. But to buy into such outdated genre tags is to misinterpret the Detroit based DJ/producer’s efforts entirely; awe-inspiring EQ manipulation and truly inspired tune selection lie at the heart of any Theo Parrish set, which leaves the dancefloor hypnotised and hyped in equal measure.

As the brains behind the Sound Signature imprint, Parrish has promoted his own unmistakable sound and provided a platform for like-minded artists including 3 Chairs and Marcellus Pittman to impressive results, and continues to push the Detroit sound in whatever shape and form it takes as well as encouraging the production and consumption of vinyl and independent distribution to which he continues to be so inextricably bound. Tonight Theo Parrish rocks La Cheetah for a four hour set.

Capacity is limited and demand is sure to be high so get in there quick. [Calum Sutherland]

WITNESS PRESENTS CLAUDE VONSTROKE

HIGHLIFE PRESENTS CUT HANDS (LIVE)

SNEAKY PETE’S, WED 6 JUN, 11PM – 3AM, £5.00

SUB CLUB, SUN 20 MAY, 9PM - 3AM (CUT HANDS ON AT 9.45PM), GIG AND CLUB £5/4 CLUB ONLY

It might be mad, but it’s true. Sneaky’s is going super-sized for the night as Witness host the big-fun maximalism of Claude VonStroke in an intimate warm-up for his appearance on Soma’s roster at RockNess. And all for the price of a Red Stripe (in a bar).

The Detroit-raised, San-Francisco-based Barclay Crenshaw, founder of the prolific Dirtybird/Mothership set-up, has acquired a distinct vocabulary for bounding guttural bass and eccentric vocal samples through a varied musical upbringing.

Starting as a schoolboy rapper, Crenshaw then DJed his beloved drum ‘n’ bass before finally arriving in production with the big ‘n’ bouncy house that largely dominates his output.

Since taking the world by curious storm with his first release, the gloriously funky, stomp-driven Deep Throat, all gurgling vocals and quirky attitude, VonStroke has gone on to headline stages worldwide, racking up BBC Essential and Fabric mixes on the way. His recent remix of Girl Unit’s Wut under the alias The Grizzl has aligned him with the UK scene and his latest release, Le Fantome, departs entirely from those distinguishing bird squarks and chimp squeals, featuring instead the smouldering vocals of Jaw on a still funk-kicking backdrop.

[Rosanna Walker]

54 THE SKINNY

MAY 2012

ILLUSTRATION: WWW.VERBALSPICKS.COM

Some consider African influences on electronic music to be limited to nothing more than a few sub genres, but anyone who has been schooled by the likes of Gilles Peterson will know that a much greater debt is owed. Genres that do embrace African influences can sometimes be guilty of simply exoticising their sound with a few appropriated elements, but that can’t be said for the wholesale immersion that awaits them with William Bennett’s Cut Hands project.

Bennett, previously of Whitehouse and the guest of honour for Highlife’s second birthday party, continues his obsession with noise, this time channelled through the sound of Africa and his two albums, Afro Noise 1 & 2, are possessed with an urgency and rawness of rhythm that can initially leave you quite unprepared. His live performances, often accompanied by stark, haunting monochrome imagery, are similarly a complete audio onslaught and they have an intensity and power about them that is unlike much else you will hear in a club.

Certainly not for everybody but, equally, one you will be unlikely to forget anytime soon. Auntie Flo and Esa will be taking to the floor afterwards to ensure the second year of Highlife is a great one.

[Neil Murchison]

In 2045, when most of us will be spending our Saturday nights confined in front of the Apple iTV 7 instead of going out, BBC Four will keep us entertained by showing in-depth documentaries about the golden age of dance music, having finally exhausted every piece of known archive footage of 60s and 70s guitar bands. During these completely hypothetical shows one name that will almost certainly be dropped at some point is that of Andrew Weatherall. Whether it will be for his production work with Primal Scream, his prominence at the forefront of acid house or for the many other labels, projects and remixes he has been involved in, he has been a constant presence in the UK’s electronic music scene. His new Ministry of Sound triple compilation album Masterpiece should give an indication of the unknown depths that his crate digging has taken him to and the rare gems he has uncovered in the process; his visit to The Caves on Fri 4 May should remind you not just to expect the slightly unexpected but to absolutely count on it.

The Bank Holiday weekend is a packed one already but the names don’t come much bigger than one of the most consistently brilliant DJs of our generation, Carl Cox, who plays Colours at The Arches on Sat 5 May. With Jon Rundell, Jon Mancini and Giovanni Ferri supporting him along with a clutch of other acts, this is going

to be classic, storming big room stuff. While everybody knows Carl Craig, far fewer people will recognise his numerical nom de plume, ‘69’, under which he snuck out a number of records between 1991 and 1994 before hitting his stride with Innerzone Orchestra et al. Having resurrected the moniker last year for some international festivals, now comes the chance to catch his show up close as the Sub Club wrap up their 25th birthday celebrations on Sat 5 May. There is a lot of fun to be had with the ideas that are being knocked around on these early techno cuts. For Craig, backing up a few decades to return to the point where he made those records seems to have reopened a few new avenues to explore.

Finally, i AM have lined up Submerse, checking in from his European tour, and the Welsh DJ quartet C.R.S.T lending some extra weight on Tue 22 May. Submerse, or Rob Omre to be exact, creates garage and dubstep hybrids that probably bring a strange kind of pleasure to the fetishists of badly named sub-genres. The upshot of this is that he is constantly playing with forms and styles, pulling together the rhythms, sampling styles and tempos from across the genre divide. Despite the potentially bad omens brought on by the name of their headliner, i AM are also planning a pre-club boat party to kick the evening off which will also get you in to the Sub Club afterwards.

clubs

RE V IE W : P RE V IE W S

P l ay i n g T h e F i e l d

If Scottish summer festivals leave you cold (and wet, and windy), then an escape to greener pastures might be your ticket

O2 ABC Love Music Column

Photo: Martin Senyszak

Words: Neil Murchison

‘Summer festivals’ in Scotland – as the euphemism goes – aren’t much cop if the prospect of dribbling clouds and sodden tents don’t move you to book the first Megabus up to Loch Ness.

European festivals have generally offered a sunny solace from the dreich of our own festivals for a good few years now, together with a diverse and exciting mixture of electronic music artists to make the added hassle of lining Michael O’Leary’s pocket just about bearable.

Croatia has seen an influx of revellers flock to its small boutique festivals, often found in beautiful costal regions that echo the spirit of 80s Ibiza. Echo Festival (22-24 June) is held on the sands of the deep blue Croatian bay of Makarska on the Adriatic Sea where Koreless, Deadboy and Midland will play past sunset and into the night. Also on the Croatian coast is the Electric Elephant (12-16 July) where the stakes are raised a little higher as Andrew Weatherall, Sean Johnston, Michael Mayer, Ivan Smagghe, Ewan Pearson and Optimo light up the skies for five days and nights of beach and boat parties. Of the more established Croatian soirees, Soundwave (20-23

July), held in the town of Tisno, expands its horizons to encompass 50 artists across hip hop, soul and reggae alongside electronic music as Teebs, De La Soul, Plaid, Kwes and Funkineven headline the affair.

Again, plenty of boat parties here too.

Though blessed with a beach of its own nearby, Barcelona festival Sonar (14-15 June) is very much a metropolitan affair, with the festival spread between a modern art museum in the city centre and a giant conference centre on the edge of town. James Murphy, Hot Chip, Flying Lotus, Simian Mobile Disco, Modeselektor, Kode9 and xxxy are some of the standout names to be found at what is one of the world’s go-to electronic music festival festivals. Extending your stay beyond the week-long frenzy of Sonar and Off Sonar is made possible by Monegros Desert Festival (21-22 July), a rave in the dusty sands of the Fraga region. Established heavyweights The Prodigy and Wu-Tang Clan headline, though the five stage event should deliver the goods on the dancefloor front too, with Adam Beyer, Ben Sims, Umek and James Zabiela to feature.

That said, if a flight with Ryanair sounds like too horrific a prospect to bear, then a (relatively) short soujourn beyond Hadrian’s Wall will see you arrive at Glade Festival (14-17 July), nestled in the quiet Norfolk countryside. Describing itself as “another world”, Glade is a three-day woodland jaunt featuring a flaming pyramid and a lineup to get your jaws a-dropping: Marcel Dettmann, Levon Vincent, Jimmy Edgar, Vitalic and Space Dimension Controller are just some of the acts confirmed.

Echo £35, Electric Elephant £89, Soundwave £105 with camping, Glade £135 with camping, Sonar £126, Monegras £57

dj top 1 0 Along with Harri, Domenic Cappello has been an integral element of Sub Club’s Saturday night heartbeat, Subculture, for 14 years.

He reviews which records are spending more time out of his box than in it 1. Leeon - A New Chapter EP (Seventh Sign) A breakthrough artist features on this, the new 7th Sign, which also sees Conforce deliver a slick remix. The Glasgow-based DJ and producer uses his debut to serve up three beautiful slices of the proper machine soul.

2. Pittsburgh Track Authority - Snap Off (PGHTRX 002) After the buzz on their first release on PGHTRX 001, Thomas Cox and co. deliver another slice of great house.

3. Tazz - Many Reasons (Tsuba) My favorite track off his new album, Tazz produces another great piece of synth led music. Think Detroit meets Larry Heard.

4. Leon Vynehall - Homage (Well Rounded House Project) Raw deep house track that sounds great on the sub-sound system or in any dark and smoky nightclub.

5. Barnt - Hark (Mule Musiq) I’m always looking for something that stands out from the rest and this does, hard to put this in any specific bracket. Different but class.

6. Anaxander - Moons of Jupiter (LWYF 003) Deep dark chord-led house track that bubbles along and just when you think that’s all there is to it, in the middle the track flips on you and goes off into an old school techno track.

7. Yor - Modern Slaves of Contemporary Contexts EP (Purple Maze) Phaedra’s Love is my fave on this EP, deep warm up track that’s nice, dark and creepy.

8. Trevino - Derelict (Naked Lunch) Pressed on purple vinyl, these are great Detroit techno inspired tracks by Trevino aka Marcus Intalex.

9. October - String Theory (Legowelt remix) (Simple) Legowelt is a genius, a great remix. This man can do no wrong.

10. Marco Bernardi - The Burning Love Ensemble (Royal Oak) Again beautiful electronic soul, every track on this works. Complex but still raw, proper music.

Jimmy Cliff O2 Academy Glasgow, Sat 19 May Doors 7pm followed by Bass Warrior aftershow DJ set

Remember when pop music was a force for good?

Yes, I’m struggling a bit too, which makes Jimmy Cliff all the more relevant in reminding us what a musical icon can do when you combine forces of politics, culture and some of the most irrepressible pop music of the last 40 years.

Unlike most inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cliff continues doing his thing: just last month he played his part in Coachella’s rather epic line up and now he’s back on the road in the UK. His appeal endures because, live, it is impossible to resist his glorious pop anthems like You Can Get it If You Really Want, I Can See Clearly Now and Wonderful World, Beautiful People. His more politically charged songs don’t make any trade off in terms of their pop values for moral ones; the emotive, gospel confession in Many Rivers to Cross and Vietnam – which Dylan proclaimed to be “the greatest protest song” – are testament to that.

His pumped up version of Guns of Brixton from last year’s Sacred Heart EP, produced by Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, feels like it has stepped into the room from another era. With neat symmetry, the song name checks the character, ‘Ivan’, that Cliff played in the 1972 film The Harder They Come that Clash bassist Paul Simonon adored. While that character never made it past the final scene, Cliff himself has proved to be one of the great musical survivors.

New Order O2 Academy, Sat 5 May, 7pm

It should be no surprise that the remaining members of New Order are able to find it within themselves to tour once more after losing another key member of the band over some seemingly irreconcilable differences. The mythology of the band and the era from which they emerged, along with the songs themselves, remain far too resonant to be suppressed by the self-imposed exile of bassist Peter Hook, and his replacement Tom Chapman seems accepting enough of the burden that has been placed upon him. The first UK tour in six years finds the band recharged with enthusiasm and last year’s double ‘best of’ album which featured twice as many New Order songs as it did Joy Division ones is comment enough on the music.

Balkan Beat Box O2 ABC Glasgow, Wed 16 May, Doors 7pm

Musically and stylistically, acclaimed New York/Israeli collective Balkan Beat Box manage to tick more boxes than those people who make a living out of filling out online questionnaires. Hip hop, electronica, dub, ragga, horns, guitars, decks... yes, even children’s toys have made appearances at some point across their four albums. These elements are subservient to the riotous energy that this band of global border hoppers bring to everything they play, which explains their rise from New York’s local live scene to an international band who, naturally, at their heart have Ori Kaplan, a saxophonist and ex-member of another global musical rabble, Gogol Bordello. www.o2academyglasgow.co.uk www.o2abcglasgow.co.uk facebook.com/o2academyglasgow facebook.com/o2abcglasgow

Domenic and Harri bring Subculture to Sub Club every Saturday night including Sat 5 May with Carl Craig 69 live and Sat 19 May with Roman Flugel www.subclub.co.uk

May 2012

THE SKINNY 55

REVIEW

film

M AY E V E N T S Club Noir, the world’s largest burlesque club, has teamed up with The Grosvenor in Glasgow and the Playhouse in Perth to add a touch of glamour to the movies. In Perth, Some Like it Hot is screening on 11 May, while The Seven Year Itch is showing in Glasgow on 27 May. Both comedies are classics thanks largely to their star, Marilyn Monroe, who epitomises Hollywood’s golden age. Guests are encouraged to dress in their finest attire and both films will be preceded by a special burlesque act by one of the club’s performers.

some like it hot American Pie: Reunion

American Pie: Reunion

The Raid

Director: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg Starring: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Seann William Scott, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid Released: 2 May Certificate: 15

Director: Gareth Evans Starring: Iko Uwais, Doni Alamsyah, Yayan Ruhain Released: 18 May Certificate: 18

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Universal pictures

Unlikely pairings can be perfect. Indonesian film The Raid centres around a police bust in a large tower block filled with criminals, guns, and machetes; unlikely fare from a Welsh director (Evans). Though its opening action sequences are dangerously close to Zack Snyder’s brand of super-slo-mo gun porn, as the regression of weaponry continues from bullets to blades, each impersonal gunshot becomes as intimate as a knife wound. Once this seemingly endless array of arsenal is finally depleted, then the fun really begins.

Ostensibly SWAT training in Jakarta must include a course in silat, the Indonesian martial art, or perhaps these bobbies just got lucky when they hired some of their team’s deadliest practitioners. For the sake of balance the criminals have a few strong combatants of their own. One in particular, known as Mad Dog (Yayan Ruhian), is like a pint-sized Goro from Mortal Kombat, but deadlier and with fewer arms. A surreal, gritty, ultra-violent treat sure to have kung fu movie fans salivating and high kicking in the aisles. [David McGinty]

americanpiereunion.co.uk

www.facebook.com/TheRaidUK

Goodbye First Love

Café De Flore

Director: Mia Hansen-Løve Starring: Lola Créton, Sebastian Urzendowsky, Magne-Håvard Brekke Released: 4 May Certificate: 15

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée Starring: Vanessa Paradis, Kevin Parent, Hélène Florent Released: 11 May Certificate: 15

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Mia Hansen-Løve’s Goodbye First Love covers the well-worn ground of teenage romance, but it does so with a sensitivity and honesty that makes the subject feel bracingly fresh. The luminous Lola Créton plays Camille, a 15-year-old left heartbroken when her boyfriend embarks on a global trip and gradually loses touch. Over the course of the following decade, Hansen-Løve periodically revisits Camille as she moves on with her life and builds both a new career and relationship for herself, while never quite letting go of the first boy who won her heart. Goodbye First Love provides yet more evidence that Hansen-Løve is a natural filmmaker, constantly alive to moments of grace and subtlety and capable of drawing wonderfully naturalistic performances from her actors. Her storytelling here has a meandering, contemplative quality, but the emotional truth at its core keeps the picture anchored as it wisely and delicately shows us how first love hits us hard, before exploring the ways we change, and the ways we don’t. [Philip Concannon]

After a brief sojourn into British period drama with The Young Victoria, Quebecois Jean-Marc Vallée returns home for Café De Flore, and in the process recoups his flair. Vallée juggles parallel plots with dazzling style; though they take place on opposite sides of the Atlantic, forty years apart, there’s a fluidity to their non-linear organisation that very nearly manages to gloss over the incredulity provoked by their climactic intersection. In 60s Paris, Jacqueline (Vanessa Paradis) devotes herself wholly to her son’s happiness and protection; in present-day Montreal, DJ Antoine (Kevin Parent) leaves his wife for a younger woman and frets about the consequences. Vallée interweaves these geographically and temporally disparate lives via audacious editing and a particular emphasis on music’s indelible ability to trigger memory; unfortunately, the overlaps eventually expose a flawed and difficult-to-swallow core, the conclusion’s mystical overtones muffling each individual strand’s emotional impact. But by almost any other yardstick – visually, editorially – Café De Flore is a revelation. [Chris Buckle]

www.artificial-eye.com

Momentum pictures

Jeff Who Lives at Home

Hara-kiri: Death of a Samurai

Director: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass Starring: Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Judy Greer, Susan Sarandon Released: 11 May Certificate: 15

Director: Takashi Miike Starring: Ebizô Ichikawa, Eita, Kôji Yakusho, Hikari Mitsushima Released: 4 May Certificate: 15

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Through a haze of marijuana smoke we’re introduced to Jason Segel’s Jeff, a 30-year-old galumph who makes the actor’s earlier man-child characters from Knocked Up and I Love You, Man look like ambitious go-getters. Jeff is depressed – unsurprising, really, given that he spends his days in a basement watching M. Night Shyamalan movies – so his widower mother (Susan Sarandon) sends him to Home Depot on public transport, a surefire way to brighten anyone’s mood.

But something’s in the air today – something cosmic – and Jeff’s experiencing a sensation he’s not felt in a long time: purpose. Directors Jay and Mark Duplass (Cyrus, Baghead) bring the same loosey-goosey style of their previous films to this gentle comedy that’s pebbled with grace notes and compassion. The supporting cast, which includes Ed Helms as Jeff’s crass brother Pat and Judy Greer as Pat’s put-upon wife Linda, charm despite their underwritten roles and there’s a real lyricism in the way the characters’ paths criss cross and intertwine. [Jamie Dunn]

After revitalising the samurai picture with the thrilling 13 Assassins, Takashi Miike’s new movie Hara-kiri: Death of a Samurai is a change of pace, and a disappointment. After a compelling start – complete with a stomach-churning seppuku sequence – the film loses its way badly when it embarks upon a lengthy flashback that drags towards a conclusion we’ve already anticipated in advance. The recounting of hardships suffered by a young ronin and his family feels sluggish and overwrought, when all we want to do is leap forward to the climactic face-off between veteran samurai Ebizô Ichikawa and the Li Clan.

Fortunately, the climax is worth waiting for, and throughout Hara-kiri there are moments of effective brutality and startling beauty. It’s also great to see Miike embracing 3D and using it so intelligently, with some gorgeous compositions being worth the price of admission alone, even if it’s really the script rather than the visuals that needed some added depth and dimensions. [Philip Concannon]

All hail the class of ’99, the birth of the MILF and the induction of pie fornication into pop culture. It has been 13 years since the first slice of American Pie crudely graced cinemas with its R-rated coming-of-age tale slotting in nicely to the zeitgeist of the closing 90s. The now adult ensemble of Jim, Oz, Kevin, Stifler et al. reunite to attend their high school reunion with suitable hijinks ensuing – sexual escapades, exposed breasts, defecating in a drinks cooler and the same deflated message of taking the next step in life. This is a reunion for the original audience as much as the cast – an unfamiliarity with the characters will leave a new audience adrift in a sea of pining for the past. Ultimately, like seeing old school friends, Reunion presents a good time with a wave of comforting nostalgia but leaves cool reflection that we have all moved on.

[Thom Atkinson]

Revolver Entertainment

56 THE SKINNY

May 2012

The Belmont in Aberdeen has gone nostalgic, with special ‘80s Rewind screenings throughout the month. Each Monday evening, a classic from the decade of leg warmers, Rubix cubes and the Brat Pack is screening. Attendees can reminisce over the inappropriateness of David Bowie’s outfit in creepy children’s movie Labyrinth (7 May), be amazed at the pre-CGI effects in John Carpenter’s The Thing (14 May), wish they had had a day off like Ferris Bueller’s (21 May), and drool over a young Keifer Sutherland in The Lost Boys (28 May).

Lawrence of Belgravia

The Cameo in Edinburgh on 18 May is hosting a special screening of Paul Kelly’s new documentary, Lawrence of Belgravia, featuring the lead singer of 80s band Felt. Prolific during the 80s, releasing ten albums in ten years, Felt gained cult status despite being plagued with bad timing and missed opportunities. Lawrence went on to form Denim and Go Kart Mozart, and this portrait follows him over an eight year period. The screening includes a special live Q&A session with the director and Lawrence himself.

Continuing the 80s theme, the DCA in Dundee is screening Hannah and Her Sisters on 6 May. Influenced by artists as diverse as Cole Porter, the Marx Brothers, and Puccini, this Woody Allen film is one of his finest. Featuring a superb ensemble cast, Michael Caine and Dianne Wiest won Oscars for their performances, as did Allen’s screenplay.

Don’t miss the chance to see this fine film, newly digitised, on the big screen.

The hand, Jirí Trnka

The GFT in Glasgow continues its celebration of Czech puppeteer and animator Jiří Trnka with three events in May. Dubbed the ’Walt Disney of the East’, his work includes feature film A Midsummer Night’s Dream (6 May) and a series of shorts, compiled into two screenings, one aimed at children (7 May) and one aimed at adults (13 May). The latter includes an anti-Nazi Spider-Man-esque film, Springman and the SS. All three events promise to be strange, surreal and unique. [Becky Bartlett]

REVIEW: DVD

IL BOOM

CRIME OR PUNISHMENT?!?

LUCKY LUKE

DIRECTOR: VITTORIO DE SICA STARRING: ALBERTO SORDI, GIANNA MARIA CANALE RELEASED: OUT NOW CERTIFICATE: PG

DIRECTOR: KERALINO SANDOROVICH STARRING: RIKO NARUMI, SAKURA ANDÔ, KUMIKO ASÔ RELEASED: 14 MAY CERTIFICATE: 15

DIRECTOR: JAMES HUTH STARRING: JEAN DUJARDIN, MICHÄEL YOUN, SYLVIE TESTUD RELEASED: 28 MAY CERTIFICATE: 15

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Set in the luxurious apartments of Italy’s nouveau riche during the country’s postwar economic boom, the rather aimless satire of Il Boom (1963) seems an unlikely vehicle for the great director Vittorio De Sica (The Bicycle Thieves). Giovanni (Alberto Sordi) is a businessman who has got himself into debt trying to match the lifestyle of his rich friends. Fearing that his beautiful wife will leave him, he is forced to consider a shocking proposal made to him by the wife of an industrial magnate, one which will save him from his predicament but which also suggests that everything has its price in the new Italy. It is at this point that De Sica begins to really engage with his material, creating a frightening image of a man trapped by the expectations of those around him. Sordi is excellent as the hapless Giovanni, his expression swinging from hope to despair with the movement of an eyebrow. [Keir Roper-Caldbeck]

BLACK POND DIRECTOR: TOM KINGSLEY, WILL SHARPE STARRING: CHRIS LANGHAM, AMANDA HANDINGUE, SIMON AMSTELL RELEASED: OUT NOW CERTIFICATE: 15

rrrrr Watching dream sequences is often like listening to someone telling you about their dream: nonsensical, dull and pointless. Black Pond, a low budget feature by two first time directors, contains a dream sequence which is both suffused with significance and extraordinarily disturbing. Mix this into a film which blends elements of reality TV and broad comedy with a densely elliptical narrative style, and you have one of the most interesting British releases in some time. What keeps all these disparate parts together is the film’s bleakly comic portrait of an exhausted marriage.

The arrival of the gentle, but obviously damaged Blake in the lives of Tom (Langham) and Sophie (Handingue) rouses them from their almost catatonic suburban existence. As events take a tragic turn they find a chance for, if not redemption, then at least escape. What remains to be seen is whether Langham can begin to find redemption for his career with this excellent performance. [Keir Roper-Caldbeck]

Take heed of the title’s interrobang: Crime or Punishment?!? is a bewildering creation. In a similar vein to circular, multistrand narratives like Go or 11:14, writer and director Keralino Sandorovich pins peculiar vignettes around the central story of dejected model Ajame (Riki Narumi), caught shoplifting and sentenced to a day’s community service as chief of police. In the station’s cobwebbed corridors, Ajame becomes entangled in inexplicable bureaucratic webs; to make matters worse, her ex-boyfriend – a serial killer as well as a cop – has been assigned to her command. Elsewhere, inept crooks taser one another and plan a heist, and myriad quirks layer like sediment over its busy 110-minute duration. Yet for all its eccentricities, Kera (as the director is also known) might have benefitted from visitations to even more outré territories, the frenetic tone peaking several notches below, say, Miike at his most manic. Nonetheless, its synthesis of Kafka, screwball comedy, and offbeat thriller, though lightweight, is thoroughly enjoyable. [Chris Buckle]

GHOST IN THE SHELL: SOLID STATE SOCIETY DIRECTOR: KENJI KAMIYAMA STARRING: N/A RELEASED: 21 MAY CERTIFICATE: 15

Though he’s been gun-slinging since the forties, comicstrip cowboy Lucky Luke’s golden age came under the auspices of Asterix creator René Goscinny. Released elsewhere in Europe back in 2009, it would have been a shame if James Huth’s inventive adaptation had shared the fate of the Gaul’s dire cinematic adventures by failing to find a British audience. But with The Artist raising its star’s profile (to put it mildly), a belated DVD release was inevitable, and though flawed, Luke is always enjoyable thanks to Jean Dujardin’s game performance. Twin stints as knuckleheaded super-spy OSS 117, plus the aforementioned silent Oscar-winner, have already confirmed him a comic talent par excellence, and here he uses his considerable charm to rise above frequently mediocre gags. Fortunately, for every two dud punch-lines a third hits its target (particularly Luke’s efforts to coax speech from his steed Jolly Jumper); an unimpressive strike rate by its titular hero’s precision firing standards, but an admirable ratio nonetheless. [Chris Buckle]

GRIFF THE INVISIBLE DIRECTOR: LEON FORD STARRING: RYAN KWANTEN, MAEVE DERMODY, PATRICK BRAMMALL RELEASED: TBC CERTIFICATE: 15

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rrrrr A cyber-enhanced anti-terrorist group tracking down a network of lunatics in futuristic Japan sounds appealing, but this second animated sequel to the TV series based on the films based on the manga already knows its audience and unless you’re familiar with what’s gone before you’re in for a disappointment.

It’s a shame as the visuals are impressive and the dense plotting has some interesting William Gibson-esque ideas, but its stubborn refusal to accomodate new viewers is a barrier to anyone who is not already a fan of the series. Ghost in the Shell’s unique philosophical bent is not as strong in this latest instalment, and its reliance on technobabble and a distinct lack of action only slows things down further. This is no Akira, but providing you’re prepared to accept that you may need to do some work you could get something from this rather difficult tale of assassination, intrigue and cyber-augmentation. [Scotty McKellar]

From an unfinished synopsis, it feels natural to compare Griff the Invisible to fellow self-styled superhero Kick-Ass (plus there’s also a slither of Wanted, another Mark Millar comic, in the juxtaposition of a monotonous office job with the secret thrill of life as an action hero). By day, Griff (True Blood’s Ryan Kwanten) lives a lonely, mundane life; by night, he’s a daring Batman-modelled vigilante, complete with red phone with a direct line to the commissioner and a Joker-like nemesis.

