The Skinny January 2007

SOUNDS www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

41

NEXT ISSUE FEB 2007

DJ HELL

THE INTERNATIONAL DEEJAY GIGOLO, AND THE SKINNY

HOT FUZZ

THE SHAUN OF THE DEAD TEAM ARE BACK WITH THEIR TAKE ON THE COP-BUDDY MOVIE

DEATH TO THE PS2 WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE LAST, LAST-GEN CONSOLE’S GLORY DAYS

AMON TOBIN EDDIE MURPHY ICE CLIMBING OSCARS PREVIEW AEREOGRAMME

THE SKINNY TEAM * THE SKIN PUBLISHER MANAGING EDITORS

MARKETING MANAGER GLASGOW MANAGER DEPUTY EDITOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR PRODUCTION EDITOR SUBEDIT & ART MUSIC GLASGOW MUSIC BEATS CLUBS LISTINGS ONLINE ASSISTANT ONLINE FILM THEATRE BOOKS LGBT GAMES DVD FASHION EDITOR LAYOUT ASSISTANCE

PROOFING ASSISTANCE

FATSO MEDIA LTD SOPHIE KYLE & XAVIER TOBY MIKE MCGRAIL GRAEME PARK RUPERT THOMSON CHARLOTTE RODENSTEDT JANE FENTON JAY SHUKLA DAVE KERR GARETH K. VILE ALEX BURDEN & BRAM GIEBEN ANDREW COOKE ALEX KIRK PAUL MITCHELL PAUL GREENWOOD HUGO FLUENDY KEIR HIND NINE JOSH WILSON ALEC MCLEOD CLAIRE MORRISON IAN SINKAMBA KAY BENNETT KIM CARPENTER EMMA BREMNER ROBBIE THOMSON SARA BONTHRONE MIKE DUFFY

CONTRIBUTORS The Staff of Alphabet Video, Graeme Allister, Liam Arnold, Finbarr Bermingham, Ilani Blanke, Jamie Borthwick, Tom Brogan, Ally Brown, Taliska Burgess, Peter Burns, Bradley C, Maris Cather, Chris Catley Stephen Carty, Colin Chapman, Dave Cook, Charlotte Cooper, Declan Dineen, Natalie Doyle, Michael Duffy, Neil Ferguson, Hugo Fluendy, Duncan Forgan, Simone Gray, Paul Greenwood, Gabriella Griffith, Jasper Hamill, Billy Hamilton, Roger Haruki, Vince Hillaire, Ben Howe, Damien Hughes, Barry Jackson, Kate Joester, Ema Johnston, Diana Kiernander, Hamza Khan, Margaret Kirk, Laslo Kovak, Andrea Krudde, Omar Kudos, Rose Lindgren, Ted M, Ali Maloney, Paul Matusavage, Milo McLaughlin, Alec Mcleod, Sean Mcnamara, Colan Mehaffey, Sean Michaels, Nick Mitchell, Paul Mitchell, Lauren Mooney, Zach Morris, Jonny Ogg, Struan Otter, Graeme Park, Julie Paterson, Chris Pickering, Tony the Pony, Mic Psych, Dave Reid, Angus Ross, Jon Seller, Keira Sinclair, Solescience, David Stewart, Karen Taggart, Garry Thomson, Timothy Weir, Michael Whitam, Alex Woodward

PHOTOGRAPHERS Lorenzo D’Alberto, Jane Fenton, Ed Fisher, Charlotte Rodenstedt, Alex Woodward, Stu Younger, David Winton, Mike Byrne, Kristina Milic, Lisa Divine

CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website for

details

EDITORIAL Merry New Year peeps! The world is a year older, you are, and The Skinny is too. Long may this happy relationship last.

But January tends to bring all kinds of guilty feelings to the fore, and our happiest indulgences tend to get the axe. Chocolate, booze and fags are the favourite cast offs. The Skinny likes chocolate booze and fags more than most: we risk feeling particularly disheartened.

And it’s cold in January. The season of good will to all men and DFS sofas to all homes has quickly dissipated, and everyone is booking their easyjets to the sunshine.

Might as well give up on Scotland.

But NO! Your trusty Skinny has not succumbed to despondency, and is showing you a whole new face: a new year, a new look. Storming into Oh Seven in full

LISTINGS/ONLINE

LISTINGS/ONLINE AT WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

THE SKINNY

IAIN ANDERSON IN CONVERSATION : IAN MCCALMAN, CONCERT HALL, 12.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, colour, The Skinny is sleeker, brighter and, as always, the magazine is packed full of mayzin things to do.

Sentimentality and habit can hold a vice-like grip on those who are already content – as surely we were – and it was hard to make the decision. But to hell with personal attachments: we re-designed The Skinny anyway. After a glorious 15 issues in Mr Stu Younger’s Skinny world (he was our first Creative Director), we now present Charlotte’s take on it all. We think what she has done looks fucking ace.

Do you care? The only person we were really worried about was you. (A readership is a great amorphous mass, not the sort of dude you want to meet down a dark alley, let alone meet in a fight.) Every design decision was made with your ageing priorities in mind.

There’s more white to reflect the light off your ever-

wrinkling gobbles (hold the Skinny under your chin while you read down your nose). There are crisper section colours to aid those ageing eyes as they navigate the paper. And there are fewer colour boxes to keep our pages and your fingers cleaner. It’s a veritable lifesupport machine of a listings magazine.

The address hasn’t changed letters@skinnymag.co.uk.

And nor, deep down, have we.

CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Website

for details

EDDI READER AND FRIENDS WITH DECLAN O’ROURKE, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

site for details

FLUTES OF THE WORLD, CITY HALLS, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

BALLADS OF THE BOOK, CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : DUNDEE AND ANGUS, HOSTED BY DORIS ROUGVIE, UNIVERSAL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details THE BLACK VELVETS, BARFLY, 8pm, £5.00

Bampots thegither.

THE MAGIC CARPET CABARET, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO

Enjoy…

LANE, Jim McAteer presents a night of singer songwriters

and bands, 8pm, £2

xx

TOMMY O’SULLIVAN WITH CHRIS STOUT AND CATRIONA MACKAY, THE NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

TROY MACGILLIVRAY WITH CANTERACH, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website

for details

COMPETITIONS

HAVE A LOOK FOR MORE SKINNY FREEBIES AT WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK, ALONG WITH OUR COMPETITION REGULATIONS. THE DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS 20 JANUARY UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED. SEND YOUR ANSWERS, ALONG WITH YOUR NAME, ADDRESS AND CONTACT NO. TO: COMPETITIONS@SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

WINE, WOMEN AND SONG WITH GRETCHEN PETERS, MATRACA BERG AND SUZY BOGGUSS WITH GUEST DEAN OWENS, ABC, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

WED 31 JAN Ilk are designing some new t-shirts, and would like your help. If you do so, you stand to win a free Ilk industries t-shirt of your choice. They have 4 to give away Over the past few years Ilk have gone for as wide a range of colours as possible. But sometimes, you just cant find the colours you want. They want to know what colour you’ve been waiting for to finally complete your wardrobe.

Hamilton’s bar and grill in Stockbridge, Edinburgh has a well-earned reputation as one of Edinburgh’s finest ale-centric eateries. They’re offering a lucky Skinny reader, and partner, the chance to head on down and enjoy a meal for 2 and a bottle of champagne.

Visit WWW.HAMILTONSBAR.CO.UK to have a look at what fine surroundings you will be prileged to enjoy. Then, to be in with a chance of winning, answer our devilish question below.

A hostelry that specialises in good grub is:

ADVERTISING SALES INFORMATION

(B) A FIDELCASTRO-PUB

Email: SKINNY@SKINNYMAG.CO.UK Phone: 0131 467 4630 Distribution: The Skinny is distributed monthly Though a network of bars, clubs, retail outlets, music stores, cafes, venues, hostels and lifestyle centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow. If you would like to be on the distribution list please contact

(C) A GASTRO-PUB

SKINNY@SKINNYMAG.CO.UK.

details

IAIN ANDERSON IN CONVERSATION : RICHARD HOLLOWAY, CONCERT HALL, 12.30pm, see Celtic Connec-

“You see bands that sound just exactly like The Libertines. And their influences were The Libertines. That’s their sole, stock influence.

People literally don’t get it. Even the Arctic Monkeys do it. They’re obviously a talented band. They did a couple of covers. One of them was a song called ‘Put Your Dukes Up, John’ by the Little Flames, which I thought was a pretty cool track. And the other one they just described as, ‘some soul track from the 60s or something.’ Those were their words.

People just don’t really seem to care. There’s no appreciation, they’re not bothered about the background of the music they like in the first place.”

tions Website for details

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, for details

COWBOY JUNKIES WITH SUPPORT, ABC, Soft country psychedelia, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details DONEGAL CONNECTIONS, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details SWITCHES, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £6.00

CEOLRAIDH: : NORRIE MACIVER WITH JULIE FOWLIS AND SHONA MOONEY WITH JOHN MCCUSKER, THE NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections

Website for details

JEAN-MICHEL VEILLON WITH JAMIE MCMENEMY AND FRIENDS, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE, 8pm, see

(A) AN ASTRO-PUB

Tasty.

SOUNDS

HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website for

CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Website

Go to WWW.ILKINDUSTRIES.COM/SKINNY to register your favourite colour.

They’ll try and feature the most desired answer in their new collection.

The winners will be picked out of a hat at random to receive a garment of their choice. *competition closes: 29th January

What better way to treat that special someone in the run up to Valentine’s Day?

COVER ILLUSTRATION: LUCY MACLEOD, WWW.LUCYMACLEOD.COM

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CONCERT

Independent Scottish publishers Canongate are offering one lucky literary reader the chance to win a copy of each of their exciting January releases (below). To be in with a chance of winning a copy, tell us the correct name of the classic Canongate sci-fi novel by novel by Alasdair Gray; is it: (A) A HISTORY MAKER

(B) A HISTORY FAKER

Celtic Connections Website for details SWITCHES + THE KICK, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £6.00 LECORUM, BLOC, 8pm, Free

MCCALMANS AND FRIENDS WITH THE WHITE HARE BAND, CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

MICHAEL SIMONS, TCHAI OVNA, SOUTHSIDE, folk, blues

(C) A HISTORY FAKIR

and beyond from this fingerstyle guitarist, 8pm, £2

THE PRIZE: The Successor – Ismail Kadare, Bukowski Locked in the Arms of a Crazy Life - Howard Sounes

In My Skin - Kate Holden, Graffiti My Soul - Niven Govinden, The Paris Review interviews - ed by Philip Gourevitch

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 DC Thomson Issue 16 January 2007 © fatso media ltd

MULTI-COLOURED SPEAKEASY, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, open mic night hosted by Tom Snowball, 8pm, free

SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : AYRSHIRE, DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY, HOSTED BY DORIS ROUGVIE,

REVIEWS

THEATRE

FILM:

Daniel Kitson’s play/monologue C-90 was considered a triumph at this year’s Fringe. Declan Dineen looks forward to the one-man-show’s visit to The Arches in the Theatre Section (page 22), but we also managed to secure an interview with the magnificent Mr K. Here’s a taster of what he had to say:

Eragon, Flags of Our Fathers, Night at the Museum, Apocalypto

GAMES: Tony Hawks Downhill Jam For Nintendo DS BOOKS:

Projections: the Director’s Cut edited by John Boorman and Walter Donohue, Paula Spencer by Roddy Doyle

WAS THE PROCESS OF WRITING C-90 VERY DIFFERENT TO HOW YOU WOULD USUALLY WRITE YOUR STAND UP MATERIAL? DO YOU FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE PERFORMING EXPLICITLY

THEATRE:

WRITTEN WORK?

Butterfly

nections Website for details

The writing of C-90 was the most intensive and pressured writing of a piece of work I’ve ever done. Story writing is always different to stand up, in that it’s genuinely written; stand up is more evolutionary in process.

Yes, you heard, evolutionary in process. I said that. You ask me to talk about the “process” and I’m going to give you both barrels. That was one. Here comes the other...

THE END OF THE MONTH CLUB: PIXEL 8 / CRISIS PROJECT (& GUEST VOCALIST GAYLE) / BOZILLA / + FRIENDS, 13TH NOTE, 8pm, £5.00 REAL WORLD, OLD FRUITMARKET, 9pm, see Celtic ConBORIS YELTSIN LOVE XI PLUS EPIC 26, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4

FLOOD OF RED, SUBWAY COWGATE, TBC, £5 LEE PATTERSON, WHISTLE BINKIES, Local troubadour. See

THEY’LL HAVE TO BE SENT IN BATCHES OF THREE BECAUSE THE SYSTEM PREVENTS LARGE ATTACHMENTS by Lewis Hosie

photo: www.factionphotography.com

details

UNIVERSAL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

THE SKINNY TEAM * THE SKIN

GREAT WHITE HYPES THE HORRORS TALK STYLE OVER CONTENT (AND VICE VERSA) WITH BEN HOWE, SEE THE INTERVIEW ONLINE

THE DAMAGE ROOM PLUS RUBIX TORCH, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free

THE USUAL SUSPECTS, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4 THE GREAT JAM SESSION, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free TOBY SPENCE PLUS JULIAN MILFORD, THE QUEEN’S HALL, 7.45pm, £17-£10 (£15-£9)

WYLDFLOWER PLUS THE WYND, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free

SOUNDS:

ALBUMS: Cancer Bats - Birthing the Giant, Freshfabrik

FULL INTERVIEW IS ON WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

our album review in Sounds, 6pm, Free

Daniel Kitson

FILM

Tales of the Arabian Nights, Madama

- Finest, Ghost - In Stormy Nights, Kling Klang- The Esthetik Of Destruction, Make Good Your Escape Never Come Back Here Again, Mudbone - Fresh Mud, Neurosonic - Drama Queen.

SINGLES: Conan and the Mockasins - ‘Sneaky Sneaky Dog Friend’, Idlewild - ‘If It Takes You Home’, Impure Thoughts - ‘Take On The World’, Indigo Moss - ‘Start Over Again / See See Rider’, La Puma - ‘Slave For The Rabbit Boy’, Pull Tiger Tail - ‘Mr 100 Percent’

BEATS:

The estate of Alfred Hitchcock has taken out a restraining order against director Brian De Palma, forbidding him from going within 100 yards of the late auteur’s grave. De Palma, without an original thought since 1983, was last seen attempting to disinter the bumchinned thrillmeister, while screaming “I know you’re holding out on me! Give me more ideas!”

ALBUMS: Dirtcrew - Presents Collection 01, Faithless - To All New Arrivals, Swollen Members - Black Magic

MORE FROM THE HOLLYWOOD JUICER ON WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK Hitchcock & De Palma

4

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

LISTINGS THE SKINNY

ONLINE

Eragon review online

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

61

GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 IAIN ANDERSON IN CONVERSATION : KARINE POLWART, CONCERT HALL, 12.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

site for details

BBC RADIO 2 “RADIO BALLADS”, CONCERT HALL,

7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

DICK GAUGHAN “HANDFUL OF EARTH”, CITY HALLS, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details RAY LA MONTAGNE, CLYDE AUDITORIUM, 7.30pm, £17.50 JESSE MALIN, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £10.00 ANDREW BRADLEY, BLOC, 8pm, Free

DIDIER SQUIBAN QUARTET WITH SIMON THOUMIRE AND DAVID MILLIGAN, CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details GINGER (FULL ELECTRIC SHOW), BARFLY, From the Wildhearts, 8pm, £10.00

HARMONICA NIGHT WITH BRENDAN POWER & DONALD BLACK, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details JOHN CALE WITH SUPPORT, ABC, Velvet viola man, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

ROBERT TANNAHILL LAUNCH CONCERT, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

site for details

7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details ARCHITECTS, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £6.00 JEAN HONEYMOON, CAFÉ RIO, 8pm, free CANDIRU JAZZ, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, modern jazz standards played by our resident trio, 8pm, £2

JOHN DOYLE & ANNA MASSIE WITH HEELIEGOLEERIE, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details MCQUEEN, BARFLY, 8pm, £7.00

MICHAEL SIMONS, TCHAI OVNA, SOUTHSIDE, folk, blues and beyond from this fingerstyle guitarist, 8pm, £2

ARCHITECTS + TAKE A WORM FOR A WALK WEEK **OVER 14’S. DOORS 8PM , KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £6.00 RAB NOAKES WITH MICK HANLY, TRON THEATRE, 8pm,

TUES 23 JAN

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website

for details

IAIN ANDERSON IN CONVERSATION : MARGARET BENNETT, CONCERT HALL, 12.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

site for details

SONGS OF CONSCIENCE WITH TOM PAXTON AND ROY BAILEY, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

ANNA WENDY STEVENSON WITH FORCE 10, TRON THEATRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

details

BBC FOUR - LIVE AT THE FESTIVAL, OLD FRUITMARKET,

8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

CEOLRAIDH: : ANGUS LYON WITH ALAN KELLY AND RUARIDH CAMPBELL WITH DOUGLAS LAWRENCE, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connec-

tions Website for details

GOOD SHOES + DANANANANKROYD + THE ANSWERING MACHINE, BARFLY, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

IDLEWILD AND DE ROSA, ABC, 8pm, £16.00 KERRANG TOUR FEATURING BIFFY CLYRO AND THE BRONX, BARROWLAND, 8pm, £14.00 OLIVER SCHROER (CAMINO) WITH ESPIDO, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections

Website for details

SIXPEOPLEAWAY, BLOC, 8pm, Free SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : WESTER ROSS & LOCHABER, HOSTED BY ISHBEL MACASKILL, UNIVERSAL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

details

SPEAKEASY SESSIONS, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, a pick of the city’s best bands and performers, 8pm, £2

THE MCDADES WITH THE TIM EDEY TRIO, CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

details

XFM XPOSURE LIVE FEATURING GOOD SHOES, DANANANAKROYD, THE ANSWERING MACHINE, BARFLY, 8pm, £6.00

WED 24 JAN

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website

7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details LORD OF THE DANCE, CLYDE AUDITORIUM, 7.30pm, £33.50

NANCE, CONCERT HALL, 1.30pm, see Celtic Connec-

GRAND, Ska, 7.30pm, £8.00

see Celtic Connections Website for details

STATLER PROJECT, THE DECENT SOULS, CLASSIC

MAKE GOOD YOUR ESCAPE, KING TUTS, 8.30pm,

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 21ST CENTURY SOUND CLUB FEATURING THE STATLER KIST O’ DREAMS, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic PROJECT, THE DECENT SOULS AND THE BONE IDOLS, Connections Website for details CLASSIC GRAND, 8pm, £8.00 LEARN THE IRISH PIPES IN A DAY, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website for details ANNA MASSIE BAND WITH GWENAN GIBBARD, THE BIG BALLAD, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic TRON, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

RAGE, 8pm, tbc

GORDON DUNCAN MEMORIAL SOLO PIPING COMPETITION FOR GORDON DUNCAN TROPHY,

Connections Website for details

for details

site for details

SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : THE NORTH EAST, HOSTED BY DORIS ROUGVIE, UNIVERSAL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

TEJEDOR WITH FINLAY MACDONALD BAND, ABC,

8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

BÉLA FLECK AND THE FLECKTONES WITH UNCLE EARL, OLD FRUITMARKET, 9.45pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

THUR 25 JAN

MARKET, 10pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

details

CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website

for details

IAIN ANDERSON IN CONVERSATION : GLASGOW CELTIC SOCIETY, CONCERT HALL, 12.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

site for details

BOYS OF THE LOUGH AND FRIENDS, CITY HALLS,

HOLIDAY INN, 2pm, see Celtic Connections Website

GORDON DUNCAN TRIBUTE WITH PADDY KEENAN,

THE YOUNG TRADITION, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 2pm,

CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

site for details

JIM MALCOLM WITH FRIBO, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE,

8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details WING AND A PRAYER, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, singer songwriter duo strongly influenced by the blues, 8pm, £2

LORD OF THE DANCE, CLYDE AUDITORIUM, 7.30pm,

THE SCOTTISH WORLD, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE,

SAT 27 JAN

COME&TRY : WAULKING WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, 1.30pm, £6

THE ENEMY + KUNG FU, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £7.00 BODHRAN FOR PLAYERS, CONCERT HALL, 1.30pm,

tbc

KATE RUSBY WITH RODDY WOOMBLE, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

nections Website for details

HOT CLUB DE PARIS, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £7.00 RADIO DEPT, NICE N SLEAZY, 8.30pm, £6.00 BEN TAYLOR, ABC2, 8pm, £9.00 BURNS MELA AND BUFFET, OLD FRUITMARKET, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

Celtic Connections Website for details

PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website

IMPROVER FIDDLE, CONCERT HALL, 1.30pm, £6 HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details CELTIC CONNECTIONS CEILIDH WITH THE SCOTT HARVEY CEILIDH BAND, CONCERT HALL, 10.30pm, see GORDON GUNN TRIO WITH RACHEL HAIR, NATIONAL CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £7.50 SALSA CELTICA WITH FRED MORRISON BAND, OLD site for details

BEGINNER FIDDLE, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website for details

COME&TRY : STEPDANCING WORKSHOP, CONCERT

for details

JAMES GRANT WITH SUPPORT, TRON THEATRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

MARTIN GREEN MACHINE WITH RORY CAMPBELL AND CORQUIÉU, CLASSIC GRAND, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

MARTYN JOSEPH WITH ROSIE DOONAN AND BEN MURRAY, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE, 8pm, see Celtic

Connections Website for details CONCERT HALL : CLYDE FOYER, CONCERT HALL, 11am, NOT YOUR HERO, BARFLY, 8pm, £7.00 RAILROAD EARTH WITH JP CORMIER, ABC, 8pm, see see Celtic Connections Website for details ANNUAL PIPING CONCERT, CONCERT HALL, 12.30pm, Celtic Connections Website for details SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : THE HIGHLANDS, see Celtic Connections Website for details HOSTED BY ISHBEL MACASKILL, UNIVERSAL, 8pm, see SWEDISH YOUNG TRADITION, CONCERT HALL, 1pm, Celtic Connections Website for details see Celtic Connections Website for details

LISA KNAPP AND MAEVE MACKINNON, NATIONAL PIP- THE CITISENS + THE RAIL + THE ADS + STARKICKER,

CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

site for details

MON 29 JAN

tions Website for details

JULIE FOWLIS, THE STAIRWELL SISTERS AND GENTICO- CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY RUM, CITY HALLS, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 Website for details CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CONCERT LORD OF THE DANCE, CLYDE AUDITORIUM, 7.30pm, HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website for £33.50

details

DRIVE, 7pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

CERT HALL, 12.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website

GORDIE SAMPSON WITH LAURA BOOSINGER AND JOSH GOFORTH, TRON, 8pm, see Celtic ConnecIAN CARR & NIKLAS ROSWALL WITH MIKE & ALI VASS, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

ROBOTS TALK IN TWOS, BLOC, 8pm, Free SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : LOTHIAN & THE BORDERS, HOSTED BY DORIS ROUGVIE, UNIVERSAL,

8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

FRI 26 JAN

Celtic Connections Website for details

details

HOW TO SWIM, STINKY MUNCHKINS, SCHOOL OF ART, 8.30pm, £4.00

details

MAKE GOOD YOUR ESCAPE + THE MOTION + TEAM FANTAZIA OVER 50 DJS AND 8 LIVE ACTS, BRAEHEAD ARENA, 8pm, £32.50 SALT, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00 LAU WITH ANGUS LYON AND RUARIDH CAMPBELL, CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY THE CLASSIC GRAND, 8pm, see Celtic Connections GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 Website for details KARINE POLWART AND SETH LAKEMAN, OLD FRUITMARKET, 10pm, see Celtic Connections Website for MALINKY WITH RANARIM AND LAUREN MACCOLL, details

CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

CERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website

MANDOLIN NIGHT WITH DAGGER GORDON AND KEVIN MACLEOD, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see

CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CONfor details

FIDDLERS’ BID INTERNATIONAL, CONCERT HALL,

7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

tions Website for details

SCOTT MACDONALD, BUTTERFLY N PIG, 8pm, Free FALLOUT BOY, GARAGE, , Sold Out

BBC TAKE THE FLOOR, STUDIO ONE BBC QUEEN MARGARET IAIN ANDERSON IN CONVERSATION : BILLY KAY, CON-

THE ENEMY + KUNG FU, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £7.00 CHUMBAWAMBA (ACOUSTIC) WITH ELIN FFLUR, THE CELTIC CONNECTIONS CEILIDH WITH THE SCOTT HARVEY CEILIDH BAND, CONCERT HALL, 10.30pm, see GARAGE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

LLOYD COLE WITH ASTRID WILLIAMSON, CITY HALLS,

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

SONGS OF CONSCIENCE WITH ODETTA AND THEA GILMORE, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm, see Celtic Con-

kingdom and beyond, 8pm, £2

TUNE UP ON TOUR WITH BURNSONG, CITY HALLS,

60

£33.50

BARFLY, 8pm, tbc

LORD OF THE DANCE, CLYDE AUDITORIUM, 7.30pm, £33.50

for details

CUTE IS WHAT WE AIM FOR *PLEASE NOTE CHANGE ING CENTRE, 2pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details OF VENUE, GARAGE, 8pm, £8.50 FOLK FAE FIFE, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, music from the DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD,

FRI NIGHT BLUES : WITH SPENCER BOHREN & SCOTT AINSLIE, HOLIDAY INN, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connec-

details

CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Website

FERNHILL WITH BREABACH AND JENNA REID, CONCERT

HALL, 11am, £6

CROOKED STILL WITH EIVØR PÁLSDÓTTIR, ABC, 8pm,

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD,

£6.00

7.45pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details GLASVEGAS, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00

see Celtic Connections Website for details

BBC RADIO SCOTLAND YOUNG TRADITIONAL MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR FINAL 2007, CITY HALLS, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

FRUITMARKET, 10pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

ACOUSTIC AFFAIR WITH THE RIVER DETECTIVES AND KIERAN DOCHERTY, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE, 8pm,

see Celtic Connections Website for details

8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details NA H-OGANAICH, CCA, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details BANJO NIGHT, CONCERT HALL, 7.45pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

SHOWCASE SCOTLAND CONCERT, CONCERT HALL,

Celtic Connections Website for details

DERVISH WITH LUKA BLOOM, ABC, 8pm, see Celtic

site for details

site for details

site for details

NEW VOICES: : KRIS DREVER, CONCERT HALL, 1pm, see

CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

RADIO 2 LIVE BROADCAST WITH MIKE HARDING,

CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

tions Website for details

Connections Website for details

see Celtic Connections Website for details

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD,

IAIN ANDERSON IN CONVERSATION : MATTHEW FITT, CONCERT HALL, 12.30pm, see Celtic Connec-

HOT CLUB DE PARIS + DARTZ! + SLOWCLUB **OVER 14’S. DOORS 8PM, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £7.00 LULLABIES IN SCOTS & GAELIC, CONCERT HALL, 1.30pm,

£5.00

IAIN ANDERSON IN CONVERSATION : SIMON THOU- Celtic Connections Website for details SOIG SIBERIL & NOLWENN KORBELL WITH LORI WATMIRE & SHONA MOONEY, CONCERT HALL, 12.30pm, SON 3, TRON THEATRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections see Celtic Connections Website for details DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, Website for details THE HAZEY JANES SUPPORT KEIRAN DOCHERTY, CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

for details

tions Website for details

BEECAKE, BARFLY, 8pm, £5.00 BEN FOLDS, CARLING ACADEMY, 8pm, £25.00 CRASH MY MODEL CAR WITH ATTIC LIGHTS, THE GA-

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : SKYE & UIST, GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 HOSTED BY ISHBEL MACASKILL, UNIVERSAL, 8pm, see GLASVEGAS + THE AM’S + MADSKULL **OVER 14’S. Celtic Connections Website for details DOORS 8PM, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00 YAMAN, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, sitar, flute and mixes, FOUR MEN AND A DOG WITH CORQUIÉU, OLD FRUIT8pm, £2

YELLOW BOX DENOTES SKINNY HIGHLIGHTS

WOODEND TENNIS + BOWLING CLUB, 8pm, £10.00

THE SUPERSUCKERS, ABC2, 8pm, £12.50 HELLOGOODBYE * PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE, ALL TICKETS VALID, QUEEN MARGARET UNION, , SOLD OUT

SUN 28 JAN

INTRODUCTION TO FIDDLE - SET UP & MAINTE-

for details

JOHN MARTYN “SOLID AIR” WITH DAN ARBORISE, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

CONTENTS

6 14 16 19 20 21 22 26 28 42 50

LIFESTYLE Lucy MacLeod Fashion Shoot

LGBT

Queer & Goth Questions Worth Asking

FILM

2007: A Film Odyssey Peter O’ Toole

THE SKINNY

LISTINGS GLASGOW LIVE

10 12

14 15

16 17

DVD

Superman II: The Doner Cut 19

GAMES Nintendo Wii

BOOKS

LXG: None More Black

THEATRE Daniel Kitson’s C-90 All My Sons

ART

Edinburgh Printmakers Body Language

SOUNDS Ben Folds Celtic Conections

BEATS

Swollen Members Cappablacks

20

Queer & Goth, p 14

21

22 24

26 27

Lucy MacLeod, p 10

28 32

42 44

LISTINGS

Edinburgh & Glasgow Art, Comedy, Theatre, Club and Live Music listings

Cappablacks, p 44

site for details

LORD OF THE DANCE, CLYDE AUDITORIUM, 7.30pm, £33.50

A’ THE BAIRNS O’ ADAM, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE,

8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details ARCA FELIX, BLOC, 8pm, Free JACK SAVORETTI, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00

CELTIC PROCESSION WITH GENTICORUM, CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

details

CEOLRAIDH: : JARLATH HENDERSON WITH PADDY KEENAN AND RACHEL NEWTON WITH CORRINA HEWAT, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details SCOTT MATTHEWS, ABC, 8pm, £10.50

SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : LEWIS, HOSTED BY ISHBEL MACASKILL, UNIVERSAL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

THE SKINNY RATING SYSTEM EXPLAINED 1 Skinny: Anything that receives one Skinny is probably best avoided. Chances are it will suck the will to live straight out of you. In other words, god awful baws.

2 Skinnys: Boring.

Bog-standard or hugely derivative. Only for hardcore aficionados of the genre.

3 Skinnys: A good, solid rating. You’ll have a fine time but you won’t be bowled over.

YAMAN, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, sitar, flute and mixes, 8pm, £2

4 Skinnys: Excellent stuff. Unmissable if you’re into this sort of thing.

TUES 30 JAN

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 L’OCCIDENTALE DE FANFARE WITH THE STAIRWELL SISTERS, OLD FRUITMARKET, 10pm, see Celtic Connec-

5 Skinnys: A rare honour indeed; a must-see for all and sundry. Sublime.

www.mcclurenaismith.com Solicitors and supporter of The Skinny Contact: Euan Duncan 0141 303 7814

tions Website for details

LISTINGS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

5

LIFESTYLE ‘Lifestyle’ is a curious term. ‘Style’ is a loose enoug h c onc ept t o begin with, and ‘life’ is still giving our best thinkers cause for uncertainty. What, then, are we on about?

HEADS UP!

virtuoso presents some of his favourite bands, 8pm, £2 SODASTREAM AND ROY MOLLER, BACCHUS, 8pm, £5.00

THE FELT TIPS + WAKE THE PRESIDENT + HEY PRINCESS,

at Dancebase

The Skinny’s Lifestyle section this month offers certain indicators on what we mean. In terms of style, there’s a beautiful black and white fashion spread (the clothes at least are black and white), and our cover feature on Edinburgh’s supremely talented Mistress of Illustration, Lucy MacLeod. As for life, or at least living, there is another instalment of our increasingly authoritative eating and drinking guide (a project our restaurant reviewers assure us will never be completed), and an invitation to get your rhythm and vigour flowing at Dancebase. Essentially it’s a question of what we like. And when it seems that Lifestyle has nothing more to offer, there’s a Culture Vulture there to pick at your bones. /RJ Thomson

Sitting at a desk all day, slouched over a computer? On your pins all day behind a bar? Working on a site from the crack of dawn in the wind and rain? Repetitive work is not good for your body, especially in the cold, dark winter. Just like our brains, our bodies need a time out and bit of variation every now and again. Stiff shoulders and curved backs would do well to get a bit of a stretch out after the alcohol-soaked restless nights of the festive period. So, just as your body begins to assume the shape of your office chair, a new course of drop-in dance sessions starts at the National Centre for Dance in Edinburgh, Dancebase.

Okay, so there’s a cringe-inducing element to ‘dance classes’. Memories of a cold, dusty school hall, country dancing lessons and a hated PE teacher shouting ‘one-two-three-four! one-twothree-four!’ at the top of their voice, resonate in

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI THE SKINNY ON TOUR

the back of the mind - but Dancebase isn’t like this. Well, at least the building isn’t. Beautifully presented studios have been designed to bring more ‘dimension’ to dance sessions: glass ceilings invite more light inside, hidden balconies keep secrets from the Grassmarket, and symmetrical temple lines channel energy into Dancebase’s classes.

are surprised to know you have, and make sitting at a desk all day a whole lot easier. An up-beat ‘Vogueing’ session early in the evening will let out the poser in you after a day of biting your tongue at the boss, and make you laugh at yourself in the mirror. There’s also an array of street dance oriented classes to drop into, and you get to listen to some great music too.

Many Skinny readers will have been moshing it out with the most energetic of us down at some of the city’s Christmas and Hogmanay bashes, but beer-soaked stumbling about in a crowd is not the kind of dance that will give your body (or your mind) a boost. At Dancebase there is a range of classes designed around the fact that people get up late, work all day and generally find it hard to break the routine. With new springtime classes to drop into, it’s easier to catch a Pilates Morning before work. Bring to life parts of your body you

From 8 January to 24 March Dancbase will be running sessions to improve the wellbeing of the average 20-something year-old, and you know the gym will be packed full of guilty turkey gobblers desperately trying to get rid of their extra inches after Christmas. Why not try a dance?

FOR A FREE BROCHURE CONTACT 0131 225 5525 – DANCE@ DANCEBASE.CO.UK. WWW.DANCEBASE.CO.UK. DANCE BASE, NATIONAL CENTRE FOR DANCE, 14 -16 GRASSMARKET, EDINBURGH EH1 2JU.

INDY READING THE SKINNY IN SINGAPORE

Skinny On Tour to:

The beginners’ tango class

LETTERS@SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

1pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

WED 10 JAN

THEATRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

details

site for details

standards played by our resident trio, 8pm, £2 PARANOID MONKEYS, 13TH NOTE, Politically astute psychedelic rock/post prog, 8pm, £5.00 PAUL DOCHERTY, CAFÉ RIO, solo cosmic rough ride, 8pm, free INVAIN + THE ROCK JUNKIES, BARFLY, 8pm, tbc MICHAEL SIMONS, TCHAI OVNA, SOUTHSIDE, folk, blues and beyond from this fingerstyle guitarist, 8pm, £2 THE FORTUNATE SONS, BLOC, 8pm, Free

songwriters and bands, 8pm, free

Celtic Connections Website for details SCOTLAND’S MUSIC LIVE, CITY HALLS, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

DON’T TELL ME: FOREIGN STUDENT STUDY-

I’m studying mechanical design en- I’m also studying mechanical design ING ENG LIT. gineering. engineering.

I’m studying English Literature and History of Art, all the things to imHAVE YOU EVEN BEGUN TO THINK ABOUT SO YOU LIKE THE BELL TOWER TOO, EH? prove my English.

WHAT THAT MEANS? I think the best thing about Glasgow My image of Glasgow is probably the is the architecture, although for AYE. GIVE US YOUR BEST ENGLERY THEN. Bell Tower at Glasgow uni. me it’s probably just the University My impression of the city of Glasgow Library. is of the museums and the gardens.

LORD OF TIME, EH. WHAT’S GONNA HAPBut of the place, I would say live PEN IN THE FUTURE, THEN? SO HOW DO YOU PLAN TO STRIKE OUT IN music.

My New Year’s resolution is to get THIS BIG OLE WORLD? a job.

This year I’m going to learn to drive. PASSABLE. WHAT ABOUT ‘07?

I’ve started a children’s book called Paolo Nutini John Pakita and the Magic Flower.

6

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

THERE’S A REALLY BEAUTIFUL, BUT INTIMI- ARE YOU CLEVER?

WILL YOU LOOK AFTER ME? I’VE GOT A

DATINGLY LARGE GIRL, JUST OVER MY I’m studying Psychology.

SPLINTER.

LEFT SHOULDER. HAVE YOU SEEN HER?

I’m studying medicine.

I ’ m s t u d y i n g S o c i o l o g y a n d ANALYSE THIS. [GESTURES AROUND.] Psychology.

My impression of Glasgow is of the Gallowgate. It’s partly about being SO YOU SEE PEOPLE AS SYSTEMS AND rich and showing off in all the trendy THAT? bars, and also it has this whole thing My image of Glasgow is of a friendly going on with Mono and the Note. worker, nothing too aggressive but very industrial.

YOU SEEM A BIT FEY. WHERE’S THAT TAK-

details

CERT HALL, 1.30pm, £6

low experimental music, 8pm, free

CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

CERT HALL, 1.30pm, £6

SAT 13 JAN

CLANNAD WITH SUPPORT, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm,

TUES 16 JAN

0 DEGREES OF SEPARATION FEATURING VASHTI BUNYAN, ADEM, VETIVER, JUANA MOLINA, ABC, Experi-

ING YOU?

Byres Road is probably my favourite thing about Glasgow. It has great people on it, and great craic.

SOULS, AND ALL THAT JAZZ?

My New Year’s resolution is quit uni My New Year’s resolution is to make My New Year’s resolution is to study and do something I want do, like be lots of money. abroad. a joiner.

HAVE YOU FULFILLED YOUR DREAMS?

LIFESTYLE LISTINGS

CEOLRAIDH: : PETER TICKELL WITH ADAM SUTHERROBYN HITCHCOCK & THE VENUS 3 (FEATURING PETER BUCK, SCOTT MCCAUGHEY & BILL RIEFLIN), THE LAND AND SIOBHAN MILLER AND GORDEANNA CLASSIC GRAND, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Web- MCCULLOCH, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD,

BLOC

COME&TRY : HARMONY SINGING WORKSHOP, CON-

site for details

MAURA O’CONNELL WITH HEIDI TALBOT TRIO, CON-

CERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

details

MINDY SMITH WITH THE STATE BROADCASTERS, TRON THEATRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

details

CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

site for details

WENDY WEATHERBY “A SCOTS QUAIR”, CITY HALLS,

7.15pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

BETH NIELSEN CHAPMAN WITH TEDDY THOMPSON, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections

Website for details

THE UKRAINIANS WITH RISE KAGONA & “CHAMPINIGHTMARE OF YOU, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £8.00 ON” DOUG VEITCH, CLASSIC GRAND, 8pm, see Celtic BLEED THE DREAM + VALENTIN, BARFLY, 8pm, tbc Connections Website for details BOB FOX WITH SIOBHAN MILLER, NATIONAL PIPING JACK KNIVES, SERPICO, ARCHES, 8pm, £6.00 JAMIE T, GARAGE, , £10.00

CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

WED 17 JAN

SAT 20 JAN

FEST NOZ WITH SKOLVAN, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE,

see Celtic Connections Website for details THE BLOOD BROTHERS, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £8.50 MICHAEL SIMONS, TCHAI OVNA, SOUTHSIDE, folk, blues and beyond from this fingerstyle guitarist, 8pm, £2

MULTI-COLOURED SPEAKEASY, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO

THURS 18 JAN

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD : : WINNERS 2006, CONCERT HALL : EXHIBITION HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER WITH SUPPORT, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

SO YOU BELIEVE IN THE HARMONY OF

BILLY MACKENZIE TRIBUTE NIGHT, CLASSIC GRAND,

FERRY, , SOLD OUT

free

LIVES?

RICHIE HAVENS WITH DAVID FERRARD, ABC, 8pm,

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 see Celtic Connections Website for details CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY DAVID MACDONALD, RASPBERRY BADGER, ABC2, FRI NIGHT BLUES : WITH ERNIE HAWKINS, HOLIDAY INN, GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 soulful pop and melodic rock, 7pm, £6.00 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details COME&TRY : BODHRAN WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, LITTLE JOHN ROCKET + THE SPIN OFFS + TRABECA, SCO: MOZART, BRITTEN, MENDELSSOHN, CITY HALLS , 11am, £6 BARFLY, anthemic chic punk, 8pm, tbc 7.30pm, £10.00 COME&TRY : BODHRAN WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, SIREN, BLOC, 8pm, Free ACUTE RIOT, NICE’N’SLEAZY, 8.30pm, tbc 11am, £6 NORMA JEAN, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £10.00 COME&TRY : CLARSACH WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, SUN 14 JAN 11am, £6 ANIMAL FARM, BLOC, 8pm, Free LINCHPIN, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00 JOANNA NEWSOM, CITY HALLS, New Folk, 8pm, £19.50 BARRA NIGHT WITH MAGGIE MACINNES & CATHY- COME&TRY : CLARSACH WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, 11am, £6 MUST BE SOMETHING + REBEL YELL, BARFLY, 8pm, tbc ANN MCPHEE, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE, 8pm, see OPENING YOUR VOICE 2, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website for details JAMES HARA, BUTTERFLY N PIG, 8pm, Free BETTER CRACK CLUB, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, monthly Celtic Connections Website for details WOMEN’S SAMBA WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, 11am, story telling evening, 8pm, free MON 15 JAN see Celtic Connections Website for details BRUCE COCKBURN WITH THE ALISON BROWN ACOUSTIC JAM, NICE’N’SLEAZY, 8.30pm, Free QUARTET, ABC, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Web- NEW VOICES: : NUALA KENNEDY, CONCERT HALL, 1pm, NEWTON FAULKNER, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £6.00 see Celtic Connections Website for details site for details FOR THE MOMENT + LAHOYA + DARKLIGHT, BARFLY, DASHING WHITE SERGEANTS + OUR BELOVED + THE- TASTE OF THE FEST HOSTED BY ISHBEL MACASKILL, 8pm, tbc NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 2pm, see Celtic Connections YAMAN, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, sitar, flute and mixes, ATRE FALL + THE BALLANTINES, BARFLY, 8pm, tbc Website for details MADVIOLET WITH GIVEWAY, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, £2 DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

LANE, open mic night hosted by Tom Snowball, 8pm,

WHAT GIVES YOU THE DRIVE TO SAVE

BIG FACE + TINY LITTLE HEARTS + VIVAMELODICA,

tbc

HANDS ACROSS THE WATER, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm,

ARE YOU TIMOTHY’S SIDEKICK?

OLD FRUITMARKET, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

DANIEL LAPP TRIO WITH ANDREA ZONN, TRON THEATRE, FRI 19 JAN 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details NOW ITS OVERHEAD, ABC2, 8pm, £7.50 JUSTIN CURRIE WITH THE POEMS, ABC, 8pm, see VULTURE SPEAK/CEL, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, minimal- CELTIC CONNECTIONS CEILIDH WITH THE SCOTT HARVEY CEILIDH BAND, CONCERT HALL, 10.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details ist psychedelic folk music, 8pm, £2 Celtic Connections Website for details UNCLE EARL AND JOHN SPILLANE, CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details TRONIC PRESENTS: DEXTRO / IVES, 13TH NOTE, 8pm, FRI 12 JAN £5.00 SCO: BACH, RAMAEU, CITY HALLS, 7.30pm, £10.00 SUN 21 JAN CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY MOONSHAKER, 13TH NOTE, 8pm, £5.00 COME&TRY : CLARSACH WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 AUSTIN, AUDIOALYSIS, CLASSIC GRAND, progressive pop, SESSION A9 WITH THE DUHKS, OLD FRUITMARKET, 10pm, 1.30pm, £6 7.30pm, £5.00 COME&TRY : CLARSACH WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, see Celtic Connections Website for details SALON BORIS, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £6.00 CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CONCERT 1.30pm, £6 LOGAN, BARFLY, 8pm, £8.00 COME&TRY : HARMONY SINGING WORKSHOP, CONTHE FUNHOUSE / EYES WIDE OPEN CLUB, BARFLY, 8pm, HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website for

Website for details

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?

PHIL CUNNINGHAM AND FRIENDS WITH DÒCHAS,

7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details VINNY PECULIAR, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £6.50 BEAUTIFUL SOUP, BLOC, 8pm, Free

site for details

CELTIC CONNECTIONS TORCHLIGHT PROCESSION 2007, GEORGE SQUARE, 5pm, see Celtic Connections

RACHAEL, 20, GLASGOW

details

SOLAS WITH IARLA Ó LIONÁIRD, CONCERT HALL,

Celtic Connections Website for details

GLIDER, BARFLY, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

details

PAUL, 18, GLASGOW

HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

site for details

£15.00

HALLS, 11:00am, see Celtic Connections Website for

ARIK, 24 BERLIN

ORKNEY NIGHT WITH THE WRIGLEY SISTERS, CONCERT

8pm, £10.00

BLACK ALLEY SCREENS, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00 DEICIDE, CATHOUSE, None more Black metal, 8pm,

CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CITY

LAUREN, 22, FRANCE

8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

see Celtic Connections Website for details

THURS 11 JAN

STEVEN SEAGAL *RESCHEDULED FROM 19/09/06*, THE

LYN, 19, BURMA

MATT MCGINN NIGHT, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE,

BARFLY, 8pm, tbc

mental folk, 8pm, £15.00

TIMOTHY, 19, PAISLEY

LILY O’LÉ AND FRIENDS, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, singer SCOTLAND’S MUSIC LIVE, CITY HALLS, 7.30pm, see

site for details

influenced by rock, folk and jazz styles, 8pm, £2 SOIL, CATHOUSE, 8pm, £10.00 THE MANIKEES, BLOC, 8pm, Free photos: David Winton

ISLAND TAPES WITH DAVID ALLISON, CONCERT HALL,

JIM LAUDERDALE WITH MAEVE O’BOYLE, TRON

THE HOPE CONSPIRACY, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £7.00 JIM WHYTE, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, singer songwriter

GUTTER TALK WEST END, GLASGOW

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD,

details

BARFLY, Charming indie-pop, 8pm, £4

WHISPERS IN THE ATTIC, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, mel-

Send your photos for

HALL, 1pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

Connections Website for details

CANDIRU JAZZ, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, modern jazz

BEER SOAKED STUMBLING ABOUT IN A CROWD IS NOT THE KIND OF DANCE THAT WILL GIVE YOUR BODY (OR YOUR MIND) A BOOST

CEOLRAIDH: : EWAN MACPHERSON WITH SÉAMUS EGAN AND JENNA CUMMING WITH MARY ANN KENNEDY, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic

LISTINGS

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

GLASGOW LIVE

details

A WILHELM SCREAM, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £7.00 ALEX KID, BLOC, 8pm, Free CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 8pm, £3.50

www.skinnymag.co.uk

details

COME&TRY : FIDDLE WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL,

8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

COME&TRY : SAMBA WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL,

8pm, £9.00

1.30pm, £6 1.30pm, £6

COME&TRY : WHISTLE WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, 1.30pm, £6

GET CAPE WEAR CAPE FLY!, QUEEN MARGARET UNION, ISOBEL CAMPBELL WITH MARK LANEGAN & SUPPORT KATHRYN WILLIAMS, ABC, 8pm, £15 KRIS DREVER & ÉAMONN COYNE WITH JOHN WILLIAMS & DEAN MCGRAW, TRON THEATRE, 8pm, see

DRIVE CAREFULLY RECORDS PRESENTS: THE KARA Celtic Connections Website for details SEA / RABIES NATION, 13TH NOTE, 8pm, £5.00 MYSTERY JUICE AND FRIENDS WITH HAZEL MORRICELTIC CONNECTIONS CEILIDH WITH THE SCOTT HARVEY CEILIDH BAND, CONCERT HALL, 10.30pm, see SON, CLASSIC GRAND, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Celtic Connections Website for details

Website for details

nections Website for details 11am, £6

Connections Website for details STEM + GOODSON, BARFLY, 8pm, tbc TIREE NIGHT, CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details EMMA JANE, FRAME 13, BUTTERFLY N PIG, 8pm, Free

Celtic Connections Website for details

Connections Website for details

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 SHOOGLENIFTY AND TANYA TAGAQ WITH SKOLVAN BIG BAND, OLD FRUITMARKET, 10pm, see Celtic ConCOME&TRY : MANDOLIN WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL,

SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : GLASGOW, HOSTED BY DORIS ROUGVIE, UNIVERSAL, 8pm, see Celtic

KIDS PERCUSSION WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, 11am, FRANKIE GAVIN AND HIBERNIAN RHAPSODY WITH BERROGÜETTO, OLD FRUITMARKET, 9.30pm, see Celtic see Celtic Connections Website for details OPENING YOUR VOICE 1, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Connections Website for details FRANKIE GAVIN AND HIBERNIAN RHAPSODY WITH Celtic Connections Website for details OPENING YOUR VOICE 1, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see BERROGÜETTO, OLD FRUITMARKET, 9.30pm, see Celtic COME&TRY : TRADITIONAL SCOTS SINGING WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, 11am, £6 CELTIC CONNECTIONS YOUTH CONCERT, CONCERT

MON 22 JAN

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

59

TOBY SPENCE PLUS JULIAN MILFORD, THE QUEEN’S

of Henry’s, 8pm, £5

HALL, 7.45pm, £17-£10 (£15-£9)

FRI 26 JAN

TUES 16 JAN

BAND SHOWCASE, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free CEILIDH CLUB, THE LOT, 8.30pm, £6 FOLK N’ FRIENDS, THE WAVERLEY, Open Mic Night,

NEW FOUND SOUND: ROSE KEMP, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, See Edinburgh Under Surveillance column in

Sounds for more, 9pm, £4

8.30pm, Free

THE SHJQ QUARTET, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free

ROGUESTAR, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4 THE DEMONS EYE, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free THE ENEMY, CABARET VOLTAIRE, 7pm, £7

WED 17 JAN

SAT 27 JAN

DAVID BEATTIES LUCKY TULE PLUS HARLEM 75, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free

HOLLOW HEART PARLOUR, HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, Monthly acoustic night, 7.30pm, £5

THURS 18 JAN

AMBULANCE PLUS WOMAN, HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, Edinburgh Uni Indiesoc presents…, 8pm, £TBC JACK GLASS PLUS ELKO, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free OUT OF THE BEDROOM, THE CANON’S GAIT, *Note venue change from previous events., 9pm, Free SAFEHOUSE, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free

FRI 19 JAN

YELLOW BOX DENOTES SKINNY HIGHLIGHTS

Weekly house band afternoon slot, 3pm, Free

TOFFS CAN’T DANCE: THE SECOND COMING, THE CAVES, It’s back, O.B.E., The Dials, Penny Blacks, Tam’s

Railways. See feature in Sounds, 9pm, £6 before 11, £7 after U-KNOW-HOO, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4

OATBEANIE, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free OPEN MIC AFTERNOON, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD,

cludes Kudos and Seneka, 7pm, £3

THE RAB HOWAT BAND, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, Weekly house band afternoon slot, 3pm, Free

SUN 21 JAN

AMEN, THE EXCHANGE, The return of Casey Chaos and his band of misfits, support comes from The Inbreds, see our feature in Sounds, 7pm, £12 BLACKJACK BLUES BAND, WHISTLE BINKIES, 6pm, Free

TUES 30 JAN

BAND SHOWCASE, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free CEILIDH CLUB, THE LOT, 8.30pm, £6 FOLK N’ FRIENDS, THE WAVERLEY, Open Mic Night, 8.30pm, Free

THE BLUETONES, CABARET VOLTAIRE, See our interview feature with Mark Morriss in Sounds, 7pm, £13 THE SHJQ QUARTET, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free

WED 31 JAN

FABLES LAST STAND, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free DISTANT SOUL PLUS LADY MERCEDES, WHISTLE BINKIES, GRAYSON CAPPS, THE VILLAGE, New Orleans swamp 9pm, Free

folk-soul, 7.30pm, £8

tal’s hard riffs mongers meets surf rock par excellence, 8pm, £4

BARFLY, 8pm, tbc

MON 22 JAN

OTAGO LANE, ambient electro-acoustic soundscapes,

HUSTLERS, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4 THURS 4 JAN ONE SELF, CABARET VOLTAIRE, 7pm, £TBC OPEN MIC AFTERNOON, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, FLOOD OF RED, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00 DICELINES: JIEZUBERBAND / TEAM SALT, 13TH NOTE, 3pm, Free THE TYRANT LIZARD KINGS PLUS DICK DANGEROUS 8pm, £5.00 & THE LOVEBASTARDS, HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, The capi- CORTEZ + THE BLUE ROZES + THE RIVER MERCHANTS,

JEREMY WARMSLEY, EAGLEOWL, CABARET VOLTAIRE, 7pm, £TBC

LEO

SAGITTARIUS

Jupiter is in Mars’ orbit which makes this the year that New Year’s resolutions will be stuck to. New Year’s resolution - to give a Piscean a present every month.

New Year, New Life. Could it be time to drop it all and start again? New Year’s resolution – make better friends.

You have your eye on someone. Keep at it and they will say yes eventually – after ten vodkas. New Year’s resolution – don’t put your keys in the bowl.

TAURUS

VIRGO

CAPRICORN

You’ll be surprised how much fun making robots out of clay can be. Don’t wear grey if you don’t want to look like a terrorist. New Year’s resolution – create more prettiness.

You’ll feel unsettled and find it hard to relax this month. Got an itch? Try natural yoghurt. New Year’s resolution – wear cotton undies.

LIBRA

Sod New Year’s resolutions. Who are you kidding? Don’t try, you’ll only be disappointed. Chocolate will be big this year. New Year’s resolution – hinder all others.

One month off the booze means mighty fish tank. New Year’s resolution – eat more cheese, especially before bed.

A sexy Sagittarius is making a beeline for you. Single? Grab them with both hands. Not? Be careful for you will be tempted. New Year’s resolution – take more risks.

CANCER

SCORPIO

If Kylie can catch it so can you! Check your boobs. If you don’t have any find the nearest available pair. New Year’s resolution – make a new friend every week.

What goes around comes around. You’ve been a good person. Now it’s time to reap what you’ve sown. New Year’s resolution – it’s all about me!

THE CULTURE VULTURE

SUN 28 JAN

GOING UNDERGROUND From summer 2007, we are told, commuters on Glasgow Underground will be able to use their mobile phones in tunnels. The Vulture isn’t an idiot, and knows this is plainly impossible. The chat is some shit about networks in the stations, and increasing security. Yeah, so next time the Vulture is lying in a bloody heap being beaten by nasal-voiced hoodlums, they’ll be able to video-message ‘Mum’ on the V-phone as they do it. I prefer to never leave the nest, personally.

Local hard rock outfit. See our Album review in Sounds, Indie rock, 9pm, £4 9pm, £4

LAKI MERA, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4 THE ONE DAY SPEAKERS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Also in-

ARIES

GEMINI

LEE PATTERSON, WHISTLE BINKIES, Local troubadour. See 3pm, Free our Album review in Sounds, 6pm, Free PRIME SUSPECT, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free LITTLE GREEN MACHINE, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, THE INDUSTRY ENSEMBLE, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD,

SAT 20 JAN

by Mic Psych

We’ve all thought about giving up our bad habits but think of all the interesting people you’ve met because of them. New Year’s resolution – stick to what you know.

DAKOTA, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free RECLINER, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4 THE BELGRANOS, WHISTLE BINKIES, 6pm, Free THE RAB HOWAT BAND, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD,

THE ACUTE PLUS THE VIVIANS AND ROYAL TREATMON 29 JAN MENT PLANT, CABARET VOLTAIRE, A triple bill of energetic JUST TURN UP, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free indie rockers, 7pm, £TBC LECORUM, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, Acoustic indie THE DIALS, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free rock, 9pm, £3 WIRED DESIRE, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4 OPEN MIC NIGHT, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free THE GREAT JAM SESSION, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free

Stars

YOU’LL BE SURPRISED HOW MUCH FUN MAKING ROBOTS OUT OF CLAY CAN BE

PLAYING BRIDGE

bikies, henrys, euro

LIFESTYLE

LISTINGS EDINBURGH LIVE

Fife and Clackmannanshire Councils have been arguing over what to call the new Kincardine Bridge. One side wants the Kingdom Bridge, the other the Clackmannan Bridge. As they were unable to come to a decision, the Vulture was invited in as official adjudicator. Using that tried and tested method of creative process, the office shout-round, the Vulture came up with a few short-listed suggestions: the Chuck Norris Bridge, the Highway to Hell Viaduct, the One Step Forth Two Steps Back Bridge, the Vulture’s Party Bridge, and the Skyway of Dirty Dreams. Eventually it has been decided to call the bridge all these things at once: the Chuck Hell Forth Party Skyway.

AQUARIUS

PISCES Your boss is being a total dick. Tell them. They’re not the boss of you! Well maybe they are but this is a time for change after all. New Year’s resolution – shop more.

by The Vulture

In case anyone was wondering, naming bridges is a piece of piss. The diary is free.

WITNESS THE SHITNESS November and December were about as wet as any the Vulture can remember. (The Vulture is old. That’s how it gets its authority. And its ease with the third person.) This extreme wetness had cultural effects, not least for the citizens of Edinburgh, who got wet and complained that ‘all culture is shit’. Douglas Gordon’s Superhumanatural ‘exhibits’ at the Botanic Gardens are all very well, but no substitute for appropriate clothing, a Bovril, and a box of watercolours.

FAGS West Lancashire Council has placed a ban on ‘fag breaks’, with concern for the health of their staff as the justification for the decision. Most upset with this move have been the locals of Coronation Street, Weatherfield. Local barmaid Betty of The Rovers Return bar complained: “How are the punters supposed to enjoy their hot pot if they ain’t got nowt to smoke during their lunch hour?” Even more annoyed was long-time barfly and taxi driver Les

Battersby: “It’s bad enough my wife is sleeping with my daughter and my step-son has donated a kidney to his great dane! This is the last straw!” Local vigilante Emily Bishop has vowed to fight the decision, declaring: “I shall take this one to the Church of England, then we’ll see who’s boss around here!” A meeting is scheduled for Monday night at 7.30.

THE SMOKE This weekend the Vulture is off to London – the town where old vultures go to die.

Those worried about the short term health of the Skinny Scavenger need not fret, it’s just a flying visit. In line with the trend that ‘Culture’ and ‘the Rulings of Local Councils’ are often confused in this column, your favourite vulpine scribe has booked for tea at Mr Livingstone’s.

Oysters are on the menu. Expect sauce to follow.

THE IMPOSSIBLE FLOWERS & FRIENDS, TCHAI OVNA, 8pm, £2

FRI 5 JAN

ANIMAL FARM, BLOC, 10pm, Free JUST TURN UP, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free THE DIALS, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00 OPEN MIC NIGHT, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free THE GREAT JAM SESSION, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free JOY PROMOTIONS, 13TH NOTE, 8pm, £5.00 THE ELVIS SUICIDE + LE RENO AMPS + THE YOUNG TUES 23 JAN HIPS, BARFLY, Americana tinged rock, 8pm, tbc BAND SHOWCASE, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free THE FUNHOUSE, BARFLY, 8pm, tbc CEILIDH CLUB, THE LOT, 8.30pm, £6 CHRIS KNIGHT PLUS ALANA LEVANDOSKI, THE PLEAS- SAT 6 JAN STONESTHROW, NICE’N’SLEAZY, 8.30pm, Free ANCE, Angry folkster with hints of Mellencamp, 8pm, £10 THE ADS + STEREOGLO + SBC SUNSHINE, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00 FOLK N’ FRIENDS, THE WAVERLEY, Open Mic Night, 8.30pm, Free BEAUTIFUL SOUP, BLOC, 8pm, Free THE SHJQ QUARTET, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free CENTURY CHAOS + BAYAN + DARK LITTLE POET, BARFLY,

WED 24 JAN

RAY LAMONTAGNE, USHER HALL, 7pm, £18 THE DRAYMIN PLUS LITTLE GREEN MACHINE, WHISTLE BINKIES, See our respective single and album reviews in

8pm, tbc

SUN 7 JAN

TAKE A WORM FOR A WALK WEEK, NICE’N’SLEAZY, 8.30pm, tbc

Sounds, 9pm, Free

PUNY HUMAN PROMOTIONS: MEANS TO AN END,

night, Free

BLOC JAM, BLOC, 8pm, Free ROCKETFOX EP LAUNCH, BARFLY, 8pm, £4.00 CONOR MASON, BUTTERFLY N PIG, 8pm, Free

WYLDFLOWER PLUS THE WYND, WHISTLE BINKIES, Mid-

THURS 25 JAN

CARTER PLUS DEAD SEAS SOULS, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Electro and Indie from Bathgate and Edinburgh, 7pm, £4 (£3) MY RADIO, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, Indie rock, 9pm, £4 OUT OF THE BEDROOM, THE CANON’S GAIT, *Note venue change from previous events., 9pm, Free SOMETHING ILLEGAL, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free

THE DELOREANS PLUS HOLLOW POINT, WHISTLE BINKIES, See our single review in Sounds, 9pm, Free

13TH NOTE, 8pm, £5.00

MON 8TH JAN

ACOUSTIC JAM SESSION, NICE’N’SLEAZY, 8.30pm, tbc HUNDRED REASONS * RESCHEDULED FROM 10/10/6, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £11.00

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, BARROWLAND, 8pm, £15.00 YAMAN, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, sitar, flute and mixes, 8pm, £2

TUES 9 JAN

MUERSAULT, NICE’N’SLEAZY, 8.30pm, tbc BIRCHVILLE CAT MOTEL, 13TH NOTE, 8pm, £5.00 evening of live local indie in the claustrophobic environs ANDY MILLER, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, acoustic guitar THIS IS MUSIC: O.B.E PLUS MY TINY ROBOTS, THE RIPPS, HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, Another undoubtedly stellar

58

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

LISTINGS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

7

DE LUXE, HUDSON CLUB, Funky house with resident DJs, 11pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am

THE NEW BELL

DEPARTURE LOUNGE, THE CAVES, Mark De Clive-Lowe

A ROCKETTE, PEAR AND WALNUT SALAD TOPPED WITH GRILLED GOATS’ CHEESE HAD THE DELICACY OF A MERINGUE The service is slow at the New Bell. Not disorganised slow, cold food slow, or poor service slow. Perfectly slow. This is a smart, relaxed restaurant in which customers are invited to feel at ease in an atmosphere that sits somewhere between traditional city pub and upmarket rural inn. A treat, in other words.

The food is also relaxed and pub-like. Or, to be accurate, as relaxed and pub-like as a fine dining spread can be. A rockette, pear and walnut salad topped with grilled goats’ cheese had the delicacy of a meringue, but with a tangy balance of favour. Meanwhile, pan seared venison with parsnip puree was hearty but not too solid. To follow, a fillet of pork with Puy lentils had a similar effect, if a very different taste, and a combination of baked cod with chorizo and saffron sauce was unusual and very delicious.

Desserts are easy. White peach crème brulée worked as well as one would expect, while dark chocolate and pistachio terrine was also quite delicious.

The New Bell stands above the competition in two areas. They pay as much care to mains as they do to the lesser courses, when other restaurants of a similar standard often struggle. And there is the mood of the place: as bustle-free and elegant as a pub could ever be. [RJ Thomson] 2 COURSES £22, 3 COURSES £27, PLUS WINE. 233 CAUSEWAYSIDE, EDINBURGH, 0131 668 2868.

photo: Lorenzo D’Alberto

WWW.THENEWBELL.COM

THE LANDSDOWNE

WHILE THE CLIENTELE IS CLOSER TO THE REGULAR JENNERS CROWD, THE FOOD IN THE RESTAURANT UPSTAIRS LIVES UP TO THE HIGH QUALITY STANDARDS OF ITS VALVONA AND CROLLA SUPPLIERS.

It’s an odd place, the Landsdowne. It’s neither here nor there in terms of its location. Situated about half way up and down Great Western Road means it’s neither the City Centre nor the West End of Glasgow. It does, however, have the best of both worlds, with elements of a trendy suburban watering hole. A nondescript stairwell is the entrance to the pub, whilst a surprising open planned interior lies within. Most interesting is the beautiful conservatory at the rear of the building, giving the bar a grand Victorian feel. The menu has a strong international feel, with many unique seafood dishes, the most notable being the sea food Thai green curry. The lasagna is dense

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS, WITH ELEMENTS OF A TRENDY SUBURBAN WATERING HOLE. and creamy with a tasty side of garlic bread, and the pizzas are juicy and crispy in all the right places. Service was quick and attentive and the experience was perfectly suited to a late sunday lunch. Sadly a few too many TV screens detract from the atmosphere. Expect to pay between five and ten pounds for a tasty lunch. [Graeme Park] THE LANDSDOWNE BAR AND KITCHEN, 7A LANDSDOWNE CRESCENT, GLASGOW, 0141 334 4654 WWW.LANDSOWNETHEBAR.CO.UK

WWW.VALVONACROLLA.CO.UK photo: Lisa Divine

SCOOTS - THE BANK, MUIREND

‘SCOOT’ – AN ADVENTURE YOU CAN EMBARK ON FROM EDINBURGH OR GLASGOW TO A SECRET LITTLE PLACE OF INTEREST

You’re probably not going to walk to the Bank in midwinter, and I doubt you’ll be walking there even in the summer or the spring - although, it’s a nice wee jaunt on the bus or the train. Escape the Christmas mayhem in the city centre to this warm little pub just out of town.

hip hop, breaks, funk & open mic, 8pm-1am, Free FRICTION, LIQUID ROOM, Weekly night with Derek Martin & Stuart Johnston, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), £1 Centro card KAYOS, OPIUM, Rock, metal & indie with residents, 8pm-3am, Free

SCOTTISH HOBO SOCIETY (LIVE), THE BONGO CLUB,

Alternative music for justified sinners, 10.30pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm SIENTELO!, EL BARRIO, Latin America music mixed with chart tunes, 11pm-3am, Free SOUNDPROOF OPEN DECKS, BARAKA, Open decks night hosted by the Soundproof DJs, 8pm-1am, Free TASTE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Legendary gay-friendly club with Fisher & Price & Martin Valentine, 11pm-3am, £8 (£6), £5 b4 11.30pm TASTE FOREPLAY, BARAKA, Pre-club with DJ Miss Chris, 8pm-12am, Free LULU, Dava & friends, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm

MONDAY 29 JAN

HAPPY MONDAYS, PO NA NA, Night for students &

Industry folk, indie, rock & funk, 11pm-3am, £3, free for students/industry THE LATIN QUARTER, MEDINA, Salsa, funk & latin house, 10pm-3am, Free MOJO, OPAL LOUNGE, Modern music & timeless classics, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am PONY CLUB, TOKYO, Funky house, RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£3) ROCK KARAOKE, OPIUM, Rock Karaoke, From 8pm, Free SALSA DANCE CLASSES, THE BONGO CLUB, Cuban 2HOT, EGO, RnB & hip hop with Ritchie Ruftone & friends, Salsa, drop-in classes, 7pm for beginners, 8pm for the under 18s only (14-17), 6.45pm-9.45pm, £5 advanced, 7pm-9pm, £5 ALLSORTS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Chart, cheese & party, SHOTGUN, SUBWAY COWGATE, 70s Rock, 11pm-3am, 11pm-3am, £2, free b4 12am Free EDENANGELS, THE VAULTS, House & techno with resiTRADE UNION, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Night for deserving dents, 10pm-3am, £5 bar & club staff, DJ Beefy & WolfJazz, 10pm-3am, £2, THE EGG, WEE RED BAR, Indie, garage, punk, ska & more £1 Trade Union members/ECCF members at the Art College’s long running institution, 11pm-3am, ZOOT SWING, CAFÉ ROYAL, Swing dance classes, be£5, £4 students/members ginners 7pm, improvers 8pm followed by big-band HEADSPIN, THE BONGO CLUB, The 9th birthday party with swing jazz & neo-swing beats, 9pm-late, £4.50 (£3.50), the residents, 11pm-3am, £tbc free after 9 LIQUID SOUL, PO NA NA, Mark B & guests with chirpy BARAKA, P-Haze playing mashup, 8.30pm-1am, Free music, 10.30pm-3am, £6, £3 b4 11pm HENRYS CELLAR, Flamenco, latin & reggae with Kinkey, LOUNGE, LIBERTY’S BAR (HERIOT-WATT), Eclectic mix of 10pm-3am, £3 tunes, 8pm-1.30am, Free LULU, Jez Hill plays classic pop & funk anthems, 8pmMANGA, THE LIQUID ROOM, The 11th birthday with turn- 3am, £4, free b4 10pm PIVO CAFFE, Monkey Boy, 9pm-3am, Free tablist DMC Champion DJ Craze, MC Armani, T.C. & MC Jakes, 10pm-3am, £15 MUCH MORE, MEDINA, Hip-hop & funk cuts with Nasty P ANTICS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Rock, emo, punk & metal, & Cunnie, 10pm-3am, £4, £3 b4 11pm 11pm-3am, Free PARTY NIGHT, EL BARRIO, Salsa night with DJ Papi & Alex THE DIAMOND DICE, MASSA, Hip hop, RnB & grime Gato, free classes from 10pm, 11pm-3am, Free with your host Mr. Jinx, 10.30pm-3am, £5 RETRIBUTION, STUDIO 24, Goth music for the old, 11pmFRUNT, THE LIQUID ROOM, DJ Stuart Johnston playing 3am, £5, £3 students SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY, THE JAZZ BAR, Erik D’Viking & house music all night long, 10.30pm-3am, Free MOTHERFUNK, OPAL LOUNGE, Fryer & Gino play original Astroboy, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm soul, funk, disco, latin & hip hop, 10pm-3am, Free SEITEKI SATURDAYS, TOKYO, Funky house, 11pm-3am, REWIND, PRIVE’ COUNCIL, 100% upfront RnB & hip hop, £6 10pm-3am, £2, ladies free b4 12am SOPHISTIFUNK, CITY, John Hutchison (Tokyoblu) plays SPLIT, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Blend of house, techno, drum house remixes, funky RnB & bootlegs, 11pm-3am, £8 SOULCIAL, BAR 99, Dennis Probert & Yogi Haughton with & bass, breakbeat from Edinburgh locals, healthy midweek rave, 11.30pm-3am, Free the early soul session, 4pm-9pm, Free SOUL SANCTUARY, THE HUB, Soul tunes in two rooms (no SWING DANCE CLASSES, THE BONGO CLUB, Beginners at 7pm, advanced at 8pm, social dancing at 9, 7pmnorthern room!?), £tbc 9pm, £4 (£3) for one, £6 (£5) for both TEASE AGE, CITRUS CLUB, All things rock, motown, alterVIBE, EGO, Weekly gay club with James Longwarth playnative & soul, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm ing chart, 11pm-3am, £4 ULTRAGROOVE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Gareth Somerville & LULU, Eclectic sets from Hobbes & friends, 8pm-3am, Alan Gray (Telefunken) qith Solescience DJs in the back, £4, free b4 10pm 11pm-3am, £8 (£6 with flyer/nus) PIVO CAFFE, Trouble DJs, 7pm-3am, Free YUMMI RECORDS, PIVO CAFFE, Yummi Records showcase - DJs & local talent, 5pm-3am, Free ASSEMBLY BAR, Gareth Somerville (Ultragroove) & Jonnie CHAMBLES, OPAL LOUNGE, Funk & chart with DJ Jez Hill, Lyley (Scratch), 9pm-1am, Free 9pm-3am, £5 (£4) LULU, Hobbes, Gareth Somerville, Isla Blige & The Blond HOT SUSHI, TOKYO, Lisa Littlewood plays funky house & Flash rotate through soul, funk, house & latin, 8pmclub classics, 10pm-3am, £tbc 3am, £7, free b4 12am INDI-GO, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie & alternative, OPAL LOUNGE, Saturday night soiree, 10pm-3am, £6, 10.30pm-3am, £2, £1 students free b4 12am INSOMNIA, PRIVE’ COUNCIL, Warner Powers & Claudio

THURS 4 JAN

WED 10 JAN

Burns or Ginsberg within these walls, 8.30pm, £4 (£3) FRANTIC CHANT, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free OUT OF THE BEDROOM, THE CANON’S GAIT, *Note venue change from previous events., 9pm, Free THE ONE DAY SPEAKERS, STUDIO 24, 14+ Rock n’ roll evening, 7pm, £5 THE VACANT TOURISTS PLUS RAFF, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free

9pm, Free

BEATNIX POETRY NIGHT, THE JAZZ BAR, Find the next

SPANKY’S HEROES PLUS BLISS CREEK, WHISTLE BINKIES, THE ALVAS, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free

THURS 11 JAN

OUT OF THE BEDROOM, THE CANON’S GAIT, *Note venue

BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4

change from previous events., 9pm, Free THE HEDRONS, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Glaswegian femme rockers and recent Alice in Chains support act, 7pm, £6 THE WYND, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4 THE ZIPS, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free

FRI 5 JAN

BINKIES, Midnight, Free

THOSE FLYING MACHINES PLUS THE MANNEQUINS,

BORIS YELTSIN LOVE XI PLUS EPIC 26, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4

FLOOD OF RED, SUBWAY COWGATE, TBC, £5 LEE PATTERSON, WHISTLE BINKIES, Local troubadour. See our album review in Sounds, 6pm, Free

THE DAMAGE ROOM PLUS RUBIX TORCH, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free

THE USUAL SUSPECTS, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4

SAT 6 JAN BLACKJACK BLUES BAND, WHISTLE BINKIES, 6pm, Free

WITHOUT MALICE PLUS ULTRA VIOLET PILOT, WHISTLE

FRI 12 JAN

DIGNAL, DOWELL AND WHITE, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4

DROPKICK PLUS DEADBEAT CLUB, HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, Also includes The Scuffers and My Radio, 7.30pm, £4 JYROJETS PLUS STEREOGLO, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Young fast rising Inverness indie rockn’ rollers, 7pm, £TBC SUGARHOUSE, WHISTLE BINKIES, 6pm, Free

TEN STORIES HIGH PLUS LOST GENERATION, WHISTLE

BINKIES, German rockers pay a flying visit with Fife-dwelling

CREVIS, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4 MODUS, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free THE RAB HOWAT BAND, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD,

Indie stalwarts in tow, 9pm, Free

Weekly house band afternoon slot, 3pm, Free TOURETTES, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4

SAT 13 JAN

SUN 7 JAN

ALMEDA, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free OPEN MIC AFTERNOON, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 3pm, Free

SABAI, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free THE WYND, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4

MON 8 JAN

JUST TURN UP, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free OPEN MIC NIGHT, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free THE GREAT JAM SESSION, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free

TUES 9 JAN

BAND SHOWCASE, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free CEILIDH CLUB, THE LOT, 8.30pm, £6 FOLK N’ FRIENDS, THE WAVERLEY, Open Mic Night, 8.30pm, Free

THE SHJQ QUARTET, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free

THE BUBBLE PROJECT PLUS REBEL YELL, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4

JOJOCOKE, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4 SIZE QUEEN, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free THE RAB HOWAT BAND, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, Weekly house band afternoon slot, 3pm, Free TUNDE, THE QUEEN’S HALL, TBC, £15

SUN 14 JAN

BALDEGO, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free DIA PLUS PANIC IN STYLE, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4

OATBEANIE, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free OPEN MIC AFTERNOON, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 3pm, Free

SLAVES TO GRAVITY, CABARET VOLTAIRE, 7pm, £TBC

MON 15 JAN

JUST TURN UP, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free OPEN MIC NIGHT, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free THE GREAT JAM SESSION, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free

WEDNESDAY 31 JAN

Grab one of the Paisley Line trains from Central Station and jump off at Muirend. Once you reach the station head up the stairs and take a quick left, heading toward the main road. Passing Somerfield, take a left on the main road. As you walk down you’ll notice a rather unusual block of apartments on your left, which up until a few years ago used to be the Muirend Cinema house, a borderline art deco joint, similar to the Grovesner in Ashton Lane.

Across the street and on the corner is The Bank, named after the building’s former function. The interior is split over a number of levels, including a large mezzanine. This is a remnant of the intended grandeur that was once afforded to buildings designated to hold money, whilst the split levels were designed to send out impressive, and perhaps trusting feelings. Now it splits the premises up effectively into dining and bar areas, while maintaining a traditional pub feel throughout. The food is hearty pub ‘fayre’ and between us we enjoyed breaded mushrooms, goats’ cheese, ribs and a steak pie.

We were, however, defeated by the steak pie: its compact structure hiding a large amount of warm, meaty goodness inside.

To get back into the city centre, grab pretty much any bus heading North and you’ll find yourself back in town in no time. [Graeme Park]v

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

FRESHMODE, CITY CAFÉ (DOWNSTAIRS), Peas & DJG play

TUESDAY 30 JAN

MULTREES WALK, EDINBURGH. TEL 0131 557 0088

8

11pm-3am, £3 (£2), free b4 11pm

SATURDAY 27 JAN

VINCAFFE

Opened and established as ‘the place to be’ in 2004, Vincaffe still looks like the award-winning wine bar and restaurant it is, but is now really only the ‘place to be’ with your grandmother. While the clientele is closer to the regular Jenners crowd, the food in the restaurant upstairs lives up to the high quality standards of its Valvona and Crolla suppliers. Although the kitchen could do with some compulsory hairnets, a wholesome Italian lunch for two can be had for around £30, including a bottle of an unusual sparkling house red. The classic V&C Antipasto is beautifully presented on a large plate, and perfect for picking between two before the mains arrive: the smokily delicious parma ham melts in your mouth. Highly recommended is the Crespelle con Ricotta e Spinace (£12): at once flavoursome and surprisingly light for stuffed pancakes. The Peperoni Arrosto (£6.50) goes nicely as a main with a plain rocket salad. Watch out for dessert specials - a creamy bread and butter pudding recommended by the waitress rounded off a satisfying lunch with a subtle nutmeg finish. [Sophie Kyle]

performs alongside Astroboy & friends, 10pm-3am, £9 EVOL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie, hip hop, alternative beats & rock, 10.30pm-3am, £5 FAKE, STUDIO 24, DJ Kozmo with italo disco, electrohouse & electro punky stuff, 11pm-3am, £5 (£4) GET FUNK’D, MEDINA, Double D & Isla play hip hop to house, 10pm-3am, £4, £3 b4 11pm GROOVEJET, TOKYO, Tony McHugh with dancefloor hits, 10pm-3am, £6 JAM FRIDAY, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY, Pop & cheese, 10pm-3am, £2 MISFITS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Indie, electro, punk, rock, retro & a tequila girl, 11pm-3am, £2 NIGHT TRAIN, LIBERTY’S BAR (HERIOT-WATT), 8pm-2am, Free PLANET EARTH, CITRUS CLUB, 80s tunes with residents, 10.30pm-3am, £5 SALSA CARIBE!, THE LOT, Salsa DJs on the special wooden dancefloor, 9pm-1.30am, £5, £4 b4 9.30pm TOKYO BLU, EGO, Full live house band, visual delights and house DJs, 11pm-3am, £8 (£7), £6 (£5) b4 12am UNKNOWN PLEASURES, TEVIOT UNION, Indie club, 9pm3am, £3 (£2) ASSEMBLY BAR, Trouble DJs, 5pm-1am, Free LULU, Hobbes, Gareth Somerville, Isla Blige & The Blond Flash rotate through soul, funk, house & latin, 8pm3am, £7, free b4 12am THE MALTINGS, Open Mic, 9.30pm-late, Free OPAL LOUNGE, Jez Hill with upfront & classic tunes, 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 12am

EDINBURGH LIVE

LISTINGS

LIFESTYLE EATING & DRINKING

SUNDAY 28 JAN

ALL BACK TO MINE, OPAL LOUNGE, Eclectic mix of per-

THE BANK - 443 CLARKSTON ROAD , MUIREND , SOUTHSIDE , GLASGOW - 0141 637 8461

LIFESTYLE LISTINGS

sonal favourites, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm BABY DOLL, PO NA NA, Funky house, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm BOOTYLUSHOUS, MEDINA, RnB, soul, funk & disco with Trendy Wendy, Dale & Simone, 10pm-3am, £4, £2 b4 12am CLUB SIMBA, THE JAZZ BAR, Afro, carribean, RnB, hip hop, live pa & audio visual images with DJs Red Alert, Wellaz & guests, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 11.30pm CURIOUS? SUNDAY JOINT, THE BONGO CLUB, Diverse selection of music, free internet & games, 4pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm DISUKO, TOKYO, John Tokyoblu plays upfront disco, latin house with live percussion & sax from Pepe & saXingh,

www.skinnymag.co.uk

bring fresh house tunes each week, 10pm-3am, Free PAUL DALY, PIVO CAFFE, Free flowing funk to house, 9pm-3am, Free THE PIT, SUBWAY COWGATE, Rock & metal, 11pm-3am, Free STIR FRIED, THE OUTHOUSE, Pre-club with indie & rock from B-Sides & Bootross Rock, 9pm-1am, Free TOASTER, CITRUS CLUB, Breaks & Bobs, 11pm-3am, £3, free b4 11.30pm TOXIK, OPIUM, DJ Nu-Clear playing new & old metal & hard rock, 8pm-3am, Free WE ARE … ELECTRIC, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Gary Mac & Teme Nosce with Gareth Somerville in the back, 11pm3am, £2, free b4 12am/members BARAKA, Funk, soul, disco, dancehall & reggae, 8pmlate, Free LULU, Mash & Jon Pleased - past & future electronic classics, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

57

latin & ska from resident band The Goat Stew Orchestra & resident DJ B*Wax, 10pm-3am, Free CLASS!, SUBWAY COWGATE, DJ Lucky Luciano plays vintage cheese, student anthems & requests, 11pm-3am, £2, £1 students, free b4 12am GENETIC, CITRUS CLUB, Night of rock anthems, 11pm3am, £2 GRAFITTI, MEDINA, Kipp$ & Master Caird play party tunes all night, 10pm-3am, £3 (£2) HOUSEBOUND, EGO, Sexy house, funky stuff, electro & disco with DJs from Edinburgh & Glasgow, 10pm-3am, £5 LUCKYME, CITY CAFÉ, Hip hop, soul & off beats, 8.30pm-1am, Free ON REQUEST, EGO, Commercial dance fun, limbo etc, HAPPY MONDAYS, PO NA NA, Night for students & Industry folk, indie, rock & funk, 11pm-3am, £3, free 11pm-3am, £3 SALSA DISCO, CUBA NORTE, Salsa dance & tasty tapas, for students/industry 10pm-1am, Free THE LATIN QUARTER, MEDINA, Salsa, funk & latin SOULED OUT, OPAL LOUNGE, Soul, disco & dance with house, 10pm-3am, Free Gareth Somerville, Frazer McGlinchey & guests, 10pmMOJO, OPAL LOUNGE, Modern music & timeless clas3am, £3, free b4 12am sics, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am PINS AND NEEDLES, RED, House, techno & breaks with THE SKINNY INDIE DISCO, PIVO CAFFE, Indie classics, CJ Hardtime (Jackhammer), Kenny Breaks & residents, mash-ups & links, 7pm-3am, Free SNATCH SOCIAL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Messy night guar10pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am anteed at eclectic student bash, 9pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 PONY CLUB, TOKYO, Funky house, RnB & hip hop, members 10pm-3am, £4 (£3) TOKYO KYOUYOU, TOKYO, Scott Granger mixes funky SALSA DANCE CLASSES, THE BONGO CLUB, Cuban house, RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£3) Salsa, drop-in classes, 7pm for beginners, 8pm for TRAFFIC, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY, Indie & alternative, the advanced, 7pm-9pm, £5 11.30pm-2am, Free SHOTGUN, SUBWAY COWGATE, 70s Rock, 11pm-3am, ASSEMBLY BAR, The Departure Lounge DJs, 9pm-1am, Free Free TRADE UNION, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Night for deserving bar & club staff, DJ Beefy & WolfJazz, 10pm-3am, £2, LULU, Blackbeard, Astroboy & Family - Quantic Soul Orchestra After Party, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm £1 Trade Union members/ECCF members ZOOT SWING, CAFÉ ROYAL, Swing dance classes, beginners 7pm, improvers 8pm followed by big-band BEATROOT, EGO, Dirty house, electro & techno, 11pmswing jazz & neo-swing beats, 9pm-late, £4.50 3am, £6 (£5) (£3.50), free after 9 BIG TOE’S HI-FI, THE BONGO CLUB, Reggae, dub, danceBARAKA, P-Haze playing mashup, 8.30pm-1am, Free hall & grime, 10pm-3am, £5 (£4) HENRYS CELLAR, Flamenco, latin & reggae with Kinkey, CLUB CLASSICS, PIVO CAFFE, Classic club music from the 10pm-3am, £3 past 15 years with Scott Elliot, Craig Gee & Gav Grant on LULU, Jez Hill plays classic pop & funk anthems, 8pmrotation, 5pm-3am, Free 3am, £4, free b4 10pm CULT, PO NA NA, DJ Nicki & guests playing hip hop, disPIVO CAFFE, Monkey Boy, 9pm-3am, Free co, funk & RnB, 10pm-3am, £5, £2.50 b4 11pm DE LUXE, HUDSON CLUB, Funky house with resident DJs, ANTICS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Rock, emo, punk & metal, 11pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am 11pm-3am, Free EVOL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie, hip hop, alternative beats THE DIAMOND DICE, MASSA, Hip hop, RnB & grime & rock, 10.30pm-3am, £5 with your host Mr. Jinx, 10.30pm-3am, £5 GET FUNK’D, MEDINA, Double D & Isla play hip hop to FRUNT, THE LIQUID ROOM, DJ Stuart Johnston playing house, 10pm-3am, £4, £3 b4 11pm house music all night long, 10.30pm-3am, Free GROOVEJET, TOKYO, Tony McHugh with dancefloor hits, MOTHERFUNK, OPAL LOUNGE, Fryer & Gino play original 10pm-3am, £6 JAM FRIDAY, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY, Pop & cheese, soul, funk, disco, latin & hip hop, 10pm-3am, Free REWIND, PRIVE’ COUNCIL, 100% upfront RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £2 MISFITS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Indie, electro, punk, rock, 10pm-3am, £2, ladies free b4 12am SPLIT, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Blend of house, techno, drum retro & a tequila girl, 11pm-3am, £2 & bass, breakbeat from Edinburgh locals, healthy mid- NIGHT TRAIN, LIBERTY’S BAR (HERIOT-WATT), 8pm-2am, Free week rave, 11.30pm-3am, Free SWING DANCE CLASSES, THE BONGO CLUB, Beginners PLANET EARTH, CITRUS CLUB, 80s tunes with residents, 10.30pm-3am, £5 at 7pm, advanced at 8pm, social dancing at 9, 7pmSALSA CARIBE!, THE LOT, Salsa DJs on the special wood9pm, £4 (£3) for one, £6 (£5) for both en dancefloor, 9pm-1.30am, £5, £4 b4 9.30pm VIBE, EGO, Weekly gay club with James Longwarth SUGAR DADDY, EGO, Trendy Wendy, Michelle, James playing chart, 11pm-3am, £4 Longworth, Chris Paton & JT, 11pm-3am, £5 LULU, Eclectic sets from Hobbes & friends, 8pm-3am, THE 2XPARTY, THE BONGO CLUB, Jonny Two-Times with £4, free b4 10pm funk, soul, disco & heydays hip-hop, 11pm-3am, £6, PIVO CAFFE, Trouble DJs, 7pm-3am, Free £4 b4 1am, £2 b4 12am UNKNOWN PLEASURES, TEVIOT UNION, Indie club, 9pm3am, £3 (£2) CHAMBLES, OPAL LOUNGE, Funk & chart with DJ Jez ASSEMBLY BAR, Trouble DJs, 5pm-1am, Free Hill, 9pm-3am, £5 (£4) HOT SUSHI, TOKYO, Lisa Littlewood plays funky house & LULU, Hobbes, Gareth Somerville, Isla Blige & The Blond Flash rotate through soul, funk, house & latin, 8pmclub classics, 10pm-3am, £tbc 3am, £7, free b4 12am INDI-GO, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie & alternative, THE MALTINGS, Open Mic, 9.30pm-late, Free 10.30pm-3am, £2, £1 students INSOMNIA, PRIVE’ COUNCIL, Warner Powers & Claudio OPAL LOUNGE, Jez Hill with upfront & classic tunes, bring fresh house tunes each week, 10pm-3am, Free 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 12am Alternative music for justified sinners, 10.30pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm SIENTELO!, EL BARRIO, Latin America music mixed with chart tunes, 11pm-3am, Free SOUNDPROOF OPEN DECKS, BARAKA, Open decks night hosted by the Soundproof DJs, 8pm-1am, Free TASTE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Legendary gay-friendly club with Dave Begg, Fisher & Price & Martin Valentine, 11pm-3am, £8 (£6), £5 b4 11.30pm TASTE FOREPLAY, BARAKA, Pre-club with DJ Miss Chris, 8pm-12am, Free LULU, Dava & friends, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm

MONDAY 15 JAN

FRIDAY 19 JAN

TUESDAY 16 JAN

WEDNESDAY 17 JAN

PAUL DALY, PIVO CAFFE, Free flowing funk to house, 9pm-3am, Free

THE PIT, SUBWAY COWGATE, Rock & metal, 11pm-3am,

SATURDAY 20 JAN

100% DYNAMITE, THE BONGO CLUB, Soul Jazz Records

Sound System with Pete Reilly mixing funk, reggae, ska, dancehall, hip hop & more with MC Oxman, 11pm-3am, £6, £4 b4 12am from B-Sides & Bootross Rock, 9pm-1am, Free TOASTER, CITRUS CLUB, Breaks & Bobs, 11pm-3am, £3, 2HOT, EGO, RnB & hip hop with Ritchie Ruftone & friends, under 18s only (14-17), 6.45pm-9.45pm, £5 free b4 11.30pm ALLSORTS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Chart, cheese & party, TOXIK, OPIUM, DJ Nu-Clear playing new & old metal & 11pm-3am, £2, free b4 12am hard rock, 8pm-3am, Free THE EGG, WEE RED BAR, Indie, garage, punk, ska & more WE ARE … ELECTRIC, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Gary Mac at the Art College’s long running institution, 11pm-3am, playing 4 hours with Dava le Funk (Headspin) in the £5, £4 students/members back, 11pm-3am, £2, free b4 12am/members LIQUID SOUL, PO NA NA, Mark B & guests with chirpy BARAKA, Funk, soul, disco, dancehall & reggae, 8pmmusic, 10.30pm-3am, £6, £3 b4 11pm late, Free LOUNGE, LIBERTY’S BAR (HERIOT-WATT), Eclectic mix of LULU, Mash & Jon Pleased - past & future electronic tunes, 8pm-1.30am, Free classics, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm MUCH MORE, MEDINA, Hip-hop & funk cuts with Nasty P & Cunnie, 10pm-3am, £4, £3 b4 11pm ALTER EGO, PO NA NA, DJ Diverse with indie, rock n roll OBSCENE, COCTEAU LOUNGE (DOWNSTAIRS AT EGO), Drum & bass with DJ Calvin, Dvs1 & Jonny, 11pm-3am, £5 & electro, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3) (£4) BEAT ROOT JUICE CLUB, THE JAZZ BAR, Live afrobeat, Free

STIR FRIED, THE OUTHOUSE, Pre-club with indie & rock

THURSDAY 18 JAN

56

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

YELLOW BOX DENOTES SKINNY HIGHLIGHTS

ONE-OFF PARTY, THE LIQUID ROOM, Progression residents and DJ Decoy (Poland) play, 10pm-3am, £8, £5 b4 11pm OPTIMO, EGO, A dip into many genres, 11pm-3am, £10 PARTY NIGHT, EL BARRIO, Salsa night with DJ Papi & Alex Gato, free classes from 10pm, 11pm-3am, Free RETRIBUTION, STUDIO 24, Goth music for the old, 11pm3am, £5, £3 students SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY, THE JAZZ BAR, Erik D’Viking & Astroboy, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm SEITEKI SATURDAYS, TOKYO, Funky house, 11pm-3am, £6 SOPHISTIFUNK, CITY, John Hutchison (Tokyoblu) plays house remixes, funky RnB & bootlegs, 11pm-3am, £8 SOULCIAL, BAR 99, Dennis Probert & Yogi Haughton with the early soul session, 4pm-9pm, Free TEASE AGE, CITRUS CLUB, All things rock, motown, alternative & soul, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm YUMMI RECORDS, PIVO CAFFE, Yummi Records showcase - DJs & local talent, 5pm-3am, Free ASSEMBLY BAR, Gareth Somerville (Ultragroove) & Jonnie Lyley (Scratch), 9pm-1am, Free LULU, Hobbes, Gareth Somerville, Isla Blige & The Blond Flash rotate through soul, funk, house & latin, 8pm3am, £7, free b4 12am OPAL LOUNGE, Saturday night soiree, 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 12am

GETTING AWAY

Most tour companies run day tours to Loch Ness all year round. For backpackers and younger, more adventurous travellers MacBackpackers run the most suitable tours, along with options of longer tours which are also highly recommended.