The latter scenes mimic the flat-panel colouring of comic art, echoing Dick Tracy’s production design on a budget, as Griff stomps out crime and catches the eye of fellow misfit Melody (Maeve Dermody).

Yet, without spoiling anything, similarities to Millar’s creations are ultimately slight. Unfortunately, the film only finds a stable tone in the last half hour, closer to quirky sad-sack indies like Garden State than the Dark Knight’s night-watch. But in that final third, it finds a poignancy that no amount of street justice can effect. [Chris Buckle]

The Phantom Band Optimo KAN Session A9 Melting Pot Rachel Sermanni Remember Remember Three Blind Wolves

This Is The Kit Stanley Odd Den Haan Organs Of Love Babelfish The Little Kicks The Loveboat Big Band The Hidden Lane Choir Federation of the Disco Pimp Rae Morris Dr Mango and the Chickpeas Dead Mans Waltz The Dirty Beggars The Horndog Brass Band

54 GEORGE IV BRIDGE, EDINBURGH EH1 1EJ • WWW.BARKOHL.CO.UK MAY 2012

THE SKINNY 57

art

COURTESY OF ALAN DIMMOCK

COURTESY OF THE COMMON GUILD AND THE ARTIST

REVIEW

SOMETHING IS WRONG, 2007

ROB KENNEDY CCA, UNTIL 2 JUN

rrrrr Is There Anything To Do Here, Is There Anything To See? The title of Rob Kennedy’s show might be the cry of his audience – tentative, impatient – as they take on the marathon that is GI and get tetchy.

And who can blame them? Arrive at CCA and you can’t even get into the gallery – Kennedy has blocked off the usual entrance with a pile of debris. Walls have been knocked through, reconfiguring the space. But it’s not really that difficult. Encountering the works simply requires a bit of awareness.

Like one of those films with a non-linear, fragmented narrative, the show returns your attention time and again to aspects of its form. Kennedy has selected works by others to show alongside his own videos, each incorporating dialogues or multiple points of view.

In his three-screen video work Have faith or pandemonium (2010), a drama unfolds in grey corporate corridors with three actors engaged in exchanges butchered from film and TV scripts. Shot across three cameras, we see them from multiple angles, both in character and out of it – though the pretence of the drama is unconcealed.

Another video, Trilogy (2008), considers whether it’s possible to luxuriate in the technique, craft and seductive qualities of film and TV while simultaneously critiquing them.

Considering these questions takes some concentration, though, because competing with the videos is the noise from the ping-pong table in the centre of the gallery – a work by Julius Koller. Offering art-goers the opportunity to play ping-pong could atone for much of the wankiness of contemporary art and should happen in every gallery. But if you don’t play, you can just admire the cheek of installing it mere metres away from a priceless Walter Sickert painting. [Jac Mantle]

WOLFGANG TILLMANS THE COMMON GUILD, UNTIL 23 JUN

rrrrr You’ll rarely find a lone artwork by Wolfgang Tillmans. His photographs – some of them large, some of them small – are more or less always seen together, collected in groups of two or more. That’s how they work. They sit side by side to disclose their charms, each photograph dependent on another to reveal its significance.

This is partly due to the variety of subject matter Tillmans chooses to photograph. At his solo show at The Common Guild, Glasgow, we see an onion, a flower, some car headlights, a derelict building, a man on a mobile phone and some people at a marketplace somewhere on another continent. The only thing tying these disparate subjects together is their inclusion in the exhibition. Otherwise the random snapshots of a well-travelled individual, only together do they take on any kind of relevance; by their sitting

side by side we get the sense of an overarching purpose that’s not merely haphazard or incidental.

That’s not to say anything necessarily tangible is revealed by the mere proximity of two works at The Common Guild. It’s not simply a matter of sticking random works together and letting the audience decide what the relationship might signify. Nothing, for instance, is divulged by the proximity of OP, 2011 – a picture of two surgeons operating on a person’s open torso – to Ursuppe, 2010 – an image of a concrete walkway at the edge of some water.

They are simply captured moments – one captured moment sitting beside another captured moment.

This is precisely what makes Tillmans’ work so compelling. The fragments of an undisclosed whole, his photographs are items in an archive the magnitude of which makes it incomprehensible. You could spend your entire life exploring his vast output and never complete the picture; each image a mere fragment, an infinitesimal moment, in the transient, fleeting rush of a life lived. [Andrew Cattanach]

ADVERTISING FEATURE: OWN ART

G L A S G O W I N T E R N AT I O N A L M U LT I P L E S – LIMITED EDITION AR T WORKS To coincide with the festival, some of the finest artists working in Scotland, including Karla Black and Henry Coombes, have made limited edition artworks available through the Own Art Scheme COURTESY OF THE ARTIST PHOTO: KEN MELLIN

WORDS: ANDREW CATTANACH

ROB CHUM, NEW HOUSE WHITES (GUMMY STUMPS), OWN ART EDITION GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL 2012

As part of this year’s Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art, four of Glasgow’s most established artists have been commissioned to make a limited edition artwork. The artists, including Karla Black, Rob Churm, Henry Coombes and Corin Sworn, have each made an artwork that will be available to buy online through the Own Art scheme, with edition sizes ranging from eight to 125 and including a sculpture, a tea set, a photographic print and vinyl a record.

Karla Black came to international prominence when she represented Scotland at last year’s Venice Biennale, filling a 15th century Palazzo with her ephemeral sculptures made from coloured paper, cellophane, soil, powder paint, soap and Vaseline.

It was soon regarded as one of the highlights of that year’s festival and shortly after, Black was nominated for the Turner Prize.

For Glasgow International, Black presents new sculptures in a solo show at the Gallery of Modern Art – one of the principle exhibitions of this year’s festival. She’s also produced 100 small-scale sculptures available online from Own Art. Made from polythene, plaster powder, paint and thread, the delicate work comes with a signed note written by the artist giving instructions on how to install it and explores the very nature of sculpture and its physical limits.

Henry Coombes, like the other artists listed here, is a graduate of the Glasgow School of Art. He has a varied practice that includes painting and sculpture, but is perhaps best known for his video works. In 2009 he made The Bedfords, a film about Queen Victoria’s favourite portraitist, Sir Edwin Landseer, that had a brief appearance from Scottish artist and writer Alasdair Gray. For GI he presents a new film made while on residency at House for an Art Lover, where the work will be on display.

He’s made a limited edition tea set that references his new video about an architect that becomes a victim of his own utopian vision. In the modernist style, the tea set, with its muted colours and simple form, creates a Cubist still life, making every tea time a work of art.

Corin Sworn is an artist concerned with how subjective experience can become subsumed by history – how the life of an individual can become part of a shared narrative – and has recently made films that weave history with autobiography.

She continues her exploration of how we interact with the world and make our mark on history with a new limited edition photographic print. The new work looks at how playgrounds have come to shape us as social agents, allowing us to interact with the built environment.

Artist and musician Rob Churm is principle member of the band Gummy Stumps and was previously a member of the band Park Attack. His gig posters were once ubiquitous around Glasgow and are likely where he first honed his now familiar style of drawing that marries the figurative with the abstract in something akin to a grungy Francis Bacon.

As well as his drawings and prints – and participating in the Prawn’s Pee project for GI at the Old Hairdressers – Churm makes limited edition records. He’s made nine 10" acetate dud plates, each featuring new material and improvisations by Gummy Stumps, recorded at the Green Door Studio in Glasgow’s West End. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO GET YOUR HANDS ON THESE AFFORDABLE LIMITED EDITION ARTWORKS VISIT WWW.CULTURELABEL.COM/SHOP/GLASGOW-INTERNATIONALFESTIVAL-OF-VISUAL-ART FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW YOU CAN MAKE ART BUYING MORE AFFORDABLE BY USING OWN ART SEE WWW.OWNART.ORG.UK

Galleries across Scotland are members of the Own Art scheme. By offering interest-free loans of £100-£2,000 through Own Art, buying an original piece of quality contemporary art or craft couldn’t be easier. For more information about Own Art and a list of participating galleries see the Own Art website: www.ownart.org.uk

Offer subject to age and status. Terms and conditions apply. You will need a UK bank account that can handle direct debits, proof of identity and address, and you will also need to be over 18. Own Art is operated by ArtCo Trading Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arts Council. Registered address: Arts Council England, North East, Central Square, Forth Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3PJ

Look for the pink logo. (representative 0% APR)

249 West George Street Glasgow G2 4QE

58 THE SKINNY

MAY 2012

REVIEW

books

The Panopticon

By Jenni Fagan

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Anais Hendricks is a fifteen year old orphan who is taken to the Panopticon, a home for chronic young offenders, after she is suspected of putting a policewoman in a coma. After an endless list of charges relating to drugs and violence, the police tag her and warn her that if she commits another offence she will be detained in a secure unit, without review, until she is 18-years-old. Anais is accepting of her bleak future as she believes she is an experiment, watched 24/7 by people determined to break her. In the Panopticon a watchtower allows the staff to monitor her every move and Anais feels those watching her are close to victory. This ‘Big Brother’ theme shows great dramatic potential but is quickly abandoned in preference of exposing the gritty reality of life in care. The novel is crammed with deliberately shocking content: prostitution, rape, AIDS, bestiality, suicide, but nothing is explored in enough depth to really hit home. The Panopticon displays some powerful criticism of a society that fails to help young people escape a life in ‘the system’, moving from care towards prison, but the inability to follow ideas through becomes frustrating. [Rowena McIntosh]

tech

Release date 3 May. Published by William Heinemann. Cover price £12.99

Time Warped

I’m Never Coming Back

The Chemistry of Tears

By Claudia Hammond

By Julian Hanshaw

By Peter Carey

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rrrrr

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From writer, broadcaster and psychologist Claudia Hammond comes Time Warped, an intriguing book unravelling the mysteries of time perception. With countless books discussing people’s relationships with others, nature and even food (to name but a few), it’s a surprise to see a book attempting to analyse our relationship with time, but Time Warped does just that.

It’s an engaging, and sometimes mind-boggling discovery of experience and expeditions, through facts and formidable research. This is Hammond’s second book to date, her first being the critically acclaimed Emotional Rollercoaster, another book written from a psychological perspective but one which discussed the science of feelings. Hammond presents her work in an accessible way that even the most science-phobic will enjoy, and understand.

As far as lessons go, if there’s one thing to take from this book, it’s to never underestimate how devious the human mind is. Time Warped is an enlightening read which emanates the author’s charm and wit on every page. It could even improve your perception of life – if only a little. It’s niche, but for anyone looking to improve their relationship with time, this book is the definitive place to start. [Amy Balloch]

The genesis of Julian Hanshaw’s latest graphic novel I’m Never Coming Back began with Sand Dunes and Sonic Booms, the 2008 winner of The Observer/Comica graphic short story prize. From this Hanshaw started working on a collection of interconnected tales, dealing with family, love, death and food. While some readers may harbour the preconception of a graphic novel focussed on the domestic as something bleak and gritty, these comics instead strike a whimsical tone through a balance of pathos, humour and fantastical elements. Hanshaw’s restraint ensures this never slips into the cloying or twee and while being very specific in detail, the empathy one feels for the characters enhances a universality in each unenviable situation. However, hope abounds throughout and much of this is down to the artistry in each panel. The collection can be read in one sitting and after putting it down what remains in the mind is the way Hanshaw intimates so much and states only what is necessary, the humanity in the characters’ faces, and the haunting details of the contrasting small and vast environments he has them move through. A beautiful example of the possibilities in this medium. [Ryan Rushton]

The Chemistry of Tears is fresh from the pen of Peter Carey, the guy who did more for Ned Kelly than Ned ever did for himself.

This time Carey does the same for a clock, although inasmuch as Ned wasn’t just a man, this clock isn’t just a clock. Confused? Get used to it: mystery is the centrifugal force of this story. Through a disarming narrative, two stories ultimately tell each other: the first, set in the romantic black forests of Germany, (post-Enlightenment, but perhaps macro-societal shifts take a bit longer to get to the continent’s small villages) is full of fairytale collectors and cuckoo clock makers who question the natural and present the supernatural more than the ‘clockwork universe theory’ ever did. The second is set in contemporary London where, in lieu of losing a lover who was never completely hers, a horologist gains an extraordinary automaton to piece back together. From its creation in 19th century Germany to its reconstruction in 21st century London, the fantastic piece of clockwork is built in love’s salvage yard: from a man who tries to excite a cure within his consumptive son to a woman who tries to salvage herself from a similarly consumptive grief.

[Renee Rowland]

Release date 3 May. Published by Canongate. Cover price £14.99

Release date 24 May. Published by Jonathan Cape. Cover price £14.99

Out now. Published by Faber. Cover price £17.99

On Demand You never get everything you want, when you want it Words: Alex Cole

Illustration: Alex Horner

Legend of Grimrock Almost Human, Windows, £11.99

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I wants what I wants, and I want it now

bite-sized tech nuggets with ALEX COLE

THE FEED

I’ve had a bit of time to give all the new fancy-pants video on demand services a go lately, and to be perfectly frank, the UK has something of a raw deal all round. This may seem like the old whinging about ‘200 channels and there’s nothing on,’ but the thing is, that’s exactly what you get when the vast majority of the catalogue is filler stuff.

Netflix is probably the worst offender here, simply because a quick trip across the pond (or through a US VPN connection) will show you that the difference in the library size is ridiculous. All the old shows you’d want to watch in a marathon, not just the first runs but the old classics, a good portion of it brilliant, but back on this side, your access dwindles to a few seasons of some

second-rate shows. There’s some old backcatalogue stuff from the networks, sure, but after the free trial is over, you’ve probably watched everything worth watching.

LoveFilm is little better, with a few better movie options, but a terrible searching interface and an incomprehensible split between what’s available on DVD, and what’s on Instant streaming. The mailed DVD selection is better, with first-runs that almost make it worthwhile, but to be honest, in the YouTube culture of today, there’s absolutely no reason to wait for a movie to come in the post. I wants what I wants, and I want it now.

All this is compounded by the fact that they are all clunky as hell to use, even on a tablet or mobile.

The grouping is all wrong, the suggestions make no sense, and they simply take all the ease out of turning on the telly and watching a channel for a while.

What these services miss is that, when it comes to video on demand, channels are the new apps.

Give us branded channels that can lay out an offering of shows, in neat little folders to sort through, and let every channel brand the hell out of each one. If a premium channel wants to charge a little more for their shows, let ‘em. It’s still a hell of a lot better than buying a set top box and 50 channels you don’t need. But most of all, put it all in one damn place, let me watch it when and where I like, and then I’ll make the popcorn.

Fans of the old school dungeon adventure game will recognise the spirit of Legends of Grimrock immediately – those who know only strafing in Call of Duty will wonder why the hell moving like a chess piece through a maze is fun. But I’m reasonably certain there’s a blood-stained middle ground for both fans.

Grimrock isn’t just a homage to the fantasy games of the past – it’s their scrubbed up, clever descendent that makes them proud.

The game features four prisoners of your own design, held captive in the dungeon of Grimrock and forced to fight their way free or die. The whole party moves a square at a time, fighting monsters, solving riddles, looking for secrets in the walls, and all the while trying not to end up as a corpse on the floor.

The game is utterly about the tactics so few bother with these days: who’s in front, who’s at the rear, who’s holding the torch so everyone can see, when was the last time everyone ate something? Even combat, which at first seems a dull clickfest, takes a turn for the tactical as you try to flank around shields, dodge projectiles, and keep everyone alive.

Right now this is a small purchase and a good few hours of gameplay through the dungeon, but there’s the hint that more dungeons are forthcoming soon, making this indie title a damn fine investment. [Alex Cole]

Popular app DrawSomething gets a makeover, still can’t prevent inappropriate sketches • Instagram bought by Facebook for 1 billion freaking dollars. For no reason at all • Barclays to put mobile payment chip in cards and phones, make muggings a lot harder • Ikea throws together Smart TV into their range, now controls all consonant-heavy products • Pottermore website opens for business, despite cutbacks in government wizard education policy

May 2012

THE SKINNY 59

theatre

Photo: Robert Day

REVIEW

Anne Boleyn

(could you please look into the camera

C o m i n g At t r ac t i o n s

Hope Springs Ar abian

May’s Scottish theatre highlights

Òran Mór’s A Play, A Pie and A Pint bring two theatres together for an inspiring showcase

Words: Claudia Marinaro

Words: Claudia Marinaro

Reveal events, various times and prices, Roman Bridge, 2 - 12 May Full production of a new play by Martin Travers, directed

by Amanda Gaughan.

Feral, 1 - 3 May – A work-in-progress by Ross MacKay. The Red Hourglass, 2 & 3 May – A rehearsed reading of a play

by Alan Bissett.

Scratch Performances, 4 & 10 May – A platform for emerging artists to test excerpts or ideas.

Gaelic for Beginners, 4 - 5 May – A rehearsed reading of a play by Catriona Lexy Campbell.

Kasimir and Karoline, 5 May – A rehearsed reading of a play translated and directed by Alan McKendrick.

The Great Disappointment of Santa Muerta, 10 - 12 May – A work-in-progress by Pony Pie, performed by Amanda Monfrooe.

Colour Me Read 11 & 12 May – A rehearsed reading of a play by Stef Smith. www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/content/default. asp?page=home_Reveal2012 www.imaginate.org.uk/corporate/index.php

VARIOUS Òran Mór

Working in conjunction with two separate theatres (Dundee Rep and Perth Theatre) would be ambitious enough for any company, but then the people behind A Play, A Pie and A Pint at the Òran Mór do not do things lightly. Not content to rest after the fruits of these collaborative projects, including 250th play The Jean-Jacques Rousseau Show and tribute to the ill-fated Captain Scott Arctic expedition, Spirit of Adventure, they have now turned their attention even further abroad.

Equally, the National Theatre of Scotland is constantly expanding its remit and international presence. Taking the slogan 'Think Globally, Act Locally' precisely, they have teamed up with both Òran Mór and playwrights from across the Arab World. As part of a broader May programme – that includes work at the Tron – the NTS has developed a spring season in collaboration with A Play, A Pie and A Pint that takes in plays from Damascus, Rabat and Beirut, in association with the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh.

The mini programme not only occupies the Oràn Mór, but then moves across to the Traverse. David McLennan, the avuncular curator of A Play, A Pie and A Pin, is presenting playwrights from the Arab nations – starting with Could You Please Look Into The Camera. Written by Syrian playwright Mohammed Al-Attar, who at the time of writing this is still in exile, it acts as a really powerful statement of intent, with

The Captain’s Collection rrrrr

Standing Stanes – Besieging Malmaison

As a company, we like to perform in interesting spaces and have worked in a nightclub, bar, historic castle and, for our last production, an empty retail unit at Ocean Terminal shopping centre. We started to research other interesting, unusual spaces in the Leith area (since that is where we are based) and were immediately enticed by Malmaison’s slogan for its meeting spaces: ‘No dramas. Just pure theatre’. We thought this was a sign! The hotel is contemporary, distinctive and stylish – values that Siege Perilous aspire to.

Standing Stanes is set in the mid-80s, a time of high unemployment, recession, strikes and a Tory government. There were job creation schemes,

60 THE SKINNY

MAY 2012

enterprise zones and frequent battles between planners and developers. The play also captures the tensions that existed between the western powers and the communist east. Nothing really changes in politics. We’re still fighting over the same issues, still struggling to get decent jobs and the west still imposes its ‘democratic ideals’ on other countries.

This direct connection of then and now together with its charming and surreal comedy inspired us to stage it. We aim to suffuse the politics with a mixture of surreal comedy and of course a soundtrack of classic 80s tunes. Watch out for Duran Duran, Wham! and more [Tina Finch] Standing Stanes, Malmaison, Leith, Thu 3– Tue 8 May, 8pm, Sat 5 May, 4 pm WeGotTickets.com

five other plays to follow, culminating in the massive production One Day In Spring, a 50 minute play written by 24 writers across 24 different locations, taking place in 24 hours and curated and directed by one of Scotland's leading dramatists, David Greig. Greig, who has worked in and reported from war-torn locations over the past two decades, seems the obvious choice to undertake such a project of this scale. He regards the Arab Spring uprising as comparable to the events in Bosnia some 20 years ago.

“Fear is all-pervasive”, he stated. “The region is a powderkeg… the question is, how to undo 40 years of dictatorship”. He was in conversation with David Pratt, the foreign correspondent for the Herald, for the first of Òran Mór’s themed events, Arabian Nights – evenings of wonderful music, food and poetry celebrating middle Eastern culture in Òran Mór’s beautiful Brasserie restaurant, on every Tuesday during the season. Their graphic accounts of the kidnapping and subsequent silencing of journalists caught up in the conflict were harrowing and undoubtedly uncomfortable, but a timely, necessary reminder that voices of protest, even when gagged by the state, can find another way through – after all, as Mohammed Al-Attar says, Twitter, e-mail and texting can be censored, but “all theatre is political."

Our minds are powerful weapons.

Arabian Nights, Tue 1, 8, 15, 22 May, £13.50 inc two-course meal and entertainment One Day In Spring, Mon 21-Sat 26 May, 12pm, £8-12.50

Photo: Andrew Wilson

artistic director is fulfilling the hopes of critics who imagined that his skill in energising classic plays would be a perfect fit for the Citz – the smaller studios are more revealing: the National Theatre of Scotland has programmed a week of emerging performers for NTS Reveal. Amanda Monfrooe – thanks to the support of the Bank of Scotland – acts up as an actress who can’t find the gap between performance and reality in Pony Pie, while the suave Alan Kendrick directs his own translation of Kasmir and Karoline. With scratch shows and works in progress, plus a full production of Roman Bridge – last year’s rehearsed reading – Reveal suggests that the NTS is investing in Scotland’s stages’ futures.

Photo: Gary Daniell Photography

For the first half of May, the Traverse Theatre is occupied by the Imaginate Festival. Although primarily aimed at younger audiences, the international flavour of Imaginate offers a few treats for the more mature theatre lover. And for the dance connoisseur, Colette Sadler’s I Not I is intellectual dance that strives to discover what lies behind or beyond gestures. With Tramway presenting Trisha Brown – who has a piece in Scottish Ballet’s repertoire, and is one of the great choreographers to evolve from the 1960s radical dance movement in the States – dance is covering the more challenging and erudite theatrical territory.

After two successful seasons at the Globe, Howard Brenton’s Anne Boleyn is about to arrive at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre in May. Produced in partnership with English Touring Theatre, the show was produced by the Globe as part of its programme of new writing. In it, Brenton shows Anne Boleyn as a smart, ambitious young woman planning to make England protestant. Her story is told through the discovery, by James I, of Anne’s Tyndale Bible, crucial for James’s ‘authorised’ bible. Directed by John Dove, this production features some of the original performers, including James Garnon and Colin Hurley, and emphasises that the Globe is not just a nostalgia venue for tourists, but is willing to move forward with history.

While the main theatre at The Citizens is ablaze with Dominic Hill’s King Lear – Hill’s tenure as

With its evocative Celtic strains and poetic prose, the opening scenes from Dogstar’s revival of their first production, The Captain’s Collection, leave no doubt to the location of this play. But the story of the man who collected some of Scotland’s most familiar traditional music smartly undercuts the romance to paint another picture.

Captain Simon Fraser collated The Airs and Melodies Peculiar to the Highlands of Scotland and the Isles between 1715 – 1745. But in his attempt to gain support from The Highland Society, Fraser omitted pro-Jacobite lyrics from the music.

Beginning on the Captain’s death bed, as Fraser reflects on his life, characters from the songs and his past haunt him. In publishing the music without the lyrics Fraser silenced the voice of a generation. So while music is played throughout, it is the spoken word which carries power.

The Captain’sCollection has the right mix of lightness and gravitas. After a slow start, it picks up the pace with a simple yet comic presentation of the clan battle of 1544. The play works especially well in the dramatisation of the songs and Matthew Zajac shines as the drunken Captain.

Dressed throughout in nightgown and long johns, Fraser appears a fool. Draped in finery at his death, in life he is often stripped of his dignity. Despite this, Dogstar’s production gives voice to a man whose legacy is heard wherever Celtic music is played.

While Fraser himself was not heroic, his airs and melodies continue to champion the heroes of the past. [Susannah Radford] Friday 11 May, Dundee Rep Theatre, 7.30pm, 01382 223530, www. dundeerep.co.uk, £14/12/10 Saturday 12 May, Cumbernauld Theatre, 7.30pm, 01236 732887, www.cumbernauldtheatre.co.uk, Post-show discussion Saturday 19 May, Tolbooth Stirling, 8pm, 01786 274000, www. stirling.gov.uk/tolbooth Tuesday 22 & Wednesday 23 May, Traverse Theatre Edinburgh, 7.30pm, 0131 228 1404, www.traverse.co.uk, £15/11/6 www.dogstartheatre.co.uk/

comedy

REVIEW

10 T H I N G S Y O U DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT EUROVISION

20TH & 21ST JULY 2012

Very Special Guests

Levellers Newton Faulkner Stand-up comedian and Eurovision obsessive GORDON ALEXANDER shares the secret history of the world’s greatest artistic event ILLUSTRATION: NICHOLAS STEVENSON WHILE THE rest of the world was transfixed by ABBA’s Waterloo in Brighton, the 1974 Contest is remembered in Portugal for very different reasons.

Why? When Paulo de Carvalho entered the stage for the Portugese entry (E Depois Do Adeus – After the Farewell), that was the agreed cue for elements in Portugal’s military to stage the coup that overthrew Antonio de Spinola’s autocratic military regime. For your information, E Depois Do Adeus finshed last with a negligible three points.

Portugal is now a stable, peaceful European democracy.

If you look carefully at your European Travel Insurance, you’ll note that it covers both Europe and all countries on the Mediterranean. Similarly, admission to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and therefore Eurovision, is open to all these countries. Morocco is the only such country to have taken the EBU up on the offer, in 1980.

They finished 18th out of 19, narrowly pipping the hapless Finns. They haven’t entered since.

In a similar vein, Lebanon entered the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest with Aline Lahoud’s turgid number Quand Tout S’Enfuit. However due to Lebanese broadcasting laws, Tele Liban (the state broadcaster), weren’t allowed to show any ‘Israeli or nakedly Zionist cultural propaganda’ and proposed going to a commercial break when Shiri Maimon sang Israel’s entry. This offer was politely declined by the EBC and Lebanon were kicked out, never to return.

In 1999, Doris Dargovic with Maria Magdalene, Croatia’s entry, was retrospectively docked 33% of her votes for using synthesised male backing vocals. There were no men on stage. It genuinely didn’t matter.

Not everyone is a fan of Eurovision – the French Culture Minister described the Contest as a “monument to drivel.” And the head of RAI, Italy’s state broadcaster, upon withdrawing RAI from the contest in 1997, deemed the Contest to be “...of zero artistic or cultural merit...” As anyone who’s

watched the four-hour long Italian equivalent of Noel’s House Party with added tits that passes for Saturday night prime-time on Rai Uno would doubtlessly agree.

The most points ever racked up by a winner was by Finnish mentals Lordi with Hard Rock Hallelujah in Athens, 2006. Who were also the longest odds winners ever, with 40/1 available on the day.

Trust me, that was a good night.

Harrogate, Brighton, Birmingham and Lothian Road in the ‘Burgh (The Usher Hall). They’ve all played host to the ‘Greatest Show On Earth’.

Don’t say we don’t put on a show for our foreign guests.

The winner of Eurovision doesn’t actually win anything. Not even a Fifteen-To-One Greek glass decanter or a Takeshi’s Castle style certificate.

It’s the songwriters who pick up a glass trophy or a low-rent European Cup or whatnot, depending on what the host broadcaster can or cannot afford.

As a designated national broadcaster, STV are nominally entitled to submit an entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. However, the BBC presently hold the exclusive broadcasting and submission rights for the whole of the United Kingdom. STV have also shown no interest in submitting an entry.

And thank Christ for that.

Cliff Richard was denied victory in the 1969 Contest with his epic power-ballad Congratulations by Spain’s Massiel with the emotional rollercoaster, La, La, La. Malicious rumours that Spanish television (TVE) were busy purchasing wildlife programming from broadcasting heavyweights Monaco, Portugal and Italy (who co-incidentally all gave La, La, La top marks) at markedly inflated rates in the months preceding the contest, have proved to be utterly discredited.

Mike Skinner (DJ Set) Cast Bis

Kassidy

Duke Special

Jordan Suckley

Yousef

Dog is Dead

The Heartbreaks

D.O.D

Jenny O

Human Don’t Be Angry United Fruit

Kryder

Beerjacket & Many, Many More!

Line up subject to change

FESTIVAL SITE NEAR DUNDRENNAN, DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY

GORDON ALEXANDER CAN BE FOUND GIGGING AROUND EDINBURGH “WHEN I FEEL LIKE IT” AND IS A KEY PLAYER IN THE SCOTTISH COMEDY FC SQUAD SCOTTISHCOMEDYFC.WORDPRESS.COM/

MAY 2012

THE SKINNY 61

Admiral Fallow

W i n a S o n o s P L AY 3 a n d B r i d g e c o u r t e sy o f J a m e s - M o r r o w No longer will parties become dictatorships led by one malevolent wannabe DJ blasting happy hardcore through a mediocre iPod dock while most people mill off into the kitchen. Thanks to the Sonos system and music streaming services like Spotify, you can set up your home to play Scooter for the maniac in the living room, Gotye to match the pace of the kitchen, and some Barry White in the bedroom. Nice.

James-Morrow, Scotland's number one Sonos dealer, have kindly donated a Sonos PLAY:3 and Bridge (normally £289) for us to give away, allowing one lucky winner to get their wireless streaming rig started.

The Sonos Wireless HiFi System lets you stream all the music on earth in every room. Start with one room, then, expand anywhere to fill your home with wall-to-wall HiFi sound. Control all your music with free apps for your Android®, iPhone® or iPad® To be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is go to www.theskinny.co.uk/competitions and tell us:

62 THE SKINNY

May 2012

Q: If you were having a party using the Sonos system what songs would you have playing in the living room, kitchen, and bedroom?

Competition closes Thu 31 May Get thinking. The winning answer will be the one that sounds like the best party.

A winner will be notified on the day of closing and will be required to respond within seven days or the prize will be offered to another entrant. For full terms and conditions, go to www.theskinny.co.uk/ about/terms Try out the Sonos system at: James-Morrow Home Entertainment Systems Ltd 1 Home Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9JR, 0131 229 8777 www.james-morrow.com Bose Glasgow 136 Ingram Street, Glasgow, G1 1EJ, 0141 552 7333 www.boseglasgow.com

Photo: Gordon Burniston

comps

COMPETITIONS

W i n W e e k e n d P a ss e s a n d T r av e l t o H e bC e lt 2 0 12 The award winning Hebridean Celtic Festival is in its 17th year and promises to be the best one yet.

The Waterboys, The Proclaimers and Kassidy will grace the main stage at this four-day event based in Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides.

HebCelt, 11-14 July, emerged victorious as Best Large Festival at the industry-sponsored Scottish Event Awards 2011, in a three-way final with Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and Glasgow’s Celtic Connections. It continues to set high standards for music, and as a tourist attraction. The festival is family friendly and attracts visitors from over 100 countries. There are also workshops, free family entertainment during the day and street performers.

Thanks to HebCelt and festival partners CityLink, Caledonian MacBrayne, and Laxdale Holiday Park, we are able to offer you the chance to head up to catch these great headliners alongside Skinny favourites Admiral Fallow and Washington Irving.

The prize includes two weekend main arena HebCelt passes; return bus travel to Ullapool for two; £50 of vouchers for the ferry from Ullapool to Stornoway as well as camping for two.

To enter, head to www.theskinny.co.uk/competitions and answer the following question:

Q. What day do headliners The Waterboys perform?

A. Thursday B. Friday C. Saturday Competition closes Thu 31 May Winners will be notified on the day of closing and will be required to respond within seven days or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Entrants must be 18 or over. For full terms and conditions, go to www.theskinny.co.uk/about/terms For further information visit www.hebceltfest.com

LISTINGS

Glasgow music Tue 01 May The Coronas (Murray James, Hooks N Crooks) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7

Irish indie-rockers led by Danny O’Reilly, who started penning tunes at the tender age of 13.

Ras G

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–23:00, £7 (£6)

DJ and experimental instrumental hip-hop music producer hailing from LA, known to his mammy as Gregory Shorter Jr.

Red City Radio

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £6

Hard-livin’ Oklahoma City punk-rock quartet with a fondness for ‘drinking hundreds of beers’, so say they.

Oneohtrix Point Never (Sad City)

The Berkeley Suite, 19:00–22:00, £8

Alter ego of Brooklyn-based experimentalist Daniel Lopatin, schooled in liquid ambience and drone-heavy electronic psychedelia.

Wed 02 May Chuck Prophet (Danny and the Champions of the World) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £15

American singer/songwriter, guitarist and producer who hit the road straight outta high school in the 80s with psychedelic roots band Green on Red.

Euan Burton

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £8 adv. (£10 door)

The Scottish composer and double bassist introduces his new album, Occurrences, a collection of conceptual contemporary jazz compositions.

Eddy and The T-Bolts (Filthy Little Secret, Southpaw) 13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Metallic punk-rock, all bishy-bashy and that.

Thu 03 May Simple Plan

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £15

Pop-punk offerings from the Canadian quartet led by Pierre Bouvier.

Blancmange

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £15

The original 80s English synthpopsters take to the road again.

Cashier No.9

Stereo, 19:30–22:00, £6

Belfast five-piece taking their cue from the baggy indie swagger of Primal Scream et al.

Dave Hughes (Emma Hallows, Algernon Doll) 13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £5

The off-beat Glasgow folkie plays backed by his rather epically-named Renegade Folk Punk Band.

The Pictish Trail (Kid Canaveral) CCA, 20:00–22:00, £10

Fence Records’ label boss The Pictish Trail (aka Johnny Lynch) takes to the CCA resplendent with full beard and full band, performing songs from his forthcoming album.

Fri 04 May Reverend and The Makers Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £10

Jon McClure and his band hit the road to showcase tracks from their new album.

Karima Francis

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £7.50

Nest-haired, quirky-voiced singer/ songwriter from Blackpool, touring in support of her new EP.

Happy Mondays (Inspiral Carpets)

O2 Academy, 19:00–22:00, £35

For the first time in 19 years the full line-up take to the stage – as in Bez, Gary Whelan, Mark Day, Paul Davies, Paul Ryder, Rowetta and Shaun Ryder!

Stone Foundation (Root System, Call Me Salvador, Sonic Templars) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6

The Midland rock’n’soul collective tour their new album.

Scott McWatt (Cinnamons, The Corleions)

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–23:00, £4

Glasgow-based acoustic folk singer/ songwriter touring his new album.

May The Fourth Be With You (No Island, Crusades) Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, £tbc

Two of Glasgow’s most fiery hardcore and post-hardcore acts thrash out in honour of official Star Wars Day.

Mary Hampton, Alasdair Roberts, Serious Sam Barrett

The River 68’s

This Is Hell (Feed The Rhino)

Robin Williamson

Unique alternative folk evening curated by Tattie Toes’ Howie Reeve, headed up by the hauntingly sparse tones of Brighton songstress Mary Hampton.

The Glasgow-based rockers perform a covers-heavy set.

Long Island noisemakers of the hardcore metallic thrash variety.

The Incredible String Band founder plays an intimate solo show.

Maniacs For Love

Platform, 19:30–22:00, £7.50 (£5)

Joy Kills Sorrow

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £10

Boston-based alternative bluegrass ensemble composing new material on mandolin, banjo, guitar and double bass.

Daybreak, Soviet

Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5

Live band covers special, cherrypicking tracks from Kasabian, The Jam and Kings Of Leon, amongst others.

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Glasgow quartet of the pop-rock variety.

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

West London trio built on drums, bass, cowbells, keyboards, two guitars, four vocals and one battered laptop. Amen.

Train

Sat 05 May Knock On Effect

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £8

Greenock outfit with a healthy balance of indie rock’n’roll, melodic hooks and singalong choruses.

Vagabond Poets (Trigger the Escape) O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £8

Mod-styled band of scallywags hailing from the fiery furnace of Cumbernauld.

New Order

O2 Academy, 19:00–22:00, £sold out

The mighty New Order take in Scotland as part of their first UK tour in six years, treating fans to a selection of iconic tracks.

Holy Mountain

Mono, 20:00–22:30, £4 adv. (£5 door)

The doom’n’roll Glasgow trio launch their debut LP, emitting their usual sludgy sonic assault at intenselyloud levels. Amen.

Brooklyn quintet schooled in weird pop, led by captivating front-woman Samantha Urbani.

Loney Dear (Gabriel and the Hounds, Gav Prentice)

The Art School Union, 20:00–22:30, £8

Alias of Swedish singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emil Svanangen, chock with deft guitar swathes and haunting folk strains,

Grimes (Tonstastssbandht)

The Berkeley Suite, 19:30–22:00, £sold out

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £18.50

Twenty Twenty

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £10

Bright-eyed pop-meets-rock trio led by vocialist and guitarist Sam Halliday.

If You Lived Here You’d Be Home By Now Mono, 20:00–22:30, £3

Keep Shelley In Athens (Silk Cut, Lyken)

Scottish indie-rock quartet touring their new mini (two-track) EP.

Dead Boy Robotics (Vasa, Edinburgh School For The Deaf, Blank Canvas) 13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Edinburgh trio incorporating laptops, guitars, vocal yelps and tribal drumming into their rather epic brand of new wave.

James Blackshaw (Rob St John)

Whitehall Lecture Theatre, 19:00–22:00, £6

The 12-stringed wonder that is James Blackshaw draws on his usual myriad influences; classical, Indian and minimalist genres amongst ‘em.

Sun 06 May

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–23:00, £7 adv.

Dexys

Cottiers Theatre, 19:30–22:00, £25

The 80s pop sensation that is Dexys Midnight Runners, now going simply

by Dexys, play their only Scottish date in advance of their first album in 26 years.

Red Sky July (Iain James and The Sound, Alice and the Rampant Trio, Al Shields) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £11

Vintage-styled country rock from husband and wife duo Ally McErlaine and Shelly Poole, respectively from bands Texas and Alisha’s Attic.

Life As We Know It Mono, 19:30–23:00, £5

Eight interpretations of the postapocalypse from an all-star musical cast including North American War, Organs of Love, Remember Remember, Happy Particles and Ultimate Thrush, working collaboratively with various Glasgow artists.

Dan Reed

The Arches, 19:00–22:00, £10

Solo show from the funk rock guitarist par excellence, usually to be found heading up The Dan Reed Network.

MXLX (Pyramidion, Le Thug) 13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

MXLX bring the improv-noise splatter clatter from the south.

Skeleton Bob and Nick Nixon CCA, 19:30–22:00, £3

Duo of experimental Glasgow acts celebrating the release of their split 7-inch single.

Fri 11 May The much-lauded young Scottish folkstress plays songs from her eagerly-anticipated debut album.

Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, £tbc

The eccentric bizarro night of live music, art and dance returns with live soul, funk, jazz and drawing on the walls.

Perfume Genius

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Haunting chamber pop from Seattlebased musician Mike Hadreas.

Wed 09 May Alabama Shakes

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £10

Brittany Howard-fronted blues rockers responsible for the earworm that is Hold On.

Folk and soul singer/songwriter who also found herself part of the BBC’s Sound of 2012 poll.

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £10

Stereo, 19:00–23:00, £7

Oh Yeah

The Lancaster duo of Holly Ross and David Blackwell host a Doune the Rabbit Hole preview night, with special guests to be revealed.

Soulful R’n’B singer/songwriter taking his cue from Marvin Gaye and, er, Will Smith.

CAOS Calling

Rachel Sermanni

The Lovely Eggs

Starboy Nathan

Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, £tbc

Athens-based duo kicking out the electronic jams.

Lianne La Havas

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £10

Mayhem Underground (Late Landing, Semper Fi, Skeleton Verse)

CAOS charity fundraiser featuring live music from acoustic folk songstress Jo Mango, Open Swimmer and Blochestra, plus poetry from Drew Wright and stand-up skits from funnyman Duncan Graham.

Holy Esque

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £10

Brighton-based indie rock’n’rollers made up of anthemic yelper Laura-Mary Carter and drummer Steve Ansell.

Tue 08 May

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–23:00, £5

Misfits tribute act.

Blood Red Shoes (The Cast Of Cheers)

Hardcore rammy of a night uniting Glasgow’s metal scene under one roof. Includes free entry to Cathouse.

Marina Lambrini Diamandis (yes, really) plays under her stage name, knocking out the new-wave pop hits.

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–23:00, £6

Rock Wednesdays (Compliments Of, The Other Side, Lisa Thompson) Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, £tbc

New Hellfire Club lay on a handpicked selection of alternative Scottish rock.

Vukovi

The Arches, 19:00–22:00, £6

Kilwinning experimental rockers headed by the rather magnificent (read: at screaming) Janine Shilstone.

Thu 10 May

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £9

Michael Schenker

O2 ABC, 18:30–22:00, £22.50

The German rock’n’roll guitarist returns with his new classic rock band, Temple of Rock.

Coast (Echofela)

Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £10 adv.

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–23:00, £7 adv.

LostAlone (Mojo Fury)

The Horrors (Bo Ningen)

13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £4

Four guys from different areas of Greater Glasgow taking their cue from an era-spanning mix of indierock influences.

Wallis Bird

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

The string-shredding singer/ songwriter performs stripped-back renditions of songs from her latest album, with only her acoustic guitar for company.

Roddy Woomble

Paisley Arts Centre, 19:30–22:00, £12 (£10)

The Idlewild frontman plays solo acoustic, drawing on songs from his newest album, as well as handpicking from his previous albums and the Idlewild back catalogue.

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6

Vancouver-based indie rockers formed by Ben Worcester and Tyler Bancroft back in’t 2007.

The Big Sleep

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–23:00, £7.50 adv.

Mostly-instrumental Brooklyn outfit doling out their seductivly ramshackle brand of bedroom-metal.

Slow Down, Mollases 13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Canadian multi-instrumental indie-pop outfit, blending acoustic and electronic elements in one joyous whole.

Local screamers Divorce host an album fundraiser for their debut LP, joined by Ben Butler and Mousepad, Ultimate Thrush, The Cosmic Dead, and Ex-Servicemen for one hella noisy line-up.

Stanley Brinks

Sat 12 May Albert Hammond

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £16.50

The legendary songwriter (aka papa to The Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr) brings his inimitable songbook to Glasgow.

The Smyths

O2 ABC, 18:30–22:00, £10

The Smiths tribute act.

Likely Lads (Strange October) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–23:00, £5

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £8

Said The Whale (The Upbeat Beatdown, Belter)

DZ Deathrays (The King Hats)

A Place To Bury Strangers The Brooklyn psych-rockers flex their chops with new bassist Dion Lunadon, showcasing songs from their new album.

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £14

More in the way of driving guitars and big harmonies as The Horrors bridge the gap between rock, goth and punk theatrics as only they know how.

Divorce: Album Fundraiser (Ben Butler and Mousepad, Ultimate Thrush, The Cosmic Dead)

The Old Hairdressers, 19:00–22:00, £4

Kick To Kill

Glasgow-based indie-styled synth rock outfit on the Flowers In The Dustbin label.

Someones Sons

Flat 0/1, 20:00–23:00, £6

Brisbane thrash duo who, in suitably wild-hearted style, started life at a house party.

CCA, 19:30–22:00, £6

The former Herman Dune man plays future classic songwriting, equal parts vintage pop and anti-folk, backed by his new collaborators, Norwegian band The Flying Kaniks.

Wed 16 May Duane Eddy

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £22.50

American guitar hero back on the road to cherrypick tunes from his rather huge back catalogue.

Balkan Beat Box

Elvis Costello

SECC, 20:00–22:30, From £36.50

Mr Costello reintroduces The Spectacular Spinning Songbook some 25 years on: a set list chosen by a spinning wheel featuring hits, rarities and unexpected covers.

Alternative Polish rockers combining authentic Polish highland folk with contemporary electronics, jazz and African beats.

Glasgow-based electro-indie collaboration between Attic Lights’ Kev Sherry and producer/multiinstrumentalist Jim Lang.

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Ultimate Eagles

Errors

Eagles tribute act.

Glasgow’s own understated electronic funk outfit give their newest album a proper airing, playing their biggest headline show in Glasgow to date.

The Arches, 19:00–22:00, £10

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Kaleidoscopic pop from the Londonbased quartet with a penchant for solfeggio harmonies.

The Media Whores (Mark Ayling) The Bay, 19:00–22:00, £3

Scottish rock’n’roll quintet bursting with hooks, riffs and powerpop melodies.

Sun 13 May Ivyrise

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £7

Clean-cut London rockers fresh from their 21-date tour supporting McFly, the joys.

Hans Chew (Dead Man’s Waltz)

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6

American pianist originally from Tennessee, now based in New York City, holed up with a typewriter, some New Orleans records and a piano.

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £7

Scottish ‘techtronika’ ensemble headered by vocalist Charlie Lindsay.

Sat 19 May Duke Special

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £13

Belfast piano-based folkie songwriter with a distinctly accented voice.

Stag and Dagger

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:15, £12 earlybird

The one-ticket Shoreditch export arrives in Glasgow with a suitably eclectic line-up set across multiple city centre venues.

Jimmy Cliff

O2 ABC 2, 18:30–22:15, £12 earlybird

The one-ticket Shoreditch export arrives in Glasgow with a suitably eclectic line-up set across multiple city centre venues.

Sun 20 May Alasdair Roberts and Mairi Morrison Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £12

Inimitable folk musician and songwriter Alasdair Roberts joins forces with Mairi Morrison to showcase songs from their joint album of lost Gaelic songs, Urstan.

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly (Rams’ Pocket Radio) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £8.50

The Get Cape man (aka Sam Duckworth) flits between intricate rhythms and spacey instrumentation, as is his merry way.

Bleached

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–23:00, £7.50 adv.

O2 Academy, 19:00–22:00, £22.50

The Jamaican legend takes to the road armed with his first new album in seven years.

Katzenjammer (Where We Lay Our Hands)

LA-based rock’n’rollers serving up the bouncy punk-pop sounds.

The World Unseen, Bekon, Johnny and the Bomb, Southpaw Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, £tbc

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7.50

All-female Norwegian folk quartet.

Stag and Dagger

Charity night featuring a selection of rock and metal soundmakers in full fundraising mode.

Tim Hecker

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 18:30–23:00, £12 earlybird

The one-ticket Shoreditch export arrives in Glasgow with a suitably eclectic line-up set across multiple city centre venues.

Brit Floyd

SECC, 20:00–22:30, £27.50

Pink Floyd tribute act.

The Skinny Stage @ Stag and Dagger (Miaoux Miaoux, Bear In Heaven, Death Grips, Forest Swords) Stereo, 19:00–00:00, £12 earlybird

The Skinny (aye, us) present our very own stage at Stag & Dagger, headed up by Death Grips unique deconstruction of juke, dubstep, punk-rock and ghetto techno. Amen.

Saint Andrew’s in the Square, 19:30–22:00, £12.50 adv.

The Montreal-based ambient electronic musician and sound artist tours his latest release; a dark, organ-led gem recorded over a single day in a church in Iceland.

Shabazz Palaces

The Arches, 19:00–22:00, £10

Mysterious Seattle duo fusing Ishmael ‘Butterfly’ Butler’s laconic rasp against percussionist Tendai Maraire’s down-tempo bongo and hi-hat combo.

Concrete Knives

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Bridge and Tunnel (Citizens, Above Them, Your Neighbour The Liar)

Post-hardcore outfit touring on the back of their latest album, Behind The Bright Lights.

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £15

Electric Guest (Last Dinosaurs) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7

Chas-Ikstan and the Bon Bon Bons (Eddy and the T-Bolts, Bandito Fleeto)

Trailer Trash Tracys

Xavia

Stag and Dagger

The Grammy Award-winning soulstress performs songs from her latest album, All Of Me.

The Meatmen

Live mod spectacular featuring a selection of Glasgow’s favourited mod bands.

Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, £4

Folk-tinged, 90s-influenced indie from the Ayrshire outfit.

CCA, 18:30–23:45, £12 earlybird

The one-ticket Shoreditch export arrives in Glasgow with a suitably eclectic line-up set across multiple city centre venues.

Fei Comodo

Happy-go-lucky Glasgow quintet, fuelled on their relentless pop sensibility and incessant, thrashy beats.

Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, £6

Rose Parade (4DayWeekend, Roman Road)

Stag and Dagger

Estelle

The Clydebank indie-rockers launch their new EP.

Glasgow Ska Train

Dan Willson (aka Withered Hand) performs a rare headline show with a full band, alongside local support from Second Hand Marching Band and Beerjacket.

The one-ticket Shoreditch export arrives in Glasgow with a suitably eclectic line-up set across multiple city centre venues.

The Meatmen return with a mixed-up batch of rock’n’roll, country and skiffle covers and originals.

The Serious Men (Poor Frisco)

Maggie May’s, 18:00–20:00, Free

Withered Hand (Second Hand Marching Band, Beerjacket)

The Art School Union, 18:00–23:30, £12 earlybird

The Meatmen

Intricate blend of international beats, pulsating rock, world music and spot-on-the-zeitgeist intelligent protest.

LA duo of Asa Taccone and Matthew Compton fuelled on funked-up pop choruses.

The Meatmen return with a mixed-up batch of rock’n’roll, country and skiffle covers and originals.

The one-ticket Shoreditch export arrives in Glasgow with a suitably eclectic line-up set across multiple city centre venues.

French sunny pop quintet with their distinctive vocal style coming from having both male and female leads.

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £15

Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–23:00, £5

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £14

London-based indie-rock quartet offering up a cut’n’shut mix of tribal pop and post-rock.

The psychedelic space rockers take to The Arches armed with a 28-strong back catalogue of albums.

Enigami (Killer Robots, OHM)

Livewire AC/DC AC/DC tribute act.

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7

Chambre 69, 23:00–03:00, £12 earlybird

Stag and Dagger

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £14.50

The former Speedway singer goes it alone armed with her Americanastyled country solo work.

Zulu Winter (We Came From The Sea, Jonny and the Giros)

Tue 15 May

The Arches, 19:00–22:00, £15

All-Yorkshire quartet firmly schooled in indie-rock.

Little Victories

Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £16.50

The Australian indie-rockers tour as a newly-expanded five-piece, following the permanent addition of Joseph Greer on keyboard and guitar.

Ozric Tentacles

Scottish quintet with amalgamated rock and Celtic roots, with brothers Paul and Chris having done their time in the Outer Hebrides.

Zakopower

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £15

Fri 18 May Jill Jackson

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Canadian musician Claire Boucher does her much-lauded electro-pop thing, deftly balancing dance beats and a supersaturation of vocal hooks against imperious bass synthesis.

Marina and the Diamonds

Mon 14 May O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £14.50

Stag and Dagger

The Arches, 19:00–22:00, £13

The Temper Trap (Clock Opera)

Derby-based rock trio headered by Steven Battelle on lead vocals and guitar duties.

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £9

Gothic Glasgow folk trio made up of Clare Simpson, Ruth Campbell and Iain Findlay-Walsh, all haunting lyrics and acoustic melodies.

Devilock

night out...

O2 Academy, 19:00–22:00, £18.50

Friends

CCA, 19:30–22:00, £10

your

Mon 07 May

Happy-go-lucky Glasgow quintet, fuelled on their relentless pop sensibility and incessant, thrashy beats.

Transportive loveliness from Teenage Fanclub’s Gerard Love, assisted by a congenial crew that includes erstwhile Fanclub drummer Brendan O’Hare and Belle and Sebastian’s Bob Kildea.

would you rather spend

Tellison

The San Franciscoan pop-rockers do their Grammy Award-winning thing.

Lightships

How

13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

The Serious Men

13th Note, 20:30–23:00, £tbc

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £6.50

13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £5

Circus-styled punk outfit featuring ex-Lightyear frontman Chas PalmerWilliams.

Thu 17 May Michael Kiwanuka

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

British soul artist combining soul and roots influences in one deep and husky-voiced whole.

Nina Nesbitt (Lewis Watson, Johnny Downie, Paul David McEwan) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6.50

Half-Swedish, half-Scottish singer/ songwriter in possession of a fine technical agility and emotive style.

Mayhem Underground (Let’s Play God, Scarcinogen, Zombie Militia) Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, £6

Hardcore rammy of a night uniting Glasgow’s metal scene under one roof. Includes free entry to Cathouse.

Maggie May’s, 18:00–20:00, Free

13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Incredibly loud New York-based punk outfit featuring ex-Latterman/ Slingshot Dakota members.

Stag and Dagger

Captain’s Rest, 13:30–00:30, £12 earlybird

Mon 21 May O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £7

Fixers (Mitchell Museum) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7

Oxford-based quintet touring their debut album, which drops that very day. They’ve labelled it ‘bat shit funk’, as you do.

The one-ticket Shoreditch export arrives in Glasgow with a suitably eclectic line-up set across multiple city centre venues.

Bored rigid at the latest

3D sequel

Or Blown away

by fantastic live music...

May 2012

THE SKINNY 63

LISTINGS

G lasgow Tue 22 May

Japandroids

Sat 26 May

The Crookes (Horizon, The Restless Sinners)

The Vancouver garage rock duo step the energy levels up a gear, as per.

Peter Hook and The Light

Guitar-led pop all the way as the Sheffield quartet tour their new EP.

Fall Whirl Pool

The Mademoiselle

Celebrating 35 of years of The Fall, with the likes of Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers, Casual Sex and Gropetown on tune duty.

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £8.50

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £5

Mono, 17:00–22:00, £5

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–23:00, £5

The Glasgow-based grunge rock trio launch their new single, between ‘em two-parts Scottish, one-part Alaskan and a whole lotta bass.

Sleep (A Storm Of Light)

Tennis

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £8

C86-loving minimalist pop trio made up of Patrick Riley, Alaina Moore and James Baron

The Arches, 19:00–22:00, £15

Stoner rock ensemble hailing from San Jose, reformed and back on the road.

Dirty Goods

The Arches, 19:00–22:00, £7.50

The Jacobs

Electro-styled indie-rock trio hailing from Newport.