11pm-3am, Free

THE DIAMOND DICE, MASSA, Hip hop, RnB & grime with your host Mr. Jinx, 10.30pm-3am, £5 FRUNT, THE LIQUID ROOM, DJ Stuart Johnston playing house music all night long, 10.30pm-3am, Free MOTHERFUNK, OPAL LOUNGE, Fryer & Gino play original soul, funk, disco, latin & hip hop, 10pm-3am, Free REWIND, PRIVE’ COUNCIL, 100% upfront RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £2, ladies free b4 12am SPLIT, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Blend of house, techno, drum & bass, breakbeat from Edinburgh locals, healthy midweek rave, 11.30pm-3am, Free SWING DANCE CLASSES, THE BONGO CLUB, Beginners at 7pm, advanced at 8pm, social dancing at 9, 7pm-9pm, £4 (£3) for one, £6 (£5) for both VIBE, EGO, Weekly gay club with James Longwarth playing chart, 11pm-3am, £4 LULU, Eclectic sets from Hobbes & friends, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm PIVO CAFFE, Trouble DJs, 7pm-3am, Free

WEDNESDAY 24 JAN

CHAMBLES, OPAL LOUNGE, Funk & chart with DJ Jez Hill, 9pm-3am, £5 (£4)

HOT SUSHI, TOKYO, Lisa Littlewood plays funky house &

club classics, 10pm-3am, £tbc INDI-GO, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie & alternative, 10.30pm3am, £2, £1 students INSOMNIA, PRIVE’ COUNCIL, Warner Powers & Claudio ALL BACK TO MINE, OPAL LOUNGE, Eclectic mix of perbring fresh house tunes each week, 10pm-3am, Free sonal favourites, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm PAUL DALY, PIVO CAFFE, Free flowing funk to house, 9pmBABY DOLL, PO NA NA, Funky house, 11pm-3am, £5, 3am, Free free b4 11.30pm THE PIT, SUBWAY COWGATE, Rock & metal, 11pm-3am, BOOTYLUSHOUS, MEDINA, RnB, soul, funk & disco Free with Trendy Wendy, Dale & Simone, 10pm-3am, £4, STIR FRIED, THE OUTHOUSE, Pre-club with indie & rock from £2 b4 12am B-Sides & Bootross Rock, 9pm-1am, Free CLUB SIMBA, THE JAZZ BAR, Afro, carribean, RnB, hip TOASTER, CITRUS CLUB, Breaks & Bobs, 11pm-3am, £3, hop, live pa & audio visual images with DJs Red Alert, free b4 11.30pm Wellaz & guests, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 11.30pm TOXIK, OPIUM, DJ Nu-Clear playing new & old metal & CURIOUS? SUNDAY JOINT, THE BONGO CLUB, Diverse hard rock, 8pm-3am, Free selection of music, free internet & games, 4pm-3am, WE ARE … ELECTRIC, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Gary Mac & £3, free b4 11pm Jacek playing house, electro, tech-house & breaks with DISUKO, TOKYO, John Tokyoblu plays upfront disco, Trouble DJs in the back, 11pm-3am, £2, free b4 12am/ latin house with live percussion & sax from Pepe & saX- members ingh, 11pm-3am, £3 (£2), free b4 11pm BARAKA, Funk, soul, disco, dancehall & reggae, 8pmFRESHMODE, CITY CAFÉ (DOWNSTAIRS), Peas & DJG play late, Free hip hop, breaks, funk & open mic, 8pm-1am, Free LULU, Mash & Jon Pleased - past & future electronic clasFRICTION, LIQUID ROOM, Weekly night with Derek Martin sics, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm & Stuart Johnston, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), £1 Centro card KAYOS, OPIUM, Rock, metal & indie with residents, ALTER EGO, PO NA NA, DJ Diverse with indie, rock n roll & 8pm-3am, Free electro, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3)

SUNDAY 21 JAN

For everyone else Highland Experience provide excellent Loch Ness Tours. The Highland Experience Tour takes in: Monadhliath Mountains (Monarch of the Glen territory), lunch at Spean Bridge, Loch Ness for a cruise (summer season only), past Ben Nevis (Britain’s highest mountain), Glen Coe and finally Stirling Castle.

Go Away!

DEPARTURE TIME: 8AM RETURNS: 7.30PM COST: £32 ADULT, £30 CONCESSION HIGHLAND EXPERIENCE, 0131 226 1414 WWW.HIGHLANDEXPERIENCE.COM

ON A HIGHLANDS DAY TOUR The enthusiasm of the group was initially low on this typically wet and cold Scottish Autumn day.

But the enthusiasm of our guide Chris quickly dispelled any worries about the weather. “Liquid sunshine – how lucky are we?” He went on to explain that the Loch Ness Day Tour was all about the three ‘C’s: “Coffee to keep me going, the Colours of autumn throughout the Highlands, and those dirty Campbells.” He spat. “Sorry, have to do that each time I mention those bastards.”

On the way to Loch Ness we stopped off at regular intervals to appreciate the colours and breathtaking scenery. Following the rain of the previous few weeks the hills were a vibrant green, against yellow trees and rusty reds of fallen leaves and brush, all framed by the newly snow-capped mountains in the background. Chris also set the group thinking, as we stood covered in several layers appreciating a view, how difficult life must have been for the Highlanders dressed only in kilts, leading their cattle over the unforgiving landscape and dealing with the elements all year round.

While he drove, the stories didn’t stop, and presented with such passion and purpose it was impossible not to be taken in by the enthusiasm Chris has for the Highlands and Scottish history.

We were told all about William Wallace and how Mel Gibson got it all wrong in Braveheart, among many other tales.

Soon afterwards we stopped off at Glencoe, one of the most astounding mountain ranges in Scotland, to hear all about the third ‘C’ – those dirty Campbells and the brutal demise of the MacDonald clan who once lived here. While Scottish history, and particularly the Glencoe Massacre, is often romanticised for the tourists, Chris dished up a more authentic account.

The story goes that one afternoon the Campbell Clan arrived, close to death due to the extreme weather. These two clans hated each other, but Highland Law dictated that you must take in anyone in need of rest and sustenance. After a few days the Campbell Clan moved on, only to immediately return and massacre the MacDonalds

LIFESTYLE

LISTINGS EDINBURGH CLUBS

Loch Ness

– the original purpose of their journey.

At Loch Ness the tour stopped for nearly an hour to hear how the legend of Nessie had evolved over the years, and the different supposed sightings.

On the way back to Edinburgh there was more amazing scenery, including Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in Britain. Glen Laggan is Monarch of the Glen country, and you’ll be happy to know it looks just like it does on TV.

STAYING AWAY

If you’re on a day tour there’s no need to stay away. Howeve r, if you’re visiting Edinburgh MacBackpackers have excellent hostels dotted around the city centre.

CASTLE ROCK HOSTEL 15 JOHNSTON TERRACE, EDINBURGH TEL: 0131 225 9666 HIGH STREET HOSTEL 8 BLACKFRIARS STREET, EDINBURGH TEL: 0131 557 3984

Overall a Loch Ness tour is an exhausting day but extraordinarily fulfilling. If you’re in Edinburgh as a tourist, student, or even if you live here, make sure you make it to the Highlands at least once – it’s possible all year round. For the more adventurous why not take a multiple day tour with MacBackpackers: I’ve previously done one of these, and for an adventurous Highland tour they’re unbeatable.

ROYAL MILE BACKPACKERS 105 HIGH STREET, EDINBURGH TEL: 0131 557 6120

If you’re planning a longer trip, accommodation is built in with MackBackpacker Tours. If you want to sort out your own trip MackBackpackers have hostels in the following locations around Scotland: Pitlochry, Inverness, Skye, Fort William, Oban.

by Xavier Toby

THURSDAY 25 JAN

SCOTTISH HOBO SOCIETY (LIVE), THE BONGO CLUB,

Alternative music for justified sinners, 10.30pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm SIENTELO!, EL BARRIO, Latin America music mixed with chart tunes, 11pm-3am, Free SOUNDPROOF OPEN DECKS, BARAKA, Open decks night hosted by the Soundproof DJs, 8pm-1am, Free TASTE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Legendary gay-friendly club with Marco Smith, Fisher & Price & Martin Valentine, 11pm-3am, £8 (£6), £5 b4 11.30pm TASTE FOREPLAY, BARAKA, Pre-club with DJ Miss Chris, 8pm-12am, Free LULU, Dava & friends, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm

BEAT ROOT JUICE CLUB, THE JAZZ BAR, Live afrobeat, latin & ska from resident band The Goat Stew Orchestra & resident DJ B*Wax, 10pm-3am, Free CLASS!, SUBWAY COWGATE, DJ Lucky Luciano plays vintage cheese, student anthems & requests, 11pm-3am, £2, £1 students, free b4 12am GENETIC, CITRUS CLUB, Night of rock anthems, 11pm3am, £2

GOULAG BEAT, COCTEAU LOUNGE (DOWNSTAIRS AT EGO),

Electro, soul & punk with live bands, 11pm-3am, £3 GRAFITTI, MEDINA, Kipp$ & Master Caird play party tunes all night, 10pm-3am, £3 (£2) HOUSEBOUND, EGO, Sexy house, funky stuff, electro & disco with DJs from Edinburgh & Glasgow, 10pm-3am, £5 HAPPY MONDAYS, PO NA NA, Night for students & LUCKYME, CITY CAFÉ, Hip hop, soul & off beats, 8.30pmIndustry folk, indie, rock & funk, 11pm-3am, £3, free 1am, Free for students/industry MUNGO’S HIFI, THE BONGO CLUB, Glasgow’s soundsysTHE LATIN QUARTER, MEDINA, Salsa, funk & latin house, tem rolls into town for dub, reggae & dancehall, £tbc 10pm-3am, Free SALSA DISCO, CUBA NORTE, Salsa dance & tasty tapas, MOJO, OPAL LOUNGE, Modern music & timeless clas10pm-1am, Free sics, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am SOULED OUT, OPAL LOUNGE, Soul, disco & dance with PONY CLUB, TOKYO, Funky house, RnB & hip hop, Gareth Somerville, Frazer McGlinchey & guests, 10pm10pm-3am, £4 (£3) 3am, £3, free b4 12am ROCK KARAOKE, OPIUM, Rock Karaoke, From 8pm, THE SKINNY INDIE DISCO, PIVO CAFFE, Indie classics, Free mash-ups & links, 7pm-3am, Free SALSA DANCE CLASSES, THE BONGO CLUB, Cuban SNATCH SOCIAL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Messy night guarSalsa, drop-in classes, 7pm for beginners, 8pm for the anteed at eclectic student bash, 9pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 advanced, 7pm-9pm, £5 members SHOTGUN, SUBWAY COWGATE, 70s Rock, 11pm-3am, TOKYO KYOUYOU, TOKYO, Scott Granger mixes funky Free house, RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£3) TRADE UNION, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Night for deserving TRAFFIC, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY, Indie & alternative, bar & club staff, DJ Beefy & WolfJazz, 10pm-3am, £2, 11.30pm-2am, Free £1 Trade Union members/ECCF members ASSEMBLY BAR, The Departure Lounge DJs, 9pm-1am, ZOOT SWING, CAFÉ ROYAL, Swing dance classes, beFree ginners 7pm, improvers 8pm followed by big-band LULU, Blackbeard, Astroboy & Family - Quantic Soul Orswing jazz & neo-swing beats, 9pm-late, £4.50 (£3.50), chestra After Party, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm free after 9 BARAKA, P-Haze playing mashup, 8.30pm-1am, Free HENRYS CELLAR, Flamenco, latin & reggae with Kinkey, ASSEMBLY ROOMS CEILIDH, ASSEMBLY ROOMS, With Cei10pm-3am, £3 lidh band HLI & caller Ken Gourlay, 8pm-late, £10 (£5) LULU, Jez Hill plays classic pop & funk anthems, 8pmCLUB CLASSICS, PIVO CAFFE, Classic club music from the 3am, £4, free b4 10pm past 15 years with Scott Elliot, Craig Gee & Gav Grant on PIVO CAFFE, Monkey Boy, 9pm-3am, Free rotation, 5pm-3am, Free CULT, PO NA NA, DJ Nicki & guests playing hip hop, disco, ANTICS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Rock, emo, punk & metal, funk & RnB, 10pm-3am, £5, £2.50 b4 11pm

MONDAY 22 JAN

FRIDAY 26 JAN

TUESDAY 23 JAN

LISTINGS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

9

EDINBURGH CLUBS THURSDAY 4TH JANUARY

Gato, free classes from 10pm, 11pm-3am, Free RETRIBUTION, STUDIO 24, Goth music for the old, 11pm& electro, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3) 3am, £5, £3 students BEAT ROOT JUICE CLUB, THE JAZZ BAR, Live afrobeat, SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY, THE JAZZ BAR, Erik D’Viking & latin & ska from resident band The Goat Stew Orchestra Astroboy, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm & resident DJ B*Wax, 10pm-3am, Free CLASS!, SUBWAY COWGATE, DJ Lucky Luciano plays vin- SEITEKI SATURDAYS, TOKYO, Funky house, 11pm-3am, £6 tage cheese, student anthems & requests, 11pm-3am, SOPHISTIFUNK, CITY, John Hutchison (Tokyoblu) plays £2, £1 students, free b4 12am house remixes, funky RnB & bootlegs, 11pm-3am, £8 GENETIC, CITRUS CLUB, Night of rock anthems, 11pmSOULCIAL, BAR 99, Dennis Probert & Yogi Haughton with 3am, £2 GRAFITTI, MEDINA, Kipp$ & Master Caird play party tunes the early soul session, 4pm-9pm, Free TEASE AGE, CITRUS CLUB, All things rock, motown, alterall night, 10pm-3am, £3 (£2) HOUSEBOUND, EGO, Sexy house, funky stuff, electro & native & soul, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm disco with DJs from Edinburgh & Glasgow, 10pm-3am, YUMMI RECORDS, PIVO CAFFE, Yummi Records showcase - DJs & local talent, 5pm-3am, Free £5

by Ema Johnson

THIS MONTH: LUCY MACLEOD

LUCKYME, CITY CAFÉ, Hip hop, soul & off beats, 8.30pm-1am, Free

SALSA DISCO, CUBA NORTE, Salsa dance & tasty tapas, 10pm-1am, Free

SOULED OUT, OPAL LOUNGE, Soul, disco & dance with

L

ucy MacLeod is sobbing. I have come round to her flat, but she is finding it hard to talk to me as she’s so upset. She has just been released from Edinburgh Art College, and is unable to see how four years of Fine Art tuition could help her survive the real world.

“What am I gonna do?” she asks in near-despair.

approach to illustration which has definitely become a strength. I definitely lacked the seriousness and, dare I say, pretentiousness, for a career in fine art. I just wanted to make good pictures. All in all though, the experience was positive and I still really miss having lots of people around me making things. It was a bit magical.

That was five years ago.

How did you arrive at illustration?

Today, I meet Lucy again in her home. All around us is evidence of her newly shaped family existence. Toys and books are strewn on the floor. The Teletubbies sing happily from the TV, much to the delight of her gorgeous one year-old daughter Maisie. “Did you know the baby in the sun is twelve now?” ‘The baby in the sun’ is not as portentous as it sounds: anyone familiar with the kids’ programme will be aware Lucy’s questions have lost their philosophical panic.

I discovered illustration by accident. I moped around a bit after college feeling bitter at everybody and everything. Then a friend gave me a second-hand computer with Photoshop installed on it. I just started mucking around with it until I realised that the work I was doing might constitute illustration. I got a few pictures together and started sending them around to various magazines, publishers and agents. If my memory serves me right, I was one hundred percent rejected. But I felt really strongly that I had the potential to get somewhere with it. I just kept doing more work and sending it off relentlessly.

What has she been up to, to bring about this dramatic change?

Well, her super sexy illustrations have just landed in London’s uberchic Fashion & Textiles Museum as part of the Production Lines exhibition - and that’s not all. Lucy already boasts an impressive client list, including the current British Airways campaign for BBH, La Perla, Smirnoff, Diva Magazine, The Independent, The Times, Channel 4, and Nylon Magazine. The list goes on.

In the flesh Lucy is a combination of Liza Minnelli, Trinny of Trinny and Suzanna, Sharon Osborne, and Erin O’Connor - all rolled into one. Her drawings reflect her impeccable observations and her vivacious sense of humour.

They say the pen is mightier than the sword. When did you start wielding your weapon?

My weapon of choice is generally charcoal. Occasionally I’ll use the pencil if I’m feeling a bit anal. I started wielding my ‘weapon’ on a semi-professional basis when I was pretty young - shitty pavement drawing competitions on ‘holiday’ in Aberdeen. I wasn’t best pleased when my little sister, who could barely draw, blatantly copied my design, bastardised it, then came in first place. She won a cup and a Barbie doll. Naturally, I boycotted the prize-giving ceremony. On the drive home in the car I executed my finest diva strop, tearing the head off said Barbie. It was then I realised I may have a bit of a competitive streak. I must point out that shortly after this event a matchstick hedgehog drawing I had done was featured in Tony Hart’s gallery on TV. Sweet, sweet revenge.

How did you land in ECA, and what were your experiences there?

I landed at ECA via Telford College’s “portfolio preparation” course.

I have always felt a bit guilty about it, though. All I did was find out what I needed for my portfolio at the beginning of the year, then did bugger all for the rest of it. I didn’t even bother turning up at the end, and just spent two weeks drawing and painting wildly, recruiting various members of my family, passing tradesmen and animals to pose for me. A paper mache mask sticks in my memory.

Also, I’m ashamed to say I ‘borrowed’ a couple of my Mum’s drawings (she studied painting at college in the Sixties) to ensure my entry. Will my degree be robbed from me after this sordid confession?

Anyway, college was a whirlwind of various viral diseases, much posing around and lots of smoking. With my work judged to be “too good-looking” by the tutors, painting was probably the wrong course for me. But I’m glad I did it, as it’s given me a more painterly

10 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

After a few months, a couple of web magazines picked up some pictures and slowly feedback became more positive. It took ages to get paid work, though, and my first experience woke me up to the reality of those who commission illustration. Not to name names, but let’s just say The Shmindependent came calling one day, asking to use one of my illustrations for a weekend supplement feature.

Flattered and excited at my first paid job, I accepted their pathetic offer of £60.00 - only to learn that they had then used it for the cover of the supplement. They then added insult to injury by sending me a cheque for £40.00. After a meek complaint I was sent another cheque for £10.00. Whoopee!

Nowadays, I’m willing to say no to a job if the pay is rotten, or if they’re trying to get something from me for nothing. But with work so hard to find, I can understand people doing freebies and whatnot. Unfortunately it affects all illustrators, as commissioners think they can take advantage of you knowing that if you say no, someone else is willing to do it for l it t le or no fee. You would never dream of asking a plu mb e r t o mend your toilet for no money, or go into a shop and offer them ‘exp o su re’ for wea r ing their clothes, so I don’t see why these people get away with it.

PARTY NIGHT, EL BARRIO, Salsa night with DJ Papi & Alex

ALTER EGO, PO NA NA, DJ Diverse with indie, rock n roll

Future Projects?

Look out for a range of fashion and textiles in 2007 with a shop added onto the website www.lucymacleod.com. There will be many shenanigans with 4WALL. Currently 4WALL have taken over a square in Bermondsey, and the London Fashion and Textiles Museum, for Production Lines, a two week event. There is an illustration ‘supergroup’ exhibition [line-up includes: McFaul, Richard May, David Foldvari, Daisy De Villeneuve, Container, I LOVE DUST and Lucy MacLeod], fashion events, and a 99p tombola of postcards. The tombola contains drawings by Bono, Ken Livingstone, Tracey Emin and the likes, as well as random Bermondsey schoolchildren, passers-by, etcetera, just to mix it up.

Have you become the person you wanted to be when you grew up?

Absolutely not. I wanted to be adopted for starters (kidding, Mum and Dad). I saw myself as a trapeze artist. I had an overwhelming desire to be upside down. I was forced to make do with the swing in my back garden, and cartwheels. Wearing tights still makes me feel a bit tingly though.

Talk of tights brings me nicely to introducing Mrs Macleod’s clothing & textiles label, Empress, which she will launch in 2007. It’s top secret stuff for now, but t-shirts emblazoned with her pen work are already big in Japan. Not bad for a lady who at one time believed that her Fine Art degree would only qualify her to work in the “..sex industries”. Seriously, keep an eye out for Lucy Macleod; invest in some of her drama for your walls. Most of all, be inspired.

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/LUCYMACLEODILLUSTRATION

Gareth Somerville, Frazer McGlinchey & guests, 10pm3am, £3, free b4 12am THE SKINNY INDIE DISCO, PIVO CAFFE, Indie classics, mash-ups & links, 7pm-3am, Free SNATCH SOCIAL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Messy night guaranteed at eclectic student bash, 9pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 members SYNTHETIC, THE BONGO CLUB, Techno to drum & bass with Morph & residents, 11pm-3am, £3, £2 b4 12am TOKYO KYOUYOU, TOKYO, Scott Granger mixes funky house, RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£3) TRAFFIC, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY, Indie & alternative, 11.30pm-2am, Free ASSEMBLY BAR, The Departure Lounge DJs, 9pm-1am, Free LULU, Astroboy & Family - soul & boogie, 8pm-3am, £4, free for students

FRIDAY 5TH JANUARY

ABSOLUTE, STUDIO 24, Simon Mcleod (Nuklear Puppy) & Mark Doc (Rectify), 10pm-3am, £tbc CLUB CLASSICS, PIVO CAFFE, Classic club music from the past 15 years with Scott Elliot, Craig Gee & Gav Grant on rotation, 5pm-3am, Free CULT, PO NA NA, DJ Nicki & guests playing hip hop, disco, funk & RnB, 10pm-3am, £5, £2.50 b4 11pm DE LUXE, HUDSON CLUB, Funky house with resident DJs, 11pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am EVOL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie, hip hop, alternative beats & rock, 10.30pm-3am, £5 GET FUNK’D, MEDINA, Double D & Isla play hip hop to house, 10pm-3am, £4, £3 b4 11pm GROOVEJET, TOKYO, Tony McHugh with dancefloor hits, 10pm-3am, £6 JAM FRIDAY, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY, Pop & cheese, 10pm-3am, £2 MISFITS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Indie, electro, punk, rock, retro & a tequila girl, 11pm-3am, £2

MODERN LOVERS, COCTEAU LOUNGE (DOWNSTAIRS AT EGO), Soul, funk, ska, latin, garage, punk & psych

with Craig Jamieson & Mr. Divine, 11pm-3am, £6, £4 b4 12am NIGHT TRAIN, LIBERTY’S BAR (HERIOT-WATT), 8pm-2am, Free PLANET EARTH, CITRUS CLUB, 80s tunes with residents, 10.30pm-3am, £5 SALSA CARIBE!, THE LOT, Salsa DJs on the special wooden dancefloor, 9pm-1.30am, £5, £4 b4 9.30pm SUGAR DADDY, EGO, Trendy Wendy, Michelle, James Longworth, Chris Paton & JT, 11pm-3am, £5 UNKNOWN PLEASURES, TEVIOT UNION, Indie club, 9pm3am, £3 (£2) ASSEMBLY BAR, Trouble DJs, 5pm-1am, Free PARTY NIGHT, LULU, Al Kent & Gareth Somerville play house, disco & latin beats, 8pm-3am, £7, free b4 10pm THE MALTINGS, Open Mic, 9.30pm-late, Free OPAL LOUNGE, Jez Hill with upfront & classic tunes, 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 12am

WE ARE … ELECTRIC VS. ACCESS, CABARET VOLTAIRE,

Resident DJs play house, techno & electro, 11pm-3am, £tbc ASSEMBLY BAR, Gareth Somerville (Ultragroove) & Jonnie Lyley (Scratch), 9pm-1am, Free LULU, Andy Pirie & Hobbes play an eclectic mix, 8pm3am, £7, free b4 10pm OPAL LOUNGE, Saturday night soiree, 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 12am

SUNDAY 7TH JANUARY

ALL BACK TO MINE, OPAL LOUNGE, Eclectic mix of personal favourites, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm BABY DOLL, PO NA NA, Funky house, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm BOOTYLUSHOUS, MEDINA, RnB, soul, funk & disco with Trendy Wendy, Dale & Simone, 10pm-3am, £4, £2 b4 12am CLUB SIMBA, THE JAZZ BAR, Afro, carribean, RnB, hip hop, live pa & audio visual images with DJs Red Alert, Wellaz & guests, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 11.30pm CURIOUS? SUNDAY JOINT, THE BONGO CLUB, Diverse selection of music, free internet & games, 4pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm DISUKO, TOKYO, John Tokyoblu plays upfront disco, latin house with live percussion & sax from Pepe & saXingh, 11pm-3am, £3 (£2), free b4 11pm FRESHMODE, CITY CAFÉ (DOWNSTAIRS), Peas & DJG play hip hop, breaks, funk & open mic, 8pm-1am, Free FRICTION, LIQUID ROOM, Weekly night with Derek Martin & Stuart Johnston, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), £1 Centro card KAYOS, OPIUM, Rock, metal & indie with residents, 8pm-3am, Free

SCOTTISH HOBO SOCIETY (LIVE), THE BONGO CLUB,

Alternative music for justified sinners, 10.30pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm SIENTELO!, EL BARRIO, Latin America music mixed with chart tunes, 11pm-3am, Free SOUNDPROOF OPEN DECKS, BARAKA, Open decks night hosted by the Soundproof DJs, 8pm-1am, Free TASTE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Legendary gay-friendly club with Miss Chris, Fisher & Price & Martin Valentine, 11pm-3am, £8 (£6), £5 b4 11.30pm TASTE FOREPLAY, BARAKA, Pre-club with DJ Miss Chris, 8pm-12am, Free

MONDAY 8 JAN

HAPPY MONDAYS, PO NA NA, Night for students &

Industry folk, indie, rock & funk, 11pm-3am, £3, free for students/industry THE LATIN QUARTER, MEDINA, Salsa, funk & latin house, 10pm-3am, Free MOJO, OPAL LOUNGE, Modern music & timeless classics, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am PONY CLUB, TOKYO, Funky house, RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£3) ROCK KARAOKE, OPIUM, Rock Karaoke, From 8pm, Free SALSA DANCE CLASSES, THE BONGO CLUB, Cuban Salsa, drop-in classes, 7pm for beginners, 8pm for the advanced, 7pm-9pm, £5 SHOTGUN, SUBWAY COWGATE, 70s Rock, 11pm-3am, Free TRADE UNION, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Night for deserving bar & club staff, DJ Beefy & WolfJazz, 10pm-3am, £2, £1 Trade Union members/ECCF members 2HOT, EGO, RnB & hip hop with Ritchie Ruftone & friends, ZOOT SWING, CAFÉ ROYAL, Swing dance classes, beunder 18s only (14-17), 6.45pm-9.45pm, £5 ginners 7pm, improvers 8pm followed by big-band ALLSORTS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Chart, cheese & party, swing jazz & neo-swing beats, 9pm-late, £4.50 (£3.50), 11pm-3am, £2, free b4 12am free after 9 THE EGG, WEE RED BAR, Indie, garage, punk, ska & more BARAKA, P-Haze playing mashup, 8.30pm-1am, Free at the Art College’s long running institution, 11pm-3am, HENRYS CELLAR, Flamenco, latin & reggae with Kinkey, £5, £4 students/members 10pm-3am, £3 FEVER, EGO, DJs Fisher & Price & Martin Valentine, LULU, Jez Hill plays classic pop & funk anthems, 8pm11pm-3am, £10 (£8) 3am, £4, free b4 10pm LIQUID SOUL, PO NA NA, Mark B & guests with chirpy PIVO CAFFE, Monkey Boy, 9pm-3am, Free music, 10.30pm-3am, £6, £3 b4 11pm LOUNGE, LIBERTY’S BAR (HERIOT-WATT), Eclectic mix of tunes, 8pm-1.30am, Free ANTICS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Rock, emo, punk & metal, LUVELY JANUARY SAIL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Banging 11pm-3am, Free house tunes with a 007 dress code, 10.30pm-5am, £12 THE DIAMOND DICE, MASSA, Hip hop, RnB & grime (£10) with your host Mr. Jinx, 10.30pm-3am, £5 MUCH MORE, MEDINA, Hip-hop & funk cuts with Nasty FRUNT, THE LIQUID ROOM, DJ Stuart Johnston playing P & Cunnie, 10pm-3am, £4, £3 b4 11pm

WWW.LUCYMACLEOD.COM

SATURDAY 6TH JANUARY

What’s tickling your fancy right now, in terms of icons or inspirations?

In no particular order: the baby Maisie, Fiodor Sumkin, Sa m Web e r, Jef f rey D e c o s t e r, Charles Anastase, Kustaa Saksi, the drawings of Alasdair Gray, the fashions of Dorothy Cotton, the music of Great Ezcape.

TUESDAY 9 JAN

LIFESTYLE LISTINGS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

house music all night long, 10.30pm-3am, Free MOTHERFUNK, OPAL LOUNGE, Fryer & Gino play original soul, funk, disco, latin & hip hop, 10pm-3am, Free REWIND, PRIVE’ COUNCIL, 100% upfront RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £2, ladies free b4 12am SPEEDDATER SPEED DATING EVENT, GRAPE, 25-33 Women, Men 27-35, 7pm-uptoyou!, £19.95 SPLIT, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Blend of house, techno, drum & bass, breakbeat from Edinburgh locals, healthy midweek rave, 11.30pm-3am, Free SWING DANCE CLASSES, THE BONGO CLUB, Beginners at 7pm, advanced at 8pm, social dancing at 9, 7pm9pm, £4 (£3) for one, £6 (£5) for both VIBE, EGO, Weekly gay club with James Longwarth playing chart, 11pm-3am, £4 PIVO CAFFE, Trouble DJs, 7pm-3am, Free

10pm-3am, £2

MINGIN, STUDIO 24, Dark ‘sexy’ house club, 11pm3am, £5

MISFITS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Indie, electro, punk, rock, retro & a tequila girl, 11pm-3am, £2

NIGHT TRAIN, LIBERTY’S BAR (HERIOT-WATT), 8pm-2am, Free

NUKLEAR PUPPY, EGO, Hard dance & trance, 11pm3am, £tbc

PLANET EARTH, CITRUS CLUB, 80s tunes with residents, 10.30pm-3am, £5

SALSA CARIBE!, THE LOT, Salsa DJs on the special

LISTINGS

LIFESTYLE London Calling?

wooden dancefloor, 9pm-1.30am, £5, £4 b4 9.30pm SOLESCIENCE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, The annual bang-off Rob, Nick, Neil & Barry - house party, 11pm-3am, £3 UNKNOWN PLEASURES, TEVIOT UNION, Indie club, 9pm3am, £3 (£2) ASSEMBLY BAR, Trouble DJs, 5pm-1am, Free LULU, Hobbes, Gareth Somerville, Isla Blige & The Blond CHAMBLES, OPAL LOUNGE, Funk & chart with DJ Jez Hill, Flash rotate through soul, funk, house & latin, 8pm9pm-3am, £5 (£4) 3am, £7, free b4 12am HOT SUSHI, TOKYO, Lisa Littlewood plays funky house & THE MALTINGS, Open Mic, 9.30pm-late, Free club classics, 10pm-3am, £tbc OPAL LOUNGE, Jez Hill with upfront & classic tunes, INDI-GO, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie & alternative, 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 12am 10.30pm-3am, £2, £1 students INSOMNIA, PRIVE’ COUNCIL, Warner Powers & Claudio 2HOT, EGO, RnB & hip hop with Ritchie Ruftone & bring fresh house tunes each week, 10pm-3am, Free friends, under 18s only (14-17), 6.45pm-9.45pm, £5 PAUL DALY, PIVO CAFFE, Free flowing funk to house, 9pm-3am, Free ALLSORTS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Chart, cheese & party, 11pm-3am, £2, free b4 12am THE PIT, SUBWAY COWGATE, Rock & metal, 11pm-3am, Free THE EGG, WEE RED BAR, Indie, garage, punk, ska & STIR FRIED, THE OUTHOUSE, Pre-club with indie & rock from more at the Art College’s long running institution, 11pm3am, £5, £4 students/members B-Sides & Bootross Rock, 9pm-1am, Free TOASTER, CITRUS CLUB, Breaks & Bobs, 11pm-3am, £3, GIVE IT SOME, THE BONGO CLUB, Funky 45s & soulful 7”s free b4 11.30pm with Red6, 11pm-3am, £6, £4 b4 12am TOXIK, OPIUM, DJ Nu-Clear playing new & old metal & HOLLA, THE LIQUID ROOM, New RnB & commercial hip hard rock, 8pm-3am, Free hop with the 2Hot DJs, 10.30pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am WE ARE … ELECTRIC, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Gary Mac & Kev Wright playing house, electro, tech-house & breaks LIQUID SOUL, PO NA NA, Mark B & guests with chirpy music, 10.30pm-3am, £6, £3 b4 11pm with Tall Paul in the back, 11pm-3am, £2, free b4 12am/members LOUNGE, LIBERTY’S BAR (HERIOT-WATT), Eclectic mix of BARAKA, Funk, soul, disco, dancehall & reggae, 8pmtunes, 8pm-1.30am, Free late, Free MUCH MORE, MEDINA, Hip-hop & funk cuts with Nasty LULU, Mash & Jon Pleased - past & future electronic clas- P & Cunnie, 10pm-3am, £4, £3 b4 11pm sics, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm PARTY NIGHT, EL BARRIO, Salsa night with DJ Papi & Alex Gato, free classes from 10pm, 11pm-3am, Free RETRIBUTION, STUDIO 24, Goth music for the old, 11pmALTER EGO, PO NA NA, DJ Diverse with indie, rock n roll 3am, £5, £3 students & electro, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3) SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY, THE JAZZ BAR, Erik D’Viking & BEAT ROOT JUICE CLUB, THE JAZZ BAR, Live afrobeat, Astroboy, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm latin & ska from resident band The Goat Stew Orchestra SEITEKI SATURDAYS, TOKYO, Funky house, 11pm-3am, & resident DJ B*Wax, 10pm-3am, Free £6 BLACK TAPE, COCTEAU LOUNGE (DOWNSTAIRS AT EGO), No SOPHISTIFUNK, CITY, John Hutchison (Tokyoblu) plays superstar DJs, bring your own tunes, 11pm-3am, £3 house remixes, funky RnB & bootlegs, 11pm-3am, £8 CLASS!, SUBWAY COWGATE, DJ Lucky Luciano plays vin- SOULCIAL, BAR 99, Dennis Probert & Yogi Haughton with tage cheese, student anthems & requests, 11pm-3am, the early soul session, 4pm-9pm, Free £2, £1 students, free b4 12am TEASE AGE, CITRUS CLUB, All things rock, motown, alterGENETIC, CITRUS CLUB, Night of rock anthems, 11pmnative & soul, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm 3am, £2 ULTRAGROOVE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Gareth Somerville GRAFITTI, MEDINA, Kipp$ & Master Caird play party & Ritchie Vallenz play house with Astroboy in the backtunes all night, 10pm-3am, £3 (£2) room, 11pm-3am, £8 (£6 with flyer/nus), £5 with HOUSEBOUND, EGO, Sexy house, funky stuff, electro hogmanay ticket before 12am & disco with DJs from Edinburgh & Glasgow, 10pmVEGAS, EGO, Rat-pack, lounge, retro, swing, latin & 3am, £5 soul, 11pm-3am, £10, £7 for the fabulously dressed LUCKYME, CITY CAFÉ, Hip hop, soul & off beats, YUMMI RECORDS, PIVO CAFFE, Yummi Records show8.30pm-1am, Free case - DJs & local talent, 5pm-3am, Free SALSA DISCO, CUBA NORTE, Salsa dance & tasty tapas, ASSEMBLY BAR, Gareth Somerville (Ultragroove) & Jonnie 10pm-1am, Free Lyley (Scratch), 9pm-1am, Free SOULED OUT, OPAL LOUNGE, Soul, disco & dance with LULU, Hobbes, Gareth Somerville, Isla Blige & The Blond Gareth Somerville, Frazer McGlinchey & guests, 10pmFlash rotate through soul, funk, house & latin, 8pm3am, £3, free b4 12am 3am, £7, free b4 12am THE SKINNY INDIE DISCO, PIVO CAFFE, Indie classics, OPAL LOUNGE, Saturday night soiree, 10pm-3am, £6, mash-ups & links, 7pm-3am, Free free b4 12am SNATCH SOCIAL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Messy night guaranteed at eclectic student bash, 9pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 members ALL BACK TO MINE, OPAL LOUNGE, Eclectic mix of perTOKYO KYOUYOU, TOKYO, Scott Granger mixes funky sonal favourites, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm house, RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£3) BABY DOLL, PO NA NA, Funky house, 11pm-3am, £5, TRAFFIC, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY, Indie & alternative, free b4 11.30pm 11.30pm-2am, Free BOOTYLUSHOUS, MEDINA, RnB, soul, funk & disco ASSEMBLY BAR, The Departure Lounge DJs, 9pm-1am, with Trendy Wendy, Dale & Simone, 10pm-3am, £4, Free £2 b4 12am LULU, Blackbeard, Astroboy & Family - Quantic Soul CLUB SIMBA, THE JAZZ BAR, Afro, carribean, RnB, hip Orchestra After Party, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm hop, live pa & audio visual images with DJs Red Alert, Wellaz & guests, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 11.30pm CURIOUS? SUNDAY JOINT, THE BONGO CLUB, Diverse CLUB CLASSICS, PIVO CAFFE, Classic club music from selection of music, free internet & games, 4pm-3am, the past 15 years with Scott Elliot, Craig Gee & Gav £3, free b4 11pm Grant on rotation, 5pm-3am, Free DISUKO, TOKYO, John Tokyoblu plays upfront disco, CULT, PO NA NA, DJ Nicki & guests playing hip hop, latin house with live percussion & sax from Pepe & saXdisco, funk & RnB, 10pm-3am, £5, £2.50 b4 11pm ingh, 11pm-3am, £3 (£2), free b4 11pm DE LUXE, HUDSON CLUB, Funky house with resident DJs, FRESHMODE, CITY CAFÉ (DOWNSTAIRS), Peas & DJG play 11pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am EVOL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie, hip hop, alternative beats hip hop, breaks, funk & open mic, 8pm-1am, Free FRICTION, LIQUID ROOM, Weekly night with Derek Martin & rock, 10.30pm-3am, £5 & Stuart Johnston, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), £1 Centro GET FUNK’D, MEDINA, Double D & Isla play hip hop to card house, 10pm-3am, £4, £3 b4 11pm KAYOS, OPIUM, Rock, metal & indie with residents, GROOVEJET, TOKYO, Tony McHugh with dancefloor hits, 8pm-3am, Free 10pm-3am, £6 SCOTTISH HOBO SOCIETY (LIVE), THE BONGO CLUB, JAM FRIDAY, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY, Pop & cheese,

WEDNESDAY 10 JAN

SATURDAY 13 JAN

THURSDAY 11 JAN

SUNDAY 14 JAN

FRIDAY 12TH JAN

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

55

ABC SATURDAYS, ABC1, Gerry Lyons plays soul, punk, rock & indie dance, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

ABC SATURDAYS, ABC2, David Sinclair (Killer Kitsch) plays electro, house & pop, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

AUDIO, BLOC, House, techno & electro from DJ Aiden, 9pm-3am, Free BAD ROBOT, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Loose Joints & Stevie Elements play from rock to techno & breakbeats, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5), £2 GSA, free after 12am BEAUTIFUL SOUP, BLOC, Eclectic music with Aldo & John, 10pm-3am, Free DEATH DISCO, THE ARCHES, Gucci Soundsystem (Riton & Ben Fat Trucker), 10pm-3am, £12 DIRTY RECORDZ, GUU, Paul N’Jie (Beat 106) plays current tunes, open decks downstairs, 10pm-2am, £3 (£2, £1), free b4 9pm DIVINE!, THE VIC BAR, Mr. Divine & Hushpuppy bring you northern soul, funk & mod tunes, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5) GOODFOOT, RIVERSIDE CLUB, Northern soul, motown & funk, 10.30pm-3am, £7 GROOVEJET, MAS, Weekly house & RnB mix, 11pm3am, £7 (£5) HIP DROP, BREL, Funk, soul, electro & disco from Robbie Rolex & Nel, 9pm-1am, Free HOME COOKIN’, BELO, Urban music showcase, 10pm3am, £7, free b4 11pm HOMEGROWN, BAMBOO, Stevie Sole Middleton, Domenic Martin & Scottie B play house and smooth RnB, jazz & funk, 9pm-3am, £5, free b4 10.30pm/ 12.30am students I LOVE THE GARAGE, THE GARAGE, Classics, 10.30pm3am, £7 (£5), £6 (£4) b4 12am KARBON SATURDAYS, KARBON, Kev McFarlane, Stephen Lee, Woody play house & hip hop classics, 10.30pm-3am, £tbc MONOX, SOUNDHAUS, Techno session with Echoplex, Sugar Experiment Station & Lusinda, 11pm-5am, £10 NU-SCHOOL, THE BUFF CLUB, Fresh northern soul, jazz & funk featuring live percussion, classics downstairs, 10.30pm-3am, £6 OPEN DEX, DEEP 6 (GUU), Bring your vinyl/CDs if you think you can do better, 9pm-1am, £1, £2 nonmembers SUBCULTURE, THE SUB CLUB, Weekly snapshot of the ever-evolving house blueprint, 11pm-3am, £8, £5 b4 12am VOODOO, THE CATHOUSE, Under-18 club with metal, emo & punk, 5pm-9pm, £6 (£3) THE BUNKER BAR, DJ Toast & Mash, 9pm-3am, Free THE CATHOUSE, Barry & Andy with all things rock, 10.30pm-3am, £6 (£5), free b4 12am with PIYP CHINAWHITE, DJ Naeem playing main room RnB & classics, Mirrirbaw playing dunky house in the Mao room, 10pm-3am, £10 THE GOAT, Paul Needles, 8pm-late, Free MACSORLEYS, Jazz band downstairs, Paul Cawley & Karim The Pro-Vinylist upstairs, 9pm-late, Free REPUBLIC BIER HALLE, Leftfield music & pizzas, 9pm12am, Free

Kash on the hip pop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric DUB & GRUB, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Snacks, meals & Mungo’s HiFi, 5pm-late, Free FOLK IT!, THE MIXING ROOMS, Up & coming folk musician session, From 8pm, Free FUNKY LUV, PLAY, Driving vocal house, 10pm-3am, £5, £3 NUS INFLATABLE FUN, THE GARAGE, Naughty Nicola with inflatables & groovy tunes, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 12am with PIYP KALEIDOSCOPE LIVE, ABC2, Old school rock & roll, soul, funk, from the 1960’s-1980’s, 10pm-3am, £3, free with matric. After 12am KILLER KITSCH, THE BUFF CLUB, Electroclash & that, 11pm3am, £4 (£3) REVOLUTION, QMU, Rock & punk with Martin Bate (XFM), 10pm-2.15am, £2, £1 members ROCK KARAOKE, THE CATHOUSE, Karaoke to rock, Free b4 12am T.I.T., KARBON, Lisa Littlewood & Graeme Ferguson, 10.30pm-3am, £5 (£4)

WEDNESDAY 24 JAN

ART OF PARTIES, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Live acts & DJs from across the genres, 10.30pm-3am, £4 - £0 DELIVERANCE, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, alternative music, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12am with PIYP ELETRICAT DANCE GROUP, RSAMD, Brazilian Street Dance classes, 6pm-7pm, £4 (£3.50), £3 RSAMD GOSSIP, SSU, Gay/mixed night, 8pm-late, Free JOINTS & JAMS, CUBE, The Longest running RnB night in Glasgow, 11pm-3am, £3 (£2) MJAM SALSA, LIPTONS, Salsa classes from 8pm with Chris Traynor, free club from 10.15pm, 8pm-12am, Free NEW FLESH, FURY MURRY’S, Rock, metal, punk, rap, industrial & alternative music, 10pm-3am, £4, £2 from 10pm-11pm, £1 with flyer/after 11pm OCTOPUSSY, THE ARCHES, Student night with a bouncy castle, swimming pool?, jacuzzi?? & wedding chapel???, 10pm-3am, £4 TONGUE IN CHEEK, BAMBOO, Lounge, RnB & indie, 10pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with matric WHATEVER, THE GARAGE, Andy & Brian, chart music, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP THE BUNKER BAR, Martin Bate (Beat 106) plays vintage rock & indie, 9pm-late, Free

THURSDAY 25 JAN

*.*, THE BUFF CLUB, Rock’n’roll & northern, 11pm-3am, £3 ABOLICANO CAPOEIRA SCOTLAND, RSAMD, Brazilian

martial art with dance & music, 6pm-7.30pm, £tbc BABAZA, BELO, Hip hop with the funk, 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 11pm CHIX ON DEX, CHINAWHITE, Rock, funkpunk & house all mixed by lovely ladies, 10pm-3am, £4, free b4 11pm CIGARETTES & F**K ALL, THE BUTTERFLY & THE PIG, Craig McGee plays indie & rock ‘n’ roll, 9pm-late, Free CRUSH, QMU, With McSleazy (XFM) & his bootlegs, 10pm-2.15am, £2, £1 members FREAKMOVES, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Fresh hip hop & funk cuts from the Freakmenoovers DJs, Record Playerz in the bar, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3) FREAKSCENE, POLAR BAR (ABC), Indie classics with John, BLOC + JAM, BLOC, Open mic night, 9pm-1am, Free 11pm-3am, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

CLUB CUBA!, FAVELA, Latin rhythms, 9pm-late, Free THE FUNKY PRECEDENT, SAINT JUDE’S, Hip hop, funk, CLUB PRIORY: RETOX ROOMS, BLANKET, RnB with DJ soul & motown with D_Fade, Duncan Harvey & Boom Richard Levinson, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3) Monk Ben, 8pm-late, Free COLD NIGHT SONG, THE GOAT, Guests & DJs play HOMEBREW, THE SUB CLUB, Hip hop to nasty electro via acoustic gems, 8pm-late, Free the rest with Tiff Peaches, Provinylist Karim Ill Technique DISCO BADGER, BAMBOO, Classic house Dominic Martin, other boogie from Kash & Max, 10pm-3am, £5 & Groundskeeper GC, 11pm-3am, £3, £2 matric. card LOLLIPOP, GUU, Pop, RnB & Indie, 10pm-2am, £3 (£2, (£3), free b4 10.30pm/12.30pm with matric £1), free b4 9pm JUNK, THE BUFF CLUB, Jazz & funk, with Marky Mark featuring live percussion by Duffy, 11pm-3am, £3, free ON DEMAND, THE SHED, DJ Euan takes requests by text message at this interactive club night, 10.30pm-3am, £3 with matric PLASTIC FUNK, BAMBOO, Mark Robb, Tania & friends OPTIMO, THE SUB CLUB, JD Twitch & Wilkes will play play funk, soul & rock n roll, 10.30pm-5am, £4 (£3), anything and mix it well, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5) free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric SPANK, THE CATHOUSE, Rock, punk & dance, 11pmPUMP UP THE JAM, SSU, Old school cheese, live bands & 3am, £4 (£2), free b4 1am with PIYP funky house, £2 THE BUNKER BAR, Neil Wyper playing new & old rock & RADIOMAGNETIC, GAZELLE, Funk, soul & latin grooves electronica, 9pm-late, Free with Radiomagnetic DJs, From 8pm, Free RECORD PLAYERZ, THE VIC BAR, Hi-Fi Sean & Hushpuppy BURN, THE BUFF CLUB, Glasgow institition with Normski play disco electro, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3) & Zeus playing underground classics, 11pm-3am, £5 RUBBERMENSCH, ABC2, A night for indie lovers, 11pm(£3), free for pub/club workers 3am, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

ELETRICAT DANCE GROUP, RSAMD, Brazilian Street SKINT, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, DJ Billy with metal hip hop Dance classes, 6pm-7pm, £4 (£3.50), £3 RSAMD & rock, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with FRESH, THE POLO LOUNGE, Popular gay venue with house PIYP THE THURSDAY CLUB, THE GARAGE, Gerry Lyons & Brian & indie, 11pm-3am, £5 POPTIMISM/ROCKTIMISM, THE GARAGE, DJ Andy & DJ playing chart anthems, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 Dec, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP 12am with PIYP

SUNDAY 21 JAN

MONDAY 22 JAN

TUESDAY 23 JAN

FRIDAY 26 JAN

3pm-3am, £2, free b4 3pm

11pm-3am, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

BALLBREAKER, THE CATHOUSE, Barry & Billy with rock & metal, 10.30pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free b4 11.30am with PIYP BOOGIE DOWN, BLUU, The groove-merchant Stewart

12 HOUR TUESDAYS, SSU, Chart music & live comedy, ABOLICANO CAPOEIRA SCOTLAND, RSAMD, Brazilian martial art with dance & music, 6pm-7.30pm, £tbc ALL STAR, BAMBOO, Andy Wilson plays funk with DJ

54

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

ABC FRIDAYS, ABC1, Genre mash-up from Euan Neilson,

YELLOW BOX DENOTES SKINNY HIGHLIGHTS

Reid plays a jazz, disco & house sound, 10pm-3am, £5, free b4 11pm BROWN BAGGIN’ IT, THE GARAGE, Retro, britpop, alternative, chill, RnB & soul, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with PIYP COMPUTELOVE, THE MIXING ROOMS, Electronic sounds, From 8pm, Free DAS BOOT, BLOC, Eclectic night, 10pm-3am, Free ELECTROBALL, KARBON, 80’s, nu-wave, rock & punk, 10.30pm-3am, £tbc FLUID, MAS, Funky house from Lisa Littlewood, 11pm3am, £5 FREAKMENOOVERS, RUST BAR, Early doors serving of hip hop, funk, RnB & soul, 9pm-12am, Free FREAKMENOOVERS, BLANKET, Fresh hip hop & funk cuts from the Freakmenoovers DJs, 11pm-3am, £6 (£4) MUNGO’S HIFI, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Dub, reggae, dancehall, , £tbc NOJ, POLAR BAR (ABC), No Music Policy, 11pm-3am, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

OLD SCHOOL, THE BUFF CLUB, Old school tunes with Gordie & Jack, 10.30pm-3am, £6 PRESSURE, THE ARCHES, Dave Clarke, Slam, ROBERT HOOD, Tom Middleton, Silicone Soul, Andrew Weatherall & Ivan Smagghe, 10.30pm-3am, £19 RED & GOLD ROOM, ARTA, Soul musak, 10pm-3am, £7, free b4 11pm ROCKET, BAMBOO, House music from Geoff M, hip hop & lounge from Junior Campos & Max, 9pm-3am, £5, free b4 10.30pm/12.30am students SOUND MUSEUM, BREL, DJ Hushpuppy (Art School) & Chris Geddes (Belle & Sebastian) dig out some retro soul, 9pm-1am, Free STEREODOG, CHINAWHITE, Mr. Livewire & Gary Curley play house, 10pm-3am, £8 (£5) TFI FRIDAY, SSU, DJ Phil, 4pm-3am, £2 after 5pm, free 4 students VANDAL, LIQUID LOUNGE, House sessions with residents Mash & Gianni, 10pm-3am, £5 VICE, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, Indie rock party with Martin Bate (Xfm), 11pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free b4 11.30pm with PIYP THE BUNKER BAR, Tam Coyle plays vintage rock & indie, 9pm-3am, Free THE GOAT, Robbie Rolex & The Radio Magnetic Soundsystem on Weekly Rotation, 8pm-late, Free CUBE FRIDAYS, Urban tunes from Clyde 1’a George Bowie, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3)

SATURDAY 27 JAN

ABC SATURDAYS, ABC1, Gerry Lyons plays soul, punk, rock & indie dance, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

ABC SATURDAYS, ABC2, David Sinclair (Killer Kitsch) plays electro, house & pop, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

AUDIO, BLOC, DJ Aiden, 9pm-3am, Free BAD ROBOT, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Loose Joints & Stevie Elements play from rock to techno & breakbeats, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5), £2 GSA, free after 12am DANCE CLUB, THE HOLD (ADMIRAL BAR), Live set from Nut Bros plus Billy Woods, Bobby Balmain, ProVinylist Karim & 7”, 10pm-3am, £5 DIRTY RECORDZ, GUU, Paul N’Jie (Beat 106) plays current tunes, open decks downstairs, 10pm-2am, £3 (£2, £1), free b4 9pm DIVINE!, THE VIC BAR, Mr. Divine & Hushpuppy bring you northern soul, funk, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5) GROOVEJET, MAS, Weekly house & RnB mix, 11pm3am, £7 (£5) FANTAZIA, BRAEHEAD ARENA, Hard dance, £tbc HIP DROP, BREL, Funk, soul, electro & disco from Robbie Rolex & Nel, 9pm-1am, Free HOME COOKIN’, BELO, Urban music showcase, 10pm3am, £7, free b4 11pm HOMEGROWN, BAMBOO, Stevie Sole Middleton, Domenic Martin & Scottie B play house and smooth RnB, jazz & funk, 9pm-3am, £5, free b4 10.30pm/ 12.30am students I LOVE THE GARAGE, THE GARAGE, Classics, 10.30pm3am, £7 (£5), £6 (£4) b4 12am INSIDE OUT, THE ARCHES, Hard house & trance, 10pm3am, £tbc KARBON SATURDAYS, KARBON, Kev McFarlane, Stephen Lee, Woody play house & hip hop classics, 10.30pm-3am, £tbc MELTING POT, RIVERSIDE CLUB, Disco & classic trax, £tbc NU-SCHOOL, THE BUFF CLUB, Fresh northern soul, jazz & funk featuring live percussion, classics downstairs, 10.30pm-3am, £6 OPEN DEX, DEEP 6 (GUU), Bring your vinyl/CDs if you think you can do better, 9pm-1am, £1, £2 nonmembers SUBCULTURE, THE SUB CLUB, Weekly snapshot of the everevolving house blueprint, 11pm-3am, £8, £5 b4 12am VEGAS, THE FERRY, Rat-pack, lounge, retro, swing, latin & soul, 9.30pm-late, VOODOO, THE CATHOUSE, Under-18 club with metal,

emo & punk, £9, £7 for the fabulously dressed, £6 (£3) THE BUNKER BAR, DJ Toast & Mash, 9pm-3am, Free THE CATHOUSE, Barry & Andy with all things rock, 10.30pm-3am, £6 (£5), free b4 12am with PIYP CHINAWHITE, DJ Naeem playing main room RnB & classics, Mirrirbaw playing dunky house in the Mao room, 10pm-3am, £10 THE GOAT, Paul Needles, 8pm-late, Free MACSORLEYS, Jazz band downstairs, Paul Cawley & Karim The Pro-Vinylist upstairs, 9pm-late, Free REPUBLIC BIER HALLE, Leftfield & pizzas, 9pm-12am, Free

SUNDAY 28 JAN

BLOC + JAM, BLOC, Open mic night, 9pm-1am, Free CLUB CUBA!, FAVELA, Latin rhythms, 9pm-late, Free CLUB PRIORY: RETOX ROOMS, BLANKET, RnB with DJ Richard Levinson, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3) COLD NIGHT SONG, THE GOAT, Guests & DJs play acoustic gems, 8pm-late, Free DISCO BADGER, BAMBOO, Classic house music all night long from Dominic Martin, other boogie from Kash & Max, 10pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 10.30pm/12.30pm with matric JUNK, THE BUFF CLUB, Jazz & funk, with Marky Mark featuring live percussion by Duffy, 11pm-3am, £3, free with matric OPTIMO, THE SUB CLUB, JD Twitch & Wilkes will play pretty much anything and mix it well, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5) SPANK, THE CATHOUSE, Rock, punk & dance, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 1am with PIYP THE BUNKER BAR, Neil Wyper playing new & old rock & electronica, 9pm-late, Free

LIFESTYLE

LISTINGS GLASGOW CLUBS

Fashion Addicts Anonymous

N A T TAR FOR A MORE SUBTLE APPROACH, GO FOR DARK BLUE OR BOTTLE GREEN TARTANS, WHICH LOOK GREAT IN MACS AND OVERCOATS.

Tartan has clad Highland clans since the 3rd century AD. For this reason alone it should surely be relegated to the rear pages of history textbooks. From kitsch tartan tablecloths to your granny’s shortbread tin, tartan has never been, well, cool. But the national plaid has risen like a haggis from the heather-bed and is currently experiencing a mammoth global revival. Everyone from Bottega Veneta to Alexander McQueen featured tartan in their autumn/winter 07 collections, paying tribute to the potency of the iconic patter. And it is slowly but surely seeping onto our high streets and into our wardrobes. Just make sure you get it right, as it’s a tricky wee bugger to pull off.

MONDAY 29 JAN

BURN, THE BUFF CLUB, Glasgow institition with Normski &

Always

Zeus, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free for pub/club workers ELETRICAT DANCE GROUP, RSAMD, Brazilian Street Dance classes, 6pm-7pm, £4 (£3.50), £3 RSAMD FRESH, THE POLO LOUNGE, Popular gay venue with house & indie, 11pm-3am, £5 POPTIMISM/ROCKTIMISM, THE GARAGE, DJ Andy & DJ Dec, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP

Keep it simple: strapless tartan dresses with matching tights and mini kilts worn with statement tartan capes. Full-on tartan certainly has its place, but this is usually in Harry Potter or glossy American golf magazines. Tartan is best restricted to one item per outfit. Embrace this rule. Opt for tartan tights with a simple black jumper dress or a snug, tailored tartan suit jacket with your favourite jeans. For a more subtle approach, go for dark blue or bottle green tartans, which look great on macs and overcoats. Check out Topshop’s Tartan Smock Coat by Boutique (£85.00). [see picture]

TUESDAY 30 JAN

12 HOUR TUESDAYS, SSU, Chart music & live comedy, 3pm-3am, £2, free b4 3pm

ABOLICANO CAPOEIRA SCOTLAND, RSAMD, Brazilian martial art with dance & music, 6pm-7.30pm, £tbc ALL STAR, BAMBOO, Andy Wilson plays funk with DJ Kash on the hip pop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 11pm/ 12.30am with matric DUB & GRUB, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Snacks, meals & Mungo’s HiFi, 5pm-late, Free FOLK IT!, THE MIXING ROOMS, Up & coming folk musician session, From 8pm, Free FUNKY LUV, PLAY, Driving vocal house, 10pm-3am, £5, £3 NUS INFLATABLE FUN, THE GARAGE, Naughty Nicola with inflatables & groovy tunes, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 12am with PIYP KALEIDOSCOPE LIVE, ABC2, Old school rock & roll, soul, funk, from the 1960’s-1980’s, 10pm-3am, £3, free with matric. After 12am KILLER KITSCH, THE BUFF CLUB, Electroclash & that, 11pm3am, £4 (£3) REVOLUTION, QMU, Rock & punk with Martin Bate (XFM), 10pm-2.15am, £2, £1 members ROCK KARAOKE, THE CATHOUSE, Karaoke to rock, Free b4 12am T.I.T., KARBON, Lisa Littlewood & Graeme Ferguson, 10.30pm-3am, £5 (£4)

WEDNESDAY 31 JAN

ART OF PARTIES, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Live acts & DJs from across the genres, 10.30pm-3am, £4 - £0 DELIVERANCE, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, DJ Dec with alternative music, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12am with PIYP ELETRICAT DANCE GROUP, RSAMD, Brazilian Street Dance classes, 6pm-7pm, £4 (£3.50), £3 RSAMD GOSSIP, SSU, Gay/mixed night with DJ Ricci, 8pm-late, Free JOINTS & JAMS, CUBE, The Longest running RnB night in Glasgow, 11pm-3am, £3 (£2) MJAM SALSA, LIPTONS, Salsa classes from 8pm with Chris Traynor, free club from 10.15pm, 8pm-12am, Free NEW FLESH, FURY MURRY’S, Rock, metal, punk, rap, industrial & alternative music, 10pm-3am, £4, £2 from 10pm-11pm, £1 with flyer/after 11pm OCTOPUSSY, THE ARCHES, Student night with a bouncy castle, swimming pool?, jacuzzi?? & wedding chapel???, 10pm-3am, £4 TONGUE IN CHEEK, BAMBOO, Lounge, RnB & indie, 10pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with matric WHATEVER, THE GARAGE, Andy & Brian, chart music, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP THE BUNKER BAR, Martin Bate (Beat 106) plays vintage rock & indie, 9pm-late, Free

LISTINGS

Avoid The tartan clad Highlander-look is slightly off beam, so avoid the traditional kilt and obvious accessories such as bagpipes, the sporran and the ‘Oor Wullie’ bunnet. Let’s face it, a bulky kilt is far from the most flattering of fashion items for women. Think sexy splashes, such as an outsized tartan scarf, as opposed to full William Wallace battle get-up. Also, try to avoid garish tartans designed for the likes of military forces, special interest groups, religious movements (including Krishnas), football clubs and whisky-drinking societies. Keep it simple and stick to the good-old fashioned red MacKenzie tartan. Oh and avoid Burberry, a.k.a. the Chav’s tartan. Do I really need to explain?

Acquire Well, let’s not beat about the bush: the ultimate tartan item would have to come from none other than Queen Vivienne Westwood, and specifically her ‘Red Label’ collection. Westwood first transported tartan from the depths of the rural Highlands back in the eighties and continues to wow with her sexy plaid swing coats, pencil skirts, cropped jackets and corsets. True genius and so damn sexy. However, for those of us on a more modest budget, amble along to Dorothy Perkins and pick-up their cute little red tartan mini kilt with a naughty underlayer of lace (£20), or head along to H&M for a selection of bold red and yellow tartan tights from £4.

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

11

LIFESTYLE THE BUNKER BAR, DJ Toast & Mash, 9pm-3am, Free

LISTINGS

SKINNY FASHION

CHIX ON DEX, CHINAWHITE, Rock, funkpunk & house all

mixed by lovely ladies, 10pm-3am, £4, free b4 11pm CIGARETTES & F**K ALL, THE BUTTERFLY & THE PIG, Craig McGee plays indie & rock ‘n’ roll, 9pm-late, Free CRUSH, QMU, With McSleazy (XFM) & his bootlegs, 10pm-2.15am, £2, £1 members DBLSPK, MACSORLEY’S, Sleepless Crew live, Muscle Beach live & David Barbarossa, 9pm-1am, £3 FREAKMOVES, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Fresh hip hop & funk cuts from the Freakmenoovers DJs, Record Playerz in the bar, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3) FREAKSCENE, POLAR BAR (ABC), Indie classics with John, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

BLOC + JAM, BLOC, Open mic night, 9pm-1am, Free THE FUNKY PRECEDENT, SAINT JUDE’S, Hip hop, funk, CLUB CUBA!, FAVELA, Latin rhythms, 9pm-late, Free soul & motown with D_Fade, Duncan Harvey & Boom CLUB PRIORY: RETOX ROOMS, BLANKET, RnB with DJ Monk Ben, 8pm-late, Free Richard Levinson, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3) HOMEBREW, THE SUB CLUB, Hip hop to nasty electro via COLD NIGHT SONG, THE GOAT, Guests & DJs play the rest with Tiff Peaches, Provinylist Karim Ill Technique acoustic gems, 8pm-late, Free & Groundskeeper GC, 11pm-3am, £3, £2 matric.

DISCO BADGER, BAMBOO, Classic house music all night card long from Dominic Martin, other boogie from Kash & LOLLIPOP, GUU, Pop, RnB & Indie, 10pm-2am, £3 (£2, Max, 10pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 10.30pm/12.30pm £1), free b4 9pm with matric ON DEMAND, THE SHED, DJ Euan takes requests by text JUNK, THE BUFF CLUB, Jazz & funk, with Marky Mark & message at this interactive club night, 10.30pm-3am, percussion by Duffy, 11pm-3am, £3, free with matric £3 OPTIMO, THE SUB CLUB, JD Twitch & Wilkes will play pretty PLASTIC FUNK, BAMBOO, Mark Robb, Tania & friends play funk, soul & rock n roll, 10.30pm-5am, £4 (£3), much anything and mix it well, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5) SPANK, THE CATHOUSE, Rock, punk & dance, 11pm-3am, free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric PUMP UP THE JAM, SSU, Old school cheese, live bands £4 (£2), free b4 1am with PIYP & funky house, £2 THE BUNKER BAR, Neil Wyper playing new & old rock & RADIOMAGNETIC, GAZELLE, Funk, soul & latin grooves electronica, 9pm-late, Free with Radiomagnetic DJs, From 8pm, Free RECORD PLAYERZ, THE VIC BAR, Hi-Fi Sean & Hushpuppy BURN, THE BUFF CLUB, Glasgow institition with Normski & play disco electro, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3) Zeus playing underground classics, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), RUBBERMENSCH, ABC2, A night for indie lovers, 11pmfree for pub/club workers 3am, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

ELETRICAT DANCE GROUP, RSAMD, Brazilian Street SKINT, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, DJ Billy with metal & rock, Dance classes, 6pm-7pm, £4 (£3.50), £3 RSAMD 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with PIYP FRESH, THE POLO LOUNGE, Popular gay venue with house THE THURSDAY CLUB, THE GARAGE, Gerry Lyons & Brian & indie, 11pm-3am, £5 playing chart anthems, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 POPTIMISM/ROCKTIMISM, THE GARAGE, DJ Andy & DJ 12am with PIYP Dec, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP THE CATHOUSE, Barry & Andy with all things rock,

10.30pm-3am, £6 (£5), free b4 12am with PIYP CHINAWHITE, DJ Naeem playing main room RnB & classics, Mirrirbaw playing dunky house in the Mao room, 10pm-3am, £10 THE GOAT, Paul Needles, 8pm-late, Free MACSORLEYS, Jazz band downstairs, Paul Cawley & Karim The Pro-Vinylist upstairs, 9pm-late, Free REPUBLIC BIER HALLE, Leftfield music & pizzas, 9pm-12am, Free

SUNDAY 14 JAN

MONDAY 15 JAN

TUESDAY 16 JAN

FRIDAY 19 JAN

ABC FRIDAYS, ABC1, Genre mash-up from Euan Neilson,

11pm-3am, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

ANIMAL FARM, BLOC, House, techno & electro with ABOLICANO CAPOEIRA SCOTLAND, RSAMD, Brazilian Turtle & Quaill, 10pm-3am, Free BALLBREAKER, THE CATHOUSE, Barry & Billy with rock & martial art with dance & music, 6pm-7.30pm, £tbc ALL STAR, BAMBOO, Andy Wilson plays funk with DJ Kash metal, 10.30pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free b4 11.30am with PIYP on the hip pop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 11pm/ BOOGIE DOWN, BLUU, The groove-merchant Stewart 12.30am with matric DUB & GRUB, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Snacks, meals Reid plays a jazz, disco & house sound, 10pm-3am, £5, free b4 11pm & Mungo’s HiFi, 5pm-late, Free FOLK IT!, THE MIXING ROOMS, Up & coming folk musician BROWN BAGGIN’ IT, THE GARAGE, Retro, britpop, alternative, chill, RnB & soul, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free session, From 8pm, Free b4 11.30pm with PIYP FUNKY LUV, PLAY, Driving vocal house, 10pm-3am, £5, CHEW THE FAT!, THE SUB CLUB, Breaks DJs Stanton £3 NUS Warriors are the guests, 11pm-3am, £10 INFLATABLE FUN, THE GARAGE, Naughty Nicola with inflatables & groovy tunes, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 COMPUTELOVE, THE MIXING ROOMS, Electronic sounds, From 8pm, Free 12am with PIYP KALEIDOSCOPE LIVE, ABC2, Old school rock & roll, soul, ELECTROBALL, KARBON, 80’s, nu-wave, rock & punk, 10.30pm-3am, £tbc funk, from the 1960’s-1980’s, 10pm-3am, £3, free FLUID, MAS, Funky house from Lisa Littlewood, 11pmwith matric. After 12am KILLER KITSCH, THE BUFF CLUB, Electroclash & that, 11pm- 3am, £5 FREAKMENOOVERS, RUST BAR, Early doors serving of 3am, £4 (£3) REVOLUTION, QMU, Rock & punk with Martin Bate (XFM), hip hop, funk, RnB & soul, 9pm-12am, Free FREAKMENOOVERS, BLANKET, Fresh hip hop & funk cuts 10pm-2.15am, £2, £1 members from the Freakmenoovers DJs, 11pm-3am, £6 (£4) T.I.T., KARBON, Lisa Littlewood & Graeme Ferguson, 10.30pm-3am, £5 (£4) NOJ, POLAR BAR (ABC), No Music Policy, 11pm-3am, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

ART OF PARTIES, OLD SCHOOL, THE BUFF CLUB, Old school tunes with GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Live acts & DJs from across Gordie & Jack, 10.30pm-3am, £6 the genres, 10.30pm-3am, £4 - £0 RED & GOLD ROOM, ARTA, Soul musak, 10pm-3am, £7, free b4 11pm DELIVERANCE, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, DJ Dec with ROCKET, BAMBOO, House music from Geoff M, hip hop alternative music, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12am with PIYP & lounge from Junior Campos & Max, 9pm-3am, £5, free b4 10.30pm/12.30am students ELETRICAT DANCE GROUP, RSAMD, Brazilian Street SOUND MUSEUM, BREL, DJ Hushpuppy (Art School) Dance classes, 6pm-7pm, £4 (£3.50), £3 RSAMD & Chris Geddes (Belle & Sebastian) dig out some retro GOSSIP, SSU, Gay/mixed night with DJ Ricci, 8pm-late, Free soul, 9pm-1am, Free JOINTS & JAMS, CUBE, The Longest running RnB night in STEREODOG, CHINAWHITE, Mr. Livewire & Gary Curley Glasgow, 11pm-3am, £3 (£2) play house, 10pm-3am, £8 (£5) MJAM SALSA, LIPTONS, Salsa classes from 8pm with SYMBIOSIS, SOUNDHAUS, Drum & bass with guests, Chris Traynor, free club from 10.15pm, 8pm-12am, Free 10.30pm-4am, £tbc TFI FRIDAY, SSU, DJ Phil, 4pm-3am, £2 after 5pm, free NEW FLESH, FURY MURRY’S, Rock, metal, punk, rap, 4 students industrial & alternative music, 10pm-3am, £4, £2 from VANDAL, LIQUID LOUNGE, House sessions with residents 10pm-11pm, £1 with flyer/after 11pm Mash & Gianni, 10pm-3am, £5 TONGUE IN CHEEK, BAMBOO, Lounge, RnB & indie, 10pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with matric VICE, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, Indie rock party with Martin WHATEVER, THE GARAGE, Andy & Brian, chart music, Bate (Xfm), 11pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP b4 11.30pm with PIYP THE BUNKER BAR, Martin Bate (Beat 106) plays vintage rock XPLICIT, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Drum & bass, £tbc & indie, 9pm-late, Free THE BUNKER BAR, Tam Coyle plays vintage rock & indie, 9pm-3am, Free *.*, THE BUFF THE GOAT, Robbie Rolex & The Radio Magnetic CLUB, Rock’n’roll & northern soul, 11pm-3am, £3 Soundsystem on Weekly Rotation, 8pm-late, Free ABOLICANO CAPOEIRA SCOTLAND, RSAMD, Brazilian CUBE FRIDAYS, Urban tunes from Clyde 1’a George Bowie, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3) martial art with dance & music, 6pm-7.30pm, £tbc BABAZA, BELO, Hip hop with the funk, 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 11pm

12 HOUR TUESDAYS, SSU, Chart music & live comedy, 3pm-3am, £2, free b4 3pm

WEDNESDAY 17 JAN,

THURSDAY 18TH JANUARY,

SATURDAY 20 JAN

12 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

LIFESTYLE LISTINGS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

53

THURSDAY 4 JAN

THE GOAT, Robbie Rolex & The Radio Magnetic

3am, £3

Soundsystem on Weekly Rotation, 8pm-late, Free CUBE FRIDAYS, Urban tunes from Clyde 1’a George Bowie, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3)

*.*, THE BUFF CLUB, Rock’n’roll & northern soul, 11pmABOLICANO CAPOEIRA SCOTLAND, RSAMD, Brazilian

YELLOW BOX DENOTES SKINNY HIGHLIGHTS

ABOLICANO CAPOEIRA SCOTLAND, RSAMD, Brazilian b4 11.30am with PIYP BASEMENT, SOUNDHAUS, Techno/hard dance, electro & martial art with dance & music, 6pm-7.30pm, £tbc ALL STAR, BAMBOO, Andy Wilson plays funk with DJ Kash house with residents & guest William Daniel, 10.30pm-

on the hip pop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 11pm/ 12.30am with matric DUB & GRUB, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Snacks, meals ABC SATURDAYS, ABC1, Gerry Lyons plays soul, punk, & Mungo’s HiFi, 5pm-late, Free rock & indie dance, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5), free b4 FOLK IT!, THE MIXING ROOMS, Up & coming folk musician 11.30pm with matric. session, From 8pm, Free ABC SATURDAYS, ABC2, David Sinclair (Killer Kitsch) FUNKY LUV, PLAY, Driving vocal house, 10pm-3am, £5, plays electro, house & pop, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5), free £3 NUS b4 11.30pm with matric.

INFLATABLE FUN, THE GARAGE, Naughty Nicola with AUDIO, BLOC, House, techno & electro from DJ Aiden, inflatables & groovy tunes, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 9pm-3am, Free 12am with PIYP BEAUTIFUL SOUP, BLOC, Eclectic music with Aldo & John, KALEIDOSCOPE LIVE, ABC2, Old school rock & roll, soul, 10pm-3am, Free funk, from the 1960’s-1980’s, 10pm-3am, £3, free DIRTY RECORDZ, GUU, Paul N’Jie (Beat 106) plays with matric. After 12am current tunes, open decks downstairs, 10pm-2am, £3 KILLER KITSCH, THE BUFF CLUB, Electroclash & that, 11pm(£2, £1), free b4 9pm 3am, £4 (£3) DIVINE!, THE VIC BAR, Mr. Divine & Hushpuppy bring you REVOLUTION, QMU, Rock & punk with Martin Bate (XFM), northern soul, ska & mod tunes, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5) 10pm-2.15am, £2, £1 members GROOVEJET, MAS, Weekly house & RnB mix, 11pmT.I.T., KARBON, Lisa Littlewood & Graeme Ferguson, 3am, £7 (£5) 10.30pm-3am, £5 (£4) HIP DROP, BREL, Funk, soul, electro & disco from Robbie Rolex & Nel, 9pm-1am, Free HOME COOKIN’, BELO, Urban music showcase, 10pm- ART OF PARTIES, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Live acts & DJs from across the genres, 10.30pm-3am, £4 - £0 3am, £7, free b4 11pm DELIVERANCE, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, DJ Dec with HOMEGROWN, BAMBOO, Stevie Sole Middleton, alternative, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12am with Domenic Martin & Scottie B play house and smooth PIYP RnB, jazz & funk, 9pm-3am, £5, free b4 10.30pm/ ELETRICAT DANCE GROUP, RSAMD, Brazilian Street 12.30am students I LOVE THE GARAGE, THE GARAGE, Classics, 10.30pm- Dance classes, 6pm-7pm, £4 (£3.50), £3 RSAMD 3am, £7 (£5), £6 (£4) b4 12am GOSSIP, SSU, Gay/mixed with DJ Ricci, 8pm-late, Free KARBON SATURDAYS, KARBON, Kev McFarlane, JOINTS & JAMS, CUBE, The Longest running RnB night in Stephen Lee, Woody play house & hip hop classics, Glasgow, 11pm-3am, £3 (£2) 10.30pm-3am, £tbc MJAM SALSA, LIPTONS, Salsa classes from 8pm with NU-SCHOOL, THE BUFF CLUB, Fresh northern soul, jazz Chris Traynor, free club from 10.15pm, 8pm-12am, Free & funk featuring live percussion, classics downstairs, NEW FLESH, FURY MURRY’S, Rock, metal, punk, rap, 10.30pm-3am, £6 industrial & alternative music, 10pm-3am, £4, £2 from OPEN DEX, DEEP 6 (GUU), Bring your vinyl/CDs if you 10pm-11pm, £1 with flyer/after 11pm think you can do better, 9pm-1am, £1, £2 nonTONGUE IN CHEEK, BAMBOO, Lounge, RnB & indie, members 10pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with matric SOLUTE, CLUB 69, Wardy & Paulo present Silicone Soul WHATEVER, THE GARAGE, Andy & Brian, chart music, (Soma) for some house & techno, 11pm-3am, £8 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP SUBCULTURE, THE SUB CLUB, Weekly snapshot of the ever- THE BUNKER BAR, Martin Bate (Beat 106) plays vintage rock evolving house blueprint, 11pm-3am, £8, £5 b4 12am & indie, 9pm-late, Free ABC FRIDAYS, ABC1, Genre mash-up from Euan Neilson, SYNERGY, SOUNDHAUS, Trance & hard dance with Marc 11pm-3am, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

Van Linden’s album launch, 11pm-4am, £10 (£8) ANIMAL FARM, BLOC, House, techno & electro with *.*, THE BUFF CLUB, Rock’n’roll & northern soul, 11pm-3am, VOODOO, THE CATHOUSE, Under-18 club with metal, Turtle & Quaill, 10pm-3am, Free £3 emo & punk, 5pm-9pm, £6 (£3) BALLBREAKER, THE CATHOUSE, Barry & Billy with rock & ABOLICANO CAPOEIRA SCOTLAND, RSAMD, Brazilian THE BUNKER BAR, DJ Toast & Mash, 9pm-3am, Free metal, 10.30pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free martial art with dance & music, 6pm-7.30pm, £tbc THE CATHOUSE, Barry & Andy with all things rock, b4 11.30am with PIYP BABAZA, BELO, Hip hop with the funk, 10pm-3am, £6, 10.30pm-3am, £6 (£5), free b4 12am with PIYP BOOGIE DOWN, BLUU, The groove-merchant Stewart free b4 11pm CHINAWHITE, DJ Naeem playing main room RnB & Reid plays a jazz, disco & house sound, 10pm-3am, CHIX ON DEX, CHINAWHITE, Rock, funkpunk & house all classics, Mirrirbaw playing dunky house in the Mao £5, free b4 11pm mixed by lovely ladies, 10pm-3am, £4, free b4 11pm room, 10pm-3am, £10 BROWN BAGGIN’ IT, THE GARAGE, Retro, britpop, CIGARETTES & F**K ALL, THE BUTTERFLY & THE PIG, Craig alternative, chill, RnB & soul, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free THE GOAT, Paul Needles, 8pm-late, Free McGee plays indie & rock ‘n’ roll, 9pm-late, Free MACSORLEYS, Jazz band downstairs, Paul Cawley & b4 11.30pm with PIYP CRUSH, QMU, With McSleazy (XFM) & his bootlegs, COMPUTELOVE, THE MIXING ROOMS, Electronic sounds, Karim The Pro-Vinylist upstairs, 9pm-late, Free 10pm-2.15am, £2, £1 members From 8pm, Free REPUBLIC BIER HALLE, Leftfield music & pizzas, 9pm-12am, FREAKMOVES, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Fresh hip Free ELECTROBALL, KARBON, 80’s, nu-wave, rock & punk, hop & funk cuts from the Freakmenoovers DJs, Record 10.30pm-3am, £tbc Playerz in the bar, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3) FLUID, MAS, Funky house from Lisa Littlewood, 11pmFREAKSCENE, POLAR BAR (ABC), Indie classics with John, BASS INVADERS, BLACKFRIAR’S BASEMENT, Eats Tapes 3am, £5 11pm-3am, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

(Tigerbeat6) live, Stick 430 live & Bass Invaders DJs, FREAKMENOOVERS, RUST BAR, Early doors serving of THE FUNKY PRECEDENT, SAINT JUDE’S, Hip hop, funk, 11pm-3am, £6 hip hop, funk, RnB & soul, 9pm-12am, Free soul & motown with D_Fade, Duncan Harvey & Boom FREAKMENOOVERS, BLANKET, Fresh hip hop & funk cuts BLOC + JAM, BLOC, Open mic night, 9pm-1am, Free Monk Ben, 8pm-late, Free CLUB CUBA!, FAVELA, Latin rhythms, 9pm-late, Free from the Freakmenoovers DJs, 11pm-3am, £6 (£4) HOMEBREW, THE SUB CLUB, Hip hop to nasty electro via CLUB PRIORY: RETOX ROOMS, BLANKET, RnB with DJ MIXMYSTERS 07 HEAVEN, SOUNDHAUS, Under 18s the rest with Tiff Peaches, Provinylist Karim Ill Technique Richard Levinson, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3) hardcore evening, 6pm-10pm, £tbc & Groundskeeper GC, 11pm-3am, £3, £2 matric. card NOJ, POLAR BAR (ABC), No Music Policy, 11pm-3am, £6 COLD NIGHT SONG, THE GOAT, Guests & DJs play LOLLIPOP, GUU, Pop, RnB & Indie, 10pm-2am, £3 (£2, acoustic gems, 8pm-late, Free (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

DISCO BADGER, BAMBOO, Classic house music all night £1), free b4 9pm OLD SCHOOL, THE BUFF CLUB, Old school tunes with ON DEMAND, THE SHED, DJ Euan takes requests by text long from Dominic Martin, other boogie from Kash & Gordie & Jack, 10.30pm-3am, £6 Max, 10pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 10.30pm/12.30pm message at this interactive club night, 10.30pm-3am, £3 PINUP, WOODSIDE, Indie, punk, soul & electropop with PLASTIC FUNK, BAMBOO, Mark Robb, Tania & friends The Low Miffs, Midnight Machine & Coriolis, 9pm-2am, with matric play funk, soul & rock n roll, 10.30pm-5am, £4 (£3), JUNK, THE BUFF CLUB, Jazz & funk, with Marky Mark £5 featuring live percussion by Duffy, 11pm-3am, £3, free free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric RED & GOLD ROOM, ARTA, Soul musak, 10pm-3am, PUMP UP THE JAM, SSU, Old school cheese, live bands & with matric £7, free b4 11pm OPTIMO, THE SUB CLUB, JD Twitch & Wilkes will play pretty funky house, £2 RELENTLESS, THE SUB CLUB, Techno with guest Luke RADIOMAGNETIC, GAZELLE, Funk, soul & latin grooves much anything and mix it well, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5) Slater, 10pm-3am, £tbc with Radiomagnetic DJs, From 8pm, Free ROCKET, BAMBOO, House music from Geoff M, hip hop SPANK, THE CATHOUSE, Rock, punk & dance, 11pm3am, £4 (£2), free b4 1am with PIYP RECORD PLAYERZ, THE VIC BAR, Hi-Fi Sean & Hushpuppy & lounge from Junior Campos & Max, 9pm-3am, £5, THE BUNKER BAR, Neil Wyper playing new & old rock & free b4 10.30pm/12.30am students play disco electro, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3) electronica, 9pm-late, Free SOUND MUSEUM, BREL, DJ Hushpuppy (Art School) RUBBERMENSCH, ABC2, A night for indie lovers, 11pm3am, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric. & Chris Geddes (Belle & Sebastian) dig out some retro SKINT, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, DJ Billy with metal hip hop soul, 9pm-1am, Free BURN, THE BUFF CLUB, Glasgow institition with Normski & & rock, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with STEREODOG, CHINAWHITE, Mr. Livewire & Gary Curley Zeus playing underground classics, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), PIYP play house, 10pm-3am, £8 (£5) free for pub/club workers THE THURSDAY CLUB, THE GARAGE, Gerry Lyons & Brian TFI FRIDAY, SSU, DJ Phil, 4pm-3am, £2 after 5pm, free ELETRICAT DANCE GROUP, RSAMD, Brazilian Street playing chart anthems, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 4 students 12am with PIYP VANDAL, LIQUID LOUNGE, House sessions with residents Dance classes, 6pm-7pm, £4 (£3.50), £3 RSAMD FRESH, THE POLO LOUNGE, Popular gay venue with house THE BUNKER BAR, CJ plays grunge & rock, 9pm-3am, Free Mash & Gianni, 10pm-3am, £5 VICE, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, Indie rock party with Martin & indie, 11pm-3am, £5 Bate (Xfm), 11pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free POPTIMISM/ROCKTIMISM, THE GARAGE, DJ Andy & DJ Dec, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP ABC FRIDAYS, ABC1, Genre mash-up from Euan Neilson, b4 11.30pm with PIYP 11pm-3am, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

THE BUNKER BAR, Tam Coyle plays vintage rock & indie, BALLBREAKER, THE CATHOUSE, Barry & Billy with rock & 12 HOUR TUESDAYS, SSU, Chart 9pm-3am, Free metal, 10.30pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free music & live comedy, 3pm-3am, £2, free b4 3pm martial art with dance & music, 6pm-7.30pm, £tbc BABAZA, BELO, Hip hop with the funk, 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 11pm CHIX ON DEX, CHINAWHITE, Rock, funkpunk & house by lovely ladies, 10pm-3am, £4, free b4 11pm CIGARETTES & F**K ALL, THE BUTTERFLY & THE PIG, Craig McGee plays indie & rock ‘n’ roll, 9pm-late, Free CRUSH, QMU, With McSleazy (XFM) & his bootlegs, 10pm-2.15am, £2, £1 members FREAKSCENE, POLAR BAR (ABC), Indie classics with John, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

THE FUNKY PRECEDENT, SAINT JUDE’S, Hip hop, funk, soul & motown with D_Fade, Duncan Harvey & Boom Monk Ben, 8pm-late, Free HOMEBREW, THE SUB CLUB, Hip hop to electro via the rest with Tiff Peaches, Provinylist Karim Ill Technique & Groundskeeper GC, 11pm-3am, £3, £2 matric. card LOLLIPOP, GUU, Pop, RnB & Indie, 10pm-2am, £3 (£2, £1), free b4 9pm ON DEMAND, THE SHED, DJ Euan takes requests by text at this interactive club night, 10.30pm-3am, £3 PLASTIC FUNK, BAMBOO, Mark Robb, Tania & friends play funk, soul & rock n roll, 10.30pm-5am, £4 (£3), free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric PUMP UP THE JAM, SSU, Old school cheese, live bands & funky house, £2 RADIOMAGNETIC, GAZELLE, Funk, soul & latin grooves with Radiomagnetic DJs, From 8pm, Free RECORD PLAYERZ, THE VIC BAR, Hi-Fi Sean & Hushpuppy play disco electro, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3) RUBBERMENSCH, ABC2, A night for indie lovers, 11pm3am, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

SKINT, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, DJ Billy with metal hip hop & rock, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with PIYP THE THURSDAY CLUB, THE GARAGE, Gerry Lyons & Brian playing chart anthems, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 12am with PIYP THE BUNKER BAR, CJ plays grunge, 9pm-3am, Free

SATURDAY 6 JAN

WEDNESDAY 10 JAN

FRIDAY 5 JAN

THURSDAY 11 JAN

SUNDAY 7 JAN

MONDAY 8 JAN

FRIDAY 12 JAN

TUESDAY 9 JAN

52

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

4am, £6 (£5), 1/2 price b4 12am BOOGIE DOWN, BLUU, The groove-merchant Stewart Reid plays a jazz, disco & house sound, 10pm-3am, £5, free b4 11pm BROWN BAGGIN’ IT, THE GARAGE, Retro, britpop, alternative, chill, RnB & soul, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with PIYP COMPUTELOVE, THE MIXING ROOMS, Electronic sounds, From 8pm, Free DAS BOOT, BLOC, Eclectic night, 10pm-3am, Free ELECTROBALL, KARBON, 80’s, nu-wave, rock & punk, 10.30pm-3am, £tbc FLUID, MAS, Funky house from Lisa Littlewood, 11pm3am, £5 FREAKMENOOVERS, RUST BAR, Early doors serving of hip hop, funk, RnB & soul, 9pm-12am, Free FREAKMENOOVERS, BLANKET, Fresh hip hop & funk cuts from the Freakmenoovers DJs, 11pm-3am, £6 (£4) NOJ, POLAR BAR (ABC), No Music Policy, 11pm-3am, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

NUMBERS, THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL, Booty, miami bass, techno with Goon & Koyote, 10pm-2am, £tbc OLD SCHOOL, THE BUFF CLUB, Old school tunes with Gordie & Jack, 10.30pm-3am, £6 RED & GOLD ROOM, ARTA, Soul musak, 10pm-3am, £7, free b4 11pm ROCKET, BAMBOO, House music from Geoff M, hip hop & lounge from Junior Campos & Max, 9pm-3am, £5, free b4 10.30pm/12.30am students SOUND MUSEUM, BREL, DJ Hushpuppy (Art School) & Chris Geddes (Belle & Sebastian) dig out some retro soul, 9pm-1am, Free STEREODOG, CHINAWHITE, Mr. Livewire & Gary Curley play house, 10pm-3am, £8 (£5) TFI FRIDAY, SSU, DJ Phil, 4pm-3am, £2 after 5pm, free 4 students VANDAL, LIQUID LOUNGE, House sessions with residents Mash & Gianni, 10pm-3am, £5 VICE, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, Indie rock party with Martin Bate (Xfm), 11pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free b4 11.30pm with PIYP THE BUNKER BAR, Tam Coyle plays vintage rock & indie, 9pm-3am, Free THE GOAT, Robbie Rolex & The Radio Magnetic Soundsystem on Weekly Rotation, 8pm-late, Free CUBE FRIDAYS, Urban tunes from Clyde 1’a George Bowie, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3)

Black Magic

Colour can be so overrated, so get down and dirty in oil-slick black this season. From voluminous, pussy-bow blouses to cigarette pants and sultry film noir-style dresses, black is back. Contrast sharp graphic lines with soft touches of cream or white for extra drama and monochrome definition. For a feminine look, opt for volume with tulip skirts, trapeze coats, smock tops and puff ball dresses.