13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

London-based foursome with a rootsy, no frills rock sound.

Fri 25 May

Wed 23 May

Brendan Benson

Saint Etienne

The US singer/songwriter and sometime Raconteur takes to the road solo in support of his new album.

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £12

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £16.50

The 1990-formed English synthpopsters return to showcase their first album in seven years.

Dick Valentine

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £8

Gary Numan (Officers) O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £25

The electro-pop pioneer has us screaming along to his steroidenhanced versions of Down in the Park and Are Friends Electric?, ahead of the release of his ‘Best Of’ DVD in June.

Broken Hands

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6

Contemporary rock’n’rollers built upon countless sessions down in their borrowed basement rehearsal space.

Mechanical Smile (Little Bay, LifeStream)

The frontman of Detroit underdogs Electric Six does his solo acoustic thing, all joyful hooks and mischievous wordplay.

Johnny Dowd (Gareth Croll) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7

All-American alternative country musician hailing from Ithaca, New York.

Our Man In Memphis

Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, Free

The local blues and classic rock chaps play an extended set that’s free to all.

Guns N’ Roses (Thin Lizzy)

Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, £4

SECC, 20:00–22:30, From £40

Two guys and two girls from Ayrshire, combining rock, pop and grunge to create their own melodic and pulsating sound.

The mighty American rockers sing the hits, with Thin-bloody-Lizzy on support.

Redwings, Hivver, No Comet

The Enemy

Chilled line-up comprising one part instrumental rock, one part solo electric guitar and one part ambient drone, in that order.

The Coventry-formed indie-rockers take to the road armed with their newest LP, the first single offa which you can download for free at theenemy.com.

Barrowland, 19:00–23:00, £15.00

Stereo, 20:00–23:00, £3

Same old faces at the same old pub quiz

or

Fallingin love

with a whole new set of characters...

Girlyman (Rose Room)

Thu 24 May

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Newton Faulkner

Jolly Americana-styled three-part folky pop harmonies from the Atlanta quartet.

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £16

London-based singer/songwriter known for his guitar playing which involves rhythmically tapping and hitting his guitar’s body.

Pond

The Arches, 19:00–22:00, £7

Tradgedy (Johnny Headband) O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £7

All-metal Bee Gees tribute act. In white jumpsuits. Look busy.

Islet

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Keane (Zulu Winter)

O2 Academy, 19:00–22:00, £25

Australian indie-psych act who share two members with cult Australian quartet Tame Impala.

Tom Chaplin et al return to a live setting, with new material to boot.

Experimental Cardiff rockers touring their debut album, Illuminated People.

Kate McGill

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £20

The former Joy Division and New Order bassist plays with his new band, The Light, cherrypicking a set of predominantly Joy Division songs.

The Imagined Village O2 ABC, 18:30–22:00, £15

Modern folk project founded by Simon Emmerson of the Afro Celt Sound System.

Tyga

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £17

E D I N B U R G H music Tue 01 May

Sat 05 May

Dead Echoes (False Pretenders, Shimpanze Onesto)

Caezium (The Alibis)

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Multi-influenced hard rock, progressive and grunge quintet hailing from the ‘burgh.

Wed 02 May Belfast five-piece taking their cue from the baggy indie swagger of Primal Scream et al.

Limbo

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £6 adv.

Maple Leaves

Tuneful popsters from Brighton, with a double dose of local support.

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4

Thu 03 May

The Meatmen

SCO: Biss Plays Mozart

The Meatmen return with a mixed-up batch of rock’n’roll, country and skiffle covers and originals.

Scottish Chamber Orchestra re-working of Mozart’s turbulent concerto, Piano Concerto in D Minor.

Maggie May’s, 18:00–20:00, Free

Sun 27 May Glenn Huges and Fish O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £20

Classic rock vocalist Glenn Hughes joins forces with former Marillion frontman Fish for a double headline set.

Finding Albert (One Last Secret)

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6

Scottish indie-rockers led by Robert Shields, and accompanied by a fourstrong string section.

Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:00, From £9.50

Quantic and Alice Russell (Combo Barbaro)

HMV Picture House, 19:00–22:00, £15

Producer, musician, DJ and composer Quantic and singer/songwriter Alice Russell combine their powers for double the joy.

A Fight You Can’t Win (Before Machines, Black International, Plastic Animals)

Henry’s Cellar, 19:30–23:30, £5

Aggi Doom (Palms)

The Edinburgh trio deliver their short and subtly distorted blasts of grunge-y rock. Let the moshing commence.

The dark, synth-pop Glasgow quartet launch their new 7-inch, Bring Me The Head. Mighty fine it is too.

Prostitute Disfigurement, Desecration, Basement of Torture Killings, Cancerous Womb, Nerrus Kor

Mono, 20:00–23:00, £5

Breadcrumb Trail (Atlas:Empire, Versus Goliath, Mount Analogue) Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, £3

Monthly experimental and progressive night featuring a line-up of acts known for blending post-punk, math rock and soundscape vibes.

Westlife

SECC, 19:30–22:30, £41.50

The Westlifers give it one last gasp before retiring post their 2012 tour.

Them Beatles

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

The Beatles tribute act.

Lydia Loveless

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Ohio-born country-rock singer/ songwriter combining heady doses of punk-rock energy with a healthy nod to Patsy Cline et al.

Jim Bob (Gordon McIntyre, 8-Bit Ninjas)

The Old Hairdressers, 19:30–22:00, £8 adv.

Carter USM singer Jim Bob launches his new novel, Driving Jarvis Ham, performing songs from his back catalogue, both solo and Carter USM, and reading from the novel.

Mon 28 May Wheatus (Math The Band, Cornmo, MC Lars) Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £12

New York indie-popsters led by Brendan B. Brown and his heartfelt nasally drawl.

Papa M (De Selby)

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £10

David Christian Pajo (aka Papa M) plays solo, a rare thing for a man more likely to be found playing with the likes of Stereolab, Tortoise, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Interpol, and (currently) Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

United Fruit

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Glasgow quartet known for their allout post-hardcore abrasion served at F1 velocity.

Acoustic pop songstress hailing from Carmarthen in Wales.

Studio 24, 18:00–23:00, £5

Death metal showcase riding along on a wave of offensive band names.

Basque Conspiracy (The Fornicators)

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4

Fast-paced night of international punk, featuring hardcore tunemakers from Spain and Sweden.

Funeral Suits (Margeaux, Dead Boy Robotics)

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv.

Dublin quartet bonding over a shared love of distorted guitars, blistering harmonius pop, art rock and electronica.

Fri 04 May Ute Lemper

Queen’s Hall, 19:00–22:00, From £22.50

The acclaimed singer and cabaret star works her way through her classic repertoire.

RSNO: Rite of Spring

Usher Hall, 19:30–22:00, From £11

Conductor Stephane Deneve leads the RSNO on a charged performance of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.

Indie Funday Friday (Collar Up, Callum Beattie, Little Love and the Friendly Vibes, Gigantic Leaves) Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £3

Monthly indie-pop night where a selection of, er, indie-pop acts playing in aid of local charities.

This Feeling (Modern Faces, The 10:04s)

Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–22:00, £7

The favourited London rock’n’roll night takes a trip to Scotland, with a selection of live bands taking to the stage.

Versecore (Zorras, Church of When The Shit Hits The Fan, Opul)

The Third Door, 20:00–23:00, £4 adv. (£5 door)

Live music and poetry jam featuring Zorras, Church of When The Shit Hits The Fan and Opul.

The Fire and I (Underclass, Pirate Sons, The Charge) Studio 24, 19:00–22:30, £5

Experimental rock duo from Bathgate.

Axis Of (Skeleton Verse) Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £5

Belfast hardcore outfit Axis Of bore a hole through the stage, teaming up with similar spiky locals Skeleton Verse.

For full listings go to www.theskinny.co.uk/listings or scan left

64 THE SKINNY

May 2012

Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £5

A mixture of noise, goth, shoegaze, drone and heavy rock. That do ye?

Echo Rain (Death By Ambition, Internauts)

Melodic folk-pop trio with Miaoux Miaoux’s Julian Corrie concurrently on vocals, piano and guitar duties.

Vom, Red Death, Jacob Flynch, Grimalkin555

Cashier No.9

Hip-hop singer/songwriter (aka Michael Stevenson), literally straight outta Compton.

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £10

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £4 (£3)

Young Edinburgh psych-rockers rich with synth-laden, guitar-totin’ electro-rock sounds.

Imagineers

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5

Glasgow four-piece offering an intriguing blend of 50s rock’n’roll, Scottish twang and cinematic flair.

Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–22:00, £tbc

Beloved gig-in-a-club night featuring a different schedule of live bands on every bill.

Whiteheath, Miasma, Culann, Sanna

The Third Door, 19:00–23:00, £5 adv. (£7 door)

Bainbridge Studios continue their mission to promote new talent with Whiteheath headlining a bumper crop of acts.

Remember Chernobyl: Punk Benefit Weekender (Eastfield, Jock Sparra, Overspill, Critikill, Rabid Punk Guitars) Bannerman’s, 19:00–23:00, £5 (£10 weekend ticket)

Hardcore punk benefit showcase in aid of Chernobyl Children Lifeline UK.

Sun 06 May Dunedin Consort

Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:00, From £9.50 (£8)

The Dunedin Consort perform their final concert of the season, taking in Brandenburg Concerto No 2.

New Order

Usher Hall, 19:00–22:00, £35

The mighty New Order take in Scotland as part of their first UK tour in six years, treating fans to a selection of iconic tracks.

The Winter Tradition (Six Storey’s High, Qui Dietly)

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £6 adv.

Noisy powerpop-meets-rock from the loveable Scottish quartet, touring in advance of the release of their debut album.

The Subways (Royal Republic, Turbowolf)

The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £12

The alternative indie-rock trio tour their new album, Money and Celebrity.

Homegrown (Madhat McGore, Charisma, Dynamic Pad Duo, WeeD, BigThinker) The Third Door, 19:00–23:00, £4 adv. (£5 door)

Edinburgh Undersound presents an all-local, all-hip-hip talent showcase.

Remember Chernobyl: Punk Benefit Weekender (Hated Til Proven, Constant Fear, Spat, Puddock Stew, Conflagration, Facehandle) Bannerman’s, 14:00–23:00, £8 (£10 weekend ticket)

Hardcore punk benefit showcase in aid of Chernobyl Children Lifeline UK.

Iain McLaughlin and The Outsiders (Jamie and The Portraits)

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv.

Soulful rock offerings from way up’t north (i.e. Inverness)

Mon 07 May Marina and the Diamonds Queen’s Hall, 19:00–22:00, £18.50

Marina Lambrini Diamandis (yes, really) plays under her stage name, knocking out the new-wave pop hits.

Alkaline Trio (Dave House, Dear and Departed)

HMV Picture House, 18:30–22:00, £16.50

Classic-styled emo from the Chicagoan trio, fuelled on a steady diet of angst-ridden lyrics and adrenaline.

Matt Schofield Trio (Stevie Hay’s Shades of blue)

Voodoo Rooms, 19:00–22:00, £15 adv.

British bluesman Matt Schofield does his guitar wizardry thing, playing an intimate set with his live band.

Tue 08 May Camille O’Sullivan

Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:00, From £15

Polished one-woman show taking her shambolic sense of humour to covering the likes of Cave, Waits and Bowie in her own inimitable way.

Six60

Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–22:00, £10

New Zealand band of merrymakers headered by Matiu Waters on vocals and guitar.

Turn It Up I Can’t Hear The Words

The Third Door, 19:00–23:00, £3

New monthly showcase where each band plays their own songs, plus a cover of a famous lyricist: who this month will be a certain Ms Kate Bush.

Wed 09 May Edinburgh Unlimited #10 (Hailey Beavis, The Jim Jams, Darcy DaSilva)

The Sound Project (Ste McCabe, Dolls for Idols, Seafield Foxes, The Fnords)

Jed Potts and the Hillman Hunters

Launch of a brand new bi-monthly music night, headered by Ste McCabe’s inimitable brand of queer feminist kick-ass punk.

Auntie Flo

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £6 (£5)

Skeleton Verse

Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £4

Alternative metal outfit formerly known as The Paradox.

Bannerman’s, 21:00–23:00, Free

Intimate and electric blues from Potts and his merry band.

Sneaky Pete’s, 22:00–00:00, £5

Goa-by-way-of-Glasgow DJ Auntie Flo (aka Brian D’Souza) takes to Sneaky Pete’s for a late night live set in support of his new mini album.

The Third Door, 20:00–22:30, £3

Regular live acoustic session, with local indie-pop songstress Hailey Beavis amongst the live guests.

Zakopower

HMV Picture House, 19:00–22:00, £25

Alternative Polish rockers combining authentic Polish highland folk with contemporary electronics, jazz and African beats.

Dodgy (The Jackals)

£50

Pay

to sweat it out in a mosh pit

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £15 adv.

Reformed Britpop rockers made up of Nigel Clark, Andy Miller and Mathew Priest.

Thu 10 May Martin Simpson (The Outside Track)

Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:00, £15 (£12)

English folk singer regarded as a bit of a talented bugger on guitar, banjola and banjo.

or

£10 house

for the best seats in the

...

SCO: Beethoven’s Choral Symphony

Usher Hall, 19:30–22:00, From £9.50

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra take on Beethoven’s exhilarating final symphony.

The Dark Jokes (The Litigators, New Confessions, Too Much Fun Club) Jam House, 19:00–23:00, Free

The Edinburgh-based alternative quintet launch their self-produced new single, Low Winter Sun.

Napier Live

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £5 (£4)

Live band showcase night hosted by Napier talent and their respective bands, plus other acts they reckon are worth a look in.

Conscious Collective Band Night (Blasfima Sinna, Hector Bizerk, Basic Funk, Jungalbandi, Charisma) Henry’s Cellar, 19:30–00:00, £4

Conscious Collective host a mix of hip-hop, funk, Latin and instrumental acts from in and around Edinburgh.

Halfway to New York (The Asps)

Voodoo Rooms, 19:00–22:00, £7

Indie-rock quartet hailing from London, touring in support of their debut EP set to drop later in the month.

Brown Bear and the Bandits Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv.

Largs trio combining folk guitar, Celtic airs and pop hooks with meaningful lyrics.

Jericho Hill

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv.

Tue 15 May

Bwani Junction

Rory McLeod

Edinburgh’s own Afro-experimentalists showcase their wares.

An ex-circus clown and fire eater, Rory McLeod does his one-man-soulband thing, employing harmonica, spoons and finger cymbals into his mighty mix.

Johnny Cash tribute act.

Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, Free

Scott McWatt (People, Places, Maps)

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5

Glasgow-based acoustic folk singer/ songwriter touring his new album.

Sat 12 May Wrath of Orias (Definitions, What Happens In Vegas, Beneath the Oceans, Victim of a Hero)

Studio 24, 18:00–22:00, £5 adv. (£7 door)

Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–22:00, £10

Wed 16 May Nigel Clark

Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:00, £10

Russian virtuoso guitarist incorporating flamenco, jazz standards, Latin and gypsy into his mighty mix.

Slow Down, Molasses

Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £5

The Edinburgh Kevock Choir

Canadian multi-instrumental indie-pop outfit, blending acoustic and electronic elements in one joyous whole.

The local choir perform a selection of traditional and modern choral classics, oft of a folky bent.

Monthly live jam session playing lounge grooves from myriad genres.

The deathcore-styled Edinburgh quintet launch their new EP.

Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:00, From £6

Frantic Chant (New Confessions, The Rhemedies)

Jammin’ at Voodoo

Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–22:00, Free

Stanley Brinks (Freschard) The Third Door, 19:00–22:30, £5

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £5

The former Herman Dune man plays future classic songwriting, equal parts vintage pop and anti-folk, backed by his new collaborators, Norwegian band The Flying Kaniks.

The Frantic Chant scamps mix up Nuggets-era garage, shoegaze and psych-rock for your rockin’ and rollin’ pleasure.

Dialogues Festival

Faculty

The Lovely Eggs

Mini fest of all things electronic, with Tom Challenger’s Ma, NeWt and TRI/O-FON providing the tunes.

The Lancaster duo of Holly Ross and David Blackwell host a Doune the Rabbit Hole preview night, with special guests to be revealed.

Los Tentakills (Acid Fascists, Sam Barber and The Outcasts)

Will Pickvance continues with his series of live musical lectures, with this month’s theme being the subject of economics.

Event Horses

Glasgow-based noisemakers riding along on a lo-fi patchwork of psychedelia, garage and surf.

The Third Door, 20:00–23:00, £5 adv. (£7 door)

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4

Abrasive alternative rock from Northern Ireland.

People, Places, Maps

Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, Free

Genre-spanning pop, folk and rock six-piece hailing from the fiery musical furnace of Dunfermline.

Fri 11 May A Free Gig In Leith

Nobles Bar, 21:30–23:30, Free

Chris Bainbridge (of Bainbridge Presents) handpicks a couple of scene stalwarts to try their hand with a proper Leif crowd.

James Grant

Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:00, £15

Bongo Club, 19:00–22:00, £6 adv.

Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £4

The Holy Ghosts (Selective Service, Knotts and Crosses) Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv.

The Edinburgh rock’n’rollers play their first headline show down’t Electric Circus, infusing their sound with a splash of country and blues.

Bruncheon!

Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 11:00–14:30, Free entry

Brunch and live music event in the Drill Hall cafe, featuring local musical talent.

Sun 13 May BBC Symphony Orchestra

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5

Acoustic alternative folkies from Wales, led by vocalist and songwriter Sarah Howells.

Thu 17 May Wave The Flag

Henry’s Cellar, 19:30–23:30, £4

Eight-piece easy listening hip-hop combo headered by Vincenzo Lorusso (aka Skeggia MC).

Click Clack Club

The Third Door, 20:00–23:00, £3

Occasional experimental music club bringing the good times with their Beefheart-inspired experimental funk.

The Barry Van Dykes (Black Charge, Echo Arcadia) Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4

Usher Hall, 19:00–22:00, From £10

Black Volvo

Blue Touch Paper

Punk rockers hailing from Holland, currently in the midst of their UK tour.

Former film score composer Colin Towns returns with a powerhouse line-up of world musicians, playing their take on fusion jazz.

Invigorated rendition of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, with Martin Frost on clarinet.

RSNO: Au Revoir Stephane

Henry’s Cellar, 19:30–23:30, £5

Usher Hall, 19:00–22:00, From £11

Paper Aeroplanes

Indie and alternative rock led by Bannerman’s live regulars, The Barry Van Dykes.

The Love & Money frontman performs an all-acoustic set cherrypicked from his acclaimed solo albums, alongside a smattering of old favourites.

Conductor Stephane Deneve bids farewell to Scotland by gathering the RSNO family together for a centuryspanning musical party.

Assembly Bar, 20:00–22:30, £5

Mark Huff (Amelia White) Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–22:00, £8

Las Vegas-born singer/songwriter taking his cue from British rock, having honed his performance chops far away from the bright lights of the strip.

Fri 18 May Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:00, £13 (£10)

Spoek Mathambo

Bongo Club, 19:00–22:00, £12 adv.

Unique take on electronic music, with Spoek infusing his original brand of futurism with a strong sense of his native Africa.

LISTINGS

G lasgow C L U B S Dancing Mice (The Standard Error, Matthew Deary)

Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £2

The Edinburgh electronic popsters launch their new album, 13 Difficult Lessons.

Soulacoaster

Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–22:00, £6

12-piece monster of a soul ensemble, packed with classic hits made famous by the genres legendary singer/ songwriters.

Curious Joe (RM Hubbert)

The Third Door, 19:00–23:00, £4 adv. (£6 door)

Music blog and promoter Curious Joe presents a handpicked line-up of buzz acts, with instrumental guitar virtuoso RM Hubbert headlining.

Old Town Undersound Festival

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, Free

Fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Foundation, with 50 bands playing over the weekend across various central venues.

This Is Music: 6th Birthday (Still Corners, Honeyblood, Magic Eye)

CRANACHAN

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, Free

Classic rock covers.

Communion: Washington Irving (Fablewood) Sneaky Pete’s, 18:00–22:00, £5

Ben Lovett (of Mumford & Sons) brings his touring night Edinburghway, with a headline set from local indie-folksters Washington Irving.

Mon 21 May Admiral Fallow

Queen’s Hall, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

Louis Abbott and his merry six-piece stage their usual rousing collective rabble of a thing, showcasing tracks from their new LP, Tree Bursts In Snow.

Tue 22 May Bronto Skylift, Lady North, Rollor

Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £5

Rollor return to Edinburgh to take on the combined frantic mentalism of mathematic riff magicians Lady North and fearsome Highlanders Bronto Skylift.

Seafield Foxes, Sister Bitch, Babylon Dub Punks, Shock and Awe, Acid Fascists Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–03:00, £5

Mighty local mix of alternative types, with Edinurgh ensemble Sister Bitch adding their post-punk musings to the mix.

The LaFontaines

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £6 adv.

Motherwell outfit deftly combining portions of hip-hop, pop, rock and electro into one melodic block of noise.

Cal Folger Day (Esther Swift)

The Third Door, 19:00–23:00, £tbc

Rare chance to see this stalwart of the New York anti-folk scene in a live (Scottish!) setting.

The Rah’s (The 10:04s)

Studio 24, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv. (£7 door)

The Edinburgh indie quartet launch their new EP.

King Rockers

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4

Glam rock covers band, suitably cheesy in their approach.

Sat 19 May Tim Hecker

Pilrig St Paul’s Church, 19:30–22:00, £12.50 adv.

The Montreal-based ambient electronic musician and sound artist tours his latest release; a dark, organ-led gem recorded over a single day in a church in Iceland.

Constant State (The Dirty Works, Plastic Babies, Universal Thee, Dead Girls)

New Tuesday nighter manned by DJ Mythic, who’ll be playing the best in rock, metal, punk and ska.

Wild Combination Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, Free

Kilmarnock’s hairy disco legend, David Barbarossa, digs out some vinyl gems.

Killer Kitsch Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Junk Disco The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Hotch-potch night of chart anthems, a live video feed, dressing-up boxes and karaoke.

Nightwalk 2012 The Arches, 20:00–23:30, £10

Celebrating the pleasures of fashion, electronic beats and dancing ‘til you drop, Nightwalk sees local designers showcase their Spring/Summer 2012 picks, backed by a cutting-edge electro soundtrack.

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4

Opera.

It’s worth a second look.

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £5

The Irish singer/songwriter plays a stripped-back set, blending folk, progressive rock and electronica in one happy whole.

Talented solo guitarist, also a member of Ryan Adams and the Cardinals.

Thu 24 May

The Third Door, 19:00–23:00, £tbc

Old Town Undersound Festival

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, Free

Fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Foundation, with 50 bands playing over the weekend across various central venues.

Old Town Undersound Festival (Ra Durties, Deep Red Sky, Let’s Play God, Lords of Bastard)

Sneaky Pete’s, 17:00–22:00, £donation

Fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Foundation, with 50 bands playing over the weekend across various central venues.

Sun 20 May Passenger (Robin Adams, Mike MacFarlane, Kat Healy) The Caves, 19:00–23:00, £7 adv.

Brighton born singer/songwriter Mike Rosenberg’s pared back new guise (i.e. five piece band becomes one).

Closterkeller (Hell Is Harmony)

Bongo Club, 19:00–22:00, £18 (£15)

Key players of Poland’s dark rock scene, Closterkeller take it to some atmospheric and gothic places.

Jonquil

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Oxford-formed tropical popsters formed by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Hugo Manuel, growing his bedroom pop persona of Chad Valley into a band project.

Genticorum

Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:00, £15 (£12)

High-powered traditional Quebecois musical trio combining intricate fiddle and flute work, vocal harmonies, foot percussion and guitar accompaniment.

Larry Miller (Against The Grain)

The Caves, 19:00–23:00, £10 adv.

Hard-rockin’ bluesman Larry Miller and his band share the bill with Scotland’s premier Rory tribute band, Against The Grain.

Spector

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £9 adv.

The happy-go-lucky London fivesome churn out the pop tunes.

Casey Ryback (Shores of Attica)

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4

Rap-styled metal from Glasgow’s Casey Ryback, backed by metalcore Fifers Shores of Attica.

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:30, £14 adv.

An unabashed mix of 80s pop, electro and nu-disco. They will play Phil Collins.

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Eclectic mash-up midweeker.

Weekly student night, with residents Ray Vose and Desoto joined by various live guests.

Thu 03 May Jellybaby O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £3 adv. (£5 door)

Chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Buff Thursday

Walls

Euan Neilson handpicks a ‘best of’styled selection of 50s rock, disco and hip-hop.

Bright young multi-instrumentalist duo from Leeds.

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Taking Back Thursdays Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £4 £2)

Weekend welcoming mix of emo, pop-punk, rock and beats.

Misbehavin’ Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

Monthly mish-mash of electro, dance and dirty pop with DJ Drucifer.

Luska (Jonny Whyte) La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Fri 25 May

Residents Jack Swift and Dara bag the Scottish debut from DJ Ryan Davis for their bi-weekly house and techno sweatbox.

SNJO: Celebration of Michael Brecker

Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:00, £17.50 (£12.50)

Up The Racket Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Celebration of the life and work of US saxophonist Michael Brecker, with his brother Randy amongst the live guests.

DJ Paddy plays the newest in indie, rock, disco and pop. You do the dancing.

Tosca

Cathouse, 23:00–04:00, £6 (£5 in fancy dress)

Star Wars-themed party where the residents celebrate official Star Wars Day. Free entry in costume.

Booty Call The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Mixed bag of indie, rock, underground hip-hop and chart classics.

Blitz!

Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

May The Fourth Cantina Party

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, Free

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £6 adv.

Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Sub Rosa

Sun 27 May

Fossil Collective

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Queercentric night with its focus firmly on 90s-inspired new romantic and danceable pop hits.

Considered mix of garage, post-punk and girl groups, presented by Adele of Sons and Daughters and the Sophisticated Boom Boom.

Mon 28 May

David Barbarossa’s Thing

The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Boom Boom

Late’n’live show from London duo Sam Willis and Alessio Natalizia, utilizing the best that old and modern technology has to offer.

Mono, 20:00–01:00, Free

Psychedelic sounds of Africa, dub, disco, proto house and post-punk combine in one glorious mish-mash.

Cathouse’s Star Wars Party

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £5

Sneaky Pete’s, 22:00–00:00, £5

Forget About Pushing Your Cart

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, Free

Monthly dose of industrial, EBM and electronic. We hear it’s very danceable.

Classic rock covers.

Star Wars-themed special of the alternative rock, metal, punk and ska night, in honour of official Star Wars Day. Free entry in costume.

Take It Sleazy

The Glasgow troubadour launches his new single, Go On Yerself.

CRANACHAN

Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £6 (free in costume)

Rock, metal, punk and emo over two levels, with the residents manning the decks.

Cryotec

Hardcore noise punksters, loud and confrontational in their approach.

Damnation: It’s A Trap

Pandemic

Quids In

Cross-genre danceathon with residents Noj and Mark. They will play The Fall.

Electro, funk and disco soundtrack, plus a chance to win the door fees.

Subversion

Renegade

Melting Pot (Faze Action)

Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Alternative pop from the 80s and 90s, with a bit of industrial dance and classic rock thrown in.

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

The Admiral, 23:00–03:00, £10

The Melting Pot crew welcome discostyled brothers Simon and Robin Lee (aka Faze Action) to the decks, plus a tribute to all things New Order in the upstairs space.