A white trench coat over a black minidress, a fitted white T-shirt with a black pencil skirt and patent belt…black is the seductively simple route to sharp and sexy dressing. Think Edie Sedgwick meets Audrey Hepburn for that perfect hybrid of classic and cool. Create two tone movement with monochrome mixing, using deluxe fabric slinks and eye-catching jewellery such as gold chains and statement earrings.

LIFESTYLE

LISTINGS GLASGOW CLUBS

SATURDAY 13 JAN

ABC SATURDAYS, ABC1, Gerry Lyons plays soul, punk, rock & indie dance, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

ABC SATURDAYS, ABC2, David Sinclair (Killer Kitsch) plays electro, house & pop, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

AUDIO, BLOC, House, techno & electro from DJ Aiden, 9pm-3am, Free BAD ROBOT, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Loose Joints & Stevie Elements play from rock to techno & breakbeats, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5), £2 GSA, free after 12am DBLSPK, BLACKFRIAR’S BASEMENT, Mweslee (Kindred Spirits) live, Zorfax live & Hudson Mohawk, 11pm-3am, £8 DIRTY RECORDZ, GUU, Paul N’Jie (Beat 106) plays current tunes, open decks downstairs, 10pm-2am, £3 (£2, £1), free b4 9pm DIVINE!, THE VIC BAR, Mr. Divine & Hushpuppy bring you northern soul, funk, ska & mod tunes with the Five Aces live, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5) GROOVEJET, MAS, Weekly house & RnB mix, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5) HIP DROP, BREL, Funk, soul, electro & disco from Robbie Rolex & Nel, 9pm-1am, Free HOME COOKIN’, BELO, Urban music showcase, 10pm3am, £7, free b4 11pm HOMEGROWN, BAMBOO, Stevie Sole Middleton, Domenic Martin & Scottie B play house and smooth RnB, jazz & funk, 9pm-3am, £5, free b4 10.30pm/12.30am students I LOVE THE GARAGE, THE GARAGE, Classics, 10.30pm3am, £7 (£5), £6 (£4) b4 12am INNER CITY ACID, SOUNDHAUS, Wonky techno madness with Si Begg & Cursor Miner, 11pm-4am, £tbc KARBON SATURDAYS, KARBON, Kev McFarlane, Stephen Lee, Woody play house & hip hop classics, 10.30pm3am, £tbc NU-SCHOOL, THE BUFF CLUB, Fresh northern soul, jazz & funk featuring live percussion, classics downstairs, 10.30pm-3am, £6 OPEN DEX, DEEP 6 (GUU), Bring your vinyl/CDs if you think you can do better, 9pm-1am, £1, £2 non-members SIREN, BLOC, KT Red & JT Hooker play house & electro, 10pm-3am, Free SUBCULTURE, THE SUB CLUB, Weekly snapshot of the everevolving house blueprint, 11pm-3am, £8, £5 b4 12am VOODOO, THE CATHOUSE, Under-18 club with metal, emo & punk, 5pm-9pm, £6 (£3)

LISTINGS

Opposite page: Black Velvet Skinny Trousers, French Connection £80 Trapeze Blouse with Black Pussy-Bow, H&M £24.99 Black Crocodile Patent Clutch Bag, Miss Selfridge £20 Black Leather Cuff, from a selection @ Brazen Studios This page: Black Taffeta Vintage Dress, H&M £34.99 Cream Fingerless Wool Gloves, Miss Selfridge £10 Black T-Bar Bow Detail Shoes, Office £40 Cream Necklace, from a selection @ Brazen Studios Stylist: Claire Morrison, Photographer: Adrian Barry, Make-up Artist: Ashley Murphy, Hair: Martin @ Anton Steele, Model: Sarah M @ Stolen.

Thanks to; Sarah at Brazen Studios www.brazenstudios.co.uk, Stockists; Raspberry Ripple & French Connection at Princes Square; Miss Selfridge & H&M at Buchanan Galleries; Office shoes, Buchanan Street; Brazen Studios, Merchant City.

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

13

EDINBURGH COMEDY

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

My favourite bit was when she quoted research indicating that children do best when they’re brought up in an intact household with both biological parents. Since adopted children are already outwith that scenario, choosing this point to further the heterosexual agenda doesn’t really seem like a logical progression. But that’s okay, because she got shot down by one of my fellow invisible bisexuals, her own party voted against her proposals, and later this year the very fabric of society will collapse as the adopted children of same-sex couples will have the legal protection of both parents rather than just one. /Nine

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI TOP LGBT EVENTS SHINJUKU BOYS (dir. Kim Longinotto & Jano) 14 JAN, 3PM, FREE/DONATION

ACE, 17 West Montgomery Place, Edinburgh Subtitled film following three ‘onnabes’ (women who live as men) who work in a nightclub playing host to straight-identified women disappointed with their biological male counterparts

BILDWECHSEL

THE THURDAY SHOW, THE STAND, With Junior Simpson, John Scott, Killian Monson and Sian Bevan. Hosted by Joe Heenan, 9pm, £3 - £7

Queer and Goth

LUVVIES’ FIRST 2007 MEETING, 17 JAN, 7.30PM LGBT Centre for Health & Well-being, 9 Howe Street, Edinburgh Meet with Edinburgh’s LGBT theatre company to find out about auditions and their forthcoming production of Torch Song Trilogy

CLUB REVIEW MINGIN’, STUDIO 24 EDINBURGH, OCT 15

Mingin’ - queer clubbing for adults - has returned after a four-month hiatus following the closure of The Venue.

Studio 24 has a large seating area set back from the dance floor where you can actually see and hear the person you’re considering taking home with you. The venue is slightly chilly, but the shirtless men dancing to techno music don’t seem to mind. The crowd is mostly composed of men in their mid to late twenties, predominantly on the butch, leather-clad side, but women feel welcome albeit outnumbered. It’s a tad quiet for a Friday night perhaps, but the atmosphere is none the worse for it. Colourful characters, camp and chatty doorstaff, and reasonable cover charge make Mingin’ an entertaining start to the weekend. (Cate Simpson) £5, FRIDAYS (MONTHLY) NEXT DATE: 12 JAN

14 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

THE STAND, Junior Simpson, John Scott, Killian Monson and Sian Bevan. Hosted by Susan Morrison., 9pm, £5 - £9

SAT 6 JAN

THE STAND, Junior Simpson, John Scott, Killian Monson and Sian Bevan. Hosted by Susan Morrison., 9pm, £10

by Rose Lindgren

SUN 7 JAN

WHOSE LUNCH IS IT ANYWAY?, THE STAND, Improv over tasty scoff., 1pm, Free THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH IN, THE STAND, Tony Carter and Neil McFarlane. Hosted

THE GOTH SCENE CAN BE JUST AS LIBERATING AS THE GAY SCENE IF YOU’RE BI OR TRANS Glow sticks, sweaty bodies and chest-thumping beats - sounds like any gay club. But when Ascension’s website descr ibes the club as ‘Edinburgh’s leading alternative night’, they don’t mean queer - they mean goth.

‘Goth’ is a subjective term, especially now with the rise of ‘emo’ and its equally wide-ranging connotations. So let me define my terms. Please interpret ‘goth’ as broadly as possible. It includes, but is not limited to: ‘baby goth’, ‘occasional goth’, and ‘if I wear a colour other than black, I’ll combust’ goth. And let me define ‘queer’ as an allinclusive term to include all peoples who might fit roughly under the lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender umbrella.

Although some LGBT people enjoy traditionally s t r a i g ht c lu b s w it h no p r o b l e m s , m a ny f ind straight clubs intimidating and unsafe, myself included. It’s only i n s p e c i f ica l ly L G BTf r i e nd ly club s t hat I f e e l s a f e s no g g i n g a female partner without worrying about being ogled or even harassed by uninvited straight men. When I discovered the vastness of the Edinburgh goth scene, though, my world of clubbing expanded fast. It helps, of course, that “being LGBT on the goth scene kinda makes up for your lack of Lacuna Coil knowledge or your mundane hairstyle,” as a friend of mine asserts. “You know - ‘he seems kinda normal, but he sleeps with men so he must be cool’.”

by The Reverend Obadiah Steppenwolfe III, 8.30pm, £1 - £5

gender identity, or just their fashion sense, goth clubs are a safe place to do it.

MON 8 JAN

RED RAW, THE STAND, With Steven Dick and Kevin Bridg-

One woman I spoke to did mention her worry about actual acceptance of queer couples on the goth scene: “I do think that the fact so many women in particular are encouraged to try the whole snogging/shagging other women thing (and indeed thought rather prudish if they don’t) could log ic a l ly (a nd p r o b a bly do e s ) have t he k no ck- on effect that girl/girl relations of all descriptions, whether of the weekend or the permanent, ‘proper’ relationship variety, are going to be seen as a temporary thing they’re doi ng b efore they settle d ow n w it h / go back to s o m e g u y.

The sense is that you’re just ‘trying it out’. If you’re someone who sees your homosexuality/bisexuality as an important part of your persona l it y/l i fe, it’s bei ng marginalised as something they’re just trying out.”

es, 8.30pm, £2

Goth or alternative clubs like Ascension, Neon, and Bedlam, to name just a few, have become a safe haven not only for people exploring their sexual orientation but also exploring their gender identity. Among ‘traditional goths’ women tend to look very femme - long hair and corsets. But their male partners also have long hair and occasionally wear corsets themselves. Nearly everyone wears make-up regardless of sex and more than one brave man wears a skirt.

Bisexuality is almost the norm among the crowds that frequent Scotland’s goth clubs. It’s encouraged and even expected that many people will have an encounter with someone of the same sex. This shows a fantastic degree of acceptance and tolerance for bisexuals who often get flack from both sides of the ‘fence’ for being greedy or indecisive. In goth clubs, bisexuals are so common, they’re practically passé. In order to even get an eyebrow raised, you’ve got to explore polyamory or S&M. It’s not strange to see two women kissing on the dance floor at any goth club, but the women with short spikey hair cuts, boyish clothing and piercings tend to be attracted to ‘rock goth’ clubs like Neon, where the music is a bit harder (and the drinks are cheaper). “If I grind with a girl, make out with a girl up against a wall, dirty dance to NIN it doesn’t even get on the radar,” says one woman. “That’s what girls do in goth clubs.”

Trans is a huge umbrella - but one of the most obvious components of trans presence in goth clubs is transvestites. Many men truss themselves up in corsets and lipstick, sometimes lace and thigh-high PVC heeled boots. According to one guy, “A man’s ability to look good in a corset is plus a million points in a goth club.” Whether they’re expressing their sexual orientation,

But maybe that doesn’t matter? Just because the girl who so willingly and eagerly snogged you in the club isn’t actually interested in women, doesn’t mean it wasn’t fun.

A good night out is hard to find.

Definitely worth i nve st i ng i n a few mesh tops and Doc Martens – and goth music, with its catchy beats and forlorn love lyrics, is a nice a lter native t o t he over-pro duc e d che ese t hat dom i nates in practically every other LGBT-geared venue.

Goths in a general sense a re ver y accept i ng, e s p e c i a l ly o f p e o p l e who are already seen to be outside the mainstream. I’m pretty sure that most ‘visiting’ queer folks would be made welcome in goth venues. It’s interesting to ponder whether the reverse would be true.

JONGLEURS, OMNI CENTRE, Mickey D, Ian Coppinger, Steve Harris, Tony Law. Mickey D is another former Skinny contributor we are always pleased to see, while Tony Law’s psychedlic lunacy is an easy-going treat, 8pm, £10

SAT 13 JAN

THE STAND, Alastair Barrie, Greg Cook, Paul Pirie and Colum O’Regan. Hosted by Bruce Devlin, 9pm, £10 JONGLEURS, OMNI CENTRE, Mickey D, Ian Coppinger, Steve Harris, Tony Law. See Fri 12, 8pm, £12

SUN 14 JAN

FRI 19 JAN

THE STAND, Bruce Morton, Greg McHugh, Simon Brodkin and Martin Tapley. Hosted by Craig Hill, 9pm, £5 - £9 RICKY GERVAIS: FAME, EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE, See Wed 17, 7.30pm, £25 JONGLEURS, OMNI CENTRE, Brendan Riley, Jason Rouse, Stu Who?, Joe Heenan., 8pm, £10

SAT 20 JAN

THE STAND, Bruce Morton, Greg McHugh, Simon Brodkin and Martin Tapley. Hosted by Craig Hill, 9pm,

WHOSE LUNCH IS IT ANYWAY?, THE STAND, Improv over £10 JONGLEURS, OMNI CENTRE, Brendan Riley, Jason Rouse, Stu Who?, Joe Heenan., 8pm, £12 tasty scoff., 1pm, Free THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH IN, THE STAND, With Nik Coppin, Steven Dick, Aaron Barshak and Billy Kirkwood. Hosted by Kevin Bridges, 8.30pm, £1 - £5

MON 15 JAN

RED RAW, THE STAND, With Paul Pirie and Billy Kirkwood, 8.30pm, £2

TUE 16 JAN

THE AMAZING BASTARDS!!, THE STAND, Mixing experi-

SUN 21 JAN

WHOSE LUNCH IS IT ANYWAY?, THE STAND, Improv over tasty scoff., 1pm, Free THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH IN, THE STAND, Joe Heenan, Niall Browne, Saj and Poetry

Pete, 8.30pm, £1 - £5

MON 22 JAN, RED RAW, THE STAND, Billy Kirkwood and Russel Roy, 8.30pm, £2

TUE 23 JAN, BRUCE FUMMEY - ‘ABOUT TAM

TUE 9 JAN

MELTIN’ POT, THE STAND, tbc, 8.30pm, £2.50 - £5

mental stand-up, off-beat characters, and assorted bobbins, Steven Dick, Allan Miller and Teddy offer a show that won’t be for everyone. 8.30pm, £3 - £5

WED 10 JAN

WED 17 JAN

Mearns, Paul Pirie, Allen Chalmers and Sandy Nelson, 8.30pm, £4

mals and campaigning against animal cruelty. Line-up includes Susan Calman and Aaron Barshak, 8.30pm, £4 - £6 RICKY GERVAIS: FAME, EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE, He is, like, totally famous. The UK’s most marketable comic . 7.30pm, £25

2006 Edinburgh Fringe, this Burns season Bruce Fummey brings his sideways look at the famous Robert Burns poem to The Stand. The hour long show will give a hilarious background to Robert Burns’ famous narrative topped off with the finest performance of the poem you are likely to see. With additional recitations, background to Burns, haggis and supported with songs from Paula Fummey, soloist with New Scottish Choir & Orchestra., 8.30pm, £4 - £6

THU 18 JAN

THU 25 JAN

DANCE MONKEY BOY DANCE, THE STAND, Raymond

THU 11 JAN

THE THURDAY SHOW, THE STAND, With Alastair Barrie, Greg Cook, Paul Pirie and Niall Browne. Hosted by Bruce Devlin, 9pm, £3 - £7

FRI 12 JAN

THE STAND, Alastair Barrie, Greg Cook, Paul Pirie and

GOTH CLUBS HAVE BECOME A SAFE HAVEN FOR PEOPLE EXPLORING THEIR GENDER IDENTITY

17 JAN, 7PM, FREE BUT TICKETED

CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, 0141 352 4900 An evening of queer and feminist underground film

FRI 5 JAN

Colum O’Regan. Hosted by Bruce Devlin, 9pm, £5 - £9

BENEFIT IN AID OF SSPCA, THE STAND, re-homing ani-

O’SHANTER’, THE STAND, Performed to acclaim at the

THE THURDAY SHOW, THE STAND, Bruce Morton and Si- THE THURDAY SHOW, THE STAND, Parrot, Joe Heenan, mon Brodkin. Hosted by Craig Hill, 9pm, £3 - £7 RICKY Steven Dick and Phil Differ. Hosted by Raymond Mearns, GERVAIS: FAME, EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE, See Wed 9pm, £3 - £7

FRI 26 JAN

THE STAND, Jason Manford, Joe Heenan, Russel Roy

and Aidan Bishop. Hosted by Susan Morrison, 9pm, £5 - £9 JONGLEURS, OMNI CENTRE, Andy White, Sarah Millican, Simon Bligh, 8pm, £10

SAT 27 JAN

THE STAND, Jason Manford, Joe Heenan, Russel Roy and Aidan Bishop. Hosted by Susan Morrison, 9pm, £10 JONGLEURS, OMNI CENTRE, Andy White, Sarah Millican, Simon Bligh, 8pm, £12

SUN 28 JAN

WHOSE LUNCH IS IT ANYWAY?, THE STAND, Improv over tasty scoff., 1pm, Free THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH IN, THE STAND, tbc, 8.30pm, £1 - £5

MON 29 JAN

RED RAW, THE STAND, Graeme Thomas and Greg McHugh, 8.30pm, £2 PLEASANCE COURTYARD, Jason Manford, Michael McIntyre, Steve Hughes.

Ranting Hughes, charming Manford and razor-sharp McIntyre are all very good comics; together on one bill they are an outstanding line-up for a cold winter’s night, 10pm, tbc

TUE 30 JAN

WIL HODGSON SPECIAL, THE STAND, The Carebear and My Little Pony-loving ex-wrestler and skinhead treats Edinburgh comedy fans to a full-length show. Expect highlights from the Fringe plus much, much more, 8.30pm, £8 PLEASANCE COURTYARD, Jon Richardson, Rhod Gilbert. Gilbert is one of the most naturally funny of comedians on the circuit; to see him at this price is a bargain, 8pm, £4 - £5.50

WED 31 JAN

BEST OF SCOTTISH, THE STAND, David Kay, Bruce Devlin, Greg McHugh and Steven Dick, 8.30pm, £6

17, 7.30pm, £25

GLASGOW COMEDY

THU 4 JAN

THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE STAND, Ian Cognito, Tony Carter, Neil McFarlane and Rick Molland. Hosted by Fred MacAulay, 8.30pm, £3 - £7

FRI 5 JAN

THE STAND, Ian Cognito, Tony Carter, Neil McFarlane and Rick Molland. Hosted by Fred MacAulay, 8.30pm, £5 - £9

SAT 6 JAN

THE STAND, Ian Cognito, Tony Carter, Neil McFarlane

THU 11 JAN

WED 17 JAN

ven Dick, Nik Coppin and Bruce Fummey. Hosted by Raymond Mearns. Munnery wrote a classy Festival Diary for Skinnyfest over the summer, revealing him to be as insightful and wise as he is funny. An oddball well worth your time, 8.30pm, £3 - £7

gow Marrow raises awareness about and funds for The Anthony Nolan Trust Bone Marrow Register. Line-up to be announced., 8.30pm, £6

THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE STAND, Simon Munnery, Ste-

FRI 12 JAN

THE STAND, Simon Munnery, Steven Dick, Nik Coppin

and Bruce Fummey. Hosted by Raymond Mearns. See and Rick Molland. Hosted by Fred MacAulay, 8.30pm, Thu 11, 8.30pm, £5 - £9 £10 JONGLEURS, UGC CENTRE, Roger Monkhouse, Ronnie JONGLEURS, UGC CENTRE, Anvil Springstein, Bill Dewar., Edwards, Jojo Sutherland, Craig Hill, 8pm, £10 8pm, £13

SUN 7 JAN

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE, THE STAND, John Scott, Killian Monson and Phil Differ. With host Michael Redmond, 8.30pm, £1 - £5

MON 8 JAN

DANCE MONKEY BOY DANCE, THE STAND, Raymond Mearns, Paul Pirie, Allen Chalmers and Sandy Nelson, 8.30pm, £4

RICKY GERVAIS: FAME, GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, He is, like, totally famous. The UK’s most marketable comic - excepting the ever-renewable Mr Baron-Cohen - is more than a populist: he’s extremely funny. Catch him before he’s playing arenas., 7.30pm, £25

SAT 13 JAN

THE STAND, Simon Munnery, Steven Dick, Nik Coppin and Bruce Fummey. Hosted by Raymond Mearns. See Thu 11, 8.30pm, £10 JONGLEURS, UGC CENTRE, Roger Monkhouse, Ronnie Edwards, Jojo Sutherland, Craig Hill, 8pm, £13

ROUGH CUTS, THE STAND, tbc, 8.30pm, £2.50 - £5 RICKY GERVAIS: FAME, GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, See Mon 8, 7.30pm, £25

LGBT LISTINGS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

THU 18 JAN

THU 25 JAN

THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE STAND, With Vladimir McTavish, Howard Read and Billy Kirkwood. Hosted by Bruce Devlin, 8.30pm, £3 - £7

Michael Redmond, Charlie Ross and Phil Differ. Hosted

by Susan Calman, 8.30pm, £3 - £7

FRI 26 JAN

FRI 19 JAN

THE STAND, Martin Soan, Michael Redmond, Charlie Ross and Nick Davies. Hosted by Susan Morrison, 8.30pm, £5 - £9 JONGLEURS, UGC CENTRE, Adam Crow, Patrick Rolink, Curtis Walker, Brendan Dempsey, 8pm, £10

SAT 20 JAN

THE STAND, Martin Soan, Michael Redmond, Charlie

Greg Cook, Paul Pirie and Gary – Tank Commander.

With host Michael Redmond, 8.30pm, £1 - £5

SUN 21 JAN

MON 15 JAN

With Greg McHugh and Gus Tawse. With host Michael Redmond, 8.30pm, £1 - £5

THE AMAZING BASTARDS!!, THE STAND, Mixing experi-

anything you’re ashamed of? Something that when you look back on it it makes you squirm? Jason has. Many times. A touching, moving and personal show, 8.30pm, £4 - £6

THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE STAND, With Martin Soan,

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE, THE STAND,

SUN 14 JAN

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE, THE STAND,

MON 22 JAN

THE STAND, Howard Read and Billy Kirkwood. Hosted

by Bruce Devlin, 8.30pm, £5 - £9 JONGLEURS, UGC CENTRE, Mick Ferry, Kevin Hayes, John Fothergill, Marc Theobald, 8pm, £10

SAT 27 JAN

THE STAND, Howard Read and Billy Kirkwood. Hosted

by Bruce Devlin, 8.30pm, £10 JONGLEURS, UGC CENTRE, Mick Ferry, Kevin Hayes, John Fothergill, Marc Theobald, 8pm, £13

SUN 28 JAN

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE, THE STAND, With Russel Roy and Gary – Tank Commander. With host Michael Redmond, 8.30pm, £1 - £5

MON 29 JAN

DANCE MONKEY BOY DANCE, THE STAND, Raymond Mearns, Paul Pirie, Allen Chalmers and Sandy Nelson, 8.30pm, £4

DANCE MONKEY BOY DANCE, THE STAND, Raymond

TUE 30 JAN

Mearns, Paul Pirie, Allen Chalmers and Sandy Nelson, 8.30pm, £4

RED RAW, THE STAND, With Nick Davies and Gus Tawse, 8.30pm, £1 - £2

TUE 23 JAN

WED 31 JAN

TUE 16 JAN

Roy, 8.30pm, £1 - £2

Delamere and Maeve Higgins. With host Michael Redmond, 8.30pm, £6 - £7

McHugh, 8.30pm, £1 - £2

JASON COOK’S CONFESSIONS, THE STAND, Ever done

TUE 9 JAN

WED 10 JAN

BENEFIT FOR GLASGOW MARROW, THE STAND, Glas-

Ross and Nick Davies. Hosted by Susan Morrison, 8.30pm, £10 JONGLEURS, UGC CENTRE, Adam Crow, Patrick Rolink, Curtis Walker, Brendan Dempsey, 8pm, £13

mental stand-up, off-beat characters, and assorted bobbins, Steven Dick, Allan Miller and Teddy offer a show that won’t be for everyone. Are you ambitious, RED RAW, THE STAND, With Paul Pirie, 8.30pm, £1 - £2 conscientious, confident, and consistently motivated RICKY GERVAIS: FAME, GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, by a desire to make a real difference to the world? If so, See Mon 8, 7.30pm, £25 probably best you don’t come. If not, expect laughs courtesy of kindred spirits, 8.30pm, £3 - £5

Illustration: Sara Bergqvist, http://soration.deviantart.com

“One m ig ht a l most imagine that a gang of adoption agencies was going round knocking on the doors of every same-sex couple and billeting children with t h e m a t r a n d o m .”

These were the words of Patrick Harvie in the Scottish Parliament, speaking against Roseanna Cunningham’s proposal to continue the ban on joint adoption by same-sex couples. Her move came as a surprise – she voted for the repeal of Section 28 and in favour of civil partnerships, and appeared at an Equality Network conference years ago to deliver a speech about “lesbian, gay and transgender” equality (hooray for bisexual visibility). But the LGBT community isn’t going to forget this transgression in a hurry.

THU 4 JAN

LISTINGS

LGBT

RED RAW, THE STAND, With Scott Agnew and Greg

RED RAW, THE STAND, With Kevin Bridges and Russel

WED 24 JAN

BEST OF IRISH, THE STAND, With Martin Bigpig Mor, Neil

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

51

GLASGOW ARTS

YELLOW BOX DENOTES SKINNY HIGHLIGHTS

THE ARCHES, 153 ARGYLE ST

BODY LANGUAGE, Figurative work from the collection, Acquisitions from the last six years, UNTIL APRIL 28, Ad-

etic images of a city through steamed up windows and long-range lenses, UNTIL JANUARY 17, Free, Mon-Sat 10am-10pm, Sun midday-10pm

GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, 2

VANESSA WENWEISER - DARK ENTRIES, Moody, po-

THE BURRELL COLLECTION, 2060 POL-

UNTIL MARCH , Free, Mon-Wed, Sat 10am-5pm, Thurs mission charge, Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm 1oam-8pm, Fri, Sun 11am-5pm

SAUCHIEHALL ST BILL MILLETT - CAPTURING LIGHT : SCOTTISH REFLECTIONS, A photographic journey from the Clyde to the

KELVINGROVE ART GALLERY, ARGYLE

STREET DALZIEL AND SCULLION - ONCE, A unique collabora-

engineering, UNTIL FEBRUARY 18 , £3(£1.50), Mon, Wed-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Tue 11am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm STEPHEN MONGER, Exploring the way buildings have evolved and changed over time, UNTIL JANUARY 7, £3(£1.50), Mon, Wed-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Tue 11am5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm

tion between Glaswegian composer Craig Armstrong and Scottish visual artists Dalziel+Scullion. See feature in the LILLIE ART GALLERY, STATION ROAD MILNGAVIE, DRAWN IN, Taking a look at the gamut of powerful storms that pound the coast line of Sutherland art section, UNTIL FEBRUARY 25 , Free, 8pm drawn works, UNTIL FEBRUARY 7, Free, Tue-Sat 10amto the Mull of Galloway, UNTIL JANUARY 2007, Free, Monfrom Sir William Burrell’s wonderful collection of BritTHE LIGHTHOUSE, 11 MITCHELL LANE 1pm, 2pm-5pm Sun from 10am ish embroideries, END DATE TBC, Free, Mon-Thu+Sat TAIT & STYLE, Taking a look at the commercial and inLLOYD JEROME GALLERY, 200 BATH STREET GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, 167 REN10am-5pm, Fri+Sun 11am-5pm novative fabrics of the Orkney-based design studio, UNTIL FREW STREET, MACKINTOSH GALLERY FEBRUARY 11, £3(£1.50), Mon, Wed-Sat 10.30am-5pm, LAETITIA GUILBAUD, Electrifying, fluid new work, UNTIL CCA, 350 SAUCHIEHALL ST JANUARY 22 , Free, Tue-Sat 9am-6pm CATHERINE SULLIVAN, 2 works by the acclaimed artist ERIC MENDELSOHN, Dynamics and Function: Realised Tue 11am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm Visions of a Cosmopolitan Architect, UNTIL FEBRUARY 9, SORCHA DALLAS, 5 ST MARGARET’S PLACE THE LIGHTHOUSE, 11 MITCHELL LANE who lives and works in Los Angeles - multi-screen Free, Mon-Fri 10am-5pm NORTHERN CITY (BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARK), Artists THE METAL BRIDGE, Group Show featuring Steven Clayprojection and a single screen work, UNTIL JANUARY 27, Free, Tues-Fri 11am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm, closed HOUSE FOR AN ART LOVER, BELLAHOUand architects exploring Edinburgh’s schizophrenic char- don, Thomas Helbig, Duncan Marquiss, Craig Mulholland, UNTIL JANUARY 27, Free, Tue - Sat 11am-5pm STON PARK, DUMBRECK ROAD Sun, Mon acter, nostalgia and modernity, the relationship between VARIOUS ARTISTS, A new show different each month ST MUNGO MUSEUM, 2 CASTLE STREET the urban centre and the natural edge, UNTIL MARCH 4 , GLASGOW GALLERY OF MODERN ART, featuring a selection of contemporary Scottish artwork, £3(£1.50), Mon, Wed-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Tue 11amVOODOO, Photography by Les Stone - exploring the ROYAL EXCHANGE SQUARE OPENING TIMES VARY, Free, Sat, Sun 10am-1pm 5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm practice of Voodoo on the Caribbean island of Haiti, UNTIL OPEN COMMUNITY, An annual opportunity for JANUARY 2007, Free, Mon-Thu, Sat 10am-5pm, Fri, Sun HUNTERIAN, UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW, 82 THE LIGHTHOUSE, 11 MITCHELL LANE community groups to exhibit work from arts-based HILLHEAD STREET projects, UNTIL JANUARY 14 , Free, Mon-Wed, Sat GLASGOW 1999 DESIGN MEDAL 2006, Including jewel- 11am-5pm 10am-5pm, Thurs 1oam-8pm, Fri, Sun 11am-5pm ENLIGHTENMENT: COLLECTING FOR THE FUTURE, lery, fashion, graphics, product design and cutting-edge

LOKSHAWS ROAD 17TH CENTURY SAMPLERS, Embroidered samplers

EDINBURGH ARTS THE BONGO CLUB, 37 HOLYROOD ROAD

teacher, UNTIL FEBRUARY 11 , Free, Daily 10am-5pm

lating environment, OPEN ALL YEAR, Free, Mon-Fri 11am-late, Sat 12.30pm-late

FRIEDRICH, Group Show, UNTIL FEBRUARY 3, Free, Wed-

EXHIBITION TBC, Interesting, unusual work in a stimu-

CENTRAL LIBRARY CONFERENCE ROOM, GEORGE IV BRIDGE, CENTENARY KINGS, n exhibition of his-

toric programmes, play bills, posters and other memorabilia celebrating 100 years of Edinburgh’s Kings Theatre, UNTIL JAN 20, Free, Mon-Thur 10am8pm, Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 9am-1pm

CITY ART CENTRE, 2 MARKET STREET,

TREASURED, Paintings and drawings from the City Art Centre’s Scottish Collection, UNTIL FEBRUARY 18 , Free, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm STRANDS, Investigating our love affair with fabrics - featuring numerous artists’ work, UNTIL FEBRUARY 18 , Free, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm PETER HOWSON - PORTRAIT OF A SAINT, Research and images centering around a recent commission, UNTIL MARCH 4 , Free, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm SOJOURNERS, Scottish artists abroad, UNTIL FEBRUARY 18 , Free, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm THE ROYAL MILE REVISITED, Paintings by William Highet, UNTIL MARCH 4 , Free, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm

DEAN GALLERY, 73 BELFORD ROAD

JAMES MCINTOSH PATRICK ARCHIVE, Work by one of Scotland’s foremost landscape painters, UNTIL JANUARY 14, Free, Daily 10am-5pm CONSIDER THE LILLIES, Works from Dundee’s 20th century art collection, UNTIL JANUARY 14, Free, Daily 10am-5pm IAN FLEMING, Marking the centenary of one of Scotland’s most influential and pioneering printmakers and

DOGGERFISHER, 11 GAYFIELD SQUARE Fri 11am-6pm, Sat 12pm-5pm

EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS, 23 UNION STREET 40 YEARS AT EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS, Ground-

breaking work by key artists from the early years, JAN 20 TO MARCH 3, Free, Tue-Sat 10am-6pm JENNY MARTIN - TRACES OF LIFE, Works based on trips to Pompeii and India, JAN 20 TO MARCH 3, Free, Tue-Sat 10am-6pm

THE FRUITMARKET GALLERY, 45 MARKET STREET CHRISTINE BORLAND, Existing, recent, and newly

commissioned work, JAN 2 TO JAN 28 , Free, Mon-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 12pm-5pm

I2, 34 ABERCROMBY PLACE

PETER HOWSON - UNDERGROUND, 30 Limited Edition Etchings and Drypoints, JAN 6 TO FEB 12, Free, Mon-Fri 11am-6pm, Sun 10am-4pm

THE LEITH GALLERY, 65 THE SHORE, LEITH

VARIOUS ARTISTS, Group Show, OPEN ALL YEAR, Free, Mon-Fri 11am-5pm, Sat 11am-4pm

NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCOTLAND, THE MOUND GOYA: MONSTERS AND MATADORS, Original Etch-

ings, UNTIL FEBRUARY 25, Free, Daily 10am-5pm, Thu 10am-7pm

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND,

CHAMBERS ST REFLECTIONS, A decade of North lands creative glass,

UNTIL JANUARY 2007, Free, Daily 10am - 5pm GIFTED, Contemporary Scottish Crafts available to buy, UNTIL JANUARY 21, Free, Daily 10am - 5pm

GLASGOW THEATRE

NATIONAL WAR MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND, EDINBURGH CASTLE

COMMANDO COUNTRY, Examining Scotland’s key role in forming Britain’s famous Commando forces, UNTIL FEBRUARY 2008, Free with admission to Edinburgh castle, Mon-Sun 9.45am-5.45pm (April to Oct) Mon-Sun 9.45am-4.45pm (Nov to March)

OPEN EYE GALLERY, 34 ABERCROMBY

PLACE SCOTS ABROAD, Invited artists whose work is influenced by their travels, JAN 6 TO JAN 24, Free, Mon-Fri 11am-6pm, Sun 10am-4pm JOHN DUNN, Raku Lustre Ceramics, JAN 6 TO JAN 24, Free, Mon-Fri 11am-6pm, Sun 10am-4pm

THE QUEENS GALLERY, PALACE OF HOLY-

ROOD HOUSE CANALETTO IN VENICE, Paintings and Drawings, UNTIL JANUARY 7, £5(£4), Mon-Sun 9.30am-6pm

THE RED DOOR GALLERY, 42 VICTORIA

STREET VARIOUS ARTS AND CRAFTS, Art to buy at a reasonable price, OPEN ALL YEAR, Free, Mon-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm

ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDEN, INVERLEITH

25 JAN - 27 JAN, THERE’S NO ‘ V’ IN GAELIC, A special

event celebrating female voices and the richness of Gaelic Arts., 7.30pm, contact venue for details 27-JAN, GREEN WHALE, An engaging, compelling and magical adventure with music, to fire the imagination., 7.30pm, £6

GILMOREHILL G12

15-JAN, O KING, A fantastic new work by Edward

McGuire and a performance by young musicians from Drumchapel High School, 8pm, £12, £6, £5

24 JAN AND 26 JAN, SOMEONE WHO’LL WATCH OVER

ME, Three Hostages in the Middle East confide in each other to battle captivity with the help of religion, humour and memories., 7.30pm, £6/£4 27-JAN, GO SEXY/DANCE CRAZY, A great night out for dance lovers and intrigued others., 7.30pm, £6/£5

50

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

TRAMWAY

27-JAN, OTTER PIE, Fish & Game returns to Tramway to

serve up a second helping of their tasty Otter Pie - a show about Scottishness, happiness and worldliness in the 21st Century, 8pm, £6/£4

THEATRE ROYAL, 23 JAN - 27 JAN, SWAN LAKE

ON ICE, Ducks on ice, awesome., times vary, £29.50

ism, UNTIL JANUARY 7, £6(£4), Daily 10am-5pm, Thu 10am-7pm ENERGY: NORTH SEA PORTRAITS, Portraits of north sea oil workers by Fionna Carlisle, UNTIL JANUARY 28, Free, Daily 10am-5pm, Thu 10am-7pm

SCOTTISH STORYTELLING CENTRE, 43-45 HIGH ST SONIA BIDWELL - TEXTILES, multi-layered constructions,

The weekend started with a World Aids Day vigil outside the hostel, led by Brother Bimbo del Doppio Senso of the Order of Perpetual Indulgence, and continued with workshops, led by participants, on subjects from ‘Alcohol and Addiction’ to ‘Making Health Services Work’. We finished by using the information we’d brought together to make a plan of action for the future.

DITTO IS NO SAD, SLUMPY FATTY - SHE’S FULL OF LIFE, SPARK, TALENT AND UNDENIABLE BEAUTY In November the unthinkable happened: a fat dyke was named Coolest person of 2006 by the New Musical Express. Beth Ditto of The Gossip is officially the Coolest Gal Around.

the 2003 centre-spread for the legendary lesbian sex mag with boyfriend Freddie Fagula was much less glamorous than it looked, but the results are hotter than hell.

Pundits are saying that the number of women in this year’s list is revolutionary but, more than that, the fact that one of us is being lauded for their fabulousness is, frankly, stunning.

IF SHE CAN BE COOL, SO CAN YOU

Lists like these are always worth taking with a pinch of salt (Liam Gallagher scored the number 2 spot in 2005), and we always knew that Ditto was cool, but it doesn’t hurt for other people to take note. So here are a handful of reasons why Ditto makes a fine role model for our nation.

FIND OUT MORE AT WWW.CHARLOTTECOOPER.NET

DITTO IS A POLITICAL ANIMAL

FOR A FULL SUMMARY OF THE WEEKEND’S EVENTS, VISIT THE

THAT ON OUR BACKS SESSION

LGBT SECTION ON-LINE AT WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

Ditto has said that shooting

LOWER GRANTON ROAD, EDINBURGH EH5 1ER. WWW.QWA.

CHARLOTTE COOPER IS A WRITER AND FAT ACTIVIST.

Sweaty, noisy, dirty and loud, Ditto’s voice is a force to be reckoned with and this band can make a building shake.

I’ve seen it happen.

ORG.UK

ON TAKING THIS FORWARD, OR SUGGEST NEW DIRECTIONS,

It’s fantastic to see someone who challenges pointless government hand-wringing about the

Beth Ditto, we salute you!

THE GOSSIP ROCK LIKE A HURRICANE

Not on ly i s D it t o a fat , working-class dyke, but she u nd e r s t a nd s what t he s e identities mean in the world.

She sings songs about it and she gives shout-outs to her people, people like us, in the audience whenever she performs.

SHOULD CONTACT QWA AT INFO@QWA.ORG.UK OR QWA, 97

Role models are all very well, but the best thing about Ditto heading the Cool List is the message of encouragement it sends to everyone: we can all be our own role models.

alleged obesity epidemic so eloquently. Ditto is no sad, slumpy fatty - she’s full of life, spark, talent and undeniable beauty. Her visibility in the world makes me hope that maybe fewer fat kids will get bullied in the playground and a few more fat queers will be able to recognise ourselves in the excellence Ditto projects into the world.

Beth Ditto

photo: Daniel Boud

hangings and tapestries, JAN 9 TO MARCH 3, Free, MonSat 10am-6pm

STILLS, 23 COCKBURN STREET

CINÉMATHÈQUE DE TANGER / AMONG THE MODERNS , Video and film work produced throughout the

MARCH 10, Free, Tue-Sat 10am-5pm

TOTAL KUNST AT FOREST, 3 BRISTO PLACE

annual display of Turner watercolours, UNTIL JANUARY 31, DAZZLEMENT, Different artist’s reactions to the idea that Free, Daily 10am-5pm, Thu 10am-7pm too much information/clarity can lead to oblivion or incaDOUGLAS GORDON, First Major solo exhibition from pacitation, UNTIL JANUARY 8, Free, Daily 11am-11pm the creator of 24 hour Psycho, UNTIL JANUARY 14, £6 (£4), Daily 10am-5pm, Thu 10am-7pm

EDINBURGH THEATRE

century France (but with a twist!), this spectacular production will feature designs by award-winning international designer, Antony McDonald. times vary, £34.00 - £7.00 17 JAN - 19 JAN, RICKY GERVAIS LIVE - FAME, Apparently Ricky decided to start his dates in Scotland as they were the best shows on his last tour. 7.30pm, £25

CITIZENS THEATRE

Our first event, Questions Worth Asking, took place over the weekend of December 1-3 at Pitlochry Youth Hostel, where 15 women gathered to work out what we could do about getting some answers and solutions within LGBT communities and from health services.

ANY LBT/QUEER WOMAN WANTING TO WORK WITH QWA

HARRY BENSON, Celebrating fifty years of photojournal-

JAMIE SHOVLIN: AGGREGATE, Solo show, JAN 20 TO

Aladdin, is a dazzling, hilarious and fun-filled family treat., times vary, contact venue for details

ing together a magical mix of wonderful music, zany words and lyrics., 7.30pm, £5-£14 21-JAN, LENNY HENRY, With his new one-man show LENNY HENRY delivers an electrifying mix of stand-up and character comedy guaranteed to blow your socks off. You have been warned. , 7.30pm, £17.50 22 JAN - 27 JAN, FAME, Join the star struck pupils on their rollercoaster ride through triumph, heartache and romance at New York’s High School for the Performing Arts., times vary, £9.50 - £23.50

Queer Women’s Action was formed by a group of women who got bored with going over the same questions; got pissed off with the lack of research, expertise and resources in queer women’s health; got annoyed enough to try and do something about it.

SCOTTISH NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, 1 QUEEN STREET

ROYAL SCOTTISH ACADEMY, THE MOUND

ful and unforgettable experience, suitable for children., times vary, £4/£7 23 JAN - 28 JAN, C90, C90 is a story about hope, memory, kindness and a man’s last day in a job that never really existed., 7.30pm, £10/8

KADO, Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular work, bring-

Queer women’s health is all about questions: What’s “sexually active”? How does being a trans woman affect my long-term health? Why do doctors keep talking to me about how many nuns get cancer? Real, informed answers are not often on offer within mainstream health services.

collection, UNTIL MAY 1, Free, Daily 10am-5pm

OFF THE WALL, Floor- and Ceiling-based Works from the

TALBOT RICE, UOE, SOUTHBRIDGE

TURNER IN JANUARY: THE VAUGHAN BEQUEST, The

by: Kate Joester

The Questions Worth Asking report will be published in early 2007, but already plans are underway for work ranging from a ‘Cock Tales’-style sexual health comic for queer women, to producing information aimed at NHS staff about how to treat LBT women patients.

SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART, 75 BELFORD ROAD

gardens as part of the artist’s retrospective, UNTIL JANUARY 14, Free, Tue-Sun 10am-3.30pm

FESTIVAL THEATRE

17 JAN - 20 JAN, THE ORPHEUS CLUB PRESENT - THE MI-

10.30am - 5.30pm, Sun 12am - 5pm

diverse cultural, political and social space of the Arab world, UNTIL JANUARY 28, Free, Daily 11am-6pm

KINGS THEATRE

UNTIL 13 JAN, ALADDIN, This year’s sensational panto,

VARIOUS ARTISTS, Art for Sale!, OPEN ALL YEAR, Free,

ROW DOUGLAS GORDON, Installations throughtout the

ARCHES THEATRE

9 DEC - 7 JAN, HANSEL AND GRETEL, A weird, wonder-

SCOTLANDART.COM, 2 ST STEPHEN PLACE

THE WIDE ANGLE: WHY I HEART BETH DITTO

QUESTIONS WORTH ASKING

LGBT

LISTINGS THEATRE & ARTS

4 JAN - 13 JAN, BALLET- CINDERELLA, Set in eighteenth-

FESTVAL THEATRE, 25 JAN - 27 JAN, RSMAD

ROYAL LYCEUM, 12 JAN - 10 FEB, ALL MY SONS, A powerful and emotional play that richly deserves to be recognised as one of Miller’s greatest works. 7.45, contact venue for details

TRAVERSE, 24-25 JAN, CLASS ACT, Now in its 17th year the Traverse Theatre’s flagship education project Class Act goes from strength to strength. times vary, £4

NORTH EDINBURGH ARTS CENTRE, 11-12

JAN, VIVA MANDELA, Neo Productions, an Edinburgh

based multi-cultural theatre company, are presenting

DOUBLE BILL, The RSAMD’s new opera season kicks off their current project Viva Mandela with a rehearsed readwith major productions of Ravel’s one-act operatic jewel L’heure espagnole and Puccini’s superb Gianni Schicchi. times vary, £12 - £20

ing. , 7.30pm and 10.30pm, FREE

EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, UNTIL 24 JAN, CHIT-

TY CHITTY BANG BANG, Direct from London’s west end this production comes to Edinburgh for a three month season. , times vary, contact venue for details

CHURCH HILL THEATRE, 23 JAN - 27 JAN, FOOT-

LIGHTS: WEST SIDE STORY, This show promises to be the biggest and most professional show that Footlights has ever performed. 7.30pm, contact venue for details

- £10.50

LISTINGS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

15

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI The joys of deadlines means that, even though you’re probably read i ng t h i s w it h a New Ye a r h a n g o v e r, I’m writing it on a Thu r s d ay mo r n ing in November.

So hould I really be drinking? Shoosh, it’s nearly noon.

Hopefully we’ll allhave sobered up by the time Mad Mel’s Apocalypto comes out on the 5th but, if not, the rest of January is shaping up pretty well. If the trailer is any indicator, Smokin’ Aces is going to be something special, while our film of the month, The Last King of Scotland, is not to be missed, and neither is Babel (and answers on a five pound note if you know the correct pronunciation - I’ve been saying it to rhyme with “table”, but I’ve heard some nutters calling it “Ba-bell”). Digressions aside, our 2007 preview gives you the best films to watch out for in the coming year, from the mega-budget “threequels” to the big screen debut of The Simpsons.

Bring it on.

Have fun and see you in February. Or is it January?

I need another drink....

PG

2007: A Film Odyssey

LP REVIEWS

DJ

BRADLEY C

by Stephen Carty

FEATURED ALBUM

CAN 2007 LIVE UP TO THE HEADY HEIGHTS OF ITS ANTECEDENT?

Ghost Rider

BLOOD DIAMOND (TBC) BOBBY (15) THE FOUNTAIN (15) SUBURBAN MAYHEM (15) THEM (15) THE UPSIDE OF ANGER (15) VENUS (15)

FUNKSTÖRUNG

N u m e ro u s re m i xe s h ave b e e n done for this track, but for me the Infectious beats, rollin basslines and a killer vocal on the original make this my number 1.

This little gem was introduced to me

by Tom Beaufoy of Evil Nine at our last party and has been in the box ever since.

APPENDIX (K7)

2. WAHOO - MAKE EM SHAKE IT

(MOB RECORDS)

Booty Bass rollin’ over Stantons’ tight trademark beats.

7. OLDSKOOL JUNX - FLAME UP The beat consists of a cut up sample of Snoop’s Drop It Like It’s Hot. Big Big Tune with stabbing synths creating a real old school flava!

3. KILLERS - WHEN WE WERE YOUNG (FREEFORM FIVE UNRELEASED

8. ELITE FORCE - YOU

REMIX)(CDR)

This rework with it’s choppy beats and bumpy vocals is a firm favourite for that late set drop.

Freeform Five stamp their identity all over this monster remix.

4. MERKA - MY SPACESHIP

(FAT!

RECORDS)

This track is fresh in every sense with crisp beats and tight production.

5. BLONDIE VS EDISON - HEART OF GLASS (MASH UNRELEASED REMIX)

(ZIMBARDO

REMIX) (CDR)

9. FREESTYLERS - IN LOVE WITH YOU (THE ROGUE ELEMENT REMIX) (WHITE LABEL)

Top track from his debut album That Happened To Me Once.

10. BROTHERS BUD - PUMP BOX

(JAZZ CLUB)

(FINGER LICKIN’ WHITES)

This Genre defying re-edit from Mash is a firm favourite of mine. The rough underlying bass is killa!

Electro and acid tinged synths and a bassline that can only be described as a tuneful fart!

IF YOU LIKE THIS CHECK OUT SUPERCOLLIDER AND MODE SELEKTOR. WWW.FUNKSTORUNG.COM

THE STANTON WARRIORS PLAY CHEW THE FAT!, THE SUB CLUB, JAN 19, £10. THEY ARE JOINED BY BRADLEY C AND DEFCON 1

GREGORY ISAACS COME TAKE MY HAND ‘High Five!’ - Borat celebrates his victory in the Skinny polls

300

W

ell, 2006 was both a busy and interesting film year. Scorsese delivered a movie that may finally bag him an Oscar, we saw the reinvention both of Superman and James Bond, Christopher Nolan proved again that he is one of the hottest talents in Hollywood, Tom Cruise showed that despite oodles of weirdness he is still the action king and Philip Seymour Hoffman verified his status as chameleon supreme. So, can 2007 live up to the heady heights of its antecedent?

Only time will tell, but here we have a sneak peak at next year’s think-pieces, blockbusters, animated pictures and “past-it action star” comebacks.

ARTHOUSE

Controversial director Mel ‘Braveheart’ Gibson opens the year up in fine style with another seriously arty number, Apocalypto, in which the brilliantly named tribesmen of Maya, such as Smoke Frog and Jaguar Paw, deal with human-life sacrifices. Also adding to the Oscar hopefuls of 2007 is Curtis Hanson’s gambling drama Lucky You, due in April, in which current Hollywood powerhouse Eric Bana deals with addiction, straight flushes and the prospect of being out-grinned by journeyman Robert Duvall. Not enough artsy for you?

May propels more drama your way in yet another Samuel L. Jackson movie with “snake” in the title.

As touchy-feely drama, Black Snake Moan and deals with touchy-feely child abuse sees Justin Timberlake make the transition to the big screen (also possibly why it has snake in the title).

16 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

6. SPANK ROCK - BUMP (SWITCH REMIX) (BIG DADA RECORDS)

RELEASED: JAN 22

12 JAN

26 JAN

THAT DRAWS FROM BRIGHTON’S FAT! RECORDS (THE CLUB’S MOTHERSHIP) AND THE

1. DOM ALMOND FEAT. VANNESA - SHAKE IT (ERASE RECORDS)

This is their third and last remix compilation, compiled from b-sides, reconstructed tracks and hard-sought masters; a collection of hidden gems from The Raveonettes, Nils Petter Molvaer, Bjork and Lamb among others.

If you’re a fan of the glitch factor feel free to enter the bizarre and quirky world of Funkstörung. It kicks off with trippy electronica, rolling voices, and disturbed r&b stapled onto grungy industrial beats; Supercollider would be proud and Namosh would cream. The follow-up is just as unearthly, with a marriage of hip hop and technoid percussion, before launching into slower electronica funk. This is cut and mash up in the style of Mode Selektor, linking fragments with walls of white noise. Soft folk guitar, gentle piano keyboard, and super-cool indie rock are all put through the Funkstörung blender, emerging as highly listenable musical mutants. In particular the etherealities of both Bjork and Lamb suit the group’s arty, fusion-based approach - but don’t get the impression this is out-there, pretentious artschool electronica. Like Four Tet, Funkstörung overcome the introverted, geeky preconceptions that often come with folktronica and other such mis-named sub-genres. Their music is, quite simply, beautiful, moving and pleasingly elaborate. Funkstorung have disbanded now, but keep an eye out for Chris de Luca’s and Michael Fakesch’s solo projects. [Alex Burden]

APOCALYPTO (TBC) EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH (12A) LITTLE RED FLOWERS (12A) MISS POTTER (PG) A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION (PG) WHITE NOISE 2 (TBC)

BABEL (15) BLACK BOOK (15) INFAMOUS (15) THE RETURN (15) ROCKY BALBOA (12A) RUNNING WITH SCISSORS (15)

FAT! PARTIES AT THE SUB CLUB. EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE SKINNY, HE PRESENTS A TOP TEN

(DEFECTED)

5 JAN

19 JAN

BRADLEY C IS THE MAIN MAN BEHIND GLASGOW’S HIGHLY SUCESSFUL CHEW THE

BEST OF THE BREAKBEAT SCENE.

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI RELEASE SCHEDULE

GHOSTS (15) THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND (15) THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS (12A) SMOKIN’ ACES (18)

(CHEW THE FAT!)

(STANTON WARRIORS REMIX)

The Simpsons Movie

BEATS

FILM

COMEBACKS

Those who crave a little more testosterone will relish the return this month of everyone’s favourite underdog (no, not the Karate Kid) in Rocky Balboa, as Sly’s Italian Stallion makes one last “one last comeback” in the ring and hopefully treats us to more wonderfully camp training-montages. Also on the comeback trail is Bruce Willis, who resurrects John McClane in July with Live Free or Die Hard and in the process takes on some internet terrorists without breaking a sweat.

ACTION

Continuing 2007’s adventuring is the summer of Matt Damon where June sees Ocean’s 13 try to erase the memory of its dreadful precursor and August brings the third instalment of the superspy series, The Bourne Ultimatum. Before all this, Johnny Depp returns in May to the role which did the impossible and raised his cool-factor, Captain Jack Sparrow, in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. And if you yearn to see epic medieval poetry brought to the screen, then start queuing now for November’s Beowulf.

COMIC BOOKS

With Bryan Singer, Sam Raimi and Christopher Nolan continually setting the bar higher for comic book movies over recent years, it’s no surprise that 2007 sees studios ploughing more money into franchises to further elate graphic novel readers everywhere. March alone sees Turtles (yes, of the Teenage Mutant Ninja variety), Ghost Rider and Frank Miller’s 300 whilst the summer also heralds The Fantastic Four 2, Transformers and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. However,

all the attention is on Raimi’s prospectively dark Spiderman 3, due in May, which could well be the first “number 3” of a series to better its previous movies (yes, yes, Return of the Jedi and Last Crusade were both good, but not toppers) with Maguire’s Peter Parker going evil and upping the ante in what may be his last piece of wall-crawling.

COMEDY

Does all this sound a bit tense and serious for you? Well July looks like comedy central as the long-awaited Simpsons Movie brings arguably the best television programme of all time to silver screens around the globe. The American Office’s Steve Carrell (who plays its Brent character) returns in Evan Almighty, the sequel to Jim Carrey’s Bruce flavoured original. Add into the summer mix the animated surfing penguin movie Surf’s Up (how can penguins surfing not be fun?) and Mike Myers’ revival of his Scottish ogre in Shrek the Third. Get yourself ready for a fit of the giggles.

Excited yet? You should be. With funkilynamed tribes people, mascara-wearing pirates, forgetful spies and boogie-board riding penguins, what more could you ask for? Well, with Sly and Bruce rejuvenating their white vests it may not be too much to hope for that Arnold drops this silly governor pretence and joins the rest of his former Rock-Hard Café trio (although he has declined T4 for 2008) to fulfil his “I’ll Be Back” promise. Come on big guy, there’s got to be a market out there for Commando 2....

FILM

(MUN MUN)

Jamacian sensation and reggae superstar Gregor y Isaacs (also known as the Cool Ruler or Lonely Lover) brings us his latest album Come Take My Hand, after over three decades in the music business. Known as an ambassador for reggae across the world, on this latest release he performs his classic reggae style, with hip hop and r&b influences becoming apparent. The LP was produced by Emmanuel “Rude” Davies, and also features musican’s Sly and Robbie, Carlton “Bubblers” Ogilvie, Earl “Broad Finger” Francis, Paul “Jazzwad” Yebuah and Jermaine “Ajang” Ford.

Standout tunes include the title track, Mr Right and Show Love, sticking to the emotive topics of lovers and broken hearts. If you’re into your reggae then this is an album for you, full of mellow, laid back beats, and smooth vocals sung by a true legend. [Karen Taggart] WWW.MUNMUNINTERNATIONAL.COM WWW.ARTISTSONLY.COM/ISAACHM.HTML

MUM

THE PEEL SESSION (FATCAT)

Mum are a truly special band, in all the euphemistic senses of that word. Their zonked-out electro-folk - before it was thinly redrafted by the likes of Manitoba, Cornelius, and of course, FourTet - was unique in its mixture of live instrumentation, synthetic rhythms and ‘otherworldy’ soundscapes. There’s a childish playfulness about these live tracks, recorded on a 2002 Peel show

www.skinnymag.co.uk

and taken from earlier albums.

Awoke on a Train and Now There is that Fear Again both make use of delightfully lilting, Sigur Rosinspiring wails, and the electric interference of the latter’s cello sounds like a Fisher Price my-firstdrum-and-bass set. The artwork is a fantastic accompaniment to the package, all David Shrigley-esque scribbled animals, with treacherous details like teeth and genitals to ambush reveries. The Peel Session is an interesting snapshot of their earlier material and a pleasant appetizer for their for thcoming album. This is the soundtrack to 6am stargazing. [Liam Arnold] WWW.FAT-CAT.CO.UK WWW.MUMWEB.NET

POKER FLAT VOL. 5 BETS AND BLUFFS

(POKER FLAT)

This is an excellent compilation from the Poker Flat label, collecting the best of their recent singles, a couple of exclusive remixes and a bonus mix by Martin Landsky.

It’s a compilation cove r ing a broad spe ctr um of e le ctronic music, from big, funky tracks like Bug and Tanzmann’s Shock, to Trentemoller’s wonderfully deep dub on Always Something Better.

The same synthetic stuff can grow repetitive on your stereo though, and Guido Schneider’s contribution stands out from the rest - a p rev i o u s l y u n h e a rd, c a ref u l l y crafted piece of rubbery techno, shot through with sporadic freeform drum riffs, which cumulates in an entire choir humming. Steve Bug and John Tejada - respectively the label boss and the biggest artist

on the roster - also feature, but you’re left yearning for more of their unreleased material. It’s handy then that the vinyl contains six exclusively p ro d u c e d o r i g i n a l tr a c k s f ro m Pokerflat. Bets and Bluffs is a great chance to familiarise yourself with a label that has such a high output and diverse tastes. [Liam Arnold] OUT NOW.

V/A FIFTEEN YEARS (MINISTRY OF SOUND)

Never one to shy away from sounding their own trumpet, the self-professed “world’s most important club”, The Ministry of Sound, celebrate again with their Fifteen Years compilation.

Three CDs chronologically encompass the club’s favourite tunes since 1991, mixed by three of their most popular residents. CD1 sees CJ Mackintosh trawl through the early days of cheesy US house and garage, CD2 gives Jazzy M free reign on the fertile house of the midnineties, and CD3 lets Mark Hughes round up all of the biggest crossover hits since then. From their start as a pioneering and widely respected club and label, The Ministry of Sound has embraced the commercial capitalism of dance music to embarrassing levels ever since (dance workout videos anyone?). This rather obvious selection of songs is perhaps a fitting tribute to the club, given the quality of music fostered a little deeper underground in the last decade and a half. [Peter Walker] OUT NOW.

V/A

MAISON COMPILATION 3 (KITSUNE)

Ah Kitsune, you most delicious and esoteric of French labels!

Not content to supply us with the sublime Kitsune X, which featured the likes of Joakim and Black Strobe plying their porno-electro schtick, you see fit to bring us Maison Compilation 3, showcasing DFA-style rock / disco antics, but mercifully free of cowbells and hand-claps. Put this CD on, do a big line of ketamine, and dance around with joy as bands like The Lovely Feathers, Fox ‘n’ Wolf, Boyz Noize and Oh No! Oh My! abuse, bugger and sully the templates of new wave, Gallic pop and indie.

Tracks from the mighty Simian Mobile Disco and Alex Gopher mean that this is still a compilation grounded in French electronica, and fine electroclash numbers like Trash by The Whip re-confirm Kitsune’s position as the trendiest of the trendy. If Erol Alkan owned a strip club, this is the CD that he would make all the boys dance naked to. [Bram Gieben] OUT NOW. WWW.KITSUNE.FR WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ MAISONKITSUNE

DEADBEAT

VERSION IMMERSION EP (~SCAPE)

Af te r h i s c o ntr i b u ti o n to th e P l u m b i c o n Ve r s i o n s s e r i e s , D e a d b e a t a g a i n ex p e r i m e n ts with the possibilities of reworking a single set of sounds, and these

three numerically labelled edits reflect his predilection for obscure and original performances. One. one.five sticks to a dense, hypnotic groove, with punchy percussion backing a wobbly ‘pitchbend’ melody, whilst one.two.six reworks this as a crackly piece of heavy dub. One.two.three.infinity puts all that has gone on before in eleven minutes of pure genius into context, dropkicking a gentle piano melody into a throbbing dub bassline. [Liam Arnold] OUT NOW.

today’s globally diverse hip-hop market. It’s sad to see one of the 90s underground’s innovators become so self-indulgent in the studio. Like most sequels, this is best avoided, unless you were a big fan of the last album.

[Omar Kudos] OUT NOW. WWW.HIPHOPCRACK.COM/ HITEKNOLOGY2

CAPPABLACK

FACADES AND SKELETONS (~SCAPE)

HI-TEK

‘HI-TEKNOLOGY 2: THE CHIP’ (BABYGRANDE)

Featuring guest spots from the whole gamut of East Cast and West Coast stars that Hi-Tek has produced for in the past, HiTe k nolog y 2 su f fe r s b e c ause it has no theme running through it. Even highlights, like Busta Rhymes offering March, pale in comparison to Busta’s own work.

The soul and funk influences HiTek displays on Keep It Moving and Can We Go Back sound tired and lame, his own rhymes obvious, with lots of biographical reference that is simply dull. Livened up by Q-Tip and Kurupt, Keep It Moving grabs the ears but quickly lets go – on second listen, it is utterly pedestrian. Josephine, featuring HiTek’s father Willie Cottrell and his band, is a stand-out moment, with Ghostface lending some muchneeded authenticity. The tracks with longtime collaborator Talib Kweli also shine, but HT2 is simply not good enough to compete in

The B-boy upstarts of ~scape, Cappablack, fuse Kit Clatyon’s sound-art styling to electronicallyforged scratching and esoteric samples: the end result is a unique piece of artistically adventurous but achingly cool hip-hop. Facades and Skeletons is the brainchild of avant-noise turntable/programming nutballs Illevin and Hashim B – it’s a beautifully mangled car crash of twisted glitch-core, scorched soundscapes and dark, shadowy hip-hop rhythms. It’s also the best piece of fucked-up genius you’ll hear for a while. Cappablack coax delicate melodies and found sounds from the heart of the electronic blizzard and haunting instrumental refrains survive even the most cutup bleeping. The lazy, bassy drawl of Awol One stresses the hip-hop roots of Cappablack, turning the esoteric beats of Slide Around into a groove-laden, NYC classic, whilst Emirp’s Japanese rhymes render Akarui-Mirai and Tokatonton totally surreal but utterly compelling. This is genius. [Liam Arnold]

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

49

HASACID INDEGGESTION

PLEASE BEAR WITH US AS WE ENTER THE EGGSTREMELY STRANGE AND ACIDIC WORLD OF EGEBAMYASI. NORMAL ENGLISH WILL RETURN IN A FEW MINUTES.

by Alex Burden

E

gebamyasi is back with the fourth instalment of the Acid Indigestion series, over ten years after Part 3 was released on Abbey Discs in 1996. It’s eight tracks of bulging basslines and speech cut-ups, and it goes heavy on the acid, a sound that hasn’t found much favour in techno and house since the early 90s. One man has been keeping it going, regularly exporting his 303 creations to the welcoming Dutch and Belgians. Egebamyasi or Mr Egg, as he is also known, started making strange musical infusions referred to as MacAcid House in 1984, citing Can and Captain Beefheart as influences. “If you’ve no heard Can you’re in for a twatting in a half dozen”, he exclaims. “’Ege’ is a region of Turkey, and the ‘bam yasi’ is a dish of ladies fingers.” So we’re not much clearer on the meaning, but okra comes into it somewhere.

But how does he keep the acid f lag f lyi ng when t he scene look s to minimalism and funky house cut-ups for the flavour of the month? “A lot of acid could sound likegg trance if that’s the way your ears hear it. It’s all just acid as far as I’m concerned.

Foghorn Leghorn was a gift from Belgium and is also a cut-up in my book. Trends come and go, if you do it for a short timegg it’s a trend, if you do it forever it’s real. And what is minimal? Doesn’t get much more minimal than 303/808/303/909 etc... All pish really. Call it acid.”

“WHAT IS MISSING IS MORE RECORDS DECKS TO EGGSPLODE WHEN BAD RECORDS COME ON, OR MAYBE THE DJ COULD JUST BLOW UP INSTEAD.”

He accrued a band and one elaborate stage act utilising a papier maché penis and other obscure visual aids, and released the hi-energy track Circumstances on Survival Records in 1986. But he had an “epiphany” upon hearing I’ve Lost Control by Sleezy D (Marshall Jefferson) in the late 80s. He embarked upon a solo quest for eggier territory and serious acid production. He was spotted playing on tour in the Netherlands by Belgian label Groove Kissing. The meeting spawned one of his first EPs, the EBY EP, and Parts 1 and 2 of the Acid Indigestion series. His later seggminal works, How To Boil An Egg and Mother Goose continue to be rediscovered by new generations of acid fans.

It was another Belgian label, Binary Bassline, who released Acid Indigestion Pt 4 late last year. “This reggord is my first out and out 12” for 10 years. There has been many a CD compilation, but no 12”. It’s back to the old school MacAcid mixeggs on it by Gasenoid / Citric Acid from Germania, and finally Bam Bam. His mix of Acid Boy is blouse house and is a short loud eggsplosive noise – he’s cool but hard work.” Pt 4 tells the story of Acidboy, Superman’s friend, through 303s, 808s, 101s and a: “meeting of analogue and midi.” Cockfight begins with a questioning synth and solid backbeat, moving into laboured breathing and an acidic ejaculation of the kind of blunt and abrasive noises found in early Prodigy productions. Of course, Egebamyasi was making music when Prodigy were nippers eyeing up the Casios in Argos.

So does he think that something could be added or taken away from present dance music to make it better? “What is missing is more records decks to eggsplode when bad records come on, or maybe the DJ could just blow up instead.” As someone who has been involved with the electronic scene during its formative years, how does it compare now with then? “DJ booths are made out of MDF – years eggo it was chipboard, and I don’t get as much gear stolen from the stagegg.”

What are the plans for 2007? Any visits to these MDF booths?

“I would likegg to complete the pyramid I’m building out of egg boxes, and do some music on midi,” he states. “I havegg an Atari Pro24 and I’m going to usegg Cubase Version 3. [I’ve] not done any midi music for 7/8 years. I’ve been given the eggpportunity to reggord on a label of my naming, so I’m putting together a CD of mixeggs/remixeggs done by friends and unusual couplings. It’s pretty loveggley biscuits so far.”

On a final note, may we ask where the egg ‘thing’ comes from?

“Everyone has a thing, don’t they? Never been any different for me; I started an egg and always havegg been one. ‘Ex-ovo-omnia’ - the egg is cosmic, the egg came from the chickens butt, I lovegg it because it feels good... if you have something you can sit on and eat it, well, doesn’t get much better.”

FILM

BEATS EDINBURGH Egebamyasi

CLUB REVIEWS PENPUSHERS, EATERS, SILENI

Ninja, followed by guests Covalent, Special Ed and Professor Fresh BANNERMAN’ S, EDINBURGH, DEC 3 who ensured the dancefloor was full from the start. The in-house MCs Eaters kicked of f proceedings, unfortunately lacked the skills, but MCs Q uiet Man and L aughing they were joined by AJ and BZ, who Gear twisting their tongues around turned on the style and gave both some quality ‘day in the life’ style rhyme and reason for microphones B-Boy rhymes, and veering off into being on stage. Respect goes out some intense old-skool electro. The to Baron who has to be noted for night was closed by Penpushers, his quick mixing style and flat-out flushed with pride at the majesty of gigs. He shot through a tight, jump new LP Poltergeeks. The integra- up set and scored Sequential the tion of Jane Gilbert’s vocals into their A pass qualification it was looking hyper-literate and melodic template for. There are big things to come is a canny move – new songs skirted from Sequential, and a whole new Portishead / Lamb territory neatly, year to play with for the promoters.

The Brain & Kemo’s productions [Jonny Ogg] fitting her voice. The middle act of WWW.PROPERTUNES.CO.UK the night were newcomers Sileni.

Producer GungWho expelled noxious clouds of static and reverb, clattering beats falling over themselves ULTRAGROOVE WITH BACARDI and fighting like drunks outside a PRESENTS B-LIVE, CABARET sailor’s bar. MC Harlequinade, clad VOLTAIRE, EDINBURGH, DEC 2 in all black with matching wrestler’s mask, vented copious spleen across Another B-Live Weekender saw the beats and noise, his caustic Ultragroove join forces with Bacardi observations noisily tearing asun- for a musical doubleheader with der the dank basement air. Over an house duo Speakerjunk gracing the Eaters beat, his flows were impres- Cab’s main room, and hip-hop mixsive enough – a torrent of invective ologists, The Nextmen, out back. and screaming that blew everyone SpeakerJunk fall under the ‘fidget but Laughing Gear off the stage. A house’ tag - think crunchy, funky terrible beauty was born that night and jackin’ and you’re just about – full of sound and fury, but signify- there. The duo are producers Trevor ing something. [Bram Gieben] Loveys and Joshua Harvey, who EXTENDED REVIEW ONLINE. also run the label of the same name.

WWW.KFMRECORDS.COM Their two-hour laptop and FX live set took its cue from raw, pre-pop Basement Jaxx and Homework-era Daft Punk; a slew of sliced ‘n’ diced SEQUENTIAL, STUDIO 24, samples offering extra seasoning, EDINBURGH, DEC 1 proving to be a dancefloor filler. In Flat out party vibes abounded at one the backroom The Nextmen showof Edinburgh’s newest nights, and it cased their hip-hop heavy sound seems that Sequential’s launch may with generous helpings of soul, be the start of a new era of regu- funk and reggae thrown in for good lar drum and bass for the Studios measure for the smaller but no less - and judging by the revelry hap- enthusiastic crowd: the main room’s pening throughout the building, it four-four beats were seemingly facould be a match made in heaven. voured by most of the Ultragroove The launch was kicked off by resi- crowd. [Colin Chapman] dents Weak Hunt and Slowmotion

SPEAKERJUNK (LIVE) AND THE NEXTMEN

BARON

The Baron: Mini-Me not pictured

CLUB PREVIEWS TOKYOBLU

This is the first R&B night to hit The LiquidRoom, bringing with it an onslaught of the latest and greatest hip hop, soul, rap, dancehall and urban music from the likes of Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Outkast, De La Soul, Q-Tip and more. Music is courtesy of the 2Hot DJs, better known for their successful under 18 nights at Ego. Kath Gee, the venue’s Events Manager, and Ritchie Ruftone (2Hot DJs/Scratch/Motherfunk and five times Scottish DMC Champion) are behind the club. Ritchie Ruftone, DJ Bunty (UK DMC Battle Champ 2000) and DJ Dizzle (2Hot) will be providing the resident beats, and every month will feature a guest MC – past guests include Butch Cassidy and Mikey Don (Krispy Manchester). The club has big plans for 2007, hinting at possible appearances from Trevor Nelson, or even Kelis. Keep an eye out for their new and improved show with the addition of two giant screens and Pioneer DVD decks, which allow the residents to mix and scratch music videos simultaneously! Dig out your diamante thong (optional bling) and practice your ‘shizzles’ as Holla! boot out the house and indie for smoother Saturday night beats. [Struan Otter]

Let’s get the confusing part out of the way: Tokyoblu is a club, but it’s also the name of their eight piece live band, and the DJ duo, John and Iain. The latter are beginning to export their sounds abroad, and have secured a monthly residency in Dubai, so if you’re feeling a bit flash with your cash you can now catch Tokyblu in two countries a month! Thousands of 12”s have been shifted across Europe, the USA, and Australia, and a new EP (see our reviews) has just been released to close a successful year and start ’07 with a bang. The plaudits are being accrued, and they’ve got a decent amount of airtime on Radio 1 and Global Gathering courtesy of fan Fatboy Slim. Comparisons of their sound have led to the press likening Tokyoblu to Basement Jaxx and The Greenskeepers; a blend of Chicago house and electro, heated up with Latin flavours and live percussion (by Pepe Santamaria), funked up with disco, and introduced to Africanism beats. It’s a worldly affair with Scottish talent. The club is hoping for a fine year ahead, and it seems that their fortunes are definitely on the rise after the sell-out shows that spanned previous months. [Alex Burden]

10.30PM-3AM, £TBC

10.30PM-3AM, £TBC

THE LIQUIDROOM, EDINBURGH, JAN 13

WWW.LIQUIDROOM.COM, WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DJBUNTY, WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DEEJAYDIZZLE, WWW.MYSPACE.COM/RITCHIERUFTONE

48 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

n Peter O’Toole’s new film, Venus, there’s a funny scene in which the septuagenarian scrambles around a carpet, looking for a fugitive toenail clipping. It’s a long way from traversing the Sahara in search of King Faisal in David Lean’s epic Lawrence of Arabia, the film that made his name over forty years ago. In that film we see the chiselled features (literally by this time he’d had two nose jobs) of a man in his prime. Venus shows a different man, one who has long since come to terms with the loss of his youth.

It’s a transition few have had the opportunity to portray on screen, and fewer still have portrayed it so starkly.

by Alec McLeod being rejected from Dublin’s Abbey Theatre Drama School for not speaking Gaelic, a RADA scholarship saw him studying alongside Richard Harris, Albert Finney and Alan Bates. The break of a lifetime as Lawrence sealed his fate, and he enjoyed several great roles afterwards, particularly as a hypnotically psychotic aristocrat in The Ruling Class, and as Henry II in both Becket and The Lion in Winter, all of which added to his tally of seven Oscar nominations.

VENUS SHOWS A MAN LONG SINCE COME TO TERMS WITH THE LOSS OF YOUTH.

WWW.EGEBAMYASI.COM

HOLLA!

I

Peter O’Toole

EGO, EDINBURGH, JAN 26

Photo by Jack Waddington

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BEATS

As his role of “British establishment f igure” slowly became reality, Hollywood could only come up with disillusioning typecasting in films like Supergirl and King Ralph. This has meant that most of his decent recent work has been onstage, such as in Jeffrey Epitomising the generation of British theatrical ac- Bernard is Unwell. He’s making a film comeback tors who rose to fame in the late 50s and early 60s, though, appearing in the Neil Gaiman adaptation O’Toole reached a level of celebrity that grew as Stardust, and biblical tale One Night with the King. much from his reputation as his work. Classically Long may his reign continue. trained actors had always equated the two of course, the thinking being that everyone had al- VENUS IS RELEASED ON 26 JAN ready seen Hamlet and knew what happened, ther- DIR: ROGER MICHELL fore what people were paying to see was the actor. STARS: PETER O’TOOLE, JODIE WHITTAKER, LESLIE PHILLIPS Such notoriety previously meant constant touring CERT 15 and good notices, but in a world of tabloids and television the new generation hardly needed to try, the wild off-stage antics that had always gone on FILMOGRAPHY in theatre suddenly being broadcast to a general VENUS (2006) public aspiring to a hassle free lifestyle.

THE LAST EMPEROR (1987) MY FAVOURITE YEAR (1982)

O’Toole always obliged without it ever seeming forced. The son of an Irish bookie in England, he learned early the importance of cultural identity, proud to be Irish despite not actually knowing his birthplace for sure (the “family version” is Connemarra, but it could also be Leeds). After

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THE STUNT MAN (1980) THE RULING CLASS (1972) THE LION IN WINTER (1968) BECKET (1964) LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

17

BOBBY DIR: EMILIO ESTEVEZ STARS: WILLIAM H. MACY, CHRISTIAN SL ATER, ANTHONY HOPKINS, DEMI MOORE RELEASE DATE: 26 JAN CERT: 15

Emilio Estevez returns from the wilderness to write and direct this multi-strand drama about a group of disparate characters gathered at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on the night of Robert Kennedy’s assassination. Threads include the fading alcoholic star (Moore), the young married couple trying to dodge the draft, the adulterous hotel manager (Macy), and tension among black and Hispanic kitchen workers.

None of the stories are particularly interesting or original and the endless star spotting does eventually become a distraction (“Ooh look, it’s Ashton Kutcher”). Worthy yes, but it sure ain’t subtle, though there are moments of quiet power among the deep fried cheese. Whenever Kennedy is seen or heard, it’s a maddening, saddening glimpse into a cruelly snatched better world, even if the film serves mostly to deify him.

And, not to spoil the ending, he gets shot. [Paul Greenwood]

THEM DIR: DAVID MOREAU, XAVIER PALUD S TA R S : M I C H A E L CO H E N , O L I V I A BONAMY RELEASE DATE: 26 JAN CERT: 15

Directors David Moreau and Xavier

Palud’s debut feature is a disappointingly clichéd “horreur”, returning to that hoary old chestnut of the genre, the isolated house in the woods. The terrified residents in this case are a writer and his wife (Cohen and Bonamy), whose domestic bliss in the Romanian countryside comes under attack from “Them”. To reveal the exact nature of Them is to give away the one surprise the movie has to offer, given that the paper-thin plot and narrative devices have been seen so many times before. Moreau and Palud have recently been hired to direct the pointless Hollywood remake of the Pang Brothers’ superior horror flick, The Eye. Now that’s terrifying. [Colan Mehaffey]

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS

on a true story, would be dismissed as a sappy fairy tale. Smith channels the charm of Tom Hanks into his warmest performance to date and this, alongside the delightful interplay with his son, makes for the majority of the film’s considerable success. And yes, the title is spelled correctly - you’ll just need to see it to find out why. [Paul Greenwood]

S T A R S : P E T E R O ’T O O L E , J O D I E WHITTAKER, LESLIE PHILLIPS

STARS: WILL SMITH, THANDIE NEWTON,

RELEASE DATE: 26 JAN

JADEN SMITH

CERT 15

RELEASE DATE: 12 JAN

Growing old disgracefully was always going to be Peter O’Toole’s way, and this film expresses that very ideal, studying the mutually manipulative relationship between this veteran actor and his mate’s granddaughter (Jodie Whittaker).

Written by Hanif Kureishi, it’s a brutally honest dissection of beauty and decay, with Vanessa Redgrave as the ex-wife and Leslie Phillips and Richard Griffiths as the drinking buddies and co-nostalgics providing the best moments. Above all this feels like Socrates on trial; a troublesome and ignored old Greek arbitrarily charged with corrupting

It’s the early 80s and Will Smith is a down on his luck salesman with a wife (Newton) who’s reached the end of her rope, leaving him alone and in charge of their young boy (Jaden Smith, Will’s real life son).

Wanting to make a better life for them both, he signs up for a stockbroker internship, but this means having to survive for months with virtually no income and no guarantee of a job at the end of it. The Pursuit of Happyness is a sweet yarn, alternately filled with funny and poignant moments that, if it weren’t based

D

Black Book

DIR: ROGER MICHELL

FILM OF THE MONTH

the day’s youth, he disregarded the threat of a death sentence and instead used the opportunity of an unwitting Senate audience as one last chance to describe the world as he saw it, with all the cynicism and oratory he could muster. A final stage for one of the theatre greats, Venus is nowhere near O’Toole’s best, but still deserves a cheer.

[Alec McLeod]

attention to detail which seems unnecessary, including an eye-watering scene in which Rachel uses a liberal dose of peroxide to ensure that “collar and cuffs” match. Some great performances and technically excellent action sequences make for an entertaining and morally ambiguous treatment of WWII. [Colan Mehaffey]

DIR: PAUL VERHOEVEN

DANIEL CRAIG, JEFF DANIELS

STARS: CARICE VAN HOUTEN, SEBASTIAN

RELEASE DATE: 19 JAN

KOCH, THOM HOFFMAN

CERT: 15

RELEASE DATE: 17 JAN

You’ve seen Capote haven’t you?

Thought it was good, yes? In that case you’ll like Infamous because it is, more or less, exactly the same film, its only crime being that it arrives a little late for the party. Once again it portrays Truman Capote (played here by a more physically appropriate Jones in a stunning performance that more than matches Hoffman’s Oscar winner) around the years he spent researching and writing In Cold Blood, focusing in particular on his relationship with death row murderer Perry Smith (Craig). Though directed with no great art (a clumsy talking heads device is used to get information across) and filled with too many pointless cameos, it’s such a compelling story, and Capote himself such a complex and intriguing figure,

STARS: TOBY JONES, SANDRA BULLOCK,

STARS: BRAD PITT, CATE BLANCHETT, RINKO KIKUCHI, GAEL GARCIA BERNAL

Massive in scope, Babel tackles the subjects of international diplomacy, war and trade, while at its core are the parent-child relationships of just a few families. Stylistically it plays like “Now That’s What I Call World Cinema”, as director Iñárritu and writer Guillermo Arriaga clearly had in mind certain films they wanted to evoke in each setting; Dogma No.4 The King Is Alive for Pitt and Blanchett’s Moroccan story, the last part of the Taiwanese triptych Three Times for the Japanese strand, and with elements of Arriaga’s own Three Burials arriving at the Mexican border. This cross-genre crosscountry trek is about far more than just nerdy trendspotting though, as its looks, locations and characters all act as one comprehensive statement on an adult world gone astray from its core principle - keeping our kids safe. With Brangelina and Madonna loose on the world, that message has never been more necessary. [Alec McLeod]

ERAGON

APOCALYPTO

There’s a faint whiff of bad starting to come from this, but we’ll reserve judgement ‘til we see it. (OUT NOW)

Epic historical drama or straightforward chase movie?

Find out here. (OUT NOW)

FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS

HOLLYWOOD JUICER

Clint. WWII. Good. (OUT NOW)

Discover the subject of Oliver Stone’s latest biopic and the identity of the world’s greatest comic book hero in our epic news column.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM Thrills and fun as Toy Story meets Jurassic Park in the big Boxing Day release. (OUT NOW)

DIR: KEVIN MACDONALD STARS: FOREST WHITAKER, JAMES MCAVOY, KERRY WASHINGTON, GILLIAN ANDERSON RELEASE DATE: 12 JAN CERT: 15 WWW.FOXSEARCHLIGHT.COM/THELASTKINGOFSCOTLAND

Some years after seizing control of Uganda in a 1971 military coup, General Idi Amin declared himself, amongst other titles (Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea, and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular being a favourite), King of Scotland, such was his fascination with our nation. The Last King of Scotland begins in the early days of his reign, before he revealed his true nature to the world, and concentrates on his relationship with a young Scottish doctor (McAvoy) who arrives in the country idealistic and eager for adventure. Thanks to Amin’s Scotiaphile ways he becomes his personal physician and witness to his increasing tyranny.

18

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

J Hi-Tek was underground hip-hop’s ‘man who can,’ the producer you went to if you needed a beat that would bust some serious speaker. Reflection Eternal with Talib Kweli, was his breakthrough.

Kweli’s introspective, highly political rhymes, coupled with Hi-Tek’s dusty, Slum Village-sounding soul loops, set the benchmark at Rawkus. Kweli remains a friend and collaborator despite the demise of Rawkus, and subsequently Hi-Tek has gone on to be the producer of choice for everyone from Nas to Snoop Dogg. 50 Cent dubbed him his favourite producer, which means that for Hi-Tek the underground days are passed. For his new album, Hi-Tek has brought in guest stars galore, including his father’s funk ensemble The Willie Cottrell Band.

people need to step out the game and leave it to the real players.” Hi-Tek is remarkably modest about his own role when producing for other people. He adapts his style to fit the rapper he is working with: “A real producer should be able to do that,” he says categorically. For the new album, he also took a f lexible approach: “I’m always playing around and having fun in the studio. That’s what it’s about, having fun with the music. I wanted East Coast, West Coast, the South – I really wanted to display all of that versatility on my album. I wanted to show that I could take these rappers and get inside their world and their sound, and still be Hi-Tek. I really enjoy working with a little bit of everybody.”

Describing Slum Village’s Jay Dilla as a: “heavy, heavy influence,” and rappers like Madlib and MF Doom as his “comrades in the game,” it’s clear where Hi-Tek is coming from. He still rocks the underground sounds, and this passion is evident on the new album, particularly in the collaborations with Kweli. Other tracks with Busta Rhymes and Kurupt sound polished, and chart-bound. As to where Hi-Tek himself is headed, he seems content to straddle the mainstream and pay homage to his past, above Hi-Tek - Hip-hHp’s man who can. the petty concerns of genre in-fighting. “Nothing in particular influences me,” he says in parting. “I listen to all types of music. But I also listen to sounds, man, I listen to the birds chirp, airplanes flying past... whatever sparks me to make music. I just love sounds, man. I really thank God for that blessing.”

Whether his God smiles on him and makes HT-2 a success or not, one thing’s for sure. As long as Fiddy’s still writing his ‘raps,’ Hi-Tek will never be short of work.

DIR: ALEJANDRO GONZÁLEZ IÑÁRRITU

CERT: 15

INFAMOUS DIR: DOUGLAS MCGRATH

CERT: 15

BABEL

RELEASE DATE: 5 JAN

BLACK BOOK

Often cast as the agent provocateur of Hollywood, director Paul Verhoeven has shifted subject matter from lesbian serial killers and invisible sex pests to World War II with Black Book (Zwartboek), his first Dutch production for twenty years. It follows Mata Hari-esque Jewish singer Rachel Steinn (van Houten) who joins the resistance in the occupied Netherlands following the slaughter of her family by the Nazis. When members of the resistance are captured, Rachel uses her “talents” to cosy up to SS officer Müntze (Koch) in an effort to free her comrades, but her loyalties become divided when she falls for him. It being Verhoeven, there’s an

that it merits being told. Still, twice around the block is plenty, thanks.

[Paul Greenwood]

ONLINE//:WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

by Omar Kudos

FROM UNDERGROUND LEGEND TO MAINSTREAM LEGEND, THE RISE AND RISE OF HI-TEK IS ONE OF HIP-HOP’S HAPPIER TALES. HE TALKS PLAYERS, BEATS AND BIRDSONG WITH THE SKINNY.

VENUS

DIR: GABRIELLE MUCCINO

CERT: 12A

An Advance In Teknology

BEATS

FILM REVIEWS

(WARNING: MAY NOT BE TRUE.)

Though having some basis in fact (Amin obviously was a genocidal bampot and he did have a Scottish doctor), The Last King of Scotland is actually adapted from a novel and therefore benefits from the trappings of a highly dramatised adventure, rather than the biopic tinged travelogue it starts out as. High praise should be extended to director MacDonald in his first non-documentary feature for expertly molding it into a riveting political thriller, paced and edited with all the charge and vibrancy of Goodfellas. Forest Whitaker will most probably win the Best Actor Oscar in February for his portrayal of Amin, and deservedly so. It’s a remarkable performance, an astonishing display of power and presence that makes a monstrous and clearly insane man initially likeable then at turns terrifying and childlike. But it’s McAvoy’s film, make no mistake about that. The diminutive Glaswegian is in every scene and he stands up to Amin (and Whitaker) at every turn, managing not to be blown off the screen by the volcanic force of either. [Paul Greenwood]

FILM

Does Hi-Tek miss being an underground hero? I asked him if he felt he was still selling his music to the same audience who bought Reflection Eternal. “I think music in general has changed so much in general that it’s hard to compare,” he muses. “I think that a lot of the fans that I started out with still really enjoy what I do, but they so caught up in what they don’t like that they forget what music is really about.