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £1

Rock, metal and punk requests all night long.

80s Night

DJ Drucifer brings you the best of the 80s. Fancy dress encouraged.

Garage Bank Holiday Circus

Nick Peacock spins a selection of vintage disco, soul and funk.

Bank Holiday special, with Wee Cheesy mashing up everything and anything. Plus prizes, competitions and free candyfloss.

Cathouse Saturdays

Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3

Different Strokes Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Cathouse, 23:00–04:00, £4 (£2)

Nu Skool

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Wed 09 May

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Midweeker in the capable hands of Duncan Harvey and guests, playing a vintage selection of sounds.

Garage Wednesdays The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Eclectic mash-up midweeker.

Octopussy The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Rock, indie and punk classics, in a Bank Holiday mash-up special.

Aaron Wright

Suicide State (T-34)

Student-orientated indie night with guest DJs dropping by.

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa play the usual mix of electronica and bass.

Student superclub playing everything from hip-hop to dance and funk to chart.

Alternative pop from the 80s and 90s, with a bit of industrial dance and classic rock thrown in.

Real life lovebirds Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet debut their new band, Whitehorse.

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £6 adv,

Metal, industrial and pop-punk over two floors.

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £5 adv.

I Am

A Riot in the Rock Shop

Beloved gig-in-a-club night featuring a different schedule of live bands on every bill.

Live music night featuring a rota of new and established acts, with KAV headering up proceedings.

Propaganda

Online hip-hop sensation Lil B takes to Sleazy’s basement.

Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5

Sun 06 May

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Hotch-potch night of chart anthems, a live video feed, dressing-up boxes and karaoke.

I Heart Garage Saturdays

Limbo

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £10 adv.

Lil B (Eclair Fifi, Sega Bodega)

Cathouse Fridays

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

We Luv Musik (KAV)

Fri 04 May

Absolution

Connoisseur’s mix of vintage jazz, funk and soul.

Firma

Gemma Hayes

Rock’n’roll, rockabilly and R’n’B shenanigans.

Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3

Whitehorse

Neal Casal (Danny George Wilson, Al Shields, Craig Ross)

Cosmic and sweaty mix of 80s sleaze, house and disco.

Subversion

Chart, indie and electro student favourite, with a bouncy castle an’ all.

Krakow-based hip-hop outfit.

Blackfriars Basement, 22:00–03:00, £5

The Chicago house legend takes to the decks. We’ll do the screaming.

Junk Disco

Weekly student night, with residents Ray Vose and Desoto joined by various live guests.

The Edinburgh concert orchestra play favourites from the musical stage, cinema and television.

Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–22:00, £tbc

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

The Berkeley Suite, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Henry’s Cellar, 22:30–03:00, £5

Bongo Club, 19:00–22:00, £15 adv. (£20 door)

All Tore Up

Derrick Carter

Wed 02 May

Octopussy

Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–22:00, £9

Feel My Bicep

Saturday night disco with Gerry Lyons and guests.

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Sub Rosa

Sat 26 May

Wed 23 May

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11.30)

La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, Free

Edinburgh Light Orchestra

Various local bands play Ramones tunes, marking what would have been Joey Ramone’s birthday.

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Hair For Heroes host a night of music and fashion, with yer man JG Wilkes taking his turn on the decks.

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Free Sunday session of house and techno, inviting residents from Glasgow’s best nights to represent.

Brisbane thrash duo who, in suitably wild-hearted style, started life at a house party.

Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:00, From £6

Killer Kitsch

Dance music special from Thunder Disco Club’s resident hellraiser, Jube.

Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £4 (£2 members)

DZ Deathrays

Joey Ramone Tribute Night

Jube

Old Skool

Garage Wednesdays Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £6

Sat 05 May Love Music

Punk, rock and metallic beats with DJs Billy and Muppet.

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £4

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Two floors of punk-rock, reggae and classic disco, with local scallywag David Barbarossa.

Midweeker in the capable hands of Duncan Harvey and guests, playing a vintage selection of sounds.

Echo Arcadia

Hair Raiser (JG Wilkes, Thunder Disco Club)

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa welcome a duo of up-and-coming producers into their fold for the evening.

Different Strokes

Edinburgh indie-styled guitar ensemble combining rocking riffs with soulful lyrics.

Edinburgh-based indie-pop ensemble mixing it up with gritty rock backbeats, grumbling guitars and catchy pop melodies.

Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3

I AM (Cur$es, Arm Wtchs Fngrs)

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £7

This Is Music continue their 6th birthday celebrations with a live gig extravaganza, headered up by Greg Hughes’ emotive pop outfit, Still Corners.

Tue 01 May Reprisal

Voodoo: Rave or Die Party

Under 18s rock club, taking on a UV Rave theme for the night.

The Garage, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)

Freakbeats

Flying Duck, 21:00–03:00, £5

Mod, soul, ska and groovy freakbeat 45’s, with DJs Jamo, Paul Molloy and Gareth McCallum.

Highlife: Auntie Flo

La Cheetah, 21:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 12)

Afrobeat, funk and house with the ever-capable resident, Auntie Flo, launching his mini album, Future Rhythm Machine.

Colours: Carl Cox

The Arches, 22:00–03:00, £24.50

The acid house and techno veteran plays a rather special set down’t Colours.

Wax Works (Deepbass, Ness, Animal Farm)

Maggie May’s, 20:00–03:00, £5

Instruments Of Rapture Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Choice nu-disco and house picks from the Instruments Of Rapture label, hosted by Glasgow’s pitched-down house master, The Revenge and pals.

La Cheetah Club: Theo Parish La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £12 adv.

La Cheetah Club pull out the big guns with a four-hour set from Sound Signature boss Theo Parish.

Jamming Fridays Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5/£3 student after 12)

Indie rock’n’roll from the 60s to the 00s, with resident tune-picker DJ Jopez.

Slouch, 23:00–03:00, Free

Badass mix of indie, rock and electro.

Fridays @ The Shed Shed, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Pop and dance classics with Andy Robertson in the main room, plus hip-hop hits in the Red Room.

Rumours Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

New monthly residency with the Rumours residents, plus special guests and extra bass bins.

Processed Beats (JD Twitch, Sons & Daughters) Chambre 69, 20:00–03:00, £7 adv. (£9 door)

Electronic rock’n’roll care of an eclectic selection of live bands, producers and DJs including Optimo’s JD Twitch, Sons & Daughters and Cutters Choice.

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Bi-weekly night of ear-exercising disco, cosmic, electronic and techno, with the residents from Subcity Theez Boys R Athletes and guests Highlife.

Thu 10 May

New night manned by the motley crew of Jinty, I Hate Fun, Megamegaman, Kid Robotik and Tongue Acrobats.

Chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £3 adv. (£5 door)

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Etienne Jaumet

The Berkeley Suite, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£7 after 12)

The French producer and musician (aka one half of Zombie Zombie) does his solo thing.

Global Video Party Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, Free

Live video party with sets beamed in from the other participating venues.

Buff Thursday Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Euan Neilson handpicks a ‘best of’styled selection of 50s rock, disco and hip-hop.

Taking Back Thursdays Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £4 £2)

Weekend welcoming mix of emo, pop-punk, rock and beats.

Boom Thursdays

Get £10 tix if you’re under 26.

Any Seat.

Any Performance.

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Chart and indie classics, plus a live Twitter feed where you can log your tune requests (#Garagelive).

Up The Racket Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

DJ Paddy plays the newest in indie, rock, disco and pop. You do the dancing.

Feel My Bicep Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Cosmic and sweaty mix of 80s sleaze, house and disco.

Fri 11 May Propaganda

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £15

Badseed

Olympico (Highlife)

Nae Danger

25 Years of Sub Club: Sensu (Magda) Following a boost from Minus, the co-founder of Items & Things makes a welcome return to Sensu.

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Jellybaby

Flying Duck, 19:30–03:00, £5 adv. (£6 door)

Themed intergalactic night of wonder held on official Star Wars Day, with a pre-club screening of a Star Wars film voted for by the punters.

Chart, indie and electro student favourite, with a bouncy castle an’ all.

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Student-orientated indie night with guest DJs dropping by.

The Rock Shop

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5/£3 student after 12)

Rock, alternative and golden indie classics with resident DJ Heather McCartney.

25 Years of Sub Club: Subculture (Carl Craig) Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £15

Subbie’s birthday celebrations draw to a close with a Scottish exclusive; the mighty Carl Craig’s 69 Live show.

Rip This Joint

ReFrame (John Steel)

Mon 07 May

Basura Blanca, 22:00–02:00, £5

Burn

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Long-running trade night with Normski, Zeus and Mash spinning disco beats.

Space Invader

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Andy R plays chart hits and requests, past and present.

Tue 08 May

Shed Saturdays

New Tuesday nighter manned by DJ Mythic, who’ll be playing the best in rock, metal, punk and ska.

Shed, 22:30–03:00, Free (£7 after 11)

4 May to 9 June Glasgow • Inverness • Edinburgh • Aberdeen

Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5

Alternative rock, metal, punk and ska.

Good Press and Friends Mono, 20:00–01:00, Free

Slouch, 23:00–03:00, Free

Andy Robertson and Del spin a frothy mix of commercial pop and cheese classics.

Damnation

The Good Press and Friends gang dig out the vinyl.

Reprisal

DJ Jopez plays a choice selection of indie, rock, blues and funk.

ReFrame returns to The Brunswick Hotel’s basement club for a night of electro, house and techno, with guest John Steel providing a soundtrack of uplifting Balearic-infused beats

Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3

Wild Combination

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, Free

Kilmarnock’s hairy disco legend, David Barbarossa, digs out some vinyl gems.

Kino Fist Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Genre-spanning mix of 60s psych, leftfield pop and Krautrock with resident Charlotte (of Muscles of Joy).

Old Skool Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Connoisseur’s mix of vintage jazz, funk and soul.

scottishopera.org.uk May 2012

THE SKINNY 65

LISTINGS

G lasgow C L U B S

Cathouse Fridays

Shed Saturdays

Wed 16 May

Rock, metal, punk and emo over two levels, with the residents manning the decks.

Andy Robertson and Del spin a frothy mix of commercial pop and cheese classics.

Subversion

Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Shed, 22:30–03:00, Free (£7 after 11)

Jube

Booty Call

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Mixed bag of indie, rock, underground hip-hop and chart classics.

Common People

Dance music special from Thunder Disco Club’s resident hellraiser, Jube.

Dosem

Chambre 69, 22:00–03:00, £10

Celebration of the 90s, with hits aplenty and a pre-club bingo session.

An emerging force on the Spanish electronic scene, Marc Dosem stages his usual wired live performance.

Mixed Bizness (Brenmar, Dubbel Dutch)

JD Twitch: Songs That Lux Taught Us

Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £5

La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £10

UK bass and house bastions Brenmar and Dubbel Dutch join the Mixed Bizness crew for the night.

The Berkeley Suite, 23:00–03:00, £5

Optimo’s JD Twitch brings a one-off night of filthy rock’n’roll to The Berkeley Suite’s lair.

Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3

Alternative pop from the 80s and 90s, with a bit of industrial dance and classic rock thrown in.

Not Moving

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, Free

South African house, grime, jungle, R’n’B and hauntology. A tropical mix, ayes.

Different Strokes

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Midweeker in the capable hands of Duncan Harvey and guests, playing a vintage selection of sounds.

Garage Wednesdays

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Eclectic mash-up midweeker.

Jamming Fridays

Argonaut Sounds Reggae Soundsystem

Fresh/Live (Rita Ora, Sincere)

I AM: Boat Party After-Bash

Friday Street

Cathouse Saturdays

Blackfriars Basement, 23:00–03:00, £3

Roots reggae, dancehall and rocksteady in original soundsystem stylee, joined by legendary Birmingham MC Murray Man.

Uberproducer, DJ and label owner Dan Stein (aka DJ Fresh) brings his D’n’B/dubstep crossover back to The Arches.

Official after-party for Beta & Kappa’s boat party action, with messeurs Submerse and C.R.S.T. co-headlining.

Classic mod sounds, northern soul and 60s-styled R’n’B.

Punk, rock and metallic beats with DJs Billy and Muppet.

Damnation

Voodoo

Damnation

The Rock Shop

Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5

Alternative rock, metal, punk and ska.

Black Tent

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Indie, electro and anything inbetween with Pauly (My Latest Novel), and Simin and Steev (Errors).

Old Skool

Indie rock’n’roll from the 60s to the 00s, with resident tune-picker DJ Jopez.

Rock, metal, punk and emo over two levels, with the residents manning the decks.

DJ Jopez plays a choice selection of indie, rock, blues and funk.

Lock Up Your Daughters

Badseed

Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

The straight-friendly lesbian party returns for its regular themed shenanigans on the third Friday of the month.

Slouch, 23:00–03:00, Free

Badass mix of indie, rock and electro.

Fridays @ The Shed

Offbeat Vs Wake

Shed, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Pop and dance classics with Andy Robertson in the main room, plus hip-hop hits in the Red Room.

La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, Free (£3 after 12)

Residents from Offbeat and Wake join forces to bring you their brand of UK house and party anthems.

Dirty Basement

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Eclectic mix from the Dirty Basement duo, power mixing from across the spectrums of soul, funk, bass, techno and electro.

Jamming Fridays

Sat 12 May

Badseed

Love Music

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11.30)

Saturday night disco with Gerry Lyons and guests.

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5/£3 student after 12)

Indie rock’n’roll from the 60s to the 00s, with resident tune-picker DJ Jopez.

Sun 13 May Quids In

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £1

Osmium

Blackfriars Basement, 23:00–03:00, £3

DJs Blair and Gary play Italo, disco, synthpop, funk and a whole bunch of other stuff all with the sole intention of making you throw yourself about with abandon.

Electro, funk and disco soundtrack, plus a chance to win the door fees.

Renegade

Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Rock, metal and punk requests all night long.

Absolution

Sunday Roaster

Metal, industrial and pop-punk over two floors.

Resident Wee Cheesy throws in mash-ups, chart-attacks and more mayhem than should really be allowed on the Sabbath.

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5

Broadcast Beach

Mono, 20:00–01:00, Free

Thunder Disco Club

Traversing the line between indie-rock, pop, country, new wave, hip-hop, garage and, well, anything else they damn well fancy.

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

The Thunder Disco Club residents churn out the 90s house, techno and disco hits.

Wrong Island

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

The legendary Teamy and Dirty Larry spin some fresh electronics for your aural pleasure.

Nu Skool

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Long-running trade night with Normski, Zeus and Mash spinning disco beats.

Voodoo

Space Invader

Rock, metal and indie night for the under 18s.

Andy R plays chart hits and requests, past and present.

I Heart Garage Saturdays The Garage, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)

Student superclub playing everything from hip-hop to dance and funk to chart.

La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£7 after 12)

The Rock Shop

Rock, alternative and golden indie classics with resident DJ Heather McCartney.

Subculture

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £10 (£5)

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic taking to the booth all night long.

Rip This Joint

Slouch, 23:00–03:00, Free

DJ Jopez plays a choice selection of indie, rock, blues and funk.

66 THE SKINNY

Flat 0/1, 21:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Rather ace gig-in-a-club night, soundtracked by Wishaw alternative indie lot, Vigo Thieves, plus the usual milk cocktails, free biscuits, live visuals, and 75p cider.

Thu 17 May Jellybaby

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £3 adv. (£5 door)

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

British soul artist combining soul and roots influences in one deep and husky-voiced whole.

The Rev Up

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £tbc

A night of pure vinyl grooving, of the heel-stomping 50s and 60s garage type.

Buff Thursday

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Fridays @ The Shed

Shed, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Pop and dance classics with Andy Robertson in the main room, plus hip-hop hits in the Red Room.

Midnight Cowboy

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Non-stop erotic cabaret with Rory, Joe and Togey spinning disco torch songs, party jams, proto-house and NY classics.

Music Please!

The Berkeley Suite, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

New night uniting the worlds of music and clubbing with Hushpuppy’s Alan Miller and guests.

Sat 19 May Love Music

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11.30)

Saturday night disco with Gerry Lyons and guests.

Shout Bamalama

Blackfriars Basement, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Vintage 50s and 60s dancefloor sounds handpicked from genres of R’n’B, rock’n’roll and soul.

Absolution

Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5

Shed, 22:30–03:00, Free (£7 after 11)

Andy Robertson and Del spin a frothy mix of commercial pop and cheese classics.

Jube

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Dance music special from Thunder Disco Club’s resident hellraiser, Jube.

Tropical Hot Dog (Billy Woods) The Berkeley Suite, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Danceable disco fare with Supermax’s Billy Woods. Also perhaps the bestnamed club night of our month.

Sun 20 May Quids In

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £1

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Junk Disco

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Hotch-potch night of chart anthems, a live video feed, dressing-up boxes and karaoke.

I Am

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa play the usual mix of electronica and bass.

May 2012

I Heart Garage Saturdays

Frogbeats

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

The Frogbeats crew pump out the jungle and D’n’B beats a-plenty.

Feel My Bicep

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Cosmic and sweaty mix of 80s sleaze, house and disco.

Fri 18 May Propaganda

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Student-orientated indie night with guest DJs dropping by.

The Garage, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)

Student superclub playing everything from hip-hop to dance and funk to chart.

Singles Night

Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £5

Andy Divine and Chris Geddes’ gem of a night deciated to 7-inch singles from every genre imaginable.

Oh My Days (Mickey Pearce, Squarehead)

La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£8 after 12)

Oh My Days return with guests Mickey Pearce and rising talent Squarehead, with support from the Oh My Days Residents.

Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Cathouse Fridays

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Rock, metal, punk and emo over two levels, with the residents manning the decks.

Octopussy

Booty Call

Chart, indie and electro student favourite, with a bouncy castle an’ all.

Mixed bag of indie, rock, underground hip-hop and chart classics.

Eclectic mash-up midweeker.

The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Sub Rosa

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Weekly student night, with residents Ray Vose and Desoto joined by various live guests.

Olympico (Bigfoot’s Tea Party)

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Bi-weekly night of ear-exercising disco, cosmic, electronic and techno, with the residents from Subcity Theez Boys R Athletes and guests Bigfoot’s Tea Party.

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £14

Fresh night upping the soundsystem culture in Glasgow, care of the Electrikal Sound System’s 26KW wall of sound and a selection of regular live guests.

The Rock Shop

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5/£3 student after 12)

Luska (Ryan Davis)

Rock, alternative and golden indie classics with resident DJ Heather McCartney.

Residents Jack Swift and Dara bag the Scottish debut from DJ Ryan Davis for their bi-weekly house and techno sweatbox.

Subculture

La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £8 (£10 after 12)

Jamming Fridays

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5/£3 student after 12)

Indie rock’n’roll from the 60s to the 00s, with resident tune-picker DJ Jopez.

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic taking to the booth all night long.

Rip This Joint

Slouch, 23:00–03:00, Free

DJ Jopez plays a choice selection of indie, rock, blues and funk.

Shed Saturdays

Shed, 22:30–03:00, Free (£7 after 11)

Andy Robertson and Del spin a frothy mix of commercial pop and cheese classics.

South Side Soul

Pollok Ex-Servicemens Club, 20:00–01:00, £5

DJs Fraser Dunn, Felonious Munk and Alan McKenzie play an all-vinyl mix of soul, motown and R’n’B from the 60s and 70s.

Jube

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Monthly glam trash and sleaze tease party.

Sun 27 May Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £4

We Can Still Picnic Mono, 20:00–01:00, Free

WCSP residents Erik and Bjorn play a selection of forgotten classics.

Da Dungeon

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

A carry on from the mental flat parties of a certain street in the West End.

Thu 24 May

La Rocha

Jellybaby

Weekly night featuring regular live guests, in between resident vibemasters Cutters Choice and Shax O’ Ring.

Chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

The Berkeley Suite, 23:00–03:00, £3

Mon 21 May

Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3

New Tuesday nighter manned by DJ Mythic, who’ll be playing the best in rock, metal, punk and ska.

Wild Combination

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, Free

Kilmarnock’s hairy disco legend, David Barbarossa, digs out some vinyl gems.

Killer Kitsch

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Junk Disco

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Hotch-potch night of chart anthems, a live video feed, dressing-up boxes and karaoke.

I AM: Boat Party

The Waverley, 19:00–23:00, £15

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa rig a ship with sound and alcohol for a Tuesday journey like no other. Pick up from Glasgow Science Centre.

Badass mix of indie, rock and electro.

Danse Macabre

Pop and dance classics with Andy Robertson in the main room, plus hip-hop hits in the Red Room.

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

The Danse Macabre regulars unite those two happiest of bedfellows, goth rock and, er, classic disco.

Euan Neilson handpicks a ‘best of’styled selection of 50s rock, disco and hip-hop.

Tue 22 May

Slouch, 23:00–03:00, Free

Fridays @ The Shed

Buff Thursday

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Badseed

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £3 adv. (£5 door)

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Boom Thursdays

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Garage Wednesdays (Craig McGee & Hipstar)

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

New Tuesday nighter manned by DJ Mythic, who’ll be playing the best in rock, metal, punk and ska.

DJ Paddy plays the newest in indie, rock, disco and pop. You do the dancing.

Bad News (Congo Natty, Tenor Fly)

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Optimo hand over the reigns to electronic duo par excellence Simian Mobile Disco, who take to the decks to showcase their new album, Unpatterns.

Reprisal

Killer Kitsch

Connoisseur’s mix of vintage jazz, funk and soul.

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Trash & Burn

Cathouse Saturdays

Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £4 (£2 members)

Old Skool

Midweeker in the capable hands of Duncan Harvey and guests, playing a vintage selection of sounds.

La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£8 after 12)

Optimo: Simian Mobile Disco

Weekend welcoming mix of emo, pop-punk, rock and beats.

Rock, metal and indie night for the under 18s.

Different Strokes

Brand new house night kicking off proceedings with a performance from prolific remixer Atjazz.

Free Sunday session of house and techno, inviting residents from Glasgow’s best nights to represent.

Reprisal

Up The Racket

QV (Atjazz)

Dance music special from Thunder Disco Club’s resident hellraiser, Jube.

Tue 15 May

Kilmarnock’s hairy disco legend, David Barbarossa, digs out some vinyl gems.

Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £4 (£2 members)

Rock, metal and indie night for the under 18s.

La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, Free

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Voodoo

Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Wax Works

Long-running trade night with Normski, Zeus and Mash spinning disco beats.

Punk, rock and metallic beats with DJs Billy and Muppet.

Tearin’ it up with 60s psych-outs and modern sleaze, provided by Rafla and Andy (of The Phantom Band).

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Taking Back Thursdays

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Alternative pop from the 80s and 90s, with a bit of industrial dance and classic rock thrown in.

Resident Wee Cheesy throws in mash-ups, chart-attacks and more mayhem than should really be allowed on the Sabbath.

Andy R plays chart hits and requests, past and present.

Chart and indie classics, plus a live Twitter feed where you can log your tune requests (#Garagelive).

The Hot Club

Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3

Sunday Roaster

Bottle Rocket

Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Subversion

Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Burn

Nick Peacock spins a selection of vintage disco, soul and funk.

Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5

Alternative rock, metal, punk and ska.

Rock, metal and punk requests all night long.

Space Invader

Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £4 £2)

Wed 23 May

Blackfriars Basement, 22:00–23:30, £5

Renegade

Metal, industrial and pop-punk over two floors.

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£6 after 12)

Electro, funk and disco soundtrack, plus a chance to win the door fees.

Nu Skool

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, Free

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5/£3 student after 12)

MILK (Vigo Thieves, Library Voices, The Xcerts DJs)

Badass mix of indie, rock and electro.

Shed Saturdays

Indie dancing club, playing anything and everything danceable.

Wild Combination

New Glasgow collective All Caps present a mini label showcase.

Weekly student night, with residents Ray Vose and Desoto joined by various live guests.

Slouch, 23:00–03:00, Free

Slouch, 23:00–03:00, Free

Euan Neilson handpicks a ‘best of’styled selection of 50s rock, disco and hip-hop.

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3

La Cheetah Club: All Caps (Helix, Alex Couton)

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Michael Kiwanuka

The Berkeley Suite, 23:00–03:00, £3

Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £4 (£2 members)

Sub Rosa

Weekly night featuring regular live guests, in between resident vibemasters Cutters Choice and Shax O’ Ring.

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Punk, rock and metallic beats with DJs Billy and Muppet.

Chart, indie and electro student favourite, with a bouncy castle an’ all.

La Rocha

Burn

Cathouse Saturdays

The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

Mon 14 May

Nick Peacock spins a selection of vintage disco, soul and funk.

Octopussy

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Rip This Joint

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Podium and Figure label boss Len Faki does his dancefloor destroying thing.

Subculture (Roman Flugel) (Roman Flugel)

Cathouse Fridays

Connoisseur’s mix of vintage jazz, funk and soul.

Mixed bag of indie, rock, underground hip-hop and chart classics.

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £11

Rock, alternative and golden indie classics with resident DJ Heather McCartney.

Residents Harri & Domenic welcome German electronic chappie Roman Flugel down for his Sub Club debut.

Booty Call

Return To Mono (Len Faki)

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5/£3 student after 12)

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5/£3 student after 12)

The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £13.50

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Shed, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Empty

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Monthly night showcasing the best new and old DJ talent in town.

Mungo’s Hi Fi (Iration Steppas)

Chambre 69, 23:00–03:00, £8 adv.

Taking Back Thursdays

More heavyweight selections from Mungo’s Soundsystem and their chosen guests.

Weekend welcoming mix of emo, pop-punk, rock and beats.

Sat 26 May

Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £4 £2)

Boom Thursdays

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Chart and indie classics, plus a live Twitter feed where you can log your tune requests (#Garagelive).

Love Music

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11.30)

Saturday night disco with Gerry Lyons and guests.

Up The Racket

Absolution

DJ Paddy plays the newest in indie, rock, disco and pop. You do the dancing.

Metal, industrial and pop-punk over two floors.

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Rubix

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

The bass music night returns for its second installment down’t Subbie.

Feel My Bicep

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Cosmic and sweaty mix of 80s sleaze, house and disco.

Fri 25 May Propaganda

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Student-orientated indie night with guest DJs dropping by.

Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5

Born To Bouffant

Mono, 20:00–01:00, Free

Deena of Mono’s The Sophisticated Boom Boom at Mono plays some of her favourite vinyl from the Monorail Music shop.

Thunder Disco Club

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, Free

The Thunder Disco Club residents churn out the 90s house, techno and disco hits.

Nu Skool

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Nick Peacock spins a selection of vintage disco, soul and funk.

Quids In

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £1

Electro, funk and disco soundtrack, plus a chance to win the door fees.

Renegade

Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Rock, metal and punk requests all night long.

Slide It In

Cathouse, 23:00–01:00, £4 (£2)

Nicola Walker plays cult rock hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s.

Highlife (Auntie Flo, Esa) Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Music from across the globe with the ever-capable residents Auntie Flo and Esa Williams.

La Rocha

The Berkeley Suite, 23:00–03:00, £3

Weekly night featuring regular live guests, in between resident vibemasters Cutters Choice and Shax O’ Ring.

Mon 28 May Burn

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Long-running trade night with Normski, Zeus and Mash spinning disco beats.

Sunday Roaster

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Resident Wee Cheesy throws in mash-ups, chart-attacks and more mayhem than should really be allowed on the Sabbath.