But I still make good music. I am trying to please people, but I don’t really go into it with my fans. The reason why I got fans is because I do what I do.” Hip-hop’s commercial success nowadays is unprecedented. In the US alone, R&B / hip-hop is the biggest selling genre by a clear margin. Rappers from the Southern US like Ludacris and Three 6 Mafia can now count themselves as bona fide stars, but for many outside of the LA / NY axis, getting respect and the all important recognition of your ‘realness’ is difficult. Rappers from outside the US altogether are disowned completely, something Hi-Tek agrees with: “I think that’s definitely the problem with hip-hop today. You got everybody from India

“I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE NEED TO STEP OUT THE GAME AND LEAVE IT TO THE REAL PLAYERS.” – HI-TEK ON REGIONAL HIP-HOP

to wherever trying to rap and make beats. I think hip-hop has a place and time, and a lot of the stuff that doesn’t come from there is wack. Just because you do it and you say it’s hip-hop, you sampling records and all that, it don’t make it HOT hip-hop. I think a lot of

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January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

47

DJ SHADOW

FOR YEARS THE GLASGOW CLUB SCENE HAS BEEN DOMINATED BY BIG NIGHTS LIKE PRESSURE AND OPTIMO. HOWEVER, LIKE IT OR NOT IT’S TIME TO

by Peter Burns MAKE WAY FOR SOMETHING FRESH AND SPECIAL IN 2007.

J

ackmaster and Spencer (Jack and Calum), the lads from club nights Seismic and Numbers, have been running the events for about four years, putting on some spectacular gigs to only moderate acclaim. For all involved it has been a journey through a spectrum of ideas and a kaleidescope of music as Calum illustrates; “We’re not really about purely playing techno, house or hip hop from start to finish... it’s more about the progressions and changes sprawling through different sorts of music.” At any given moment the tunes can drift from techno to crunk or from disco to Baltimore Club music. For newcomers this is like a breath of ice-cold refreshing Glasgow air in comparison to some of the musically blinkered nights on offer.

The pair are known for an ability to squeeze a phenomenal party atmosphere between every wicked beat: “We like to give people a good variety of sounds, and crucially we’re all about creating a mental party atmosphere,” intercepts Calum. “We don’t really care if the music we play is considered ‘cool’ or not, if we like it we play it and I think it really is that simple,” states Jack. In essence the flock put well deserved trust in their shepherds’ hands.

Interestingly enough, you could also argue that this would still be an interesting experience without the music. Their events offer mind boggling visuals supplied by Retina Glitch, and free fanzines courtesy of artist MrMr which include hilarious caricatures of the evening’s guests.

Booking great acts doesn’t seem to pose a problem to these guys either. LFO, Lory D, Modeselektor, Dexter, Jackson, Bitstream, Autechre, Marco Passarani, Luke Vibert, and Squarepusher have all graced their grateful decks. They were heavily involved in the

construction of Modeselektor’s success and when they recently booked LFO for a night at the Art School, they knew things were going to blow up to biblical proportions. It also has to be mentioned that the Seismic and Numbers nights are part of a much greater picture. Despite putting a great deal of time and effort into both nights, the lads also have their fingers in many other pies. Jackamaster owns and runs his own record label, Point.One Recordings, and is also a long term resident at Glasgow’s well-established Monox night. On top of that he has been working for Blackhole Distribution (part of Rubadub), DJing and promoting club nights since the tender age of 15. Spencer is currently working for Warp Records in London.

The pair are also due to launch a new record label - WireBlock Records. The launch will be taking place in the Brunswick Hotel on 12 Jan and we’ve been told, “It’s gonna send you flying.” Playing on the night will be Goon & Koyote from France, who just released a killer split 7” with Tacteel of Institubes fame on the cult French label, Arcade Mode. Their mix CD, Diamond Grills, and live performances have to be heard to be believed. It features over two tracks per minute, fusing insane booty mixed with dirty South, Baltimore, Miami Bass, electro & techno at about 170 bpm. They make heralded booty DJs such as Assault and Godfather seem as cool as your wee sister’s pink tricycle (the one with the bell and ribbons on the handlebars). It’s fixed to be a kick ass party so be sure to check out this gift to the Glasgow club scene.

CARLING ACADEMY, 29 NOV

Breaking his set down into half a dozen suites, Josh Davis masterfully overlaps a fiercely abstract range of elements to represent every angle of his repertoire. Talking us through what we hear, the dex trous DJ Shadow even fends off the odd rock when he suggests he’ll be working in nuggets from latest album, The Outsider. Stuck to his guns, a blast of the hyphy-laced Three Freaks falls short of crowd rigamortis before Quannum’s Lateef bounds onstage to save the day, though he forgoes the near asphyxiated wheeze of his usual delivery for a more pedestrian bark, seeking to whip up the kind of storm that Shadow can usually summon himself when tucked away in the anonymous environs of a booth.

Though Shadow’s self-proclaimed status as a changeling is admirable, tonight proves that he’s still at his best when his sounds are imbued with the darkness and frustration of the metropolitan condition. But, as he righteously declares from the stage to the naysayers of his life’s mantra, “I’m never going to stop trying new shit.” [Dave Kerr]

DVD OPTIMO: 9TH BIRTHDAY

SUB CLUB, GLASGOW, 26 NOV

It would be fair to say that the honeymoon period with Optimo is just now. 26 Nov was Optimo’s 9th birthday, meaning that 468 Optimos have gone on before, but tonight it felt like the DJs were taking their job more seriously than ever before as they tried to ram nine years of musical jewels into every auricle.

There was fantastic music, a great atmosphere, hot people to get sweaty with, and the place was packed to the metaphorical rafters.

Optimo gets a shiny gold star from the teacher and an invitation to meet after class. The club is still one of Scotland’s best and most charismatic nights out, but this does beg the question, why does it take a Birthday celebration to remind us, and them, how great a night can be? This was one of the best Optimos all year, let’s not wait for another excuse to celebrate!

[Damien Hughes]

Superman II: The Donner Cut Ever watched Superman II and had the nagging feeling that you were watching two clashing versions of the same movie woven together?

If so, pat yourself on the cape as 1980’s cinema release was actually the result of two separate directors’ work.

Originally, it was planned that Omen director Richard Donner would shoot the first two Superman movies simultaneously. Unfortunately, midway through filming and with an estimated eighty per cent of the sequel completed and in the lead-lined can, production was suspended. The plan was to concentrate on finishing the first movie in time for its 1978 release.

Despite the success of the epic Superman: The Movie, Donner was fired after numerous confrontations with producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind and was not brought back, as was intended, to finish what he had started on the second movie. Instead, the producers hired comedy-man Richard Lester who set about filming his own material. The notable absence was that of Gene Hackman as Luthor; Hackman refused to do re-shoots due to Donner’s treatment. Lester deleted many of Donner’s crucial scenes and re-worked the sequel with gags thrown in like fragments of Kryptonite.

UNBORN BUT FORGOTTEN

Photo: Stu Younger

THE SKINNY IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF CLUB REVIEWERS IN THE GLASGOW AREA! THE CITY’S CLUB LIFE IS BIGGER, BUSIER AND MORE FUIL OF PEOPLE THAN THAT OF EDINBURGH, AND YET EVERY MONTH WE STRUGGLE TO REVIEW THE BULK OF NIGHTS THAT HAPPEN. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN FREE GUESTLIST PLACES, VALUABLE JOURNALISTIC EXPERIENCE, AND THE CHANCE TO INTERVIEW LOCAL DJS AND PRODUCERS IN 2007, GET IN TOUCH TODAY! EMAIL BRAM@ SKINNYMAG.CO.UK / ALEXB@SKINNYMAG.CO.UK WITH A SAMPLE REVIEW, OR LOG ON TO WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK AND CLICK ON THE ‘GET INVOLVED’BUTTON.

CLUB PREVIEWS MARC VAN LINDEN

SI BEGG AND CURSOR MINOR

SURFACE EMP

The first weekend after the New Year in Glasgow is a gamble for any promoter; the clubbing majority will either be skint, recovering or more likely, both. Which is why the launch of a new night at the Soundhaus on the 6th is a bold move, although judging by the interest Synergy seems to have generated, attendance will not be an issue. German trance primo Marc Van Linden will be headlining the main room for the launch of his new LP, My Way, kicking off a world tour at the ‘haus. Van Linden has achieved considerable success in a fairly short time, and has received considerable applause for his production work from the likes of Arman Van Buuren, for the solo singles AM 2 PM, and Until Monday. Backed up by Simon Foy and William Daniell, both of Inside Out fame, the main room boasts dark trance with a chunkier tech beat from the Inside Out boys. Visuals will be supplied by Soundhaus favorite, Altronix. In the other room, running contrary to popular club doctrine, Synergy will host the heavier stuff with up-andcoming Scottish talent playing a wide selection of electronic styles. Variety is the mantra for the second room. We also hear rumours that as part of the album launch there will be a few giveaways on the night, including five signed copies of Marc Van Linden’s new album, and merchandise for Van Linden’s own label Midway records and Vandit. With so much on offer it’s obvious to us that if you can so much as stand after the festivities, shift down to Synergy and soothe your ears. A whole new year of fun awaits!

[David Stewart]

The Soundhaus has always been one of Glasgow’s busiest secrets, regularly filling itself despite the amount of people who struggle to find it. Part of its popularity is down to the outstanding underground line-ups of DJs and live music provided, and this January is no exception when Si Begg and Cursor Miner are set to roll into Inner City Acid. The bi-monthly night has now been running for two years, a good return for a night started by five friends who wanted to create the kind of club they were missing. Like many of its fellow nights ICA is difficult to categorize musically as so many genres from and between electro, techno and acid house are all covered. This month’s guests are a prime example: Si Begg has released under a number of aliases including Cabbageboy and S.I.Futures and his sound is a truly unique mix of techno. His production was recently described as “immaculate” by Mix Mag when they gave his latest release Jetlag and Tinnitus Part 1 single of the week. Cursor Minor meanwhile will provide a must see live set which the promoters describe as “Spazz pop with a sprinkling of good old British humour.” The resident DJ support of Jon Virtue, Monsieur DeLarge and Joe Cannon along with the excellent VJ Altronix on visuals will also be appearing, and as ever, the bar room will be a showcase for other local talent. All sure to blow away those January cobwebs. [Sean McNamara]

Bringdaruckus is a website set up to promote and support Scottish hiphop, and big up some of the incredibly innovative work in production and MCing that goes on here, often un-noticed by the music industry at large.

Their efforts to re-dress the balance, and be a meeting place and open resource for all Scottish headz is a noble endeavour, one which the Skinny supports to the full. Bringdaruckus will be putting on some gigs in early February to promote Scottish & Irish hip-hop, bringing together the finest both cultures have to offer. To give you a bit of time to buy tickets, we thought we’d preview the gigs now! Trust us: you DON’T want to miss these nights. The Glasgow event features the mighty Surface Emp, whose Lucky Me EP is a deserved underground sensation for it’s clever lyrics and innovative sampling and production. Also playing live are The Remedies, Mavrick Sabre, Loki, Correkt Minds, and DJ G, not to mention host Bigg Taj. This is a night of EXCLUSIVELY homegrown joints, from the best that Scotland and Ireland have to offer. It’s also all for the benefit of Maggie’s Center, a cancer charity. The sister night in Edinburgh features Respek BA, Marrik Layden Deft, Project 77, Verse One, Jee4ce (who is hosting the night), DHT and DJ Fly-T of Capital 1212 and Zulu Nation. Show your love, and buy Celtic.

[Omar Kudos]

11PM-4AM, £TBC.

46 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

OUT NOW

And the final product? Well, when viewed as something that could have been, Superman II: The Donner Cu t i s e nd lessly fas-

REVIEWS

WWW.POINTONERECORDINGS.COM

INNER CITY ACID, THE SOUNDHAUS, GLASGOW, 13 JAN

However, after years of speculation and fan-boy protests, an internet campaign finally persuaded Warner Bros to release a new cut with Richard Donner going back to re-do the movie as he had initially intended. By combining his unused archive footage, clever editing, and some Lester footage as gap-filler, Donner has leapt 26 years in a single bound and managed to tell the story in the way he had always planned.

cinating and a must-have for any comic-book movie enthusiast.

Watching new footage of Christopher Reeve in the role he was born to play, is something special: his dual performance of the bumbling Cary Grant-like Clark Kent who suddenly becomes the dominant Man of Steel will never grow old. Add into the mix the fifteen minutes of lost footage of Brando as Supes’ dead father JorEl, which nicely ties up the crucial father-son plot thread from the first movie, and we are given an absorbing glimpse into how good this film could have been. Sadly, despite the best efforts of those involved, the holes that were impossible to fill have ensured that this new version is a movie which soars up and up, but not quite away.

A DJ emerges from the Shadows of the Carling Academy

WWW.WIREBLOCK.COM

FILM

SYNERGY, THE SOUNDHAUS, GLASGOW, 6 JAN

ers (such as multiplying himself and throwing a big plastic Ssymbol as a weapon) and the villains being transformed from darkly grim to camply dim, it was clear that Lester’s zany take on DC’s flagship character was as far from Donner’s interpretation as Smallville is from Metropolis.

by Stephen Carty

Thankfully the plot stayed ostensibly the same. The Last Son of Krypton chooses to give up his powers and blue tights for the love of his life, Lois Lane, only to discover that three Kryptonian rebels that his father jailed have escaped and are hell-bent on revenge.

Regardless, with Lester’s Superman now exhibiting silly new pow-

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/NUMBERS12345678 WWW.MYSPACE.COM/CLUBSEISMIC

RICHARD DONNER RETURNS -

FILM/DVD

BEATS GLASGOW CLUB REVIEWS Seismic Make Waves

CELTIC CONNECTION, THE HOLD, GLASGOW, 8 FEB

11PM-4AM, £4 MEMBERS/£6.

WWW.INNERCITYACID.CO.UK

7PM, £6 ADV / £7 ON THE DOOR.

WWW.SIBEGG.COM

EDINBURGH GIG: THE BONGO CLUB, FEB 1, 7PM, £6 ADV / £7 ON THE DOOR. MORE

WWW.SOUNDHAUS.CO.UK

DETAILS AT WWW.BRINGDARUCKUS.COM.

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/CURSORMINER

BEATS

Like the Ringu/ Ring series and, especially, FearDotCom, the premise of U n b o r n B u t Forgotten is that there is a form of media (here a website for a Seoul abortion clinic) that visits death on those unlucky enough to view it. That the women who visit the site are, in effect, impregnated with something deadly is a paradox that is never explored or explained sufficiently. Is it an angry, jilted would-be mother, an aborted child, or some other animus behind the killing? We never learn.

Indeed, there are many aspects of plot and character development that, to put it bluntly, seem aborted. The production is slick, the acting competent, and the device of a violent, miasmic, and discorporated entity is fundamentally effective. But the fact the viewer never understands the killer’s motivation or identity, or by extension its choice of victims, significantly dampens the film’s power.

[Ben Howe] OUT NOW

HELLZAPOPPIN’ How do you go about describing c h a o s? C a l l e d ‘Pythonesque’ by some, Hellzapoppin’ was ground breaking stuff for its time (1941). The film is based on the Broadway hit of the same name, a theatrical revue of slap stick absurdity. Plot plays second fiddle to

DVD

surreality, and though Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson never had the following of Laurel and Hardy or the Marx brothers, they are capable comics who pioneer the cartoon-like silliness seen years later in The Goon Show. The special effects are brilliantly innovative for their time, challenging the idea of the audience as ‘fourth wall’. Characters argue with their creators, people go from set to set, changing environments and costumes as they go, buried deep in banter. The ceaseless camera tricks and visual gags are only interrupted by random show tunes, synchronized swimming, talking dogs, bears on push bikes, boxes of cats, and baby rabbits.

If you like good old-fashioned one-linered, running-gagged, slap-sticked Lindy Hop featuring completely random comedy, this is for you. If not then expect the most baffling eighty minutes of your life. [Andrea Krudde] RELEASE DATE – 5TH FEBRUARY 2007

MUSIC THE FLAMING LIPS

AT WAR WITH THE MYSTICS SPECIAL EDITION + DVD

The Flaming Lips’ newly released DVD includes live and re-recorded footage, selected videos and some outtakes from their most recent record of the same title. The mesmerising album is fittingly accompanied by introspective and candid liner notes by Wayne Coyne; describing one track as “a manifesto of defiance and optimism,” he seems to encapsulate the ethos that supports this enchanting music.

Whilst the sound is strange and ingenious, the ongoing visual of a

naked young woman languidly dancing appears almost as a religious experience. Accompanied

by Coyne’s insights, the album operates as a rebellion against tired, empty pop music. Included in the video selection is a haunting yet brilliant mashing of Sonic Youth’s ‘Unmade Bed’ and Led Zeppelin’s ‘No Quarter’, and an eerie operatic rendition of ‘Vein of Stars’. Though the liner notes explain the sober gravity behind many of these tracks, the videos exude a bizarre, optimistic energy that only the Lips could so deftly achieve. [Ilani Blanke] OUT NOW

ROBBIE WILLIAMS AND THROUGH IT ALL

And Throug h it All boasts more than 50 live tracks over two DVDs, but fans will be dismayed to find no extra footage apart from a few budget-looking text ‘info’ options. In general the footage from Robbie’s formative gigs does make up for the repetitive tune choices.

Highlights include Robbie’s duets with Kylie and the legendary Tom Jones, the awesome Glastonbury, Live 8, and even an Ant and Dec Christmas special. Funnily enough, they’re mostly the bits that aren’t just Robbie. The filming is cracking, the production less so - leading to confusion after a solid four and a half hours.

And Through It All is undoubtedly a treat for the extreme Robbie fan. To others the lack of extras means it is Robbie, in a succession of different T-shirts, banging out hits to several similarly gargantuan crowds. They, at least, know all the words.

[Andrea Krudde] OUT NOW

BOB DYLAN

THE UNAUTHORIZED DOCUMENTARIES Excitably narrated by former drummer Mickey Jones World Tour 1966 i s a n e l a b o r a te blow by blow account following the transition of The Hawks into The Band. An animated Jones provides the expected anecdotes and little known titbits to footage he took himself, providing a fond account of a hectic schedule.

Yet more of an excuse to roll out previously unused footage, 1966-1974 was shot by Barry Feinstein, a heavy contributor to the camera work of Easy Rider. Relying heavily on superfan bystander’s speculation, and only slightly demystifying, with its limited interviewee exposure, this is more about the spectacle of a recording artist’s aesthetic evolution than an authoritative lifting of the lid.

Rolling Thunder and the Gospel Years casts an eye over the Desire period and Dylan’s reinvention as “The Entertainer”. The film is largely without an authentic soundtrack or any live performance that extends beyond a minute. For the film-makers this is a daring lunge at making the best of a bad situation. Maybe one day the creators will get the benefit of having the great story teller’s participation. [Dave Kerr] OUT NOW

PAUL MCCARTNEY

all extents and purposes and with apologies to Ringo, the Last Beatle Standing, still out on the road playing the songs they all want to hear.

This in concert DVD of McCartney’s Autumn 2005 “Us” Tour of the USA involves ex-presidents and showbiz legends eulogising the immortal genius of the man, two hours of tunes (mainly the 1960s), vats of

backstage footage showing endless thumbs raised aloft and a string of talking heads saying how amazing it is that he’s just a regular working guy despite being a Living Godhead.

Criticism is negligible. It looks great.

It sounds great. Fans (and there are a few) will love it. No ‘Live and Let Die’ though. [Euan Andrews] OUT NOW

FILM RELEASES THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, Dir. Jason Reitman It could be about any major commodity, but hilarious potshots at both sides of the smoking debate allow the slightly feelgood ending to seem fair. Release Date: 8 Jan

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, Dir. Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris Takes the fairly standard premise of a dysfunctional family going on a trans-American journey, and injects a good dose of warmth and humanity: should provide one of the most enjoyable January rentals.

Release Date: 22 Jan

A SCANNER DARKLY, Dir. Richard Linklater Richard Linklater’s second animated feature is a complicated, visually arresting film, destined to be a cult favourite. This is probably the most faithful adaptation of any of P.K. Dick’s novels. Release Date: 22 Jan

ZIDANE: A 21ST CENTURY PORTRAIT, Dir. Douglas Gordon, Phil Parreno This piece of modern art is a 90 minute journey of highs and lows with one of the greatest players of all time. A stunning soundtrack by Mogwai makes this piece all the more engaging. Release Date: 29 Jan

ALSO AVAILABLE AT ALPHABET VIDEO IN JANUARY: 8 Jan - Black Dahlia, Echo Park LA 15 Jan - Art School Confidential, Talladega Nights, Lady In The Water 22 Jan - Russian Dolls: Pot Luck 2, Dirty Sanchez The Movie, Brothers Of The Head, EROS, Alpha Male, Keane, 20 Centimetres, Allegro 29 Jan - Look Both Ways, Antibodies, Ozu Vol. 4, World Trade Centre

THE SPACE WITHIN US W i t h Love, t h e B e atl e s’ “re m i x” project recently released, Macca here takes the oppor tunity to remind us yet again that he is, to

22 MARCHMONT ROAD, EDINBURGH, 0131 229 5136 93 BROUGHTON STREET, EDINBURGH, 0131 556 1866

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

19

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

H

ere we are. Sitting pretty in the year 07. Doesnt feel much dif ferent to me. but maybe that’s because I’m writing this in the past (it’s still 06 where I’m sat).

Anyway, rudimentry time travel aside. This is a new year for gaming, not in the standard sense of, ‘ooh it’s a new year... woop’, more like ‘finally, finally the Wii is available here.’ This is good. If you don’t know why, then you must have been time travelling too. Good work.

The Wii rocks, because it’s simple, because it’s intuitive and because my Nan has played on one (well, not yet, but she will...). Someone’s Nan has played one anyway, and some are even buying their own consoles. Old people buying games might not sound exciting, but it is. For games, this offers a whole new slant on things as we inevitably start seeing interesting new games take advantage of the Wiimote potential.More importantly, maybe this means being a games journalist will be cool soon. I won’t hold my breath, but it’s a start. /Josh Wilson

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

REVIEWS

GRAND THEFT AUTO VICE CITY STORIES

(ROCKSTAR)

Rockstar Leeds are b a c k a g a i n, g i v i n g the second killer GTA game a new lease of life on the PSP. While Liberty City Stories was a fair rehash of GTA3, I couldnt help but feel it was limited by the PSP: after the awesomeness that was San Andreas on the PS2, my hopes may have been too high.

So how does GTA:VCS fare? Rather well actually, it’s possibly even better than the original. Story wise, you get a solid interesting humerous, well acted, quality outing, as with any Rockstar game. VCS has an array of quality radio tunes and chat to keep you entertained has you mow down some innocents. You can tell Rockstar have had more time for PSP tinkering; gameplay and environment have all been tweaked for the handheld.

Loading is faster, graphics are sharper and you can even swim this time round (a feature which really should have been in LCS). Rockstar have taken one of the best PS2 games, and shrunk it brilliantly. Anyone with a PSP who enjoys GTA should buy it. Now. [Josh Wilson] OUT NOW FOR PSP. £29.99 WWW.GTAVICE.COM

by Chris Pickering

new console launch typically brings about a huge chunk of excitement as the release day draws near. Secondly, devilishly high stress levels as pre-orders go unfulfilled, and morning rushes to any store that happens to sell electrical goods are made by thousands. And last of all, disappointment as launch titles are found to be at best nothing particularly exciting, and at worst tedious and derivative.

Even opening up the box gives that unnerving feeling of finally laying your grubby mitts on something truly special. Its iPod-esque layout contains each of the hefty number of in-box items sat in its own little spot, all snugly tucked away nice and safe.

The unit itself is a thing of beauty. No matter how often we’ve been made well aware of its dinky size, it’s not until you sit it down next to that great hulking monstrosity that is Microsoft’s Xbox 360 that you finally realise just how tiny it is. Seriously, it’s the size of three DVD cases, and that’s that.

WWW.2KGAMES.COM

20 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

in no way initiating any kind of cramp.

As for the nunchuk – not required on the initial menu screens, nor on the Wii Shopping channel – this little fella definately feels much lighter than expected. There was a small part of me that ex-

“THE PROSPECT OF PLAYING AS A LEGO REPRESENTATION OF BILLY DEE WILLIAMS IS UNDENIABLY EXCITING”

Setting things up couldn’t be much easier either.

The included sensor bar is affixed securely by some included sticky pads, either on top of your TV, or just below. Neither has any particular advantage or disadvantage since in the initial set up of your machine you calibrate your control options in relation to the postion you have chosen.

So, is the Wii a success? You’re damn right it is!

It’s deceptively easy to use, and the included Wii Sports title is encouraging millions of non-gamers to wield Wii remotes and nunchuks, meaning that Nintendo is onto a real winner. Whether or not any future games are going to continue to make sublime use of this innovative control method are yet to be seen, but if they continue in the same vein as we’ve witnessed with the Wii’s launch titles, there’s little doubt that Nintendo could be right back in the driving seat in terms of gaming hardware. Wii on!

SOLESCIENCE RUNS MONTHLY AT CABARET VOLTAIRE IN EDINBURGH, PLAYING A BLEND OF ELECTRO, CHICAGO AND DETROIT TECHNO, AND HOUSE. HERE, RESIDENT DJS NICK, ROB & GRANT TAKE YOU ON A TOUR OF THE BEST-LOVED TUNES OF 2006, AS CHEERED AND DANCED TO BY THE SOLESCIENCE CROWDS. EXPECT TO HEAR MORE THAN A FEW OF THESE BANGERS WHEN THEY RETURN TO ACTION ON 12 JAN - DETAILS BELOW...

1. REKID - NEXT STOP CHICAGO (REKID)

6. FRANCK ROGER - BONE OF MY BONE (REAL TONE)

Without a doubt the biggest record for the Solescience dancefloor in 2006.

Shuffling beats, sublime keys and an ace vocal make this the best of Franck’s 836 releases in 2006.

2. PRZTZ - SMALL TALK (CLASSIC)

7. TRUMAN INDUSTRIES - LOVE PLUS (DERRICK CARTER’S LOVE GROOVE MIX) (DAE)

A George Clinton interview and Prztz on production - it was only ever gonna go one way.

DLC back after a two year break from production never do this to us again!

3. DARK MOUNTAIN GROUP - LOSE CONTROL

8. SOUNDSTREAM - LOVE JAM (SOUNDSTREAM)

(BUZZIN FLY)

Old skool references, stacks of drama and a synth line that makes you pull faces. That’s what house is about!

The worst sleeve of 2006 hides one of our favourite tracks of the year, massive at Solescience since the summer.

4. COLDCUT - WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES (HENRIK SCHWARZ MIX) (NINJA TUNE)

5. WHIRLPOOL PRODUCTIONS - FROM DISCO TO DISCO (MIKE MONDAY DUB) (GSR)

pected both to continuously rattle as the bearings inside measuring movement f lew about the place.

Well, it’s as silent as you could hope for.

9. MAGIK JOHNSON - SCANNING FOR VIRUSES (MADE TO PLAY)

A late contender already proving to be a peaktime monster on dancefloors across the parish.

10. FRANCOIS DUBOIS - BLOOD (URBAN TORQUE)

Just one of the many future classics on one of the most exciting labels of 2006.

Remixing the classic seemed unthinkable - thanks to Mike for proving us so very wrong.

SOLESCIENCE WILL BE BACK ON 12 JAN AT CABARET VOLTAIRE, EDINBURGH WITH THEIR ANNUAL RESIDENTS’ KICK OFF TO THE YEAR. 11PM-3AM, £3/5.

SINGLES/EPS

Once you’re on the starting menu – after a very brief set-up sequence as mentioned above – first thing you’ll do is set up your ‘Mii’. Containing a wicked amount of depth, creating a cartoony version of yourself is an absolute breeze. But you’re not restricted to just this Mii. Fancy creating each member of Radiohead? Then go for it. You can even create a scarily uncanny ‘Wacko Jacko’ complete with freakish nose. Even fellow Wii owning pals you’re hooked up with might find their Wii’s populating your console.

V/A

MUKUL

Six tracks of dark-edged, moody electro from London’s Ai Records, including one fantastic track from Welsh producer and Edinburgh resident Bloodyn Tatws. All the tracks on offer here are solid, some even departing from Ai’s laidback template to achieve real moments of dancefloor pressure. In particular, Jacen Solo’s Shake Remix hearks back to an era of filthier electro, with acid tweaks in the bassline and a stuttering high-hat abetted by computer clicks. Yerk’s Pursuit is also dancefloorbound, with metal influences and a shattering, stringladen conclusion. Terse, twisted and terrific, this checks all the boxes needed for an electro EP. Ai continue to innovate and explore the boundaries of the genre. [Bram Gieben]

With the ethereal strings, throbbing beats, and a bisexual vocal interchange between a sultry, smoky feline and a masculine drawl stretched out into a rumbling bassline, Mukul sound just like a trip-hop version of fetishistic future pop goons Die Form. You Don’t Know Me is a delightfully sleazy dancerfloor-creeping anthem that would do the pretentious goth crowds proud as well as the less self-conscious. Unfortunately, Howie B’s remix is less claustrophobic, more minimalist; wrapping the squelchy bass refrain around a click beat and losing a lot of the film noir unease. As Mukul’s first UK release, You Don’t Know Me’ not to forget the b-side Happy Birthday, it looks like this Mumbain is perfectly primed to revitalise trip-hop into some lurching, catchy sex monster. [Ali Maloney]

YOU DON’T KNOW ME (WASTED RECORDS)

SPLIT EP3 (AI RECORDINGS)

You’ll be controlling all this via your Wii remote. Feeling not only lighter than expected, but also much smaller, it’s an absolute joy to handle. Any misgivings you might have had can be tossed firmly out of the window, with the remote fitting snugly in the palm of your hand, and extended use

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Guitar Hero was about the best rhythm action game ever made. From the same developer that brought us the woefully shunned Frequency and Amplitude, the basic premise of simply hitting the right buttons in time with the music was revolutionised and thrust into the mainstream by the Gibson SG controller. Yeah, it’s a little plastic guitar. I can see you’re looking at it suspiciously. I’ve seen it a thousand times.

Just put it around your neck and play through More than a Feeling and you’ll change your mind.

The five coloured buttons, the strum button and the whammy bar, the tongue in cheek presentation and a genuine challenge all came together to deliver a satisfying and hyperbolic simulation of playing a real guitar in front of stadium crowds. It was a revelation. The sequel needed to do very little to earn my repeated love. It did more. I would have been happy with simply a new song list, but from presentation to execution, everything has

SOLESCIENCE ‘BEST OF 2006’ DJ CHART

Schwarz works his magic again, transforming a fairly average album track into the best piece of electronic soul we’ve heard this year. Proper.

Other than that, it’s only a case of plugging in your AV connection, and then the plug, and with a quick blue flash of the disc drive, you’re away.

(ACTIVISION)

OUT NOW FOR PS2, PSP AND XBOX. £29.99

Want to get online and sample the retro delights of the Shopping channel, where you can purchase NES, SNES, Mega Drive, and even Turbografx titles? If you’ve got yourself a wireless network than connection is an absolute breeze. No wireless network? Then simply purchase the official Nintendo wifi stick, stick that in your broadband enabled PC’s USB socket, and connect away! With new titles on offer every single week, you’ll be splashing out on tonnes of retro goodies throughout the entire lifespan of the Wii. There’s even Toejam and Earl!

But the Wii, well, it’s not just the name that Nintendo finally decided on that differs from the norm.

HERO 2 SPIDER MAN: BATTLE GUITAR (RED OCTANE) FOR NEW YORK First impressions of BFNY were good: nice graphics, pseudo cell shading mapped on a background of 3D worlds, smooth animations. This was looking to be a good platformer. Until... well, until you get into the game.

Those nice, shiny animations are the game’s downfall.

This is typified by the first boss: while the fat green lump is performing a move, he is in effect invulnerable.

And after you attack, while you’re still moving back to your normal stance, you’re in deep shit - even if he has a slow attack and you get in there well before he hits.

Nada. You can win, eventually, but you will stop caring long before this happens. Activision deserves to sit in the naughty corner for this one. There is no way this half arsed pile of horrific gameplay should be allowed to be sold. Even if it is Christmas. [Zach Morris]

DJ

There’s Wii on my telly A

BEATS

GAMES

PANDA BEAR BROS been tweaked just that little bit, lifting the overall experience. For a start, you can now play co-op as it’s meant to be played, not some versus battle, but as a band: one player takes on the lead guitar parts, the second player tackles the bass or rhythm. I can’t begin to tell you how brilliant this is. There’s a huge amount of challenge to be had in the harder difficulties, but again, they’ve added practice mode where you can mess up to your heart’s content without fear of an audience uprising.

What about the songs though? When the basic game mechanic is so rock solid, games like this will live or die on their song selection, and while many have moaned that the track listing for GH2 is nowhere near as commercial as the first, it’s the undiscovered gems that make the game special. Sure, I may have only heard of about 50% of the songs, and while it’s huge fun playing along to Sweet Child O’ Mine, discovering rock gems like Carry on my Wayward Son or The Beast and the Harlot for the first time by playing along with them is a musical treat that no other medium can offer. Turn it up.

[Declan Dineen]

(FATCAT)

A lovely sprawling twelve minutes of magic from Panda Bear which starts off as a whispery Mamas and Papas strummed melody, dissolving into reverb-heavy dub echoes and returning triumphantly in joyous pop harmonies. [Roger Haruki]

OUT NOW ON PS2 £49.99 (WITH GUITAR CONTROLLER).

WWW.GUITARHERO2.COM

LEE VAN DOWSKI & QUENUM ULTIMATE DESERT AMBASSADOR (SOMA)

Taken from their LP As Told On The Eve Of…, Ultimate Desert Ambassador is the product of two weeks in the remote Swiss alps, pulsing along with blunt and echoed stabs of sound; tinged with Hakan Lidbo and Hawtin’s Closer To The Edit. Mike Shannon’s View to Vodka mix injects more energy into the proceedings, filling the spaces with thick percussion. [Alex Burden]

AVITAS

REMIXES VOL 1 (THIRTEEN) This is four remixes of Avitas first two singles, Recreation and Cantate, given a makeover by Mr C, Bhooka & T Bone, Balearic Musica, and Guy Williams & Alan X; a collection of energetic tech and vocal house, Balearic sun-kissed beats and funk flavours. [Struan Otter]

MY ROBOT FRIEND RAPTURE (SOMA)

The man who has more than a flirtation with the idea of being a robot is back, disassembling Rapture by Blondie and re-composing in the style of robo-disco electro with Chicago house keyboard and painstakingly constructed ‘dictionaraoke’ vocals. Think Adam Freeland’s We Want Your Soul with more sarcasm. [Alex Burden]

ALL SINGLES OUT NOW GAMES

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

45

BOOKS LXG: The Black Dossier

by Liam Arnold

CAPPABLACK TALK TO LIAM ARNOLD AND THE SKINNY ON WHY THERE CAN NEVER BE MORE THAN TWO OF THEM, THE TROUBLES WITH CLASSICAL PIANO, AND THEIR SECOND LP FACADES AND SKELETONS.

“

They winged his spirit, and wounded his tongue, but death was slow coming,” proclaims a sultry, deep south voice, carefully enunciating every syllable. The message repeats and the intro to Counterattack, the sample-based prologue to the Facades and Skeletons LP, begins. Electronic drums clatter, aided by pitchbend perversion, turntable trickery and an array of obscure samples.

Amidst this magpie approach to sound, Awol One is heard to drawl: “Cappablack is on the counterattack”, three times, as though invoking some great musical force.

Hashim B and his partner in crime Illevin cite this apparent spell-making as a “braggadocian introduction of ourselves which reflects our Bboy background” - and it’s this bizarre mixture of styles that makes Cappablack’s take on hip-hop so unique. At times their stripped down electronic instrumentals sou nd l i ke Ableton Live ambient compositions, all avant-garde s t a t i c a n d s k e we d electronica, the next minute they’re uprocking B-Boys, working a thudding bassline and some serious groove. Hashim spills some light on this intriguing juxtaposition when he describes his childhood: forced by his parents to play classical piano, he studied for seven years before taking up electric bass and joining “weird improv bands,” as well as more standard fare. He’s operated as a producer and promoter within the Japanese hip-hop scene, as well as publishing Fader, a Tokyo-based magazine with Wire’s encyclopaedic coverage of all things intelligent. Illevin describes a similarly unusual esoteric introduction to hip-hop; “I remember seeing this strange pair of people doing a strange kind of dance on TV for this song, but was absolutely blown away, and tried to search for the record right after that.” These unique experiences correlate with Cappablack’s perplexing style, and it’s from their roots in hip-hop culture that they explore the possibilities of sound. Hashim declares: “I never breakdanced, but hiphop culture is ingrained in me.”

Back in 1984, the cartoonist, writer and satirist Willie Rushton wrote an illustrated novel, W.G. Grace’s Last Case. In it, the renowned Victorian cricketer joined forces w ith Dr. Watson to uncover a plot in which Dr. Jekyll’s potion, which by pure chance also cured the common cold, was sought after by H.G. Wells’ Martians to facilitate a second attack on Earth. It’s playful use of the historical and fictional characters of the age is above all very silly: Rushton never misses an opportunity to subvert his universe with slapstick and surrealism.

Skeletons involved collaboration with two MCs, and although eight of the thirteen tracks are instrumental, the record showcases vocalists who bring entirely unique sounds of their own. Awol One adds bizarre stream of conscious-style rumbles in what Hashim very succinctly describes as a “surreal rap style”, whilst Emirp’s technically precise Japanese raps flow over the most rhythmically shifting beats. Though Illevin stresses that Cappablack can only be the two of them and working with other members... “would be a different project,” the work with these MCs often resulted in the finished song “sounding completely different from the initial beat.”

The ‘Counterattack’ of the intro seems to be a defence of this unique style and a resistance to the pressures of commercialisation. Illevin defiantly defends both his own work, and the right of art to pay no heed to the demands of others: “For example, Grandmaster Flash and Marley Marl didn’t say “I am not going to work with this MC because his voice is too unique.” From artists defiantly rooted in a music genre with such a division between the conventional and the experimental, there’s something greatly refreshing about this refusal to conform to formulas. However, Hashim and Illevin are well-versed in all styles of hip-hop and Hashim claims; “I am personally into all types of rappers, so I would be into working with a wide array of people. I’m feeling people like Juelz Santana, Jay-Z, Lil’ Flip on the one hand, and people like Ghostface, MF Doom, and Busdriver on the other.”

Writer Alan Moore and illustrator Kevin O’Neill came upon the same idea over a decade later, creating a Victorian Empi re in which every character had originated from fiction.

Using comic-book methods to describe literary characters, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was born.

This could have been awful (see the movie adaptation), but Moore’s obsessive researching skills and intricate graphic storytelling led to a fascinating plot that went beyond the time-frame of the late 19th Century to create an alternate reality spanning the entire lifetime of narrative fiction.

“I NEVER BREAKDANCED, BUT HIPHOP CULTURE IS INGRAINED IN ME.”

Facades and Skeletons is technically Cappablack’s second album, having released The State of the Night on cult Japanese label Soupdisk. Their second 12”, The Economics EP, was discovered by ~scape label owner and techno-dub producer Pole, who asked them to contribute tracks to a number of ~scape compilations. Facades and

The album’s closing track, Suikinkutsu, revolves around the echoing sounds of this traditional Japanese garden installation - a small pottery well which produces delicate sounds as water drips into it. The eerie, melancholic notes produced by this instrument were recorded at a garden Hashim visited near his home (entailing a vicious attack from nearby mosquitoes to capture the “beautiful” sounds), and the delicate beats and overdubbed accordion induce a tranquil, dream-like state. Hashim expresses a poetic attachment to these found sounds and their caressing of the brain, identifying “an element of ‘memory’ attached to field recordings.”

CAPPABLACK’S ‘FACADES AND SKELETONS’ IS AVAILABLE NOW.

GREAT EZCAPE COMPETITION: WIN CDS Ask anyone who came to the last Skinny party at the Liquid Rooms in October - they will tell you, Great Ezcape are the heaviest, heaviest, HEAVIEST hip-hop band in Scotland right now.

Producer Vigilante used to make drum & bass exclusively, but has turned his hand to a breakbeat-influenced hip-hop sound, infusing the beats and rhymes with rolling bass and crisp, high-BPM drums. Profisee, formerly a Scotland Yard MC, is a slick, accomplished MC, his subject matter explored thoroughly, his flow effortlessly professional. The addition of Nik PT on vocals adds a dash of soul to proceedings, while satellite member Simba provides on-stage backup and his own tight, grimy flows. Live, with an additional drummer and live sampling and programming, they are a force to be reckoned with.

44 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

Their debut EP, Escapades is available now in independent record stores in Glasgow and Edinburgh, or via their myspace page. However, we have 5 copies to give away to the first lucky people to email us at COMPETITIONS@SKINNYMAG.CO.UK with their name, address, and the answer to the following question: When Steve McQueen gets out of the prison at the end of the movie The Great Escape, what vehicle is he riding? Is it: a) a jetski b) a motorcycle c) a hoverboard, like in Back To The Future 2 Competition regulations online at WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK. Good luck folks!!

BEATS

MOTHER’S MILK EDWARD ST AUBYN

The mid-life crisis is a potent affliction. Just ask Patrick Melrose, the disenchanted anti-hero of Moth e r’s M i l k.

His wife is such a devoted mother to their two young children that she no longer takes any interest in him.

He’s dabbling with alcoholism and infidelity. The one good thing in his life, his dying mother’s French summer house, is about to be given to a New Age charlatan.

Set during four consecutive summers in said house, the thoroughly unpleasant Melrose family is seen crumbling as they are plagued by modern ills and dilemmas. Author Edward St Aubyn reports this situation with detached glee and a hearty dose of irony. A Booker prize nominee, St Aubyn writes with a natural flair that reveals the prose of Britain’s more heralded authors for the laboured, stagnant artifice it is.

The writing in Mother’s Milk sparkles, balancing pathos with comment on families and motherhood, revealing a depth you might not expect in a book this stylish.

At once dealing with domestic issues and national themes, if this book wasn’t so page-turningly entertaining it would be described as that dreaded thing, the “important book”. No subject is safe from St Aubyn’s poison pen, and American readers might want to drink something stronger than milk before

BOOKS

reading the acerbic dissection of their country and culture. As for anyone who owns a dreamcatcher or believes in the healing power of crystals, perhaps it would better to give this a miss unless particularly thick-skinned. For everyone else, enjoy. [Graeme Allister] RELEASE DATE - 19TH JAN (PAPERBACK).

PUBLISHED BY PICADOR. COVER PRICE £7.99

GRACE LINN ULLMANN

This is a slim book, 144 pages, written in simple prose. Yet it is a surprisingly effective and moving work - one which engrosses the reader. The story concerns one Johan Sletten and his wife Mai, whom he loves deeply. This is important, because he didn’t love his first wife. But he wasn’t the sort of man who could have divorced her – too dramatic.

Fortunately for Johan, she died in an accident, leaving him her money.

Johan feels slightly guilty being happy that this freed him, though it drove his son away from him in the long run as well. This back story is all filled in as the book progresses, but it starts with a simple scene in which Johan is told he is dying.

Ullmann focuses on how he deals with this news and how it affects his relationship with Mai, all the while subtly accumulating details about their past. She does this by frequently recounting some remark-

This reality now promises to be expanded further in the new instalment The Black Dossier. Victorian veterans Mina Murray (an ageless vampire since being bitten by Dracula) and Allan Quartermain (the British hunter and adventurer, somehow rejuvenated) are now in the 1950s, trying to track down the document of the title, which supposedly contains the histories of every League that has existed throughout the ages.

GAMES/BOOKS

BEATS Cappablack’s Counterattack

by Alec McLeod

ment intervention. Until then though, we have The Black Dossier’s comic book history to look forward to. Or should that be backward?

Let’s say... sideways?

THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: THE BLACK DOSSIER WILL BE OUT ON THE 10TH OF JANUARY, BARRING POSTPONEMENT. THERE IS AN EXTENDED VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE ONLINE.

One of Alan Moore’s core beliefs is the role of storytelling as magic.

The power of words and pictures to literally put ideas into people’s heads and shape their view is something he takes very seriously, and it is no wonder. Alan Moore’s impact on the entire medium of the graphic novel is almost unprecedented. His injection of reality into the hermetically-sealed world of superheroes led to Watchmen, which basically said superpowers would corrupt, super-absolutely.

Since then ‘gritty’ realism has been in vogue, so Moore responded by showing the comic-book establishment how to fly again with Supreme. In resurrecting this series about a Superman-alike, Moore wrote some great, zany, Super Stories. He then began to evolve the basic storylines, because the moment you seal a story off from new ideas and directions, it is dead.

It’s a difficult lesson to learn for publishing companies that have made their money off one leap of the imagination, the superhero, for the last fifty or so years. Of course, it’s been just as difficult to convince Great Ormond Street Hospital that Wendy Darling is an appropriate character to appear in a pornographic version of her later life, one Moore and his partner Melinda Gebbie have created in the Lost Girls comic. Because of this, they have agreed not to publish Lost Girls in the UK until after the 75-year copyright lapses at the end of next year – barring possible govern-

ably simple, memorable episodes in their relationship. One of these is when Johan discovers his wife lying pointlessly about the weather, and decides, eventually, never to bring it up with her. Another is when Johan, facing retirement, is instead sacked for a bizarre misdemeanour that he may have known would cause trouble, and can’t explain. Mostly though, the book shows the day to day relationship between Johan and Mai, until the inevitable and unexpectedly powerful ending. This short book is an excellent read; more value for money than many twice its length. [Keir Hind] RELEASE DATE: 5 JAN (PAPERBACK).

PUBLISHED BY PICADOR. COVER PRICE £7.99.

PATRICK ROBERTSON BRIAN HENNIGAN

and identity fraud, except in terms of the consequences for him. Having replaced morality with management jargon, he is able to survive situations that would destroy a better human being.

Hennigan’s tone is wry and casually brutal. Patrick leaves a trail of dead and damaged lives behind him, but is unable to see any significance, perceiving human relationships purely as sales opportunities.

But beyond the narrator, Hennigan fails to develop his characters: they are all stereotypes or under-developed. While this may be a function of Patrick’s egotism, it is unsatisfying and ultimately trite. Hennigan has a great deal to say, his style is crisp and exact, and Patrick Robertson himself is a striking anti-hero. But this tale of adventure rarely explores the ideas it so tantalisingly suggests.

[Gareth K Vile]

DEAR OLIVIA

century, this book, a memoir of sorts dedicated to her daughter Olivia, details the extraordinary journey of Contini’s grandparents and the struggles they overcame.

This attachment to one family somehow provides empathy for the general history of Italian immigrants in Edinburgh. Never shying from traumatic events like the heartbreaking racism of the Second World War, Contini’s mix of reminiscence and opinion is moving and honest.

Unfortunately the writing can be overwrought at times - a description of Alfonso Crolla’s “aquiline nose with a glorious dark moustache” is especially jarring and derails the book’s opening. However one wonders if this is a deliberate style, given such Mills and Boon-styled writing must hold a similar appeal for this book’s prospective buyers, family saga readers.

Like the family deli, Dear Olivia is noble, a little too rich for younger tastes, and probably best for your aunt’s Christmas present.

[Hamza Khan]

MARY CONTINI

OUT NOW. PUBLISHED BY CANONGATE.

OUT NOW (PAPERBACK). PUBLISHED BY POLYGON. COVER PRICE £6.99

Brian Hennigan’s simple prose relates the picaresque adventures of a travelling salesman, hiding a cruel and mordant wit behind increasingly surreal episodes. Written from the sardonic perspective of the titular anti-hero, Patrick Robertson is a satirical swipe at the dehumanising forces of capitalism and an amusing shaggy dog story.

It begins with Patrick’s kidnapping by inefficient yet well-meaning ecoterrorists, and relates his escape and return to civilisation. Patrick is a small-minded individual, who thinks nothing of theft, attempted murder

COVER PRICE £14.99

You may not have heard of Mar y Contini, but probably have heard of Valvona & Crolla, Edinburgh’s premier delicatessen and general fancy brasserie. Contini is a director of the establishment and descendant of its original founders, providing her with ample history and a unique perspective of the Crolla legacy.

Starting in Italy at the turn of the

THE UNINVITED GEILING YAN

Chinese peasants, lured by the promise of work and wages, form the backbone of Beijing’s underworld. Working as prostitutes, cheap labour and even film-set punch bags keeps these

desperate figures festering below the poverty line in Geling Yan’s The Uninvited. It’s against this setting that Dan Dong - a redundant factory worker living in squalor in the cities outskirts - is presented. Determined to make a better life for himself Dan becomes a banquet bug, freeloading press junkets and collecting the ‘money for his troubles’ awarded to all attendees. Dan becomes the tool of seasoned hack, Happy Gao, following his encounter with one of China’s foremost artists. To make a name for herself she is eager to exploit the trust he has gained from the old painter. What follows is a farce that sees Dan as the unlikely hero of the city’s exploited peasants. On the surface this novel is a dry, witty tale of a man caught up in a world he doesn’t fully understand.

However, the story transforms into a wonderfully complex analysis of society made clear through the eyes of the naïve peasant. Dan’s inability to comprehend the bribery and censorship prevalent in the country’s media is a thinly veiled criticism of the hypocrisy of contemporary China. Although Yan’s use of the English language is clumsy and the narration skips around the pages, it’s testament to her Chinese roots. Far from being a hindrance it strengthens the character of The Uninvited, protecting the reader from the hard reality of its gritty soul.

[Graeme Park] OUT NOW. PUBLISHED BY FABER & FABER, COVER PRICE £10.99.

CREATIVE WRITING WILL BE BACK NEXT MONTH. PLEASE SEND SUBMISSIONS TO: KEIR@SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

21

BEATS

THEATRE

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

‘Cu lt u ra l ent it lement’ is the latest buzz phrase from those policy vacuums at the Exec to fanfare an alleged ‘huge boost’ in arts funding. In fact, it’s a sinister legerdemain that allows them to trumpet a lot of hot air about extra money for Scottish arts while actually cutting budgets and wresting control of key decisions on culture from the experts. The Exec plans to merge the two main arts funding bodies – Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen – to create one new super quango snappily titled Creative Scotland.

Despite all his trophies, I don’t think Daniel Kitson is one of the country’s top stand-up comedians.

So far, so good right? One less layer of bureauc- Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s easily one of the racy with more cash for the arts, you say. In fact, best and most interesting performers. I just don’t the merger has devolved some of the responsibil- think stand-up comedy is really what he does. ity for the provision of culture to cash-strapped local councils who are digging their heels in all The image you’ll usually conjure when imaginover Scotland. That’s where the entitlement comes ing one of the country’s top stand-up comedians in. Under the new legislation, councils will be re- is a dark and smoky room, a spotlight, and a lone quired to deliver so much ‘culture’ to their resi- performer facing off against a rowdy club. When dents through a preposterously New Labour-esque I think of Daniel Kitson I have two enduring im‘voucher’ scheme. But the smokescreen generated ages, and neither of them involve smoky rooms, to cover the books being cooked is designed to ob- spotlights or brick walls. The first is of a slightly scure the fact that many existing council services awkward but wonderfully charming geek, sat such as libraries and art classes in schools will now amongst a collection of lamps, reading me stories. be lumped in with the traditional arts budget. In The second image is one of Kitson stood alone, late reality, there is no new money. Indeed, with all the on a Saturday night, looking out across the fights territorial feuding sparked by the new rules, the and drunks and the vomit, and he’s looking right funding landscape for Scottish theatre more resem- at me, and he’s clutching a single red balloon in bles Lothian Road on a Friday night than anything his right hand. that might be called a brighter day. And to gild this lily one shade of fools gold too far those career The first image comes from a show he did in 2005, politicians now have a veto on everything Creative Stories for the Wobbly Hearted. Kitson sat centre Scotland – the experts in other words – does. As I stage in an armchair, surrounded by lamps readwrite, many grassroots companies are at best hav- ing cute, funny and poignant stories from his ing their funding slashed and, at worst, having to notebook, interspersed with video images and shut up shop, their funding withdrawn altogether. short clips he had made.

A MAGNETIC TAPE

Daniel Kitson’s C-90

by Declan Dineen

THE NARRATIVE FOLLOWS KITSON AS HENRY, ON THE LAST DAY OF HIS JOB WORKING AT A REPOSITORY FOR OLD AND DISCARDED COMPILATION TAPES

You’ll notice that this month’s Top 5 is made up of high profile productions at major theatres. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It’s good, solid stuff but where is the Fringe, the underground, the up-and-coming talent? Out of pocket, or out of a job.

The second image is even more powerful because it isn’t an image I’ve seen; it’s simply an idea that was painted in my head when I was lucky enough to see one of his shows at the Stand here in Glasgow. This was a more traditional format, but it certainly wasn’t a traditional show: at times it felt like he was simply lecturing us about life.

Effortlessly charming and engaging, the show veered from the typical ranting stand-up - an unstoppable tirade against Nuts magazine and everything it stands for was particularly vitriolic - until within moments he was talking quite touchingly about how much he loves the World’s Strongest Man (the TV show The World’s Strongest Man, not literally his love for the strongest man in the world) and how much the show meant to him and his brothers. And then you love him all over again.

THIS IS RAYMOND CARVER PRESENTED AS STAND-UP; THIS IS AN INDIE COMIC BOOK IN HUMAN FORM This contrast in his set, from the foul-mouthed gags to the touching tale, makes it difficult to pin Kitson down. He doesn’t tell your typical comedy stories: these aren’t shaggy dog tales about a guy down the pub with a three legged dog and ‘oh this one time me and the wife’. No. This is Raymond Carver presented as stand-up; this is an indie comic book in human form. His observations on the minutiae of everyday life transcend stand-up comedy, and the images and ideas he plants in your head will stick with you longer than any punchline. If you go to see him expecting a gag merchant you’ll be disappointed: he’s not consistently hilarious. But Kitson is always engaging,

and easily one of the most original entertainers out there.

This clash of style has culminated in the inevitable, a new(ish) play called C-90, which plays at the Arches in Glasgow from the 23 to 28 January.

The play, written by and starring Kitson himself, gives Kitson room to breathe. No longer shackled to comedic expectations, here he can elaborate on moments; he can weave his stories into a narrative; he can conjure vivid characters and create a lifetime of incidents and emotional connections. The hook he uses to tie this all together is the C-90 of the title, an almost obsolete brand of cassette tape. The narrative follows Kitson as Henry, on the last day of his job working at a repository for old and discarded compilation tapes.

At first he is seemingly uninterested, but then he finds a tape addressed to himself. From there we begin an often funny, touching and intimate tumble through one man’s memories, moments, and stories.

With C-90, Kitson has finally found the format that allows him to truly shine: a literary mixtape.

Not one you simply stick in the machine and listen to, this is one covered in a biro scrawl of liner notes and jokes. It’s an extremely personal gift, from him, to us, and one that we should cherish.

THE ARCHES, 253 ARGYLE STREET, GLASGOW. BOX OFFICE: 0870 240 7528.

C-90 RUNS 23 - 28 JAN. WWW.THEARCHES.CO.UK

THE HOUSE OF TECHNO January’s always a weird period for clubbing, with many nights having blown their biggest and best surprises in sucking up the loose cash being chucked around at Hogmanay. All seems pretty quiet in the ‘burgh, but there are (decidedly unconfirmed) whispers abounding that Access is going to make a return to the Cabaret Voltaire for some decent commercial techno and house to help you shake off that Noo Yar hangover. Ears to the ground people! The Cab’s other house night, Afterdark also makes its return on the 20th with a residents night (11pm-3am, £6 members/£8). Neil Bartley and Jammy do noisy and danceable, while Andy Christie hints at the techier side.

In Glasgow, Slam do their annoying trick of bagging all the best acts and stitch up the minimal market, with Rolando rocking his Detroit-via-Edinburgh style at Return to Mono (Subclub, 11pm-3am, £10) and former Global Communication/Jedi Knight Tom Middleton playing Pressure (26 Jan, The Arches, 10.30pm-3am, £19adv).

Andrew Weatherall, clearly a glutton for Glaswegian punishment, is also back, and despite being denied the

headline slot at Pressure, brings his big bag of everinventive remixes and parka clad originals along as well. Harry and Dom are unfortunately playing secretive - all balaclavas and, one presumes, the rest of the get up from their billboard ads - giving away nothing about who’s going to get to show their Subculture next (Subclub, Saturdays, 11pm-3am, £varies). Inner City Acid are strutting, clicking peacocks though, proudly announcing that they’ve got Si Begg and Cursor Miner playing with them on the 13 Jan (Soundhaus, 10.30pm-3am, £tbc). Si Begg had a few problems with the snow last time, though it looks like fuck all could stop the electronic throbs of Cursor Miner; a tweed-suited trekkie with a nazi armband. Strange chap. Meanwhile, Numbers will be bringing over oddball French techno/hip-hop crossovers, DJs Goon & Koyote at the Brunswick Hotel (12 Jan, times and prices tbc). Resident Jackmaster is aleady blaring that it’s his “motherfucking birthday” on his MySpace and looking as chuffed as a man covered in post-its can be.

[Laslo Kovak]

THE D&B CURRICULUM The best way to lose those extra festive kilos is to head straight for a Drum and Bass club near you and dance off all that turkey and cake. Here’s the lowdown on what is starting off the New Year in Edinburgh.

It’s not strictly D&B, but Synthetic’s re-launch features Morph Live on 4 Jan (Bongo Club, 11pm-3am, £tbc) with a diverse selection of bass, breaks, and hardtek if you’re feeling adventurous. Don’t forget Split on Tuesdays at Cabaret Voltaire (free) for a guaranteed drum infusion. On 12 Jan Codenine feed you funked up flavours at the City Café (9pm-1am, free), and meet you back there on 26

Jan for even more pre-club liquid D&B to put a slide into your dubstep. Over in Glasgow things don’t get going till the end of the month, starting on 19 Jan with Symbiosis at the SoundHaus (10.30pm-4am, £tbc), featuring Beast (Rogue State), LD50 (Frequency FM), Yellow Benzene, Calaco Jack & Baraka. Then it’s back to the capital for the big one on 27 Jan for the mighty Manga and its 11th birthday at The Liquid Room, (10.30pm–3am, £tbc) featuring DJ Craze (6 times world DMC champ), T.C, MC Armani, MC Jakes, DJ Kid, G Mac & MC Feelman.

Dancing shoes at the ready people! [Jonny Ogg]

/Hugo

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

TOP

EVENTS

ALL MY SONS LYCEUM, EDINBURGH, 12 JAN – 10 FEB Arthur Millar’s powerful drama examines two families’ struggle to come to terms with the brutal reality of WW2. The callous economics of war are laid bare – but the balance sheet spreads to the emotional, moral and spiritual.

Daniel Kitson revives his critically acclaimed show about hope, memory, kindness and a man’s last day in a job that never really existed.

12am) The return of Thursday club Synthetic with local guest Morph. Expect a live set that builds techno and electro moving in and out of breaks with the drum and the bass thrown in for good measure.

Slam’s house to techno party with guest MichiganMexican-Jock, DJ Rolando.

BLACK TAPE @ COCTEAU LOUNGE (DOWNSTAIRS AT EGO), Jan 11, £3

DIVINE! @ THE VIC BAR (GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART), Jan 13, £6 (£5 students)

DJ slots are up for grabs at another attempt at an unpretentious night. Their motto is simple - “No (supposed) superstar DJs, no trance and no pets”.

Get in touch via blacktape@nonimage.com.

Timeless classics and newly discovered obscurities blending soul, funk, ska and psych dug deep from the archives. Tonight welcomes the live and raw R’n’B from The Five Aces.

L’ HEURE ESPAGNOL & GIANNI SCHICCHI 19 & 20 JAN, THEATRE ROYAL GLASGOW The much improved RSAMD kicks off the new season with major productions of Ravel’s one-act operatic jewel L’Heure Espagnole and Puccini’s superb Gianni Schicchi before heading across to The Festival Theatre in Edinburgh.

INNER CITY ACID @ SOUNDHAUS, JAN 13, £TBC

MARJORIE’ S WORLD UNHINGED 31 JAN, TRAVERSE, EDINBURGH Maresa von Stockert’s imaginative dance, captivating theatricality and unique use of set, props and video reveal a beautifully grotesque world.

VIVA MANDELA NORTH EDINBURGH ARTS CENTRE, 11 & 12 JAN

22 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

SYNTHETIC @ THE BONGO CLUB, Jan 4, £3 (£2 b4

The French kings of booty - Goon & Koyote (Arcade Mode / Diamond Grills) fuse filth with dirty south, baltimore, miami bass, electro and techno at a pacey 170 bpm. Put yo’ back into it!

RETURN TO MONO @ SUB CLUB, Jan 12, £tbc

C-90 23 – 28 JAN, ARCHES, GLASGOW

Neo Productions presents a rehearsed reading that explores the life of Nelson Mandela as global inspiration and unifying force for people of all races.

A full blown production follows later this year with support from a South African choreographer and musical director.

NUMBERS @ THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL, Jan 12, £tbc

SOLESCIENCE @ CABARET VOLTAIRE, Jan 12, £3 Now an annual event, it’s the New Year house bangoff with Nick, Rob, Barry & Neil on the decks.

The multi-talented Si Begg is joined by experimental pop fiend Cursor Miner. Residents Jon Virtue, Monsieur DeLarge and Jon Cannon also bang out a blend of techno, electro, breaks, house and the rest with VJ Altronix projecting pictures.

MUNGO’S HI FI @ THE BONGO CLUB, Jan 25, £5

MONOX @ SOUNDHAUS, Jan 20, £tbc

DEPARTURE LOUNGE @ THE CAVES, Jan 26, £9

All things techno with another cracker of a line-up of Landstrumm and Schmidt’s Sugar Experiment Station, Detroit sounds from Echoplex and jacking hard techno from Lusinda.

Hailing from New Zealand via New York and everywhere in between, Mark De Clive-Lowe joins Astroboy and friends for a live broken-beat session.

PRESSURE @ THE ARCHES, Jan 26, £19

The 9th birthday party with Headspin residents. Good times vibe with ‘funky’ tunes, scratching and silly dancing.

Dave Clarke, Slam, Robert Hood (live), Tom Middleton, Silicone Soul, Andrew Weatherall and Ivan Smagghe all play. Just try and get your money’s worth.

Mungo’s Hi Fi featuring Kenny Knots and Afrikan Simba start the year with a bang, with their full soundsystem for a heavy night of roots through to dancehall.

HEADSPIN @ THE BONGO CLUB, Jan 27, £7

Daniel Kitson

THEATRE

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

43

THEATRE

BEATS

DICK MCWHITTINGTON BRUNTON THEATRE, MUSSELBURGH

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

The classic tale is given the East Lothian flavour in Dick McWhittington (you see what they’ve done there?).

Written and directed by Liam Rudden, this pantomime moves the story to the Garden County, where Port Seton is a dark place, no bus goes and English is rarely spoken. The cast is ably led by saucy Katrina Bryan - playing Dick’s love interest Alice Fitzwarren - who is kidnapped by the Rat King and taken into the bowels of

Possibly you’re readi ng th is vom it encr ust e d, st i l l h ig h after eight days partying at Hogmanay.

Perhaps you’re more sensible than that, and have set about the serious task of making and breaking resolutions. Doubtless some form of no doubt moderate and sensible drinking (or other entertainments) played a factor in your new year activities. Although, if Beats does have straightedge readers, we’d love to hear from you! Anyhow, I expect a fair few of you are feeling a wee bit delicate. You’d like some ambient music perhaps, or minimal techno. Perhaps even some... Dido... Well if so, sucks to be you. We’re ripping into 2007 with the twisted charms of Canada’s finest hip-hop band - Swollen Members, whose new album drops at the end of the month. We’ve also spoken to production genius DJ Hi-Tek, and Japan’s Cappablack.

Closer to home we’ve got an egg-sclusive interview with old-school Edinburgh favourite, Egebamyasi.

This month in Glasgow, our new Clubs Editor Pete Burns talked to the people behind the sensational Seismic night, plus we’ve got previews galore, not one but two (count ‘em) exclusive DJ charts, from the Solescience DJs and Bradley C (Chew The Fat!).

So let the MCs do the talking, siddown, and pay attention. It’s January, peeps. Quit hogging the eggnog, and gimme a drink.

Bram G.

Musselburgh below the city’s streets. As with all good pantos there are plenty of jokes and sweet-throwing opportunities for the kids as well as more drollery for the (sometimes) more mature adults - but both groups love the Widow Campie, played by Graham Crammond, who almost seems to like drag too much, but whips up the audience suitably nonetheless. [Mike Duffy] WWW.BRUNTONTHEATRE.CO.UK

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

BEATS CONTENTS

The Members L-R: Prevail, Madchild, Rob the Viking

SWOLLEN MEMBERS CLUBBING ROUNDUPS CAPPABLACK GREAT EZCAPE

INTERVIEW

40

& 6 OF THE BEST

41

INTERVIEW

42

COMPETITION

42

DJ CHART SEISMIC GLASGOW CLUBS EGEBAMYASI EDINBURGH CLUBS DJ HI-TEK ALBUMS

& 12” REVIEWS

43

TOP

FEATURE

44

REVIEWS / PREVIEWS

44

INTERVIEW

46

REVIEWS / PREVIEWS

46

INTERVIEW

47

REVIEWS & DJ CHART

48

ALBUMS

1. FUNKSTÖRUNG APPENDIX (K7) It kicks off with trippy electronica, rolling voices, and disturbed r&b stapled onto grungy industrial beats; Supercollider would be proud. Namosh would cream.

2. CAPPABLACK FACADES AND SKELETONS (~SCAPE) The B-boy upstarts of ~scape, Cappablack, fuse Kit Clatyon’s sound-art styling to electronically-forged scratching and esoteric samples.

3. V/A: KITSUNE MAISON COMPILATION 3 (KITSUNE) If Erol Alkan owned a strip club, this is the CD that he would make all the boys dance naked to.

4. SWOLLEN MEMBERS ‘BLACK MAGIC’(TVT) Madchild delivers couplets like a boxer delivers punches, while Prevail’s vocabulary drips with the blood and doom of black metal and post-apocalyptic fantasy.

5. MUM THE PEEL SESSION

(FATCAT)

Their zonked out electro-folk, before it was thinly redrafted by the likes of Manitoba, Cornelius, and of course, FourTet, was unique in its mixture of live instrumentation, synthetic rhythms and ‘otherworldy’ soundscapes.

42 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

Canadian Voodoo

Bram Gieben

MC PREVAIL OF CANADA’S PREMIER HIP-HOP CREW SWOLLEN MEMBERS TALKS TO THE SKINNY ABOUT HAIR METAL, EVERLAST, AND THE BLACK MAGIC ROOTS OF HIS BAND.

H

ere at Beats, we love an independent success story. With 500,000 sales under their collective belts, three Juno awards (the Canadian Grammys), and a legion of fans both at home and abroad, the last few years could well have seen Swollen Members resting on their laurels – thankfully, it has not been so. They have worked with the cream of hip-hop, and toured with such luminaries as Kanye West and Black Eyed Peas on the one hand, and nu-metal giants like Linkin Park and Nickelback on the other. This diversity in their sound and their following has been their lucky charm, but since 2003’s ‘Heavy’, a pop-oriented album, MCs Madchild and Prevail had been feeling the need to take the group back to its roots.

Speaking from the luxurious confines of a Canadian ski lodge, Prevail took us through the genesis of Black Magic.

“It was Monday morning, Madchild called me, and he was like: ‘Yo, it’s time.’ The first song we recorded was ‘Black Magic’ and it really set the tone. We wanted to get back to our signature sound, and to being able to paint the light and dark aspects of life with abstract lyrics, over experimental beats.”

There’s a twisted seam of darkness running through the lyrcs: “I think the darkness in the lyrics is something that just naturally comes out of us,” Prevail elaborates. “We’re really inspired by rock and heavy metal music, because that’s what we grew up listening to as well as hip-hop. I think that comes through in our music but also in our live show – we try to give a lot of energy.”

“WE WANTED TO GET BACK TO OUR SIGNATURE SOUND, AND TO BEING ABLE TO PAINT THE LIGHT AND DARK ASPECTS OF LIFE WITH ABSTRACT LYRICS, OVER EXPERIMENTAL BEATS.” - PREVAIL Among the collaborations on the LP is a song with Everlast (formerly of House of Pain). “‘Put Me On’ with Everlast was the lead single in Canada”, explains Prevail. “It was a song we had recorded when we were still living in LA, and decided ‘let’s wait, let’s hold onto this song for a while’. When we put the album together we felt like it needed to be the first thing we wanted people to hear from us in Canada, just to let them all know where we were coming back from. We also gave them ‘Too Hot’ as a little teaser just to show that we were still keeping the underground shit real.”

For Prevail, growing up in Canada as a hip-hop fan was a proactive experience: “I’d try to sneak downstairs because at 2am on Sunday a show called ‘Pump It Up’ came on TV with Sister Dee Barnes. It really kept me up to date. I kept abreast of what was going on. Hip-hop wasn’t there on demand. If you wanted it, you had to search for it.

I grew up freestyling a lot, not so much entering battles for cash – I would only battle someone if I had beef with them. I was always freestyling after

the clubs, even before I was old enough to get in.

I’d just be chillin’, freestylin’ y’know – kickin’ it.

Eventually I started concentrating on the written material a lot more.”

PINOCCHIO ROYAL LYCEUM, EDINBURGH Robert Hopkin’s set – a tribute to Spanish protosurrealist De Chirico’s stark village squares with inky black archways - is a nicely atmospheric starting point for any production. Director Mark Thomson’s adaptation pays close attention to Carlo Collodi’s original Tuscan tale, and on the whole gives full rein to the enchanted cast of characters that populate this classic children’s tale. To prevent any embarrassing nasal growth spurts at Skinny Towers, we should note that not everything attempted here comes off with equal aplomb. The script is patchy – some of the jokes are, dare I say it, wooden and lack the spark that has ignited Collodi’s tale in the imaginations of generations of children the worldover. Indeed at times, the children in the audience only

mumble through their participatory lines and even with the adults mugging along bravely – BEHIND YOU! – elements of this otherwise fine production fall flat.

That said, Malcolm Shield’s choreography is brilliantly realised and some stellar individual performances more than make up for the occasional narrative device gone awry. Molly Innes as the cat is superb, barely able to wipe her cream-soaked whiskers between sinister asides, and is the perfect foil to Andrew Clark’s equally dastardly fox. Other cameo roles such as Matthew Pidgeon’s stubbornly fish-fixated Green Fisherman also hit all the right notes. [HF] WWW.LYCEUM.ORG.UK

The move away from freestyling eventually led to his partnership with Madchild, and like many artists, Swollen Members have benefited from the Canadian government’s arts funding programmes: “If you can do all the paperwork, there definitely is money out there for you. That system is something we tried to implement for ourselves early on in our careers, because we needed it. It has been a blessing. I know you guys have a lot of funding available in the UK too, so to any artist out there – don’t feel like you’re taking something that isn’t there for you. Go and get it!”

‘Black Magic’ is a thick gumbo of an album – dark, sticky and extremely spicy. The Members are back at the top of their game, dominating the Canadian scene and causing shockwaves worldwide. In addition to exhorting budding Scottish rappers to seek funding, Prevail is keen to express his support for international hip-hop: “I think hip-hop is spreading world wide, in fact it has been for a number of years now. Everyone has their own individual voice, even in the same neighbourhoods and cities. It’s less about where you come from these days, it’s about where you’re at.”

‘BLACK MAGIC’ IS OUT ON JAN 22 ON TVT RECORDS. SWOLLEN MEMBERS WILL BE TOURING THE UK IN 2007 SEE WEBSITE FOR DETAILS. WWW.TVTRECORDS.COM WWW.SWOLLENMEMBERS.COM

BEATS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

23

SOUNDS

THEATRE All My Sons

THE PLAY ALSO SERVES AS A HARSH CRITIQUE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM

by RJ Thomson

Action and humanity, suffering and its causes: these are the intensely dramatic themes in All My Sons, a family drama set against the backdrop of World War II. ‘Heavy’ indeed, but All My Sons is deftly handled throughout.

First directed by Elia Kazan in 1947, the play served as a major boost to the career of Arthur Miller as he came to be recognised as one of the finest American playwrights of the Twentieth Century.

by RJ Thomson

In the play a father, Joe Keller, discovers that he is likely to have indirectly caused the death of his pilot son by selling faulty plane parts to the Air Force. This theme of guilt-after-the-event is in common with Greek tragedy, of which Miller was a great admirer, but the play also serves as a harsh critique of the American Dream and a tight and involving set piece of human emotions.

All My Sons is a popular play and continues to be performed on a regular basis, but this Lyceum production should be well worth a look. It is directed by the dependable John Dove (Death of a Salesman, Les Liaisons Dangereuses), and stars the impressive Stuart Milligan (Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial, Festival, Jonathan Creek) in the lead role.

ROYAL LYCEUM EDINBURGH, 12 JAN - 10 FEB, TUE – SAT, 7.45PM, £10 - £24 WWW.LYCEUM.ORG.UK

COMEDY Out to Lunch C

alling all team-building tearaways and workforce wasters: established Edinburgh venue, the Stand, is set to become the place to liven up your lunch hour. Starting in January, the premier comedy club is inviting you to fill up on a feast of home-cooked comedy and cuisine, in the middle of the day.

by Diana Kiernander

It’s a world-first to offer a regular, daytime comedy show and The Stand is understandably proud of their coup. Their reputation has been built on innovation and experimentation and this is an awesome start to a brand new year.

A HEADY MIX OF FEELGOOD LAUGHTER ENDORPHINS SPRINKLED OVER YOUR MAIN

‘Out to Lunch Live’ is a daytime sketch show, inspired by their popular Sunday afternoon get together, Whose Lunch is it Anyway? It promises to fill a gap in the midday entertainment market and beats sinking a cola and a mouldy croissant while hunched over your computer.

For just five pounds the venue is inviting office workers, tourists and discerning tradesmen the chance to shake up the routine rituals of any working day. Choose from a winter warming menu of traditional home-baked delights, like casseroles and stews, and wash it down with a refreshing splash of honest, funny stand-up sketches. In a further twist, the shows will be built around audience suggestions, ensuring you’re still using your grey matter while away from your desk.

Like this, at lunchtime, with lunch

24 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

Flying in the face of recent newspaper reports that suggest a whopping eighty percent of us are opting out of a leisurely lunchtime break*, The Stand insists it can cater for your entertainment and energy needs in under an hour.

“The shows are deliberately timed so that office workers can leave their desk at 1pm and be back for 2pm,” says a Stand spokesperson.

So there you have it. Socialising at work without the small talk slog, and a heady mix of feel-good laughter endorphins sprinkled over your main. Now you just have to hope the workaholic MD, who never ‘does lunch’, sees the funny side.

GLENN WOOL

THE STAND, GLASGOW, 24 NOV Like a hillbilly Bill Hicks, Glenn Wool’s rambling drawl sounds more Texas than Canada (his home nation). But there is a sense that he might just be the acid-fried surrealist he portrays on stage. Either way, the persona subtly disguises moments of truly sharp insight.

Wool begins by gauging the supposed intellectual capacity of the audience.

He tells what he considers to be an ‘intellectual’ joke and then one which is strictly lowest common denominator. It doesn’t matter that the former isn’t funny at all (regardless of whether one ‘gets it’ or not), this evening’s audience is deemed low-brow and prejudiced, and thus gets treated to a delightfully lurid snapshot of the lives of an incestuous Canadian family.

“Well, ya should have laughed harder at the first joke then,” he chastises.

But Glenn has weightier matters on his mind. Authority’s attitude to drugs, gay-bashing, and the mystery that is China all come in for witty anecdotal treatment. Some hilarious post-set improv (during a story about accompanying his Scottish girlfriend on a trip around Scotland, he wonders what the political implications of a ‘Highland Coup’ would be) rounds off the evening. A highly accomplished performance. [Paul Mitchell]

*CAPITAL ONE SURVEY, 2006 WWW.THESTAND.CO.UK

Glenn Wool

www.skinnymag.co.uk COMEDY/THEATRE

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

41

AEREOGRAMME

BARRIERS (CHEMIKAL UNDERGROUND) If anyone were to carry the torch of quality Scottish songwriting after the demise of Arab Strap, it could very well be label-mates Aereogramme.

‘Barriers’ is the pre-emptive single from their forthcoming fourth album and is a beautifully resonant song, tentatively held together by a string accompaniment that approaches the mad genius of a Prokofiev creation.

B-side, ‘Dissolve’ is equally captivating, drifting like a grand, wide river with timely splashes of reverb. It’s songwriting on a scale rarely seen round these parts, which should hopefully attract them the size of audience they so clearly deserve.

[Nick Mitchell] RELEASE DATE: 22 JAN. AEREOGRAMME PLAY CLASSIC GRAND, GLASGOW ON 12 FEB. WWW.AEREOGRAMME.CO.UK

HONEYTRAP

THE NAKED DANCING EP (TOUGH LOVE)

repetitive guitar riff adding further to the air of mystery. An intriguing listen, although more likely to leave one ponderous than in the mood for dancing, fully clothed or otherwise.

[Jon Seller] RELEASE DATE: 15 JAN.

Craig David, Woon safely warbles his way through this in neutrally impressive fashion. His delivery cannot be faulted but the remixes, over produced and over contemporary, threaten to tarnish what was a traditional classic. [Finbarr Bermingham]

HONEYTRAPONMYSPACE

WWW.JAMIEWOON.COM

these ears have ever heard. Here the hapless Preston has the gall to sing about the ubiquity of cliché as though that’s an excuse to write what is perhaps the single most musically flaccid slice of regurgitated pop drivel imaginable. Like a puppy licking up its own vomit – this is hard to stomach. [Jay Shukla]

MYSPACE.COM/

RELEASE DATE: 30 JAN.

BLAKNOISEWHITESOUL

MYSPACE.COM/JAMIEWOON

RELEASE DATE: 15 JAN.

OUT NOW.

THE DELOREANS

WWW.THEORDINARYBOYS.COM

WWW.1990S.TV

THE DRAYMIN

THE XCERTS

RULE BREAKER

(U DISCS)

Featuring Electric Boy Shock’s Kirsty M on vocals, ‘Rule Breaker’ is another deliciously contrar y pop-gem from Scotland’s own Blaknoisewhitesoul. Kraftwerk and Sigue Sigue Sputnik influences show strong through what is a lo-fi dance track at heart. Live drums and skuzzy, compressed guitars give an edge of punk to proceedings, while old Casios add a sublime 80s twist. Ringing true with a slight of electro-rock, Blaknoisewhitesoul are proof, were it ever needed, that rock ‘n’ roll is dead. Let’s convert to dance. [Neil Ferguson] RELEASE DATE: 15 JAN.

Citing the influence of Kate Bush, mid-period Flaming Lips and Sparks, Coventry four-piece Honeytrap certainly prepare the listener for the eccentric. Indeed, in this respect, the Naked Dancing EP does not disappoint, with a variety of oft-mismatched vocal styles wrestling over spiky guitars and minor-key violins.

At times this seemingly haphazard approach comes off just fine, most notably on “live favourite” ‘Spotlight’, where the initial vocal sparring gives way to an almost grand, violin-led chorus. Final track ‘Mussolinni’s Son’ evokes Velvet Underground’s ‘Venus in Furs’, with an Eastern tinge to the

WWW.BLAKNOISEWHITESOUL.COM

JAMIE WOON

WAYFARING STRANGER (LIVE RECORDINGS)

Choosing to release a song that’s been covered by the likes of Jack White and Eva Cassidy in alternative formats may be seen as a quick fix for success. However, the fact that this is such a limited edition release (only 100 have been pressed) suggests that Jamie Woon views this as the perfect opportunity to showcase his malleable vocal chords. In the manner of a Kes-less

SHANK EP

(SELF RELEASED)

Edinburgh based trio The DeLoreans exploit rasping, falsetto vocals on their newly released EP, ‘Shank’. Although the title track appears somewhat derivative of the kitschy, chorus-reliant Britpop sound and even, slightly, of American emo of the last decade, the sincerity emitted by their pleading lyrics adds extra appeal. Though the three tracks on this sampler are notably disparate, reflecting their experimentation with style (for example the lo-fi, Strokes-esque sound of ‘On a Mission’), the pop appeal of the DeLoreans excuses the fact they’ve not yet found their musical footing. [Ilani Blanke]

RISE UP EP (SELF RELEASED)

just want to have a party, and your name’s definitely on the door. Glamfilled melodies and a pop hook that just won’t let go fill this Bernard Butler produced second single from Glasgow’s 1990’s. Admittedly this won’t change the world but then is that really the point? [Garry Thomson]

RELEASE DATE: 15 JAN.

BREATHTAKING FIGHT

WWW.VIEWTHEBAND.COM (ONE)

OUT NOW.

Re me mbe r T he Music? T hose hyped to the hilt groovers once destined for the top. No? Well, The Draymin clearly do. Their new three track EP is an unabashed tribute to the dance-driven spirit of the Leeds ensemble. From the chest thumping rally cry of ‘Rise Up’ to the swelling sound of ‘No Way Out’, this Fife quartet have reproduced their idols’ swaggering defiance with verbatim precision. But, unlike countless other sonic pilferers, the incessant riffs and snarling vocals convey a glimmer of creativity. With a little rhythmic tweaking, this band could be so much more than just the music. [Billy Hamilton]

Misleading titles can be a bitch.

Remember the sense of betrayal when you first saw The Neverending Story? Well the inclusion of the word breathtaking in this debut single from Aberdeen exiles The Xcerts may not scale the same levels of deception as that flying dog, but it certainly won’t have you reaching for your inhaler. Falling somewhere between Radio One’s resident evil Snow Patrol and the more general evil known as Lostprophets, this is a watered down, routine effort; a shame considering the special effects which producer Ben Watkins (The Matrix soundtrack) must have at his disposal. [Finbarr Bermingham]

MYSPACE.COM/THESKECKERS

OUT NOW.

OUT NOW.

THE ORDINARY BOYS

MYSPACE.COM/THEDRAYMIN

MYSPACE.COM/THEXCERTS

1990S

THE VIEW

When did music stop being fun?

These days it’s almost as if every band is trying to out do each other with their tales of relationships gone bad and their grimey life on the streets. It’s refreshing then to have a band that sound like they

Imagine a world without the shapely denim jean: our uber-cool rock gods could be shaking their snake-hips in a pair of unforgiving corduroys; piss stained puppet Flat Eric would have failed to breach social consciousness; and The View may never have written cracking new single ‘Same

I LUV U

(B-UNIQUE)

Even putting to one side any prior knowledge of The Ordinary Boys’ empty, grotesque populism; the knuckle-dragging ska nightmare that is ‘Boys Will be Boys’, the slow motion car crash that was their lead singer’s Darwinian stumble from indie also-ran to Big Bruva Sleb – this is still one of the worst things

YOU’RE SUPPOSE TO BE MY FRIEND (ROUGH TRADE)

5 SONGS YOU CAN LEGALLY DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO - FREE

Jeans’. Thriving with anthemic guitar and self-probing lyricism, it’s a classically cut track that revisits the zestiest moments of The Las. Spurred on by the accented blitheness of frontman Kyle Falconer, the Dundonian quartet’s quick fire infectiousness will have you digging deep in the pockets of your skinny fit Levis.

[Billy Hamilton]

CLEAN GEORGE IV

FIRST BLAST OF THE TRUMPET AGAINST THE MONSTROUS REGIMENT OF WOMAN (BLACK SPRING)

SAME JEANS (1965 RECORDS)

RELEASE DATE: 11 DEC. MYSPACE.COM/CLEANGEORGEIV

by Sean Michaels

3. KAREN DALTON - ‘KATIE CRUEL’

5. THE LITTLE ONES - ‘CHA CHA CHA’

The song-names are mouthfuls and the band-name’s a nonsense, but gee whiz is the new Of Montreal album amazing. Kevin Barnes sings here about a “crisis,” asking his mood to “shift-shift back to good again” - and whaddyaknow but soon the cascades of synths are upon him, glad as rainbows. As he sings about “chemicals, chemicals” the psychpop blinks and flashes, like Bis after a long holiday in sunwashed California.

First released in 1971, In My Own Time was reissued in November by Light In The Attic Records, reintroducing a songwriter who’s perfectly placed for today’s folk revival. Dalton has a voice that falls somewhere between Joanna Newsom’s squawk and Tim Hardin’s melancholy blues - but it’s not as challenging as you might think. There’s something very natural in the way her tired American tone plows the furrows of this traditional, banjo and violin alongside.

A pop song with enough vim that it’s more than merely “jaunty” - it’s altogether fun. A boy and girl duet while the tom drum rumbles, while the shaker shakes; it’s not far from Peter Bjorn and John, or even from a rockin’ take on Paul Simon. But then of course, inevitably, there’s la-la-las and a whole-hog call-in-the-village finale. There’s a celebration. Happy new year.

Newly signed to Wichita Recordings (Bloc Party, The Pipettes, Go! Team), Cardiff’s Las Campesinos may be the best British band since BEFORE the Arctic Monkeys - a gang of kids who cheer and holler and whirl. What starts as churn and noise fades into messy-haired dancepop, party music with a fringe. I think I’m in love.

4. MARIT BERGMAN - ‘MY LOVE’

DOWNLOAD AT: WWW.MYSPACE.COM/LOSCAMPESINOS

DOWNLOAD AT: WWW.MYSPACE.COM/MARITBERGMAN

Swedish popstar Marit Bergman covers Justin Timberlake’s (deserved) smash, and she does it with piano and xylophone. It’s a performance unveiled and sentimental - special for the way it’s plainly adoring. Timberlake’s love-song stripped down to the ballad it was likely born as. Plus: melodica solo!

TOP

FEATURED SINGLE BIFFY CLYRO - SEMI-MENTAL

(14TH FLOOR)

Having sought out the midas touch of Rage Against the Machine producer GGGarth Richardson in Vancouver, Glasgow’s favourite and possibly most prolific hard rock trio shoot from the hip with this melodious yet fierce assault of a digital download delight. Like Far riffing supernatural with Omar Rodrigez, the first half roars with simple no-frills grooves at rip-roaring pace before Simon Neil launches into interstellar overdrive. ‘Semi-Mental’ is that rare track which can only be bound for diverse (as well as mass) appeal; with direct, engaging lyrics to feed the soul and rapturous distortion-heavy hooks to charge the adrenaline straight to a fair few soon-to-be-flappin’ feet. This is blazing guitar rock of a terrific standard, so

40 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

DOWNLOAD AT: WWW.WEARETHELITTLEONES.COM/LITTLE_MUSIC.HTML

DOWNLOAD AT: WWW.LIGHTINTHEATTIC.NET

2. LAS CAMPESINOS - ‘YOU! ME! DANCING!’

partake in a little bit of rebellion in the face of the current popular form, if you will. As a teaser for album number four, entitled Puzzle, the future looks exciting for “the Biffy.” As for GGGarth?

He can party on. [Dave Kerr]

illustration Neale McDavitt

SINGLES

ONLINE SINGLE REVIEWS

1. BIFFY CLYRO - SEMI-MENTAL (14TH FLOOR)

CONAN AND THE MOCKASINS

2. AEREOGRAMME - BARRIERS (CHEMIKAL UNDERGROUND)

IDLEWILD - IF IT TAKES YOU HOME (SEQUEL)

3. BLAKNOISEWHITESOUL - RULE BREAKER (U DISCS)

- TAKE ON THE WORLD (CANNERY ROW)

4. THE VIEW - SAME JEANS (1965 RECORDS)

BIFFY CLYRO PLAY BARROWLANDS, GLASGOW ON 23 JAN.

5. CLEAN GEORGE IV - FIRST BLAST OF THE TRUMPET AGAINST THE MONSTROUS

WWW.BIFFYCLYRO.COM

REGIMENT OF WOMAN (BLACK SPRING)

OUT NOW ON ITUNES.

by Gareth K Vile

Pe nning his infamous paper against female monarchs in 1558, John Knox is firmly cast as the historical Scots figure that feminists love to hate. It seems curious that Clean George IV would take this as a title for their debut single but this is certainly a band that plays on their eccentricities.

The oddness of the song titles and the artwork - evocative of Monty Python - draws you into their seemingly crazy world, yet what awaits within are simply rocking pop tunes and playfully absurd lyrics. Support slots with Babyshambles and The Subways should quickly morph into headline gigs of their own if music fans can buy into the absurdity vibe, because on the strength of this single, Clean George IV can be a far more interesting group than some of the current media darlings. [Jamie Borthwick]

1. OF MONTREAL - ‘HEIMDALSGATE LIKE A PROMETHEAN CURSE’

DOWNLOAD AT: WWW.POLYVINYLRECORDS.COM/HISSING

Dance & Physical Theatre

COMEDY/THEATRE

SOUNDS SINGLE REVIEWS

SNEAKY SNEAKY DOG FRIEND (REGAL)

IMPURE THOUGHTS INDIGO MOSS - START OVER AGAIN / SEE SEE RIDER (BUTTERFLY)

LA PUMA - SLAVE FOR THE RABBIT BOY (TOY GIRL RECORDINGS)

PULL TIGER TAIL

- MR 100 PERCENT (B-UNIQUE)

SOUNDS

S i n c e t h e i r i n c e p t i o n i n 198 4 , Fo r c e d Entertainment have been pushing the boundaries of theatre, discovering humorous and evocative alternatives to the tyranny of the script and conventional staging. Now a staple on theatre courses, they have become part of the establishment they once challenged: their show Bloody Mess, which came to Tramway in 2004, suggested a mature company that made radical performance hilarious and accessible.

shallow. The rare bursts of excellence, such as Richard Lowden’s comedic vulgarity and nudity, or a melancholic speech about the horrors of the Twentieth Century, are only miserable reminders of the company’s potential. While Bloody Mess orchestrated apparently random activity into horrific, hysterical set-pieces, The World in Pictures could not lift itself above the mayhem into coherence. Relying on a single, ambitious narrative to link the sketches, ironically, hemmed the company into predictable reflections and obvious jokes.

WOULD BE AS WELL IN A DAILY MAIL EDITORIAL AS A SUPPOSEDLY RADICAL THEATRICAL EVENT

For We Are Many are a young Scottish company, and their production Sugar and Shit demonstrated the extent of Forced Entertainment’s inf luence.

Relying on many of the innovative techniques Bloody Mess had showcased, they leapt between easy laughter and unbearable poignancy, allowing each performer to develop a distinctive character through the mismatch of dance, mime and narration. By asking a series of big questions, before refusing to provide any answer, FWAM amused and discomforted the audience in equal measure, displaying considerable promise even as their sources were evident.

Against this, Forced Entertainment’s latest - The World in Pictures - was an embarrassment. Using exactly the same structure as past shows - in which the chaotic comedy alternated with dark meditations on mortality - the company neither managed to develop their characterisations nor challenge the audience’s thinking. Taking the idea that history is re-written, misunderstood and finally forgotten, and working this through a badly rehearsed school play, is unoriginal and

www.skinnymag.co.uk

Beginning and ending with low-key monologues, interspersed with deliberately amateur dancing that came ac ro s s a s c r ude pa ro dy rather than sharp critique, and far too preoccupied with undermining the suspension of disbelief than re-inventing stagecraft, The World in Pictures operated as a tribute act to Forced Entertainment. The trite conclusions - however dressed up in knowing humour - failed to challenge, and would be as well in a Daily Mail editorial as a supposedly radical theatrical event. They solemnly announce that everybody dies and everything is eventually forgotten: the disappointment of this show will be as memorable as the delight of their last and, perhaps, this marks the death of their vibrant revisionism.

FORCED ENTS: BLOODY MESS (2004) FWAM: SUGAR AND SHIT (NOV, 2006)

; ;

FORCED ENTS: THE WORLD IN PICTURES (NOV 2006) FORWEAREMANYTC@GOOGLEMAIL.COM WWW.FORCEDENTERTAINMENT.COM

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

25

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI So then, another year has passed.

I t ’s b e e n t h e usual parade of the good, the bad and the baffling.

The show that really got under my skin last year was Simon Faithfull’s Ice Blink at Stills in Edinburgh, way back in April. His film of a colony of seals who had taken over an abandoned whaling station in Antarctica contained a zombie-movie feel of unease, and a desolate, bleak beauty which has stayed with me since I first saw it.

[MJS]

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

EXHIBITIONS

1. GOYA: MONSTERS AND MATADORS AT SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY IN EDINBURGH.

Original etchings by the master.

2. CONSIDER THE LILLIES

Edinburgh Printmakers There are few things so fascinating as a process.

A system that creates effects. The use of even the most basic tools is a process. The latest virtual technology is a process. But I’d suggest the most fascinating kinds of process are those that combine the physical act of making with that mystery that comes from high-technology. Well, after a weekend screenprinting at Edinburgh Printmakers, that’s what I’d suggest.

Screenprinting is a relatively new kind of process, and a relatively new kind of printmaking.

There’s quite a lot involved. First, you make an image on acetate - this can be done directly or by photocopying an image on. Then you carefully cover a tight mesh screen with a film of photo-sensitive goo. Then comes the arcane part: you line the acetate image up against the screen in a giant vacuum-sealed light-bath - a kind of alchemist’s secret weapon this - which will expose the goo to just the right amount of high-powered white light.

Then, in a giant basin (the scale of operations at Edinburgh Printmakers is generally large) you wash off the excess goo with a cloth. It’s all very hands-on. If you are worried your screen is too subtle for the image you want, you can use a power-hose to open up the mesh a little. There’s a lot of cleaning up to be done as you go along, but to dry any spillages on the screen itself, there’s a hairdryer on hand.

Having mixed colours to the right consistency,

REVIEWS

AT DEAN GALLERY, EDINBURGH.

Works from Dundee’s 20th century art collection.

3. TURNER IN JANUARY AT THE ROYAL SCOTTISH ACADEMY, EDINBURGH.

Annual exhibition of Turner’s watercolours.

4. CINÉMATHÈQUE DE TANGER / AMONG THE MODERNS AT STILLS GALLERY, EDINBURGH.

A fascinating video library of the arab world.

5. CATHERINE SULLIVAN AT CCA, GLASGOW.

Multi-screen and single-screen projections by the LA based artist.

SEE LISTINGS FOR MORE INFO.

Rain on Princes Street by Stanley Cursiter Bullet Proof Breath by Christine Borland

carefully line up your surface with the screen. (‘Surface’ is probably paper, though screenprinting is very diverse in what it can be applied to.)

The colour is finally applied with a hefty rubber squeegie.

Consider the Lilies

wanted to make. One girl was printing the word ‘HELL’ against a landscape, with a picture of herself as a wee ballet-dancer in the maw of an alligator hovering in the sky. An older lady was recreating her abstract paintings in print form to give to her friends. Using offwhite paint, I was trying to create the effect of paper, on my paper. Don’t ask why. Anyway, all of us came away with six small prints we were well pleased with. The application of layers of colour is tinged with magic, as profound, surprising effects can be achieved with a near-professional level of accuracy, by your own hand.

The music industry is a very fickle business. Ten years ago (yes it was that long), young band The Bluetones stormed onto the scene with a number one debut album and it looked as though the stage was set for them to take a seat at the top table of British music. With many fans indifferent to The Stone Roses’ Second Coming, some viewed them as heirs to their jangly throne. The years passed and things didn’t go exactly as planned.

But they’re still around, and yes, they are still releasing records.

Edinburgh Printma kers is a great little institution, housed in a beautiful old washhouse.

Whether you want to get involved or not, it’s well worth a look, for the beautiful exhibition prints as well as the building.

Much recommended is having a photo: Laura Esslemont go yourself, though; they have If all this seems like a lot of information, it should courses in screenprinting, etching, lithography, be made clear that it’s loads of fun. Our friendly, relief printing, and digital printmaking. Evening pretty course tutor, Gillian, made every stage classes and one-day taster courses are also availcomprehensible. More than that, she gave all of able, as are gift vouchers. us in the group the confidence to do the work involved at each stage ourselves. Learning some- It’s too easy, to borrow a phrase, to feel ‘part of thing fun was a highly rewarding experience: the process’. Head to Edinburgh Printmakers, surprising, impressive results had that extra nu- and take advantage of their truly wonderful procance of ‘I did that’. esses to make your imagination work, and make some imaginary things.

Of course screenprinting is much more than simply following a process: you’re making a print, EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS - 23 UNION STREET, EDINBURGH. and the scope for creativity is huge. All of us 40 YEARS AT EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS RUNS FROM JAN 20 in our group had distinct ideas about what we TO MARCH 3. WWW.EDINBURGH-PRINTMAKERS.CO.UK

CONSIDER THE LILIES While Dundee’s McManus Gallery is closed for refurbishment, the Dean has become the temporary home for this collection of modern Scottish art, giving us the chance to enjoy a wealth of stellar pieces which are rarely shown outside their home city. James McIntosh Patrick arguably steals the show with three large landscape paintings which dominate the room. A City Garden, painted in 1940 whilst the artist was waiting to be called up to the army, is an intense, electric piece – almost overwhelming in the quiet reverence of its observation, yet pervaded by a sense of creeping anxiety, here manifested by the snaking, tendril like branches of the trees in the artist’s garden. In contrast, William Johnstone’s Ode to the North Wind is an odd, emotive work which heavily recalls Franz Marc in its use of expressive, dancing forms and swathes of primary and secondary colours. James Gunn’s My Wife recalls Sargent’s Madame X with its confident, sensual beauty whilst James Cowie’s Portrait of a Child is all subtle, cool tones and minimal gestures. The more modern work stands up well too, the magic realism of Peter Collins’ Consider the Lilies a particular highlight. This is an exhibition of unusually high quality. [Jay Shukla] DEAN GALLERY, EDINBURGH, UNTIL 14 JAN. FREE.

CHRISTINE BORLAND - PRESERVES

26 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

“I ENJOY SHARING THE SAME STINKING AIR AS THE AUDIENCE, THAT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT!” - MARK MORRISS by Finbarr Bermingham

TO CELEBRATE 40 YEARS OF EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS, THE SKINNY DECIDED TO GET CREATIVE BY VISITING THEIR OPEN-ACCESS STUDIO.

Elsewhere Total Kunst looks like it’s onto a winner as they present Dazzlement at Forest Cafe: a group response to the idea that too much information can lead to oblivion. Happy New Year.

TOP

surrender

by RJ Thomson

photo: Jane Fenton

Hopeful ly the New Yea r w i l l bring us lots more outstandi ng work, a nd January gets off to a rol l ick i ng start, with a host of great shows opening after the Christmas lull.

Vanessa Wenweiser’s urban photography at the Arches in Glasgow promises moody poetics – the familiar, woozy atmospheres conjured by a city seen through steamed-up windows. The highlight in Edinburgh will surely be the exhibition of Goya’s etchings at the National Gallery on the Mound, featuring work form the Disasters of War series – a chance to see work by one of the most important and socially articulate artists of all time.

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF

Christine Borland has an incredible ability to turn that which should be grotesque into something quite elegant. Trained at Glasgow School of Art along with the likes of Douglas Gordon, she was shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 1997. Her work successfully presents a probing exploration of anatomy, issues of life and death and ultimately the ambiguous relationship between art and science. From sparkling hand-blown glass bronchia to a dusty shadow of the spine, human identity resounds from the artworks. At times the viewer feels

SOUNDS

ART

Despite their new self titled record being hailed from some quarters as a (slight) return to form, this year, especially, has been tough.

The Skinny caught up with frontman Mark Morriss to find out exactly why. “The album had a difficult birth. We were scrapping around for budgets, didn’t have a proper studio and were recording it around in each others’ houses. We weren’t even allowed to set up the drums until the last couple of weeks. But that all galvanised it, brought us closer together. If we were in it for the money we could’ve walked away ages ago!”

Their not so well received predecessor to the eponymous new LP, Luxembourg, had a more jagged, pu n k ier sou nd.

With this record they seem to have returned to their roots. Morriss recognises the “stark difference” and ack nowle d ge s t hat the return of the producer of their first two albums, Hugh Jones, may have helped set

the wheels in motion. He also cites a retrogressive change in his musical influences. “I think I was listening to more of the same stuff as when it all kicked off. West Coast late 60s bands like Buffalo Springfield and Love, classics and standards really. But that doesn’t replicate itself onto a record, it’s more the atmosphere created through that.”

Whilst fortune may have faded, their fan base has remained loyal throughout. This fact is something clearly appreciated: “We’re lucky to inspire a sense of loyalty in people. At the same time we don’t want to reflect on past glories. We’re often judged unfairly on that and in the past we cut ‘Slight Return’ and the like from our set.” Surely rock n’ roll suicide? “We got a bit grumpy and more caught up in it a few years ago. But we know we have to embrace it.

After all, it’s nobody else’s song. Give the people what they want!”

Which will certainly be music to Scottish Bluetonics’ ears come the end of January. The band plays Cabaret Voltaire, The Tunnels in Aberdeen and Glasgow’s ABC in the latest Scottish leg of their “never ending tour.”

“We can’t wait! We supported The Beautiful South a few years back in an arena tour, places like the SECC, and it just wasn’t the same.

It’s like being on the other side of a dual carriageway. I feel like a rabbit in the headlights. I enjoy sharing the same stinking air as the audience, that’s what it’s all about.”

So boys and girls. Old fans and new. Be sure to don your smelliest underwear and dodge the toothbrush on those dates. Give Mark and the lads what they want, eh?

THE BLUETONES PLAY CABARET VOLTAIRE, EDINBURGH ON 30 JAN, THE TUNNELS, ABERDEEN ON 31 JAN AND ABC, GLASGOW ON 1 FEB. NEW SINGLE ‘HEAD ON A SPIKE’ IS OUT NOW ON COOKING VINYL. WWW.THEBLUETONES.ORG, WWW.BLUETONES.INFO

as though they should be repulsed, but at each juncture the artist entices our quizzical eyes and shows us a new way of beholding our own bodies. Preserves brings together a collection of existing pieces with new work, creating an evolution of her premier themes.

Borland utilises almost every medium in her scrutiny of the human being, past and present, to create a striking, thought provoking visual combination.

[Gabriella Griffith] FRUITMARKET, EDINBURGH UNTIL 28 JAN. FREE.

PETER HOWSON

ANDREW: PORTRAIT OF A SAINT Comprised of dozens of works, this show is a whole lot of Howson. But even ardent admirers of his work are likely to find the entrées a lot more appetizing than the main course. Howson’s religious zeal is obvious, and his work ethic should be applauded, yet this show proves that Howson’s talent as a painter remains in a stubborn stasis; his familiar, mannered technique as unsubtle and bludgeoning as ever. The central painting is classic Howson: an over-egged melodrama of deep shadow and cartoonish expression – as though Caravaggio had been employed by the Disney company. The colours, miraculously, are simultaneously both drab and garish, the wide-eyed participants pinned down in unnatural position by the artist’s thick outlines. What makes the painting all the more disappointing is the promise which is shown in the drawings. It’s no coincidence that the two best works are the ones which look like they have been executed most quickly. Clearly Howson is not able to transfer his easy, confident draughtsmanship into the medium of paint, instead opting to render each line with the same weight. As thick as treacle, and just as cloying, this work will prove popular but ultimately unsatisfying. [Jay Shukla] CITY ART CENTRE, EDINBURGH UNTIL 4 MARCH. FREE.

ART

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

39

ALAN TYLER & THE LOST SONS OF LITTLEFIELD

ALAN TYLER & THE LOST SONS OF LITTLEFIELD (HANKY PANKY RECORDS)

A l a n Ty l e r ’s g ot th e m i d dle-aged, Anglo-Saxon, suburbanite cowboy wannabe blues. If you can relate, fix yourself a strong Merlot (preferably in a dirty cup), take off your boots, and indulge. Heck, switch on the fake fire. You’ll probably like this disc because, without assuming a position or tone so expository as to arouse any feelings of deep discomfort or spiritual emptiness, it nevertheless broaches in a mellifluous baritone the weighty, idealised, and sentimental topics that have disproportionately become the domain of country music, namely the themes of love, innocence and time lost. Sung to the accompaniment of fiddles, mandolins and a trenchant rhythm section, Tyler’s well-crafted but topical songs are like the suburbs from which he hails (‘Harrow’): neither here nor there, neither packed like the city nor sparse like the open country, merely situated inbetween and a little bland.

[Ben Howe] RELEASE DATE: 29 JAN. WWW.ALANTYLER.COM

the hallowed Radio 1 treatment we could be about to hear a lot more from this band. [Nick Mitchell]

ANGLES

(GHOST RECORDS)

Chubby lesbian Beth Ditto may be the coolest person in rock right now, but it looks like someone’s trying to upstage her in the hipster stakes, for now we have not just The Gossip but ‘Hot’ Gossip. Judging by the name, the edgy montage artwork and the scuzzy garage rock on offer, you’d place a safe bet on them being another shaggy-haired, leather-clad product of New York or London. But no, this band hail from Milan, more renowned for its Puccini than its punk. Despite the geographical glitch, Hot Gossip would fit nicely into the currently post-punk saturated UK scene with their ragged riffs and off-beat charm, best exemplified on the Ramones-meets-Daft Punk thrash of ‘Haarp’. Angles isn’t particularly intelligent and certainly not groundbreaking, but if it gets

RELEASE DATE: 8 JAN.

RELEASE RELEASE DATE: 29 JAN. WWW.MYSPACE.COM/HOTGOSSIP

LEE PATTERSON

THE GRINDER’ S MONKEY

ISLE OF ME

BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND (SELF RELEASED)

Beginning from a Cabaret Voltaire residency, Isle of Me craft alternative electronic songscapes that mesmerise and infect both the mind and dancing feet. But this is no regular, run of the mill, electronica: guitars, slap bass, live drums, congas and other assorted percussions elevate the songs to an altogether more unusual plain. Spliff up, kick back and bliss out. And then there are the vocals - perfectly captured and layered, they soar and interweave through the music - “you must be terrified.” Creepily ominous. Available for download on the I-Tunes music store, it’s good to see Isle of Me are embracing the soulless future of music buying, but you could wager that some album artwork would have suited this trip perfectly. [Ali Maloney] OUT NOW, AVAILABLE FROM I-TUNES WWW.ISLEOFME.CO.UK

LADYFINGER HEAVY HANDS (SADDLE CREEK)

HOT GOSSIP

ing: on CD, they are predictable and unimaginative. [Gareth K Vile]

‘B e ba pti s e d in the broth.

The rock broth.

Tea-bag it. Teabag the broth of rock.’ Behind th i s d o u btlessly ironic gem of hyperbole hide Ladyfinger, a band with a remarkable determination to play the same song ten times in half an hour. It’s a good song - fast, heavy, duelling guitars, hysterical vocals and power chords flailing towards a sudden finish, and they avoid false sensitivity. However, the album feels like a first draft, an enthusiastic band shoved into the studio before reflection and development could corrupt their energy. Ladyfinger avoid some of the more excessive clichés of metal - the guitar solos are menacing rather than flamboyant, and the steady rhythmic chug is stripped punk lean. The lyrics are lost beneath old fashioned histrionics, which might be just as well - what emerges sounds like predictable sloganeering. As a live proposition, they might be threatening and thrill-

RELEASE DATE: 29 JAN.

strom - still and ruminative and always just waiting to bubble over an edge that it that is never quite there.

[Neil Ferguson]

WWW.SARAHNIXEY.COM

RELEASE DATE: 8 JAN.

OUT NOW. AVAILABLE FROM:

WWW.THEFRAMES.IE

WWW.LITTLEGREENMACHINE.NET

THE HOLD STEADY

THE FRAMES PLAY ORAN MOR,

(SELF RELEASED)

Seamlessly intertwining m o o d y fo l kblues with a smouldering downbeat vocal, The Grinder’s Monkey could be a lost Van Morrison classic. But with reminiscing tales of intoxication down the docks o’ Leith, this tender balladeer lies a lot closer to home.

Born in the heart of Auld Reekie’s winding streets, Lee Patterson is a naturally animated storyteller.

Exuding an innate sense of life’s peculiarities, his third LP is awash with the fragments of a contemplative soul. When depicting the world through a haze of raw acoustic strumming and desolate a capellas, Patterson purrs like a preened kitten over the fraught laments of ‘To My Knees’ and ‘Go For A Beer’. Yet when the claws are out this cat fully engages; tearing away at the fleshy joint of Papa Jacques with the gruff tenacity of a rabid Tom Waits. Not renowned for its wealth of singer/ songwriters, Edinburgh has finally found a voice in Lee Patterson.

[Billy Hamilton] OUT NOW. WWW.LPMUSIC.ORG.UK

LITTLEGREENMACHINE LITTLE GREEN MACHINE

SONIC YOUTH

THE DESTROYED ROOM

The same approach might not work w he n Steve n Spielberg and Harrison Ford are reunited for another Indiana Jones, but Little Green Machine show that combining two ingredients well past their best-before date can have exhilarating results. Taking the songwriting and arrangements from indie rock and applying them to the raucous sludge bounce of grunge, they sound exactly like Therapy? might sound now if they hadn’t grown old and soft. This Edinburgh threepiece know exactly how to rock a song – when to drop some nice harmonies, when to crank up the distortion and when to sing the blues

(1965 RECORDS)

The band were always going to be in safe hands with legendary knob twiddler Owen Morris at the controls, and here he gives them only what they needed; to press the record button and see what happens. The band concur: “that’s the sound we were going for… nearly

38 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

like a live album.” Hence we hear somebody coughing near the end of ‘Don’t Tell Me’, and someone is told to “fuck off” in no uncertain terms at the end of ‘Streetlights’.

While fans will already have punched the air and pushed their mates to stonking previous singles, ‘Superstar Tradesman’ and the blistering ‘Wasted Little Dj’s’, upcoming single ‘Same Jeans’ is a chipper paean to being young and having a blast. Hats Off To The Buskers is basically the sound of four young men in the prime of their lives, having the time of their lives.

Let’s hope they never grow old. [Barry Jackson]

BOYS AND GIRLS IN AMERICA (VAGRANT)

OUT NOW WWW.SONICYOUTH.COM

RELEASE DATE: 22 JAN.

I smell a contractual obligation. With this b-sides and rarities compilation Sonic Youth will have delivered the final album of their contract with Geffen and will effectively have been released from the shackles of major labeldom. Sure enough, this hotchpotch of mostly instrumental tracks offers little of interest to the hardcore fan, and almost nothing to hook the casual listener. Rarities are usually rare for a reason, and most of the tracks here are pale facsimiles of classic Sonic Youth moments.

Standouts ‘K im’s Chords’ and ‘Beautiful Plateau’ are both mildly engaging workouts, but fans will have most likely already ‘acquired’ these songs, which were originally Japanese bonus tracks from the Sonic Nurse album. Similarly, the sublime 25 minute extended freakout version of ‘The Diamond Sea’ is already known and loved by the band’s faithful legions. ‘Three Part Sectional Love Seat’ is the only essential unreleased track here – meagre pickings indeed. [Jay Shukla]

WWW.THEHOLDSTEADY.COM

SARAH NIXEY SING, MEMORY

1. THE VIEW - HATS OFF TO THE BUSKERS (1965 RECORDS) 2. GHOST - IN STORMY NIGHTS (DRAG CITY)

up. nowhere, various pipes and a series of skyscrapers - it’s as if the viewer has been given the ability to peer at the tiniest details of a city before zooming out to observe it from the sky. It’s confusing, evocative, and neatly fits right in between the museum/art space dichotomy the GoMA seems to have found itself in. Not only that, it’s an excellent introduction to Paolozzi’s titanic, pioneering body of work.

GLASGOW ON 24 JAN

THEE MOTHS

GLYTCHVÖLK MUSIQUE CONCRÈTE (PET PIRANHA)

Featuring ten tracks that have previously been released on a variet y of low-key compilations, as well as an EP’s worth of new material, it’s thanks to the vision of Pet Piranha Records that the original lo-fi versions have remained intact. It’s intricacies that make the music of Alex Botten and friends so repeatedly rewarding: jittering drumbeats and haunting snippets of half-songs. Vocals that sound like they’re disappearing down the plug-hole are offset by a serenade of circling seagulls, and Gaelic folk song ‘Tha Mi Sgith’ flickers between Botten’s original melodies like a ghost amongst flames.

Though they may not please their hometown’s tourist board with titles like ‘Dundee Is a Smothering Darkness’, Thee Moths should be considered a national treasure, and this album a trove worth ransacking.

[Milo McLaughlin]

Similarly, Kenny Hunter’s ‘Churchill’s Dogs’ is a fantastic avatar for his career. Resembling a Kinder-Egg blown up to enormous size or, equally, the guardian statue of some dead pharaoh, it has the exact combination of ridiculousness and seriousness that gives his work its power. Both these sculptures, I imagine, would encourage the casual visitor, perhaps a pupil on a school trip or a tourist, to investigate the artists, surely the role the GoMA intends for itself.

We are Uncompetitive by Chad McCail

The Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art (Goma) is unsure whether to be a true contemporary space, or a museum for art made in Glasgow. Drawing from the GoMA collection generally seems to involve a process akin to that of a wedding DJ: pick some crowd pleasers, don’t bother too much with anything particularly challenging and always cater towards a non-specialist audience. Just as ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and ‘Bonny Bonny Banks of Loch Lomond’ positively must be played at weddings, any show of modern art is impelled to feature Glasgow blockbusters Peter Howson or a bit of gritty social realism from Ken Currie. It’s not that the work is bad, it’s just that by falling back on the

same old work and same old artists from the same old collection, GoMA only really serves as a tourist guide book to Glaswegian art, rather than a supportive patron.

The show is themed around figurative work, largely dealing with the body. Strangely, the visitor is greeted by a brazenly abstract, challenging work from Eduardo Paolozzi. Called ‘Hamlet in A Japanese Manner’, it is a thornbush of implied shapes, suggested forms and uncertain narratives, painted from a bright, psychedelic palette.

Figurative only in its implication of urban forms - the curve of a Roman colonnade, a staircase to

But anyone that has visited the gallery before will recognize many of the paintings. Recent acquisitions from Chad McCail are taken from a solo exhibition in the upstairs space only a few months ago. They rely on a mixture of comfort and threat, drawn in the style of a government public warning or the safety cards. A schoolroom looks innocuous enough, but look closely and the children are staring at pictures of genitalia, a jet fighter is zooming past the window. Similarly, an idyllic looking urban allotment, full of cavorting lovers, turns out to be a nascent killing field, the lovers armed with knives and sinister crowheaded figures plucking the trees. They’re great, but too fresh in the mind. The demotic policy of the GoMA, which assumes ignorance, trips itself

Similarly, Peter Howson’s typically macho painting of a burly man, leaning against a lamppost as if having some drunken epiphany, is great.

Stirring, bold, contemplative, confident: it’s the f lipside of the Glasgow hard-man image. But, guess what, we’ve seen it before. Likewise, my favourite painting of the show, of a poet writing by the light of a bare bulb in the ribs of a partly finished ship, is fantastic, but utterly expected.

Becoming a stalwart, Ross Sinclair’s inverted red church has been on display in various GoMA exhibitions for the past three years. Though, he tattooed himself with the phrase ‘Real Life’ as part of the work, so he deserves some permanency.

Body Language is a great show, perfect for the interested tourist or culturally inquisitive, but it fails to break any new ground. Presumably, the budget for acquisitions is tiny, but perpetual recycling of old work, under the dubious rubric of a show themed around figurative art, is unforgivable. It works for the Tate, which is more like an art superstore now and an undeniably important resource for the global art scene. But it has a massive variety of work to choose from. Blame the curators, blame the funders, it all amounts to the same thing. New ground is constantly claimed by Glasgow’s artists. When GoMA is the second most visited gallery outside of London, is it too much to expect it to follow suit?

BODY LANGUAGE - A SELECTION OF WORKS FROM THE COLLECTION AT GLASGOW GALLERY OF MODERN ART UNTIL MARCH 2007. FREE.

OUT NOW. WWW.THEEMOTHS.CO.UK

(YELLOW VAN)

With six studio albums to their name, the sounds of The Cost should come as no surprise to fans of The Frames. Gentle acoustics and uplifting melodies cast in a mould of violins and mandolins that, while carrying reverberations of folk, always feels like something so much more. Recorded “live” in a studio somewhere in France, the dynamic changes explored reflect a more expansive and palliative sound that, while maintaining The Frames’ archetypes, feels more intimate and personal. Somehow endearing and filled with its own warmth, The Cost is music for the cusp of the mael-

ALBUMS

GOMA ONLY REALLY SERVES AS A TOURIST GUIDE BOOK TO GLASWEGIAN ART, RATHER THAN A SUPPORTIVE PATRON

ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW

THE FRAMES (ANTI)

Sing, Memory is the first solo offering from Black Box Recorder vocalist, Sarah Nixey. A concept of sorts, it is technically two mini-albums in one, each with its own prelude and story. Sing speaks of what has happened, Memory of what is yet to come. Built on a bed of fourth world synths, Sarah Nixey is Nancy Sinatra for the 21st century – sultry, quixotic pop-music with breathed, laboured vocals. Motives of Kate Bush, Tori Amos and even the ambient end of Garbage float around in minimalist atmospheres. Although the sound is thick at times, too often Sing, Memory feels sparse and exiguous,

by Celia Sontag

LITTLE MAN TATE

THE COST

(CARGO)

TOP

Things weren’t always this rosy for The View. A couple of years ago they found themselves without a rehearsal room having got booted out of the local pub that gifted the band their name (the Bayview Bar), after an incident that the band describe in succinct and matter-of-fact terms. “We drank all the beer in the function room… and then rode a scooter along the bar,” they tell The Skinny. Oops. Still, never mind - two years after having built up an Arctic Monkeys-like frenzied fanbase, these four young rock urchins from Dundee are now ready to unleash the full fury of their debut album.

and as the electro-cabaret grows towards the close it all begins to feel just a little formulaic. [Neil Ferguson]

The title is pure 80s cheddar, and in an exaggerated spin on the jaded kids in Kim Wilde’s hair-sprayed disco bop universe, these Boys and Girls In America are of course “always inconsolable, unhinged and uncontrollable.” With all the lairy triumph of The Boss hammering shots with The National, Craig Finn and his Minneapolis set perform the unthinkable by ramming Thin Lizzy riffs and celebration day Pogues sentiments into the same cannon. It’s pure fusion, and, like the best of them, reeks in equal measures of sincere optimism and tearful empathy. The explosive organ of ‘Chips Ahoy’ versus the soft piano tinkerings of ‘Chillout Tent’ easily announces this idea before the lyrics are even considered. The Hold Steady practice that rare reverse psychology of luring you into the strangely comfortable state where failure seems fine, if only for the sake of recapturing some sort of lost hunger. It’s loose, fun and whimsical yet it’s nicely crafted - as such, dismiss these girls and boys as just another gang of angstridden crybabys and you know not what you do. [Dave Kerr]

(UNIVERSAL)

(LGM)

FEATURED ALBUM THE VIEW - HATS OFF TO THE BUSKERS

(waiting for a bus in the rain seems a perfect time). There’s enough energy, angst and humour, party and pathos to make even jaded haters dance like crazy. [Ali Maloney]

Body Language

ART

SOUNDS ALBUM REVIEWS

If this is a debut album then how come it sounds so familiar?

Opening with ‘Man I Hate Your Band,’ this cheeky energetic jaunt from Sheffield’s Little Man Tate could either be a cheap version of the Libertines or it could just be inspired fun. Front man and lyricist Jon Windle spins tales of love and adventure with an honest candor that’s at once endearing and offensive. Although it doesn’t immediately strike as an outstanding listen, there’s something young and fresh about songs like ‘House Party at Boothy’s’ that makes Little Man Tate’s first a fine soundtrack to the weekend. [Lauren Mooney] RELEASE DATE: 29 JAN.

ONLINE ALBUM REVIEWS CANCER BATS - BIRTHING THE GIANT (HASSLE) FRESHFABRIK - FINEST (PURE MINT) GHOST

- IN STORMY NIGHTS (DRAG CITY)

3. BLOOD BROTHERS

KLING KLANG

- YOUNG MACHETES (WICHITA)

- THE ESTHETIK OF DESTRUCTION (ROCK ACTION)

4. THEE MOTHS - GLYTCHVÖLK MUSIQUE CONCRÈTE (PET PIRANHA)

MAKE GOOD YOUR ESCAPE

5. THE HOLD STEADY - BOYS AND GIRLS IN AMERICA (VAGRANT)

MUDBONE - FRESH MUD (INFLUX)

- NEVER COME BACK HERE AGAIN (FIERCE PANDA)

NEUROSONIC - DRAMA QUEEN (BODOG)

RELEASE DATE: 22 JAN. WWW.THEVIEWAREONFIRE.COM

SOUNDS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

27

SOUNDS

SOUNDS Ben Folds

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI After swimming around manic in the excesses of the festive season, a fair few of us could f reely admit to indulging in the simple pleasures of enjoying the debauchery afforded by many beers and a fair singsong at a gig, right? But when the hell did rock n’roll shows turn into coffee mornings? Here’s a New Year’s resolution for anyone out there who likes to break open the jaffa cakes and have a blether while some quality (or not) band is playing their heart out in front of your self satisfied eyes: “must shut pus at concerts.” Call it a precious notion, but it doesn’t half mess with the ambience to have some foghorn waxing lyrical about how much better their band is than the one playing in front of them, or the incessant amplified sounds of some loutish comedian jabbering redundant bollocks about how cool the tee shirt they ducked out to buy during song three looks. I hope it shrinks in the wash to a size that only a baby toad can wear. Actually, give the toad your ticket next time and leave the rest of us in peace. Sling that resolution into the mix along with a wish for the incarceration of George Bush and his imperialist mates, and we’re off to a happy 2007. Gouranga! /Dave

SOME REAL CONVERSATION FOR YOUR ASS

INTERVIEW FEATURE BEN FOLDS LIVE MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS DON’T MISS LIVE MUSIC EDINBURGH INTERVIEW FEATURE BARBAROSSA LIVE MUSIC GLASGOW INTERVIEW FEATURE WAKE THE PRESIDENT FEATURE CELTIC CONNECTIONS ZERO DEGREES OF SEPARATION PREVIEW PREVIEW JOANNA NEWSOM PREVIEW TOFFS CAN’T DANCE

METAL UP YOUR ASS THE INBREDS ALBUM REVIEWS THE BLUETONES SINGLE REVIEWS THE EASY GRAMOPHONE

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Ben Folds is one of those rare musicians who has absorbed many trends and stood the test of time.

He’s stuck to his guns and acknowledged what has gone on around him, all the while with a bemused smirk on his face. Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP, which is actually a compilation of three previously available online only EPs as well as a typically tongue in cheek cover of Dr. Dre’s ‘Bitches Ain’t Shit’, is out now.

The Skinny recently wrestled him away from his kids for a second and caught up with the alternative popper as he geared up for his UK tour at his home base in Nashville, Tennessee.

How did you first discover music? In what way did the elements start to come together?

“I’ve always been a musician, even before I was a musician. I was making up music in my head before I learned how to do it. I remember sitting down at the piano and thinking I could play and when it didn’t sound good I was pissed.”

How have you kept up this honesty in an industry where people want to change you?

“People do that to themselves, there’s an incentive to be full of shit, but I have incentive to do my thing. If something isn’t ringing true to me, if I didn’t feel it, I had a hard time doing it. If it’s not coming from an honest place, there have been times I’ve actually lost my voice. I like form, but I like informality. Informality in music is good.”

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What inspires you to write ? Are you in a place with it where you can set aside the time to do it?

“It’s different every time but in general, in all these different situations, there are inspirational moments that have created seeds of songs, and then there comes a time when you need to work - dot the I’s and cross the T’s. But I don’t think I’ve ever sat down and said ‘Ok it’s time to write a song, lalalala.’ There’s an inspiration there that kind of isn’t you.”

You have such a dynamic stage presence.

Was that something that developed over time?

“I was nervous in the beginning, but I tried harder, I used to think you had to perform music but you don’t, you execute it.”

How would you compare playing gigs in the UK versus performances on home turf?

“Maybe because I don’t get to play it all that often, I always say the UK is my favorite place to play. I love Glasgow - it’s the right amount of intelligent and rowdy. The people have a musical intelligence and sensitivity.”

How did Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP, come into being?

I’m not going to make a cent, it’s about compiling it all in one place and putting it on a record, a physical hard copy. In the future with all these mp3s we’re going to have to look into some guy’s computer, so really this album could be called Backup Tape.”

You’ve worked with a unique range of artists, from Ben Kweller and Ben Lee (as ‘The Bens’ - genius) to the mighty William Shatner - who’s next on your wish list of collaborators?

“I would love to work with Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls. I worship what she’s doing.

I just want to be a servant to her; even it’s just pressing buttons or getting her Starbucks.”

What can we look forward to from you in the future?

“I’m working on a new album, but I’m taking it easy, which I don’t do very often, so I’m just chilling out with the whole process.”

And when you hit Glasgow, paint us a picture, how’s it going to go down, Benjamin?

“It’s cliche, but all the shows are different; I’m just in the moment when I’m playing a gig!”

BEN FOLDS PLAYS CARLING ACADEMY, GLASGOW ON 26 JAN.

“Well it’s nothing to do with business, some people think I’m just cashing in on some songs, but

Wake the President

by Jasper Hamill

ALONG WITH THE LIKES OF POPUP, SEEM TO BE REDEFINING THE SOUND OF THE CITY

“I LOVE GLASGOW; IT’S THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF INTELLIGENT AND ROWDY.”

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

SOUNDS CONTENTS

by Lauren Mooney

SUPERSUNNYSPEEDGRAPHIC IS OUT NOW.

There’s an old man who haunts Sauchiehall Street, dressed in a three-piece suit, leaning on a cane. Every time you bump into him he’s got the same story: “Son, I wouldn’t lie to you. I’m a Christian.” With a tear in his eye he tells how, yet again, he’s lost the tenner from his wallet and needs some cash to get home. In a way, his story is as representative of the city as any Alasdair Gray novel or Belle and Sebastian song. Sad, proud and elegant, he walks the street searching for that lost ten pound note.

These characters are inspiration to the scores of bands and artists working in Glasgow. For Eric Sandberg, one of the twins that runs Say Dirty Records and plays in Wake the President, the old men sitting at bars or drunkenly wandering the streets are the lifeblood of Glasgow, the very core to understanding the city. The songs he sings, melancholy reminiscences of blonde girls from the past, tales of the deceit and debauchery of the West End, resonate with the slurred poetry of these men, philosophising over a whisky water at the Ben Nevis. “For me, my lyrics are about respecting the past, the language and tongue of Glasgow.” You can hear Burns, Goethe and Carlyle in the words just as you can hear the muttered remembrances of sozzled drinkers.

The strum of an acoustic guitar, the plaintive Glaswegian burr, a jangle from Eric’s brother Bjorn’s vintage telecaster: it sounds like the whimsy of vintage Orange Juice but with the sordid, brutal honesty of Arab Strap. And the city is catching on.

A recent gig to celebrate Say Dirty’s success saw a defining performance from Wake The President, the Sandbergs resplendent in braces and tweed, harmonising Eric’s lyrics of love, loss and late night drinking. They’ve been courted by the Electric Honey label, pack Brel every Thursday for their Out to Play evening and, along with the likes of Popup, seem to be redefining the sound of the city.

“All my songs are a narrative,” says Eric, “‘Blonde Girls’ is about this guy I know who fucked his leg and retrained as a primary school teacher. For a proud old Scotsman to do that - a man with an enormous amount of pride - was incredibly brave.” Not only that, but: “he was a dirty old man, and I related to that.”

WAKE THE PRESIDENT PLAY BARFLY, GLASGOW ON 9 JAN AND THE CLASSIC GRAND, GLASGOW ON 20 JAN. MYSPACE.COM/WAKETHEPRESDENT

www.kingtuts.co.uk 272 St Vincent Street, Glasgow Telephone: 0141 221 5279

WWW.BENFOLDS.COM

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COLUMN

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INTERVIEW FEATURE

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THIS MONTH’S REVIEWS 36 FEATURE INTERVIEW

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THIS MONTH’S REVIEWS 38 FEATURE

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A MUSO’S TOP 10 COMETS ON FIRE Psychedelic riff lovers Comets On Fire were off their collective rocker when the Skinny caught up with them at Nightmare Before Christmas last month. True to their form as an album band, they delivered a melting pot of the long-players presently keeping their solar system ablaze during these winter months...

1. THIN LIZZY - THIN LIZZY 2. GRAHAM NASH - SONGS FOR BEGINNERS 3. ALLEN TROUSSAINT - LIFE LOVE AND FAITH 4. TERRY RILEY - PERSIAN SURGERY DERVISHES 5. RHCP - STADIUM ARCADIUM 6. EDDIE HAZEL - GAMES, DAMES AND GUITAR THANGS 7. DELANEY AND BONNIE - THE BEST OF 8. SAM HAIN - NOVEMBER COMING FIRE 9. THE SUBLIME - BOXSET 10. FEDERATION - HYPHY/IN LOVE WITH A HOOD RAT “Comets are currently working on a soundtrack to an (ahem) adult film in conjunction with Spencer Yeh, Chris Corsano and Paul Flaherty. The film is being directed by Graham Moorehead, also known as Glenn Danzig.”

Ben Folds: he’s been expecting you

28 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

SOUNDS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

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LIVE MUSIC

Highlights

SOUNDS

SOUNDS GLASGOW

by Ted Maul

WITHOUT A DOUBT THE GIG OF THE MONTH BELONGS TO SWEDEN’S RADIO DEPT.

EDINBURGH

PLACEBO - www.fisherphotographics.co.uk

BARDO POND MONO, 28 NOV

Tonight’s trio of consciousnessexpanders begins with Alexander Tucker, who builds walls of textured drone that belie his lone, seated figure. With bowed guitar, acoustic arpeggios and wordless vocals, interspersed with occasional bursts of heavy noise, he masterfully commences a night of psychedelia.

Live, Jackie O Motherfucker are a long way from the accessibility of last year’s Flags Of The Sacred Harp.

They play long, improvised organic jams, formed from a multitude of bowings, scrapings, drifting ghostly voices and shamanistic chanting.

Over the course of an hour, their shuddering drones slowly rise and fall, coalescing every so often into half-songs and melodies.

Bardo Pond’s similarly trance-inducing sounds are of a wholly different kind. The air is thick with their heavy riffs, the sound so dense that it seems to tune the whole venue into their monolithic bass-heav y grooves. With the unstoppable juggernaut of Clint Takeda’s bass and Jason Kourkounis’ drums against the deep fuzz of the Gibbons brothers’ dual guitars, all overlaid with the barely-heard whispers of Isobel Sollenberger’s flute and vocals, Glasgow is treated to a wonderful dose of the finest psychedelic rock around. [Alex Woodward] WWW.THREELOBED.COM/BARDO WWW.ATPFESTIVAL.COM/ATP-RECORD INGS/JACKIE-O-MOTHERFUCKER WWW.ATPFESTIVAL.COM/ATPRECORDINGS/ALEXANDER-TUCKER

PLACEBO SECC, 6 DEC

Touring in support of their latest album Meds and the re-release of their debut album, Placebo grace the SECC enhanced by Brian Molko’s kilt-clad ass. Compared to the past, the trio come across as more dignified and less drug-addicted. Playing a solid mix of past and present hits, they roll out the likes of the classic ‘Every You Every Me,’ much to the crowd’s delight. Although the

show entertains, there seems to be something missing. Overall, a very reserved performance, and the only one in the group appearing to enjoy himself is bassist, Stefan Olsdal.

Before it could be considered a total loss, the encore proves to be salvation. Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ is covered with such emotion and conviction, dragging on forever but seemingly way too short. This was definitely one for the true fans, not for the yet to be convinced.

[Lauren Mooney] WWW.PLACEBOWORLD.CO.UK

THE CHARLATANS CARLING ACADEMY, 4 DEC

Could this be the last chance to see The Charlatans? With their second ‘best of’ compilation in the shops, it’s fair to say the vultures are circling. Perhaps The Charlatans have always been something of a Skoda to Oasis’s Volkswagen, but tonight’s show would still mark a fitting curtain call, if indeed such speculation is to be given credence. Supporting t h e m a r e yo u n g e r- g e n e r a t i o n Manchester band The Longcut, a trio who generate waves of sonic assault through moaning guitar and angry bass which crash indistinctly in the recesses of the cavernous hall. Their audience may be more interested in their own conversations, but The Longcut evidently enjoy their unduly short set.

Eventually The Charlatans emerge in a blizzard of strobe-flashes and dry ice, with Tim Burgess delaying his entrance until the last possible second. Such unapologetic theatricality continues unabated all night, but these perennial survivors have surely earned the right to it. An unexciting first half is punctuated by a few highlights from Wonderland before they sink their teeth into the anthems. ‘The Only One I Know’ transports the nostalgic audience trippily back to 1990 and Burgess goes all strained-Dylan on ‘How High’ - the venue obediently jumps.

An impressive spectacle yes, but there can’t be much more fuel left in the tank. [Nick Mitchell] WWW.THECHARLATANS.NET

36 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

BARDO POND - Alex Woodward

THE DYKEENIES THE GARAGE, 2 DEC

The Dykeenies take a 20 year-old sound and update it. A keyboard playing singer, 80s influences and sing-a-long songs crammed with pop hooks make comparisons with The Killers easy, but accurate.

They have a harder edge - at times they sound like a Test Icicles that can actually play their instruments.

Backing vocals from the bassist and guitarist help fill the room and ‘Pick You Up’ and ‘Clean Up Your Eyes’ sound positively anthemic.

Other highlights include the partisan crowd singing ‘In and Out’ almost as loud as the band, the rocking ‘Death On The Dancefloor’ and the band channelling the spirit of Ron ‘Anchorman’ Burgundy with an a capella ‘Afternoon Delight’. If there is any justice in the world, the numerous ‘killer’ songs and joie de vivre on show tonight will catapult The Dykeenies to the same super stardom as the Las Vegas Quartet.

[Paul Matusavage] MYSPACE.COM/GOFINDTHEDYKEENIES

TOOL

SECC, 25 NOV Question: can you really claim that a show was “awesome!” when you’ve blatantly blethered all the way through it? Having never paid it quite as much attention as you would to an episode of Boohbah?

Regardless of those few who have thrown away their money, Tool’s unwavering focus is abundant, as their monolithic show is blown open with a reworked version of ‘Stinkfist’ to open all other surrounding eyes.

‘Swamp Song’ and ‘Jambi’ sweep the SECC like a relentless sonic tidal wave; surfed with controlled fervour by Maynard James Keenan as he sways back and forth while the magnitude of another primeval roar depletes his lungs of air. Far more taunting than belligerent in their approach, bursts of kryptonite green strobe-light dazzle while undeniable battering rams like ‘Wings of Marie’ and ‘10,000 Days’ are let loose in all their sprawling glory; it’s impossible

THE CHARLATANS - Mark Dorrian

not to get wrapped up in both the sound and spectacle. The result?

This quartet visibly leave an audience “overwhelmed, as one would be,” unless, of course, you were only there for the craic.

[Johnny Langlands] WWW.TOOLBAND.COM

MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN KING TUT’ S, 7 DEC

With an opener that’s a little bit Scissor Sisters, a little bit The Rapture and a little bit Tetris, Men, Women and Children’s disco rock sound may still be finding its feet but what they lack in experience they make up for in energy. Front man TJ Penzone announces “I may lose my voice tonight but it will be worth it” and choreographed stage moves as well as an impromptu conga give you the sense that they know how to put on a show. The New York sextet’s set crosses genres from electro beats to disco to post-punk rock and back again with single ‘Dance in My Blood’ stealing the show and filling the dance floor at the end of the night. The refrain “You don’t need a reason, to get up on the dance floor” resonates across the crowd through the synths and strings of this infectious disco-rock. So dig out your 70s stilettos and get dancing.

Only time will tell if Men, Women and Children can make the transition from novelty to credibility but what is certain is that they’ll have fun trying.

[Julie Paterson] WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ MENWOMENANDCHILDREN

TENACIOUS D SECC, 11 DEC

Frank Zappa once posed the question: “Does Humour Belong In Music?” Of course, he couldn’t care less for anybody’s answer and carried on with his distinct fusion of sonics and satire regardless. Fast forward a little over two decades, however, and the mass popularisation and subsequent over-saturation presented by the palatable quirkiness of The Darkness and their ilk

may have served the proverbial fatal Aikido blow to ‘ironic’ rock, but Jack Black and Kyle Gass, perhaps more unashamed in their folk-metal approach, still know exactly what to do to get the reaction they require.

Somewhere between a gig and a panto show - with well arranged theatrics and a frills providing backing band rounded out by Charlie Chaplin, Colonel Sanders and the Anti-Christ - laughs and bullhorns are rife throughout an unfolding

TOOL - Charlotte Rodenstedt

GLASGOW

Feisty Glaswegian rockers THE HEDRONS (pictured) kick things off with a gig at CABARET VOLTAIRE ON 11 JAN. Laser-guided riffing, sweet pop melodies and furious rhythms all add up to an exciting live proposition. This band has a real urgency about them – enjoy.

Edinburgh based power-pop trio THE DIALS hit up KING TUT’S ON 5 JAN. This band deal in high-adrenaline thrills, solid, chugging riffs and emotive vocals. Check them out if you’re the sort who can’t get enough feel-good, fist pumping gig action.

If “the system is in collapse” as Thom Yorke claims, then it will mostly likely be a band like AMEN that finally topple it. Pure black hatred for the music industry and the corporations that control it is what fuels the one-man creative whirlwind known as Casey Chaos. See him self-destruct at THE EXCHANGE ON 21 JAN.

Like The Smiths? Like jangly guitar pop? Well then, you might just enjoy NIGHTMARE OF YOU, who play KING TUT’S ON 21 JAN. It’s not screamingly original, but if swaggering, confessional odes about illicit sexual situations push your buttons you’ll have a ball.

If skin-flaying punk fury isn’t exactly your thing then you may want to get hold of tickets to see RAY LAMONTAGNE at the USHER HALL ON 24 JAN. His soulful, smoky voice made him famous, and his recent material has seen his songwriting take a quantum leap, so all accounts point towards this evening being an occasion.

The critically lauded GET CAPE. WEAR CAPE. FLY crash into the QMU ON 21 JAN, and they’ll no doubt be bringing their fiery stash of folktronica (cringe) with them.

Compared to the likes of Billy Bragg and the Clash, acoustic social invectives are what Sam Duckworth and his posse are all about. Love it or hate it.

American folk legend JOAN BAEZ plays the USHER HALL ON 1 FEB. A champion of human rights and a tireless activist in many areas, Baez is known for her soprano voice and unique reinterpretations of songs by artists such as The Beatles and Stevie Wonder. A cunning concoction.

Without a doubt the gig of the month belongs to Sweden’s RADIO DEPT. who will play NICE ‘ N’ SLEAZY ON 28 JAN. Woozy, enveloping melodies, fuzzy, heartwarming soulfulness – their charms are hard to describe, so I suggest you buy a ticket and experience them for yourself. Majestic, life affirming stuff.

story peppered with daft ditties like ‘Kickapoo,’ ‘Car Chase City’ and the dual-acoustic six stringer epic ‘Wonderboy,’ delivered with a backdrop of Hellfire smouldering behind them. ‘Tribute’ predictably wraps things up, with Black in characteristically animated form, shimmying the stage and laughing his ass off.

Does humour belong in music?

Tonight The D answer with an assured “sometimes.” [Dave Kerr]

The Hedrons play Cab Vol on 11 Jan Photo: Andy Willsher

WWW.TENACIOUSD.COM

THE GLASGOW SCHOOL

by Gareth K Vile

JANUARY SEES MANY OF OUR INDIGENOUS FOLK MUSICIANS AND BANDS OF A PEACEFUL, GENTLE NATURE FLOURISHING As Celtic Connections begins its domination of the city, the indigenous folk musicians and bands of a more peaceful and gentle nature are flourishing this month.

See the feature in this issue for more details and a few exclusive interviews with some of the artists appearing.

As well as the bounty of talent about to be set upon venues across Glasgow, following on the success of the first night at the Goat, VERSAcoustic have announced an acoustic tour, beginning in March, which will feature unplugged performances

by BMX Bandits, My Latest Novel and Em ma Pol lock, amongst others. But this is only the tip of the acoustic iceberg: both Tchai-Ovna and the Bean Scene host regular singer-songwriters, while the Free Candy Sessions at the Liquid Ship have been of fering bands the op portunity to strip down their sound on a weekly basis. Open mic nights and jam sessions are happening every night of the week (check glasgow.openguide. co.uk for further details - there’s too damn many for even The Skinny to list in full). Most of

these events are either free or very cheap, offering the chance to see either established names or the stars of tomorrow in an intimate setting.

Glasgow’s scenes a re as d iverse as they are successful, and there is often cross-over between the different genres.

Popup, more usually known for their jaunty pop, performed at the first VERSAcoustic session and are about to embark for the prestigious South By South West Festival in Austin, Texas. The Free Candy Sessions are as likely to feature jazz as folk as rock - a recent evening saw loca l A mer ica na out f it The State Broadcasters rub shoulders with Scottish troubadour Robbie McInnes, and the jazzy styling of Harriet Glover shared a stage with experimental guitarist Billy Bates.

As with Celtic Connections, it is impossible to catch everything that is happening in Glasgow in a single month. However, it is perfectly possible to capture exciting music every night of the week.

SOUNDS

ALBUM RELEASE SCHEDULE DATE

ARTIST

TITLE

LABEL

8-Jan 8-Jan 8-Jan 8-Jan 8-Jan 8-Jan 15-Jan 22-Jan 22-Jan 22-Jan 22-Jan 22-Jan 22-Jan 22-Jan 22-Jan 22-Jan 29-Jan 29-Jan 29-Jan 29-Jan 29-Jan 29-Jan 29-Jan

GANG STARR

Mass Appeal Candylion Heavy Hands The Cost These Days Buck The World Mind the Gap Young Machetes Blue Shift Emissions Panic Prevention Make This Your Own Re-Advocate The Good The Bad and The Queen Boys and Girls in America Wincing The Night Away Hat’s Off To the Buskers Alan Tyler & The Lost Sons of Littlefield Hotsy Totsy Nagaski Angles About What You Know Not Too Late Sing, Memory Myths of the Near Future

EMI Rough Trade Saddle Creek Anti Universal Interscope Cultjam Wichita Benbecula Virgin Sequel Street Grind Parlophone Vagrant Sub Pop SonyBMG Hanky Panky Garageblast/No Dancing Ghost Yellow Van Parlophone Cargo Polydor

GRUFF RHYS LADYFINGER THE FRAMES VINCE GILL YOUNG BUCK DOGZUKI BLOOD BROTHERS CHRIST. JAMIE T THE COOPER TEMPLE CLAUSE THE GAME THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE QUEEN THE HOLD STEADY THE SHINS THE VIEW ALAN TYLER & THE LOST SONS OF LITTLEFIELD DESERT HEARTS HOT GOSSIP LITTLE MAN TATE NORAH JONES SARAH NIXEY THE KLAXONS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

29

Barbarossa – THE FENCE CONNECTION

by Duncan Forgan

Disappearing acts followed by heroic comebacks are not uncommon in the topsy-turvy and emotionally frazzling battlefield of contemporary music. John Lennon retreated to his Dakota Building cocoon for the best part of five years before returning with his chart-topping epitaph Double Fantasy while artists as diverse as Johnny Cash, Tina Turner and Morrissey have all undergone a fall from grace before bouncing back to garner critical garlands and renewed public acclaim.

cart, to the sanctity of Skye to, in the parlance of the time, ‘get her head together in the country’.

It was here that Bunyan laid the foundations for

generation of listeners and musicians entranced by her beguiling vision.

“I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HIDING ALL THE TIME” Barbarossa’s debut album Chemical Campfires is a deeply personal and honest collection of folk tinged songs, written and performed by songwriter James Mathe. His sincere vocals are underpinned by a subtle electro sheen that makes it sound refreshingly modern - the sonic equivalent of a glacial lake, its depths hidden by a pristine surface.

This unlikeliest of comebacks started in

BUNYAN’S EMERGENCE FROM WISTFUL earnest in 2000 with the CD re-release album and gathered pace FLOWER-POWER OBSCURITY HAS BEEN ofwiththea debut series of guest appearances on reAS UNLIKELY AS IT HAS BEEN WELCOME cordings by the aforementioned Banhart

As phoenix-from-the-ashes tales go however, few have the ‘fuck-me’ factor of the remarkable rediscovery and renaissance of Vashti Bunyan. Now ensconced alongside fellow sixties folksters such as Bert Jansch and John Renbourn as a musical mentor to nu-folk figureheads like Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom, Bunyan’s emergence from wistful flower-power obscurity has been as unlikely as it has been welcome.

Discovered by Rolling Stones svengali Andrew Loog Oldham in the mid-sixties, Bunyan was originally marketed as a kittenish swinging London starlet, very much in the vein of fellow Oldham alumnus Marianne Faithfull. Her girl-next-door charms failed to strike a chord with the listening public however, and, after a string of flops, she retreated, via a horse and

her debut album and undisputed masterpiece, Just Another Diamond Day. Imbued with an air of otherworldly Highland mysticism and pastoral childlike dreaminess, songs like ‘Glow Worms’, ‘Diamond Day’ and ‘Timothy Grub’ may have taken their cues from other psych-folk voyagers like the Incredible String Band and Donovan but their ethereal beauty were entirely of Bunyan’s making.

And then - nothing. Despite being recorded with some of Brit-folk’s brightest stars, including Fairport Convention violinist Dave Swarbrick a nd Nick Dra ke’s st ri ng-a r ra ngement ma n Robert Kirby, and released through counter-culture figurehead Joe Boyd’s production company, Witchseason, the record bombed and Bunyan retreated into obscurity. As the posthumous reappraisal of Drake’s output proved, however, it takes a lot to keep a neglected classic down. And painfully slowly, but surely, Bunyan’s defining statement found a new audience among a new

and US psychsters Animal Collective. By 2005 Bunyan was basking in the critical aftermath of her acclaimed second album Lookaftering – released an astonishing 35 years after her first – and was once again sharing her particular musical vision with fans across the world.

This is partly thanks to Mathe’s choice of producer, Simon Lord (previously of Simian) as Mathe explains to The Skinny. “It was really exciting to have found someone who was realising the things I heard in my head. I wanted to keep it organic in the main, but introduce a bit of electronica without taking away the emotion of the songs. I didn’t want to do the whole retro thing because of the new folk revival that was happening around me - I was really flattered to be involved with that and play with some great musicians who are pulling on the more traditional side of folk, like The Eighteenth Day of May & Alasdair Robert, but I was also aware that I wanted it to be a contemporary thing.”

She’s back playing in Scotland this month as part of a bill that looks like manna from heaven for lovers of wintry off-kilter folk. The gig, entitled Zero Degrees of Separation, takes place at Glasgow’s ABC and features Bunyan alongside Adem, Juana Molina and Vetiver - all artists deserving of far more than this measly paragraph - and promises to be a magical night of previously unheard arrangements, collaborations and experiments.

Mathe found the surge of great new music we’ve enjoyed recently a major inspiration. “Although I was listening to things like Bert Jansch, and Fairport Convention, during the time of recording the album I was also listening to a lot of newer bands who were exciting me like Sigur Rós, Sufjan Stevens and Animal Collective. In the last couple of years I’ve just been blown away by some of the music that’s out there.”

But don’t be surprised if Bunyan comes to prominence on the evening – it’s where she deserved to be all along.

ZERO DEGREES OF SEPARATION TAKES PLACE AT THE ABC, GLASGOW ON 16 JAN.

The name Barbarossa, meaning ‘Red Beard’ in Italian, came to Mathe while on holiday with his half-Italian girlfriend. “We were in Italy and we started to appreciate really good red wine. While we were over there we saw a particular bottle called Il Barbarossa, and it had a picture of this guy with a big red beard who looked a bit

WWW.ANOTHERDAY.CO.UK

Joanna Newsom

by Alistair Brown

Californian Ramones fans – stop what you’re doing and run, for Ys is your nemesis. Harpist Joanna Newsom is touring her new album (pronounced “eess”), and it’s about as different to the 2-minute balls, dolls and drugs model as you can get in contemporary popular music. Newsom’s second major release is complex, dynamic and challenging - it clearly won’t appeal to everyone.

It’s one of the most critically acclaimed albums of recent years but many music lovers vehemently hate it – it’s pretentious, they say, and unlistenably so. Her voice is like a nasal elfin whine, fey and affected, warbling indecipherable lyrics over winsome harp wankery and senseless off-time orchestration. That’s an opinion you may well stay with if you’ve heard Ys.

by Milo McLaughlin

like my Grandad. My Grandad was a big character who has had a massive effect on me, so it all seemed to fit perfectly. Although we bought a bottle of the wine and it was fucking horrible!”

SOUNDS

SOUNDS PREVIEWS Zero Degrees of Separation

Prior to recording the new album with Lord, Mathe had already been lucky enough to know Adem, who produced his debut EP, which then, in another stroke of luck, or perhaps fate, made its way to the East Neuk of Fife and into the hands of the folks at Fence, through whom Chemical Campfires has been released this month.

“A friend of mine sent it up to them; I got an e-mail saying we really love the EP and the homemade packaging - I think they were as excited about the packaging as with the recording! Then they invited me up for Homegame, and the rest is history really - it just clicked and I felt really at home up there - it was incredibly inspiring to be around those people.”

London-based Mathe will be returning to Scotland in 2007 for more gigs with his Fence compadres, and is also releasing a track on the new offshoot label De-Fence which focuses on the more electronic aspects of the Fife based collective’s output, along the lines of this year’s sublime Electric Fence compilation. Meanwhile, his debut album has already been made Rough Trade’s album of the month, having received a limited release in December. But isn’t the bearded one worried that he has bared too much of his soul?

“I think a lot of people are hiding all the time, and I’m sure I do as well, but I just wanted to put myself out there and be really honest.

When I’m up there on stage or recording, to be able to get yourself in that place and remember exactly what you were going through, your performance becomes very honest as well.”

CHEMICAL CAMPFIRES IS OUT NOW ON FENCE RECORDS. WWW.BARBAROSSAMUSIC.COM

But if you’ve listened closely to Ys, committed some more of your time to acquiring the taste, you’ll probably disagree - in which case Newsom’s Glasgow date is a must-see. With each listen, another multifaceted lyrical paragraph, twinkling harp phrase or symphonic flourish acquires the benefit of your doubt, until the whole coalesces into the focus of gooey-eyed wonderment. Ys was injury-time contender for Album of 2006 - and this gig will be one of 2007’s early highlights.

JOANNA NEWSOM PLAYS CITY HALLS, CANDLERIGGS, GLASGOW ON 14 JAN. ‘YS IS OUT NOW ON DRAG CITY. WWW.DRAGCITY.COM/BANDS/NEWSOM.HTML

Toffs Can’t Dance: THE SECOND COMING As Second Comings go, it’s not exactly on par with a biblical resurrection. But the return of Toffs Can’t Dance should be greeted with similar awestruck adulation when it re-emerges this month. Because these are no generic indie-schmindie shenanigans - this is a craftily constructed, aurally intoxicating night of the finest young hips-shakers in town.

by Billy Hamilton

bands. Recalling the vibrancy of the first Toffs, The Dials frontman Joe Hendry enthuses: “The Caves was amazing – we really took it up a gear that night. It was a unique spectacle. There’s nowhere like it around. Where else can you see live bands, get pissed and explore a haunted tomb?”

Where else indeed? And on 27 January you can once again excavate Toffs’ cavernous realms without fear of mummification as a stellar quartet of Edinburgh acts bandage your eardrums with blistering sound. Tam’s Railways and The Dials will be reacquainted for another splurge of seething power-punk and feisty rock ‘n’ roll, whilst new recruits have been found in the dastardly duo of Penny Blacks and OBE.

Bursting into life last May, Toffs was one of the revitalising alternatives on the map of Edinburgh’s oft scraggily-haired subculture. Firmly focused on showcasing aspiring local acts, founders Mike McGrail and Gavin Oattes entwined live bands with comedic interludes and an exquisite music policy, plastering a grin on the faces of the emaciated indie masses. And to top off this unadulterated musical gratification was its illustrious setting: The Caves.

So what can we expect from the sprightly Toffs freshmen? Well, Penny Blacks’ vocalist Jon Seller With its electrified atmosphere, the venue’s chas- is gearing up for a night of suave sophistication mal confines proved a hit with both punters and with the occasional foxtrot thrown in for good

30 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

measure: “We’re gonna be pulling out all the stops on the night - I may even have a shave,” he exclaims. “We love playing live and we’ll definitely get some dancing going on in honour of the title.”

The final word goes to OBE’s Stitch, who tackles that perennially irksome question: Why do rich-kids fail to cut some quality rug? “Pure and simply: inbreeding. It’s to do with their testicles. During conception something gets all twisted up and they’re in constant pain ‘til the moment they die. It’s horrible and all the boys in OBE would like to say: Toffs, our thoughts are with you.”

TOFFS CAN’T DANCE: THE CAVES, 27 JAN. NIDDRY STREET SOUTH, 9 PM - 3 AM. £6 BEFORE 11, £7 AFTER WWW.MYSPACE.COM/TOFFSCANTDANCEEDINBURGH

SOUNDS

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January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

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SOUNDS

SOUNDS EDINBURGH

METAL UP YOUR ASS! METAL UP YOUR ASS! SWEATING OUT ALL THAT GREASE, PUDDING AND BOOZE IN THE PIT

by Jamie Borthwick

Ok, so we’ve all over-indulged a little bit, haven’t we? Regretting that fourth helping of Turkey dinner? Couldn’t say ‘no’ every time the twiglets and cheese footballs went past at the Hogmanay party? Well Metal Up Your Ass knows only one way of rectifying that: by sweating out all that grease, pudding and booze in the pit at one of the quality metal shows on in the central belt this January.

Glaswegians FLOOD OF RED have been making waves of late by grabbing the attention of Small Town Records and gig-goers who have caught them on tour. See what all the fuss is about as they bring their Thrice inspired tracks to Studio 24 for only £5 entry on Friday 5 Jan. Fellow west-coasters

BY MY HANDS are also out to impress Auld Reekie in January, check out their metal/hardcore sound when they play Subway Cowgate on Saturday 6th. If that much won’t loosen the pounds on you then how about heading to The Cathouse on Thursday the 11th for some rip-snorting death metal from DEICIDE. Support is from VISCERAL BLEEING and PSYCROPTIC and tickets cost £15. SOIL return to Glasgow on Tuesday 16th at The Cathouse with GODHEAD. They’ll probably play ‘Halo’.

On the 28th the bafflingly big-selling FALL OUT BOY head up an intimate show at The Garage in Glasgow. Tickets are sold out but the stupendously popular four-piece are unlikely to play such a small venue again soon, so if you have a spare ticket, be prepared to be showered with affection by FOBloving mates, bless ‘em. Ciao for now, moshers.

LAST TOWN CHORUS - www.fisherphotographics.co.uk

THE LAST TOWN CHORUS

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 2 DEC How often can you mention Nerina Pallot and David ‘Pink Floyd’ Gilmour in the same breath? Well, get ready to see the best of both these worlds spliced together in the shape of Megan Hickey: front woman and only permanent member of The Last Town Chorus. The beautifully soaring, almost tear inducing voice cuts through the sharp lap pedal guitar playing of Hickey, making the folksy blues sound incredibly unique - not to mention the wailing Floydesque solos, picking notes out of thin air and letting them hang there until the crowd gobbles them up. Out and about Britain promoting second studio album, Wire Waltz, Hickey displays a far more assured self confidence in the sound she tries to achieve when compared with 2003’s self titled debut, even dipping into covers with her own arrangement of Bowie’s ‘Modern Love’, showing the kind of self belief that comes from critical acclaim and, well, pure talent.

Expect her back in Edinburgh early in the New Year - expect something like you’ve never heard before.

[Angus Ross] WWW.THELASTTOWNCHORUS.COM

J SPACEMAN

QUEEN’S HALL, 25 NOV The younger generations may have turned their backs on pews and pulpits, but the scenes of unfettered devotion at a former church on this November night show that collective spirituality is still a very real phenomenon – in a musical sense at least.

But as all gig-goers know, before redemption comes the support act.

Lupen Crook is a hacked-off young Londoner who strikes his acoustic guitar violently and spits out lyrics that aim to provoke as much as they proselytise. Impressively passionate if melodically limited, he cannot help but engage an audience with his raw presence.

Of course it is ‘the Rev’ Jason Pierce, lead singer of psych-rockers Spiritualized and back from the brink of serious illness, who is

the reason for the night’s adoration. His unplugged renditions of past and future material - flanked by string quartet, gospel choir and Spiritualized guitarist Doggen on Fender Rhodes - are too beguiling to support the formal barriers that the classical set-up might otherwise erect – the unchecked exclamations of ‘C’mon the Spaceman’ come thick and fast. Without the 100-piece orchestra or blinding lightshow, the spine-tingling fragility of songs like ‘Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space’ is only emphasised. Spiritualized’s soulful songcraft has never been so exquisitely exposed, and covers of recent collaborator Daniel Johnson’s equally religious fare merge seamlessly into this extraordinary, nearcathartic event. [Nick Mitchell] WWW.SPIRITUALIZED.COM

PETER BJöRN AND JOHN LIQUID ROOM, 5 DEC

In recent years a section of Swedish bands have been stirring up a reputation through a series of infectious and rather exquisite releases that have been undeniably, how shall I put it? Twee? The involvement of Victoria Bergstrom (of Concretes fame) in the most successful output of their careers to date, has seen Peter Bjorn and John (also Swedish, if you hadn’t guessed) pigeon-holed accordingly. Twee by definition is ‘affectedly dainty or quaint’: an inescapable notion when listening to The Concretes, but PBJ’s gig a the Liquid Room tonight suggested there is a lot more meat on their bones whilst also confirming that the tunes of Scandinavia are travelling as well as ever. The set, consisting of an energetic and surprisingly loud selection from each of their releases, showcased a live presence par excellence which this writer, for one, was unaware existed. Garnish with sprinkles of goofy Euro-humour and you have a recipe for what was a very impressive gig. [Finbarr Bermingham] WWW.PETERBJORNANDJOHN.COM

34 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

THE BLUETONES - Jane Fenton

UNCLE JOHN AND WHITELOCK CABARET VOLTAIRE, 7 NOV

It’s the second night of Uncle John and Whitelock’s farewell jaunt and with no sense of ceremony, front man Jake Lovatt takes to the stage and says nothing more than, “For the last time in Auld Reekie…” They launch into a string of songs that sound like the monstrous, fish-headeating-offspring of Nick Cave and Murder City Devils. Low dang dirty rock ‘n’ roll, twisted blues riffing and rockabilly beats blast out amongst Lovatt’s hollers and yells. He mutters weird nonsensical shit between songs, losing himself as well as an audience too enraptured to even notice. He repeatedly jumps into a crowd that doesn’t always manage to catch him. As the show reaches its psychobilly crescendo, the sense of occasion slowly filters through and it becomes all too apparent that Uncle John and Whitelock are leaving a wonderful final testament that has been given to us all too soon.

[Neil Ferguson] WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ UNCLEJOHNANDWHITELOCK

THE BLUETONES

THE LIQUID ROOM, 7 DEC It’s been quite some time since The Bluetones strutted down Easy Street. Following Expecting To Fly, things never, well, flew as expected.

Due in part to their infallible fan base though, and also down to the unerring presence of nostalgic Britpop era scrutinisers, the prospect of a Bluetones gig is always going to raise eyebrows. Kicking off with ‘Solomon Bites The Worm’, arguably their best if not most recognised song, proved exactly why. Mark Morriss carries the hallmarks of a true stalwart of venues nationwide.

His voice, not as fresh as some recall, is as distinctive as ever and his unassuming humour is a joy to behold. The new album gets a full workout, as do the majority of the classics. It’s easy to reminisce over what might have been, but there’s an undoubted improvement in their recent output. It’s also easy to for-

PETER BJöRN & JOHN - Charlotte Rodenstedt

get what a good band they were, and are, which is why this gig is a timely reminder for all who needed it. [Finbarr Bermingham] THE BLUETONES PLAY: 30 JAN, CABARET VOLTAIRE, EDINBURGH 31 JAN, THE TUNNELS, ABERDEEN 1 FEB, ABC, GLASGOW WWW.THEBLUETONES.ORG WWW.BLUETONES.INFO

THE TROUBADOUR SESSIONS THE MERCAT BAR, 13 DEC

John McIntosh (3/5) is the first of three acts touting their wares tonight. Armed with an acoustic guitar and plenty of swagger, a surprisingly powerful and mature voice issues forth. Shaking his mop, he belts out a string of his own songs with a power similar to Liam Gallagher but controlled with the sensitivity of Kurt Cobain.

Jordan Ogg (4/5), accompanied by Vicky Gray on violin, leads the audience into a hypnotic state of bluesy reverie and transports them to the islands appreciated by the baying Shetland massive. A beautiful voice is complimented not only by Gray’s harmonising backing vocals and fiddle playing, but his intricate guitar finger picking. Ogg brings a Celtic undertone to the capital with folk songs tainted with sadness and a recurring aquatic theme.

Chris Bradley (3/5) winds the evening up with his own take on a tortured artist. The voices in his head have falsetto tones, ranging from joyful to painful and would sometimes suit a lower register.

Nevertheless a competent acoustic guitar player with stage presence, he ends the night to rapturous applause. [Chris Catley] WWW.MYSPACE.COM/JORDANOGG

DANCING MICE/ THE VIVIANS BANNERMAN’S 13 DEC

“G i r l s a r e D a n c i n g !” s c r e a m s Damon Deville, lead singer of rising Edinburgh based outfit and Skinny Party rockers, The Vivians (4/5), who perform a perfect glamrock

show. They swear, jump off drumsets, dance with the crowd, writhe on stage, trash instruments and spit flagrantly: everything a punk band should do, short of punching the Queen in the face.

The Dancing Mice (3/5) sing about radio composers and Tamagotchi girls, the once cool pioneers that society abandoned. The band’s members can relate to these pop culture ghosts, each hiding behind speakers and shadows. Arms crossed and posture stiff, maybe they’re scared

of the small crowd in Bannerman’s.

But if you look closely you’ll see feet stomping, fingers pointing, a solitary fist that shoots up and disappears.

The trumpet is screaming, the guitar and bass fight one another, each trying to throw the fastest, curviest punch. The Mice fuse Madness with 80s synthpop innovation and modern pop psychology hang-ups.

[Hamza Khan] DANCINGMICESCOTLAND MYSPACE.COM/THEVIVIANSDIVIDED

GUT HANGING A FEW EXTRA INCHES OVER YOUR BREEKS AFTER DEVOURING TWENTY SELECTION BOXES IN FRONT OF CHRISTMAS DR WHO? EXCELLENT. THEN WE’LL BEGIN. by Dave Kerr

With many touring machines temporarily out of commission and our west coast associates waving the flag high this month, Auld Reekie has its work cut out in representing the live circuit, but, by Jaga’s beard, those nights out in a club just might save our social lives.

Following on from their Cab Vol showcases with Ballboy and Sixpeopleaway late last year, New Found Sound get set to usher in their own New Year at Bannerman’s as Miss Rose Kemp returns to the capital with a full backing band in tow on the 26th. Del from NFS has been hammering this eclectic blend of live showcase at an unprecedented level, taking over venues all over the city since launching late last spring. Delivering strong

The Inbreds - PARTY LIKE IT’S 1985

by Neil Ferguson

“WHEN WE STARTED OUT... IT WAS TO ROCK OUT, AND GET ABSOLUTELY BLIND DRUNK IN THE PROCESS”

MYSPACE.COM/

EDINBURGH UNDER SURVEILLANCE Liver sufficiently battered and bruised after a fortnight of liquoring it up? Gut hanging a few extra inches over your breeks after devouring twenty selection boxes in front of Christmas Dr Who? Excellent. Then we’ll begin.

Deicide

J SPACEMAN - Kristina Milic

bills to represent many elements of the spectrum, from homegrown hiphop, techno and indie rock to twisted Appalachian folk-punk, with a bit of luck 2007 will herald much more of the same ethos.

In 2006, metal is a long way from its debauched heyday. But in an American dominated scene - one in which the only British bands that make it pretend to all hell that they hail from the US - thank Satan for The Inbreds.

The sextet are a band with gimmicks and a sound that guitarist Dean Lovett describes as “British booze-groove and riffage metal(!),” they are the only band this side of the Atlantic that just wanna rock hard. “We’re damn proud not to be trying to copy any of the US metal bands like everyone else,” Lovett tells The Skinny.

“We’re just gonna carry on making the music we want, getting as drunk as we want, partying like it’s 1985…”

With metal too often criticised as a substandard genre, The Inbreds take no steps to defend themselves. They just don’t give a fuck. “If someone feels that metal bands are unworthy and a throwback, that’s fine. They are probably the same people listening to some untalented idiot calling themselves a DJ,” he says, laying out a

challenge to the purveyors of ‘phat beats’, “how about picking up a guitar and making some real music?”

Not that The Inbreds stop to think about what they do as ‘real music’; they just play for the sake of it – because they are metalheads enraptured by their craft. “We do what we do, we love it, it makes us feel great and hopefully it makes the people watching feel great… When I get on stage, I rock out for my own satisfaction. The fact that there is a crowd is just a bonus.”

Unconcerned with the troubles of the big music business, Lovett appears tirelessly enamoured with living the rock and roll lifestyle.

He wants to play with the bands he loves and get drunk with his heroes. “When our idols tell us we’re a great band… to me, that vindicates any decision not to have any novelty or gimmick.” To The Inbreds, music isn’t about selling records or playing in arenas, though. Lovett makes it clear that it’s about the aesthetic that seems lost on a UK scene that is becoming “less of a priority” to the

band. “Europe is much more into the style of rock and roll that we do,” he says, hinting at a possible contract with a label “who aren’t based in the UK.” It’s a simple formula, but it works. And regardless of their reluctance to keep the shows firmly focused on home crowds, they’ve nevertheless built up a base of support that has seen them sell out London’s Mean Fiddler and earn them an upcoming stint on the road with L.A. punks, Amen.

Un-phased by this, Dean’s not frightened to shout about the real priorities in The Inbreds’ institution of metal. “When the band started out, it wasn’t to be a huge famous band. It was to rock out, and get absolutely blind drunk in the process,” he laughs, “the moderate success… it’s just been incidental, if that’s the right word.”

THE INBREDS PLAY THE EXCHANGE, EDINBURGH ON 21 JAN. WWW.THEINBREDS.NET

The following evening, more concerned with the maintenance of their Art Garfunkel haircuts and chasing small foxes throughout the countryside, toffs will remind us that they’re seriously incapable of busting shapes on the floor when Toffs Can’t Dance resurfaces at The Caves on the 27th. Featuring the forthright disco-Clash of the ubiquitous OBE, the wild eyed Creed-despising panache of J-Sel and Penny Blacks, the infectious indie magic of Tam’s Railways, and the erratic poptoned rock n’ roll of east coast Emergenza finalists The Dials… looks like the perfect occasion to shake it ‘til it bleeds. See our feature in Sounds for some immortal words from a few of the bands involved and get your tail down there, m’kay? M’kay.

SOUNDS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

31

John Cale - ANOTHER VIEW

by Gareth K Vile

WITH NEARLY FOUR HUNDRED EVENTS OVER THREE WEEKS, THE FESTIVAL ACCOMMODATES NEARLY EVERY MUSICAL TASTE While the English accepted the creation of the devolved Scottish parliament with equanimity, the recent championing of the MacDonald Brothers as musical ambassadors for Scotland has led to a nationalist backlash.

Even Guardian columnists have acknowledged anti-Scottish racism during episodes of X-Factor, and the celebration of their mediocre cabaret howling as some sort of clarion call to independence by the tabloids may yet lead to the creation of the first English branches of the SNP. Against the social and cultural divisiveness of trite Saturday night entertainment, the fourteenth year of Celtic Connections arrives in Glasgow, celebrating the folk traditions of both Scottish and international artists.

Managing to neither lose its local roots, nor succumb to West Coast insularity, it has broadened its remit to include acts with only a tangential relationship to Scottish arts, retaining a strong sense of identity and clear links with the Glasgow folk scene and the broader community.

Celtic Connections has never concerned itself with simple musical sympathy.

This year, to stress the links between countries that music fosters, the education project will invite children from all over Scotland to free workshops and concerts, encouraging an appreciation of the world’s musical heritage. The presence of performers such as Ritchie Havens, Peter Buck and Rosanna Cash emphasises how the festival is able to attract major stars from America.

David Allison). World music is represented: from Mauritania comes Daby Toure and from Uzbekistan the award-winning Sevara Nazarkhan. It becomes impossible to identify any single artist as the highlight of the festival, although John Martyn performing his 1973 album Solid Air and the concert of Jewish music by Moishe’s Bagel and the Klezmatics will certainly be memorable.

At the same time, Scottish musicians have not been excluded from Celtic Connections. A special recreation of the Radio 2 documentary ‘The Ballad of the Big Ships’ will celebrate the history of Clyde ship-building, while Shetland fiddler Chris Stout will be at the City Halls on the 20th of January.

Celtic Connections is an argument against the stereotyping of folk music as insular, dogmatic and exclusive. When traditional music is increasingly ignored and multi-national companies dominate the air-waves, serving up what is all too often complacent, pre-packaged, bland entertainment, these events remind us of the depth and possibilities hidden in our heritages.

With nearly four hundred events over three weeks, the festival accommodates nearly every musical taste, from the purist (Gaelic music from Tiree on 21 January) to the experimental (Island Tapes, 20 January, featuring guitarist

2006 was a long and strange year for Idlewild. Ramping down from 12 months or so that’s seen the old acquaintances of bassist, Gavin Fox and former label, Parlophone gone and forgotten, they are once more ready to take up the cup of kindness in preparation for the release of their new album, due next month.

It was a year that saw the band grow accustomed to family life and branch off in their own directions. Rod Jones wrote and recorded an album with chanteuse, Inara George. Guitarist Allan Stewart toured relentlessly with his hard rock project, De Salvo and Roddy Woomble wrote, recorded and toured his solo album, the folk-tinged My Secret Is My Silence.

by Neil Ferguson

A New Year and a new dawn, this month sees Idlewild previewing their latest creation at the ABC in Glasgow before a two gig stint at the Royal Concert Hall. To be the band’s first performance in the city since Gavin Fox’s last appearance with the band at the Barrowlands in December 2005, the shows are a part of Celtic Connections.

With three very separate and very different performances, there is

Idlewild’s performance, Roddy takes a step back from what has, all the way through, been a serious blether and laughs, “Idlewild is Idlewild. We’re not going to be breaking out accordions or bagpipes.

We are still a rock band, and that is what shows through in Make Another World.”

In the face of this claim Idlewild have, however, already broken out the accordions for a series of acoustic shows in recent years, although maybe not the bagpipes, just yet. Despite their return to rock, Woomble is also quick to enforce just how strong the folk inf luence on Idlewild has been. “It’s still my favourite kind of music,” he says, coyly, “and next year, I’m planning on working on some more songs with John McCusker, but it might not be another Roddy Woomble solo album. It might turn into something else.”

“WE’RE NOT GOING TO BE BREAKING OUT ACCORDIONS OR BAGPIPES.” - RODDY WOOMBLE

Amongst all the separation and somewhere in between the relentless, self-imposed schedule of the past year, Idlewild found the time to record this next long-player, Make Another World - an album that, as Woomble sits down to talk to The Skinny, he describes as one of Idlewild’s most united works. “Not that we need to do other things to feel more together,” he says, “We do anything we can to make it exciting, to keep it fresh and interesting, even if it’s working with other people and I think that’s why we’re still around 12 years after we formed.”

Taking six months off from the hustle and bustle of the wider world, Idlewild holed themselves up in their Highland practice space and set about creating the next chapter. Recording it themselves, rather than courting labels, it proved both a catharsis and a release from the pressures of the record industry, and as Idlewild lay back, waiting until they were happy with the sounds, Make Another World began to take shape. Seeing Idlewild return to their rock roots, it’s an album that has left Woomble sounding unsure as to whether he’s retracing old ground or forging new territory, an album that he himself describes as a more organic experience for the band where the songs were written “the way Idlewild started writing them ten years ago.”

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Speaking of both the splits with Gavin and Parlophone, Woomble is ever the optimist, at least these days. “Something had to change.

We’d spent nine years in a cycle and we knew that it had come to an end.” Something did change, but it still takes an impressive unit to put a positive spin on splitting from two longterm partners. Idlewild, it seems, is finally that sort of band - one that is content within itself, a band that has embraced its new found freedom and content enough to go with the flow. Happy to follow an as yet unbeaten path, Woomble concludes, “it’s not like we sat around a table and discussed what we wanted Make Another World to sound like. We just allowed things to take their natural course.” At last, Idlewild have finally let it happen and have finally put together an album, rather than a collection of songs. a suspicion that Idlewild have ended up doing a bit of everything at the festival. “It’s not premeditated, it just happened with the Celtic Connections being in January and Idlewild having a new record out and I was free to play a couple of shows. It’s great to get involved.”

Indeed, this is the first time Idlewild will have ever played at a festival that Woomble has been a vocal supporter of. Insisting, however, that the status of the Celtic Connections as a folk festival won’t affect

IDLEWILD PLAY ABC, GLASGOW ON 23 JAN. RODDY WOOMBLE (SOLO) & FRIENDS SUPPORT KATE RUSBY AT ROYAL CONCERT IDLEWILD AND SPECIAL GUESTS WILL PERFORM FROM THEIR POETRY PROJECT ALBUM MAKE ANOTHER WORLD IS OUT ON 26 FEB THROUGH SEQUEL WWW.IDLEWILD.CO.UK

SOUNDS

were starting to catch light.” He acknowledges that the music they made was important, timely and pioneering, yet refuses to listen to it now, preferring to engage with what’s around him. This means, bizarrely enough, hip-hop. “You want to talk about the avant-garde, about minimalism? You’ve got to talk about Pharrell and ‘Drop it Like It’s Hot.’ It’s all there.”

recently recorded an album featuring Gruff Rhys and other Welsh stars. By using his own language, it let him use ideas that were hard to translate into English. “There are these ideas in any language you can’t translate into any other. Using Welsh, we were able to talk in a way that you just can’t in English.”

Of course, Cale’s own last album bubbled along like a Beta Band LP, of the effort he muses, “I make reams and reams of this shit every day.” He laughs from his belly when prompted to discuss it. “I suppose I’ve always been interested in the new stuff going on around me.” He loves the Beta Band comparison too. “Thank you very much, they’re great,” he affirms. Humour and self-parody, something Lou Reed lost the moment he appeared on Jools Holland with a troupe of bizarre yogic dancers, are key to the Cale method of working. Although his forthcoming album, Circus Live, is back to the serious classicism of his past, a double album, a sort of retrospective that starts with a drone and finishes with a drone.

“It’s a serious piece of work,” he says, “certainly not easy listening.”

Of course, Cale has always been at the cutting edge, regardless of how many sidewise moves he’s made.

His CV must read like a Guinness Book of Rock History. Thus far, his favourite of the artists he’s produced has been Nico, the icy cold chanteuse of the Velvet Underground and sometime lover and muse to Lou Reed. “She allowed me to exercise my European classicism and was this amazingly complex songwriter. I look back on those albums with a lot of pride.” For an artist of his lineage to still be engaging with all the music around him, refusing to simply bury his head in the past, sets him out from his contemporaries, The Skinny suggests. “Lineage? Now there’s a word you wouldn’t hear in hip-hop.”

JOHN CALE PLAY CELTIC CONNECTIONS AT ABC, GLASGOW ON 22 JAN.

With this engagement with hip-hop comes a whole new lingo. “That shit is wack,” he says, talking about untranslatable phrases. He’s

CIRCUS LIVE IS OUT ON 5 FEB THROUGH EMI. WWW.JOHN-CALE.COM

De Rosa - HOPES AND LITTLE JOKES Forget Franz or The Fratellis, De Rosa were Scotland’s shining light of 2006. Debut record Mend was an engorging patriotic triumph; delicately blending heather strewn paeans with turgid urban soundscapes. Its melodic beauty was rewarded with a place in MOJO’s end of year Top 50, confirming the Lanarkshire quartet as the current heartbeat of the Scottish music scene.

honest about who I was and where I was from. Recording helped me make sense of this stuff but it’s really down to luck that my own investigation can be viewed as a reflection on Scottish culture.”

by Billy Hamilton

that‘s fair enough - I sang in an American accent until ‘The First Big Weekend’ came out.”

So how has De Rosa developed in the wake of Mend’s release? “The band is becoming much bigger and better than I could ever have hoped for,” says Martin ardently. “Individually we’ve never been very confident people, but when we play together I feel like I’m part of something good. Now we’ve been through the whole first album experience we’re more confident in what we’re trying to do.”

As The Skinny chats to founding member Martin Henry, we discover this success has been a long time coming: “My sole ambition from the age of twelve was to record, release and tour an album - all of which we did in 2006,” he affirms. “This has been a great year for us. There’s been so many highlights; Chemikal Underground putting out our album and touring with Mogwai and Arab Strap being the most memorable.

Having formed the group with school chum Chris Connick, Martin claims De Rosa never fulf illed its potential until brothers Neil and James Woodside joined in 2003. He adds: “When we left university we put all our energy into songwriting. There was no distinct purpose other than to create music that was ours. Most of the other bands from Lanarkshire were still playing covers of Oasis or maybe something as recent as the Strokes, so it was a big step in the dark.“

HALL, GLASGOW ON 24 JAN. AT ROYAL CONCERT HALL, GLASGOW ON 30 JAN.

nating.” He started the Velvet Underground, incorporating the viola drones of his avant-garde past, because “with La Monte Young, the fun quotient was really low. The Beatles were exploding around me, everyone was making movies, all the flammable elements in society

Thankfully though, Cale seems in buoyant spirits, greeting The Skinny by yelling “big up big up” down the phone in his booming Welsh accent. He has a wicked cackle, somewhere between a witch and Samuel L Jackson, and chuckles heartily when asked if he’s met Glynn from Big Brother on his recent visit home. At the moment, he’s over in New York, recording and producing a band called Ambulance who incorporate a vocal trio and rely heavily on improvisation. After working with such legendary figures, how does the new band measure up?

“Well, well,” he says, “I mean there’s a clear idea of what we’re doing. When I worked with the Happy Mondays, I never really understood the process. It passed by in a jiffy, in a jiffy bag in fact. I’d stopped drinking and doing all sorts of other naughty things. I got a lot of flak for eating tangerines all the time. With Ambulance, I have a better handle on what’s going on.”

Yet improvised chaos and dissonance have long been part of Cale’s bag of tricks. He refuses to boss bands about, preferring to let them play as they would live, only stepping in to record when he thinks they’ve hit the right groove. Before meeting Lou Reed, he played with La Monte Young and The Dream Syndicate, playing titanic drones for hours at a time through tiny, sixty watt hi-fi speakers. “It was an exercise in sensory deprivation. People would come up to us afterwards and tell me they’d been halluci-

VENUES ACROSS GLASGOW.

by Jasper Hamill

“YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE AVANTGARDE, ABOUT MINIMALISM? YOU’VE GOT TO TALK ABOUT PHARRELL AND ‘DROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT.’ IT’S ALL THERE.”

CELTIC CONNECTIONS TAKES PLACE FROM WEDNESDAY 17 JAN - SUNDAY 4 FEB AT WWW.CELTICCONNECTIONS.COM

Idlewild - OUT OF ROUTINE

What do you ask a legend? John Cale famously avoids speaking about the Velvet Underground, the band that defined the core tenets of 20th Century music, from sunglasses on stage (to stop the band being dazzled by Andy Warhol’s projections) to the punk rock, one-two beat. He doesn’t really get on with Lou Reed, his antagonist and muse in the sixties.

He is a towering figure in pop music, recording the Stooges, Patti Smith, even the Happy Mondays. It’s impossible not to be a little intimidated.

SOUNDS

SOUNDS

This leap into the unknown culminated in the release of Mend, an immaculate reflection of Scotland’s cultural idiosyncrasies.

“Mend took every bit of energy, knowledge and intuition I had.” concedes Martin. “At every stage I was concerned with being

www.skinnymag.co.uk

The “first album experience” introduced Martin to the music industry’s more insidious side; where economics supersede artistic development. It’s a topic he’s happy to discuss candidly: “All these major label guys aren’t even real to me,” he says forcefully. “They started bands to make money and get famous and haven’t an honest, creative, imaginative cell in their skulls.