LISTINGS

EDINBURGH CLUBS Tue 01 May

Dapper Dan’s

Sat 05 May

Monthly Review

Misfits

Pocket Aces (Thunder Disco Club)

Mansion

Antics

Disco, house and party classics from Picassio and D-Fault, with Decks FX and OSX.

Tease Age

New night on the hip-hop block playing the best in lesser-heard, new and leaked hip-hop.

Chart, electro, indie-pop and alternative anthems over two rooms.

Favourited student midweeker playing house, electro and hippity-hop, spilling over into the new Annexe space.

Tue 08 May

Opening Saturday party for the refurbished Cab Vol, with the mighty Thunder Disco Club and their danceinducing party sleaze.

Indie-styled pop, rock, punk and electro dancing fare featuring a guest spot from Ste McCabe (also playing a gig set earlier that evening).

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Alternative anthems, cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie and punk.

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

I Love Hip-Hop

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, £1 (£6 after 11)

Long-running indie, rock and soul night.

Propaganda

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Student-orientated indie night with guest DJs dropping by.

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Selection of hip-hop classics and brand-new classics to be.

Bubblegum

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Handpicked weekend mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics as standard.

Cream Soda

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of.

Fresh mix of funk, soul, disco and hippity-hop from the Soul Jam Hot DJs.

An all-female DJ line-up celebrate all that is great about pop, new and old.

Big ‘N’ Bashy

Wed 09 May

Mighty mix of reggae, grime, dubstep and jungle, coupling as the Edinburgh Outlook launch party.

Bangers & Mash

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)

Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £5

Oh No!

New weekly residence for the longrunning Edinburgh D’n’B night.

New Friday night student party with the emphasis on Skittlebombs... Don’t ask.

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Spanglish (Orkesta Simbolika, Pellizco Flamenco) Henry’s Cellar, 23:00–03:00, £4

Tropical night of flamenco fusion and techno-rumba-hip-hop, whatever that may be.

Mansion

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £5

Favourited student midweeker playing house, electro and hippity-hop, spilling over into the new Annexe space.

Shake Some Action

The Third Door, 23:00–03:00, £2

The Evol crew banish the Wednesday blues with their chirpy selection of indie grooves.

Witness (Oneman, Ras G)

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)

Sneaky’s resident bass spectacular welcomes a double whammy of live guests, helping ‘em celebrate their first brthday.

New Idols

99 Hanover Street, 21:00–01:00, Free

Midweek party with DJ Hobbes and guests.

Thu 03 May Salsa Buena

Jam House, 20:00–01:00, £6 (£4)

Salsa night featuring a guest slot from London’s DJ Javier La Rosa, plus the rather immense dance routines of Yamil Ferrera.

Octopussy

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Chart, indie and electro student favourite, with a bouncy castle an’ all.

Frisky

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Chart, dance and electro fare, plus punter requests all night long.

Switch Up

Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, 99p

Brand new weekly night down’t the Wee Red, knocking out the hip-hop and bashment pre-midnight, then switching to techno after.

Indigo

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£1)

Indie, pop and alternative favourites with a danceable beat, from LCD Soundsystem to The Ting Tings.

Zzzap!

The Annexe, 22:30–03:00, £3

Post-everything dub, house, bass, garage and hippity-hop.

The Hoodoo

The Third Door, 23:00–03:00, £3

Electro-swing monthly from Sheffield party starters Swank ‘n’ Jams.

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £3

Misfits

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Chart, electro, indie-pop and alternative anthems over two rooms.

A Love From Outer Space (Andrew Weatherall, Sean Johnston)

The Caves, 23:00–03:00, £10 adv. (£12 door)

New night from the Evol DJs that values all kinds of pop music, as long as it’s got bite.

Virgen

Voodoo Rooms, 20:00–01:00, £5

Soulful dancing fodder, from deep funk to reggae beats with your regular DJ hosts Simon Hodge, Johnny Cashback, Astroboy and Wee-G.

ETC05: Star Whores (Luka, Alias23, Bill Spice, Morphamish)

Henry’s Cellar, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3 in fancy dress)

Hardcore electronic night from Edinburgh Tekno Cartel, with a special themed night in honour of official Star Wars Day.

Cream Soda

Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£4 after 12)

An all-female DJ line-up celebrate all that is great about pop, new and old.

Hideout

Midweek student rundown of chart and cheese classics.

Split

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

New weekly residence for the longrunning Edinburgh D’n’B night.

Shake Yer Shoulders

Henry’s Cellar, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£4 after 12)

Mixed genre night of minimal, electro, techno and D’n’B.

Mansion

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £5

The Third Door, 23:00–03:00, £2

The Liquid Room, 15:00–03:00, £20 adv.

Musika pulls it out the bag with a monster 12-hour session, featuring live music during the day from Discopolis et al, before Simion Mobile Disco header all all-star DJ line up in the evening.

Studio 24, 22:30–03:00, £2 (£5 (£4) after 11.30)

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 after 12)

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11)

Musika (Discopolis, Battle of the Zoo, Digital Jones, Simian Mobile Disco, Tensnake, Craig Smith)

Frame

Four Corners

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Favourited student midweeker playing house, electro and hippity-hop, spilling over into the new Annexe space.

The Go-Go

Alternative indie DJ soundtrack featuring a handpicked trio of live bands rockin’ out on the stage.

The Third Door, 23:00–03:00, £4

Female-orientated night with Glasgow’s Emma ‘Queercore’ Daye playing a mash up of electro, rock, fidget house and D’n’B.

Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnston’s rather ace London night takes a trip north, with the mighty duo playing back-to-back over a fourhour takeover of The Caves lair.

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–03:00, £tbc

Studio 24, 22:30–03:00, £2 (£5 (£4) after 11.30)

Long-running retro night with veteran DJs Tall Paul and Big Gus.

Bordello

Classic rock all night long.

Shake Some Action

The Evol crew banish the Wednesday blues with their chirpy selection of indie grooves.

Witness (Lunice)

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)

Sneaky’s resident bass spectacular, with LuckyMe’s Lunice helping mark part two of their first birthday celebrations.

New Idols

99 Hanover Street, 21:00–01:00, Free

Sun 06 May

The Annexe, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£3 Guestlist or before Midnight)

Nothing but bootlegs, all night looong.

Heavy Gossip Vs Ultragroove

The Annexe, 22:30–03:00, £8 (£6 NUS or before midnight)

The heavyweights of Scottish house join forces with resident Craig Smith, alongside messeurs Sommerville, Yuill and Herd.

Coalition

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Frisky

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Switch Up

Zzzap!

The Annexe, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£3 Guestlist)

Post-everything dub, house, bass, garage and hippity-hop.

I AM Edinburgh

Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)

Betamax

Edinburgh institution mixing indiepop, alternative cuts, retro classics and new found sounds.

Student Monday nighter, spreading its eclectic musical wares over nine rooms.

New wave, disco, post-punk and a bit o’ synthtastic 80s with your host Chris and pals.

This Is Music

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Indie and electro from the Sick Note DJs, celebrating their sixth birthday over the course of the month.

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Moving from hip-hop to dubstep with a plethora of live MCs.

The Latin Quarter

Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)

The Third Door, 23:00–03:00, £3

This Is Music

Regular DJs Freddy Ramirez and James Combe spin a mighty mix of salsa, merengue and bachata.

Indie and electro from the Sick Note DJs, celebrating their sixth birthday over the course of the month.

Moving from hip-hop to dubstep with a plethora of live MCs.

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Nu Fire

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Soul Spectrum

Tue 15 May

Jazzman Records’ main man DJ Fryer plays a selection of 45-inches.

Antics

Sat 12 May

Alternative anthems, cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie and punk.

99 Hanover Street, 17:00–01:00, Free

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, £1 (£6 after 11)

Propaganda

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Thu 17 May

Edinburgh institution mixing indiepop, alternative cuts, retro classics and new found sounds.

The Third Door, 23:00–03:00, £5

Octopussy

Animal Hospital

Chart, indie and electro student favourite, with a bouncy castle an’ all.

Minimal and techno for cool kids, with Gabriel Kemp and pals.

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Frisky

XY

Chart, dance and electro fare, plus punter requests all night long.

Anthology of house, electro and D’n’B for your aural delectation.

Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Switch Up

This Is Music

Brand new weekly night down’t the Wee Red, knocking out the hip-hop and bashment pre-midnight, then switching to techno after.

Indie and electro from the Sick Note DJs, celebrating their sixth birthday over the course of the month.

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, 99p

Indigo

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£1)

Indie, pop and alternative favourites with a danceable beat, from LCD Soundsystem to The Ting Tings.

Zzzap!

The Annexe, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£3 Guestlist)

Post-everything dub, house, bass, garage and hippity-hop.

Funky Friday

99 Hanover Street, 17:00–01:00, Free

Erm, a dose of funk for your Friday, with Greg Martin and Stevie Carnie at the helm.

Sat 19 May Tease Age

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, £1 (£6 after 11)

Long-running indie, rock and soul night.

I AM Edinburgh

Propaganda

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa take a trip east, playing the usual fine mix of electronica and bass.

Student-orientated indie night with guest DJs dropping by.

Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, £4

Spare

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Bubblegum

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Danco and Kami play some hench beats. Nuff said.

Handpicked weekend mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics as standard.

The Egg

Fri 18 May

Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£4 after 12)

Planet Earth

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, £1 (£6 after 11)

Distinctly retro selection from 1960 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top.

Oh No!

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £3

New Friday night student party with the emphasis on Skittlebombs...

Don’t ask.

Art School institution with DJs Chris and Paul playing the finest in indie, garage, soul and punk.

Messenger

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£7 after 12)

Sweet reggae rockin’ from the original sound system, plus MC Ras Ista Lion on special guest duty.

Pop Rocks

Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£4 after 12)

Bubblegum

Pop and rock gems, taking in motown, 80s classics and plenty of danceable fare (well, the Beep Beep, Yeah! crew are on decks after all).

Handpicked weekend mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics as standard.

Heavy jungle and bass-styled beats from the inimitable Xplicit crew.

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Student-orientated indie night with guest DJs dropping by.

Xplicit

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £tbc

Studio 24, 22:30–03:00, £2 (£5 (£4) after 11.30)

Moonshine

Nu Fire

Anthology of house, electro and D’n’B for your aural delectation, kicking off it’s Cab Vol debut with guest Alex Metric.

Evol

Midweek party with DJ Hobbes and guests.

Swinging soul spanning a whole century with DJs Tsatsu and Red-6, plus live dancers a-go-go.

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£1)

Indie, pop and alternative favourites with a danceable beat, from LCD Soundsystem to The Ting Tings.

Evol

The Third Door, 23:00–03:00, £3

Student Monday nighter, spreading its eclectic musical wares over nine rooms.

99 Hanover Street, 21:00–01:00, Free

Evol crew’s latest indie-pop adventure.

Request-driven night of pop-punk, chart, indie and good ol’ 90s classics.

Regular DJs Freddy Ramirez and James Combe spin a mighty mix of salsa, merengue and bachata.

Electric Circus, 22:00–03:00, £5

XY (Alex Metric)

The Annexe, 22:30–03:00, £10 (£12 Adv)

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £5

New monthly night placing its focus on bass-orientated beats.

Studio 24, 22:30–03:00, Free

Moonshine

Back-to-basics underground house beats.

Soulsville

Minimal and techno for cool kids, with Gabriel Kemp and pals.

New monthly playing stripped-down techno with a back-to-basics warehouse style. Free entry for all on the launch night.

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Request-driven night of pop-punk, chart, indie and good ol’ 90s classics.

New Idols

Indigo

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Unseen

Mixed Up

Souloco (Shonky, Jamie McKenzie, Chris Graham, Kirk Doulas, Harker)

Eclectic selections from DJs Fisher & Price.

Mixed Up

The Latin Quarter

Monthly club bringing the spirit of the psychedelic trance dance ritual to the floor.

Mon 14 May

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Sneaky’s resident bass spectacular of garage, dubstep and bassline house with the Attic Kings and Blackwax DJs.

Art School institution with DJs Chris and Paul playing the finest in indie, garage, soul and punk.

49Hz (Mosca)

Electric Circus, 22:00–03:00, £5

Studio 24, 21:00–03:00, £3 (£6 after 12)

Brand new trade night hosted by the Soul Jam Hot residents and pals.

Friday night party with Edinburgh DJs Mastercaird and Stevie C playing anything danceable.

Brand new weekly night down’t the Wee Red, knocking out the hip-hop and bashment pre-midnight, then switching to techno after.

Animal Hospital

The Third Door, 23:00–03:00, £5

Cosmic

99 Hanover Street, 19:00–01:00, Free

Witness

Hideout

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)

Fever

Mon 07 May

The Annexe, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£3 Guestlist)

Edinburgh institution mixing indiepop, alternative cuts, retro classics and new found sounds.

Syndicate

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £5

The Egg

Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, 99p

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa take a trip east, playing the usual fine mix of electronica and bass.

Friday night party with Edinburgh DJs Mastercaird and Stevie C playing anything danceable.

The Third Door, 23:00–03:00, £5

Dubstep, breaks and bassline house from AF Meldrum and a cast of Edinburgh’s best underground DJs.

Thu 10 May

Chart, dance and electro fare, plus punter requests all night long.

Booty Call?

Evol

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Selection of hip-hop classics and brand-new classics to be.

Chart, indie and electro student favourite, with a bouncy castle an’ all.

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Friday night party with Edinburgh DJs Mastercaird and Stevie C playing anything danceable.

Coalition

Long-running indie, rock and soul night.

Bass, house and techno with residents Bus Daddy and Zombie Lover, plus guest Dispatch.

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of.

Hideout

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

I Love Hip-Hop

Fake

The Sunday Club

Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£4 after 12)

Sun 13 May

Tease Age

Octopussy

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Henry’s Cellar, 23:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 12)

Midweek party with DJ Hobbes and guests.

Dubstep, breaks and bassline house from AF Meldrum and a cast of Edinburgh’s best underground DJs.

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)

The Ultragroove and Heavy Gossip residents lord it up on the decks.

Soul Jam Hot

Speaker Bite Me

Split

99 Hanover Street, 21:00–01:00, Free

The Sunday Club

Danceable mix of the best in 60s ska, rocksteady, bluebeat and reggae.

Distinctly retro selection from 1960 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top.

Klub Haus

Dub, reggae and dancehall clubbing spectacular.

Henry’s Cellar, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 after 12)

Midweek student rundown of chart and cheese classics.

The regular Edinburgh breaks and bassline Manga crew takeover.

Miss Kashtela and Madame Radulovich spin the Balkan beats.

Dr No’s

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, £1 (£6 after 11)

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Glam techno and electro night fresh from its 3rd birthday celebration, with the usual themed party shenanigans.

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)

Robigan’s Reggae

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £8

Planet Earth

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Confusion is Sex

Bass Syndicate

Boom!

Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£4 after 12)

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11)

I Love Hip-Hop

Wee Red Bar, 22:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

UK underground techno pioneer Billy Nasty guests, likely rockin’ The Third Door to its core.

Art School institution with DJs Chris and Paul playing the finest in indie, garage, soul and punk.

Bangers & Mash

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Alternative anthems, cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie and punk.

Trash

Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)

Selection of hip-hop classics and brand-new classics to be.

The Egg

Fri 04 May

Antics

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Jackhammer (Billy Nasty)

The Third Door, 22:30–03:00, £10 (£8)

Wed 02 May

99 Hanover Street, 21:00–01:00, Free

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Fri 11 May Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Planet Earth

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, £1 (£6 after 11)

Distinctly retro selection from 1960 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top.

Oh No!

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £3

New Friday night student party with the emphasis on Skittlebombs... Don’t ask.

Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£4 after 12)

The Annexe, 23:00–03:00, £8

Beat Control

The Third Door, 23:00–03:00, £5

The Green Door

Surf, blues and rockabilly from the 50s and early 60s, plus free cake!

Nuff said.

Corruption Live!

Henry’s Cellar, 23:00–03:00, £5

Dance, trance, electro, house, hard style and old school beats for all your dancing needs.

Studio 24 Rawks

Studio 24, 22:30–03:00, £2 (£5 (£4) after 11.30)

Beep Beep, Yeah!

Rock, metal and alternative playlists.

Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£4 after 12)

Retro pop stylings from the 50s to the 70s.

Kapital (Mathew Jonson, Barry O’Connell, Brad Charters)

The Liquid Room, 22:00–03:00, £10

The Kapital crew gear up for a set from Wagon Repair label co-founder Mathew Jonson.

Rendezvous: 2nd Birthday The Annexe, 22:30–03:00, 12 (£10 before midnight, £8 Students)

Misfits

Fresh mix of funk, soul, disco and hippity-hop from the Soul Jam Hot DJs.

Chart, electro, indie-pop and alternative anthems over two rooms.

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Wed 16 May Bangers & Mash

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11)

Midweek student rundown of chart and cheese classics.

Rendezvous celebrates its 2nd birthday with the usual futuristic take on funk, disco, techno and house, from a selection of guests and regulars.

Split

Bixon

Spanglish (Orkesta Simbolika, Pellizco Flamenco)

The Third Door, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Hip young party collective spinning house jams all night long.

Studio 24 Rawks

Studio 24, 22:30–03:00, £2 (£5 (£4) after 11.30)

Rock, metal and alternative playlists.

Wasabi Disco

Soul Jam Hot

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

New weekly residence for the longrunning Edinburgh D’n’B night.

Henry’s Cellar, 23:00–03:00, £4

Tropical night of flamenco fusion and techno-rumba-hip-hop, whatever that may be.

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Stacks

Wee Red Bar, 22:30–03:00, £3

Bawlin’ R’n’B, soul and motown, resplendent with visuals and mix CDs a-plenty.

Wonky

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Resident DJs Wolfjazz and Hobbes take care of all your bass ‘n’ beat needs.

Rude

Henry’s Cellar, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 after 12)

The legendary 90s night is revived, offering up its inimitable mix of reggae, ska, dub and early ragga.

Cream Soda

Heady bout of cosmic house, punk and upside-down disco with yer man Kris ‘Wasabi’ Walker.

Sun 20 May The Sunday Club

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of.

Coalition

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Dubstep, breaks and bassline house from AF Meldrum and a cast of Edinburgh’s best underground DJs.

Syndicate

99 Hanover Street, 19:00–01:00, Free

Brand new trade night hosted by the Soul Jam Hot residents and pals.

Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£4 after 12)

An all-female DJ line-up celebrate all that is great about pop, new and old.

May 2012

THE SKINNY 67

LISTINGS

EDINBURGH

DUNDEE MUSIC

Mon 21 May

I AM Edinburgh

VEGAS!

Mixed Up

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa take a trip east, playing the usual fine mix of electronica and bass.

Voodoo Rooms, 20:30–01:00, £5

Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, £tbc

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Request-driven night of pop-punk, chart, indie and good ol’ 90s classics.

Moonshine

The Latin Quarter The Third Door, 23:00–03:00, £3

Fri 04 May

Target 5

Fri 25 May

Magic Nostalgic

Planet Earth

Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£6

French Wives (Korova, Law Of The Chord, The Sparrowhawk Orkestrel)

after 12)

Dexter’s Bar, 20:00–22:30, £5

Bleech (Fluorescent Fields, Bar Room, Crawl, Ocean Garden)

Distinctly retro selection from 1960 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top.

Nu Fire

Oh No!

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Moving from hip-hop to dubstep with a plethora of live MCs.

Tue 22 May

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £3

New Friday night student party with the emphasis on Skittlebombs...

Don’t ask.

Misfits

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Antics The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Chart, electro, indie-pop and alternative anthems over two rooms.

Alternative anthems, cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie and punk.

Jackhammer (Steve Rachmad)

I Love Hip-Hop

The Caves, 23:00–03:00, £10 (£8)

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

The Jackhammer crew provide our dose of all things techno, joined

by Dutch techno producer, DJ and remixer Steve Rachmad.

Selection of hip-hop classics and brand-new classics to be.

Hector’s House Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Robigan’s Reggae (DJ Amma)

Soul Jam Hot

Dub, reggae and dancehall clubbing spectacular.

Home-cooked house beats across three rooms.

Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11)

Midweek student rundown of chart and cheese classics.

An all-female DJ line-up celebrate all that is great about pop, new and old.

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)

Friday night party with Edinburgh DJs Mastercaird and Stevie C playing anything danceable.

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

New weekly residence for the longrunning Edinburgh D’n’B night.

Retro Catz (The Pussy Galores)

Inner Rhythm Henry’s Cellar, 23:00–03:00, Free

House and techno fare with residents Deetek, James Clark and Scott Murray.

Mansion The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £5

Favourited student midweeker playing house, electro and hippity-hop, spilling over into the new Annexe space.

Shake Some Action

The Annexe, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£3 Guestlist)

A cast of all-female DJs work their way through some sexy retro, complete with disco balls.

Evol

The Third Door, 23:00–03:00, £5

Edinburgh institution mixing indiepop, alternative cuts, retro classics and new found sounds.

Pop My Corn

The Third Door, 23:00–03:00, £2

The Evol crew banish the Wednesday blues with their chirpy selection of indie grooves.

Itchy Feet

Studio 24, 21:30–03:00, £tbc

Eclectic night playing everything from folk to D’n’B, breakbeats, trance, techno and live bands.

XY

Studio 24, 22:00–03:00, £6

anything from 90s rave to power ballads, and a lot of one-hit wonders.

Madchester The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £6

Indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like.

Samedia

Eclectic fun night transporting latenight party people to an imaginary jungle voodoo den-cum-lost town-

Studio 24, 22:30–03:00, £2 (£5 (£4)

Beat Generator Live!, 19:30–22:00, £8

after 11.30)

Post-hardcore offerings from the Leeds five-piece.

Rock, metal and alternative playlists.

Playdate Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)

House specialists Stewart and Steven play, er, some special house.

Gasoline Dance Machine 99 Hanover Street, 17:00–01:00, Free

Classic Italo and straight-up boogie allied with contemporary house and disco.

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese

Midweek party with DJ Hobbes and guests.

Tease Age

Dubstep, breaks and bassline house,

Thu 24 May

Long-running indie, rock and soul night.

the evening.

Propaganda

Syndicate

Chart, indie and electro student favourite, with a bouncy castle an’ all.

Student-orientated indie night with guest DJs dropping by.

Frisky

Bubblegum

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Chart, dance and electro fare, plus punter requests all night long.

Switch Up Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, 99p

Brand new weekly night down’t the Wee Red, knocking out the hip-hop and bashment pre-midnight, then switching to techno after.

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£1)

Indie, pop and alternative favourites with a danceable beat, from LCD Soundsystem to The Ting Tings.

Zzzap!

The Annexe, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£3 Guestlist)

Post-everything dub, house, bass, garage and hippity-hop.

Twist & Shout The Third Door, 23:00–03:00, £2

Student radio station Fresh Air spin party jams and retro classics.

68 THE SKINNY

Coalition (Jam City)

with Night Slugs’ Jam City guest for

99 Hanover Street, 19:00–01:00, Free

Brand new trade night hosted by the Soul Jam Hot residents and pals.

Mon 28 May Mixed Up

The Egg

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Art School institution with DJs Chris and Paul playing the finest in indie, garage, soul and punk.

Indigo

and indie-pop you can think of.

Handpicked weekend mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics as standard.

Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£4 after 12)

Mumbo Jumbo

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£7 (£6) after 12)

Party soundtrack of funk, soul, disco and house from Trendy Wendy and Steve Austin.

Papi Falso

Henry’s Cellar, 23:00–03:00, £3

Sci-fi pop, outsider folk, soulful R’n’B, machine funk and a whole lot more with DJs from bETAMAX, The Gentle Invasion and FOUND, amongst others.

May 2012

Admiral Fallow

A selection of bands turn out to help raise funds for Childreach International.

Fri 18 May Colour: Fundraiser (Waiting On Jack, Animus, Fluorescent Fields, Fire in Effect) Dexter’s Bar, 19:30–23:00, £5 (£3 in colour)

The Ocean Between Us (Sacred Betrayal)

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Wed 16 May

Beat Generator Live!, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv. (£6 door)

Studio 24 Rawks

Sat 26 May

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Sarah Where Is My Tea (Dead Harts, Vultures, The Weight Of Atlas)

The Asps (Alley Cats, Day of Days)

New Idols

Octopussy

London rock-meets-grunge trio, chock with heavy drums and howlin’ vocals.

Fri 11 May

Africa, D for Disco and F for Funk,

Globetrotting music, art and all-round party crew, with All City Records’ Mike Slott headering up proceedings.

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, £1 (£6 after 11)

The Doghouse, 19:00–23:30, £6

Request-driven night of pop-punk, chart, indie and good ol’ 90s classics.

The Latin Quarter The Third Door, 23:00–03:00, £3

Regular DJs Freddy Ramirez and James Combe spin a mighty mix of salsa, merengue and bachata.

Nu Fire Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Moving from hip-hop to dubstep with a plethora of live MCs.

Dexter’s Bar, 00:00–00:00, £5

Dunfermline quintet who specialise in a self-styled brand of dirty rock’n’roll.

The Doghouse, 20:00–23:30, £6

Beat Generator Live!, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv. (£7 door)

Sat 12 May Skerryvore Dundee Rep, 19:30–22:00, £16.50

Blazing bagpipes, fiddle and accordions, lynch-pinned on Alec Dalglish’s soaring vocals.

The Doghouse, 20:00–23:30, £6

Edinburgh-based electro-rockers led by PJ Dourley.

Sat 19 May Closterkeller (Hell Is Harmony) The Doghouse, 20:00–23:30, £12 adv. (£15 door)

Key players of Poland’s dark rock scene, Closterkeller take it to some atmospheric and gothic places.

Tue 22 May Fat Sam’s, 19:30–22:00, £9

Louis Abbott and his merry six-piece stage their usual rousing collective rabble of a thing, showcasing tracks from their new LP, Tree Bursts In Snow.

Wed 23 May We Were Promised Jetpacks

Fri 04 May

Fri 11 May

Headway: 8th Birthday (Timo Maas)

Bass Orgy Soundsystem

Reading Rooms, 21:30–03:30, £12

Full-on electro, D’n’B and dub orgy, complete with a massive soundsystem and live visuals over eight screens.

Asylum Kage, 23:00–02:30, £4

Best of selection of rock, metal and alternative.

Warped Kage, 23:00–02:30, £4

A mixed-up night of pop-punk, ska, screamo and skater tunes.

SellOut: Star Wars Beat Generator Live!, 23:00–03:00, £5

The ultimate mix tape night goes intergalatic rock’n’roll for official Star Wars Day.

Sat 05 May Transmission The Doghouse, 20:00–23:30, £tbc

Joy Division tribute act.

Mixed Bizness (Boom Monk Ben) Reading Rooms, 22:30–03:30, £tbc

Yer man Boom Monk Ben mashes up all the good stuff over a four-hour set, taking in dubstep, hip-hop, reggae and garage.

Carbon The Hideout, 22:30–03:00, £4

Alternative-styled club night, handpicking from genres of metal, industrial, rock, indie and anything else they damn well fancy.

Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £5 (£7 after 12)

New Noise Kage, 23:00–02:30, £4

Alternative mixtape night taking in rock, punk, screamo, electro and hippity-hop.

Best of selection of rock, metal and alternative.

Fri 18 May Mungo’s Hi Fi: Degree Show Special Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £tbc

Heavyweight selections from Mungo’s Soundsystem in honour of official degree show party night, helped along by MC Soom T.

Rehearsed reading of Alan Bisset’s witty new play, The Red Hourglass.

Part of NTS Reveal.

Roman Bridge 2–12 May, not 6, 7, times vary, £12.50

Martin Traver’s new play about survival, sacrifice, murder and love, set in another Scotland. Part of NTS Reveal.

Kasimir and Karoline 5 May, 2:30pm – 3:30pm, £2.50

Rehearsed reading of Odon von Horvath’s new take on Alam McKendrick’s unruly comedy, told in Scots. Part of NTS Reveal.

Wonderful Town

8–12 May, times vary, From £19.50

Multi award-winning musical comedy, featuring a score by legendary American composer Leonard Bernstein (aka he of West Side Story musical duties).

Theatre Royal Grease

20 May, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, £16

Frothy musical favourite in full-on singalong glory.

Scottish Dance Theatre: Triple Bill

18–19 May, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, From £10.50

The favourited dance company perform a series of comtemporary dance over a trio of pieces: Lay Me Down Safe, Drift and Pavlova’s Dogs.

Colour Me Read 11–12 May, 8:45pm – 9:45pm, £2.50

Cirque du Ciel: Shanghai

Fat Sam’s, 19:30–22:00, £16

London-based singer/songwriter known for his guitar playing which involves rhythmically tapping and hitting his guitar’s body.

Fri 25 May Who’s Next The Doghouse, 20:00–23:30, £10

The Who tribute act.

Rehearsed reading of Stef Smith’s new piece, interweaving six stories on one. Part of NTS Reveal.

Cottiers Theatre Bram Stoker’s Dracula 21 May, 23 May, 31 May, 7:30pm – 9:30pm, £7

Liz Lochhead’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic vampire tale, featuring BA Honours Acting students from Motherwell College.

The Fashion Floor 22 May, 24 May, 30 May, 7:30pm – 9:30pm, From £5

Tony Perrin’s workplace drama set in the fashion department of a slightly down-market store in Stoke on-Trent.

Scottish Opera: Tosca

4–12 May, not 5, 7, 9, 11, 7:15pm – 10:00pm, From £8.50

14–16 May, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, From £10

Cirque du Ciel crack out the traditional Chinese stunts, aerial skills and the famous Monkey Poles.

Dancing In The Street

21–26 May, times vary, From £10

Singalong celebration of the music that came from the heart of Detroit.

Educating Rita

28 May – 2 Jun, times vary, From £10

Reworking of Willy Russel’s stage comedy set entirely in the office of an Open University lecturer, played

by Matthew-bloody-Kelly.

Tramway Trish Brown Dance Company 12–13 May, times vary, prices vary

Over the course of the weekend audiences are invited to take in various works by the legendary figure of American modern dance, Trish Brown.

Asylum

Company

Kage, 23:00–02:30, £4

Best of selection of rock, metal and alternative.

Stephen Sondheim’s musical comedy set in New York, featuring original orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick.

Carbon

11 May, 7:30pm – 9:30pm, From £9

Snails + Ketchup

Paisley Arts Centre

Darkly comic tale of a dysfunctional family, following a son who takes to the trees to live an arboreal existence.

The Hideout, 22:30–03:00, £4

Alternative-styled club night, handpicking from genres of metal, industrial, rock, indie and anything else they damn well fancy.

Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £8 (£10 after 12)

Electro musings with a danceable beat, with Clouds and Ado sharing deck duty.

Zazou Kage, 23:00–02:30, £tbc

Forgotten classics from the seediest and most decadent dancefloors of the 70s, 80s and beyond.

Sat 26 May

Kage, 23:00–02:30, £4

Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £8

Hardcore, emo, punk and scenester selections. Also perhaps the best-named club night in Dundee’s existence.

Electro-funk, house and disco with your regular hosts Dave Autodisco and Dicky Trisco.

Sat 19 May

Beach Party

Rockabilly, doo-wop, soul and all things golden age and danceable with the Locarno regulars.

2–3 May, 7:30pm – 8:30pm, £2.50

Special edition of Tony Roper’s washhouse comedy, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the much-loved play.

Newton Faulkner

Gorilla In Your Car

Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £5 (£7 after 12)

The Red Hourglass

various dates between 30 Apr and 26 May, times vary, From £13

Scottish Opera take on Anthony Besch’s treasured production of Tosca, which transports Puccini’s drama to Fascist Italy in the early 1940s.

Autodisco

Locarno

Sneak peek at Ross MacKay’s new work-in-progress, Feral. Part of NTS Reveal.

The Steamie

Sneak peek at Amanda Monfrooe’s one-woman show. Part of NTS Reveal.

Ctrl.Alt.Defeat

Kage, 23:00–02:30, £4

1–3 May, 8:30pm – 9:30pm, £2.50

Singalong tale of a New York street populated by an unholy comedic alliance of humans and puppets.

11–12 May, times vary, £2.50

Spektrum

Asylum

Feral

14–19 May, times vary, From £14.50

Masters of the slow-building epic, WWPJ keep it all about the rolling drums, big guitars, and massive effing finales.

Fri 25 May

Reading Rooms, 23:30–02:30, £tbc

Arguably Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy, with David Hayman returning to Citizens in the title role, 33 years after his last appearance there.

The King’s Theatre Avenue Q

The Great Disappointment of Santa Muerta

Sat 12 May Showcase night for electronic DJs and producers from across the globe.

24 Apr – 12 May, not 29 Apr, 30 Apr, 7 May, times vary, prices vary

25 May, 7:00pm – 9:00pm, £4

The Doghouse, 20:00–23:30, £10 adv. (£12 door)

DUNDEE CLUBS Germany’s Timo Maas takes to Headway with his sackload of rich, atmospheric productions, ready to help ‘em celebrate eight glorious years of being.

17–26 May, not 20, 21, times vary, From £12

Sun 13 May

The Doghouse, 20:00–23:30, £tbc

Kyrb Grinder

27

12 Dirty Bullets

Joy Division tribute act.

Special club show from the Dundonian talent pooled from a selection of Dundee’s local bands – The Law, Luva Anna and Magdalen Green.

Lawrence Crawford’s new play set at the end of WWI, where a young soldier attempts to deactivate a bomb in a remote French village.

King Lear

The Russian quintet bring the hardcore metalcore to Dundee.

Transmission

Citizens Theatre

Mon 21 May

Beat Generator Live!, 20:00–23:00, £4

Childreach International: Fundraiser (Danny McAtear, Veni Vidi Vici, Forget Moscow, Shoogar)

Sat 05 May

King Of Hearts

All-Mod tribute night.

with this month’s year the 70s.

Alphabetical playlists taking in A for

Kage, 19:30–22:00, £5 (incl. afterclub)

GLASGOW

Abi Morgan’s deeply human new play about loneliness, ageing, science and the loss of our sense of self.

Unique fundraiser night where all the bands will be dressing head-to-toe in a randomly-selected colour, with local metallers Animus lucking out with pink, ahem.

Studio 24, 22:00–03:00, £5

Direct Hit! (The Priceduifkes, Yeah Detroit!, Third Floor Incident) High energy singalong pop-punk all the way from Milwaukee, US-of-A.

London trio playing a unique style of funk-infused metal, with lead man Johanne James taking on drums and vocal duties.

Sneaky’s resident bass spectacular of garage, dubstep and bassline house with the Attic Kings and Blackwax DJs. 99 Hanover Street, 21:00–01:00, Free

Scottish indie-rock quartet touring their new mini (two-track) EP.

Reading Rooms, 19:00–22:30, £10

LuckyMe (Mike Slott)

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £5 (members free)

The Doghouse, 20:00–23:30, £6

after 12)

Sun 27 May

Witness

Holy Esque (No Egos)

Anderson, McGinty, Webster, Ward & Fisher

The Sunday Club

Anthology of house, electro and D’n’B for your aural delectation.

The Glasgow indie troupe do their twinkling folk-meets-spunky pop thing, all singalongable and lovely like.

The Third Door, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5

Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)

Rock’n’roll, swing, blues and reggae night, making Edinburgh jive for years.

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

chosen by JP’s spinning wheel. Expect

Sesame Street

Hideout

Split

A hodgepodge of quality tracks

Heavy jungle and bass-styled beats from the inimitable Xplicit crew.

Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£4 after 12)

Bangers & Mash

Sam Jose and Nikki Nevada. Plus

ship shebeen.

Cream Soda

Wed 23 May

Sumatra, Bugsy Seagull, Dino Martini,

Xplicit

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Fresh mix of funk, soul, disco and hippity-hop from the Soul Jam Hot DJs.

The Doghouse, 18:00–23:30, £7

Vegas showgirls a-go-go, natch.

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, £1 (£6 after 11)

Regular DJs Freddy Ramirez and James Combe spin a mighty mix of salsa, merengue and bachata.

Caird Hall, 19:00–22:30, £18.50

A selection of local bands turn out to help raise funds for Hope UK.

New club offering from the rather ace gallery of the same name.

Electric Circus, 22:00–03:00, £5

The Vaccines

Be’live Forever: Fundraiser (Hanney, Mass Consensus, Silent Mutiny)

London-based indie-rockers of dubious musical merit.

Superclub

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Student Monday nighter, spreading its eclectic musical wares over nine rooms.

50s-themed fun night, with Frankie

Wed 02 May

THEATRE

Kage, 23:00–02:30, £4

The return of Kage’s infamous rockstyled Jagernight, where beachwear is a must.

1–5 May, times vary, £12 (£10)

Peter Pan Man Schedule of three one-act plays celebrating the life and work of J.M. Barrie.

John Peel’s Shed (Gordon McIntyre) 25 May, 7:30pm – 9:30pm, £10 (£6)

Ode to radio, rare records, and how a stack of vinyl changed one man’s life, with a post-show set from Gordon McIntyre’s of ballboy.

The Arches Words Per Minute 6 May, 4:00pm – 6:00pm, £5

Last ever regular edition of the favourited spoken word and performance event, pulling together their favourite folk from the last two years – including Alan Bissett, Alan Wilson and Michael Pedersen.

The Love Club: Good Housekeeping Day 2 May, 8:00pm – 10:00pm, £4 (donation)

Markus Makavellian hosts an evening of poetry, music, spoken word, tea, cake and knitting, this time celebrating official Good Housekeeping Day.

HeLa 11–12 May, 7:30pm – 9:30pm, £6

Inspired by Henrietta Lack’s extraordinary life story, Adura Onashile’s solo performance looks at the nature of genes and identity, and current ethical debates surrounding human tissue research.

UWS Showcase 23 May, times vary, £7 (£5)

Graduates from the UWS Performance course showcase a diverse programme of five or ten minute pieces created in their final year.

Tron Theatre 1–2 May, 7:45pm – 10:00pm, £10 (£7)

Five Minute Theatre

1 May, 6:00pm – 8:00pm, Free (but ticketed)

Following on from 2011’s 24-hour internet extravaganza, Five Minute Theatre returns with a series of interactive bursts, with this edition exploring the theme of protest. Part of Mayfesto 2012.

No Time For Art: Part 1

4 May, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, £10 (£7)

Interactive performance addressing police and military violence today in Egypt. Part of Mayfesto 2012.

No Time For Art: Part 2

5 May, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, £10 (£7)

Three first-hand testimonies comparing police and military violence and injustice before and after the Egyptian Revolution. Part of Mayfesto 2012.

Minute After Midday

9–12 May, 7:45pm – 10:00pm, £10 (£7)

Somewhat haunting new Irish play that looks back at the terror and tragedy of the day of the Omagh bombing. Part of Mayfesto 2012.

Going Back Home

11 May, 8:00pm – 10:00pm, £2.50

Theatrical exploration of the civil rights movement in the USA during the 1960s. Part of Mayfesto 2012.

Flaneurs

12 May, 8:00pm – 10:00pm, £2.50

New work by Edinburgh-based live artist and director Jenna Watt, seeking to explore the oppressive nature of violence in public spaces.

Part of Mayfesto 2012.

LISTINGS

COMEDY

Fight Night 15–17 May, 7:45pm – 10:00pm, £10 (£7)

I Not I

Full-on journey charting the comeback of Dan Coyle Jr, a failed amateur boxer from a long line of fighters.

Part of Mayfesto 2012.

18 May, 7:30pm – 9:30pm, £17 (£13)

Springtime

being outside one’s body.

19 May, 7:00pm – 9:00pm, £2.50

Unique online performance created by young people from Scotland and the Middle East, performing together from their individual countries via Skype. Part of Mayfesto 2012.

Unique dance piece that pushes the performers into the experience of

A Play, A Pie and A Pint: Dear Glasgow 1–5 May, 1:00pm – 3:00pm, £12

John Peel’s Shed

Afternoon session showcasing new

26 May, 7:30pm – 9:30pm, £15 (£12)

work from world playwrights, this

Ode to radio, rare records, and how a stack of vinyl changed one man’s life, when John Osbourne won a competition on John Peel’s radio show for a box of records that would take eight years to listen to.

EDINBURGH Edinburgh Playhouse That’ll Be The Day 12 May, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, From £19.50

Rock’n’roll variety show featuring hits from the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Dancing In The Streets 30 Apr – 5 May, times vary, From £17.50

Singalong celebration of the music that came from the heart of Detroit.

Cirque du Ciel’s Shanghai 8–9 May, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, From £19.50

Cirque du Ciel crack out the traditional Chinese stunts, aerial skills and the famous Monkey Poles.

New celebration of Anne Boleyn that leaps between generations to expose the life and legacy of Henry VIII’s notorious second wife.

Danza Contemporanea de Cuba 15–16 May, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, From £12.50

Contemporary Cuban dance collective set to include the world premiere of Israeli choreographer Itzik Galili’s Sombrisa piece.

Breakin’ Convention 18–19 May, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, £16.50

Live hip-hop convention of B-Boys, live DJs, workshops and graffiti artists, spilling out into the theatre’s foyer.

15–18 May, 1:00pm – 3:00pm, £12

Afternoon session showcasing new work from world playwrights, this time with Abdullah Alkafri’s exploration of homosexuality. Plus a pie and a pint, naturally.

A Play, A Pie and A Pint: Sleeping Beauty Insomnia 22–26 May, 1:00pm – 3:00pm, £12

Afternoon session showcasing new work from world playwrights, this

and a pint, naturally.

Crave/Illusions 25–26 May, 7:00pm – 9:00pm, £17 (£13)

Rather fine double bill from Sarah Kane and Ivan Vyrypaev respectively.

DUNDEE Dundee Rep

one of their earliest productions, a music-rich production telling the tale

24 Apr – 5 May, not 29 Apr, times vary, £8 (£5)

Royal Lyceum Theatre

Set on a remote island in the middle

The Lieutenant of Inishmore

fact and fiction to tell the story of a

15–19 May, times vary, prices vary

Musical comedy whodunnit taking a peek behind the curtains of show business.

Carmen 23–26 May, 7:15pm – 10:00pm, From £10

French composer Georges Bizet’s acclaimed Carmen is given a fresh reworking, complete with new dialogue and dance.

The Pleasance The Sugar Revue 4–5 May, 9:00pm – 1:00am, £15 (£12)

of the Atlantic, Zinnie Harris mixes small community isolated from the world beyond the ocean.

Kidnapped 15–16 May, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, From £10

Thu 03 May The Thursday Show (Bruce Morton, Katherine Ryan, Stuart Mitchell)

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £8 (£7/£4 members)

Handpicked selection of headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Fri 04 May The Friday Show (Bruce Morton, Katherine Ryan, Stuart Mitchell)

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£9/£5 members)

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

Sat 05 May The Saturday Show (Bruce Morton, Katherine Ryan, Stuart Mitchell) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed Saturday bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes.

Sun 06 May

Bank Holiday Special (Bruce Morton, Katherine Ryan, Stuart Mitchell) The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£9)

The Stand, 15:00–16:00, £4

Jokes suitable for little ears (i.e. no sweary words), for children aged 8-12 years-old.

The Greater Shawlands Republic The Bungo, 20:00–22:30, £6

Traverse The Captain’s Collection

The company of disabled and non-

22–23 May, 7:30pm – 9:30pm, £15 (£11/£6 unemployed)

disabled dancers celebrate 20 years of bold and unexpected dance works with a unique triple bill.

Red Raw The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

Susan Calman: Revenge Of The Cat Lady

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£9)

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £8

Comedy fundraiser in aid of Universal Comedy, who offer innovative comedy workshops to improve the lives of people facing long-term ill health and employment challenges.

New Material

Vespbar, 20:00–22:30, £3

Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering, yes, all new material.

Thu 10 May The Thursday Show (Rev Obadiah Steppenwolf III, Simon Donald, Jojo Sutherland)

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £8 (£7/£4 members)

Handpicked selection of headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Sat 12 May The Saturday Show (Rob Rouse, Simon Donald, Jojo Sutherland) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed Saturday bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £8 (£7/£4 members)

Handpicked selection of headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Fri 25 May The Friday Show (Dougie Dunlop, Christophe Davidson, Rhys James) The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£9/£5 members)

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

Sat 26 May The Saturday Show (Dougie Dunlop, Christophe Davidson, Rhys James) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed Saturday bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes.

Sun 27 May The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1 members)

Fresh Meat Butterfly & Pig, 20:30–22:30, Free

A selection of Scotland’s experienced comedy acts test out some new material, alongside a showcase of up-and-coming local talent.

Vespbar, 20:00–22:30, £3

Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering, yes, all new material.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £8 (£7/£4 members)

Handpicked selection of headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Fri 18 May The Friday Show (Owen O’Neill, Noel James, Eleanor Morton) The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£9/£5 members)

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

Sat 19 May The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Sun 20 May

Chilled Sunday comedy showcase with resident Irish funnyman Michael Redmond.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £5 (£4/£2.50 members)

The Thursday Show (Dougie Dunlop, Christophe Davidson)

Chilled Sunday comedy showcase with resident Irish funnyman Michael Redmond.

Tue 08 May The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Thu 24 May

Universal Comedy Benefit (Raymond Mearns, Vladimir McTavish, Viv Gee, Jojo Sutherland)

Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

Vespbar, 20:00–22:30, £3

Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering, yes, all new material.

Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service

The favourited funnywoman takes a look at triumphs, the tribulations and the romantic meetings that made her. And cats.

Red Raw

New Material

Wed 16 May

Mon 07 May

The story of the Italians who

25 May, 8:00pm – 10:00pm, £16

Tue 15 May

Packed Saturday bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes.

New Material

Candoco Dance Company: Turning 20

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £4 (£2)

Improvised comedy games and sketches, with an anything-goes attitude.

The Saturday Show (Owen O’Neill, Noel James, Eleanor Morton)

18 May, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, £10

over Scotland.

Mon 14 May Improv Wars

Andrew Learmonth presents an all-star line-up of Fred MacAulay, Damien Crow and Bruce Morton out in the sticks of Shawlands.

Diverse offerings from the comedy spectrum, featuring stand-up, variety acts, sketches, musical comedy and, yes, magicians!

new lives in towns and villages all

A selection of Scotland’s experienced comedy acts test out some new material, alongside a showcase of up-and-coming local talent.

Thu 17 May

The Fun Junkies

emigrated 100 years ago and started

Butterfly & Pig, 20:30–22:30, Free

The Thursday Show (Owen O’Neill, Noel James, Eleanor Morton)

Butterfly & Pig, 20:30–22:30, Free

Louis Stevenson tale, with an added

Italia ‘n’ Caledonia

Fresh Meat

A selection of Scotland’s experienced comedy acts test out some new material, alongside a showcase of up-and-coming local talent.

Wed 09 May

Scottish twist.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1 members)

Fresh Meat

New adaptation of the classic Robert

Burlesque and variety show featuring a selection of performers, including an exclusive Scottish appearance from guest headliner Red Hot Annie, all the way from the US-of-A.

Dogstar Theatre Company revive one of their earliest productions, a music-rich production telling the tale of the fictional Captain Simon Fraser.

Vespbar, 20:00–22:30, £3

Glasgow Kid’s Comedy Club

Further Than The Furthest Thing

Curtains

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£3 members)

11 May, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, From £10

23 May, 25 May, 27 May, 31 May, 2 Jun, times vary, From £16.50

Gruesomely absurd comedy of Irish Republicanism, rural isolation and the love people have for their cats.

Chilled Sunday comedy showcase with resident Irish funnyman Michael Redmond.

The Stand celebrate the coming Bank Holiday with a special Sunday show.

Tosca

various dates between 21 Apr and 12 May, times vary, From £14.50

Wed 02 May

Captain’s Collection Dogstar Theatre Company revive

Sun 13 May

Wicked Wenches

Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering, yes, all new material.

A Play, A Pie and A Pint: Damascus Aleppo

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service

Plus a pie and a pint, naturally.

of the fictional Captain Simon Fraser.

Scottish Opera take on Anthony Besch’s treasured production of Tosca, which transports Puccini’s drama to Fascist Italy in the early 1940s.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

New Material

Alwaj’s mordent comedy. Plus a pie

8–12 May, times vary, prices vary

Red Raw

World to Glasgow, in Dear Glasgow.

time Lebanese writer Abdelrahim

Anne Boleyn

Tue 01 May

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£9/£5 members)

time with letters from the Arab

Festival Theatre The Edinburgh Gilbert and Sullivan Society present their re-working of one one of the most popular operas in the Gilbert and Sullivan series.

The Friday Show (Rob Rouse, Simon Donald, Jojo Sutherland)

All-female stand-up, with a suitably varied mix of headliners and newcomers. Hosted by resident funnywoman Susan Calman.

Iolanthe 1–5 May, times vary, From £14

GLASGOW

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1 members)

Fresh Meat Butterfly & Pig, 20:30–22:30, Free

A selection of Scotland’s experienced comedy acts test out some new material, alongside a showcase of up-and-coming local talent.

Mon 21 May Alfie Moore: I Predict A Riot The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £8

EDINBURGH Tue 01 May Wicked Wenches The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£3 members)

All-female stand-up, with a suitably varied mix of headliners and newcomers. Hosted by resident funnywoman Susan Calman.

Belushi’s Tuesday Night Comedy Jam Belushi’s, 20:00–22:30, Free

Resident host Rick Molland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians and comedy acts.

Wed 02 May Broken Windows Policy The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £4 (£2)

Fast-paced and anarchic skits and character comedy, just how we like it.

Funny Bone Fiddler’s Elbow, 20:00–22:30, Free

Brand new comedy night with Bill Dewar, Vladimir McTavish and Harry Garrison your laugh-masters for the evening.

Thu 03 May The Thursday Show (Mark Maier, Marcus Ryan, Caroline Mabey) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £8 (£7/£4 members)

Handpicked selection of headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

The Gong Show The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £3 (£2)

Up-and-coming comedic talent compete against the clock for stage time, gong show style.

Fri 04 May The Friday Show (Mark Maier, Marcus Ryan, Caroline Mabey) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5 members)

Saturday Live The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £8

Resident host Jojo Sutherland introduces some of the finest stand-up talent from across the UK.

Sun 06 May Whose Lunch Is It Anyway?

The Stand, 13:30–15:30, Free

Improvised lunchtime comedy favourite with resident cheeky chappies Stu & Garry.

Bank Holiday Special (Mark Maier, Marcus Ryan, Caroline Mabey) The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£9)

The Stand celebrate the coming Bank Holiday with a special Sunday show.

Mon 07 May Red Raw The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Tue 08 May Alfie Moore: I Predict A Riot The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £8

The former policeman talks about the history of protests and riots, obviously leading to the standard chat about where he keeps his truncheon.

Wed 09 May Bright Club The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £5

A selection of comedic academics do a stint of stand-up for your entertainment and enlightenment.

Thu 10 May The Thursday Show (Zoe Lyons, Matt Green, Richard Melvin) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £8 (£7/£4 members)

Handpicked selection of headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

The Gong Show The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £3 (£2)

Up-and-coming comedic talent compete against the clock for stage time, gong show style.

Fri 11 May The Friday Show (Zoe Lyons, Matt Green, Richard Melvin) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5 members)

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

The Improverts Bedlam Theatre, 22:30–23:30, £5 (£4)

Long-standing improv comedy troupe whose rather fine show is built entirely on (oft daft) audience suggestions.

Friday Live The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £8

Resident host Jojo Sutherland introduces some of the finest stand-up talent from across the UK.

Sat 12 May The Saturday Show (Zoe Lyons, Matt Green, Richard Melvin) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Tue 22 May

Long-standing improv comedy troupe whose rather fine show is built entirely on (oft daft) audience suggestions.

Resident host Jojo Sutherland introduces some of the finest stand-up talent from across the UK.

Friday Live

Sun 13 May

Red Raw The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £8

Wed 23 May

Resident host Jojo Sutherland introduces some of the finest stand-up talent from across the UK.

Alex Horne: Seven Years In The Bathroom

Sat 05 May

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £12

Rollickingly experimental comedy in which Horne aims to recreate your entire life, stat-by-stat (FYI, that includes eighteen months looking for lost things, apparently).

The Saturday Show (Mark Maier, Marcus Ryan, Caroline Mabey) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed Saturday bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

Fit O’ The Giggles City Café, 20:30–22:30, £3 (£2)

Keara Murphy hosts a selection of acts taking in sketches, stand-up, mime, musical comedy, poetry, magic, and, well, pretty much anything else they fancy.

Tue 15 May A bright collective of comedians experiment with the medium of stand-up, under the watchful eye of Jo Caulfield.

City Café, 20:30–22:30, £3 (£2)

Packed Saturday bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes.

Saturday Live The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £8

The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1 members)

Chilled comedy showcase to cure your Sunday evening back-to-work blues.

Whose Lunch Is It Anyway?

The Stand, 13:30–15:30, Free

Improvised lunchtime comedy favourite with resident cheeky chappies Stu & Garry.

City Café, 20:30–22:30, £3 (£2)

Keara Murphy hosts a selection of acts taking in sketches, stand-up, mime, musical comedy, poetry, magic, and, well, pretty much anything else they fancy.

Alex Horne: Seven Years In The Bathroom

Fit O’ The Giggles Keara Murphy hosts a selection of acts taking in sketches, stand-up, mime, musical comedy, poetry, magic, and, well, pretty much anything else they fancy.

Fit O’ The Giggles

Tue 22 May

Mon 14 May Red Raw

Jo Caulfied’s Comedy Collective

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

Bedlam Theatre, 22:30–23:30, £5 (£4)

The Constitution, 20:00–22:30, Free

New comedy night for Edinburgh, with live guests and the chance to win prizes on the night.

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

The former policeman talks about the history of protests and riots, obviously leading to the standard chat about where he keeps his truncheon.

The Improverts

Prize Comedy (Billy Kirkwood, Sean Grant, Niall Browne, Steven Davidson)

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £5 (£4)

Wed 16 May Benefit Night (Mark Nelson, Scott Gibson, Darren Connell, Rev Obadiah Steppenwolf III, Mikey Adams) The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £7 (£6)

Comedy fundraiser in aid of Benefit of Quarriers, with the mighty Rev Obadiah Steppenwolf III amongst the live guests.

Thu 17 May The Thursday Show (Jeff Innocent, Duncan Oakley, Hari Sriskantha) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £8 (£7/£4 members)

Handpicked selection of headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £12

Rollickingly experimental comedy in which Horne aims to recreate your entire life, stat-by-stat (FYI, that includes eighteen months looking for lost things, apparently).

Wed 23 May Dara O Briain Edinburgh Playhouse, 20:00–22:00, £22

The favourited Irish funnyman hits the road with his new tour, Craic Dealer.