We have full creative control but our relationship with the record company is such that we appreciate and value their opinions.”

“YOU CAN MAKE MUSIC AND BE SCOTTISH WITHOUT BEING IN A FOLK BAND” Mend’s pensive lyricism has drawn predictable Arab Strap comparisons, particularly after De Rosa played their farewell tour, but Martin remains unruffled by these languid analogies. “In all honesty, Arab Strap are my musical heroes,” he admits. “They taught me you can make music and be Scottish without being in a folk band. People compare my voice to Aidan Moffatt’s because I sing in my accent, but

Having finished touring Mend, Martin is prudently plotting De Rosa’s progression in 2007: “At the moment I’m writing every day for the next record,” he explains. “We’re starting recording in late January, but I don’t expect it to be finished until May. Playing together has taught us what we’re capable of and given us a chance to explore what sounds we can make, so I hope the next album will be more mature and experimental in equal measures.”

DE ROSA PLAY CELTIC CONNECTIONS AT ABC, GLASGOW ON 23 JAN. WWW.WEAREDEROSA.COM

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

33

John Cale - ANOTHER VIEW

by Gareth K Vile

WITH NEARLY FOUR HUNDRED EVENTS OVER THREE WEEKS, THE FESTIVAL ACCOMMODATES NEARLY EVERY MUSICAL TASTE While the English accepted the creation of the devolved Scottish parliament with equanimity, the recent championing of the MacDonald Brothers as musical ambassadors for Scotland has led to a nationalist backlash.

Even Guardian columnists have acknowledged anti-Scottish racism during episodes of X-Factor, and the celebration of their mediocre cabaret howling as some sort of clarion call to independence by the tabloids may yet lead to the creation of the first English branches of the SNP. Against the social and cultural divisiveness of trite Saturday night entertainment, the fourteenth year of Celtic Connections arrives in Glasgow, celebrating the folk traditions of both Scottish and international artists.

Managing to neither lose its local roots, nor succumb to West Coast insularity, it has broadened its remit to include acts with only a tangential relationship to Scottish arts, retaining a strong sense of identity and clear links with the Glasgow folk scene and the broader community.

Celtic Connections has never concerned itself with simple musical sympathy.

This year, to stress the links between countries that music fosters, the education project will invite children from all over Scotland to free workshops and concerts, encouraging an appreciation of the world’s musical heritage. The presence of performers such as Ritchie Havens, Peter Buck and Rosanna Cash emphasises how the festival is able to attract major stars from America.

David Allison). World music is represented: from Mauritania comes Daby Toure and from Uzbekistan the award-winning Sevara Nazarkhan. It becomes impossible to identify any single artist as the highlight of the festival, although John Martyn performing his 1973 album Solid Air and the concert of Jewish music by Moishe’s Bagel and the Klezmatics will certainly be memorable.

At the same time, Scottish musicians have not been excluded from Celtic Connections. A special recreation of the Radio 2 documentary ‘The Ballad of the Big Ships’ will celebrate the history of Clyde ship-building, while Shetland fiddler Chris Stout will be at the City Halls on the 20th of January.

Celtic Connections is an argument against the stereotyping of folk music as insular, dogmatic and exclusive. When traditional music is increasingly ignored and multi-national companies dominate the air-waves, serving up what is all too often complacent, pre-packaged, bland entertainment, these events remind us of the depth and possibilities hidden in our heritages.

With nearly four hundred events over three weeks, the festival accommodates nearly every musical taste, from the purist (Gaelic music from Tiree on 21 January) to the experimental (Island Tapes, 20 January, featuring guitarist

2006 was a long and strange year for Idlewild. Ramping down from 12 months or so that’s seen the old acquaintances of bassist, Gavin Fox and former label, Parlophone gone and forgotten, they are once more ready to take up the cup of kindness in preparation for the release of their new album, due next month.

It was a year that saw the band grow accustomed to family life and branch off in their own directions. Rod Jones wrote and recorded an album with chanteuse, Inara George. Guitarist Allan Stewart toured relentlessly with his hard rock project, De Salvo and Roddy Woomble wrote, recorded and toured his solo album, the folk-tinged My Secret Is My Silence.

by Neil Ferguson

A New Year and a new dawn, this month sees Idlewild previewing their latest creation at the ABC in Glasgow before a two gig stint at the Royal Concert Hall. To be the band’s first performance in the city since Gavin Fox’s last appearance with the band at the Barrowlands in December 2005, the shows are a part of Celtic Connections.

With three very separate and very different performances, there is

Idlewild’s performance, Roddy takes a step back from what has, all the way through, been a serious blether and laughs, “Idlewild is Idlewild. We’re not going to be breaking out accordions or bagpipes.

We are still a rock band, and that is what shows through in Make Another World.”

In the face of this claim Idlewild have, however, already broken out the accordions for a series of acoustic shows in recent years, although maybe not the bagpipes, just yet. Despite their return to rock, Woomble is also quick to enforce just how strong the folk inf luence on Idlewild has been. “It’s still my favourite kind of music,” he says, coyly, “and next year, I’m planning on working on some more songs with John McCusker, but it might not be another Roddy Woomble solo album. It might turn into something else.”

“WE’RE NOT GOING TO BE BREAKING OUT ACCORDIONS OR BAGPIPES.” - RODDY WOOMBLE

Amongst all the separation and somewhere in between the relentless, self-imposed schedule of the past year, Idlewild found the time to record this next long-player, Make Another World - an album that, as Woomble sits down to talk to The Skinny, he describes as one of Idlewild’s most united works. “Not that we need to do other things to feel more together,” he says, “We do anything we can to make it exciting, to keep it fresh and interesting, even if it’s working with other people and I think that’s why we’re still around 12 years after we formed.”

Taking six months off from the hustle and bustle of the wider world, Idlewild holed themselves up in their Highland practice space and set about creating the next chapter. Recording it themselves, rather than courting labels, it proved both a catharsis and a release from the pressures of the record industry, and as Idlewild lay back, waiting until they were happy with the sounds, Make Another World began to take shape. Seeing Idlewild return to their rock roots, it’s an album that has left Woomble sounding unsure as to whether he’s retracing old ground or forging new territory, an album that he himself describes as a more organic experience for the band where the songs were written “the way Idlewild started writing them ten years ago.”

32 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

Speaking of both the splits with Gavin and Parlophone, Woomble is ever the optimist, at least these days. “Something had to change.

We’d spent nine years in a cycle and we knew that it had come to an end.” Something did change, but it still takes an impressive unit to put a positive spin on splitting from two longterm partners. Idlewild, it seems, is finally that sort of band - one that is content within itself, a band that has embraced its new found freedom and content enough to go with the flow. Happy to follow an as yet unbeaten path, Woomble concludes, “it’s not like we sat around a table and discussed what we wanted Make Another World to sound like. We just allowed things to take their natural course.” At last, Idlewild have finally let it happen and have finally put together an album, rather than a collection of songs. a suspicion that Idlewild have ended up doing a bit of everything at the festival. “It’s not premeditated, it just happened with the Celtic Connections being in January and Idlewild having a new record out and I was free to play a couple of shows. It’s great to get involved.”

Indeed, this is the first time Idlewild will have ever played at a festival that Woomble has been a vocal supporter of. Insisting, however, that the status of the Celtic Connections as a folk festival won’t affect

IDLEWILD PLAY ABC, GLASGOW ON 23 JAN. RODDY WOOMBLE (SOLO) & FRIENDS SUPPORT KATE RUSBY AT ROYAL CONCERT IDLEWILD AND SPECIAL GUESTS WILL PERFORM FROM THEIR POETRY PROJECT ALBUM MAKE ANOTHER WORLD IS OUT ON 26 FEB THROUGH SEQUEL WWW.IDLEWILD.CO.UK

SOUNDS

were starting to catch light.” He acknowledges that the music they made was important, timely and pioneering, yet refuses to listen to it now, preferring to engage with what’s around him. This means, bizarrely enough, hip-hop. “You want to talk about the avant-garde, about minimalism? You’ve got to talk about Pharrell and ‘Drop it Like It’s Hot.’ It’s all there.”

recently recorded an album featuring Gruff Rhys and other Welsh stars. By using his own language, it let him use ideas that were hard to translate into English. “There are these ideas in any language you can’t translate into any other. Using Welsh, we were able to talk in a way that you just can’t in English.”

Of course, Cale’s own last album bubbled along like a Beta Band LP, of the effort he muses, “I make reams and reams of this shit every day.” He laughs from his belly when prompted to discuss it. “I suppose I’ve always been interested in the new stuff going on around me.” He loves the Beta Band comparison too. “Thank you very much, they’re great,” he affirms. Humour and self-parody, something Lou Reed lost the moment he appeared on Jools Holland with a troupe of bizarre yogic dancers, are key to the Cale method of working. Although his forthcoming album, Circus Live, is back to the serious classicism of his past, a double album, a sort of retrospective that starts with a drone and finishes with a drone.

“It’s a serious piece of work,” he says, “certainly not easy listening.”

Of course, Cale has always been at the cutting edge, regardless of how many sidewise moves he’s made.

His CV must read like a Guinness Book of Rock History. Thus far, his favourite of the artists he’s produced has been Nico, the icy cold chanteuse of the Velvet Underground and sometime lover and muse to Lou Reed. “She allowed me to exercise my European classicism and was this amazingly complex songwriter. I look back on those albums with a lot of pride.” For an artist of his lineage to still be engaging with all the music around him, refusing to simply bury his head in the past, sets him out from his contemporaries, The Skinny suggests. “Lineage? Now there’s a word you wouldn’t hear in hip-hop.”

JOHN CALE PLAY CELTIC CONNECTIONS AT ABC, GLASGOW ON 22 JAN.

With this engagement with hip-hop comes a whole new lingo. “That shit is wack,” he says, talking about untranslatable phrases. He’s

CIRCUS LIVE IS OUT ON 5 FEB THROUGH EMI. WWW.JOHN-CALE.COM

De Rosa - HOPES AND LITTLE JOKES Forget Franz or The Fratellis, De Rosa were Scotland’s shining light of 2006. Debut record Mend was an engorging patriotic triumph; delicately blending heather strewn paeans with turgid urban soundscapes. Its melodic beauty was rewarded with a place in MOJO’s end of year Top 50, confirming the Lanarkshire quartet as the current heartbeat of the Scottish music scene.

honest about who I was and where I was from. Recording helped me make sense of this stuff but it’s really down to luck that my own investigation can be viewed as a reflection on Scottish culture.”

by Billy Hamilton

that‘s fair enough - I sang in an American accent until ‘The First Big Weekend’ came out.”

So how has De Rosa developed in the wake of Mend’s release? “The band is becoming much bigger and better than I could ever have hoped for,” says Martin ardently. “Individually we’ve never been very confident people, but when we play together I feel like I’m part of something good. Now we’ve been through the whole first album experience we’re more confident in what we’re trying to do.”

As The Skinny chats to founding member Martin Henry, we discover this success has been a long time coming: “My sole ambition from the age of twelve was to record, release and tour an album - all of which we did in 2006,” he affirms. “This has been a great year for us. There’s been so many highlights; Chemikal Underground putting out our album and touring with Mogwai and Arab Strap being the most memorable.

Having formed the group with school chum Chris Connick, Martin claims De Rosa never fulf illed its potential until brothers Neil and James Woodside joined in 2003. He adds: “When we left university we put all our energy into songwriting. There was no distinct purpose other than to create music that was ours. Most of the other bands from Lanarkshire were still playing covers of Oasis or maybe something as recent as the Strokes, so it was a big step in the dark.“

HALL, GLASGOW ON 24 JAN. AT ROYAL CONCERT HALL, GLASGOW ON 30 JAN.

nating.” He started the Velvet Underground, incorporating the viola drones of his avant-garde past, because “with La Monte Young, the fun quotient was really low. The Beatles were exploding around me, everyone was making movies, all the flammable elements in society

Thankfully though, Cale seems in buoyant spirits, greeting The Skinny by yelling “big up big up” down the phone in his booming Welsh accent. He has a wicked cackle, somewhere between a witch and Samuel L Jackson, and chuckles heartily when asked if he’s met Glynn from Big Brother on his recent visit home. At the moment, he’s over in New York, recording and producing a band called Ambulance who incorporate a vocal trio and rely heavily on improvisation. After working with such legendary figures, how does the new band measure up?

“Well, well,” he says, “I mean there’s a clear idea of what we’re doing. When I worked with the Happy Mondays, I never really understood the process. It passed by in a jiffy, in a jiffy bag in fact. I’d stopped drinking and doing all sorts of other naughty things. I got a lot of flak for eating tangerines all the time. With Ambulance, I have a better handle on what’s going on.”

Yet improvised chaos and dissonance have long been part of Cale’s bag of tricks. He refuses to boss bands about, preferring to let them play as they would live, only stepping in to record when he thinks they’ve hit the right groove. Before meeting Lou Reed, he played with La Monte Young and The Dream Syndicate, playing titanic drones for hours at a time through tiny, sixty watt hi-fi speakers. “It was an exercise in sensory deprivation. People would come up to us afterwards and tell me they’d been halluci-

VENUES ACROSS GLASGOW.

by Jasper Hamill

“YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE AVANTGARDE, ABOUT MINIMALISM? YOU’VE GOT TO TALK ABOUT PHARRELL AND ‘DROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT.’ IT’S ALL THERE.”

CELTIC CONNECTIONS TAKES PLACE FROM WEDNESDAY 17 JAN - SUNDAY 4 FEB AT WWW.CELTICCONNECTIONS.COM

Idlewild - OUT OF ROUTINE

What do you ask a legend? John Cale famously avoids speaking about the Velvet Underground, the band that defined the core tenets of 20th Century music, from sunglasses on stage (to stop the band being dazzled by Andy Warhol’s projections) to the punk rock, one-two beat. He doesn’t really get on with Lou Reed, his antagonist and muse in the sixties.

He is a towering figure in pop music, recording the Stooges, Patti Smith, even the Happy Mondays. It’s impossible not to be a little intimidated.

SOUNDS

SOUNDS

This leap into the unknown culminated in the release of Mend, an immaculate reflection of Scotland’s cultural idiosyncrasies.

“Mend took every bit of energy, knowledge and intuition I had.” concedes Martin. “At every stage I was concerned with being

www.skinnymag.co.uk

The “first album experience” introduced Martin to the music industry’s more insidious side; where economics supersede artistic development. It’s a topic he’s happy to discuss candidly: “All these major label guys aren’t even real to me,” he says forcefully. “They started bands to make money and get famous and haven’t an honest, creative, imaginative cell in their skulls.

We have full creative control but our relationship with the record company is such that we appreciate and value their opinions.”

“YOU CAN MAKE MUSIC AND BE SCOTTISH WITHOUT BEING IN A FOLK BAND” Mend’s pensive lyricism has drawn predictable Arab Strap comparisons, particularly after De Rosa played their farewell tour, but Martin remains unruffled by these languid analogies. “In all honesty, Arab Strap are my musical heroes,” he admits. “They taught me you can make music and be Scottish without being in a folk band. People compare my voice to Aidan Moffatt’s because I sing in my accent, but

Having finished touring Mend, Martin is prudently plotting De Rosa’s progression in 2007: “At the moment I’m writing every day for the next record,” he explains. “We’re starting recording in late January, but I don’t expect it to be finished until May. Playing together has taught us what we’re capable of and given us a chance to explore what sounds we can make, so I hope the next album will be more mature and experimental in equal measures.”

DE ROSA PLAY CELTIC CONNECTIONS AT ABC, GLASGOW ON 23 JAN. WWW.WEAREDEROSA.COM

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

33

SOUNDS

SOUNDS EDINBURGH

METAL UP YOUR ASS! METAL UP YOUR ASS! SWEATING OUT ALL THAT GREASE, PUDDING AND BOOZE IN THE PIT

by Jamie Borthwick

Ok, so we’ve all over-indulged a little bit, haven’t we? Regretting that fourth helping of Turkey dinner? Couldn’t say ‘no’ every time the twiglets and cheese footballs went past at the Hogmanay party? Well Metal Up Your Ass knows only one way of rectifying that: by sweating out all that grease, pudding and booze in the pit at one of the quality metal shows on in the central belt this January.

Glaswegians FLOOD OF RED have been making waves of late by grabbing the attention of Small Town Records and gig-goers who have caught them on tour. See what all the fuss is about as they bring their Thrice inspired tracks to Studio 24 for only £5 entry on Friday 5 Jan. Fellow west-coasters

BY MY HANDS are also out to impress Auld Reekie in January, check out their metal/hardcore sound when they play Subway Cowgate on Saturday 6th. If that much won’t loosen the pounds on you then how about heading to The Cathouse on Thursday the 11th for some rip-snorting death metal from DEICIDE. Support is from VISCERAL BLEEING and PSYCROPTIC and tickets cost £15. SOIL return to Glasgow on Tuesday 16th at The Cathouse with GODHEAD. They’ll probably play ‘Halo’.

On the 28th the bafflingly big-selling FALL OUT BOY head up an intimate show at The Garage in Glasgow. Tickets are sold out but the stupendously popular four-piece are unlikely to play such a small venue again soon, so if you have a spare ticket, be prepared to be showered with affection by FOBloving mates, bless ‘em. Ciao for now, moshers.

LAST TOWN CHORUS - www.fisherphotographics.co.uk

THE LAST TOWN CHORUS

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 2 DEC How often can you mention Nerina Pallot and David ‘Pink Floyd’ Gilmour in the same breath? Well, get ready to see the best of both these worlds spliced together in the shape of Megan Hickey: front woman and only permanent member of The Last Town Chorus. The beautifully soaring, almost tear inducing voice cuts through the sharp lap pedal guitar playing of Hickey, making the folksy blues sound incredibly unique - not to mention the wailing Floydesque solos, picking notes out of thin air and letting them hang there until the crowd gobbles them up. Out and about Britain promoting second studio album, Wire Waltz, Hickey displays a far more assured self confidence in the sound she tries to achieve when compared with 2003’s self titled debut, even dipping into covers with her own arrangement of Bowie’s ‘Modern Love’, showing the kind of self belief that comes from critical acclaim and, well, pure talent.

Expect her back in Edinburgh early in the New Year - expect something like you’ve never heard before.

[Angus Ross] WWW.THELASTTOWNCHORUS.COM

J SPACEMAN

QUEEN’S HALL, 25 NOV The younger generations may have turned their backs on pews and pulpits, but the scenes of unfettered devotion at a former church on this November night show that collective spirituality is still a very real phenomenon – in a musical sense at least.

But as all gig-goers know, before redemption comes the support act.

Lupen Crook is a hacked-off young Londoner who strikes his acoustic guitar violently and spits out lyrics that aim to provoke as much as they proselytise. Impressively passionate if melodically limited, he cannot help but engage an audience with his raw presence.

Of course it is ‘the Rev’ Jason Pierce, lead singer of psych-rockers Spiritualized and back from the brink of serious illness, who is

the reason for the night’s adoration. His unplugged renditions of past and future material - flanked by string quartet, gospel choir and Spiritualized guitarist Doggen on Fender Rhodes - are too beguiling to support the formal barriers that the classical set-up might otherwise erect – the unchecked exclamations of ‘C’mon the Spaceman’ come thick and fast. Without the 100-piece orchestra or blinding lightshow, the spine-tingling fragility of songs like ‘Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space’ is only emphasised. Spiritualized’s soulful songcraft has never been so exquisitely exposed, and covers of recent collaborator Daniel Johnson’s equally religious fare merge seamlessly into this extraordinary, nearcathartic event. [Nick Mitchell] WWW.SPIRITUALIZED.COM

PETER BJöRN AND JOHN LIQUID ROOM, 5 DEC

In recent years a section of Swedish bands have been stirring up a reputation through a series of infectious and rather exquisite releases that have been undeniably, how shall I put it? Twee? The involvement of Victoria Bergstrom (of Concretes fame) in the most successful output of their careers to date, has seen Peter Bjorn and John (also Swedish, if you hadn’t guessed) pigeon-holed accordingly. Twee by definition is ‘affectedly dainty or quaint’: an inescapable notion when listening to The Concretes, but PBJ’s gig a the Liquid Room tonight suggested there is a lot more meat on their bones whilst also confirming that the tunes of Scandinavia are travelling as well as ever. The set, consisting of an energetic and surprisingly loud selection from each of their releases, showcased a live presence par excellence which this writer, for one, was unaware existed. Garnish with sprinkles of goofy Euro-humour and you have a recipe for what was a very impressive gig. [Finbarr Bermingham] WWW.PETERBJORNANDJOHN.COM

34 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

THE BLUETONES - Jane Fenton

UNCLE JOHN AND WHITELOCK CABARET VOLTAIRE, 7 NOV

It’s the second night of Uncle John and Whitelock’s farewell jaunt and with no sense of ceremony, front man Jake Lovatt takes to the stage and says nothing more than, “For the last time in Auld Reekie…” They launch into a string of songs that sound like the monstrous, fish-headeating-offspring of Nick Cave and Murder City Devils. Low dang dirty rock ‘n’ roll, twisted blues riffing and rockabilly beats blast out amongst Lovatt’s hollers and yells. He mutters weird nonsensical shit between songs, losing himself as well as an audience too enraptured to even notice. He repeatedly jumps into a crowd that doesn’t always manage to catch him. As the show reaches its psychobilly crescendo, the sense of occasion slowly filters through and it becomes all too apparent that Uncle John and Whitelock are leaving a wonderful final testament that has been given to us all too soon.

[Neil Ferguson] WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ UNCLEJOHNANDWHITELOCK

THE BLUETONES

THE LIQUID ROOM, 7 DEC It’s been quite some time since The Bluetones strutted down Easy Street. Following Expecting To Fly, things never, well, flew as expected.

Due in part to their infallible fan base though, and also down to the unerring presence of nostalgic Britpop era scrutinisers, the prospect of a Bluetones gig is always going to raise eyebrows. Kicking off with ‘Solomon Bites The Worm’, arguably their best if not most recognised song, proved exactly why. Mark Morriss carries the hallmarks of a true stalwart of venues nationwide.

His voice, not as fresh as some recall, is as distinctive as ever and his unassuming humour is a joy to behold. The new album gets a full workout, as do the majority of the classics. It’s easy to reminisce over what might have been, but there’s an undoubted improvement in their recent output. It’s also easy to for-

PETER BJöRN & JOHN - Charlotte Rodenstedt

get what a good band they were, and are, which is why this gig is a timely reminder for all who needed it. [Finbarr Bermingham] THE BLUETONES PLAY: 30 JAN, CABARET VOLTAIRE, EDINBURGH 31 JAN, THE TUNNELS, ABERDEEN 1 FEB, ABC, GLASGOW WWW.THEBLUETONES.ORG WWW.BLUETONES.INFO

THE TROUBADOUR SESSIONS THE MERCAT BAR, 13 DEC

John McIntosh (3/5) is the first of three acts touting their wares tonight. Armed with an acoustic guitar and plenty of swagger, a surprisingly powerful and mature voice issues forth. Shaking his mop, he belts out a string of his own songs with a power similar to Liam Gallagher but controlled with the sensitivity of Kurt Cobain.

Jordan Ogg (4/5), accompanied by Vicky Gray on violin, leads the audience into a hypnotic state of bluesy reverie and transports them to the islands appreciated by the baying Shetland massive. A beautiful voice is complimented not only by Gray’s harmonising backing vocals and fiddle playing, but his intricate guitar finger picking. Ogg brings a Celtic undertone to the capital with folk songs tainted with sadness and a recurring aquatic theme.

Chris Bradley (3/5) winds the evening up with his own take on a tortured artist. The voices in his head have falsetto tones, ranging from joyful to painful and would sometimes suit a lower register.

Nevertheless a competent acoustic guitar player with stage presence, he ends the night to rapturous applause. [Chris Catley] WWW.MYSPACE.COM/JORDANOGG

DANCING MICE/ THE VIVIANS BANNERMAN’S 13 DEC

“G i r l s a r e D a n c i n g !” s c r e a m s Damon Deville, lead singer of rising Edinburgh based outfit and Skinny Party rockers, The Vivians (4/5), who perform a perfect glamrock

show. They swear, jump off drumsets, dance with the crowd, writhe on stage, trash instruments and spit flagrantly: everything a punk band should do, short of punching the Queen in the face.

The Dancing Mice (3/5) sing about radio composers and Tamagotchi girls, the once cool pioneers that society abandoned. The band’s members can relate to these pop culture ghosts, each hiding behind speakers and shadows. Arms crossed and posture stiff, maybe they’re scared

of the small crowd in Bannerman’s.

But if you look closely you’ll see feet stomping, fingers pointing, a solitary fist that shoots up and disappears.

The trumpet is screaming, the guitar and bass fight one another, each trying to throw the fastest, curviest punch. The Mice fuse Madness with 80s synthpop innovation and modern pop psychology hang-ups.

[Hamza Khan] DANCINGMICESCOTLAND MYSPACE.COM/THEVIVIANSDIVIDED

GUT HANGING A FEW EXTRA INCHES OVER YOUR BREEKS AFTER DEVOURING TWENTY SELECTION BOXES IN FRONT OF CHRISTMAS DR WHO? EXCELLENT. THEN WE’LL BEGIN. by Dave Kerr

With many touring machines temporarily out of commission and our west coast associates waving the flag high this month, Auld Reekie has its work cut out in representing the live circuit, but, by Jaga’s beard, those nights out in a club just might save our social lives.

Following on from their Cab Vol showcases with Ballboy and Sixpeopleaway late last year, New Found Sound get set to usher in their own New Year at Bannerman’s as Miss Rose Kemp returns to the capital with a full backing band in tow on the 26th. Del from NFS has been hammering this eclectic blend of live showcase at an unprecedented level, taking over venues all over the city since launching late last spring. Delivering strong

The Inbreds - PARTY LIKE IT’S 1985

by Neil Ferguson

“WHEN WE STARTED OUT... IT WAS TO ROCK OUT, AND GET ABSOLUTELY BLIND DRUNK IN THE PROCESS”

MYSPACE.COM/

EDINBURGH UNDER SURVEILLANCE Liver sufficiently battered and bruised after a fortnight of liquoring it up? Gut hanging a few extra inches over your breeks after devouring twenty selection boxes in front of Christmas Dr Who? Excellent. Then we’ll begin.

Deicide

J SPACEMAN - Kristina Milic

bills to represent many elements of the spectrum, from homegrown hiphop, techno and indie rock to twisted Appalachian folk-punk, with a bit of luck 2007 will herald much more of the same ethos.

In 2006, metal is a long way from its debauched heyday. But in an American dominated scene - one in which the only British bands that make it pretend to all hell that they hail from the US - thank Satan for The Inbreds.

The sextet are a band with gimmicks and a sound that guitarist Dean Lovett describes as “British booze-groove and riffage metal(!),” they are the only band this side of the Atlantic that just wanna rock hard. “We’re damn proud not to be trying to copy any of the US metal bands like everyone else,” Lovett tells The Skinny.

“We’re just gonna carry on making the music we want, getting as drunk as we want, partying like it’s 1985…”

With metal too often criticised as a substandard genre, The Inbreds take no steps to defend themselves. They just don’t give a fuck. “If someone feels that metal bands are unworthy and a throwback, that’s fine. They are probably the same people listening to some untalented idiot calling themselves a DJ,” he says, laying out a

challenge to the purveyors of ‘phat beats’, “how about picking up a guitar and making some real music?”

Not that The Inbreds stop to think about what they do as ‘real music’; they just play for the sake of it – because they are metalheads enraptured by their craft. “We do what we do, we love it, it makes us feel great and hopefully it makes the people watching feel great… When I get on stage, I rock out for my own satisfaction. The fact that there is a crowd is just a bonus.”

Unconcerned with the troubles of the big music business, Lovett appears tirelessly enamoured with living the rock and roll lifestyle.

He wants to play with the bands he loves and get drunk with his heroes. “When our idols tell us we’re a great band… to me, that vindicates any decision not to have any novelty or gimmick.” To The Inbreds, music isn’t about selling records or playing in arenas, though. Lovett makes it clear that it’s about the aesthetic that seems lost on a UK scene that is becoming “less of a priority” to the

band. “Europe is much more into the style of rock and roll that we do,” he says, hinting at a possible contract with a label “who aren’t based in the UK.” It’s a simple formula, but it works. And regardless of their reluctance to keep the shows firmly focused on home crowds, they’ve nevertheless built up a base of support that has seen them sell out London’s Mean Fiddler and earn them an upcoming stint on the road with L.A. punks, Amen.

Un-phased by this, Dean’s not frightened to shout about the real priorities in The Inbreds’ institution of metal. “When the band started out, it wasn’t to be a huge famous band. It was to rock out, and get absolutely blind drunk in the process,” he laughs, “the moderate success… it’s just been incidental, if that’s the right word.”

THE INBREDS PLAY THE EXCHANGE, EDINBURGH ON 21 JAN. WWW.THEINBREDS.NET

The following evening, more concerned with the maintenance of their Art Garfunkel haircuts and chasing small foxes throughout the countryside, toffs will remind us that they’re seriously incapable of busting shapes on the floor when Toffs Can’t Dance resurfaces at The Caves on the 27th. Featuring the forthright disco-Clash of the ubiquitous OBE, the wild eyed Creed-despising panache of J-Sel and Penny Blacks, the infectious indie magic of Tam’s Railways, and the erratic poptoned rock n’ roll of east coast Emergenza finalists The Dials… looks like the perfect occasion to shake it ‘til it bleeds. See our feature in Sounds for some immortal words from a few of the bands involved and get your tail down there, m’kay? M’kay.

SOUNDS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

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Barbarossa – THE FENCE CONNECTION

by Duncan Forgan

Disappearing acts followed by heroic comebacks are not uncommon in the topsy-turvy and emotionally frazzling battlefield of contemporary music. John Lennon retreated to his Dakota Building cocoon for the best part of five years before returning with his chart-topping epitaph Double Fantasy while artists as diverse as Johnny Cash, Tina Turner and Morrissey have all undergone a fall from grace before bouncing back to garner critical garlands and renewed public acclaim.

cart, to the sanctity of Skye to, in the parlance of the time, ‘get her head together in the country’.

It was here that Bunyan laid the foundations for

generation of listeners and musicians entranced by her beguiling vision.

“I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HIDING ALL THE TIME” Barbarossa’s debut album Chemical Campfires is a deeply personal and honest collection of folk tinged songs, written and performed by songwriter James Mathe. His sincere vocals are underpinned by a subtle electro sheen that makes it sound refreshingly modern - the sonic equivalent of a glacial lake, its depths hidden by a pristine surface.

This unlikeliest of comebacks started in

BUNYAN’S EMERGENCE FROM WISTFUL earnest in 2000 with the CD re-release album and gathered pace FLOWER-POWER OBSCURITY HAS BEEN ofwiththea debut series of guest appearances on reAS UNLIKELY AS IT HAS BEEN WELCOME cordings by the aforementioned Banhart

As phoenix-from-the-ashes tales go however, few have the ‘fuck-me’ factor of the remarkable rediscovery and renaissance of Vashti Bunyan. Now ensconced alongside fellow sixties folksters such as Bert Jansch and John Renbourn as a musical mentor to nu-folk figureheads like Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom, Bunyan’s emergence from wistful flower-power obscurity has been as unlikely as it has been welcome.

Discovered by Rolling Stones svengali Andrew Loog Oldham in the mid-sixties, Bunyan was originally marketed as a kittenish swinging London starlet, very much in the vein of fellow Oldham alumnus Marianne Faithfull. Her girl-next-door charms failed to strike a chord with the listening public however, and, after a string of flops, she retreated, via a horse and

her debut album and undisputed masterpiece, Just Another Diamond Day. Imbued with an air of otherworldly Highland mysticism and pastoral childlike dreaminess, songs like ‘Glow Worms’, ‘Diamond Day’ and ‘Timothy Grub’ may have taken their cues from other psych-folk voyagers like the Incredible String Band and Donovan but their ethereal beauty were entirely of Bunyan’s making.

And then - nothing. Despite being recorded with some of Brit-folk’s brightest stars, including Fairport Convention violinist Dave Swarbrick a nd Nick Dra ke’s st ri ng-a r ra ngement ma n Robert Kirby, and released through counter-culture figurehead Joe Boyd’s production company, Witchseason, the record bombed and Bunyan retreated into obscurity. As the posthumous reappraisal of Drake’s output proved, however, it takes a lot to keep a neglected classic down. And painfully slowly, but surely, Bunyan’s defining statement found a new audience among a new

and US psychsters Animal Collective. By 2005 Bunyan was basking in the critical aftermath of her acclaimed second album Lookaftering – released an astonishing 35 years after her first – and was once again sharing her particular musical vision with fans across the world.

This is partly thanks to Mathe’s choice of producer, Simon Lord (previously of Simian) as Mathe explains to The Skinny. “It was really exciting to have found someone who was realising the things I heard in my head. I wanted to keep it organic in the main, but introduce a bit of electronica without taking away the emotion of the songs. I didn’t want to do the whole retro thing because of the new folk revival that was happening around me - I was really flattered to be involved with that and play with some great musicians who are pulling on the more traditional side of folk, like The Eighteenth Day of May & Alasdair Robert, but I was also aware that I wanted it to be a contemporary thing.”

She’s back playing in Scotland this month as part of a bill that looks like manna from heaven for lovers of wintry off-kilter folk. The gig, entitled Zero Degrees of Separation, takes place at Glasgow’s ABC and features Bunyan alongside Adem, Juana Molina and Vetiver - all artists deserving of far more than this measly paragraph - and promises to be a magical night of previously unheard arrangements, collaborations and experiments.

Mathe found the surge of great new music we’ve enjoyed recently a major inspiration. “Although I was listening to things like Bert Jansch, and Fairport Convention, during the time of recording the album I was also listening to a lot of newer bands who were exciting me like Sigur Rós, Sufjan Stevens and Animal Collective. In the last couple of years I’ve just been blown away by some of the music that’s out there.”

But don’t be surprised if Bunyan comes to prominence on the evening – it’s where she deserved to be all along.

ZERO DEGREES OF SEPARATION TAKES PLACE AT THE ABC, GLASGOW ON 16 JAN.

The name Barbarossa, meaning ‘Red Beard’ in Italian, came to Mathe while on holiday with his half-Italian girlfriend. “We were in Italy and we started to appreciate really good red wine. While we were over there we saw a particular bottle called Il Barbarossa, and it had a picture of this guy with a big red beard who looked a bit

WWW.ANOTHERDAY.CO.UK

Joanna Newsom

by Alistair Brown

Californian Ramones fans – stop what you’re doing and run, for Ys is your nemesis. Harpist Joanna Newsom is touring her new album (pronounced “eess”), and it’s about as different to the 2-minute balls, dolls and drugs model as you can get in contemporary popular music. Newsom’s second major release is complex, dynamic and challenging - it clearly won’t appeal to everyone.

It’s one of the most critically acclaimed albums of recent years but many music lovers vehemently hate it – it’s pretentious, they say, and unlistenably so. Her voice is like a nasal elfin whine, fey and affected, warbling indecipherable lyrics over winsome harp wankery and senseless off-time orchestration. That’s an opinion you may well stay with if you’ve heard Ys.

by Milo McLaughlin

like my Grandad. My Grandad was a big character who has had a massive effect on me, so it all seemed to fit perfectly. Although we bought a bottle of the wine and it was fucking horrible!”

SOUNDS

SOUNDS PREVIEWS Zero Degrees of Separation

Prior to recording the new album with Lord, Mathe had already been lucky enough to know Adem, who produced his debut EP, which then, in another stroke of luck, or perhaps fate, made its way to the East Neuk of Fife and into the hands of the folks at Fence, through whom Chemical Campfires has been released this month.

“A friend of mine sent it up to them; I got an e-mail saying we really love the EP and the homemade packaging - I think they were as excited about the packaging as with the recording! Then they invited me up for Homegame, and the rest is history really - it just clicked and I felt really at home up there - it was incredibly inspiring to be around those people.”

London-based Mathe will be returning to Scotland in 2007 for more gigs with his Fence compadres, and is also releasing a track on the new offshoot label De-Fence which focuses on the more electronic aspects of the Fife based collective’s output, along the lines of this year’s sublime Electric Fence compilation. Meanwhile, his debut album has already been made Rough Trade’s album of the month, having received a limited release in December. But isn’t the bearded one worried that he has bared too much of his soul?

“I think a lot of people are hiding all the time, and I’m sure I do as well, but I just wanted to put myself out there and be really honest.

When I’m up there on stage or recording, to be able to get yourself in that place and remember exactly what you were going through, your performance becomes very honest as well.”

CHEMICAL CAMPFIRES IS OUT NOW ON FENCE RECORDS. WWW.BARBAROSSAMUSIC.COM

But if you’ve listened closely to Ys, committed some more of your time to acquiring the taste, you’ll probably disagree - in which case Newsom’s Glasgow date is a must-see. With each listen, another multifaceted lyrical paragraph, twinkling harp phrase or symphonic flourish acquires the benefit of your doubt, until the whole coalesces into the focus of gooey-eyed wonderment. Ys was injury-time contender for Album of 2006 - and this gig will be one of 2007’s early highlights.

JOANNA NEWSOM PLAYS CITY HALLS, CANDLERIGGS, GLASGOW ON 14 JAN. ‘YS IS OUT NOW ON DRAG CITY. WWW.DRAGCITY.COM/BANDS/NEWSOM.HTML

Toffs Can’t Dance: THE SECOND COMING As Second Comings go, it’s not exactly on par with a biblical resurrection. But the return of Toffs Can’t Dance should be greeted with similar awestruck adulation when it re-emerges this month. Because these are no generic indie-schmindie shenanigans - this is a craftily constructed, aurally intoxicating night of the finest young hips-shakers in town.

by Billy Hamilton

bands. Recalling the vibrancy of the first Toffs, The Dials frontman Joe Hendry enthuses: “The Caves was amazing – we really took it up a gear that night. It was a unique spectacle. There’s nowhere like it around. Where else can you see live bands, get pissed and explore a haunted tomb?”

Where else indeed? And on 27 January you can once again excavate Toffs’ cavernous realms without fear of mummification as a stellar quartet of Edinburgh acts bandage your eardrums with blistering sound. Tam’s Railways and The Dials will be reacquainted for another splurge of seething power-punk and feisty rock ‘n’ roll, whilst new recruits have been found in the dastardly duo of Penny Blacks and OBE.

Bursting into life last May, Toffs was one of the revitalising alternatives on the map of Edinburgh’s oft scraggily-haired subculture. Firmly focused on showcasing aspiring local acts, founders Mike McGrail and Gavin Oattes entwined live bands with comedic interludes and an exquisite music policy, plastering a grin on the faces of the emaciated indie masses. And to top off this unadulterated musical gratification was its illustrious setting: The Caves.

So what can we expect from the sprightly Toffs freshmen? Well, Penny Blacks’ vocalist Jon Seller With its electrified atmosphere, the venue’s chas- is gearing up for a night of suave sophistication mal confines proved a hit with both punters and with the occasional foxtrot thrown in for good

30 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

measure: “We’re gonna be pulling out all the stops on the night - I may even have a shave,” he exclaims. “We love playing live and we’ll definitely get some dancing going on in honour of the title.”

The final word goes to OBE’s Stitch, who tackles that perennially irksome question: Why do rich-kids fail to cut some quality rug? “Pure and simply: inbreeding. It’s to do with their testicles. During conception something gets all twisted up and they’re in constant pain ‘til the moment they die. It’s horrible and all the boys in OBE would like to say: Toffs, our thoughts are with you.”

TOFFS CAN’T DANCE: THE CAVES, 27 JAN. NIDDRY STREET SOUTH, 9 PM - 3 AM. £6 BEFORE 11, £7 AFTER WWW.MYSPACE.COM/TOFFSCANTDANCEEDINBURGH

SOUNDS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

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LIVE MUSIC

Highlights

SOUNDS

SOUNDS GLASGOW

by Ted Maul

WITHOUT A DOUBT THE GIG OF THE MONTH BELONGS TO SWEDEN’S RADIO DEPT.

EDINBURGH

PLACEBO - www.fisherphotographics.co.uk

BARDO POND MONO, 28 NOV

Tonight’s trio of consciousnessexpanders begins with Alexander Tucker, who builds walls of textured drone that belie his lone, seated figure. With bowed guitar, acoustic arpeggios and wordless vocals, interspersed with occasional bursts of heavy noise, he masterfully commences a night of psychedelia.

Live, Jackie O Motherfucker are a long way from the accessibility of last year’s Flags Of The Sacred Harp.

They play long, improvised organic jams, formed from a multitude of bowings, scrapings, drifting ghostly voices and shamanistic chanting.

Over the course of an hour, their shuddering drones slowly rise and fall, coalescing every so often into half-songs and melodies.

Bardo Pond’s similarly trance-inducing sounds are of a wholly different kind. The air is thick with their heavy riffs, the sound so dense that it seems to tune the whole venue into their monolithic bass-heav y grooves. With the unstoppable juggernaut of Clint Takeda’s bass and Jason Kourkounis’ drums against the deep fuzz of the Gibbons brothers’ dual guitars, all overlaid with the barely-heard whispers of Isobel Sollenberger’s flute and vocals, Glasgow is treated to a wonderful dose of the finest psychedelic rock around. [Alex Woodward] WWW.THREELOBED.COM/BARDO WWW.ATPFESTIVAL.COM/ATP-RECORD INGS/JACKIE-O-MOTHERFUCKER WWW.ATPFESTIVAL.COM/ATPRECORDINGS/ALEXANDER-TUCKER

PLACEBO SECC, 6 DEC

Touring in support of their latest album Meds and the re-release of their debut album, Placebo grace the SECC enhanced by Brian Molko’s kilt-clad ass. Compared to the past, the trio come across as more dignified and less drug-addicted. Playing a solid mix of past and present hits, they roll out the likes of the classic ‘Every You Every Me,’ much to the crowd’s delight. Although the

show entertains, there seems to be something missing. Overall, a very reserved performance, and the only one in the group appearing to enjoy himself is bassist, Stefan Olsdal.

Before it could be considered a total loss, the encore proves to be salvation. Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ is covered with such emotion and conviction, dragging on forever but seemingly way too short. This was definitely one for the true fans, not for the yet to be convinced.

[Lauren Mooney] WWW.PLACEBOWORLD.CO.UK

THE CHARLATANS CARLING ACADEMY, 4 DEC

Could this be the last chance to see The Charlatans? With their second ‘best of’ compilation in the shops, it’s fair to say the vultures are circling. Perhaps The Charlatans have always been something of a Skoda to Oasis’s Volkswagen, but tonight’s show would still mark a fitting curtain call, if indeed such speculation is to be given credence. Supporting t h e m a r e yo u n g e r- g e n e r a t i o n Manchester band The Longcut, a trio who generate waves of sonic assault through moaning guitar and angry bass which crash indistinctly in the recesses of the cavernous hall. Their audience may be more interested in their own conversations, but The Longcut evidently enjoy their unduly short set.

Eventually The Charlatans emerge in a blizzard of strobe-flashes and dry ice, with Tim Burgess delaying his entrance until the last possible second. Such unapologetic theatricality continues unabated all night, but these perennial survivors have surely earned the right to it. An unexciting first half is punctuated by a few highlights from Wonderland before they sink their teeth into the anthems. ‘The Only One I Know’ transports the nostalgic audience trippily back to 1990 and Burgess goes all strained-Dylan on ‘How High’ - the venue obediently jumps.

An impressive spectacle yes, but there can’t be much more fuel left in the tank. [Nick Mitchell] WWW.THECHARLATANS.NET

36 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

BARDO POND - Alex Woodward

THE DYKEENIES THE GARAGE, 2 DEC

The Dykeenies take a 20 year-old sound and update it. A keyboard playing singer, 80s influences and sing-a-long songs crammed with pop hooks make comparisons with The Killers easy, but accurate.

They have a harder edge - at times they sound like a Test Icicles that can actually play their instruments.

Backing vocals from the bassist and guitarist help fill the room and ‘Pick You Up’ and ‘Clean Up Your Eyes’ sound positively anthemic.

Other highlights include the partisan crowd singing ‘In and Out’ almost as loud as the band, the rocking ‘Death On The Dancefloor’ and the band channelling the spirit of Ron ‘Anchorman’ Burgundy with an a capella ‘Afternoon Delight’. If there is any justice in the world, the numerous ‘killer’ songs and joie de vivre on show tonight will catapult The Dykeenies to the same super stardom as the Las Vegas Quartet.

[Paul Matusavage] MYSPACE.COM/GOFINDTHEDYKEENIES

TOOL

SECC, 25 NOV Question: can you really claim that a show was “awesome!” when you’ve blatantly blethered all the way through it? Having never paid it quite as much attention as you would to an episode of Boohbah?

Regardless of those few who have thrown away their money, Tool’s unwavering focus is abundant, as their monolithic show is blown open with a reworked version of ‘Stinkfist’ to open all other surrounding eyes.

‘Swamp Song’ and ‘Jambi’ sweep the SECC like a relentless sonic tidal wave; surfed with controlled fervour by Maynard James Keenan as he sways back and forth while the magnitude of another primeval roar depletes his lungs of air. Far more taunting than belligerent in their approach, bursts of kryptonite green strobe-light dazzle while undeniable battering rams like ‘Wings of Marie’ and ‘10,000 Days’ are let loose in all their sprawling glory; it’s impossible

THE CHARLATANS - Mark Dorrian

not to get wrapped up in both the sound and spectacle. The result?

This quartet visibly leave an audience “overwhelmed, as one would be,” unless, of course, you were only there for the craic.

[Johnny Langlands] WWW.TOOLBAND.COM

MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN KING TUT’ S, 7 DEC

With an opener that’s a little bit Scissor Sisters, a little bit The Rapture and a little bit Tetris, Men, Women and Children’s disco rock sound may still be finding its feet but what they lack in experience they make up for in energy. Front man TJ Penzone announces “I may lose my voice tonight but it will be worth it” and choreographed stage moves as well as an impromptu conga give you the sense that they know how to put on a show. The New York sextet’s set crosses genres from electro beats to disco to post-punk rock and back again with single ‘Dance in My Blood’ stealing the show and filling the dance floor at the end of the night. The refrain “You don’t need a reason, to get up on the dance floor” resonates across the crowd through the synths and strings of this infectious disco-rock. So dig out your 70s stilettos and get dancing.

Only time will tell if Men, Women and Children can make the transition from novelty to credibility but what is certain is that they’ll have fun trying.

[Julie Paterson] WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ MENWOMENANDCHILDREN

TENACIOUS D SECC, 11 DEC

Frank Zappa once posed the question: “Does Humour Belong In Music?” Of course, he couldn’t care less for anybody’s answer and carried on with his distinct fusion of sonics and satire regardless. Fast forward a little over two decades, however, and the mass popularisation and subsequent over-saturation presented by the palatable quirkiness of The Darkness and their ilk

may have served the proverbial fatal Aikido blow to ‘ironic’ rock, but Jack Black and Kyle Gass, perhaps more unashamed in their folk-metal approach, still know exactly what to do to get the reaction they require.

Somewhere between a gig and a panto show - with well arranged theatrics and a frills providing backing band rounded out by Charlie Chaplin, Colonel Sanders and the Anti-Christ - laughs and bullhorns are rife throughout an unfolding

TOOL - Charlotte Rodenstedt

GLASGOW

Feisty Glaswegian rockers THE HEDRONS (pictured) kick things off with a gig at CABARET VOLTAIRE ON 11 JAN. Laser-guided riffing, sweet pop melodies and furious rhythms all add up to an exciting live proposition. This band has a real urgency about them – enjoy.

Edinburgh based power-pop trio THE DIALS hit up KING TUT’S ON 5 JAN. This band deal in high-adrenaline thrills, solid, chugging riffs and emotive vocals. Check them out if you’re the sort who can’t get enough feel-good, fist pumping gig action.

If “the system is in collapse” as Thom Yorke claims, then it will mostly likely be a band like AMEN that finally topple it. Pure black hatred for the music industry and the corporations that control it is what fuels the one-man creative whirlwind known as Casey Chaos. See him self-destruct at THE EXCHANGE ON 21 JAN.

Like The Smiths? Like jangly guitar pop? Well then, you might just enjoy NIGHTMARE OF YOU, who play KING TUT’S ON 21 JAN. It’s not screamingly original, but if swaggering, confessional odes about illicit sexual situations push your buttons you’ll have a ball.

If skin-flaying punk fury isn’t exactly your thing then you may want to get hold of tickets to see RAY LAMONTAGNE at the USHER HALL ON 24 JAN. His soulful, smoky voice made him famous, and his recent material has seen his songwriting take a quantum leap, so all accounts point towards this evening being an occasion.

The critically lauded GET CAPE. WEAR CAPE. FLY crash into the QMU ON 21 JAN, and they’ll no doubt be bringing their fiery stash of folktronica (cringe) with them.

Compared to the likes of Billy Bragg and the Clash, acoustic social invectives are what Sam Duckworth and his posse are all about. Love it or hate it.

American folk legend JOAN BAEZ plays the USHER HALL ON 1 FEB. A champion of human rights and a tireless activist in many areas, Baez is known for her soprano voice and unique reinterpretations of songs by artists such as The Beatles and Stevie Wonder. A cunning concoction.

Without a doubt the gig of the month belongs to Sweden’s RADIO DEPT. who will play NICE ‘ N’ SLEAZY ON 28 JAN. Woozy, enveloping melodies, fuzzy, heartwarming soulfulness – their charms are hard to describe, so I suggest you buy a ticket and experience them for yourself. Majestic, life affirming stuff.

story peppered with daft ditties like ‘Kickapoo,’ ‘Car Chase City’ and the dual-acoustic six stringer epic ‘Wonderboy,’ delivered with a backdrop of Hellfire smouldering behind them. ‘Tribute’ predictably wraps things up, with Black in characteristically animated form, shimmying the stage and laughing his ass off.

Does humour belong in music?

Tonight The D answer with an assured “sometimes.” [Dave Kerr]

The Hedrons play Cab Vol on 11 Jan Photo: Andy Willsher

WWW.TENACIOUSD.COM

THE GLASGOW SCHOOL

by Gareth K Vile

JANUARY SEES MANY OF OUR INDIGENOUS FOLK MUSICIANS AND BANDS OF A PEACEFUL, GENTLE NATURE FLOURISHING As Celtic Connections begins its domination of the city, the indigenous folk musicians and bands of a more peaceful and gentle nature are flourishing this month.

See the feature in this issue for more details and a few exclusive interviews with some of the artists appearing.

As well as the bounty of talent about to be set upon venues across Glasgow, following on the success of the first night at the Goat, VERSAcoustic have announced an acoustic tour, beginning in March, which will feature unplugged performances

by BMX Bandits, My Latest Novel and Em ma Pol lock, amongst others. But this is only the tip of the acoustic iceberg: both Tchai-Ovna and the Bean Scene host regular singer-songwriters, while the Free Candy Sessions at the Liquid Ship have been of fering bands the op portunity to strip down their sound on a weekly basis. Open mic nights and jam sessions are happening every night of the week (check glasgow.openguide. co.uk for further details - there’s too damn many for even The Skinny to list in full). Most of

these events are either free or very cheap, offering the chance to see either established names or the stars of tomorrow in an intimate setting.

Glasgow’s scenes a re as d iverse as they are successful, and there is often cross-over between the different genres.

Popup, more usually known for their jaunty pop, performed at the first VERSAcoustic session and are about to embark for the prestigious South By South West Festival in Austin, Texas. The Free Candy Sessions are as likely to feature jazz as folk as rock - a recent evening saw loca l A mer ica na out f it The State Broadcasters rub shoulders with Scottish troubadour Robbie McInnes, and the jazzy styling of Harriet Glover shared a stage with experimental guitarist Billy Bates.

As with Celtic Connections, it is impossible to catch everything that is happening in Glasgow in a single month. However, it is perfectly possible to capture exciting music every night of the week.

SOUNDS

ALBUM RELEASE SCHEDULE DATE

ARTIST

TITLE

LABEL

8-Jan 8-Jan 8-Jan 8-Jan 8-Jan 8-Jan 15-Jan 22-Jan 22-Jan 22-Jan 22-Jan 22-Jan 22-Jan 22-Jan 22-Jan 22-Jan 29-Jan 29-Jan 29-Jan 29-Jan 29-Jan 29-Jan 29-Jan

GANG STARR

Mass Appeal Candylion Heavy Hands The Cost These Days Buck The World Mind the Gap Young Machetes Blue Shift Emissions Panic Prevention Make This Your Own Re-Advocate The Good The Bad and The Queen Boys and Girls in America Wincing The Night Away Hat’s Off To the Buskers Alan Tyler & The Lost Sons of Littlefield Hotsy Totsy Nagaski Angles About What You Know Not Too Late Sing, Memory Myths of the Near Future

EMI Rough Trade Saddle Creek Anti Universal Interscope Cultjam Wichita Benbecula Virgin Sequel Street Grind Parlophone Vagrant Sub Pop SonyBMG Hanky Panky Garageblast/No Dancing Ghost Yellow Van Parlophone Cargo Polydor

GRUFF RHYS LADYFINGER THE FRAMES VINCE GILL YOUNG BUCK DOGZUKI BLOOD BROTHERS CHRIST. JAMIE T THE COOPER TEMPLE CLAUSE THE GAME THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE QUEEN THE HOLD STEADY THE SHINS THE VIEW ALAN TYLER & THE LOST SONS OF LITTLEFIELD DESERT HEARTS HOT GOSSIP LITTLE MAN TATE NORAH JONES SARAH NIXEY THE KLAXONS

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January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

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SOUNDS

SOUNDS Ben Folds

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI After swimming around manic in the excesses of the festive season, a fair few of us could f reely admit to indulging in the simple pleasures of enjoying the debauchery afforded by many beers and a fair singsong at a gig, right? But when the hell did rock n’roll shows turn into coffee mornings? Here’s a New Year’s resolution for anyone out there who likes to break open the jaffa cakes and have a blether while some quality (or not) band is playing their heart out in front of your self satisfied eyes: “must shut pus at concerts.” Call it a precious notion, but it doesn’t half mess with the ambience to have some foghorn waxing lyrical about how much better their band is than the one playing in front of them, or the incessant amplified sounds of some loutish comedian jabbering redundant bollocks about how cool the tee shirt they ducked out to buy during song three looks. I hope it shrinks in the wash to a size that only a baby toad can wear. Actually, give the toad your ticket next time and leave the rest of us in peace. Sling that resolution into the mix along with a wish for the incarceration of George Bush and his imperialist mates, and we’re off to a happy 2007. Gouranga! /Dave

SOME REAL CONVERSATION FOR YOUR ASS

INTERVIEW FEATURE BEN FOLDS LIVE MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS DON’T MISS LIVE MUSIC EDINBURGH INTERVIEW FEATURE BARBAROSSA LIVE MUSIC GLASGOW INTERVIEW FEATURE WAKE THE PRESIDENT FEATURE CELTIC CONNECTIONS ZERO DEGREES OF SEPARATION PREVIEW PREVIEW JOANNA NEWSOM PREVIEW TOFFS CAN’T DANCE

METAL UP YOUR ASS THE INBREDS ALBUM REVIEWS THE BLUETONES SINGLE REVIEWS THE EASY GRAMOPHONE

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Ben Folds is one of those rare musicians who has absorbed many trends and stood the test of time.

He’s stuck to his guns and acknowledged what has gone on around him, all the while with a bemused smirk on his face. Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP, which is actually a compilation of three previously available online only EPs as well as a typically tongue in cheek cover of Dr. Dre’s ‘Bitches Ain’t Shit’, is out now.

The Skinny recently wrestled him away from his kids for a second and caught up with the alternative popper as he geared up for his UK tour at his home base in Nashville, Tennessee.

How did you first discover music? In what way did the elements start to come together?

“I’ve always been a musician, even before I was a musician. I was making up music in my head before I learned how to do it. I remember sitting down at the piano and thinking I could play and when it didn’t sound good I was pissed.”

How have you kept up this honesty in an industry where people want to change you?

“People do that to themselves, there’s an incentive to be full of shit, but I have incentive to do my thing. If something isn’t ringing true to me, if I didn’t feel it, I had a hard time doing it. If it’s not coming from an honest place, there have been times I’ve actually lost my voice. I like form, but I like informality. Informality in music is good.”

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What inspires you to write ? Are you in a place with it where you can set aside the time to do it?

“It’s different every time but in general, in all these different situations, there are inspirational moments that have created seeds of songs, and then there comes a time when you need to work - dot the I’s and cross the T’s. But I don’t think I’ve ever sat down and said ‘Ok it’s time to write a song, lalalala.’ There’s an inspiration there that kind of isn’t you.”

You have such a dynamic stage presence.

Was that something that developed over time?

“I was nervous in the beginning, but I tried harder, I used to think you had to perform music but you don’t, you execute it.”

How would you compare playing gigs in the UK versus performances on home turf?

“Maybe because I don’t get to play it all that often, I always say the UK is my favorite place to play. I love Glasgow - it’s the right amount of intelligent and rowdy. The people have a musical intelligence and sensitivity.”

How did Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP, come into being?

I’m not going to make a cent, it’s about compiling it all in one place and putting it on a record, a physical hard copy. In the future with all these mp3s we’re going to have to look into some guy’s computer, so really this album could be called Backup Tape.”

You’ve worked with a unique range of artists, from Ben Kweller and Ben Lee (as ‘The Bens’ - genius) to the mighty William Shatner - who’s next on your wish list of collaborators?

“I would love to work with Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls. I worship what she’s doing.

I just want to be a servant to her; even it’s just pressing buttons or getting her Starbucks.”

What can we look forward to from you in the future?

“I’m working on a new album, but I’m taking it easy, which I don’t do very often, so I’m just chilling out with the whole process.”

And when you hit Glasgow, paint us a picture, how’s it going to go down, Benjamin?

“It’s cliche, but all the shows are different; I’m just in the moment when I’m playing a gig!”

BEN FOLDS PLAYS CARLING ACADEMY, GLASGOW ON 26 JAN.

“Well it’s nothing to do with business, some people think I’m just cashing in on some songs, but

Wake the President

by Jasper Hamill

ALONG WITH THE LIKES OF POPUP, SEEM TO BE REDEFINING THE SOUND OF THE CITY

“I LOVE GLASGOW; IT’S THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF INTELLIGENT AND ROWDY.”

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

SOUNDS CONTENTS

by Lauren Mooney

SUPERSUNNYSPEEDGRAPHIC IS OUT NOW.

There’s an old man who haunts Sauchiehall Street, dressed in a three-piece suit, leaning on a cane. Every time you bump into him he’s got the same story: “Son, I wouldn’t lie to you. I’m a Christian.” With a tear in his eye he tells how, yet again, he’s lost the tenner from his wallet and needs some cash to get home. In a way, his story is as representative of the city as any Alasdair Gray novel or Belle and Sebastian song. Sad, proud and elegant, he walks the street searching for that lost ten pound note.

These characters are inspiration to the scores of bands and artists working in Glasgow. For Eric Sandberg, one of the twins that runs Say Dirty Records and plays in Wake the President, the old men sitting at bars or drunkenly wandering the streets are the lifeblood of Glasgow, the very core to understanding the city. The songs he sings, melancholy reminiscences of blonde girls from the past, tales of the deceit and debauchery of the West End, resonate with the slurred poetry of these men, philosophising over a whisky water at the Ben Nevis. “For me, my lyrics are about respecting the past, the language and tongue of Glasgow.” You can hear Burns, Goethe and Carlyle in the words just as you can hear the muttered remembrances of sozzled drinkers.

The strum of an acoustic guitar, the plaintive Glaswegian burr, a jangle from Eric’s brother Bjorn’s vintage telecaster: it sounds like the whimsy of vintage Orange Juice but with the sordid, brutal honesty of Arab Strap. And the city is catching on.

A recent gig to celebrate Say Dirty’s success saw a defining performance from Wake The President, the Sandbergs resplendent in braces and tweed, harmonising Eric’s lyrics of love, loss and late night drinking. They’ve been courted by the Electric Honey label, pack Brel every Thursday for their Out to Play evening and, along with the likes of Popup, seem to be redefining the sound of the city.

“All my songs are a narrative,” says Eric, “‘Blonde Girls’ is about this guy I know who fucked his leg and retrained as a primary school teacher. For a proud old Scotsman to do that - a man with an enormous amount of pride - was incredibly brave.” Not only that, but: “he was a dirty old man, and I related to that.”

WAKE THE PRESIDENT PLAY BARFLY, GLASGOW ON 9 JAN AND THE CLASSIC GRAND, GLASGOW ON 20 JAN. MYSPACE.COM/WAKETHEPRESDENT

www.kingtuts.co.uk 272 St Vincent Street, Glasgow Telephone: 0141 221 5279

WWW.BENFOLDS.COM

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COLUMN

35

INTERVIEW FEATURE

35

THIS MONTH’S REVIEWS 36 FEATURE INTERVIEW

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THIS MONTH’S REVIEWS 38 FEATURE

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A MUSO’S TOP 10 COMETS ON FIRE Psychedelic riff lovers Comets On Fire were off their collective rocker when the Skinny caught up with them at Nightmare Before Christmas last month. True to their form as an album band, they delivered a melting pot of the long-players presently keeping their solar system ablaze during these winter months...

1. THIN LIZZY - THIN LIZZY 2. GRAHAM NASH - SONGS FOR BEGINNERS 3. ALLEN TROUSSAINT - LIFE LOVE AND FAITH 4. TERRY RILEY - PERSIAN SURGERY DERVISHES 5. RHCP - STADIUM ARCADIUM 6. EDDIE HAZEL - GAMES, DAMES AND GUITAR THANGS 7. DELANEY AND BONNIE - THE BEST OF 8. SAM HAIN - NOVEMBER COMING FIRE 9. THE SUBLIME - BOXSET 10. FEDERATION - HYPHY/IN LOVE WITH A HOOD RAT “Comets are currently working on a soundtrack to an (ahem) adult film in conjunction with Spencer Yeh, Chris Corsano and Paul Flaherty. The film is being directed by Graham Moorehead, also known as Glenn Danzig.”

Ben Folds: he’s been expecting you

28 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

SOUNDS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

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ALAN TYLER & THE LOST SONS OF LITTLEFIELD

ALAN TYLER & THE LOST SONS OF LITTLEFIELD (HANKY PANKY RECORDS)

A l a n Ty l e r ’s g ot th e m i d dle-aged, Anglo-Saxon, suburbanite cowboy wannabe blues. If you can relate, fix yourself a strong Merlot (preferably in a dirty cup), take off your boots, and indulge. Heck, switch on the fake fire. You’ll probably like this disc because, without assuming a position or tone so expository as to arouse any feelings of deep discomfort or spiritual emptiness, it nevertheless broaches in a mellifluous baritone the weighty, idealised, and sentimental topics that have disproportionately become the domain of country music, namely the themes of love, innocence and time lost. Sung to the accompaniment of fiddles, mandolins and a trenchant rhythm section, Tyler’s well-crafted but topical songs are like the suburbs from which he hails (‘Harrow’): neither here nor there, neither packed like the city nor sparse like the open country, merely situated inbetween and a little bland.

[Ben Howe] RELEASE DATE: 29 JAN. WWW.ALANTYLER.COM

the hallowed Radio 1 treatment we could be about to hear a lot more from this band. [Nick Mitchell]

ANGLES

(GHOST RECORDS)

Chubby lesbian Beth Ditto may be the coolest person in rock right now, but it looks like someone’s trying to upstage her in the hipster stakes, for now we have not just The Gossip but ‘Hot’ Gossip. Judging by the name, the edgy montage artwork and the scuzzy garage rock on offer, you’d place a safe bet on them being another shaggy-haired, leather-clad product of New York or London. But no, this band hail from Milan, more renowned for its Puccini than its punk. Despite the geographical glitch, Hot Gossip would fit nicely into the currently post-punk saturated UK scene with their ragged riffs and off-beat charm, best exemplified on the Ramones-meets-Daft Punk thrash of ‘Haarp’. Angles isn’t particularly intelligent and certainly not groundbreaking, but if it gets

RELEASE DATE: 8 JAN.

RELEASE RELEASE DATE: 29 JAN. WWW.MYSPACE.COM/HOTGOSSIP

LEE PATTERSON

THE GRINDER’ S MONKEY

ISLE OF ME

BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND (SELF RELEASED)

Beginning from a Cabaret Voltaire residency, Isle of Me craft alternative electronic songscapes that mesmerise and infect both the mind and dancing feet. But this is no regular, run of the mill, electronica: guitars, slap bass, live drums, congas and other assorted percussions elevate the songs to an altogether more unusual plain. Spliff up, kick back and bliss out. And then there are the vocals - perfectly captured and layered, they soar and interweave through the music - “you must be terrified.” Creepily ominous. Available for download on the I-Tunes music store, it’s good to see Isle of Me are embracing the soulless future of music buying, but you could wager that some album artwork would have suited this trip perfectly. [Ali Maloney] OUT NOW, AVAILABLE FROM I-TUNES WWW.ISLEOFME.CO.UK

LADYFINGER HEAVY HANDS (SADDLE CREEK)

HOT GOSSIP

ing: on CD, they are predictable and unimaginative. [Gareth K Vile]

‘B e ba pti s e d in the broth.

The rock broth.

Tea-bag it. Teabag the broth of rock.’ Behind th i s d o u btlessly ironic gem of hyperbole hide Ladyfinger, a band with a remarkable determination to play the same song ten times in half an hour. It’s a good song - fast, heavy, duelling guitars, hysterical vocals and power chords flailing towards a sudden finish, and they avoid false sensitivity. However, the album feels like a first draft, an enthusiastic band shoved into the studio before reflection and development could corrupt their energy. Ladyfinger avoid some of the more excessive clichés of metal - the guitar solos are menacing rather than flamboyant, and the steady rhythmic chug is stripped punk lean. The lyrics are lost beneath old fashioned histrionics, which might be just as well - what emerges sounds like predictable sloganeering. As a live proposition, they might be threatening and thrill-

RELEASE DATE: 29 JAN.

strom - still and ruminative and always just waiting to bubble over an edge that it that is never quite there.

[Neil Ferguson]

WWW.SARAHNIXEY.COM

RELEASE DATE: 8 JAN.

OUT NOW. AVAILABLE FROM:

WWW.THEFRAMES.IE

WWW.LITTLEGREENMACHINE.NET

THE HOLD STEADY

THE FRAMES PLAY ORAN MOR,

(SELF RELEASED)

Seamlessly intertwining m o o d y fo l kblues with a smouldering downbeat vocal, The Grinder’s Monkey could be a lost Van Morrison classic. But with reminiscing tales of intoxication down the docks o’ Leith, this tender balladeer lies a lot closer to home.

Born in the heart of Auld Reekie’s winding streets, Lee Patterson is a naturally animated storyteller.

Exuding an innate sense of life’s peculiarities, his third LP is awash with the fragments of a contemplative soul. When depicting the world through a haze of raw acoustic strumming and desolate a capellas, Patterson purrs like a preened kitten over the fraught laments of ‘To My Knees’ and ‘Go For A Beer’. Yet when the claws are out this cat fully engages; tearing away at the fleshy joint of Papa Jacques with the gruff tenacity of a rabid Tom Waits. Not renowned for its wealth of singer/ songwriters, Edinburgh has finally found a voice in Lee Patterson.

[Billy Hamilton] OUT NOW. WWW.LPMUSIC.ORG.UK

LITTLEGREENMACHINE LITTLE GREEN MACHINE

SONIC YOUTH

THE DESTROYED ROOM

The same approach might not work w he n Steve n Spielberg and Harrison Ford are reunited for another Indiana Jones, but Little Green Machine show that combining two ingredients well past their best-before date can have exhilarating results. Taking the songwriting and arrangements from indie rock and applying them to the raucous sludge bounce of grunge, they sound exactly like Therapy? might sound now if they hadn’t grown old and soft. This Edinburgh threepiece know exactly how to rock a song – when to drop some nice harmonies, when to crank up the distortion and when to sing the blues

(1965 RECORDS)

The band were always going to be in safe hands with legendary knob twiddler Owen Morris at the controls, and here he gives them only what they needed; to press the record button and see what happens. The band concur: “that’s the sound we were going for… nearly

38 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

like a live album.” Hence we hear somebody coughing near the end of ‘Don’t Tell Me’, and someone is told to “fuck off” in no uncertain terms at the end of ‘Streetlights’.

While fans will already have punched the air and pushed their mates to stonking previous singles, ‘Superstar Tradesman’ and the blistering ‘Wasted Little Dj’s’, upcoming single ‘Same Jeans’ is a chipper paean to being young and having a blast. Hats Off To The Buskers is basically the sound of four young men in the prime of their lives, having the time of their lives.

Let’s hope they never grow old. [Barry Jackson]

BOYS AND GIRLS IN AMERICA (VAGRANT)

OUT NOW WWW.SONICYOUTH.COM

RELEASE DATE: 22 JAN.

I smell a contractual obligation. With this b-sides and rarities compilation Sonic Youth will have delivered the final album of their contract with Geffen and will effectively have been released from the shackles of major labeldom. Sure enough, this hotchpotch of mostly instrumental tracks offers little of interest to the hardcore fan, and almost nothing to hook the casual listener. Rarities are usually rare for a reason, and most of the tracks here are pale facsimiles of classic Sonic Youth moments.

Standouts ‘K im’s Chords’ and ‘Beautiful Plateau’ are both mildly engaging workouts, but fans will have most likely already ‘acquired’ these songs, which were originally Japanese bonus tracks from the Sonic Nurse album. Similarly, the sublime 25 minute extended freakout version of ‘The Diamond Sea’ is already known and loved by the band’s faithful legions. ‘Three Part Sectional Love Seat’ is the only essential unreleased track here – meagre pickings indeed. [Jay Shukla]

WWW.THEHOLDSTEADY.COM

SARAH NIXEY SING, MEMORY

1. THE VIEW - HATS OFF TO THE BUSKERS (1965 RECORDS) 2. GHOST - IN STORMY NIGHTS (DRAG CITY)

up. nowhere, various pipes and a series of skyscrapers - it’s as if the viewer has been given the ability to peer at the tiniest details of a city before zooming out to observe it from the sky. It’s confusing, evocative, and neatly fits right in between the museum/art space dichotomy the GoMA seems to have found itself in. Not only that, it’s an excellent introduction to Paolozzi’s titanic, pioneering body of work.

GLASGOW ON 24 JAN

THEE MOTHS

GLYTCHVÖLK MUSIQUE CONCRÈTE (PET PIRANHA)

Featuring ten tracks that have previously been released on a variet y of low-key compilations, as well as an EP’s worth of new material, it’s thanks to the vision of Pet Piranha Records that the original lo-fi versions have remained intact. It’s intricacies that make the music of Alex Botten and friends so repeatedly rewarding: jittering drumbeats and haunting snippets of half-songs. Vocals that sound like they’re disappearing down the plug-hole are offset by a serenade of circling seagulls, and Gaelic folk song ‘Tha Mi Sgith’ flickers between Botten’s original melodies like a ghost amongst flames.

Though they may not please their hometown’s tourist board with titles like ‘Dundee Is a Smothering Darkness’, Thee Moths should be considered a national treasure, and this album a trove worth ransacking.

[Milo McLaughlin]

Similarly, Kenny Hunter’s ‘Churchill’s Dogs’ is a fantastic avatar for his career. Resembling a Kinder-Egg blown up to enormous size or, equally, the guardian statue of some dead pharaoh, it has the exact combination of ridiculousness and seriousness that gives his work its power. Both these sculptures, I imagine, would encourage the casual visitor, perhaps a pupil on a school trip or a tourist, to investigate the artists, surely the role the GoMA intends for itself.

We are Uncompetitive by Chad McCail

The Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art (Goma) is unsure whether to be a true contemporary space, or a museum for art made in Glasgow. Drawing from the GoMA collection generally seems to involve a process akin to that of a wedding DJ: pick some crowd pleasers, don’t bother too much with anything particularly challenging and always cater towards a non-specialist audience. Just as ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and ‘Bonny Bonny Banks of Loch Lomond’ positively must be played at weddings, any show of modern art is impelled to feature Glasgow blockbusters Peter Howson or a bit of gritty social realism from Ken Currie. It’s not that the work is bad, it’s just that by falling back on the

same old work and same old artists from the same old collection, GoMA only really serves as a tourist guide book to Glaswegian art, rather than a supportive patron.

The show is themed around figurative work, largely dealing with the body. Strangely, the visitor is greeted by a brazenly abstract, challenging work from Eduardo Paolozzi. Called ‘Hamlet in A Japanese Manner’, it is a thornbush of implied shapes, suggested forms and uncertain narratives, painted from a bright, psychedelic palette.

Figurative only in its implication of urban forms - the curve of a Roman colonnade, a staircase to

But anyone that has visited the gallery before will recognize many of the paintings. Recent acquisitions from Chad McCail are taken from a solo exhibition in the upstairs space only a few months ago. They rely on a mixture of comfort and threat, drawn in the style of a government public warning or the safety cards. A schoolroom looks innocuous enough, but look closely and the children are staring at pictures of genitalia, a jet fighter is zooming past the window. Similarly, an idyllic looking urban allotment, full of cavorting lovers, turns out to be a nascent killing field, the lovers armed with knives and sinister crowheaded figures plucking the trees. They’re great, but too fresh in the mind. The demotic policy of the GoMA, which assumes ignorance, trips itself

Similarly, Peter Howson’s typically macho painting of a burly man, leaning against a lamppost as if having some drunken epiphany, is great.

Stirring, bold, contemplative, confident: it’s the f lipside of the Glasgow hard-man image. But, guess what, we’ve seen it before. Likewise, my favourite painting of the show, of a poet writing by the light of a bare bulb in the ribs of a partly finished ship, is fantastic, but utterly expected.

Becoming a stalwart, Ross Sinclair’s inverted red church has been on display in various GoMA exhibitions for the past three years. Though, he tattooed himself with the phrase ‘Real Life’ as part of the work, so he deserves some permanency.

Body Language is a great show, perfect for the interested tourist or culturally inquisitive, but it fails to break any new ground. Presumably, the budget for acquisitions is tiny, but perpetual recycling of old work, under the dubious rubric of a show themed around figurative art, is unforgivable. It works for the Tate, which is more like an art superstore now and an undeniably important resource for the global art scene. But it has a massive variety of work to choose from. Blame the curators, blame the funders, it all amounts to the same thing. New ground is constantly claimed by Glasgow’s artists. When GoMA is the second most visited gallery outside of London, is it too much to expect it to follow suit?

BODY LANGUAGE - A SELECTION OF WORKS FROM THE COLLECTION AT GLASGOW GALLERY OF MODERN ART UNTIL MARCH 2007. FREE.

OUT NOW. WWW.THEEMOTHS.CO.UK

(YELLOW VAN)

With six studio albums to their name, the sounds of The Cost should come as no surprise to fans of The Frames. Gentle acoustics and uplifting melodies cast in a mould of violins and mandolins that, while carrying reverberations of folk, always feels like something so much more. Recorded “live” in a studio somewhere in France, the dynamic changes explored reflect a more expansive and palliative sound that, while maintaining The Frames’ archetypes, feels more intimate and personal. Somehow endearing and filled with its own warmth, The Cost is music for the cusp of the mael-

ALBUMS

GOMA ONLY REALLY SERVES AS A TOURIST GUIDE BOOK TO GLASWEGIAN ART, RATHER THAN A SUPPORTIVE PATRON

ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW

THE FRAMES (ANTI)

Sing, Memory is the first solo offering from Black Box Recorder vocalist, Sarah Nixey. A concept of sorts, it is technically two mini-albums in one, each with its own prelude and story. Sing speaks of what has happened, Memory of what is yet to come. Built on a bed of fourth world synths, Sarah Nixey is Nancy Sinatra for the 21st century – sultry, quixotic pop-music with breathed, laboured vocals. Motives of Kate Bush, Tori Amos and even the ambient end of Garbage float around in minimalist atmospheres. Although the sound is thick at times, too often Sing, Memory feels sparse and exiguous,

by Celia Sontag

LITTLE MAN TATE

THE COST

(CARGO)

TOP

Things weren’t always this rosy for The View. A couple of years ago they found themselves without a rehearsal room having got booted out of the local pub that gifted the band their name (the Bayview Bar), after an incident that the band describe in succinct and matter-of-fact terms. “We drank all the beer in the function room… and then rode a scooter along the bar,” they tell The Skinny. Oops. Still, never mind - two years after having built up an Arctic Monkeys-like frenzied fanbase, these four young rock urchins from Dundee are now ready to unleash the full fury of their debut album.

and as the electro-cabaret grows towards the close it all begins to feel just a little formulaic. [Neil Ferguson]

The title is pure 80s cheddar, and in an exaggerated spin on the jaded kids in Kim Wilde’s hair-sprayed disco bop universe, these Boys and Girls In America are of course “always inconsolable, unhinged and uncontrollable.” With all the lairy triumph of The Boss hammering shots with The National, Craig Finn and his Minneapolis set perform the unthinkable by ramming Thin Lizzy riffs and celebration day Pogues sentiments into the same cannon. It’s pure fusion, and, like the best of them, reeks in equal measures of sincere optimism and tearful empathy. The explosive organ of ‘Chips Ahoy’ versus the soft piano tinkerings of ‘Chillout Tent’ easily announces this idea before the lyrics are even considered. The Hold Steady practice that rare reverse psychology of luring you into the strangely comfortable state where failure seems fine, if only for the sake of recapturing some sort of lost hunger. It’s loose, fun and whimsical yet it’s nicely crafted - as such, dismiss these girls and boys as just another gang of angstridden crybabys and you know not what you do. [Dave Kerr]

(UNIVERSAL)

(LGM)

FEATURED ALBUM THE VIEW - HATS OFF TO THE BUSKERS

(waiting for a bus in the rain seems a perfect time). There’s enough energy, angst and humour, party and pathos to make even jaded haters dance like crazy. [Ali Maloney]

Body Language

ART

SOUNDS ALBUM REVIEWS

If this is a debut album then how come it sounds so familiar?

Opening with ‘Man I Hate Your Band,’ this cheeky energetic jaunt from Sheffield’s Little Man Tate could either be a cheap version of the Libertines or it could just be inspired fun. Front man and lyricist Jon Windle spins tales of love and adventure with an honest candor that’s at once endearing and offensive. Although it doesn’t immediately strike as an outstanding listen, there’s something young and fresh about songs like ‘House Party at Boothy’s’ that makes Little Man Tate’s first a fine soundtrack to the weekend. [Lauren Mooney] RELEASE DATE: 29 JAN.

ONLINE ALBUM REVIEWS CANCER BATS - BIRTHING THE GIANT (HASSLE) FRESHFABRIK - FINEST (PURE MINT) GHOST

- IN STORMY NIGHTS (DRAG CITY)

3. BLOOD BROTHERS

KLING KLANG

- YOUNG MACHETES (WICHITA)

- THE ESTHETIK OF DESTRUCTION (ROCK ACTION)

4. THEE MOTHS - GLYTCHVÖLK MUSIQUE CONCRÈTE (PET PIRANHA)

MAKE GOOD YOUR ESCAPE

5. THE HOLD STEADY - BOYS AND GIRLS IN AMERICA (VAGRANT)

MUDBONE - FRESH MUD (INFLUX)

- NEVER COME BACK HERE AGAIN (FIERCE PANDA)

NEUROSONIC - DRAMA QUEEN (BODOG)

RELEASE DATE: 22 JAN. WWW.THEVIEWAREONFIRE.COM

SOUNDS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

27

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI So then, another year has passed.

I t ’s b e e n t h e usual parade of the good, the bad and the baffling.

The show that really got under my skin last year was Simon Faithfull’s Ice Blink at Stills in Edinburgh, way back in April. His film of a colony of seals who had taken over an abandoned whaling station in Antarctica contained a zombie-movie feel of unease, and a desolate, bleak beauty which has stayed with me since I first saw it.

[MJS]

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

EXHIBITIONS

1. GOYA: MONSTERS AND MATADORS AT SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY IN EDINBURGH.

Original etchings by the master.

2. CONSIDER THE LILLIES

Edinburgh Printmakers There are few things so fascinating as a process.

A system that creates effects. The use of even the most basic tools is a process. The latest virtual technology is a process. But I’d suggest the most fascinating kinds of process are those that combine the physical act of making with that mystery that comes from high-technology. Well, after a weekend screenprinting at Edinburgh Printmakers, that’s what I’d suggest.

Screenprinting is a relatively new kind of process, and a relatively new kind of printmaking.

There’s quite a lot involved. First, you make an image on acetate - this can be done directly or by photocopying an image on. Then you carefully cover a tight mesh screen with a film of photo-sensitive goo. Then comes the arcane part: you line the acetate image up against the screen in a giant vacuum-sealed light-bath - a kind of alchemist’s secret weapon this - which will expose the goo to just the right amount of high-powered white light.

Then, in a giant basin (the scale of operations at Edinburgh Printmakers is generally large) you wash off the excess goo with a cloth. It’s all very hands-on. If you are worried your screen is too subtle for the image you want, you can use a power-hose to open up the mesh a little. There’s a lot of cleaning up to be done as you go along, but to dry any spillages on the screen itself, there’s a hairdryer on hand.

Having mixed colours to the right consistency,

REVIEWS

AT DEAN GALLERY, EDINBURGH.

Works from Dundee’s 20th century art collection.

3. TURNER IN JANUARY AT THE ROYAL SCOTTISH ACADEMY, EDINBURGH.

Annual exhibition of Turner’s watercolours.

4. CINÉMATHÈQUE DE TANGER / AMONG THE MODERNS AT STILLS GALLERY, EDINBURGH.

A fascinating video library of the arab world.

5. CATHERINE SULLIVAN AT CCA, GLASGOW.

Multi-screen and single-screen projections by the LA based artist.

SEE LISTINGS FOR MORE INFO.

Rain on Princes Street by Stanley Cursiter Bullet Proof Breath by Christine Borland

carefully line up your surface with the screen. (‘Surface’ is probably paper, though screenprinting is very diverse in what it can be applied to.)

The colour is finally applied with a hefty rubber squeegie.

Consider the Lilies

wanted to make. One girl was printing the word ‘HELL’ against a landscape, with a picture of herself as a wee ballet-dancer in the maw of an alligator hovering in the sky. An older lady was recreating her abstract paintings in print form to give to her friends. Using offwhite paint, I was trying to create the effect of paper, on my paper. Don’t ask why. Anyway, all of us came away with six small prints we were well pleased with. The application of layers of colour is tinged with magic, as profound, surprising effects can be achieved with a near-professional level of accuracy, by your own hand.

The music industry is a very fickle business. Ten years ago (yes it was that long), young band The Bluetones stormed onto the scene with a number one debut album and it looked as though the stage was set for them to take a seat at the top table of British music. With many fans indifferent to The Stone Roses’ Second Coming, some viewed them as heirs to their jangly throne. The years passed and things didn’t go exactly as planned.

But they’re still around, and yes, they are still releasing records.

Edinburgh Printma kers is a great little institution, housed in a beautiful old washhouse.

Whether you want to get involved or not, it’s well worth a look, for the beautiful exhibition prints as well as the building.

Much recommended is having a photo: Laura Esslemont go yourself, though; they have If all this seems like a lot of information, it should courses in screenprinting, etching, lithography, be made clear that it’s loads of fun. Our friendly, relief printing, and digital printmaking. Evening pretty course tutor, Gillian, made every stage classes and one-day taster courses are also availcomprehensible. More than that, she gave all of able, as are gift vouchers. us in the group the confidence to do the work involved at each stage ourselves. Learning some- It’s too easy, to borrow a phrase, to feel ‘part of thing fun was a highly rewarding experience: the process’. Head to Edinburgh Printmakers, surprising, impressive results had that extra nu- and take advantage of their truly wonderful procance of ‘I did that’. esses to make your imagination work, and make some imaginary things.

Of course screenprinting is much more than simply following a process: you’re making a print, EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS - 23 UNION STREET, EDINBURGH. and the scope for creativity is huge. All of us 40 YEARS AT EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS RUNS FROM JAN 20 in our group had distinct ideas about what we TO MARCH 3. WWW.EDINBURGH-PRINTMAKERS.CO.UK

CONSIDER THE LILIES While Dundee’s McManus Gallery is closed for refurbishment, the Dean has become the temporary home for this collection of modern Scottish art, giving us the chance to enjoy a wealth of stellar pieces which are rarely shown outside their home city. James McIntosh Patrick arguably steals the show with three large landscape paintings which dominate the room. A City Garden, painted in 1940 whilst the artist was waiting to be called up to the army, is an intense, electric piece – almost overwhelming in the quiet reverence of its observation, yet pervaded by a sense of creeping anxiety, here manifested by the snaking, tendril like branches of the trees in the artist’s garden. In contrast, William Johnstone’s Ode to the North Wind is an odd, emotive work which heavily recalls Franz Marc in its use of expressive, dancing forms and swathes of primary and secondary colours. James Gunn’s My Wife recalls Sargent’s Madame X with its confident, sensual beauty whilst James Cowie’s Portrait of a Child is all subtle, cool tones and minimal gestures. The more modern work stands up well too, the magic realism of Peter Collins’ Consider the Lilies a particular highlight. This is an exhibition of unusually high quality. [Jay Shukla] DEAN GALLERY, EDINBURGH, UNTIL 14 JAN. FREE.

CHRISTINE BORLAND - PRESERVES

26 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

“I ENJOY SHARING THE SAME STINKING AIR AS THE AUDIENCE, THAT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT!” - MARK MORRISS by Finbarr Bermingham

TO CELEBRATE 40 YEARS OF EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS, THE SKINNY DECIDED TO GET CREATIVE BY VISITING THEIR OPEN-ACCESS STUDIO.

Elsewhere Total Kunst looks like it’s onto a winner as they present Dazzlement at Forest Cafe: a group response to the idea that too much information can lead to oblivion. Happy New Year.

TOP

surrender

by RJ Thomson

photo: Jane Fenton

Hopeful ly the New Yea r w i l l bring us lots more outstandi ng work, a nd January gets off to a rol l ick i ng start, with a host of great shows opening after the Christmas lull.

Vanessa Wenweiser’s urban photography at the Arches in Glasgow promises moody poetics – the familiar, woozy atmospheres conjured by a city seen through steamed-up windows. The highlight in Edinburgh will surely be the exhibition of Goya’s etchings at the National Gallery on the Mound, featuring work form the Disasters of War series – a chance to see work by one of the most important and socially articulate artists of all time.

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF

Christine Borland has an incredible ability to turn that which should be grotesque into something quite elegant. Trained at Glasgow School of Art along with the likes of Douglas Gordon, she was shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 1997. Her work successfully presents a probing exploration of anatomy, issues of life and death and ultimately the ambiguous relationship between art and science. From sparkling hand-blown glass bronchia to a dusty shadow of the spine, human identity resounds from the artworks. At times the viewer feels

SOUNDS

ART

Despite their new self titled record being hailed from some quarters as a (slight) return to form, this year, especially, has been tough.

The Skinny caught up with frontman Mark Morriss to find out exactly why. “The album had a difficult birth. We were scrapping around for budgets, didn’t have a proper studio and were recording it around in each others’ houses. We weren’t even allowed to set up the drums until the last couple of weeks. But that all galvanised it, brought us closer together. If we were in it for the money we could’ve walked away ages ago!”

Their not so well received predecessor to the eponymous new LP, Luxembourg, had a more jagged, pu n k ier sou nd.

With this record they seem to have returned to their roots. Morriss recognises the “stark difference” and ack nowle d ge s t hat the return of the producer of their first two albums, Hugh Jones, may have helped set

the wheels in motion. He also cites a retrogressive change in his musical influences. “I think I was listening to more of the same stuff as when it all kicked off. West Coast late 60s bands like Buffalo Springfield and Love, classics and standards really. But that doesn’t replicate itself onto a record, it’s more the atmosphere created through that.”

Whilst fortune may have faded, their fan base has remained loyal throughout. This fact is something clearly appreciated: “We’re lucky to inspire a sense of loyalty in people. At the same time we don’t want to reflect on past glories. We’re often judged unfairly on that and in the past we cut ‘Slight Return’ and the like from our set.” Surely rock n’ roll suicide? “We got a bit grumpy and more caught up in it a few years ago. But we know we have to embrace it.

After all, it’s nobody else’s song. Give the people what they want!”

Which will certainly be music to Scottish Bluetonics’ ears come the end of January. The band plays Cabaret Voltaire, The Tunnels in Aberdeen and Glasgow’s ABC in the latest Scottish leg of their “never ending tour.”

“We can’t wait! We supported The Beautiful South a few years back in an arena tour, places like the SECC, and it just wasn’t the same.

It’s like being on the other side of a dual carriageway. I feel like a rabbit in the headlights. I enjoy sharing the same stinking air as the audience, that’s what it’s all about.”

So boys and girls. Old fans and new. Be sure to don your smelliest underwear and dodge the toothbrush on those dates. Give Mark and the lads what they want, eh?

THE BLUETONES PLAY CABARET VOLTAIRE, EDINBURGH ON 30 JAN, THE TUNNELS, ABERDEEN ON 31 JAN AND ABC, GLASGOW ON 1 FEB. NEW SINGLE ‘HEAD ON A SPIKE’ IS OUT NOW ON COOKING VINYL. WWW.THEBLUETONES.ORG, WWW.BLUETONES.INFO

as though they should be repulsed, but at each juncture the artist entices our quizzical eyes and shows us a new way of beholding our own bodies. Preserves brings together a collection of existing pieces with new work, creating an evolution of her premier themes.

Borland utilises almost every medium in her scrutiny of the human being, past and present, to create a striking, thought provoking visual combination.

[Gabriella Griffith] FRUITMARKET, EDINBURGH UNTIL 28 JAN. FREE.

PETER HOWSON

ANDREW: PORTRAIT OF A SAINT Comprised of dozens of works, this show is a whole lot of Howson. But even ardent admirers of his work are likely to find the entrées a lot more appetizing than the main course. Howson’s religious zeal is obvious, and his work ethic should be applauded, yet this show proves that Howson’s talent as a painter remains in a stubborn stasis; his familiar, mannered technique as unsubtle and bludgeoning as ever. The central painting is classic Howson: an over-egged melodrama of deep shadow and cartoonish expression – as though Caravaggio had been employed by the Disney company. The colours, miraculously, are simultaneously both drab and garish, the wide-eyed participants pinned down in unnatural position by the artist’s thick outlines. What makes the painting all the more disappointing is the promise which is shown in the drawings. It’s no coincidence that the two best works are the ones which look like they have been executed most quickly. Clearly Howson is not able to transfer his easy, confident draughtsmanship into the medium of paint, instead opting to render each line with the same weight. As thick as treacle, and just as cloying, this work will prove popular but ultimately unsatisfying. [Jay Shukla] CITY ART CENTRE, EDINBURGH UNTIL 4 MARCH. FREE.

ART

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

39

AEREOGRAMME

BARRIERS (CHEMIKAL UNDERGROUND) If anyone were to carry the torch of quality Scottish songwriting after the demise of Arab Strap, it could very well be label-mates Aereogramme.

‘Barriers’ is the pre-emptive single from their forthcoming fourth album and is a beautifully resonant song, tentatively held together by a string accompaniment that approaches the mad genius of a Prokofiev creation.

B-side, ‘Dissolve’ is equally captivating, drifting like a grand, wide river with timely splashes of reverb. It’s songwriting on a scale rarely seen round these parts, which should hopefully attract them the size of audience they so clearly deserve.

[Nick Mitchell] RELEASE DATE: 22 JAN. AEREOGRAMME PLAY CLASSIC GRAND, GLASGOW ON 12 FEB. WWW.AEREOGRAMME.CO.UK

HONEYTRAP

THE NAKED DANCING EP (TOUGH LOVE)

repetitive guitar riff adding further to the air of mystery. An intriguing listen, although more likely to leave one ponderous than in the mood for dancing, fully clothed or otherwise.

[Jon Seller] RELEASE DATE: 15 JAN.

Craig David, Woon safely warbles his way through this in neutrally impressive fashion. His delivery cannot be faulted but the remixes, over produced and over contemporary, threaten to tarnish what was a traditional classic. [Finbarr Bermingham]

HONEYTRAPONMYSPACE

WWW.JAMIEWOON.COM

these ears have ever heard. Here the hapless Preston has the gall to sing about the ubiquity of cliché as though that’s an excuse to write what is perhaps the single most musically flaccid slice of regurgitated pop drivel imaginable. Like a puppy licking up its own vomit – this is hard to stomach. [Jay Shukla]

MYSPACE.COM/

RELEASE DATE: 30 JAN.

BLAKNOISEWHITESOUL

MYSPACE.COM/JAMIEWOON

RELEASE DATE: 15 JAN.

OUT NOW.

THE DELOREANS

WWW.THEORDINARYBOYS.COM

WWW.1990S.TV

THE DRAYMIN

THE XCERTS

RULE BREAKER

(U DISCS)

Featuring Electric Boy Shock’s Kirsty M on vocals, ‘Rule Breaker’ is another deliciously contrar y pop-gem from Scotland’s own Blaknoisewhitesoul. Kraftwerk and Sigue Sigue Sputnik influences show strong through what is a lo-fi dance track at heart. Live drums and skuzzy, compressed guitars give an edge of punk to proceedings, while old Casios add a sublime 80s twist. Ringing true with a slight of electro-rock, Blaknoisewhitesoul are proof, were it ever needed, that rock ‘n’ roll is dead. Let’s convert to dance. [Neil Ferguson] RELEASE DATE: 15 JAN.

Citing the influence of Kate Bush, mid-period Flaming Lips and Sparks, Coventry four-piece Honeytrap certainly prepare the listener for the eccentric. Indeed, in this respect, the Naked Dancing EP does not disappoint, with a variety of oft-mismatched vocal styles wrestling over spiky guitars and minor-key violins.

At times this seemingly haphazard approach comes off just fine, most notably on “live favourite” ‘Spotlight’, where the initial vocal sparring gives way to an almost grand, violin-led chorus. Final track ‘Mussolinni’s Son’ evokes Velvet Underground’s ‘Venus in Furs’, with an Eastern tinge to the

WWW.BLAKNOISEWHITESOUL.COM

JAMIE WOON

WAYFARING STRANGER (LIVE RECORDINGS)

Choosing to release a song that’s been covered by the likes of Jack White and Eva Cassidy in alternative formats may be seen as a quick fix for success. However, the fact that this is such a limited edition release (only 100 have been pressed) suggests that Jamie Woon views this as the perfect opportunity to showcase his malleable vocal chords. In the manner of a Kes-less

SHANK EP

(SELF RELEASED)

Edinburgh based trio The DeLoreans exploit rasping, falsetto vocals on their newly released EP, ‘Shank’. Although the title track appears somewhat derivative of the kitschy, chorus-reliant Britpop sound and even, slightly, of American emo of the last decade, the sincerity emitted by their pleading lyrics adds extra appeal. Though the three tracks on this sampler are notably disparate, reflecting their experimentation with style (for example the lo-fi, Strokes-esque sound of ‘On a Mission’), the pop appeal of the DeLoreans excuses the fact they’ve not yet found their musical footing. [Ilani Blanke]

RISE UP EP (SELF RELEASED)

just want to have a party, and your name’s definitely on the door. Glamfilled melodies and a pop hook that just won’t let go fill this Bernard Butler produced second single from Glasgow’s 1990’s. Admittedly this won’t change the world but then is that really the point? [Garry Thomson]

RELEASE DATE: 15 JAN.

BREATHTAKING FIGHT

WWW.VIEWTHEBAND.COM (ONE)

OUT NOW.

Re me mbe r T he Music? T hose hyped to the hilt groovers once destined for the top. No? Well, The Draymin clearly do. Their new three track EP is an unabashed tribute to the dance-driven spirit of the Leeds ensemble. From the chest thumping rally cry of ‘Rise Up’ to the swelling sound of ‘No Way Out’, this Fife quartet have reproduced their idols’ swaggering defiance with verbatim precision. But, unlike countless other sonic pilferers, the incessant riffs and snarling vocals convey a glimmer of creativity. With a little rhythmic tweaking, this band could be so much more than just the music. [Billy Hamilton]

Misleading titles can be a bitch.

Remember the sense of betrayal when you first saw The Neverending Story? Well the inclusion of the word breathtaking in this debut single from Aberdeen exiles The Xcerts may not scale the same levels of deception as that flying dog, but it certainly won’t have you reaching for your inhaler. Falling somewhere between Radio One’s resident evil Snow Patrol and the more general evil known as Lostprophets, this is a watered down, routine effort; a shame considering the special effects which producer Ben Watkins (The Matrix soundtrack) must have at his disposal. [Finbarr Bermingham]

MYSPACE.COM/THESKECKERS

OUT NOW.

OUT NOW.

THE ORDINARY BOYS

MYSPACE.COM/THEDRAYMIN

MYSPACE.COM/THEXCERTS

1990S

THE VIEW

When did music stop being fun?

These days it’s almost as if every band is trying to out do each other with their tales of relationships gone bad and their grimey life on the streets. It’s refreshing then to have a band that sound like they

Imagine a world without the shapely denim jean: our uber-cool rock gods could be shaking their snake-hips in a pair of unforgiving corduroys; piss stained puppet Flat Eric would have failed to breach social consciousness; and The View may never have written cracking new single ‘Same

I LUV U

(B-UNIQUE)

Even putting to one side any prior knowledge of The Ordinary Boys’ empty, grotesque populism; the knuckle-dragging ska nightmare that is ‘Boys Will be Boys’, the slow motion car crash that was their lead singer’s Darwinian stumble from indie also-ran to Big Bruva Sleb – this is still one of the worst things

YOU’RE SUPPOSE TO BE MY FRIEND (ROUGH TRADE)

5 SONGS YOU CAN LEGALLY DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO - FREE

Jeans’. Thriving with anthemic guitar and self-probing lyricism, it’s a classically cut track that revisits the zestiest moments of The Las. Spurred on by the accented blitheness of frontman Kyle Falconer, the Dundonian quartet’s quick fire infectiousness will have you digging deep in the pockets of your skinny fit Levis.

[Billy Hamilton]

CLEAN GEORGE IV

FIRST BLAST OF THE TRUMPET AGAINST THE MONSTROUS REGIMENT OF WOMAN (BLACK SPRING)

SAME JEANS (1965 RECORDS)

RELEASE DATE: 11 DEC. MYSPACE.COM/CLEANGEORGEIV

by Sean Michaels

3. KAREN DALTON - ‘KATIE CRUEL’

5. THE LITTLE ONES - ‘CHA CHA CHA’

The song-names are mouthfuls and the band-name’s a nonsense, but gee whiz is the new Of Montreal album amazing. Kevin Barnes sings here about a “crisis,” asking his mood to “shift-shift back to good again” - and whaddyaknow but soon the cascades of synths are upon him, glad as rainbows. As he sings about “chemicals, chemicals” the psychpop blinks and flashes, like Bis after a long holiday in sunwashed California.

First released in 1971, In My Own Time was reissued in November by Light In The Attic Records, reintroducing a songwriter who’s perfectly placed for today’s folk revival. Dalton has a voice that falls somewhere between Joanna Newsom’s squawk and Tim Hardin’s melancholy blues - but it’s not as challenging as you might think. There’s something very natural in the way her tired American tone plows the furrows of this traditional, banjo and violin alongside.

A pop song with enough vim that it’s more than merely “jaunty” - it’s altogether fun. A boy and girl duet while the tom drum rumbles, while the shaker shakes; it’s not far from Peter Bjorn and John, or even from a rockin’ take on Paul Simon. But then of course, inevitably, there’s la-la-las and a whole-hog call-in-the-village finale. There’s a celebration. Happy new year.

Newly signed to Wichita Recordings (Bloc Party, The Pipettes, Go! Team), Cardiff’s Las Campesinos may be the best British band since BEFORE the Arctic Monkeys - a gang of kids who cheer and holler and whirl. What starts as churn and noise fades into messy-haired dancepop, party music with a fringe. I think I’m in love.

4. MARIT BERGMAN - ‘MY LOVE’

DOWNLOAD AT: WWW.MYSPACE.COM/LOSCAMPESINOS

DOWNLOAD AT: WWW.MYSPACE.COM/MARITBERGMAN

Swedish popstar Marit Bergman covers Justin Timberlake’s (deserved) smash, and she does it with piano and xylophone. It’s a performance unveiled and sentimental - special for the way it’s plainly adoring. Timberlake’s love-song stripped down to the ballad it was likely born as. Plus: melodica solo!

TOP

FEATURED SINGLE BIFFY CLYRO - SEMI-MENTAL

(14TH FLOOR)

Having sought out the midas touch of Rage Against the Machine producer GGGarth Richardson in Vancouver, Glasgow’s favourite and possibly most prolific hard rock trio shoot from the hip with this melodious yet fierce assault of a digital download delight. Like Far riffing supernatural with Omar Rodrigez, the first half roars with simple no-frills grooves at rip-roaring pace before Simon Neil launches into interstellar overdrive. ‘Semi-Mental’ is that rare track which can only be bound for diverse (as well as mass) appeal; with direct, engaging lyrics to feed the soul and rapturous distortion-heavy hooks to charge the adrenaline straight to a fair few soon-to-be-flappin’ feet. This is blazing guitar rock of a terrific standard, so

40 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

DOWNLOAD AT: WWW.WEARETHELITTLEONES.COM/LITTLE_MUSIC.HTML

DOWNLOAD AT: WWW.LIGHTINTHEATTIC.NET

2. LAS CAMPESINOS - ‘YOU! ME! DANCING!’

partake in a little bit of rebellion in the face of the current popular form, if you will. As a teaser for album number four, entitled Puzzle, the future looks exciting for “the Biffy.” As for GGGarth?

He can party on. [Dave Kerr]

illustration Neale McDavitt

SINGLES

ONLINE SINGLE REVIEWS

1. BIFFY CLYRO - SEMI-MENTAL (14TH FLOOR)

CONAN AND THE MOCKASINS

2. AEREOGRAMME - BARRIERS (CHEMIKAL UNDERGROUND)

IDLEWILD - IF IT TAKES YOU HOME (SEQUEL)

3. BLAKNOISEWHITESOUL - RULE BREAKER (U DISCS)

- TAKE ON THE WORLD (CANNERY ROW)

4. THE VIEW - SAME JEANS (1965 RECORDS)

BIFFY CLYRO PLAY BARROWLANDS, GLASGOW ON 23 JAN.

5. CLEAN GEORGE IV - FIRST BLAST OF THE TRUMPET AGAINST THE MONSTROUS

WWW.BIFFYCLYRO.COM

REGIMENT OF WOMAN (BLACK SPRING)

OUT NOW ON ITUNES.

by Gareth K Vile

Pe nning his infamous paper against female monarchs in 1558, John Knox is firmly cast as the historical Scots figure that feminists love to hate. It seems curious that Clean George IV would take this as a title for their debut single but this is certainly a band that plays on their eccentricities.

The oddness of the song titles and the artwork - evocative of Monty Python - draws you into their seemingly crazy world, yet what awaits within are simply rocking pop tunes and playfully absurd lyrics. Support slots with Babyshambles and The Subways should quickly morph into headline gigs of their own if music fans can buy into the absurdity vibe, because on the strength of this single, Clean George IV can be a far more interesting group than some of the current media darlings. [Jamie Borthwick]

1. OF MONTREAL - ‘HEIMDALSGATE LIKE A PROMETHEAN CURSE’

DOWNLOAD AT: WWW.POLYVINYLRECORDS.COM/HISSING

Dance & Physical Theatre

COMEDY/THEATRE

SOUNDS SINGLE REVIEWS

SNEAKY SNEAKY DOG FRIEND (REGAL)

IMPURE THOUGHTS INDIGO MOSS - START OVER AGAIN / SEE SEE RIDER (BUTTERFLY)

LA PUMA - SLAVE FOR THE RABBIT BOY (TOY GIRL RECORDINGS)

PULL TIGER TAIL

- MR 100 PERCENT (B-UNIQUE)

SOUNDS

S i n c e t h e i r i n c e p t i o n i n 198 4 , Fo r c e d Entertainment have been pushing the boundaries of theatre, discovering humorous and evocative alternatives to the tyranny of the script and conventional staging. Now a staple on theatre courses, they have become part of the establishment they once challenged: their show Bloody Mess, which came to Tramway in 2004, suggested a mature company that made radical performance hilarious and accessible.

shallow. The rare bursts of excellence, such as Richard Lowden’s comedic vulgarity and nudity, or a melancholic speech about the horrors of the Twentieth Century, are only miserable reminders of the company’s potential. While Bloody Mess orchestrated apparently random activity into horrific, hysterical set-pieces, The World in Pictures could not lift itself above the mayhem into coherence. Relying on a single, ambitious narrative to link the sketches, ironically, hemmed the company into predictable reflections and obvious jokes.

WOULD BE AS WELL IN A DAILY MAIL EDITORIAL AS A SUPPOSEDLY RADICAL THEATRICAL EVENT

For We Are Many are a young Scottish company, and their production Sugar and Shit demonstrated the extent of Forced Entertainment’s inf luence.

Relying on many of the innovative techniques Bloody Mess had showcased, they leapt between easy laughter and unbearable poignancy, allowing each performer to develop a distinctive character through the mismatch of dance, mime and narration. By asking a series of big questions, before refusing to provide any answer, FWAM amused and discomforted the audience in equal measure, displaying considerable promise even as their sources were evident.

Against this, Forced Entertainment’s latest - The World in Pictures - was an embarrassment. Using exactly the same structure as past shows - in which the chaotic comedy alternated with dark meditations on mortality - the company neither managed to develop their characterisations nor challenge the audience’s thinking. Taking the idea that history is re-written, misunderstood and finally forgotten, and working this through a badly rehearsed school play, is unoriginal and

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Beginning and ending with low-key monologues, interspersed with deliberately amateur dancing that came ac ro s s a s c r ude pa ro dy rather than sharp critique, and far too preoccupied with undermining the suspension of disbelief than re-inventing stagecraft, The World in Pictures operated as a tribute act to Forced Entertainment. The trite conclusions - however dressed up in knowing humour - failed to challenge, and would be as well in a Daily Mail editorial as a supposedly radical theatrical event. They solemnly announce that everybody dies and everything is eventually forgotten: the disappointment of this show will be as memorable as the delight of their last and, perhaps, this marks the death of their vibrant revisionism.

FORCED ENTS: BLOODY MESS (2004) FWAM: SUGAR AND SHIT (NOV, 2006)

; ;

FORCED ENTS: THE WORLD IN PICTURES (NOV 2006) FORWEAREMANYTC@GOOGLEMAIL.COM WWW.FORCEDENTERTAINMENT.COM

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

25

SOUNDS

THEATRE All My Sons

THE PLAY ALSO SERVES AS A HARSH CRITIQUE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM

by RJ Thomson

Action and humanity, suffering and its causes: these are the intensely dramatic themes in All My Sons, a family drama set against the backdrop of World War II. ‘Heavy’ indeed, but All My Sons is deftly handled throughout.

First directed by Elia Kazan in 1947, the play served as a major boost to the career of Arthur Miller as he came to be recognised as one of the finest American playwrights of the Twentieth Century.

by RJ Thomson

In the play a father, Joe Keller, discovers that he is likely to have indirectly caused the death of his pilot son by selling faulty plane parts to the Air Force. This theme of guilt-after-the-event is in common with Greek tragedy, of which Miller was a great admirer, but the play also serves as a harsh critique of the American Dream and a tight and involving set piece of human emotions.

All My Sons is a popular play and continues to be performed on a regular basis, but this Lyceum production should be well worth a look. It is directed by the dependable John Dove (Death of a Salesman, Les Liaisons Dangereuses), and stars the impressive Stuart Milligan (Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial, Festival, Jonathan Creek) in the lead role.

ROYAL LYCEUM EDINBURGH, 12 JAN - 10 FEB, TUE – SAT, 7.45PM, £10 - £24 WWW.LYCEUM.ORG.UK

COMEDY Out to Lunch C

alling all team-building tearaways and workforce wasters: established Edinburgh venue, the Stand, is set to become the place to liven up your lunch hour. Starting in January, the premier comedy club is inviting you to fill up on a feast of home-cooked comedy and cuisine, in the middle of the day.

by Diana Kiernander

It’s a world-first to offer a regular, daytime comedy show and The Stand is understandably proud of their coup. Their reputation has been built on innovation and experimentation and this is an awesome start to a brand new year.

A HEADY MIX OF FEELGOOD LAUGHTER ENDORPHINS SPRINKLED OVER YOUR MAIN

‘Out to Lunch Live’ is a daytime sketch show, inspired by their popular Sunday afternoon get together, Whose Lunch is it Anyway? It promises to fill a gap in the midday entertainment market and beats sinking a cola and a mouldy croissant while hunched over your computer.

For just five pounds the venue is inviting office workers, tourists and discerning tradesmen the chance to shake up the routine rituals of any working day. Choose from a winter warming menu of traditional home-baked delights, like casseroles and stews, and wash it down with a refreshing splash of honest, funny stand-up sketches. In a further twist, the shows will be built around audience suggestions, ensuring you’re still using your grey matter while away from your desk.

Like this, at lunchtime, with lunch

24 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

Flying in the face of recent newspaper reports that suggest a whopping eighty percent of us are opting out of a leisurely lunchtime break*, The Stand insists it can cater for your entertainment and energy needs in under an hour.

“The shows are deliberately timed so that office workers can leave their desk at 1pm and be back for 2pm,” says a Stand spokesperson.

So there you have it. Socialising at work without the small talk slog, and a heady mix of feel-good laughter endorphins sprinkled over your main. Now you just have to hope the workaholic MD, who never ‘does lunch’, sees the funny side.

GLENN WOOL

THE STAND, GLASGOW, 24 NOV Like a hillbilly Bill Hicks, Glenn Wool’s rambling drawl sounds more Texas than Canada (his home nation). But there is a sense that he might just be the acid-fried surrealist he portrays on stage. Either way, the persona subtly disguises moments of truly sharp insight.

Wool begins by gauging the supposed intellectual capacity of the audience.

He tells what he considers to be an ‘intellectual’ joke and then one which is strictly lowest common denominator. It doesn’t matter that the former isn’t funny at all (regardless of whether one ‘gets it’ or not), this evening’s audience is deemed low-brow and prejudiced, and thus gets treated to a delightfully lurid snapshot of the lives of an incestuous Canadian family.

“Well, ya should have laughed harder at the first joke then,” he chastises.

But Glenn has weightier matters on his mind. Authority’s attitude to drugs, gay-bashing, and the mystery that is China all come in for witty anecdotal treatment. Some hilarious post-set improv (during a story about accompanying his Scottish girlfriend on a trip around Scotland, he wonders what the political implications of a ‘Highland Coup’ would be) rounds off the evening. A highly accomplished performance. [Paul Mitchell]

*CAPITAL ONE SURVEY, 2006 WWW.THESTAND.CO.UK

Glenn Wool

www.skinnymag.co.uk COMEDY/THEATRE

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

41

THEATRE

BEATS

DICK MCWHITTINGTON BRUNTON THEATRE, MUSSELBURGH

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

The classic tale is given the East Lothian flavour in Dick McWhittington (you see what they’ve done there?).

Written and directed by Liam Rudden, this pantomime moves the story to the Garden County, where Port Seton is a dark place, no bus goes and English is rarely spoken. The cast is ably led by saucy Katrina Bryan - playing Dick’s love interest Alice Fitzwarren - who is kidnapped by the Rat King and taken into the bowels of

Possibly you’re readi ng th is vom it encr ust e d, st i l l h ig h after eight days partying at Hogmanay.

Perhaps you’re more sensible than that, and have set about the serious task of making and breaking resolutions. Doubtless some form of no doubt moderate and sensible drinking (or other entertainments) played a factor in your new year activities. Although, if Beats does have straightedge readers, we’d love to hear from you! Anyhow, I expect a fair few of you are feeling a wee bit delicate. You’d like some ambient music perhaps, or minimal techno. Perhaps even some... Dido... Well if so, sucks to be you. We’re ripping into 2007 with the twisted charms of Canada’s finest hip-hop band - Swollen Members, whose new album drops at the end of the month. We’ve also spoken to production genius DJ Hi-Tek, and Japan’s Cappablack.

Closer to home we’ve got an egg-sclusive interview with old-school Edinburgh favourite, Egebamyasi.

This month in Glasgow, our new Clubs Editor Pete Burns talked to the people behind the sensational Seismic night, plus we’ve got previews galore, not one but two (count ‘em) exclusive DJ charts, from the Solescience DJs and Bradley C (Chew The Fat!).

So let the MCs do the talking, siddown, and pay attention. It’s January, peeps. Quit hogging the eggnog, and gimme a drink.

Bram G.

Musselburgh below the city’s streets. As with all good pantos there are plenty of jokes and sweet-throwing opportunities for the kids as well as more drollery for the (sometimes) more mature adults - but both groups love the Widow Campie, played by Graham Crammond, who almost seems to like drag too much, but whips up the audience suitably nonetheless. [Mike Duffy] WWW.BRUNTONTHEATRE.CO.UK

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

BEATS CONTENTS

The Members L-R: Prevail, Madchild, Rob the Viking

SWOLLEN MEMBERS CLUBBING ROUNDUPS CAPPABLACK GREAT EZCAPE

INTERVIEW

40

& 6 OF THE BEST

41

INTERVIEW

42

COMPETITION

42

DJ CHART SEISMIC GLASGOW CLUBS EGEBAMYASI EDINBURGH CLUBS DJ HI-TEK ALBUMS

& 12” REVIEWS

43

TOP

FEATURE

44

REVIEWS / PREVIEWS

44

INTERVIEW

46

REVIEWS / PREVIEWS

46

INTERVIEW

47

REVIEWS & DJ CHART

48

ALBUMS

1. FUNKSTÖRUNG APPENDIX (K7) It kicks off with trippy electronica, rolling voices, and disturbed r&b stapled onto grungy industrial beats; Supercollider would be proud. Namosh would cream.

2. CAPPABLACK FACADES AND SKELETONS (~SCAPE) The B-boy upstarts of ~scape, Cappablack, fuse Kit Clatyon’s sound-art styling to electronically-forged scratching and esoteric samples.

3. V/A: KITSUNE MAISON COMPILATION 3 (KITSUNE) If Erol Alkan owned a strip club, this is the CD that he would make all the boys dance naked to.

4. SWOLLEN MEMBERS ‘BLACK MAGIC’(TVT) Madchild delivers couplets like a boxer delivers punches, while Prevail’s vocabulary drips with the blood and doom of black metal and post-apocalyptic fantasy.

5. MUM THE PEEL SESSION

(FATCAT)

Their zonked out electro-folk, before it was thinly redrafted by the likes of Manitoba, Cornelius, and of course, FourTet, was unique in its mixture of live instrumentation, synthetic rhythms and ‘otherworldy’ soundscapes.

42 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

Canadian Voodoo

Bram Gieben

MC PREVAIL OF CANADA’S PREMIER HIP-HOP CREW SWOLLEN MEMBERS TALKS TO THE SKINNY ABOUT HAIR METAL, EVERLAST, AND THE BLACK MAGIC ROOTS OF HIS BAND.

H

ere at Beats, we love an independent success story. With 500,000 sales under their collective belts, three Juno awards (the Canadian Grammys), and a legion of fans both at home and abroad, the last few years could well have seen Swollen Members resting on their laurels – thankfully, it has not been so. They have worked with the cream of hip-hop, and toured with such luminaries as Kanye West and Black Eyed Peas on the one hand, and nu-metal giants like Linkin Park and Nickelback on the other. This diversity in their sound and their following has been their lucky charm, but since 2003’s ‘Heavy’, a pop-oriented album, MCs Madchild and Prevail had been feeling the need to take the group back to its roots.

Speaking from the luxurious confines of a Canadian ski lodge, Prevail took us through the genesis of Black Magic.

“It was Monday morning, Madchild called me, and he was like: ‘Yo, it’s time.’ The first song we recorded was ‘Black Magic’ and it really set the tone. We wanted to get back to our signature sound, and to being able to paint the light and dark aspects of life with abstract lyrics, over experimental beats.”

There’s a twisted seam of darkness running through the lyrcs: “I think the darkness in the lyrics is something that just naturally comes out of us,” Prevail elaborates. “We’re really inspired by rock and heavy metal music, because that’s what we grew up listening to as well as hip-hop. I think that comes through in our music but also in our live show – we try to give a lot of energy.”

“WE WANTED TO GET BACK TO OUR SIGNATURE SOUND, AND TO BEING ABLE TO PAINT THE LIGHT AND DARK ASPECTS OF LIFE WITH ABSTRACT LYRICS, OVER EXPERIMENTAL BEATS.” - PREVAIL Among the collaborations on the LP is a song with Everlast (formerly of House of Pain). “‘Put Me On’ with Everlast was the lead single in Canada”, explains Prevail. “It was a song we had recorded when we were still living in LA, and decided ‘let’s wait, let’s hold onto this song for a while’. When we put the album together we felt like it needed to be the first thing we wanted people to hear from us in Canada, just to let them all know where we were coming back from. We also gave them ‘Too Hot’ as a little teaser just to show that we were still keeping the underground shit real.”

For Prevail, growing up in Canada as a hip-hop fan was a proactive experience: “I’d try to sneak downstairs because at 2am on Sunday a show called ‘Pump It Up’ came on TV with Sister Dee Barnes. It really kept me up to date. I kept abreast of what was going on. Hip-hop wasn’t there on demand. If you wanted it, you had to search for it.

I grew up freestyling a lot, not so much entering battles for cash – I would only battle someone if I had beef with them. I was always freestyling after

the clubs, even before I was old enough to get in.

I’d just be chillin’, freestylin’ y’know – kickin’ it.

Eventually I started concentrating on the written material a lot more.”

PINOCCHIO ROYAL LYCEUM, EDINBURGH Robert Hopkin’s set – a tribute to Spanish protosurrealist De Chirico’s stark village squares with inky black archways - is a nicely atmospheric starting point for any production. Director Mark Thomson’s adaptation pays close attention to Carlo Collodi’s original Tuscan tale, and on the whole gives full rein to the enchanted cast of characters that populate this classic children’s tale. To prevent any embarrassing nasal growth spurts at Skinny Towers, we should note that not everything attempted here comes off with equal aplomb. The script is patchy – some of the jokes are, dare I say it, wooden and lack the spark that has ignited Collodi’s tale in the imaginations of generations of children the worldover. Indeed at times, the children in the audience only

mumble through their participatory lines and even with the adults mugging along bravely – BEHIND YOU! – elements of this otherwise fine production fall flat.

That said, Malcolm Shield’s choreography is brilliantly realised and some stellar individual performances more than make up for the occasional narrative device gone awry. Molly Innes as the cat is superb, barely able to wipe her cream-soaked whiskers between sinister asides, and is the perfect foil to Andrew Clark’s equally dastardly fox. Other cameo roles such as Matthew Pidgeon’s stubbornly fish-fixated Green Fisherman also hit all the right notes. [HF] WWW.LYCEUM.ORG.UK

The move away from freestyling eventually led to his partnership with Madchild, and like many artists, Swollen Members have benefited from the Canadian government’s arts funding programmes: “If you can do all the paperwork, there definitely is money out there for you. That system is something we tried to implement for ourselves early on in our careers, because we needed it. It has been a blessing. I know you guys have a lot of funding available in the UK too, so to any artist out there – don’t feel like you’re taking something that isn’t there for you. Go and get it!”

‘Black Magic’ is a thick gumbo of an album – dark, sticky and extremely spicy. The Members are back at the top of their game, dominating the Canadian scene and causing shockwaves worldwide. In addition to exhorting budding Scottish rappers to seek funding, Prevail is keen to express his support for international hip-hop: “I think hip-hop is spreading world wide, in fact it has been for a number of years now. Everyone has their own individual voice, even in the same neighbourhoods and cities. It’s less about where you come from these days, it’s about where you’re at.”

‘BLACK MAGIC’ IS OUT ON JAN 22 ON TVT RECORDS. SWOLLEN MEMBERS WILL BE TOURING THE UK IN 2007 SEE WEBSITE FOR DETAILS. WWW.TVTRECORDS.COM WWW.SWOLLENMEMBERS.COM

BEATS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

23

BEATS

THEATRE

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

‘Cu lt u ra l ent it lement’ is the latest buzz phrase from those policy vacuums at the Exec to fanfare an alleged ‘huge boost’ in arts funding. In fact, it’s a sinister legerdemain that allows them to trumpet a lot of hot air about extra money for Scottish arts while actually cutting budgets and wresting control of key decisions on culture from the experts. The Exec plans to merge the two main arts funding bodies – Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen – to create one new super quango snappily titled Creative Scotland.

Despite all his trophies, I don’t think Daniel Kitson is one of the country’s top stand-up comedians.

So far, so good right? One less layer of bureauc- Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s easily one of the racy with more cash for the arts, you say. In fact, best and most interesting performers. I just don’t the merger has devolved some of the responsibil- think stand-up comedy is really what he does. ity for the provision of culture to cash-strapped local councils who are digging their heels in all The image you’ll usually conjure when imaginover Scotland. That’s where the entitlement comes ing one of the country’s top stand-up comedians in. Under the new legislation, councils will be re- is a dark and smoky room, a spotlight, and a lone quired to deliver so much ‘culture’ to their resi- performer facing off against a rowdy club. When dents through a preposterously New Labour-esque I think of Daniel Kitson I have two enduring im‘voucher’ scheme. But the smokescreen generated ages, and neither of them involve smoky rooms, to cover the books being cooked is designed to ob- spotlights or brick walls. The first is of a slightly scure the fact that many existing council services awkward but wonderfully charming geek, sat such as libraries and art classes in schools will now amongst a collection of lamps, reading me stories. be lumped in with the traditional arts budget. In The second image is one of Kitson stood alone, late reality, there is no new money. Indeed, with all the on a Saturday night, looking out across the fights territorial feuding sparked by the new rules, the and drunks and the vomit, and he’s looking right funding landscape for Scottish theatre more resem- at me, and he’s clutching a single red balloon in bles Lothian Road on a Friday night than anything his right hand. that might be called a brighter day. And to gild this lily one shade of fools gold too far those career The first image comes from a show he did in 2005, politicians now have a veto on everything Creative Stories for the Wobbly Hearted. Kitson sat centre Scotland – the experts in other words – does. As I stage in an armchair, surrounded by lamps readwrite, many grassroots companies are at best hav- ing cute, funny and poignant stories from his ing their funding slashed and, at worst, having to notebook, interspersed with video images and shut up shop, their funding withdrawn altogether. short clips he had made.

A MAGNETIC TAPE

Daniel Kitson’s C-90

by Declan Dineen

THE NARRATIVE FOLLOWS KITSON AS HENRY, ON THE LAST DAY OF HIS JOB WORKING AT A REPOSITORY FOR OLD AND DISCARDED COMPILATION TAPES

You’ll notice that this month’s Top 5 is made up of high profile productions at major theatres. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It’s good, solid stuff but where is the Fringe, the underground, the up-and-coming talent? Out of pocket, or out of a job.

The second image is even more powerful because it isn’t an image I’ve seen; it’s simply an idea that was painted in my head when I was lucky enough to see one of his shows at the Stand here in Glasgow. This was a more traditional format, but it certainly wasn’t a traditional show: at times it felt like he was simply lecturing us about life.

Effortlessly charming and engaging, the show veered from the typical ranting stand-up - an unstoppable tirade against Nuts magazine and everything it stands for was particularly vitriolic - until within moments he was talking quite touchingly about how much he loves the World’s Strongest Man (the TV show The World’s Strongest Man, not literally his love for the strongest man in the world) and how much the show meant to him and his brothers. And then you love him all over again.

THIS IS RAYMOND CARVER PRESENTED AS STAND-UP; THIS IS AN INDIE COMIC BOOK IN HUMAN FORM This contrast in his set, from the foul-mouthed gags to the touching tale, makes it difficult to pin Kitson down. He doesn’t tell your typical comedy stories: these aren’t shaggy dog tales about a guy down the pub with a three legged dog and ‘oh this one time me and the wife’. No. This is Raymond Carver presented as stand-up; this is an indie comic book in human form. His observations on the minutiae of everyday life transcend stand-up comedy, and the images and ideas he plants in your head will stick with you longer than any punchline. If you go to see him expecting a gag merchant you’ll be disappointed: he’s not consistently hilarious. But Kitson is always engaging,

and easily one of the most original entertainers out there.

This clash of style has culminated in the inevitable, a new(ish) play called C-90, which plays at the Arches in Glasgow from the 23 to 28 January.

The play, written by and starring Kitson himself, gives Kitson room to breathe. No longer shackled to comedic expectations, here he can elaborate on moments; he can weave his stories into a narrative; he can conjure vivid characters and create a lifetime of incidents and emotional connections. The hook he uses to tie this all together is the C-90 of the title, an almost obsolete brand of cassette tape. The narrative follows Kitson as Henry, on the last day of his job working at a repository for old and discarded compilation tapes.

At first he is seemingly uninterested, but then he finds a tape addressed to himself. From there we begin an often funny, touching and intimate tumble through one man’s memories, moments, and stories.

With C-90, Kitson has finally found the format that allows him to truly shine: a literary mixtape.

Not one you simply stick in the machine and listen to, this is one covered in a biro scrawl of liner notes and jokes. It’s an extremely personal gift, from him, to us, and one that we should cherish.

THE ARCHES, 253 ARGYLE STREET, GLASGOW. BOX OFFICE: 0870 240 7528.

C-90 RUNS 23 - 28 JAN. WWW.THEARCHES.CO.UK

THE HOUSE OF TECHNO January’s always a weird period for clubbing, with many nights having blown their biggest and best surprises in sucking up the loose cash being chucked around at Hogmanay. All seems pretty quiet in the ‘burgh, but there are (decidedly unconfirmed) whispers abounding that Access is going to make a return to the Cabaret Voltaire for some decent commercial techno and house to help you shake off that Noo Yar hangover. Ears to the ground people! The Cab’s other house night, Afterdark also makes its return on the 20th with a residents night (11pm-3am, £6 members/£8). Neil Bartley and Jammy do noisy and danceable, while Andy Christie hints at the techier side.

In Glasgow, Slam do their annoying trick of bagging all the best acts and stitch up the minimal market, with Rolando rocking his Detroit-via-Edinburgh style at Return to Mono (Subclub, 11pm-3am, £10) and former Global Communication/Jedi Knight Tom Middleton playing Pressure (26 Jan, The Arches, 10.30pm-3am, £19adv).

Andrew Weatherall, clearly a glutton for Glaswegian punishment, is also back, and despite being denied the

headline slot at Pressure, brings his big bag of everinventive remixes and parka clad originals along as well. Harry and Dom are unfortunately playing secretive - all balaclavas and, one presumes, the rest of the get up from their billboard ads - giving away nothing about who’s going to get to show their Subculture next (Subclub, Saturdays, 11pm-3am, £varies). Inner City Acid are strutting, clicking peacocks though, proudly announcing that they’ve got Si Begg and Cursor Miner playing with them on the 13 Jan (Soundhaus, 10.30pm-3am, £tbc). Si Begg had a few problems with the snow last time, though it looks like fuck all could stop the electronic throbs of Cursor Miner; a tweed-suited trekkie with a nazi armband. Strange chap. Meanwhile, Numbers will be bringing over oddball French techno/hip-hop crossovers, DJs Goon & Koyote at the Brunswick Hotel (12 Jan, times and prices tbc). Resident Jackmaster is aleady blaring that it’s his “motherfucking birthday” on his MySpace and looking as chuffed as a man covered in post-its can be.

[Laslo Kovak]

THE D&B CURRICULUM The best way to lose those extra festive kilos is to head straight for a Drum and Bass club near you and dance off all that turkey and cake. Here’s the lowdown on what is starting off the New Year in Edinburgh.

It’s not strictly D&B, but Synthetic’s re-launch features Morph Live on 4 Jan (Bongo Club, 11pm-3am, £tbc) with a diverse selection of bass, breaks, and hardtek if you’re feeling adventurous. Don’t forget Split on Tuesdays at Cabaret Voltaire (free) for a guaranteed drum infusion. On 12 Jan Codenine feed you funked up flavours at the City Café (9pm-1am, free), and meet you back there on 26

Jan for even more pre-club liquid D&B to put a slide into your dubstep. Over in Glasgow things don’t get going till the end of the month, starting on 19 Jan with Symbiosis at the SoundHaus (10.30pm-4am, £tbc), featuring Beast (Rogue State), LD50 (Frequency FM), Yellow Benzene, Calaco Jack & Baraka. Then it’s back to the capital for the big one on 27 Jan for the mighty Manga and its 11th birthday at The Liquid Room, (10.30pm–3am, £tbc) featuring DJ Craze (6 times world DMC champ), T.C, MC Armani, MC Jakes, DJ Kid, G Mac & MC Feelman.

Dancing shoes at the ready people! [Jonny Ogg]

/Hugo

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

TOP

EVENTS

ALL MY SONS LYCEUM, EDINBURGH, 12 JAN – 10 FEB Arthur Millar’s powerful drama examines two families’ struggle to come to terms with the brutal reality of WW2. The callous economics of war are laid bare – but the balance sheet spreads to the emotional, moral and spiritual.

Daniel Kitson revives his critically acclaimed show about hope, memory, kindness and a man’s last day in a job that never really existed.

12am) The return of Thursday club Synthetic with local guest Morph. Expect a live set that builds techno and electro moving in and out of breaks with the drum and the bass thrown in for good measure.

Slam’s house to techno party with guest MichiganMexican-Jock, DJ Rolando.

BLACK TAPE @ COCTEAU LOUNGE (DOWNSTAIRS AT EGO), Jan 11, £3

DIVINE! @ THE VIC BAR (GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART), Jan 13, £6 (£5 students)

DJ slots are up for grabs at another attempt at an unpretentious night. Their motto is simple - “No (supposed) superstar DJs, no trance and no pets”.

Get in touch via blacktape@nonimage.com.

Timeless classics and newly discovered obscurities blending soul, funk, ska and psych dug deep from the archives. Tonight welcomes the live and raw R’n’B from The Five Aces.

L’ HEURE ESPAGNOL & GIANNI SCHICCHI 19 & 20 JAN, THEATRE ROYAL GLASGOW The much improved RSAMD kicks off the new season with major productions of Ravel’s one-act operatic jewel L’Heure Espagnole and Puccini’s superb Gianni Schicchi before heading across to The Festival Theatre in Edinburgh.

INNER CITY ACID @ SOUNDHAUS, JAN 13, £TBC

MARJORIE’ S WORLD UNHINGED 31 JAN, TRAVERSE, EDINBURGH Maresa von Stockert’s imaginative dance, captivating theatricality and unique use of set, props and video reveal a beautifully grotesque world.

VIVA MANDELA NORTH EDINBURGH ARTS CENTRE, 11 & 12 JAN

22 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

SYNTHETIC @ THE BONGO CLUB, Jan 4, £3 (£2 b4

The French kings of booty - Goon & Koyote (Arcade Mode / Diamond Grills) fuse filth with dirty south, baltimore, miami bass, electro and techno at a pacey 170 bpm. Put yo’ back into it!

RETURN TO MONO @ SUB CLUB, Jan 12, £tbc

C-90 23 – 28 JAN, ARCHES, GLASGOW

Neo Productions presents a rehearsed reading that explores the life of Nelson Mandela as global inspiration and unifying force for people of all races.

A full blown production follows later this year with support from a South African choreographer and musical director.

NUMBERS @ THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL, Jan 12, £tbc

SOLESCIENCE @ CABARET VOLTAIRE, Jan 12, £3 Now an annual event, it’s the New Year house bangoff with Nick, Rob, Barry & Neil on the decks.

The multi-talented Si Begg is joined by experimental pop fiend Cursor Miner. Residents Jon Virtue, Monsieur DeLarge and Jon Cannon also bang out a blend of techno, electro, breaks, house and the rest with VJ Altronix projecting pictures.

MUNGO’S HI FI @ THE BONGO CLUB, Jan 25, £5

MONOX @ SOUNDHAUS, Jan 20, £tbc

DEPARTURE LOUNGE @ THE CAVES, Jan 26, £9

All things techno with another cracker of a line-up of Landstrumm and Schmidt’s Sugar Experiment Station, Detroit sounds from Echoplex and jacking hard techno from Lusinda.

Hailing from New Zealand via New York and everywhere in between, Mark De Clive-Lowe joins Astroboy and friends for a live broken-beat session.

PRESSURE @ THE ARCHES, Jan 26, £19

The 9th birthday party with Headspin residents. Good times vibe with ‘funky’ tunes, scratching and silly dancing.

Dave Clarke, Slam, Robert Hood (live), Tom Middleton, Silicone Soul, Andrew Weatherall and Ivan Smagghe all play. Just try and get your money’s worth.

Mungo’s Hi Fi featuring Kenny Knots and Afrikan Simba start the year with a bang, with their full soundsystem for a heavy night of roots through to dancehall.

HEADSPIN @ THE BONGO CLUB, Jan 27, £7

Daniel Kitson

THEATRE

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

43

BOOKS LXG: The Black Dossier

by Liam Arnold

CAPPABLACK TALK TO LIAM ARNOLD AND THE SKINNY ON WHY THERE CAN NEVER BE MORE THAN TWO OF THEM, THE TROUBLES WITH CLASSICAL PIANO, AND THEIR SECOND LP FACADES AND SKELETONS.

“

They winged his spirit, and wounded his tongue, but death was slow coming,” proclaims a sultry, deep south voice, carefully enunciating every syllable. The message repeats and the intro to Counterattack, the sample-based prologue to the Facades and Skeletons LP, begins. Electronic drums clatter, aided by pitchbend perversion, turntable trickery and an array of obscure samples.

Amidst this magpie approach to sound, Awol One is heard to drawl: “Cappablack is on the counterattack”, three times, as though invoking some great musical force.

Hashim B and his partner in crime Illevin cite this apparent spell-making as a “braggadocian introduction of ourselves which reflects our Bboy background” - and it’s this bizarre mixture of styles that makes Cappablack’s take on hip-hop so unique. At times their stripped down electronic instrumentals sou nd l i ke Ableton Live ambient compositions, all avant-garde s t a t i c a n d s k e we d electronica, the next minute they’re uprocking B-Boys, working a thudding bassline and some serious groove. Hashim spills some light on this intriguing juxtaposition when he describes his childhood: forced by his parents to play classical piano, he studied for seven years before taking up electric bass and joining “weird improv bands,” as well as more standard fare. He’s operated as a producer and promoter within the Japanese hip-hop scene, as well as publishing Fader, a Tokyo-based magazine with Wire’s encyclopaedic coverage of all things intelligent. Illevin describes a similarly unusual esoteric introduction to hip-hop; “I remember seeing this strange pair of people doing a strange kind of dance on TV for this song, but was absolutely blown away, and tried to search for the record right after that.” These unique experiences correlate with Cappablack’s perplexing style, and it’s from their roots in hip-hop culture that they explore the possibilities of sound. Hashim declares: “I never breakdanced, but hiphop culture is ingrained in me.”

Back in 1984, the cartoonist, writer and satirist Willie Rushton wrote an illustrated novel, W.G. Grace’s Last Case. In it, the renowned Victorian cricketer joined forces w ith Dr. Watson to uncover a plot in which Dr. Jekyll’s potion, which by pure chance also cured the common cold, was sought after by H.G. Wells’ Martians to facilitate a second attack on Earth. It’s playful use of the historical and fictional characters of the age is above all very silly: Rushton never misses an opportunity to subvert his universe with slapstick and surrealism.

Skeletons involved collaboration with two MCs, and although eight of the thirteen tracks are instrumental, the record showcases vocalists who bring entirely unique sounds of their own. Awol One adds bizarre stream of conscious-style rumbles in what Hashim very succinctly describes as a “surreal rap style”, whilst Emirp’s technically precise Japanese raps flow over the most rhythmically shifting beats. Though Illevin stresses that Cappablack can only be the two of them and working with other members... “would be a different project,” the work with these MCs often resulted in the finished song “sounding completely different from the initial beat.”

The ‘Counterattack’ of the intro seems to be a defence of this unique style and a resistance to the pressures of commercialisation. Illevin defiantly defends both his own work, and the right of art to pay no heed to the demands of others: “For example, Grandmaster Flash and Marley Marl didn’t say “I am not going to work with this MC because his voice is too unique.” From artists defiantly rooted in a music genre with such a division between the conventional and the experimental, there’s something greatly refreshing about this refusal to conform to formulas. However, Hashim and Illevin are well-versed in all styles of hip-hop and Hashim claims; “I am personally into all types of rappers, so I would be into working with a wide array of people. I’m feeling people like Juelz Santana, Jay-Z, Lil’ Flip on the one hand, and people like Ghostface, MF Doom, and Busdriver on the other.”

Writer Alan Moore and illustrator Kevin O’Neill came upon the same idea over a decade later, creating a Victorian Empi re in which every character had originated from fiction.

Using comic-book methods to describe literary characters, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was born.

This could have been awful (see the movie adaptation), but Moore’s obsessive researching skills and intricate graphic storytelling led to a fascinating plot that went beyond the time-frame of the late 19th Century to create an alternate reality spanning the entire lifetime of narrative fiction.

“I NEVER BREAKDANCED, BUT HIPHOP CULTURE IS INGRAINED IN ME.”

Facades and Skeletons is technically Cappablack’s second album, having released The State of the Night on cult Japanese label Soupdisk. Their second 12”, The Economics EP, was discovered by ~scape label owner and techno-dub producer Pole, who asked them to contribute tracks to a number of ~scape compilations. Facades and

The album’s closing track, Suikinkutsu, revolves around the echoing sounds of this traditional Japanese garden installation - a small pottery well which produces delicate sounds as water drips into it. The eerie, melancholic notes produced by this instrument were recorded at a garden Hashim visited near his home (entailing a vicious attack from nearby mosquitoes to capture the “beautiful” sounds), and the delicate beats and overdubbed accordion induce a tranquil, dream-like state. Hashim expresses a poetic attachment to these found sounds and their caressing of the brain, identifying “an element of ‘memory’ attached to field recordings.”

CAPPABLACK’S ‘FACADES AND SKELETONS’ IS AVAILABLE NOW.

GREAT EZCAPE COMPETITION: WIN CDS Ask anyone who came to the last Skinny party at the Liquid Rooms in October - they will tell you, Great Ezcape are the heaviest, heaviest, HEAVIEST hip-hop band in Scotland right now.

Producer Vigilante used to make drum & bass exclusively, but has turned his hand to a breakbeat-influenced hip-hop sound, infusing the beats and rhymes with rolling bass and crisp, high-BPM drums. Profisee, formerly a Scotland Yard MC, is a slick, accomplished MC, his subject matter explored thoroughly, his flow effortlessly professional. The addition of Nik PT on vocals adds a dash of soul to proceedings, while satellite member Simba provides on-stage backup and his own tight, grimy flows. Live, with an additional drummer and live sampling and programming, they are a force to be reckoned with.

44 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

Their debut EP, Escapades is available now in independent record stores in Glasgow and Edinburgh, or via their myspace page. However, we have 5 copies to give away to the first lucky people to email us at COMPETITIONS@SKINNYMAG.CO.UK with their name, address, and the answer to the following question: When Steve McQueen gets out of the prison at the end of the movie The Great Escape, what vehicle is he riding? Is it: a) a jetski b) a motorcycle c) a hoverboard, like in Back To The Future 2 Competition regulations online at WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK. Good luck folks!!

BEATS

MOTHER’S MILK EDWARD ST AUBYN

The mid-life crisis is a potent affliction. Just ask Patrick Melrose, the disenchanted anti-hero of Moth e r’s M i l k.

His wife is such a devoted mother to their two young children that she no longer takes any interest in him.

He’s dabbling with alcoholism and infidelity. The one good thing in his life, his dying mother’s French summer house, is about to be given to a New Age charlatan.

Set during four consecutive summers in said house, the thoroughly unpleasant Melrose family is seen crumbling as they are plagued by modern ills and dilemmas. Author Edward St Aubyn reports this situation with detached glee and a hearty dose of irony. A Booker prize nominee, St Aubyn writes with a natural flair that reveals the prose of Britain’s more heralded authors for the laboured, stagnant artifice it is.

The writing in Mother’s Milk sparkles, balancing pathos with comment on families and motherhood, revealing a depth you might not expect in a book this stylish.

At once dealing with domestic issues and national themes, if this book wasn’t so page-turningly entertaining it would be described as that dreaded thing, the “important book”. No subject is safe from St Aubyn’s poison pen, and American readers might want to drink something stronger than milk before

BOOKS

reading the acerbic dissection of their country and culture. As for anyone who owns a dreamcatcher or believes in the healing power of crystals, perhaps it would better to give this a miss unless particularly thick-skinned. For everyone else, enjoy. [Graeme Allister] RELEASE DATE - 19TH JAN (PAPERBACK).

PUBLISHED BY PICADOR. COVER PRICE £7.99

GRACE LINN ULLMANN

This is a slim book, 144 pages, written in simple prose. Yet it is a surprisingly effective and moving work - one which engrosses the reader. The story concerns one Johan Sletten and his wife Mai, whom he loves deeply. This is important, because he didn’t love his first wife. But he wasn’t the sort of man who could have divorced her – too dramatic.

Fortunately for Johan, she died in an accident, leaving him her money.

Johan feels slightly guilty being happy that this freed him, though it drove his son away from him in the long run as well. This back story is all filled in as the book progresses, but it starts with a simple scene in which Johan is told he is dying.

Ullmann focuses on how he deals with this news and how it affects his relationship with Mai, all the while subtly accumulating details about their past. She does this by frequently recounting some remark-

This reality now promises to be expanded further in the new instalment The Black Dossier. Victorian veterans Mina Murray (an ageless vampire since being bitten by Dracula) and Allan Quartermain (the British hunter and adventurer, somehow rejuvenated) are now in the 1950s, trying to track down the document of the title, which supposedly contains the histories of every League that has existed throughout the ages.

GAMES/BOOKS

BEATS Cappablack’s Counterattack

by Alec McLeod

ment intervention. Until then though, we have The Black Dossier’s comic book history to look forward to. Or should that be backward?

Let’s say... sideways?

THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: THE BLACK DOSSIER WILL BE OUT ON THE 10TH OF JANUARY, BARRING POSTPONEMENT. THERE IS AN EXTENDED VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE ONLINE.

One of Alan Moore’s core beliefs is the role of storytelling as magic.

The power of words and pictures to literally put ideas into people’s heads and shape their view is something he takes very seriously, and it is no wonder. Alan Moore’s impact on the entire medium of the graphic novel is almost unprecedented. His injection of reality into the hermetically-sealed world of superheroes led to Watchmen, which basically said superpowers would corrupt, super-absolutely.

Since then ‘gritty’ realism has been in vogue, so Moore responded by showing the comic-book establishment how to fly again with Supreme. In resurrecting this series about a Superman-alike, Moore wrote some great, zany, Super Stories. He then began to evolve the basic storylines, because the moment you seal a story off from new ideas and directions, it is dead.

It’s a difficult lesson to learn for publishing companies that have made their money off one leap of the imagination, the superhero, for the last fifty or so years. Of course, it’s been just as difficult to convince Great Ormond Street Hospital that Wendy Darling is an appropriate character to appear in a pornographic version of her later life, one Moore and his partner Melinda Gebbie have created in the Lost Girls comic. Because of this, they have agreed not to publish Lost Girls in the UK until after the 75-year copyright lapses at the end of next year – barring possible govern-

ably simple, memorable episodes in their relationship. One of these is when Johan discovers his wife lying pointlessly about the weather, and decides, eventually, never to bring it up with her. Another is when Johan, facing retirement, is instead sacked for a bizarre misdemeanour that he may have known would cause trouble, and can’t explain. Mostly though, the book shows the day to day relationship between Johan and Mai, until the inevitable and unexpectedly powerful ending. This short book is an excellent read; more value for money than many twice its length. [Keir Hind] RELEASE DATE: 5 JAN (PAPERBACK).

PUBLISHED BY PICADOR. COVER PRICE £7.99.

PATRICK ROBERTSON BRIAN HENNIGAN

and identity fraud, except in terms of the consequences for him. Having replaced morality with management jargon, he is able to survive situations that would destroy a better human being.

Hennigan’s tone is wry and casually brutal. Patrick leaves a trail of dead and damaged lives behind him, but is unable to see any significance, perceiving human relationships purely as sales opportunities.

But beyond the narrator, Hennigan fails to develop his characters: they are all stereotypes or under-developed. While this may be a function of Patrick’s egotism, it is unsatisfying and ultimately trite. Hennigan has a great deal to say, his style is crisp and exact, and Patrick Robertson himself is a striking anti-hero. But this tale of adventure rarely explores the ideas it so tantalisingly suggests.

[Gareth K Vile]

DEAR OLIVIA

century, this book, a memoir of sorts dedicated to her daughter Olivia, details the extraordinary journey of Contini’s grandparents and the struggles they overcame.

This attachment to one family somehow provides empathy for the general history of Italian immigrants in Edinburgh. Never shying from traumatic events like the heartbreaking racism of the Second World War, Contini’s mix of reminiscence and opinion is moving and honest.

Unfortunately the writing can be overwrought at times - a description of Alfonso Crolla’s “aquiline nose with a glorious dark moustache” is especially jarring and derails the book’s opening. However one wonders if this is a deliberate style, given such Mills and Boon-styled writing must hold a similar appeal for this book’s prospective buyers, family saga readers.

Like the family deli, Dear Olivia is noble, a little too rich for younger tastes, and probably best for your aunt’s Christmas present.

[Hamza Khan]

MARY CONTINI

OUT NOW. PUBLISHED BY CANONGATE.

OUT NOW (PAPERBACK). PUBLISHED BY POLYGON. COVER PRICE £6.99

Brian Hennigan’s simple prose relates the picaresque adventures of a travelling salesman, hiding a cruel and mordant wit behind increasingly surreal episodes. Written from the sardonic perspective of the titular anti-hero, Patrick Robertson is a satirical swipe at the dehumanising forces of capitalism and an amusing shaggy dog story.

It begins with Patrick’s kidnapping by inefficient yet well-meaning ecoterrorists, and relates his escape and return to civilisation. Patrick is a small-minded individual, who thinks nothing of theft, attempted murder

COVER PRICE £14.99

You may not have heard of Mar y Contini, but probably have heard of Valvona & Crolla, Edinburgh’s premier delicatessen and general fancy brasserie. Contini is a director of the establishment and descendant of its original founders, providing her with ample history and a unique perspective of the Crolla legacy.

Starting in Italy at the turn of the

THE UNINVITED GEILING YAN

Chinese peasants, lured by the promise of work and wages, form the backbone of Beijing’s underworld. Working as prostitutes, cheap labour and even film-set punch bags keeps these

desperate figures festering below the poverty line in Geling Yan’s The Uninvited. It’s against this setting that Dan Dong - a redundant factory worker living in squalor in the cities outskirts - is presented. Determined to make a better life for himself Dan becomes a banquet bug, freeloading press junkets and collecting the ‘money for his troubles’ awarded to all attendees. Dan becomes the tool of seasoned hack, Happy Gao, following his encounter with one of China’s foremost artists. To make a name for herself she is eager to exploit the trust he has gained from the old painter. What follows is a farce that sees Dan as the unlikely hero of the city’s exploited peasants. On the surface this novel is a dry, witty tale of a man caught up in a world he doesn’t fully understand.

However, the story transforms into a wonderfully complex analysis of society made clear through the eyes of the naïve peasant. Dan’s inability to comprehend the bribery and censorship prevalent in the country’s media is a thinly veiled criticism of the hypocrisy of contemporary China. Although Yan’s use of the English language is clumsy and the narration skips around the pages, it’s testament to her Chinese roots. Far from being a hindrance it strengthens the character of The Uninvited, protecting the reader from the hard reality of its gritty soul.

[Graeme Park] OUT NOW. PUBLISHED BY FABER & FABER, COVER PRICE £10.99.

CREATIVE WRITING WILL BE BACK NEXT MONTH. PLEASE SEND SUBMISSIONS TO: KEIR@SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

21

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

H

ere we are. Sitting pretty in the year 07. Doesnt feel much dif ferent to me. but maybe that’s because I’m writing this in the past (it’s still 06 where I’m sat).

Anyway, rudimentry time travel aside. This is a new year for gaming, not in the standard sense of, ‘ooh it’s a new year... woop’, more like ‘finally, finally the Wii is available here.’ This is good. If you don’t know why, then you must have been time travelling too. Good work.

The Wii rocks, because it’s simple, because it’s intuitive and because my Nan has played on one (well, not yet, but she will...). Someone’s Nan has played one anyway, and some are even buying their own consoles. Old people buying games might not sound exciting, but it is. For games, this offers a whole new slant on things as we inevitably start seeing interesting new games take advantage of the Wiimote potential.More importantly, maybe this means being a games journalist will be cool soon. I won’t hold my breath, but it’s a start. /Josh Wilson

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

REVIEWS

GRAND THEFT AUTO VICE CITY STORIES

(ROCKSTAR)

Rockstar Leeds are b a c k a g a i n, g i v i n g the second killer GTA game a new lease of life on the PSP. While Liberty City Stories was a fair rehash of GTA3, I couldnt help but feel it was limited by the PSP: after the awesomeness that was San Andreas on the PS2, my hopes may have been too high.

So how does GTA:VCS fare? Rather well actually, it’s possibly even better than the original. Story wise, you get a solid interesting humerous, well acted, quality outing, as with any Rockstar game. VCS has an array of quality radio tunes and chat to keep you entertained has you mow down some innocents. You can tell Rockstar have had more time for PSP tinkering; gameplay and environment have all been tweaked for the handheld.

Loading is faster, graphics are sharper and you can even swim this time round (a feature which really should have been in LCS). Rockstar have taken one of the best PS2 games, and shrunk it brilliantly. Anyone with a PSP who enjoys GTA should buy it. Now. [Josh Wilson] OUT NOW FOR PSP. £29.99 WWW.GTAVICE.COM

by Chris Pickering

new console launch typically brings about a huge chunk of excitement as the release day draws near. Secondly, devilishly high stress levels as pre-orders go unfulfilled, and morning rushes to any store that happens to sell electrical goods are made by thousands. And last of all, disappointment as launch titles are found to be at best nothing particularly exciting, and at worst tedious and derivative.

Even opening up the box gives that unnerving feeling of finally laying your grubby mitts on something truly special. Its iPod-esque layout contains each of the hefty number of in-box items sat in its own little spot, all snugly tucked away nice and safe.

The unit itself is a thing of beauty. No matter how often we’ve been made well aware of its dinky size, it’s not until you sit it down next to that great hulking monstrosity that is Microsoft’s Xbox 360 that you finally realise just how tiny it is. Seriously, it’s the size of three DVD cases, and that’s that.

WWW.2KGAMES.COM

20 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

in no way initiating any kind of cramp.

As for the nunchuk – not required on the initial menu screens, nor on the Wii Shopping channel – this little fella definately feels much lighter than expected. There was a small part of me that ex-

“THE PROSPECT OF PLAYING AS A LEGO REPRESENTATION OF BILLY DEE WILLIAMS IS UNDENIABLY EXCITING”

Setting things up couldn’t be much easier either.

The included sensor bar is affixed securely by some included sticky pads, either on top of your TV, or just below. Neither has any particular advantage or disadvantage since in the initial set up of your machine you calibrate your control options in relation to the postion you have chosen.

So, is the Wii a success? You’re damn right it is!

It’s deceptively easy to use, and the included Wii Sports title is encouraging millions of non-gamers to wield Wii remotes and nunchuks, meaning that Nintendo is onto a real winner. Whether or not any future games are going to continue to make sublime use of this innovative control method are yet to be seen, but if they continue in the same vein as we’ve witnessed with the Wii’s launch titles, there’s little doubt that Nintendo could be right back in the driving seat in terms of gaming hardware. Wii on!

SOLESCIENCE RUNS MONTHLY AT CABARET VOLTAIRE IN EDINBURGH, PLAYING A BLEND OF ELECTRO, CHICAGO AND DETROIT TECHNO, AND HOUSE. HERE, RESIDENT DJS NICK, ROB & GRANT TAKE YOU ON A TOUR OF THE BEST-LOVED TUNES OF 2006, AS CHEERED AND DANCED TO BY THE SOLESCIENCE CROWDS. EXPECT TO HEAR MORE THAN A FEW OF THESE BANGERS WHEN THEY RETURN TO ACTION ON 12 JAN - DETAILS BELOW...

1. REKID - NEXT STOP CHICAGO (REKID)

6. FRANCK ROGER - BONE OF MY BONE (REAL TONE)

Without a doubt the biggest record for the Solescience dancefloor in 2006.

Shuffling beats, sublime keys and an ace vocal make this the best of Franck’s 836 releases in 2006.

2. PRZTZ - SMALL TALK (CLASSIC)

7. TRUMAN INDUSTRIES - LOVE PLUS (DERRICK CARTER’S LOVE GROOVE MIX) (DAE)

A George Clinton interview and Prztz on production - it was only ever gonna go one way.

DLC back after a two year break from production never do this to us again!

3. DARK MOUNTAIN GROUP - LOSE CONTROL

8. SOUNDSTREAM - LOVE JAM (SOUNDSTREAM)

(BUZZIN FLY)

Old skool references, stacks of drama and a synth line that makes you pull faces. That’s what house is about!

The worst sleeve of 2006 hides one of our favourite tracks of the year, massive at Solescience since the summer.

4. COLDCUT - WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES (HENRIK SCHWARZ MIX) (NINJA TUNE)

5. WHIRLPOOL PRODUCTIONS - FROM DISCO TO DISCO (MIKE MONDAY DUB) (GSR)

pected both to continuously rattle as the bearings inside measuring movement f lew about the place.

Well, it’s as silent as you could hope for.

9. MAGIK JOHNSON - SCANNING FOR VIRUSES (MADE TO PLAY)

A late contender already proving to be a peaktime monster on dancefloors across the parish.

10. FRANCOIS DUBOIS - BLOOD (URBAN TORQUE)

Just one of the many future classics on one of the most exciting labels of 2006.

Remixing the classic seemed unthinkable - thanks to Mike for proving us so very wrong.

SOLESCIENCE WILL BE BACK ON 12 JAN AT CABARET VOLTAIRE, EDINBURGH WITH THEIR ANNUAL RESIDENTS’ KICK OFF TO THE YEAR. 11PM-3AM, £3/5.

SINGLES/EPS

Once you’re on the starting menu – after a very brief set-up sequence as mentioned above – first thing you’ll do is set up your ‘Mii’. Containing a wicked amount of depth, creating a cartoony version of yourself is an absolute breeze. But you’re not restricted to just this Mii. Fancy creating each member of Radiohead? Then go for it. You can even create a scarily uncanny ‘Wacko Jacko’ complete with freakish nose. Even fellow Wii owning pals you’re hooked up with might find their Wii’s populating your console.

V/A

MUKUL

Six tracks of dark-edged, moody electro from London’s Ai Records, including one fantastic track from Welsh producer and Edinburgh resident Bloodyn Tatws. All the tracks on offer here are solid, some even departing from Ai’s laidback template to achieve real moments of dancefloor pressure. In particular, Jacen Solo’s Shake Remix hearks back to an era of filthier electro, with acid tweaks in the bassline and a stuttering high-hat abetted by computer clicks. Yerk’s Pursuit is also dancefloorbound, with metal influences and a shattering, stringladen conclusion. Terse, twisted and terrific, this checks all the boxes needed for an electro EP. Ai continue to innovate and explore the boundaries of the genre. [Bram Gieben]

With the ethereal strings, throbbing beats, and a bisexual vocal interchange between a sultry, smoky feline and a masculine drawl stretched out into a rumbling bassline, Mukul sound just like a trip-hop version of fetishistic future pop goons Die Form. You Don’t Know Me is a delightfully sleazy dancerfloor-creeping anthem that would do the pretentious goth crowds proud as well as the less self-conscious. Unfortunately, Howie B’s remix is less claustrophobic, more minimalist; wrapping the squelchy bass refrain around a click beat and losing a lot of the film noir unease. As Mukul’s first UK release, You Don’t Know Me’ not to forget the b-side Happy Birthday, it looks like this Mumbain is perfectly primed to revitalise trip-hop into some lurching, catchy sex monster. [Ali Maloney]

YOU DON’T KNOW ME (WASTED RECORDS)

SPLIT EP3 (AI RECORDINGS)

You’ll be controlling all this via your Wii remote. Feeling not only lighter than expected, but also much smaller, it’s an absolute joy to handle. Any misgivings you might have had can be tossed firmly out of the window, with the remote fitting snugly in the palm of your hand, and extended use

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Guitar Hero was about the best rhythm action game ever made. From the same developer that brought us the woefully shunned Frequency and Amplitude, the basic premise of simply hitting the right buttons in time with the music was revolutionised and thrust into the mainstream by the Gibson SG controller. Yeah, it’s a little plastic guitar. I can see you’re looking at it suspiciously. I’ve seen it a thousand times.

Just put it around your neck and play through More than a Feeling and you’ll change your mind.

The five coloured buttons, the strum button and the whammy bar, the tongue in cheek presentation and a genuine challenge all came together to deliver a satisfying and hyperbolic simulation of playing a real guitar in front of stadium crowds. It was a revelation. The sequel needed to do very little to earn my repeated love. It did more. I would have been happy with simply a new song list, but from presentation to execution, everything has

SOLESCIENCE ‘BEST OF 2006’ DJ CHART

Schwarz works his magic again, transforming a fairly average album track into the best piece of electronic soul we’ve heard this year. Proper.

Other than that, it’s only a case of plugging in your AV connection, and then the plug, and with a quick blue flash of the disc drive, you’re away.

(ACTIVISION)

OUT NOW FOR PS2, PSP AND XBOX. £29.99

Want to get online and sample the retro delights of the Shopping channel, where you can purchase NES, SNES, Mega Drive, and even Turbografx titles? If you’ve got yourself a wireless network than connection is an absolute breeze. No wireless network? Then simply purchase the official Nintendo wifi stick, stick that in your broadband enabled PC’s USB socket, and connect away! With new titles on offer every single week, you’ll be splashing out on tonnes of retro goodies throughout the entire lifespan of the Wii. There’s even Toejam and Earl!

But the Wii, well, it’s not just the name that Nintendo finally decided on that differs from the norm.

HERO 2 SPIDER MAN: BATTLE GUITAR (RED OCTANE) FOR NEW YORK First impressions of BFNY were good: nice graphics, pseudo cell shading mapped on a background of 3D worlds, smooth animations. This was looking to be a good platformer. Until... well, until you get into the game.

Those nice, shiny animations are the game’s downfall.

This is typified by the first boss: while the fat green lump is performing a move, he is in effect invulnerable.

And after you attack, while you’re still moving back to your normal stance, you’re in deep shit - even if he has a slow attack and you get in there well before he hits.

Nada. You can win, eventually, but you will stop caring long before this happens. Activision deserves to sit in the naughty corner for this one. There is no way this half arsed pile of horrific gameplay should be allowed to be sold. Even if it is Christmas. [Zach Morris]

DJ

There’s Wii on my telly A

BEATS

GAMES

PANDA BEAR BROS been tweaked just that little bit, lifting the overall experience. For a start, you can now play co-op as it’s meant to be played, not some versus battle, but as a band: one player takes on the lead guitar parts, the second player tackles the bass or rhythm. I can’t begin to tell you how brilliant this is. There’s a huge amount of challenge to be had in the harder difficulties, but again, they’ve added practice mode where you can mess up to your heart’s content without fear of an audience uprising.

What about the songs though? When the basic game mechanic is so rock solid, games like this will live or die on their song selection, and while many have moaned that the track listing for GH2 is nowhere near as commercial as the first, it’s the undiscovered gems that make the game special. Sure, I may have only heard of about 50% of the songs, and while it’s huge fun playing along to Sweet Child O’ Mine, discovering rock gems like Carry on my Wayward Son or The Beast and the Harlot for the first time by playing along with them is a musical treat that no other medium can offer. Turn it up.

[Declan Dineen]

(FATCAT)

A lovely sprawling twelve minutes of magic from Panda Bear which starts off as a whispery Mamas and Papas strummed melody, dissolving into reverb-heavy dub echoes and returning triumphantly in joyous pop harmonies. [Roger Haruki]

OUT NOW ON PS2 £49.99 (WITH GUITAR CONTROLLER).

WWW.GUITARHERO2.COM

LEE VAN DOWSKI & QUENUM ULTIMATE DESERT AMBASSADOR (SOMA)

Taken from their LP As Told On The Eve Of…, Ultimate Desert Ambassador is the product of two weeks in the remote Swiss alps, pulsing along with blunt and echoed stabs of sound; tinged with Hakan Lidbo and Hawtin’s Closer To The Edit. Mike Shannon’s View to Vodka mix injects more energy into the proceedings, filling the spaces with thick percussion. [Alex Burden]

AVITAS

REMIXES VOL 1 (THIRTEEN) This is four remixes of Avitas first two singles, Recreation and Cantate, given a makeover by Mr C, Bhooka & T Bone, Balearic Musica, and Guy Williams & Alan X; a collection of energetic tech and vocal house, Balearic sun-kissed beats and funk flavours. [Struan Otter]

MY ROBOT FRIEND RAPTURE (SOMA)

The man who has more than a flirtation with the idea of being a robot is back, disassembling Rapture by Blondie and re-composing in the style of robo-disco electro with Chicago house keyboard and painstakingly constructed ‘dictionaraoke’ vocals. Think Adam Freeland’s We Want Your Soul with more sarcasm. [Alex Burden]

ALL SINGLES OUT NOW GAMES

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

45

DJ SHADOW

FOR YEARS THE GLASGOW CLUB SCENE HAS BEEN DOMINATED BY BIG NIGHTS LIKE PRESSURE AND OPTIMO. HOWEVER, LIKE IT OR NOT IT’S TIME TO

by Peter Burns MAKE WAY FOR SOMETHING FRESH AND SPECIAL IN 2007.

J

ackmaster and Spencer (Jack and Calum), the lads from club nights Seismic and Numbers, have been running the events for about four years, putting on some spectacular gigs to only moderate acclaim. For all involved it has been a journey through a spectrum of ideas and a kaleidescope of music as Calum illustrates; “We’re not really about purely playing techno, house or hip hop from start to finish... it’s more about the progressions and changes sprawling through different sorts of music.” At any given moment the tunes can drift from techno to crunk or from disco to Baltimore Club music. For newcomers this is like a breath of ice-cold refreshing Glasgow air in comparison to some of the musically blinkered nights on offer.

The pair are known for an ability to squeeze a phenomenal party atmosphere between every wicked beat: “We like to give people a good variety of sounds, and crucially we’re all about creating a mental party atmosphere,” intercepts Calum. “We don’t really care if the music we play is considered ‘cool’ or not, if we like it we play it and I think it really is that simple,” states Jack. In essence the flock put well deserved trust in their shepherds’ hands.

Interestingly enough, you could also argue that this would still be an interesting experience without the music. Their events offer mind boggling visuals supplied by Retina Glitch, and free fanzines courtesy of artist MrMr which include hilarious caricatures of the evening’s guests.

Booking great acts doesn’t seem to pose a problem to these guys either. LFO, Lory D, Modeselektor, Dexter, Jackson, Bitstream, Autechre, Marco Passarani, Luke Vibert, and Squarepusher have all graced their grateful decks. They were heavily involved in the

construction of Modeselektor’s success and when they recently booked LFO for a night at the Art School, they knew things were going to blow up to biblical proportions. It also has to be mentioned that the Seismic and Numbers nights are part of a much greater picture. Despite putting a great deal of time and effort into both nights, the lads also have their fingers in many other pies. Jackamaster owns and runs his own record label, Point.One Recordings, and is also a long term resident at Glasgow’s well-established Monox night. On top of that he has been working for Blackhole Distribution (part of Rubadub), DJing and promoting club nights since the tender age of 15. Spencer is currently working for Warp Records in London.

The pair are also due to launch a new record label - WireBlock Records. The launch will be taking place in the Brunswick Hotel on 12 Jan and we’ve been told, “It’s gonna send you flying.” Playing on the night will be Goon & Koyote from France, who just released a killer split 7” with Tacteel of Institubes fame on the cult French label, Arcade Mode. Their mix CD, Diamond Grills, and live performances have to be heard to be believed. It features over two tracks per minute, fusing insane booty mixed with dirty South, Baltimore, Miami Bass, electro & techno at about 170 bpm. They make heralded booty DJs such as Assault and Godfather seem as cool as your wee sister’s pink tricycle (the one with the bell and ribbons on the handlebars). It’s fixed to be a kick ass party so be sure to check out this gift to the Glasgow club scene.

CARLING ACADEMY, 29 NOV

Breaking his set down into half a dozen suites, Josh Davis masterfully overlaps a fiercely abstract range of elements to represent every angle of his repertoire. Talking us through what we hear, the dex trous DJ Shadow even fends off the odd rock when he suggests he’ll be working in nuggets from latest album, The Outsider. Stuck to his guns, a blast of the hyphy-laced Three Freaks falls short of crowd rigamortis before Quannum’s Lateef bounds onstage to save the day, though he forgoes the near asphyxiated wheeze of his usual delivery for a more pedestrian bark, seeking to whip up the kind of storm that Shadow can usually summon himself when tucked away in the anonymous environs of a booth.

Though Shadow’s self-proclaimed status as a changeling is admirable, tonight proves that he’s still at his best when his sounds are imbued with the darkness and frustration of the metropolitan condition. But, as he righteously declares from the stage to the naysayers of his life’s mantra, “I’m never going to stop trying new shit.” [Dave Kerr]

DVD OPTIMO: 9TH BIRTHDAY

SUB CLUB, GLASGOW, 26 NOV

It would be fair to say that the honeymoon period with Optimo is just now. 26 Nov was Optimo’s 9th birthday, meaning that 468 Optimos have gone on before, but tonight it felt like the DJs were taking their job more seriously than ever before as they tried to ram nine years of musical jewels into every auricle.

There was fantastic music, a great atmosphere, hot people to get sweaty with, and the place was packed to the metaphorical rafters.

Optimo gets a shiny gold star from the teacher and an invitation to meet after class. The club is still one of Scotland’s best and most charismatic nights out, but this does beg the question, why does it take a Birthday celebration to remind us, and them, how great a night can be? This was one of the best Optimos all year, let’s not wait for another excuse to celebrate!

[Damien Hughes]

Superman II: The Donner Cut Ever watched Superman II and had the nagging feeling that you were watching two clashing versions of the same movie woven together?

If so, pat yourself on the cape as 1980’s cinema release was actually the result of two separate directors’ work.

Originally, it was planned that Omen director Richard Donner would shoot the first two Superman movies simultaneously. Unfortunately, midway through filming and with an estimated eighty per cent of the sequel completed and in the lead-lined can, production was suspended. The plan was to concentrate on finishing the first movie in time for its 1978 release.

Despite the success of the epic Superman: The Movie, Donner was fired after numerous confrontations with producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind and was not brought back, as was intended, to finish what he had started on the second movie. Instead, the producers hired comedy-man Richard Lester who set about filming his own material. The notable absence was that of Gene Hackman as Luthor; Hackman refused to do re-shoots due to Donner’s treatment. Lester deleted many of Donner’s crucial scenes and re-worked the sequel with gags thrown in like fragments of Kryptonite.

UNBORN BUT FORGOTTEN

Photo: Stu Younger

THE SKINNY IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF CLUB REVIEWERS IN THE GLASGOW AREA! THE CITY’S CLUB LIFE IS BIGGER, BUSIER AND MORE FUIL OF PEOPLE THAN THAT OF EDINBURGH, AND YET EVERY MONTH WE STRUGGLE TO REVIEW THE BULK OF NIGHTS THAT HAPPEN. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN FREE GUESTLIST PLACES, VALUABLE JOURNALISTIC EXPERIENCE, AND THE CHANCE TO INTERVIEW LOCAL DJS AND PRODUCERS IN 2007, GET IN TOUCH TODAY! EMAIL BRAM@ SKINNYMAG.CO.UK / ALEXB@SKINNYMAG.CO.UK WITH A SAMPLE REVIEW, OR LOG ON TO WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK AND CLICK ON THE ‘GET INVOLVED’BUTTON.

CLUB PREVIEWS MARC VAN LINDEN

SI BEGG AND CURSOR MINOR

SURFACE EMP

The first weekend after the New Year in Glasgow is a gamble for any promoter; the clubbing majority will either be skint, recovering or more likely, both. Which is why the launch of a new night at the Soundhaus on the 6th is a bold move, although judging by the interest Synergy seems to have generated, attendance will not be an issue. German trance primo Marc Van Linden will be headlining the main room for the launch of his new LP, My Way, kicking off a world tour at the ‘haus. Van Linden has achieved considerable success in a fairly short time, and has received considerable applause for his production work from the likes of Arman Van Buuren, for the solo singles AM 2 PM, and Until Monday. Backed up by Simon Foy and William Daniell, both of Inside Out fame, the main room boasts dark trance with a chunkier tech beat from the Inside Out boys. Visuals will be supplied by Soundhaus favorite, Altronix. In the other room, running contrary to popular club doctrine, Synergy will host the heavier stuff with up-andcoming Scottish talent playing a wide selection of electronic styles. Variety is the mantra for the second room. We also hear rumours that as part of the album launch there will be a few giveaways on the night, including five signed copies of Marc Van Linden’s new album, and merchandise for Van Linden’s own label Midway records and Vandit. With so much on offer it’s obvious to us that if you can so much as stand after the festivities, shift down to Synergy and soothe your ears. A whole new year of fun awaits!

[David Stewart]

The Soundhaus has always been one of Glasgow’s busiest secrets, regularly filling itself despite the amount of people who struggle to find it. Part of its popularity is down to the outstanding underground line-ups of DJs and live music provided, and this January is no exception when Si Begg and Cursor Miner are set to roll into Inner City Acid. The bi-monthly night has now been running for two years, a good return for a night started by five friends who wanted to create the kind of club they were missing. Like many of its fellow nights ICA is difficult to categorize musically as so many genres from and between electro, techno and acid house are all covered. This month’s guests are a prime example: Si Begg has released under a number of aliases including Cabbageboy and S.I.Futures and his sound is a truly unique mix of techno. His production was recently described as “immaculate” by Mix Mag when they gave his latest release Jetlag and Tinnitus Part 1 single of the week. Cursor Minor meanwhile will provide a must see live set which the promoters describe as “Spazz pop with a sprinkling of good old British humour.” The resident DJ support of Jon Virtue, Monsieur DeLarge and Joe Cannon along with the excellent VJ Altronix on visuals will also be appearing, and as ever, the bar room will be a showcase for other local talent. All sure to blow away those January cobwebs. [Sean McNamara]

Bringdaruckus is a website set up to promote and support Scottish hiphop, and big up some of the incredibly innovative work in production and MCing that goes on here, often un-noticed by the music industry at large.

Their efforts to re-dress the balance, and be a meeting place and open resource for all Scottish headz is a noble endeavour, one which the Skinny supports to the full. Bringdaruckus will be putting on some gigs in early February to promote Scottish & Irish hip-hop, bringing together the finest both cultures have to offer. To give you a bit of time to buy tickets, we thought we’d preview the gigs now! Trust us: you DON’T want to miss these nights. The Glasgow event features the mighty Surface Emp, whose Lucky Me EP is a deserved underground sensation for it’s clever lyrics and innovative sampling and production. Also playing live are The Remedies, Mavrick Sabre, Loki, Correkt Minds, and DJ G, not to mention host Bigg Taj. This is a night of EXCLUSIVELY homegrown joints, from the best that Scotland and Ireland have to offer. It’s also all for the benefit of Maggie’s Center, a cancer charity. The sister night in Edinburgh features Respek BA, Marrik Layden Deft, Project 77, Verse One, Jee4ce (who is hosting the night), DHT and DJ Fly-T of Capital 1212 and Zulu Nation. Show your love, and buy Celtic.

[Omar Kudos]

11PM-4AM, £TBC.

46 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

OUT NOW

And the final product? Well, when viewed as something that could have been, Superman II: The Donner Cu t i s e nd lessly fas-

REVIEWS

WWW.POINTONERECORDINGS.COM

INNER CITY ACID, THE SOUNDHAUS, GLASGOW, 13 JAN

However, after years of speculation and fan-boy protests, an internet campaign finally persuaded Warner Bros to release a new cut with Richard Donner going back to re-do the movie as he had initially intended. By combining his unused archive footage, clever editing, and some Lester footage as gap-filler, Donner has leapt 26 years in a single bound and managed to tell the story in the way he had always planned.

cinating and a must-have for any comic-book movie enthusiast.

Watching new footage of Christopher Reeve in the role he was born to play, is something special: his dual performance of the bumbling Cary Grant-like Clark Kent who suddenly becomes the dominant Man of Steel will never grow old. Add into the mix the fifteen minutes of lost footage of Brando as Supes’ dead father JorEl, which nicely ties up the crucial father-son plot thread from the first movie, and we are given an absorbing glimpse into how good this film could have been. Sadly, despite the best efforts of those involved, the holes that were impossible to fill have ensured that this new version is a movie which soars up and up, but not quite away.

A DJ emerges from the Shadows of the Carling Academy

WWW.WIREBLOCK.COM

FILM

SYNERGY, THE SOUNDHAUS, GLASGOW, 6 JAN

ers (such as multiplying himself and throwing a big plastic Ssymbol as a weapon) and the villains being transformed from darkly grim to camply dim, it was clear that Lester’s zany take on DC’s flagship character was as far from Donner’s interpretation as Smallville is from Metropolis.

by Stephen Carty

Thankfully the plot stayed ostensibly the same. The Last Son of Krypton chooses to give up his powers and blue tights for the love of his life, Lois Lane, only to discover that three Kryptonian rebels that his father jailed have escaped and are hell-bent on revenge.

Regardless, with Lester’s Superman now exhibiting silly new pow-

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/NUMBERS12345678 WWW.MYSPACE.COM/CLUBSEISMIC

RICHARD DONNER RETURNS -

FILM/DVD

BEATS GLASGOW CLUB REVIEWS Seismic Make Waves

CELTIC CONNECTION, THE HOLD, GLASGOW, 8 FEB

11PM-4AM, £4 MEMBERS/£6.

WWW.INNERCITYACID.CO.UK

7PM, £6 ADV / £7 ON THE DOOR.

WWW.SIBEGG.COM

EDINBURGH GIG: THE BONGO CLUB, FEB 1, 7PM, £6 ADV / £7 ON THE DOOR. MORE

WWW.SOUNDHAUS.CO.UK

DETAILS AT WWW.BRINGDARUCKUS.COM.

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/CURSORMINER

BEATS

Like the Ringu/ Ring series and, especially, FearDotCom, the premise of U n b o r n B u t Forgotten is that there is a form of media (here a website for a Seoul abortion clinic) that visits death on those unlucky enough to view it. That the women who visit the site are, in effect, impregnated with something deadly is a paradox that is never explored or explained sufficiently. Is it an angry, jilted would-be mother, an aborted child, or some other animus behind the killing? We never learn.

Indeed, there are many aspects of plot and character development that, to put it bluntly, seem aborted. The production is slick, the acting competent, and the device of a violent, miasmic, and discorporated entity is fundamentally effective. But the fact the viewer never understands the killer’s motivation or identity, or by extension its choice of victims, significantly dampens the film’s power.

[Ben Howe] OUT NOW

HELLZAPOPPIN’ How do you go about describing c h a o s? C a l l e d ‘Pythonesque’ by some, Hellzapoppin’ was ground breaking stuff for its time (1941). The film is based on the Broadway hit of the same name, a theatrical revue of slap stick absurdity. Plot plays second fiddle to

DVD

surreality, and though Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson never had the following of Laurel and Hardy or the Marx brothers, they are capable comics who pioneer the cartoon-like silliness seen years later in The Goon Show. The special effects are brilliantly innovative for their time, challenging the idea of the audience as ‘fourth wall’. Characters argue with their creators, people go from set to set, changing environments and costumes as they go, buried deep in banter. The ceaseless camera tricks and visual gags are only interrupted by random show tunes, synchronized swimming, talking dogs, bears on push bikes, boxes of cats, and baby rabbits.

If you like good old-fashioned one-linered, running-gagged, slap-sticked Lindy Hop featuring completely random comedy, this is for you. If not then expect the most baffling eighty minutes of your life. [Andrea Krudde] RELEASE DATE – 5TH FEBRUARY 2007

MUSIC THE FLAMING LIPS

AT WAR WITH THE MYSTICS SPECIAL EDITION + DVD

The Flaming Lips’ newly released DVD includes live and re-recorded footage, selected videos and some outtakes from their most recent record of the same title. The mesmerising album is fittingly accompanied by introspective and candid liner notes by Wayne Coyne; describing one track as “a manifesto of defiance and optimism,” he seems to encapsulate the ethos that supports this enchanting music.

Whilst the sound is strange and ingenious, the ongoing visual of a

naked young woman languidly dancing appears almost as a religious experience. Accompanied

by Coyne’s insights, the album operates as a rebellion against tired, empty pop music. Included in the video selection is a haunting yet brilliant mashing of Sonic Youth’s ‘Unmade Bed’ and Led Zeppelin’s ‘No Quarter’, and an eerie operatic rendition of ‘Vein of Stars’. Though the liner notes explain the sober gravity behind many of these tracks, the videos exude a bizarre, optimistic energy that only the Lips could so deftly achieve. [Ilani Blanke] OUT NOW

ROBBIE WILLIAMS AND THROUGH IT ALL

And Throug h it All boasts more than 50 live tracks over two DVDs, but fans will be dismayed to find no extra footage apart from a few budget-looking text ‘info’ options. In general the footage from Robbie’s formative gigs does make up for the repetitive tune choices.

Highlights include Robbie’s duets with Kylie and the legendary Tom Jones, the awesome Glastonbury, Live 8, and even an Ant and Dec Christmas special. Funnily enough, they’re mostly the bits that aren’t just Robbie. The filming is cracking, the production less so - leading to confusion after a solid four and a half hours.

And Through It All is undoubtedly a treat for the extreme Robbie fan. To others the lack of extras means it is Robbie, in a succession of different T-shirts, banging out hits to several similarly gargantuan crowds. They, at least, know all the words.

[Andrea Krudde] OUT NOW

BOB DYLAN

THE UNAUTHORIZED DOCUMENTARIES Excitably narrated by former drummer Mickey Jones World Tour 1966 i s a n e l a b o r a te blow by blow account following the transition of The Hawks into The Band. An animated Jones provides the expected anecdotes and little known titbits to footage he took himself, providing a fond account of a hectic schedule.

Yet more of an excuse to roll out previously unused footage, 1966-1974 was shot by Barry Feinstein, a heavy contributor to the camera work of Easy Rider. Relying heavily on superfan bystander’s speculation, and only slightly demystifying, with its limited interviewee exposure, this is more about the spectacle of a recording artist’s aesthetic evolution than an authoritative lifting of the lid.

Rolling Thunder and the Gospel Years casts an eye over the Desire period and Dylan’s reinvention as “The Entertainer”. The film is largely without an authentic soundtrack or any live performance that extends beyond a minute. For the film-makers this is a daring lunge at making the best of a bad situation. Maybe one day the creators will get the benefit of having the great story teller’s participation. [Dave Kerr] OUT NOW

PAUL MCCARTNEY

all extents and purposes and with apologies to Ringo, the Last Beatle Standing, still out on the road playing the songs they all want to hear.

This in concert DVD of McCartney’s Autumn 2005 “Us” Tour of the USA involves ex-presidents and showbiz legends eulogising the immortal genius of the man, two hours of tunes (mainly the 1960s), vats of

backstage footage showing endless thumbs raised aloft and a string of talking heads saying how amazing it is that he’s just a regular working guy despite being a Living Godhead.

Criticism is negligible. It looks great.

It sounds great. Fans (and there are a few) will love it. No ‘Live and Let Die’ though. [Euan Andrews] OUT NOW

FILM RELEASES THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, Dir. Jason Reitman It could be about any major commodity, but hilarious potshots at both sides of the smoking debate allow the slightly feelgood ending to seem fair. Release Date: 8 Jan

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, Dir. Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris Takes the fairly standard premise of a dysfunctional family going on a trans-American journey, and injects a good dose of warmth and humanity: should provide one of the most enjoyable January rentals.