Thu 24 May The Thursday Show (Michael Fabbri, Tony Jameson) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £8 (£7/£4 members)

Handpicked selection of headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

The Gong Show The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £3 (£2)

Up-and-coming comedic talent compete against the clock for stage time, gong show style.

Dara O Briain Edinburgh Playhouse, 20:00–22:00, £22

The favourited Irish funnyman hits the road with his new tour, Craic Dealer.

Fri 25 May The Friday Show (Michael Fabbri, Tony Jameson) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5 members)

The Gong Show

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £3 (£2)

Friday Live

Simon Amstell

Resident host Jojo Sutherland introduces some of the finest stand-up talent from across the UK.

Up-and-coming comedic talent compete against the clock for stage time, gong show style.

Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:00, £21.50

The toustle-haired comic returns with his new show, as selfdeprecating as ever – making some brilliantly nuanced comedy out of the most tragic of existential quandaries.

Fri 18 May The Friday Show (Jeff Innocent, Duncan Oakley, Daniel-Ryan Spalding) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5 members)

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

Friday Live

The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £8

Dara O Briain Edinburgh Playhouse, 20:00–22:00, £22

The favourited Irish funnyman hits the road with his new tour, Craic Dealer.

Sat 26 May The Saturday Show (Michael Fabbri, Tony Jameson) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed Saturday bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes.

Saturday Live The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £8

Resident host Jojo Sutherland introduces some of the finest stand-up talent from across the UK.

Dara O Briain

The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £8

Resident host Jojo Sutherland introduces some of the finest stand-up talent from across the UK.

Edinburgh Playhouse, 20:00–22:00, £22

The favourited Irish funnyman hits the road with his new tour, Craic Dealer.

Sat 19 May

Sun 27 May

The Saturday Show (Jeff Innocent, Duncan Oakley, Daniel-Ryan Spalding)

The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1 members)

The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Chilled comedy showcase to cure your Sunday evening back-to-work blues.

Saturday Live

Whose Lunch Is It Anyway?

Packed Saturday bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes.

The Stand, 13:30–15:30, Free

The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £8

Resident host Jojo Sutherland introduces some of the finest stand-up talent from across the UK.

Sun 20 May

Improvised lunchtime comedy favourite with resident cheeky chappies Stu & Garry.

Rock and Roll Ping Pong Bongo Club, 19:30–23:00, Free

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1 members)

The It’s Funtime jokers present a free, fun, table tennis evening, with dancing discs from DJ Ding Dong (ahem).

Whose Lunch Is It Anyway?

Red Raw

The Sunday Night Laugh-In Chilled comedy showcase to cure your Sunday evening back-to-work blues.

The Stand, 13:30–15:30, Free

Improvised lunchtime comedy favourite with resident cheeky chappies Stu & Garry.

Mon 21 May

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

Fit O’ The Giggles City Café, 20:30–22:30, £3 (£2)

Red Raw The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Mon 28 May

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

Keara Murphy hosts a selection of acts taking in sketches, stand-up, mime, musical comedy, poetry, magic, and, well, pretty much anything else they fancy.

May 2012

THE SKINNY 69

LISTINGS

Art

GLASGOW

Glasgow Print Studio

Offshore

Trancendental Roof Party

Mike McLeod and Gordy Livingstone

until 27 may (not Mon), times vary, free

CCA Is There Anything To See Here, Is There Anything To Do?

Bold and refined works from ‘New Glasgow Boy’ Adrian Wiszniewski. As part of GI Festival.

various dates between 20 Apr and 2 Jun, 11:00am – 6:00pm, Free

Artist Rob Kennedy presents his new CCA commission, in which he incorporates work by other artists to deliberately interject and comment on his own visual language and method. Part of GI Festival.

Cyril Gerber Fine Art

Olivia Bliss

Glasgow-based interdisciplinary artist Olivia Bliss presents a series of works exploring ecology through art, as part of Glasgow Print Studios 40th anniversary celebrations.

Kelvingrove 500 Years of Italian Art

New exhibition of Scottish landscapes by Tom H Shanks, alongside some familiar scenes and several early works.

Summer exhibition showcasing the best of Glasgow Museums’ impressive collection of Italian art, taking in some 40 paintings dating from the late 14th to the 19th centuries.

until 12 aug, times vary, free

It Is Is It

David Dale Gallery and Studios

until 7 may, times vary, free

A group of young artists with disabilities explore, share and respond to the vast range of spaces and objects found at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove. Part of GI Festival.

Kilian Ruthemann and Kate V Robertson

until 20 May, 12:00pm – 7:00pm, Free

New site specific installations

by Kilian Ruthemann and Kate V Robertson, intended to disrupt the viewer’s perception of space and its properties. Part of GI Festival.

Alasdair Gray: City Recorder until 10 Jun, times vary, Free

Showcase of work from the celebrated Glasgow artist and playwright, focusing on his City Recorder series – a large body of work that Gray created as an ‘artist recorder’ for the City of Glasgow in 1977.

Alan Dimmick

until 13 may, times vary, free

Over 300 photographs from the archive of Glasgow-based photographer Alan Dimmick, focusing on his unique documentation of people, places and events that have contributed to Scotland’s reputation as a vibrant centre for the contemporary visual arts.

Project Ability The World Awaits (For More Info)

until 26 may (not sun or mon), times vary, free

A series of new works within various dialogues – formed by notes, stories, urgent calligraphies and textual abstractions.

Project Room Studium

11 may - 16 may, times vary, free

The HND Contemporary Art Practice students at City of Glasgow College exhibit a collection of contemporary art intended to engage and amuse in equal measure.

Recoat Gallery

Richard Wright

Drawing Daggers

Special exhibition of works by the Glasgow-based artist and 2009 Turner Prize winner, brought together from galleries, museums and private collections across the globe. Part of GI Festival.

Solo exhibition from emerging, Stirlingbased artist Rue Five, taking in a series of drawings, paintings, large scale installations and sculptures.

until 24 jun, times vary, free

Gallery of Modern Art

Joint exhibition from the recent DJCAD graduates, each using found materials and objects to create paintings, collages and drawings.

4 May - 3 June, times vary, free

A Scottish Master: Landscapes and Other Works Until 16 May, times vary, free

5 may - 25 may, times vary, free

until 6 may, times vary, free

SWG3

Mary Mary Midnight Scenes and Other Works until 2 jun, times vary, free

New body of sculptural objects from Lorna Macintyre, exhibited alongside a display of works on paper, digital animation and cyanotypes, all reflecting on the building’s original function as a hotel.

#UNRAVEL

until 7 May, times vary, Free

New collaborative project between FOUND and Aidan Moffat; a reactive sound installation through which the audience will attempt to unravel the truth about The Narrator’s life through playing records from his collection. Part of GI Festival.

Withhold Meaning

Mono Record Store Exhibition until 7 may, times vary, free

Exhibition of 12-inch record covers made by 20 Scottish artists with a strong interest in, or connection to, making music, housed in Mono’s inhouse record store, Monorail Records.

Scotland Street School Museum

The Duchy

Collective Gallery

Open Eye Gallery

Talbot Rice Gallery

DAZZLER

Grace Schwindt

Chris Bushe

Alison Turnbull

New project by artist Ruth Ewan which explores Glasgow’s Socialist Sunday School movement, a secular alternative to church Sunday Schools.

Part of GI Festival.

Pio Abad’s immersive installation consisting of digitally-printed wallpaper, sculptures and poster works. Part of GI Festival.

The German artist takes over Collective, premiering her new film, Tenant, which tells the story of a woman who rented a room in her Grandparent’s home during the Second World War.

New paintings by landscape artist Chris Bushe, whose love for the coast has drawn him to scenes of the Mediterranean and the Western Isles of Scotland alike.

Collection of Alison Turnbull’s paintings and drawings, plus an interactive installation for which she has been exploring the mineral collection at the National Museums of Scotland and Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours.

Skypark 1

CHERNOZEM: KINO!

The Glasgow Schools

until 6 may (not mon), times vary, free

Art Pistol: Temporary Art Gallery

4 - 13 May, times vary, free

Pop-up shop from The Art Pisto; crew, with just ten days to see and buy from this unique and plentiful collection of artists

Street Level Photoworks

Book now:

www.glasgowconcerthalls.com T: 0141 353 8000

The Lighthouse Ambitious off-site project from The Duchy, showcasing new artwork by a selection of Scotland’s strongest young artists – with Rachel Adams, Katri Walker and Laura Yuile amongst them. Part of GI Festival.

The Arches

WS

Blind Plotting

A collection of 22 emerging Scottish digital and traditional artists display their work over a mini four-day run.

until 7 may, times vary, free

Group exhibition of installation and sculpture works concerned with theatricality as critical vocabulary.

until 7 may, times vary, free

18 - 21 may, times vary, free

Tramway

The Common Guild

The Making Of Us

Wolfgang Tillmans

Latest collaboration between theatre director Graham Eatough and visual artist Graham Fagen, combining elements of visual art installation and promenade theatre. Part of GI Festival.

20 Apr – 23 Jun, times vary, Free

Diverse overview of Wolfgang Tillman’s work, featuring an important group of works acquired by the Arts Council Collection alongside a number of new works selected by the artist.

Part of GI Festival.

until 6 may, times vary, free

Kelly Nipper: Black Forest until 7 May, times vary, Free

LA-based artist Kelly Nipper presents an ambitious new body of work incorporating elements of dance, textiles and print. Part of GI Festival.

Lis Rhodes

25 May – 24 Jun, not 28 May, 4 Jun, 11 Jun, 18 Jun, times vary, Free

Selection of films that encompass performance, photography, composition, writing and political commentary, including Rhodes’ inspired film made without a camera, Dresden Dynamo.

www.andrewbird.net

Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow

85A Collective present the world premiere of their first short film; a hair-raising, multi-chambered ‘total cinema’ experience showing half-hourly between 9pm and 11pm.

Part of GI Festival.

Photographic project that explores the alternative world of ‘the counterculture’, from communes in the South of France to squatting in South London.

New album Break It Yourself out now on Bella Union

Friday 8 June, 8pm

various dates between 20 Apr and 5 May, 9:00pm – 11:00pm, £10 (£8)

Arrives In Starting

until 6 may (not mon), times vary, free

Group show featuring the work of Max Prus, Jose Eduardo Yaque Llorente and Diego Chamy, with each artist investigating the semantics of artistic sincerity and ironic jest.

andrewbird with special guests

The Glue Factory

Marjolaine Ryley: Growing Up in the New Age

until 5 may, various dates, times vary, free

It’s A Small World Presents

until 19 may, various dates, times vary, free

“He’s the Suzukitrained violinist with an astonishing whistle; the musical chameleon as at ease with jazz as he is with folk and pop. There’s no doubting his genius…

Bewitching.”

The Guardian

Urban Outfitters The Skinny Showcase Shop 11 May – 30 Jun, times vary, Free

Unique exhibition featuring seven Scottish artists handpicked

by The Skinny from previous Skinny Showcase artists – with the full collection of works available to buy via theskinny.co.uk/shop.

The Skinny Showcase Shop: Opening Night

10 May, 6:00pm – 9:00pm, Free

Launch of a unique exhibition featuring seven Scottish artists handpicked

by The Skinny from previous Skinny Showcase artists, with complimentary drinks and entertainment on the night.

Full collection of works available to buy via theskinny.co.uk/shop.

EDINBURGH Amber Arts In Edinburgh

24 may - 21 july, times vary, free

Edinburgh-based artist Trina Bohan Tyrie presents a collection of urban and rural oil paintings describing the surrounding landscape and seasons.

City Art Centre A Parliament of Lines

5 may - 8 july, times vary, free

Collective exhibition from fifteen contemporary Scottish artists, all of whom use drawing as an important element in their practice – including work from delightful Glasgow doodler David Shrigley.

Terrain

5may - 8 july, times vary, free

A selection of works from a unique artist collection amassed in 1963 – offering school children access to original art – takes on its first public display, with works from the likes of Elizabeth Blackadder, Barbara Rae and William Littlejohn.

Art and the Garden

5 may - 8 july, times vary, free

Glasgow Life and its service brands including Glasgow Libraries (found at www.glasgowlife.org.uk) are operating names of Culture and Sport Glasgow.

70 THE SKINNY

May 2012

New exhibition exploring the relationship between artists and gardens, including a variety of paintings, drawings and photographs amassed from the city’s fine art collection.

until 27 may (not mon), times vary, free

Dovecot Studios Ptolemy Mann: The Architecture of Cloth, Colour and Space

until - 9 may (not sun), times vary, free

Matthew Draper

14 may - 29 may (not sun), times vary, free

4 may - 26 may (not sun), times vary, free

New collection of pastels by Matthew Draper, portraying the city and seascapes around Edinburgh and East Lothian.

Amy Duncan

CURiO Gallery Edinburgh: Oxfam Art Fair

Retrospective exhibition from the late tapestry weaver, taking in delicate tapestry samples and sketch books, alongside larger pieces loaned by private collections.

CURiO Gallery Edinburgh presents a sale of original paintings, objet d’art, prints, vintage, antique jewellery and more in aid of Oxfam, with prices ranging from the affordable to highly collectable.

Unique collection of on-off, woven architectural works by Ptolemy Mann – oft employing her signature ikat dying technique.

9 may - 19 may, times vary, free

Edinburgh College of Art ECA Fashion Show 2012 23–25 May, times vary, £15

The ECA’s Fashion, Performance Costume, and Textile graduating students host their annual run of shows, taking their creations to a catwalk setting.

Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh Napier University’s Annual Degree Show 25 may - 1 jun, times vary, free

Annual showcase exhibition of the finest work from students in the School of Arts and Creative industries

Edinburgh Printmakers New Print Generation

25 may - 1 jun, times vary, free

Emerging talent showcase of graduate work from across the four Scottish Art College Degree Shows, spanning a wide variety of printmaking techniques, and including work from Skinny favourite Rachel MacLean.

Fruitmarket Gallery Tony Swain

until 1 jul, times vary, free

The Irish-born, GSA graduating, artist – best known for his paintings depicting complex private worlds painted over newspaper pages – presents a new body of work created specially for Fruitmarket Gallery.

Ingleby Gallery Callum Innes: Works on Paper

until 14 jul (not sun), times vary, free

The Edinburgh-born artist shows an exhibition of three new bodies of work in watercolour, pastel and gouache shown alongside selected works on paper from the past 25 years.

Inverleith House Thomas Houseago: The Beat Of The Show

various dates between 30 Nov and 21 Jun, 10:00am – 5:30pm, Free

The first major outdoor exhibition of sculptures by British artist Thomas Houseago, comprising of new and recent large-scale works, mostly in bronze. Sculpture map available from Inverleith House reception.

William McKeown

19 may - 8 jul (not mon), times vary, free

First posthumous exhibition of paintings from the Edinburgh-based, County Tyrone native, exploring his relationship with nature in both meticulous watercolour drawings of wild flowers and and expansive paintings of the light of day.

Old Ambulance Depot The Middle Place

4 may - 13 may, times vary, free

To coincide with the opening of The Onaway Trust Library, artists David Lemm, Jamie Johnson and Al White host an exhibition of new works reimagining themes found within the histories and cultures of indigenous peoples.

Drill Hall 18 May, 7:00pm – 9:30pm, Free

Rock and Mineral

25 May, 10:00am – 5:00pm, Free

A group of fabric and fibre artists use fabric to explore the themed concept of caves.

Red Door Gallery

until 5 may, times vary, free

James Cumming

until 5 may, times vary, free

Retrospective exhibition of work from the late ECA tutor, taking in paintings from every decade of his career, plus sketchbooks and preparatory materials reflecting the level of research and design that enriched his work.

The Outhouse Convergence

until 19 may, times vary, free

Joint exhibition from Scottish illustrators Dwayne Bell and Lucy MacLeod, combining their mutual obsessions with mid 20th Century lifestyle illustration, pulp fiction covers and vintage comic books.

Whitespace Stephen Thorpe

until 10 may, times vary, free

Architect and illustrator David Fleck showcases a selection of portraits of city life, presented as a collection limited edition screenprints, digital prints and 3D models.

We liked the RSA’s batch of New Contemporaries for 2011 so much that we decided to give one of them a prize. And here is the fruits: a solo exhibition by artist Stephen Thorpe, displaying his beautifully vibrant oil on canvas works.

RSA

DUNDEE

David Fleck

until 3 may, times vary, free

The 186th RSA Annual Exhibition until 6 jun, times vary, free

Annual highlight featuring RSA Academicians and selected submissions from leading and emerging artists from across Scotland, this year with the theme of ‘The Artist’s Studio’.

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art The Sculpture Show

17 Dec – 24 Jun, 10:00am – 5:00pm, Free

Giving themselves over to sculpture in all it’s many forms, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art host a sculptural showcase of works moving from the 1900s to present day.

Edvard Munch: Graphic Works from The Gundersen Collection

7 Apr – 23 Sep, 10:00am – 5:00pm, £7 (£5)

Collection of fifty works on paper by the famed Norwegian artist, taken from a private Norwegian collection, and showing in the UK for the first time.

Scottish National Portrait Gallery Romantic Camera

30 Nov – 3 Jun, times vary, Free

Presenting their first exhibition since the grand re-opening, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery explore the highly charged relationship between romanticism and photography in Scotland.

Farmscapes

until 3 jun, times vary, free

The Magnum photographer Stuart Franklin captures the diversity of agricultural production in Scotland, reminding us of the significance of farming to the national economy.

Scottish Storytelling Centre Boyling Point

12 may - 8 jun, times vary, free

Selection of political cartoons by Frank Boyle, cartoonist in residence at the Edinburgh Evening News.

St John’s Church Sights and Sounds

29 Apr – 19 May, not 2 May, 9 May, 16 May, times vary, Free

First solo exhibition from talented young artist Ellie Fraser, featuring oil colour and oil bar landscapes and cityscapes in a range of scales. All works will be for sale, with prints of other works available on request.

Stills La Nostra Terra

until 22 jul, times vary, free

Exhibition of Italian photography and video moving from the 1970s to present today.

Centrespace Boris Gerrets: 3 Films

until 19 may (not sun), times vary, free

Showcase exhibition of Boris Gerrets’ award-winning experimental documentary, People I Could Have Been and Maybe Am, alongside a selection of previous film work.

DCA Scott Myles: This Production

until 10 jun (not mon), times vary, free

First major UK solo show for Dundeeborn and educated artist Scott Myles, featuring a mix of new works including an expansive site-specific installation, new sculpture works and prints made in the DCA Print Studio.

Drouthy’s Michael Corr

10 May, 7:00pm – 9:00pm, Free

Duncan of Jordanstone graduate Michael Corr showcases his new series of large scale oil portraits, inspired by the extremes of human emotion.

The evening will be soundtracked by live music from The Mixups.

Duncan of Jordanstone Duncan of Jordanstone Degree Show 2012

19 may - 27 may, times vary, free

Annual degree show from the graduating students at Duncan of Jordanstone School of Art and Design.

Generator Projects The Had Four Years: 2012

19 may - 10 jun, various dates, times vary, free

Triple-header exhibition from a trio of Scottish graduates: Edinburgh College of Art’s Calvin Laing, Duncan of Jordanstone’s Neil Nodzak and Glasgow School of Art’s Romany Dear.

The McManus The Scottish Colourist Series: FCB Cadell

until 17 jun, times vary, free

The McManus play host to a selection of works from the highly-acclaimed FCB Cadell exhibition, organised by the National Galleries of Scotland.

music

THE OUTBACK

T rac k - by-trac k : E l- P U n v e i ls C a n cer 4 C ure

C RY S TA L B AW S WITH MYSTIC MARK

Pushing hip-hop ever forward with his first full-blown album in five years, the maverick Brooklyn producer explains Cancer4Cure’s compelling origins

Request Denied I was thinking about how clear and simple I saw things when I was young and growing up in New York. Not that life wasn’t complicated; more that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I wasn’t fucking with the institutions that were presented to me. Instead of school, we cut class and ran around the city skating, doing graff, getting fucked up. But it wasn’t about oblivion; it was about living.

The song sort of skims over my childhood.

I talk about early life, sitting on my father’s lap listening to him play piano and how peaceful that was. Then about when he left and me, my mother and my three sisters moved to Brooklyn from Manhattan when I was seven. That’s where I found my friends, my music and my general direction. The idea of ‘Request Denied’ is harnessing that energy you had when you were young and feeling alive and indestructible. The idea that this world is yours for the taking and despite everything being rigged to essentially kill you, or to even ask that you kill yourself, you will not comply for anyone.

The Full Retard I always had that Camu Tao line in my head. ‘So you can pump this shit… like they do in the future.’ That shit is just brilliant.

Instead of making a song about ‘the future’ I just ended up making a joint about how I saw reality. It was also on some ‘I’m back, motherfuckers’ shit. I just wanted people to know I’m coming out swinging.

Works Every Time This is a song about trying to escape reality and using every trick in the book to do it, despite knowing that even that escape isn’t the truth or good for you. It’s for anyone who has ever had substance abuse issues or used drugs or alcohol regularly at any point in their lives because they just didn’t want to be alone with their own thoughts.

It’s the idea that purchasing a bag of drugs or a pill or a drink is like purchasing a ticket to shuttle to a new world; the only problem is that after a while that doesn’t work the way you want it to and you find yourself wanting to go home from that world almost immediately. ‘It’s like a fresh start on a new world… and I already wanna go home.’

Drones Over BKLYN This is about a fever dream I had of drones hovering over my building; sniffing around; taking flicks; following me. A few months after I wrote this song all the articles about local law enforcement using drones in American cities started popping up.

Oh Hail No Basically this was just about being broke and being an underdog but having pride at the same time; about not bowing to anyone or anything. Some rebel shit from the garbage. Me, [Mr. Muthafuckin’] eX[quire] and Danny [Brown] all had different takes on it, but that’s the common theme.

Tougher Colder Killer I had the hook for this for a few years and loved it, but couldn’t figure out what the hell it was about. Eventually it hit me and I wrote the first verse from the perspective of a man who had killed in the battlefield on order from his superiors and felt tremendous guilt as to how it went down. His victim essentially told him that ultimately he would

besides love, ‘cause I don’t deserve that. It’s the idea that you almost can’t trust anyone who loves you, because on a lot of levels you don’t love yourself. Of course I don’t always feel this way, but it’s occurred to me.

Sign Here Just a song about sex and control. The push and pull of power between people and how they use each other to let go of the façade of themselves. The relinquishing of control for someone you trust. It’s the idea that sexual domination isn’t inherently sinister. At the same time, I used it as an excuse to say something about the nature of interrogation in general, although not in a positive or negative way. Just examining some of the strangeness of that.

For My Upstairs Neighbor One of the last songs I wrote on the album, inspired by overhearing a stream of verbal abuse coming from my upstairs neighbors.

A fictional story based on that, about how a small encounter in a hallway led to murder, and how I was fine with that and refused to say shit to the cops. Happy stuff.

Stay Down Basically descending into madness. It’s the place on the record where I finally snap from the bullshit. I did the tragic cackle at the end in one take. It came naturally.

answer to God. That exchange drove him a bit mad and he went AWOL, rejecting everything associated with the military.

The verse is him penning an apology to his victim’s mother. The first line ‘to the mother of my enemy: I just killed your son’ is based on a short story my godfather wrote which essentially had the same opening line.

The second verse is essentially the flipside of that perspective. The soldier’s in the shit, killing everything in sight. I just wanted me, [Killer] Mike and Despot to inhabit that killer mentality and just go straight apeshit. We did.

True Story This is just a quick palm read on how I see shit going down right now; another peek behind the curtain. I took my dude Heems [of Das Racist]’s vocal chop from the joint I produced on Relax and flipped it through the song. There were about eight versions of this beat before I landed on this one.

The Jig Is Up This was about looking at the woman you are with and thinking ‘Why are you with me?

I’m crazy.’ Basically indulging that paranoid idea that there must be some other reason this amazing woman is putting up with me

$4vic The first song I wrote for the record, in 2008 after my friend [Camu Tao] passed away. I was in a pretty dark place. For me, it was about acknowledging and respecting the elements of weirdness, darkness and self-destruction I had learned to know so well and saying goodbye to them. It’s about deciding that enough is enough and that I’m going to live a different way and not let those things dominate me. It’s also about wearing that stuff proudly. Not being ashamed of being weak or of being confused, but it simply being time to move on from that. It’s about saying ‘I know darkness, so what the fuck are you going to do to me?’

FTL (Me and You) I had this verse from the weareallgoingtoburninhellmeggamixx2. It’s the one thing I wanted on this record that had been heard before. I just felt like I wanted to end the record with a statement of hope, dark as it may be in context. For me it’s about finding strength in a hopeless place.

Cancer4Cure is released via Fat Possum on 21 May cancer4cure.blogspot.com

ARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR You’ve always told people you were an ‘animal lover’ but no-one ever thought you meant literally. In May you experience love at first sight when you and a sheep catch each other’s eyes across a crowded barn. People will tell you the relationship is wrong, but how can something so wrong feel so right and warm and moist?

a

TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY By night you scour the winding maze of internet alleyways like a bum-thirsty sex priest.

b

GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN Called up to fight the Taurans in an inter-stellar dream war your imagination is blown off by a landmine and your third eye is blinded by a photon catapult. You are the first of many a casualty in this meaningless and non-existent REM crusade.

Awakening, you shower and go to work, feeling weighed down by all the brains that died in your head last night.

c

CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL Like a majestic dolphin you swim free through the clear blue waters of life, enjoying sexplay with your brothers and sisters and raping every available hole in a drowning fisherman with a pod of your triumphant brethren.

d

LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG Unsurprisingly you’re late for work this month after you throw yourself under that train.

e

VIRGO 24 AUG – 23 SEP Venus, the planet of eating disorders, goes retrograde in your Bulimic Wellness Chart this month. But unless you can find some way of making vomit come out of your arse, that swollen bum is going to continue looking like a wasp-stung tumour whenever you look in the mirror.

f

LIBRA 24 SEP – 23 OCT Librans make great business people, their ‘inner child’ generating innovation and insight. Sadly right before a big meeting your inner child is abducted by a ghostly paedogeist in a white van made of smoke and nightmares.

g

SCORPIO 24 OCT – 22 NOV Quite right, it almost definitely wasn’t that ecstasy sandwich at 4 in the morning that caused you to miss your Job Centre Plus interview, it was that Illuminati chemtrail you saw yesterday that administered a tranquiliser directly into your subconscious.

h

i

SAGITTARIUS 23 NOV – 21 DEC

Good things are happening to you this month. The end of the month, for instance.

j

CAPRICORN 22 DEC – 20 JAN

As ridiculous as it sounds, some brainwashed idiots still think that tribal people were capable of building pyramids and even entire civilisations all by themselves without the help of aliens.

For these sheeple, only the enlightening glow of the History Channel can awaken them.

AQUARIUS 21 JAN – 19 FEB Your technical skills in achieving your fetish goals reach new heights this month when you successfully scuba dive inside a whale’s vagina for a wank.

k

PISCES 20 FEB – 20 MAR Billions of years of bullying come to a head in May after Pluto ‘does a Columbine’ in response to being downgraded from a planet named after a Greek god to merely ‘a lump of useless shit.’ Mercury, the sole survivor, cries a super-dense tear: the only thing that will ever enter your sign again.

l

May 2012

THE SKINNY 71