Release Date: 22 Jan

A SCANNER DARKLY, Dir. Richard Linklater Richard Linklater’s second animated feature is a complicated, visually arresting film, destined to be a cult favourite. This is probably the most faithful adaptation of any of P.K. Dick’s novels. Release Date: 22 Jan

ZIDANE: A 21ST CENTURY PORTRAIT, Dir. Douglas Gordon, Phil Parreno This piece of modern art is a 90 minute journey of highs and lows with one of the greatest players of all time. A stunning soundtrack by Mogwai makes this piece all the more engaging. Release Date: 29 Jan

ALSO AVAILABLE AT ALPHABET VIDEO IN JANUARY: 8 Jan - Black Dahlia, Echo Park LA 15 Jan - Art School Confidential, Talladega Nights, Lady In The Water 22 Jan - Russian Dolls: Pot Luck 2, Dirty Sanchez The Movie, Brothers Of The Head, EROS, Alpha Male, Keane, 20 Centimetres, Allegro 29 Jan - Look Both Ways, Antibodies, Ozu Vol. 4, World Trade Centre

THE SPACE WITHIN US W i t h Love, t h e B e atl e s’ “re m i x” project recently released, Macca here takes the oppor tunity to remind us yet again that he is, to

22 MARCHMONT ROAD, EDINBURGH, 0131 229 5136 93 BROUGHTON STREET, EDINBURGH, 0131 556 1866

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

19

BOBBY DIR: EMILIO ESTEVEZ STARS: WILLIAM H. MACY, CHRISTIAN SL ATER, ANTHONY HOPKINS, DEMI MOORE RELEASE DATE: 26 JAN CERT: 15

Emilio Estevez returns from the wilderness to write and direct this multi-strand drama about a group of disparate characters gathered at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on the night of Robert Kennedy’s assassination. Threads include the fading alcoholic star (Moore), the young married couple trying to dodge the draft, the adulterous hotel manager (Macy), and tension among black and Hispanic kitchen workers.

None of the stories are particularly interesting or original and the endless star spotting does eventually become a distraction (“Ooh look, it’s Ashton Kutcher”). Worthy yes, but it sure ain’t subtle, though there are moments of quiet power among the deep fried cheese. Whenever Kennedy is seen or heard, it’s a maddening, saddening glimpse into a cruelly snatched better world, even if the film serves mostly to deify him.

And, not to spoil the ending, he gets shot. [Paul Greenwood]

THEM DIR: DAVID MOREAU, XAVIER PALUD S TA R S : M I C H A E L CO H E N , O L I V I A BONAMY RELEASE DATE: 26 JAN CERT: 15

Directors David Moreau and Xavier

Palud’s debut feature is a disappointingly clichéd “horreur”, returning to that hoary old chestnut of the genre, the isolated house in the woods. The terrified residents in this case are a writer and his wife (Cohen and Bonamy), whose domestic bliss in the Romanian countryside comes under attack from “Them”. To reveal the exact nature of Them is to give away the one surprise the movie has to offer, given that the paper-thin plot and narrative devices have been seen so many times before. Moreau and Palud have recently been hired to direct the pointless Hollywood remake of the Pang Brothers’ superior horror flick, The Eye. Now that’s terrifying. [Colan Mehaffey]

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS

on a true story, would be dismissed as a sappy fairy tale. Smith channels the charm of Tom Hanks into his warmest performance to date and this, alongside the delightful interplay with his son, makes for the majority of the film’s considerable success. And yes, the title is spelled correctly - you’ll just need to see it to find out why. [Paul Greenwood]

S T A R S : P E T E R O ’T O O L E , J O D I E WHITTAKER, LESLIE PHILLIPS

STARS: WILL SMITH, THANDIE NEWTON,

RELEASE DATE: 26 JAN

JADEN SMITH

CERT 15

RELEASE DATE: 12 JAN

Growing old disgracefully was always going to be Peter O’Toole’s way, and this film expresses that very ideal, studying the mutually manipulative relationship between this veteran actor and his mate’s granddaughter (Jodie Whittaker).

Written by Hanif Kureishi, it’s a brutally honest dissection of beauty and decay, with Vanessa Redgrave as the ex-wife and Leslie Phillips and Richard Griffiths as the drinking buddies and co-nostalgics providing the best moments. Above all this feels like Socrates on trial; a troublesome and ignored old Greek arbitrarily charged with corrupting

It’s the early 80s and Will Smith is a down on his luck salesman with a wife (Newton) who’s reached the end of her rope, leaving him alone and in charge of their young boy (Jaden Smith, Will’s real life son).

Wanting to make a better life for them both, he signs up for a stockbroker internship, but this means having to survive for months with virtually no income and no guarantee of a job at the end of it. The Pursuit of Happyness is a sweet yarn, alternately filled with funny and poignant moments that, if it weren’t based

D

Black Book

DIR: ROGER MICHELL

FILM OF THE MONTH

the day’s youth, he disregarded the threat of a death sentence and instead used the opportunity of an unwitting Senate audience as one last chance to describe the world as he saw it, with all the cynicism and oratory he could muster. A final stage for one of the theatre greats, Venus is nowhere near O’Toole’s best, but still deserves a cheer.

[Alec McLeod]

attention to detail which seems unnecessary, including an eye-watering scene in which Rachel uses a liberal dose of peroxide to ensure that “collar and cuffs” match. Some great performances and technically excellent action sequences make for an entertaining and morally ambiguous treatment of WWII. [Colan Mehaffey]

DIR: PAUL VERHOEVEN

DANIEL CRAIG, JEFF DANIELS

STARS: CARICE VAN HOUTEN, SEBASTIAN

RELEASE DATE: 19 JAN

KOCH, THOM HOFFMAN

CERT: 15

RELEASE DATE: 17 JAN

You’ve seen Capote haven’t you?

Thought it was good, yes? In that case you’ll like Infamous because it is, more or less, exactly the same film, its only crime being that it arrives a little late for the party. Once again it portrays Truman Capote (played here by a more physically appropriate Jones in a stunning performance that more than matches Hoffman’s Oscar winner) around the years he spent researching and writing In Cold Blood, focusing in particular on his relationship with death row murderer Perry Smith (Craig). Though directed with no great art (a clumsy talking heads device is used to get information across) and filled with too many pointless cameos, it’s such a compelling story, and Capote himself such a complex and intriguing figure,

STARS: TOBY JONES, SANDRA BULLOCK,

STARS: BRAD PITT, CATE BLANCHETT, RINKO KIKUCHI, GAEL GARCIA BERNAL

Massive in scope, Babel tackles the subjects of international diplomacy, war and trade, while at its core are the parent-child relationships of just a few families. Stylistically it plays like “Now That’s What I Call World Cinema”, as director Iñárritu and writer Guillermo Arriaga clearly had in mind certain films they wanted to evoke in each setting; Dogma No.4 The King Is Alive for Pitt and Blanchett’s Moroccan story, the last part of the Taiwanese triptych Three Times for the Japanese strand, and with elements of Arriaga’s own Three Burials arriving at the Mexican border. This cross-genre crosscountry trek is about far more than just nerdy trendspotting though, as its looks, locations and characters all act as one comprehensive statement on an adult world gone astray from its core principle - keeping our kids safe. With Brangelina and Madonna loose on the world, that message has never been more necessary. [Alec McLeod]

ERAGON

APOCALYPTO

There’s a faint whiff of bad starting to come from this, but we’ll reserve judgement ‘til we see it. (OUT NOW)

Epic historical drama or straightforward chase movie?

Find out here. (OUT NOW)

FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS

HOLLYWOOD JUICER

Clint. WWII. Good. (OUT NOW)

Discover the subject of Oliver Stone’s latest biopic and the identity of the world’s greatest comic book hero in our epic news column.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM Thrills and fun as Toy Story meets Jurassic Park in the big Boxing Day release. (OUT NOW)

DIR: KEVIN MACDONALD STARS: FOREST WHITAKER, JAMES MCAVOY, KERRY WASHINGTON, GILLIAN ANDERSON RELEASE DATE: 12 JAN CERT: 15 WWW.FOXSEARCHLIGHT.COM/THELASTKINGOFSCOTLAND

Some years after seizing control of Uganda in a 1971 military coup, General Idi Amin declared himself, amongst other titles (Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea, and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular being a favourite), King of Scotland, such was his fascination with our nation. The Last King of Scotland begins in the early days of his reign, before he revealed his true nature to the world, and concentrates on his relationship with a young Scottish doctor (McAvoy) who arrives in the country idealistic and eager for adventure. Thanks to Amin’s Scotiaphile ways he becomes his personal physician and witness to his increasing tyranny.

18

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

J Hi-Tek was underground hip-hop’s ‘man who can,’ the producer you went to if you needed a beat that would bust some serious speaker. Reflection Eternal with Talib Kweli, was his breakthrough.

Kweli’s introspective, highly political rhymes, coupled with Hi-Tek’s dusty, Slum Village-sounding soul loops, set the benchmark at Rawkus. Kweli remains a friend and collaborator despite the demise of Rawkus, and subsequently Hi-Tek has gone on to be the producer of choice for everyone from Nas to Snoop Dogg. 50 Cent dubbed him his favourite producer, which means that for Hi-Tek the underground days are passed. For his new album, Hi-Tek has brought in guest stars galore, including his father’s funk ensemble The Willie Cottrell Band.

people need to step out the game and leave it to the real players.” Hi-Tek is remarkably modest about his own role when producing for other people. He adapts his style to fit the rapper he is working with: “A real producer should be able to do that,” he says categorically. For the new album, he also took a f lexible approach: “I’m always playing around and having fun in the studio. That’s what it’s about, having fun with the music. I wanted East Coast, West Coast, the South – I really wanted to display all of that versatility on my album. I wanted to show that I could take these rappers and get inside their world and their sound, and still be Hi-Tek. I really enjoy working with a little bit of everybody.”

Describing Slum Village’s Jay Dilla as a: “heavy, heavy influence,” and rappers like Madlib and MF Doom as his “comrades in the game,” it’s clear where Hi-Tek is coming from. He still rocks the underground sounds, and this passion is evident on the new album, particularly in the collaborations with Kweli. Other tracks with Busta Rhymes and Kurupt sound polished, and chart-bound. As to where Hi-Tek himself is headed, he seems content to straddle the mainstream and pay homage to his past, above Hi-Tek - Hip-hHp’s man who can. the petty concerns of genre in-fighting. “Nothing in particular influences me,” he says in parting. “I listen to all types of music. But I also listen to sounds, man, I listen to the birds chirp, airplanes flying past... whatever sparks me to make music. I just love sounds, man. I really thank God for that blessing.”

Whether his God smiles on him and makes HT-2 a success or not, one thing’s for sure. As long as Fiddy’s still writing his ‘raps,’ Hi-Tek will never be short of work.

DIR: ALEJANDRO GONZÁLEZ IÑÁRRITU

CERT: 15

INFAMOUS DIR: DOUGLAS MCGRATH

CERT: 15

BABEL

RELEASE DATE: 5 JAN

BLACK BOOK

Often cast as the agent provocateur of Hollywood, director Paul Verhoeven has shifted subject matter from lesbian serial killers and invisible sex pests to World War II with Black Book (Zwartboek), his first Dutch production for twenty years. It follows Mata Hari-esque Jewish singer Rachel Steinn (van Houten) who joins the resistance in the occupied Netherlands following the slaughter of her family by the Nazis. When members of the resistance are captured, Rachel uses her “talents” to cosy up to SS officer Müntze (Koch) in an effort to free her comrades, but her loyalties become divided when she falls for him. It being Verhoeven, there’s an

that it merits being told. Still, twice around the block is plenty, thanks.

[Paul Greenwood]

ONLINE//:WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

by Omar Kudos

FROM UNDERGROUND LEGEND TO MAINSTREAM LEGEND, THE RISE AND RISE OF HI-TEK IS ONE OF HIP-HOP’S HAPPIER TALES. HE TALKS PLAYERS, BEATS AND BIRDSONG WITH THE SKINNY.

VENUS

DIR: GABRIELLE MUCCINO

CERT: 12A

An Advance In Teknology

BEATS

FILM REVIEWS

(WARNING: MAY NOT BE TRUE.)

Though having some basis in fact (Amin obviously was a genocidal bampot and he did have a Scottish doctor), The Last King of Scotland is actually adapted from a novel and therefore benefits from the trappings of a highly dramatised adventure, rather than the biopic tinged travelogue it starts out as. High praise should be extended to director MacDonald in his first non-documentary feature for expertly molding it into a riveting political thriller, paced and edited with all the charge and vibrancy of Goodfellas. Forest Whitaker will most probably win the Best Actor Oscar in February for his portrayal of Amin, and deservedly so. It’s a remarkable performance, an astonishing display of power and presence that makes a monstrous and clearly insane man initially likeable then at turns terrifying and childlike. But it’s McAvoy’s film, make no mistake about that. The diminutive Glaswegian is in every scene and he stands up to Amin (and Whitaker) at every turn, managing not to be blown off the screen by the volcanic force of either. [Paul Greenwood]

FILM

Does Hi-Tek miss being an underground hero? I asked him if he felt he was still selling his music to the same audience who bought Reflection Eternal. “I think music in general has changed so much in general that it’s hard to compare,” he muses. “I think that a lot of the fans that I started out with still really enjoy what I do, but they so caught up in what they don’t like that they forget what music is really about.

But I still make good music. I am trying to please people, but I don’t really go into it with my fans. The reason why I got fans is because I do what I do.” Hip-hop’s commercial success nowadays is unprecedented. In the US alone, R&B / hip-hop is the biggest selling genre by a clear margin. Rappers from the Southern US like Ludacris and Three 6 Mafia can now count themselves as bona fide stars, but for many outside of the LA / NY axis, getting respect and the all important recognition of your ‘realness’ is difficult. Rappers from outside the US altogether are disowned completely, something Hi-Tek agrees with: “I think that’s definitely the problem with hip-hop today. You got everybody from India

“I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE NEED TO STEP OUT THE GAME AND LEAVE IT TO THE REAL PLAYERS.” – HI-TEK ON REGIONAL HIP-HOP

to wherever trying to rap and make beats. I think hip-hop has a place and time, and a lot of the stuff that doesn’t come from there is wack. Just because you do it and you say it’s hip-hop, you sampling records and all that, it don’t make it HOT hip-hop. I think a lot of

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THE BLUETONES PLAN B CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH LARRIKIN LOVE GUILLEMOTS BADLY DRAWN BOY EDDI READER THE LONG BLONDES EDDI READER AFRICAN SOUL REBELS REGINA SPECTOR BLOC PARTY FORWARD RUSSIA THE FEELING THE GOSSIP

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£18.50 £18.00 £11.50 £14.00 £13.50 £17.50 £16.50 £10.50 £19.50 £27.50 £14.50 £12.00 £38.50

RAZORLIGHT BARENAKED LADIES LOST PROPHETS PAULO NUTINI

FEB-1 FEB-2 FEB-3 FEB-5 FEB-8 FEB-13 FEB-14 FEB-14 FEB-17 FEB-18 FEB-19 FEB-20 FEB-21 FEB-23 FEB-27

APRIL: APR-5 APR-8 APR-18 APR-30

ABC ARCHES BARROWLAND QMU CARLING ACADEMY QUEENS HALL ABC LIQUID ROOM USHER HALL USHER HALL QMU CORN EXCHANGE LIQUID ROOM CORN EXCHANGE ABC

GLASGOW GLASGOW GLASGOW GLASGOW GLASGOW EDINBURGH GLASGOW EDINBURGH EDINBURGH EDINBURGH GLASGOW EDINBURGH EDINBURGH EDINBURGH GLASGOW

£14.50 £11.00 £14.00 £12.50 £14.50 £17.00 £20.00 £10.50 £18.50 £15.00 £17.00 £15.00 £10.50 £15.00 £13.50

SECC CARLING ACADEMY SECC CARLING ACADEMY

GLASGOW GLASGOW GLASGOW GLASGOW

£26.00 £25.00 £21.00 £17.00

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

47

HASACID INDEGGESTION

PLEASE BEAR WITH US AS WE ENTER THE EGGSTREMELY STRANGE AND ACIDIC WORLD OF EGEBAMYASI. NORMAL ENGLISH WILL RETURN IN A FEW MINUTES.

by Alex Burden

E

gebamyasi is back with the fourth instalment of the Acid Indigestion series, over ten years after Part 3 was released on Abbey Discs in 1996. It’s eight tracks of bulging basslines and speech cut-ups, and it goes heavy on the acid, a sound that hasn’t found much favour in techno and house since the early 90s. One man has been keeping it going, regularly exporting his 303 creations to the welcoming Dutch and Belgians. Egebamyasi or Mr Egg, as he is also known, started making strange musical infusions referred to as MacAcid House in 1984, citing Can and Captain Beefheart as influences. “If you’ve no heard Can you’re in for a twatting in a half dozen”, he exclaims. “’Ege’ is a region of Turkey, and the ‘bam yasi’ is a dish of ladies fingers.” So we’re not much clearer on the meaning, but okra comes into it somewhere.

But how does he keep the acid f lag f lyi ng when t he scene look s to minimalism and funky house cut-ups for the flavour of the month? “A lot of acid could sound likegg trance if that’s the way your ears hear it. It’s all just acid as far as I’m concerned.

Foghorn Leghorn was a gift from Belgium and is also a cut-up in my book. Trends come and go, if you do it for a short timegg it’s a trend, if you do it forever it’s real. And what is minimal? Doesn’t get much more minimal than 303/808/303/909 etc... All pish really. Call it acid.”

“WHAT IS MISSING IS MORE RECORDS DECKS TO EGGSPLODE WHEN BAD RECORDS COME ON, OR MAYBE THE DJ COULD JUST BLOW UP INSTEAD.”

He accrued a band and one elaborate stage act utilising a papier maché penis and other obscure visual aids, and released the hi-energy track Circumstances on Survival Records in 1986. But he had an “epiphany” upon hearing I’ve Lost Control by Sleezy D (Marshall Jefferson) in the late 80s. He embarked upon a solo quest for eggier territory and serious acid production. He was spotted playing on tour in the Netherlands by Belgian label Groove Kissing. The meeting spawned one of his first EPs, the EBY EP, and Parts 1 and 2 of the Acid Indigestion series. His later seggminal works, How To Boil An Egg and Mother Goose continue to be rediscovered by new generations of acid fans.

It was another Belgian label, Binary Bassline, who released Acid Indigestion Pt 4 late last year. “This reggord is my first out and out 12” for 10 years. There has been many a CD compilation, but no 12”. It’s back to the old school MacAcid mixeggs on it by Gasenoid / Citric Acid from Germania, and finally Bam Bam. His mix of Acid Boy is blouse house and is a short loud eggsplosive noise – he’s cool but hard work.” Pt 4 tells the story of Acidboy, Superman’s friend, through 303s, 808s, 101s and a: “meeting of analogue and midi.” Cockfight begins with a questioning synth and solid backbeat, moving into laboured breathing and an acidic ejaculation of the kind of blunt and abrasive noises found in early Prodigy productions. Of course, Egebamyasi was making music when Prodigy were nippers eyeing up the Casios in Argos.

So does he think that something could be added or taken away from present dance music to make it better? “What is missing is more records decks to eggsplode when bad records come on, or maybe the DJ could just blow up instead.” As someone who has been involved with the electronic scene during its formative years, how does it compare now with then? “DJ booths are made out of MDF – years eggo it was chipboard, and I don’t get as much gear stolen from the stagegg.”

What are the plans for 2007? Any visits to these MDF booths?

“I would likegg to complete the pyramid I’m building out of egg boxes, and do some music on midi,” he states. “I havegg an Atari Pro24 and I’m going to usegg Cubase Version 3. [I’ve] not done any midi music for 7/8 years. I’ve been given the eggpportunity to reggord on a label of my naming, so I’m putting together a CD of mixeggs/remixeggs done by friends and unusual couplings. It’s pretty loveggley biscuits so far.”

On a final note, may we ask where the egg ‘thing’ comes from?

“Everyone has a thing, don’t they? Never been any different for me; I started an egg and always havegg been one. ‘Ex-ovo-omnia’ - the egg is cosmic, the egg came from the chickens butt, I lovegg it because it feels good... if you have something you can sit on and eat it, well, doesn’t get much better.”

FILM

BEATS EDINBURGH Egebamyasi

CLUB REVIEWS PENPUSHERS, EATERS, SILENI

Ninja, followed by guests Covalent, Special Ed and Professor Fresh BANNERMAN’ S, EDINBURGH, DEC 3 who ensured the dancefloor was full from the start. The in-house MCs Eaters kicked of f proceedings, unfortunately lacked the skills, but MCs Q uiet Man and L aughing they were joined by AJ and BZ, who Gear twisting their tongues around turned on the style and gave both some quality ‘day in the life’ style rhyme and reason for microphones B-Boy rhymes, and veering off into being on stage. Respect goes out some intense old-skool electro. The to Baron who has to be noted for night was closed by Penpushers, his quick mixing style and flat-out flushed with pride at the majesty of gigs. He shot through a tight, jump new LP Poltergeeks. The integra- up set and scored Sequential the tion of Jane Gilbert’s vocals into their A pass qualification it was looking hyper-literate and melodic template for. There are big things to come is a canny move – new songs skirted from Sequential, and a whole new Portishead / Lamb territory neatly, year to play with for the promoters.

The Brain & Kemo’s productions [Jonny Ogg] fitting her voice. The middle act of WWW.PROPERTUNES.CO.UK the night were newcomers Sileni.

Producer GungWho expelled noxious clouds of static and reverb, clattering beats falling over themselves ULTRAGROOVE WITH BACARDI and fighting like drunks outside a PRESENTS B-LIVE, CABARET sailor’s bar. MC Harlequinade, clad VOLTAIRE, EDINBURGH, DEC 2 in all black with matching wrestler’s mask, vented copious spleen across Another B-Live Weekender saw the beats and noise, his caustic Ultragroove join forces with Bacardi observations noisily tearing asun- for a musical doubleheader with der the dank basement air. Over an house duo Speakerjunk gracing the Eaters beat, his flows were impres- Cab’s main room, and hip-hop mixsive enough – a torrent of invective ologists, The Nextmen, out back. and screaming that blew everyone SpeakerJunk fall under the ‘fidget but Laughing Gear off the stage. A house’ tag - think crunchy, funky terrible beauty was born that night and jackin’ and you’re just about – full of sound and fury, but signify- there. The duo are producers Trevor ing something. [Bram Gieben] Loveys and Joshua Harvey, who EXTENDED REVIEW ONLINE. also run the label of the same name.

WWW.KFMRECORDS.COM Their two-hour laptop and FX live set took its cue from raw, pre-pop Basement Jaxx and Homework-era Daft Punk; a slew of sliced ‘n’ diced SEQUENTIAL, STUDIO 24, samples offering extra seasoning, EDINBURGH, DEC 1 proving to be a dancefloor filler. In Flat out party vibes abounded at one the backroom The Nextmen showof Edinburgh’s newest nights, and it cased their hip-hop heavy sound seems that Sequential’s launch may with generous helpings of soul, be the start of a new era of regu- funk and reggae thrown in for good lar drum and bass for the Studios measure for the smaller but no less - and judging by the revelry hap- enthusiastic crowd: the main room’s pening throughout the building, it four-four beats were seemingly facould be a match made in heaven. voured by most of the Ultragroove The launch was kicked off by resi- crowd. [Colin Chapman] dents Weak Hunt and Slowmotion

SPEAKERJUNK (LIVE) AND THE NEXTMEN

BARON

The Baron: Mini-Me not pictured

CLUB PREVIEWS TOKYOBLU

This is the first R&B night to hit The LiquidRoom, bringing with it an onslaught of the latest and greatest hip hop, soul, rap, dancehall and urban music from the likes of Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Outkast, De La Soul, Q-Tip and more. Music is courtesy of the 2Hot DJs, better known for their successful under 18 nights at Ego. Kath Gee, the venue’s Events Manager, and Ritchie Ruftone (2Hot DJs/Scratch/Motherfunk and five times Scottish DMC Champion) are behind the club. Ritchie Ruftone, DJ Bunty (UK DMC Battle Champ 2000) and DJ Dizzle (2Hot) will be providing the resident beats, and every month will feature a guest MC – past guests include Butch Cassidy and Mikey Don (Krispy Manchester). The club has big plans for 2007, hinting at possible appearances from Trevor Nelson, or even Kelis. Keep an eye out for their new and improved show with the addition of two giant screens and Pioneer DVD decks, which allow the residents to mix and scratch music videos simultaneously! Dig out your diamante thong (optional bling) and practice your ‘shizzles’ as Holla! boot out the house and indie for smoother Saturday night beats. [Struan Otter]

Let’s get the confusing part out of the way: Tokyoblu is a club, but it’s also the name of their eight piece live band, and the DJ duo, John and Iain. The latter are beginning to export their sounds abroad, and have secured a monthly residency in Dubai, so if you’re feeling a bit flash with your cash you can now catch Tokyblu in two countries a month! Thousands of 12”s have been shifted across Europe, the USA, and Australia, and a new EP (see our reviews) has just been released to close a successful year and start ’07 with a bang. The plaudits are being accrued, and they’ve got a decent amount of airtime on Radio 1 and Global Gathering courtesy of fan Fatboy Slim. Comparisons of their sound have led to the press likening Tokyoblu to Basement Jaxx and The Greenskeepers; a blend of Chicago house and electro, heated up with Latin flavours and live percussion (by Pepe Santamaria), funked up with disco, and introduced to Africanism beats. It’s a worldly affair with Scottish talent. The club is hoping for a fine year ahead, and it seems that their fortunes are definitely on the rise after the sell-out shows that spanned previous months. [Alex Burden]

10.30PM-3AM, £TBC

10.30PM-3AM, £TBC

THE LIQUIDROOM, EDINBURGH, JAN 13

WWW.LIQUIDROOM.COM, WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DJBUNTY, WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DEEJAYDIZZLE, WWW.MYSPACE.COM/RITCHIERUFTONE

48 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

n Peter O’Toole’s new film, Venus, there’s a funny scene in which the septuagenarian scrambles around a carpet, looking for a fugitive toenail clipping. It’s a long way from traversing the Sahara in search of King Faisal in David Lean’s epic Lawrence of Arabia, the film that made his name over forty years ago. In that film we see the chiselled features (literally by this time he’d had two nose jobs) of a man in his prime. Venus shows a different man, one who has long since come to terms with the loss of his youth.

It’s a transition few have had the opportunity to portray on screen, and fewer still have portrayed it so starkly.

by Alec McLeod being rejected from Dublin’s Abbey Theatre Drama School for not speaking Gaelic, a RADA scholarship saw him studying alongside Richard Harris, Albert Finney and Alan Bates. The break of a lifetime as Lawrence sealed his fate, and he enjoyed several great roles afterwards, particularly as a hypnotically psychotic aristocrat in The Ruling Class, and as Henry II in both Becket and The Lion in Winter, all of which added to his tally of seven Oscar nominations.

VENUS SHOWS A MAN LONG SINCE COME TO TERMS WITH THE LOSS OF YOUTH.

WWW.EGEBAMYASI.COM

HOLLA!

I

Peter O’Toole

EGO, EDINBURGH, JAN 26

Photo by Jack Waddington

THE SKINNY IS IN DESPERATE LOCAL DJS AND PRODUCERS IN NEED OF CLUB REVIEWERS IN THE 2007, GET IN TOUCH TODAY! EMAIL EDINBURGH AREA! BRAM@SKINNYMAG.CO.UK / ALEXB@SKINNYMAG.CO.UK IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN FREE WITH A SAMPLE REVIEW, OR LOG GUESTLIST PLACES, VALUABLE ON TO WWW.SKINNYMAG. JOURNALISTIC EXPERIENCE, CO.UK AND CLICK ON THE ‘ GET AND THE CHANCE TO INTERVIEW INVOLVED’BUTTON.

BEATS

As his role of “British establishment f igure” slowly became reality, Hollywood could only come up with disillusioning typecasting in films like Supergirl and King Ralph. This has meant that most of his decent recent work has been onstage, such as in Jeffrey Epitomising the generation of British theatrical ac- Bernard is Unwell. He’s making a film comeback tors who rose to fame in the late 50s and early 60s, though, appearing in the Neil Gaiman adaptation O’Toole reached a level of celebrity that grew as Stardust, and biblical tale One Night with the King. much from his reputation as his work. Classically Long may his reign continue. trained actors had always equated the two of course, the thinking being that everyone had al- VENUS IS RELEASED ON 26 JAN ready seen Hamlet and knew what happened, ther- DIR: ROGER MICHELL fore what people were paying to see was the actor. STARS: PETER O’TOOLE, JODIE WHITTAKER, LESLIE PHILLIPS Such notoriety previously meant constant touring CERT 15 and good notices, but in a world of tabloids and television the new generation hardly needed to try, the wild off-stage antics that had always gone on FILMOGRAPHY in theatre suddenly being broadcast to a general VENUS (2006) public aspiring to a hassle free lifestyle.

THE LAST EMPEROR (1987) MY FAVOURITE YEAR (1982)

O’Toole always obliged without it ever seeming forced. The son of an Irish bookie in England, he learned early the importance of cultural identity, proud to be Irish despite not actually knowing his birthplace for sure (the “family version” is Connemarra, but it could also be Leeds). After

www.skinnymag.co.uk

THE STUNT MAN (1980) THE RULING CLASS (1972) THE LION IN WINTER (1968) BECKET (1964) LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

17

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI The joys of deadlines means that, even though you’re probably read i ng t h i s w it h a New Ye a r h a n g o v e r, I’m writing it on a Thu r s d ay mo r n ing in November.

So hould I really be drinking? Shoosh, it’s nearly noon.

Hopefully we’ll allhave sobered up by the time Mad Mel’s Apocalypto comes out on the 5th but, if not, the rest of January is shaping up pretty well. If the trailer is any indicator, Smokin’ Aces is going to be something special, while our film of the month, The Last King of Scotland, is not to be missed, and neither is Babel (and answers on a five pound note if you know the correct pronunciation - I’ve been saying it to rhyme with “table”, but I’ve heard some nutters calling it “Ba-bell”). Digressions aside, our 2007 preview gives you the best films to watch out for in the coming year, from the mega-budget “threequels” to the big screen debut of The Simpsons.

Bring it on.

Have fun and see you in February. Or is it January?

I need another drink....

PG

2007: A Film Odyssey

LP REVIEWS

DJ

BRADLEY C

by Stephen Carty

FEATURED ALBUM

CAN 2007 LIVE UP TO THE HEADY HEIGHTS OF ITS ANTECEDENT?

Ghost Rider

BLOOD DIAMOND (TBC) BOBBY (15) THE FOUNTAIN (15) SUBURBAN MAYHEM (15) THEM (15) THE UPSIDE OF ANGER (15) VENUS (15)

FUNKSTÖRUNG

N u m e ro u s re m i xe s h ave b e e n done for this track, but for me the Infectious beats, rollin basslines and a killer vocal on the original make this my number 1.

This little gem was introduced to me

by Tom Beaufoy of Evil Nine at our last party and has been in the box ever since.

APPENDIX (K7)

2. WAHOO - MAKE EM SHAKE IT

(MOB RECORDS)

Booty Bass rollin’ over Stantons’ tight trademark beats.

7. OLDSKOOL JUNX - FLAME UP The beat consists of a cut up sample of Snoop’s Drop It Like It’s Hot. Big Big Tune with stabbing synths creating a real old school flava!

3. KILLERS - WHEN WE WERE YOUNG (FREEFORM FIVE UNRELEASED

8. ELITE FORCE - YOU

REMIX)(CDR)

This rework with it’s choppy beats and bumpy vocals is a firm favourite for that late set drop.

Freeform Five stamp their identity all over this monster remix.

4. MERKA - MY SPACESHIP

(FAT!

RECORDS)

This track is fresh in every sense with crisp beats and tight production.

5. BLONDIE VS EDISON - HEART OF GLASS (MASH UNRELEASED REMIX)

(ZIMBARDO

REMIX) (CDR)

9. FREESTYLERS - IN LOVE WITH YOU (THE ROGUE ELEMENT REMIX) (WHITE LABEL)

Top track from his debut album That Happened To Me Once.

10. BROTHERS BUD - PUMP BOX

(JAZZ CLUB)

(FINGER LICKIN’ WHITES)

This Genre defying re-edit from Mash is a firm favourite of mine. The rough underlying bass is killa!

Electro and acid tinged synths and a bassline that can only be described as a tuneful fart!

IF YOU LIKE THIS CHECK OUT SUPERCOLLIDER AND MODE SELEKTOR. WWW.FUNKSTORUNG.COM

THE STANTON WARRIORS PLAY CHEW THE FAT!, THE SUB CLUB, JAN 19, £10. THEY ARE JOINED BY BRADLEY C AND DEFCON 1

GREGORY ISAACS COME TAKE MY HAND ‘High Five!’ - Borat celebrates his victory in the Skinny polls

300

W

ell, 2006 was both a busy and interesting film year. Scorsese delivered a movie that may finally bag him an Oscar, we saw the reinvention both of Superman and James Bond, Christopher Nolan proved again that he is one of the hottest talents in Hollywood, Tom Cruise showed that despite oodles of weirdness he is still the action king and Philip Seymour Hoffman verified his status as chameleon supreme. So, can 2007 live up to the heady heights of its antecedent?

Only time will tell, but here we have a sneak peak at next year’s think-pieces, blockbusters, animated pictures and “past-it action star” comebacks.

ARTHOUSE

Controversial director Mel ‘Braveheart’ Gibson opens the year up in fine style with another seriously arty number, Apocalypto, in which the brilliantly named tribesmen of Maya, such as Smoke Frog and Jaguar Paw, deal with human-life sacrifices. Also adding to the Oscar hopefuls of 2007 is Curtis Hanson’s gambling drama Lucky You, due in April, in which current Hollywood powerhouse Eric Bana deals with addiction, straight flushes and the prospect of being out-grinned by journeyman Robert Duvall. Not enough artsy for you?

May propels more drama your way in yet another Samuel L. Jackson movie with “snake” in the title.

As touchy-feely drama, Black Snake Moan and deals with touchy-feely child abuse sees Justin Timberlake make the transition to the big screen (also possibly why it has snake in the title).

16 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

6. SPANK ROCK - BUMP (SWITCH REMIX) (BIG DADA RECORDS)

RELEASED: JAN 22

12 JAN

26 JAN

THAT DRAWS FROM BRIGHTON’S FAT! RECORDS (THE CLUB’S MOTHERSHIP) AND THE

1. DOM ALMOND FEAT. VANNESA - SHAKE IT (ERASE RECORDS)

This is their third and last remix compilation, compiled from b-sides, reconstructed tracks and hard-sought masters; a collection of hidden gems from The Raveonettes, Nils Petter Molvaer, Bjork and Lamb among others.

If you’re a fan of the glitch factor feel free to enter the bizarre and quirky world of Funkstörung. It kicks off with trippy electronica, rolling voices, and disturbed r&b stapled onto grungy industrial beats; Supercollider would be proud and Namosh would cream. The follow-up is just as unearthly, with a marriage of hip hop and technoid percussion, before launching into slower electronica funk. This is cut and mash up in the style of Mode Selektor, linking fragments with walls of white noise. Soft folk guitar, gentle piano keyboard, and super-cool indie rock are all put through the Funkstörung blender, emerging as highly listenable musical mutants. In particular the etherealities of both Bjork and Lamb suit the group’s arty, fusion-based approach - but don’t get the impression this is out-there, pretentious artschool electronica. Like Four Tet, Funkstörung overcome the introverted, geeky preconceptions that often come with folktronica and other such mis-named sub-genres. Their music is, quite simply, beautiful, moving and pleasingly elaborate. Funkstorung have disbanded now, but keep an eye out for Chris de Luca’s and Michael Fakesch’s solo projects. [Alex Burden]

APOCALYPTO (TBC) EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH (12A) LITTLE RED FLOWERS (12A) MISS POTTER (PG) A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION (PG) WHITE NOISE 2 (TBC)

BABEL (15) BLACK BOOK (15) INFAMOUS (15) THE RETURN (15) ROCKY BALBOA (12A) RUNNING WITH SCISSORS (15)

FAT! PARTIES AT THE SUB CLUB. EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE SKINNY, HE PRESENTS A TOP TEN

(DEFECTED)

5 JAN

19 JAN

BRADLEY C IS THE MAIN MAN BEHIND GLASGOW’S HIGHLY SUCESSFUL CHEW THE

BEST OF THE BREAKBEAT SCENE.

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI RELEASE SCHEDULE

GHOSTS (15) THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND (15) THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS (12A) SMOKIN’ ACES (18)

(CHEW THE FAT!)

(STANTON WARRIORS REMIX)

The Simpsons Movie

BEATS

FILM

COMEBACKS

Those who crave a little more testosterone will relish the return this month of everyone’s favourite underdog (no, not the Karate Kid) in Rocky Balboa, as Sly’s Italian Stallion makes one last “one last comeback” in the ring and hopefully treats us to more wonderfully camp training-montages. Also on the comeback trail is Bruce Willis, who resurrects John McClane in July with Live Free or Die Hard and in the process takes on some internet terrorists without breaking a sweat.

ACTION

Continuing 2007’s adventuring is the summer of Matt Damon where June sees Ocean’s 13 try to erase the memory of its dreadful precursor and August brings the third instalment of the superspy series, The Bourne Ultimatum. Before all this, Johnny Depp returns in May to the role which did the impossible and raised his cool-factor, Captain Jack Sparrow, in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. And if you yearn to see epic medieval poetry brought to the screen, then start queuing now for November’s Beowulf.

COMIC BOOKS

With Bryan Singer, Sam Raimi and Christopher Nolan continually setting the bar higher for comic book movies over recent years, it’s no surprise that 2007 sees studios ploughing more money into franchises to further elate graphic novel readers everywhere. March alone sees Turtles (yes, of the Teenage Mutant Ninja variety), Ghost Rider and Frank Miller’s 300 whilst the summer also heralds The Fantastic Four 2, Transformers and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. However,

all the attention is on Raimi’s prospectively dark Spiderman 3, due in May, which could well be the first “number 3” of a series to better its previous movies (yes, yes, Return of the Jedi and Last Crusade were both good, but not toppers) with Maguire’s Peter Parker going evil and upping the ante in what may be his last piece of wall-crawling.

COMEDY

Does all this sound a bit tense and serious for you? Well July looks like comedy central as the long-awaited Simpsons Movie brings arguably the best television programme of all time to silver screens around the globe. The American Office’s Steve Carrell (who plays its Brent character) returns in Evan Almighty, the sequel to Jim Carrey’s Bruce flavoured original. Add into the summer mix the animated surfing penguin movie Surf’s Up (how can penguins surfing not be fun?) and Mike Myers’ revival of his Scottish ogre in Shrek the Third. Get yourself ready for a fit of the giggles.

Excited yet? You should be. With funkilynamed tribes people, mascara-wearing pirates, forgetful spies and boogie-board riding penguins, what more could you ask for? Well, with Sly and Bruce rejuvenating their white vests it may not be too much to hope for that Arnold drops this silly governor pretence and joins the rest of his former Rock-Hard Café trio (although he has declined T4 for 2008) to fulfil his “I’ll Be Back” promise. Come on big guy, there’s got to be a market out there for Commando 2....

FILM

(MUN MUN)

Jamacian sensation and reggae superstar Gregor y Isaacs (also known as the Cool Ruler or Lonely Lover) brings us his latest album Come Take My Hand, after over three decades in the music business. Known as an ambassador for reggae across the world, on this latest release he performs his classic reggae style, with hip hop and r&b influences becoming apparent. The LP was produced by Emmanuel “Rude” Davies, and also features musican’s Sly and Robbie, Carlton “Bubblers” Ogilvie, Earl “Broad Finger” Francis, Paul “Jazzwad” Yebuah and Jermaine “Ajang” Ford.

Standout tunes include the title track, Mr Right and Show Love, sticking to the emotive topics of lovers and broken hearts. If you’re into your reggae then this is an album for you, full of mellow, laid back beats, and smooth vocals sung by a true legend. [Karen Taggart] WWW.MUNMUNINTERNATIONAL.COM WWW.ARTISTSONLY.COM/ISAACHM.HTML

MUM

THE PEEL SESSION (FATCAT)

Mum are a truly special band, in all the euphemistic senses of that word. Their zonked-out electro-folk - before it was thinly redrafted by the likes of Manitoba, Cornelius, and of course, FourTet - was unique in its mixture of live instrumentation, synthetic rhythms and ‘otherworldy’ soundscapes. There’s a childish playfulness about these live tracks, recorded on a 2002 Peel show

www.skinnymag.co.uk

and taken from earlier albums.

Awoke on a Train and Now There is that Fear Again both make use of delightfully lilting, Sigur Rosinspiring wails, and the electric interference of the latter’s cello sounds like a Fisher Price my-firstdrum-and-bass set. The artwork is a fantastic accompaniment to the package, all David Shrigley-esque scribbled animals, with treacherous details like teeth and genitals to ambush reveries. The Peel Session is an interesting snapshot of their earlier material and a pleasant appetizer for their for thcoming album. This is the soundtrack to 6am stargazing. [Liam Arnold] WWW.FAT-CAT.CO.UK WWW.MUMWEB.NET

POKER FLAT VOL. 5 BETS AND BLUFFS

(POKER FLAT)

This is an excellent compilation from the Poker Flat label, collecting the best of their recent singles, a couple of exclusive remixes and a bonus mix by Martin Landsky.

It’s a compilation cove r ing a broad spe ctr um of e le ctronic music, from big, funky tracks like Bug and Tanzmann’s Shock, to Trentemoller’s wonderfully deep dub on Always Something Better.

The same synthetic stuff can grow repetitive on your stereo though, and Guido Schneider’s contribution stands out from the rest - a p rev i o u s l y u n h e a rd, c a ref u l l y crafted piece of rubbery techno, shot through with sporadic freeform drum riffs, which cumulates in an entire choir humming. Steve Bug and John Tejada - respectively the label boss and the biggest artist

on the roster - also feature, but you’re left yearning for more of their unreleased material. It’s handy then that the vinyl contains six exclusively p ro d u c e d o r i g i n a l tr a c k s f ro m Pokerflat. Bets and Bluffs is a great chance to familiarise yourself with a label that has such a high output and diverse tastes. [Liam Arnold] OUT NOW.

V/A FIFTEEN YEARS (MINISTRY OF SOUND)

Never one to shy away from sounding their own trumpet, the self-professed “world’s most important club”, The Ministry of Sound, celebrate again with their Fifteen Years compilation.

Three CDs chronologically encompass the club’s favourite tunes since 1991, mixed by three of their most popular residents. CD1 sees CJ Mackintosh trawl through the early days of cheesy US house and garage, CD2 gives Jazzy M free reign on the fertile house of the midnineties, and CD3 lets Mark Hughes round up all of the biggest crossover hits since then. From their start as a pioneering and widely respected club and label, The Ministry of Sound has embraced the commercial capitalism of dance music to embarrassing levels ever since (dance workout videos anyone?). This rather obvious selection of songs is perhaps a fitting tribute to the club, given the quality of music fostered a little deeper underground in the last decade and a half. [Peter Walker] OUT NOW.

V/A

MAISON COMPILATION 3 (KITSUNE)

Ah Kitsune, you most delicious and esoteric of French labels!

Not content to supply us with the sublime Kitsune X, which featured the likes of Joakim and Black Strobe plying their porno-electro schtick, you see fit to bring us Maison Compilation 3, showcasing DFA-style rock / disco antics, but mercifully free of cowbells and hand-claps. Put this CD on, do a big line of ketamine, and dance around with joy as bands like The Lovely Feathers, Fox ‘n’ Wolf, Boyz Noize and Oh No! Oh My! abuse, bugger and sully the templates of new wave, Gallic pop and indie.

Tracks from the mighty Simian Mobile Disco and Alex Gopher mean that this is still a compilation grounded in French electronica, and fine electroclash numbers like Trash by The Whip re-confirm Kitsune’s position as the trendiest of the trendy. If Erol Alkan owned a strip club, this is the CD that he would make all the boys dance naked to. [Bram Gieben] OUT NOW. WWW.KITSUNE.FR WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ MAISONKITSUNE

DEADBEAT

VERSION IMMERSION EP (~SCAPE)

Af te r h i s c o ntr i b u ti o n to th e P l u m b i c o n Ve r s i o n s s e r i e s , D e a d b e a t a g a i n ex p e r i m e n ts with the possibilities of reworking a single set of sounds, and these

three numerically labelled edits reflect his predilection for obscure and original performances. One. one.five sticks to a dense, hypnotic groove, with punchy percussion backing a wobbly ‘pitchbend’ melody, whilst one.two.six reworks this as a crackly piece of heavy dub. One.two.three.infinity puts all that has gone on before in eleven minutes of pure genius into context, dropkicking a gentle piano melody into a throbbing dub bassline. [Liam Arnold] OUT NOW.

today’s globally diverse hip-hop market. It’s sad to see one of the 90s underground’s innovators become so self-indulgent in the studio. Like most sequels, this is best avoided, unless you were a big fan of the last album.

[Omar Kudos] OUT NOW. WWW.HIPHOPCRACK.COM/ HITEKNOLOGY2

CAPPABLACK

FACADES AND SKELETONS (~SCAPE)

HI-TEK

‘HI-TEKNOLOGY 2: THE CHIP’ (BABYGRANDE)

Featuring guest spots from the whole gamut of East Cast and West Coast stars that Hi-Tek has produced for in the past, HiTe k nolog y 2 su f fe r s b e c ause it has no theme running through it. Even highlights, like Busta Rhymes offering March, pale in comparison to Busta’s own work.

The soul and funk influences HiTek displays on Keep It Moving and Can We Go Back sound tired and lame, his own rhymes obvious, with lots of biographical reference that is simply dull. Livened up by Q-Tip and Kurupt, Keep It Moving grabs the ears but quickly lets go – on second listen, it is utterly pedestrian. Josephine, featuring HiTek’s father Willie Cottrell and his band, is a stand-out moment, with Ghostface lending some muchneeded authenticity. The tracks with longtime collaborator Talib Kweli also shine, but HT2 is simply not good enough to compete in

The B-boy upstarts of ~scape, Cappablack, fuse Kit Clatyon’s sound-art styling to electronicallyforged scratching and esoteric samples: the end result is a unique piece of artistically adventurous but achingly cool hip-hop. Facades and Skeletons is the brainchild of avant-noise turntable/programming nutballs Illevin and Hashim B – it’s a beautifully mangled car crash of twisted glitch-core, scorched soundscapes and dark, shadowy hip-hop rhythms. It’s also the best piece of fucked-up genius you’ll hear for a while. Cappablack coax delicate melodies and found sounds from the heart of the electronic blizzard and haunting instrumental refrains survive even the most cutup bleeping. The lazy, bassy drawl of Awol One stresses the hip-hop roots of Cappablack, turning the esoteric beats of Slide Around into a groove-laden, NYC classic, whilst Emirp’s Japanese rhymes render Akarui-Mirai and Tokatonton totally surreal but utterly compelling. This is genius. [Liam Arnold]

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

49

GLASGOW ARTS

YELLOW BOX DENOTES SKINNY HIGHLIGHTS

THE ARCHES, 153 ARGYLE ST

BODY LANGUAGE, Figurative work from the collection, Acquisitions from the last six years, UNTIL APRIL 28, Ad-

etic images of a city through steamed up windows and long-range lenses, UNTIL JANUARY 17, Free, Mon-Sat 10am-10pm, Sun midday-10pm

GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, 2

VANESSA WENWEISER - DARK ENTRIES, Moody, po-

THE BURRELL COLLECTION, 2060 POL-

UNTIL MARCH , Free, Mon-Wed, Sat 10am-5pm, Thurs mission charge, Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm 1oam-8pm, Fri, Sun 11am-5pm

SAUCHIEHALL ST BILL MILLETT - CAPTURING LIGHT : SCOTTISH REFLECTIONS, A photographic journey from the Clyde to the

KELVINGROVE ART GALLERY, ARGYLE

STREET DALZIEL AND SCULLION - ONCE, A unique collabora-

engineering, UNTIL FEBRUARY 18 , £3(£1.50), Mon, Wed-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Tue 11am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm STEPHEN MONGER, Exploring the way buildings have evolved and changed over time, UNTIL JANUARY 7, £3(£1.50), Mon, Wed-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Tue 11am5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm

tion between Glaswegian composer Craig Armstrong and Scottish visual artists Dalziel+Scullion. See feature in the LILLIE ART GALLERY, STATION ROAD MILNGAVIE, DRAWN IN, Taking a look at the gamut of powerful storms that pound the coast line of Sutherland art section, UNTIL FEBRUARY 25 , Free, 8pm drawn works, UNTIL FEBRUARY 7, Free, Tue-Sat 10amto the Mull of Galloway, UNTIL JANUARY 2007, Free, Monfrom Sir William Burrell’s wonderful collection of BritTHE LIGHTHOUSE, 11 MITCHELL LANE 1pm, 2pm-5pm Sun from 10am ish embroideries, END DATE TBC, Free, Mon-Thu+Sat TAIT & STYLE, Taking a look at the commercial and inLLOYD JEROME GALLERY, 200 BATH STREET GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, 167 REN10am-5pm, Fri+Sun 11am-5pm novative fabrics of the Orkney-based design studio, UNTIL FREW STREET, MACKINTOSH GALLERY FEBRUARY 11, £3(£1.50), Mon, Wed-Sat 10.30am-5pm, LAETITIA GUILBAUD, Electrifying, fluid new work, UNTIL CCA, 350 SAUCHIEHALL ST JANUARY 22 , Free, Tue-Sat 9am-6pm CATHERINE SULLIVAN, 2 works by the acclaimed artist ERIC MENDELSOHN, Dynamics and Function: Realised Tue 11am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm Visions of a Cosmopolitan Architect, UNTIL FEBRUARY 9, SORCHA DALLAS, 5 ST MARGARET’S PLACE THE LIGHTHOUSE, 11 MITCHELL LANE who lives and works in Los Angeles - multi-screen Free, Mon-Fri 10am-5pm NORTHERN CITY (BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARK), Artists THE METAL BRIDGE, Group Show featuring Steven Clayprojection and a single screen work, UNTIL JANUARY 27, Free, Tues-Fri 11am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm, closed HOUSE FOR AN ART LOVER, BELLAHOUand architects exploring Edinburgh’s schizophrenic char- don, Thomas Helbig, Duncan Marquiss, Craig Mulholland, UNTIL JANUARY 27, Free, Tue - Sat 11am-5pm STON PARK, DUMBRECK ROAD Sun, Mon acter, nostalgia and modernity, the relationship between VARIOUS ARTISTS, A new show different each month ST MUNGO MUSEUM, 2 CASTLE STREET the urban centre and the natural edge, UNTIL MARCH 4 , GLASGOW GALLERY OF MODERN ART, featuring a selection of contemporary Scottish artwork, £3(£1.50), Mon, Wed-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Tue 11amVOODOO, Photography by Les Stone - exploring the ROYAL EXCHANGE SQUARE OPENING TIMES VARY, Free, Sat, Sun 10am-1pm 5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm practice of Voodoo on the Caribbean island of Haiti, UNTIL OPEN COMMUNITY, An annual opportunity for JANUARY 2007, Free, Mon-Thu, Sat 10am-5pm, Fri, Sun HUNTERIAN, UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW, 82 THE LIGHTHOUSE, 11 MITCHELL LANE community groups to exhibit work from arts-based HILLHEAD STREET projects, UNTIL JANUARY 14 , Free, Mon-Wed, Sat GLASGOW 1999 DESIGN MEDAL 2006, Including jewel- 11am-5pm 10am-5pm, Thurs 1oam-8pm, Fri, Sun 11am-5pm ENLIGHTENMENT: COLLECTING FOR THE FUTURE, lery, fashion, graphics, product design and cutting-edge

LOKSHAWS ROAD 17TH CENTURY SAMPLERS, Embroidered samplers

EDINBURGH ARTS THE BONGO CLUB, 37 HOLYROOD ROAD

teacher, UNTIL FEBRUARY 11 , Free, Daily 10am-5pm

lating environment, OPEN ALL YEAR, Free, Mon-Fri 11am-late, Sat 12.30pm-late

FRIEDRICH, Group Show, UNTIL FEBRUARY 3, Free, Wed-

EXHIBITION TBC, Interesting, unusual work in a stimu-

CENTRAL LIBRARY CONFERENCE ROOM, GEORGE IV BRIDGE, CENTENARY KINGS, n exhibition of his-

toric programmes, play bills, posters and other memorabilia celebrating 100 years of Edinburgh’s Kings Theatre, UNTIL JAN 20, Free, Mon-Thur 10am8pm, Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 9am-1pm

CITY ART CENTRE, 2 MARKET STREET,

TREASURED, Paintings and drawings from the City Art Centre’s Scottish Collection, UNTIL FEBRUARY 18 , Free, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm STRANDS, Investigating our love affair with fabrics - featuring numerous artists’ work, UNTIL FEBRUARY 18 , Free, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm PETER HOWSON - PORTRAIT OF A SAINT, Research and images centering around a recent commission, UNTIL MARCH 4 , Free, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm SOJOURNERS, Scottish artists abroad, UNTIL FEBRUARY 18 , Free, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm THE ROYAL MILE REVISITED, Paintings by William Highet, UNTIL MARCH 4 , Free, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm

DEAN GALLERY, 73 BELFORD ROAD

JAMES MCINTOSH PATRICK ARCHIVE, Work by one of Scotland’s foremost landscape painters, UNTIL JANUARY 14, Free, Daily 10am-5pm CONSIDER THE LILLIES, Works from Dundee’s 20th century art collection, UNTIL JANUARY 14, Free, Daily 10am-5pm IAN FLEMING, Marking the centenary of one of Scotland’s most influential and pioneering printmakers and

DOGGERFISHER, 11 GAYFIELD SQUARE Fri 11am-6pm, Sat 12pm-5pm

EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS, 23 UNION STREET 40 YEARS AT EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS, Ground-

breaking work by key artists from the early years, JAN 20 TO MARCH 3, Free, Tue-Sat 10am-6pm JENNY MARTIN - TRACES OF LIFE, Works based on trips to Pompeii and India, JAN 20 TO MARCH 3, Free, Tue-Sat 10am-6pm

THE FRUITMARKET GALLERY, 45 MARKET STREET CHRISTINE BORLAND, Existing, recent, and newly

commissioned work, JAN 2 TO JAN 28 , Free, Mon-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 12pm-5pm

I2, 34 ABERCROMBY PLACE

PETER HOWSON - UNDERGROUND, 30 Limited Edition Etchings and Drypoints, JAN 6 TO FEB 12, Free, Mon-Fri 11am-6pm, Sun 10am-4pm

THE LEITH GALLERY, 65 THE SHORE, LEITH

VARIOUS ARTISTS, Group Show, OPEN ALL YEAR, Free, Mon-Fri 11am-5pm, Sat 11am-4pm

NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCOTLAND, THE MOUND GOYA: MONSTERS AND MATADORS, Original Etch-

ings, UNTIL FEBRUARY 25, Free, Daily 10am-5pm, Thu 10am-7pm

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND,

CHAMBERS ST REFLECTIONS, A decade of North lands creative glass,

UNTIL JANUARY 2007, Free, Daily 10am - 5pm GIFTED, Contemporary Scottish Crafts available to buy, UNTIL JANUARY 21, Free, Daily 10am - 5pm

GLASGOW THEATRE

NATIONAL WAR MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND, EDINBURGH CASTLE

COMMANDO COUNTRY, Examining Scotland’s key role in forming Britain’s famous Commando forces, UNTIL FEBRUARY 2008, Free with admission to Edinburgh castle, Mon-Sun 9.45am-5.45pm (April to Oct) Mon-Sun 9.45am-4.45pm (Nov to March)

OPEN EYE GALLERY, 34 ABERCROMBY

PLACE SCOTS ABROAD, Invited artists whose work is influenced by their travels, JAN 6 TO JAN 24, Free, Mon-Fri 11am-6pm, Sun 10am-4pm JOHN DUNN, Raku Lustre Ceramics, JAN 6 TO JAN 24, Free, Mon-Fri 11am-6pm, Sun 10am-4pm

THE QUEENS GALLERY, PALACE OF HOLY-

ROOD HOUSE CANALETTO IN VENICE, Paintings and Drawings, UNTIL JANUARY 7, £5(£4), Mon-Sun 9.30am-6pm

THE RED DOOR GALLERY, 42 VICTORIA

STREET VARIOUS ARTS AND CRAFTS, Art to buy at a reasonable price, OPEN ALL YEAR, Free, Mon-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm

ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDEN, INVERLEITH

25 JAN - 27 JAN, THERE’S NO ‘ V’ IN GAELIC, A special

event celebrating female voices and the richness of Gaelic Arts., 7.30pm, contact venue for details 27-JAN, GREEN WHALE, An engaging, compelling and magical adventure with music, to fire the imagination., 7.30pm, £6

GILMOREHILL G12

15-JAN, O KING, A fantastic new work by Edward

McGuire and a performance by young musicians from Drumchapel High School, 8pm, £12, £6, £5

24 JAN AND 26 JAN, SOMEONE WHO’LL WATCH OVER

ME, Three Hostages in the Middle East confide in each other to battle captivity with the help of religion, humour and memories., 7.30pm, £6/£4 27-JAN, GO SEXY/DANCE CRAZY, A great night out for dance lovers and intrigued others., 7.30pm, £6/£5

50

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

TRAMWAY

27-JAN, OTTER PIE, Fish & Game returns to Tramway to

serve up a second helping of their tasty Otter Pie - a show about Scottishness, happiness and worldliness in the 21st Century, 8pm, £6/£4

THEATRE ROYAL, 23 JAN - 27 JAN, SWAN LAKE

ON ICE, Ducks on ice, awesome., times vary, £29.50

ism, UNTIL JANUARY 7, £6(£4), Daily 10am-5pm, Thu 10am-7pm ENERGY: NORTH SEA PORTRAITS, Portraits of north sea oil workers by Fionna Carlisle, UNTIL JANUARY 28, Free, Daily 10am-5pm, Thu 10am-7pm

SCOTTISH STORYTELLING CENTRE, 43-45 HIGH ST SONIA BIDWELL - TEXTILES, multi-layered constructions,

The weekend started with a World Aids Day vigil outside the hostel, led by Brother Bimbo del Doppio Senso of the Order of Perpetual Indulgence, and continued with workshops, led by participants, on subjects from ‘Alcohol and Addiction’ to ‘Making Health Services Work’. We finished by using the information we’d brought together to make a plan of action for the future.

DITTO IS NO SAD, SLUMPY FATTY - SHE’S FULL OF LIFE, SPARK, TALENT AND UNDENIABLE BEAUTY In November the unthinkable happened: a fat dyke was named Coolest person of 2006 by the New Musical Express. Beth Ditto of The Gossip is officially the Coolest Gal Around.

the 2003 centre-spread for the legendary lesbian sex mag with boyfriend Freddie Fagula was much less glamorous than it looked, but the results are hotter than hell.

Pundits are saying that the number of women in this year’s list is revolutionary but, more than that, the fact that one of us is being lauded for their fabulousness is, frankly, stunning.

IF SHE CAN BE COOL, SO CAN YOU

Lists like these are always worth taking with a pinch of salt (Liam Gallagher scored the number 2 spot in 2005), and we always knew that Ditto was cool, but it doesn’t hurt for other people to take note. So here are a handful of reasons why Ditto makes a fine role model for our nation.

FIND OUT MORE AT WWW.CHARLOTTECOOPER.NET

DITTO IS A POLITICAL ANIMAL

FOR A FULL SUMMARY OF THE WEEKEND’S EVENTS, VISIT THE

THAT ON OUR BACKS SESSION

LGBT SECTION ON-LINE AT WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

Ditto has said that shooting

LOWER GRANTON ROAD, EDINBURGH EH5 1ER. WWW.QWA.

CHARLOTTE COOPER IS A WRITER AND FAT ACTIVIST.

Sweaty, noisy, dirty and loud, Ditto’s voice is a force to be reckoned with and this band can make a building shake.

I’ve seen it happen.

ORG.UK

ON TAKING THIS FORWARD, OR SUGGEST NEW DIRECTIONS,

It’s fantastic to see someone who challenges pointless government hand-wringing about the

Beth Ditto, we salute you!

THE GOSSIP ROCK LIKE A HURRICANE

Not on ly i s D it t o a fat , working-class dyke, but she u nd e r s t a nd s what t he s e identities mean in the world.

She sings songs about it and she gives shout-outs to her people, people like us, in the audience whenever she performs.

SHOULD CONTACT QWA AT INFO@QWA.ORG.UK OR QWA, 97

Role models are all very well, but the best thing about Ditto heading the Cool List is the message of encouragement it sends to everyone: we can all be our own role models.

alleged obesity epidemic so eloquently. Ditto is no sad, slumpy fatty - she’s full of life, spark, talent and undeniable beauty. Her visibility in the world makes me hope that maybe fewer fat kids will get bullied in the playground and a few more fat queers will be able to recognise ourselves in the excellence Ditto projects into the world.

Beth Ditto

photo: Daniel Boud

hangings and tapestries, JAN 9 TO MARCH 3, Free, MonSat 10am-6pm

STILLS, 23 COCKBURN STREET

CINÉMATHÈQUE DE TANGER / AMONG THE MODERNS , Video and film work produced throughout the

MARCH 10, Free, Tue-Sat 10am-5pm

TOTAL KUNST AT FOREST, 3 BRISTO PLACE

annual display of Turner watercolours, UNTIL JANUARY 31, DAZZLEMENT, Different artist’s reactions to the idea that Free, Daily 10am-5pm, Thu 10am-7pm too much information/clarity can lead to oblivion or incaDOUGLAS GORDON, First Major solo exhibition from pacitation, UNTIL JANUARY 8, Free, Daily 11am-11pm the creator of 24 hour Psycho, UNTIL JANUARY 14, £6 (£4), Daily 10am-5pm, Thu 10am-7pm

EDINBURGH THEATRE

century France (but with a twist!), this spectacular production will feature designs by award-winning international designer, Antony McDonald. times vary, £34.00 - £7.00 17 JAN - 19 JAN, RICKY GERVAIS LIVE - FAME, Apparently Ricky decided to start his dates in Scotland as they were the best shows on his last tour. 7.30pm, £25

CITIZENS THEATRE

Our first event, Questions Worth Asking, took place over the weekend of December 1-3 at Pitlochry Youth Hostel, where 15 women gathered to work out what we could do about getting some answers and solutions within LGBT communities and from health services.

ANY LBT/QUEER WOMAN WANTING TO WORK WITH QWA

HARRY BENSON, Celebrating fifty years of photojournal-

JAMIE SHOVLIN: AGGREGATE, Solo show, JAN 20 TO

Aladdin, is a dazzling, hilarious and fun-filled family treat., times vary, contact venue for details

ing together a magical mix of wonderful music, zany words and lyrics., 7.30pm, £5-£14 21-JAN, LENNY HENRY, With his new one-man show LENNY HENRY delivers an electrifying mix of stand-up and character comedy guaranteed to blow your socks off. You have been warned. , 7.30pm, £17.50 22 JAN - 27 JAN, FAME, Join the star struck pupils on their rollercoaster ride through triumph, heartache and romance at New York’s High School for the Performing Arts., times vary, £9.50 - £23.50

Queer Women’s Action was formed by a group of women who got bored with going over the same questions; got pissed off with the lack of research, expertise and resources in queer women’s health; got annoyed enough to try and do something about it.

SCOTTISH NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, 1 QUEEN STREET

ROYAL SCOTTISH ACADEMY, THE MOUND

ful and unforgettable experience, suitable for children., times vary, £4/£7 23 JAN - 28 JAN, C90, C90 is a story about hope, memory, kindness and a man’s last day in a job that never really existed., 7.30pm, £10/8

KADO, Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular work, bring-

Queer women’s health is all about questions: What’s “sexually active”? How does being a trans woman affect my long-term health? Why do doctors keep talking to me about how many nuns get cancer? Real, informed answers are not often on offer within mainstream health services.

collection, UNTIL MAY 1, Free, Daily 10am-5pm

OFF THE WALL, Floor- and Ceiling-based Works from the

TALBOT RICE, UOE, SOUTHBRIDGE

TURNER IN JANUARY: THE VAUGHAN BEQUEST, The

by: Kate Joester

The Questions Worth Asking report will be published in early 2007, but already plans are underway for work ranging from a ‘Cock Tales’-style sexual health comic for queer women, to producing information aimed at NHS staff about how to treat LBT women patients.

SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART, 75 BELFORD ROAD

gardens as part of the artist’s retrospective, UNTIL JANUARY 14, Free, Tue-Sun 10am-3.30pm

FESTIVAL THEATRE

17 JAN - 20 JAN, THE ORPHEUS CLUB PRESENT - THE MI-

10.30am - 5.30pm, Sun 12am - 5pm

diverse cultural, political and social space of the Arab world, UNTIL JANUARY 28, Free, Daily 11am-6pm

KINGS THEATRE

UNTIL 13 JAN, ALADDIN, This year’s sensational panto,

VARIOUS ARTISTS, Art for Sale!, OPEN ALL YEAR, Free,

ROW DOUGLAS GORDON, Installations throughtout the

ARCHES THEATRE

9 DEC - 7 JAN, HANSEL AND GRETEL, A weird, wonder-

SCOTLANDART.COM, 2 ST STEPHEN PLACE

THE WIDE ANGLE: WHY I HEART BETH DITTO

QUESTIONS WORTH ASKING

LGBT

LISTINGS THEATRE & ARTS

4 JAN - 13 JAN, BALLET- CINDERELLA, Set in eighteenth-

FESTVAL THEATRE, 25 JAN - 27 JAN, RSMAD

ROYAL LYCEUM, 12 JAN - 10 FEB, ALL MY SONS, A powerful and emotional play that richly deserves to be recognised as one of Miller’s greatest works. 7.45, contact venue for details

TRAVERSE, 24-25 JAN, CLASS ACT, Now in its 17th year the Traverse Theatre’s flagship education project Class Act goes from strength to strength. times vary, £4

NORTH EDINBURGH ARTS CENTRE, 11-12

JAN, VIVA MANDELA, Neo Productions, an Edinburgh

based multi-cultural theatre company, are presenting

DOUBLE BILL, The RSAMD’s new opera season kicks off their current project Viva Mandela with a rehearsed readwith major productions of Ravel’s one-act operatic jewel L’heure espagnole and Puccini’s superb Gianni Schicchi. times vary, £12 - £20

ing. , 7.30pm and 10.30pm, FREE

EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, UNTIL 24 JAN, CHIT-

TY CHITTY BANG BANG, Direct from London’s west end this production comes to Edinburgh for a three month season. , times vary, contact venue for details

CHURCH HILL THEATRE, 23 JAN - 27 JAN, FOOT-

LIGHTS: WEST SIDE STORY, This show promises to be the biggest and most professional show that Footlights has ever performed. 7.30pm, contact venue for details

- £10.50

LISTINGS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

15

EDINBURGH COMEDY

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

My favourite bit was when she quoted research indicating that children do best when they’re brought up in an intact household with both biological parents. Since adopted children are already outwith that scenario, choosing this point to further the heterosexual agenda doesn’t really seem like a logical progression. But that’s okay, because she got shot down by one of my fellow invisible bisexuals, her own party voted against her proposals, and later this year the very fabric of society will collapse as the adopted children of same-sex couples will have the legal protection of both parents rather than just one. /Nine

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI TOP LGBT EVENTS SHINJUKU BOYS (dir. Kim Longinotto & Jano) 14 JAN, 3PM, FREE/DONATION

ACE, 17 West Montgomery Place, Edinburgh Subtitled film following three ‘onnabes’ (women who live as men) who work in a nightclub playing host to straight-identified women disappointed with their biological male counterparts

BILDWECHSEL

THE THURDAY SHOW, THE STAND, With Junior Simpson, John Scott, Killian Monson and Sian Bevan. Hosted by Joe Heenan, 9pm, £3 - £7

Queer and Goth

LUVVIES’ FIRST 2007 MEETING, 17 JAN, 7.30PM LGBT Centre for Health & Well-being, 9 Howe Street, Edinburgh Meet with Edinburgh’s LGBT theatre company to find out about auditions and their forthcoming production of Torch Song Trilogy

CLUB REVIEW MINGIN’, STUDIO 24 EDINBURGH, OCT 15

Mingin’ - queer clubbing for adults - has returned after a four-month hiatus following the closure of The Venue.

Studio 24 has a large seating area set back from the dance floor where you can actually see and hear the person you’re considering taking home with you. The venue is slightly chilly, but the shirtless men dancing to techno music don’t seem to mind. The crowd is mostly composed of men in their mid to late twenties, predominantly on the butch, leather-clad side, but women feel welcome albeit outnumbered. It’s a tad quiet for a Friday night perhaps, but the atmosphere is none the worse for it. Colourful characters, camp and chatty doorstaff, and reasonable cover charge make Mingin’ an entertaining start to the weekend. (Cate Simpson) £5, FRIDAYS (MONTHLY) NEXT DATE: 12 JAN

14 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

THE STAND, Junior Simpson, John Scott, Killian Monson and Sian Bevan. Hosted by Susan Morrison., 9pm, £5 - £9

SAT 6 JAN

THE STAND, Junior Simpson, John Scott, Killian Monson and Sian Bevan. Hosted by Susan Morrison., 9pm, £10

by Rose Lindgren

SUN 7 JAN

WHOSE LUNCH IS IT ANYWAY?, THE STAND, Improv over tasty scoff., 1pm, Free THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH IN, THE STAND, Tony Carter and Neil McFarlane. Hosted

THE GOTH SCENE CAN BE JUST AS LIBERATING AS THE GAY SCENE IF YOU’RE BI OR TRANS Glow sticks, sweaty bodies and chest-thumping beats - sounds like any gay club. But when Ascension’s website descr ibes the club as ‘Edinburgh’s leading alternative night’, they don’t mean queer - they mean goth.

‘Goth’ is a subjective term, especially now with the rise of ‘emo’ and its equally wide-ranging connotations. So let me define my terms. Please interpret ‘goth’ as broadly as possible. It includes, but is not limited to: ‘baby goth’, ‘occasional goth’, and ‘if I wear a colour other than black, I’ll combust’ goth. And let me define ‘queer’ as an allinclusive term to include all peoples who might fit roughly under the lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender umbrella.

Although some LGBT people enjoy traditionally s t r a i g ht c lu b s w it h no p r o b l e m s , m a ny f ind straight clubs intimidating and unsafe, myself included. It’s only i n s p e c i f ica l ly L G BTf r i e nd ly club s t hat I f e e l s a f e s no g g i n g a female partner without worrying about being ogled or even harassed by uninvited straight men. When I discovered the vastness of the Edinburgh goth scene, though, my world of clubbing expanded fast. It helps, of course, that “being LGBT on the goth scene kinda makes up for your lack of Lacuna Coil knowledge or your mundane hairstyle,” as a friend of mine asserts. “You know - ‘he seems kinda normal, but he sleeps with men so he must be cool’.”

by The Reverend Obadiah Steppenwolfe III, 8.30pm, £1 - £5

gender identity, or just their fashion sense, goth clubs are a safe place to do it.

MON 8 JAN

RED RAW, THE STAND, With Steven Dick and Kevin Bridg-

One woman I spoke to did mention her worry about actual acceptance of queer couples on the goth scene: “I do think that the fact so many women in particular are encouraged to try the whole snogging/shagging other women thing (and indeed thought rather prudish if they don’t) could log ic a l ly (a nd p r o b a bly do e s ) have t he k no ck- on effect that girl/girl relations of all descriptions, whether of the weekend or the permanent, ‘proper’ relationship variety, are going to be seen as a temporary thing they’re doi ng b efore they settle d ow n w it h / go back to s o m e g u y.

The sense is that you’re just ‘trying it out’. If you’re someone who sees your homosexuality/bisexuality as an important part of your persona l it y/l i fe, it’s bei ng marginalised as something they’re just trying out.”

es, 8.30pm, £2

Goth or alternative clubs like Ascension, Neon, and Bedlam, to name just a few, have become a safe haven not only for people exploring their sexual orientation but also exploring their gender identity. Among ‘traditional goths’ women tend to look very femme - long hair and corsets. But their male partners also have long hair and occasionally wear corsets themselves. Nearly everyone wears make-up regardless of sex and more than one brave man wears a skirt.

Bisexuality is almost the norm among the crowds that frequent Scotland’s goth clubs. It’s encouraged and even expected that many people will have an encounter with someone of the same sex. This shows a fantastic degree of acceptance and tolerance for bisexuals who often get flack from both sides of the ‘fence’ for being greedy or indecisive. In goth clubs, bisexuals are so common, they’re practically passé. In order to even get an eyebrow raised, you’ve got to explore polyamory or S&M. It’s not strange to see two women kissing on the dance floor at any goth club, but the women with short spikey hair cuts, boyish clothing and piercings tend to be attracted to ‘rock goth’ clubs like Neon, where the music is a bit harder (and the drinks are cheaper). “If I grind with a girl, make out with a girl up against a wall, dirty dance to NIN it doesn’t even get on the radar,” says one woman. “That’s what girls do in goth clubs.”

Trans is a huge umbrella - but one of the most obvious components of trans presence in goth clubs is transvestites. Many men truss themselves up in corsets and lipstick, sometimes lace and thigh-high PVC heeled boots. According to one guy, “A man’s ability to look good in a corset is plus a million points in a goth club.” Whether they’re expressing their sexual orientation,

But maybe that doesn’t matter? Just because the girl who so willingly and eagerly snogged you in the club isn’t actually interested in women, doesn’t mean it wasn’t fun.

A good night out is hard to find.

Definitely worth i nve st i ng i n a few mesh tops and Doc Martens – and goth music, with its catchy beats and forlorn love lyrics, is a nice a lter native t o t he over-pro duc e d che ese t hat dom i nates in practically every other LGBT-geared venue.

Goths in a general sense a re ver y accept i ng, e s p e c i a l ly o f p e o p l e who are already seen to be outside the mainstream. I’m pretty sure that most ‘visiting’ queer folks would be made welcome in goth venues. It’s interesting to ponder whether the reverse would be true.

JONGLEURS, OMNI CENTRE, Mickey D, Ian Coppinger, Steve Harris, Tony Law. Mickey D is another former Skinny contributor we are always pleased to see, while Tony Law’s psychedlic lunacy is an easy-going treat, 8pm, £10

SAT 13 JAN

THE STAND, Alastair Barrie, Greg Cook, Paul Pirie and Colum O’Regan. Hosted by Bruce Devlin, 9pm, £10 JONGLEURS, OMNI CENTRE, Mickey D, Ian Coppinger, Steve Harris, Tony Law. See Fri 12, 8pm, £12

SUN 14 JAN

FRI 19 JAN

THE STAND, Bruce Morton, Greg McHugh, Simon Brodkin and Martin Tapley. Hosted by Craig Hill, 9pm, £5 - £9 RICKY GERVAIS: FAME, EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE, See Wed 17, 7.30pm, £25 JONGLEURS, OMNI CENTRE, Brendan Riley, Jason Rouse, Stu Who?, Joe Heenan., 8pm, £10

SAT 20 JAN

THE STAND, Bruce Morton, Greg McHugh, Simon Brodkin and Martin Tapley. Hosted by Craig Hill, 9pm,

WHOSE LUNCH IS IT ANYWAY?, THE STAND, Improv over £10 JONGLEURS, OMNI CENTRE, Brendan Riley, Jason Rouse, Stu Who?, Joe Heenan., 8pm, £12 tasty scoff., 1pm, Free THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH IN, THE STAND, With Nik Coppin, Steven Dick, Aaron Barshak and Billy Kirkwood. Hosted by Kevin Bridges, 8.30pm, £1 - £5

MON 15 JAN

RED RAW, THE STAND, With Paul Pirie and Billy Kirkwood, 8.30pm, £2

TUE 16 JAN

THE AMAZING BASTARDS!!, THE STAND, Mixing experi-

SUN 21 JAN

WHOSE LUNCH IS IT ANYWAY?, THE STAND, Improv over tasty scoff., 1pm, Free THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH IN, THE STAND, Joe Heenan, Niall Browne, Saj and Poetry

Pete, 8.30pm, £1 - £5

MON 22 JAN, RED RAW, THE STAND, Billy Kirkwood and Russel Roy, 8.30pm, £2

TUE 23 JAN, BRUCE FUMMEY - ‘ABOUT TAM

TUE 9 JAN

MELTIN’ POT, THE STAND, tbc, 8.30pm, £2.50 - £5

mental stand-up, off-beat characters, and assorted bobbins, Steven Dick, Allan Miller and Teddy offer a show that won’t be for everyone. 8.30pm, £3 - £5

WED 10 JAN

WED 17 JAN

Mearns, Paul Pirie, Allen Chalmers and Sandy Nelson, 8.30pm, £4

mals and campaigning against animal cruelty. Line-up includes Susan Calman and Aaron Barshak, 8.30pm, £4 - £6 RICKY GERVAIS: FAME, EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE, He is, like, totally famous. The UK’s most marketable comic . 7.30pm, £25

2006 Edinburgh Fringe, this Burns season Bruce Fummey brings his sideways look at the famous Robert Burns poem to The Stand. The hour long show will give a hilarious background to Robert Burns’ famous narrative topped off with the finest performance of the poem you are likely to see. With additional recitations, background to Burns, haggis and supported with songs from Paula Fummey, soloist with New Scottish Choir & Orchestra., 8.30pm, £4 - £6

THU 18 JAN

THU 25 JAN

DANCE MONKEY BOY DANCE, THE STAND, Raymond

THU 11 JAN

THE THURDAY SHOW, THE STAND, With Alastair Barrie, Greg Cook, Paul Pirie and Niall Browne. Hosted by Bruce Devlin, 9pm, £3 - £7

FRI 12 JAN

THE STAND, Alastair Barrie, Greg Cook, Paul Pirie and

GOTH CLUBS HAVE BECOME A SAFE HAVEN FOR PEOPLE EXPLORING THEIR GENDER IDENTITY

17 JAN, 7PM, FREE BUT TICKETED

CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, 0141 352 4900 An evening of queer and feminist underground film

FRI 5 JAN

Colum O’Regan. Hosted by Bruce Devlin, 9pm, £5 - £9

BENEFIT IN AID OF SSPCA, THE STAND, re-homing ani-

O’SHANTER’, THE STAND, Performed to acclaim at the

THE THURDAY SHOW, THE STAND, Bruce Morton and Si- THE THURDAY SHOW, THE STAND, Parrot, Joe Heenan, mon Brodkin. Hosted by Craig Hill, 9pm, £3 - £7 RICKY Steven Dick and Phil Differ. Hosted by Raymond Mearns, GERVAIS: FAME, EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE, See Wed 9pm, £3 - £7

FRI 26 JAN

THE STAND, Jason Manford, Joe Heenan, Russel Roy

and Aidan Bishop. Hosted by Susan Morrison, 9pm, £5 - £9 JONGLEURS, OMNI CENTRE, Andy White, Sarah Millican, Simon Bligh, 8pm, £10

SAT 27 JAN

THE STAND, Jason Manford, Joe Heenan, Russel Roy and Aidan Bishop. Hosted by Susan Morrison, 9pm, £10 JONGLEURS, OMNI CENTRE, Andy White, Sarah Millican, Simon Bligh, 8pm, £12

SUN 28 JAN

WHOSE LUNCH IS IT ANYWAY?, THE STAND, Improv over tasty scoff., 1pm, Free THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH IN, THE STAND, tbc, 8.30pm, £1 - £5

MON 29 JAN

RED RAW, THE STAND, Graeme Thomas and Greg McHugh, 8.30pm, £2 PLEASANCE COURTYARD, Jason Manford, Michael McIntyre, Steve Hughes.

Ranting Hughes, charming Manford and razor-sharp McIntyre are all very good comics; together on one bill they are an outstanding line-up for a cold winter’s night, 10pm, tbc

TUE 30 JAN

WIL HODGSON SPECIAL, THE STAND, The Carebear and My Little Pony-loving ex-wrestler and skinhead treats Edinburgh comedy fans to a full-length show. Expect highlights from the Fringe plus much, much more, 8.30pm, £8 PLEASANCE COURTYARD, Jon Richardson, Rhod Gilbert. Gilbert is one of the most naturally funny of comedians on the circuit; to see him at this price is a bargain, 8pm, £4 - £5.50

WED 31 JAN

BEST OF SCOTTISH, THE STAND, David Kay, Bruce Devlin, Greg McHugh and Steven Dick, 8.30pm, £6

17, 7.30pm, £25

GLASGOW COMEDY

THU 4 JAN

THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE STAND, Ian Cognito, Tony Carter, Neil McFarlane and Rick Molland. Hosted by Fred MacAulay, 8.30pm, £3 - £7

FRI 5 JAN

THE STAND, Ian Cognito, Tony Carter, Neil McFarlane and Rick Molland. Hosted by Fred MacAulay, 8.30pm, £5 - £9

SAT 6 JAN

THE STAND, Ian Cognito, Tony Carter, Neil McFarlane

THU 11 JAN

WED 17 JAN

ven Dick, Nik Coppin and Bruce Fummey. Hosted by Raymond Mearns. Munnery wrote a classy Festival Diary for Skinnyfest over the summer, revealing him to be as insightful and wise as he is funny. An oddball well worth your time, 8.30pm, £3 - £7

gow Marrow raises awareness about and funds for The Anthony Nolan Trust Bone Marrow Register. Line-up to be announced., 8.30pm, £6

THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE STAND, Simon Munnery, Ste-

FRI 12 JAN

THE STAND, Simon Munnery, Steven Dick, Nik Coppin

and Bruce Fummey. Hosted by Raymond Mearns. See and Rick Molland. Hosted by Fred MacAulay, 8.30pm, Thu 11, 8.30pm, £5 - £9 £10 JONGLEURS, UGC CENTRE, Roger Monkhouse, Ronnie JONGLEURS, UGC CENTRE, Anvil Springstein, Bill Dewar., Edwards, Jojo Sutherland, Craig Hill, 8pm, £10 8pm, £13

SUN 7 JAN

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE, THE STAND, John Scott, Killian Monson and Phil Differ. With host Michael Redmond, 8.30pm, £1 - £5

MON 8 JAN

DANCE MONKEY BOY DANCE, THE STAND, Raymond Mearns, Paul Pirie, Allen Chalmers and Sandy Nelson, 8.30pm, £4

RICKY GERVAIS: FAME, GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, He is, like, totally famous. The UK’s most marketable comic - excepting the ever-renewable Mr Baron-Cohen - is more than a populist: he’s extremely funny. Catch him before he’s playing arenas., 7.30pm, £25

SAT 13 JAN

THE STAND, Simon Munnery, Steven Dick, Nik Coppin and Bruce Fummey. Hosted by Raymond Mearns. See Thu 11, 8.30pm, £10 JONGLEURS, UGC CENTRE, Roger Monkhouse, Ronnie Edwards, Jojo Sutherland, Craig Hill, 8pm, £13

ROUGH CUTS, THE STAND, tbc, 8.30pm, £2.50 - £5 RICKY GERVAIS: FAME, GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, See Mon 8, 7.30pm, £25

LGBT LISTINGS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

THU 18 JAN

THU 25 JAN

THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE STAND, With Vladimir McTavish, Howard Read and Billy Kirkwood. Hosted by Bruce Devlin, 8.30pm, £3 - £7

Michael Redmond, Charlie Ross and Phil Differ. Hosted

by Susan Calman, 8.30pm, £3 - £7

FRI 26 JAN

FRI 19 JAN

THE STAND, Martin Soan, Michael Redmond, Charlie Ross and Nick Davies. Hosted by Susan Morrison, 8.30pm, £5 - £9 JONGLEURS, UGC CENTRE, Adam Crow, Patrick Rolink, Curtis Walker, Brendan Dempsey, 8pm, £10

SAT 20 JAN

THE STAND, Martin Soan, Michael Redmond, Charlie

Greg Cook, Paul Pirie and Gary – Tank Commander.

With host Michael Redmond, 8.30pm, £1 - £5

SUN 21 JAN

MON 15 JAN

With Greg McHugh and Gus Tawse. With host Michael Redmond, 8.30pm, £1 - £5

THE AMAZING BASTARDS!!, THE STAND, Mixing experi-

anything you’re ashamed of? Something that when you look back on it it makes you squirm? Jason has. Many times. A touching, moving and personal show, 8.30pm, £4 - £6

THE THURSDAY SHOW, THE STAND, With Martin Soan,

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE, THE STAND,

SUN 14 JAN

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE, THE STAND,

MON 22 JAN

THE STAND, Howard Read and Billy Kirkwood. Hosted

by Bruce Devlin, 8.30pm, £5 - £9 JONGLEURS, UGC CENTRE, Mick Ferry, Kevin Hayes, John Fothergill, Marc Theobald, 8pm, £10

SAT 27 JAN

THE STAND, Howard Read and Billy Kirkwood. Hosted

by Bruce Devlin, 8.30pm, £10 JONGLEURS, UGC CENTRE, Mick Ferry, Kevin Hayes, John Fothergill, Marc Theobald, 8pm, £13

SUN 28 JAN

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE, THE STAND, With Russel Roy and Gary – Tank Commander. With host Michael Redmond, 8.30pm, £1 - £5

MON 29 JAN

DANCE MONKEY BOY DANCE, THE STAND, Raymond Mearns, Paul Pirie, Allen Chalmers and Sandy Nelson, 8.30pm, £4

DANCE MONKEY BOY DANCE, THE STAND, Raymond

TUE 30 JAN

Mearns, Paul Pirie, Allen Chalmers and Sandy Nelson, 8.30pm, £4

RED RAW, THE STAND, With Nick Davies and Gus Tawse, 8.30pm, £1 - £2

TUE 23 JAN

WED 31 JAN

TUE 16 JAN

Roy, 8.30pm, £1 - £2

Delamere and Maeve Higgins. With host Michael Redmond, 8.30pm, £6 - £7

McHugh, 8.30pm, £1 - £2

JASON COOK’S CONFESSIONS, THE STAND, Ever done

TUE 9 JAN

WED 10 JAN

BENEFIT FOR GLASGOW MARROW, THE STAND, Glas-

Ross and Nick Davies. Hosted by Susan Morrison, 8.30pm, £10 JONGLEURS, UGC CENTRE, Adam Crow, Patrick Rolink, Curtis Walker, Brendan Dempsey, 8pm, £13

mental stand-up, off-beat characters, and assorted bobbins, Steven Dick, Allan Miller and Teddy offer a show that won’t be for everyone. Are you ambitious, RED RAW, THE STAND, With Paul Pirie, 8.30pm, £1 - £2 conscientious, confident, and consistently motivated RICKY GERVAIS: FAME, GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, by a desire to make a real difference to the world? If so, See Mon 8, 7.30pm, £25 probably best you don’t come. If not, expect laughs courtesy of kindred spirits, 8.30pm, £3 - £5

Illustration: Sara Bergqvist, http://soration.deviantart.com

“One m ig ht a l most imagine that a gang of adoption agencies was going round knocking on the doors of every same-sex couple and billeting children with t h e m a t r a n d o m .”

These were the words of Patrick Harvie in the Scottish Parliament, speaking against Roseanna Cunningham’s proposal to continue the ban on joint adoption by same-sex couples. Her move came as a surprise – she voted for the repeal of Section 28 and in favour of civil partnerships, and appeared at an Equality Network conference years ago to deliver a speech about “lesbian, gay and transgender” equality (hooray for bisexual visibility). But the LGBT community isn’t going to forget this transgression in a hurry.

THU 4 JAN

LISTINGS

LGBT

RED RAW, THE STAND, With Scott Agnew and Greg

RED RAW, THE STAND, With Kevin Bridges and Russel

WED 24 JAN

BEST OF IRISH, THE STAND, With Martin Bigpig Mor, Neil

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

51

THURSDAY 4 JAN

THE GOAT, Robbie Rolex & The Radio Magnetic

3am, £3

Soundsystem on Weekly Rotation, 8pm-late, Free CUBE FRIDAYS, Urban tunes from Clyde 1’a George Bowie, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3)

*.*, THE BUFF CLUB, Rock’n’roll & northern soul, 11pmABOLICANO CAPOEIRA SCOTLAND, RSAMD, Brazilian

YELLOW BOX DENOTES SKINNY HIGHLIGHTS

ABOLICANO CAPOEIRA SCOTLAND, RSAMD, Brazilian b4 11.30am with PIYP BASEMENT, SOUNDHAUS, Techno/hard dance, electro & martial art with dance & music, 6pm-7.30pm, £tbc ALL STAR, BAMBOO, Andy Wilson plays funk with DJ Kash house with residents & guest William Daniel, 10.30pm-

on the hip pop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 11pm/ 12.30am with matric DUB & GRUB, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Snacks, meals ABC SATURDAYS, ABC1, Gerry Lyons plays soul, punk, & Mungo’s HiFi, 5pm-late, Free rock & indie dance, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5), free b4 FOLK IT!, THE MIXING ROOMS, Up & coming folk musician 11.30pm with matric. session, From 8pm, Free ABC SATURDAYS, ABC2, David Sinclair (Killer Kitsch) FUNKY LUV, PLAY, Driving vocal house, 10pm-3am, £5, plays electro, house & pop, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5), free £3 NUS b4 11.30pm with matric.

INFLATABLE FUN, THE GARAGE, Naughty Nicola with AUDIO, BLOC, House, techno & electro from DJ Aiden, inflatables & groovy tunes, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 9pm-3am, Free 12am with PIYP BEAUTIFUL SOUP, BLOC, Eclectic music with Aldo & John, KALEIDOSCOPE LIVE, ABC2, Old school rock & roll, soul, 10pm-3am, Free funk, from the 1960’s-1980’s, 10pm-3am, £3, free DIRTY RECORDZ, GUU, Paul N’Jie (Beat 106) plays with matric. After 12am current tunes, open decks downstairs, 10pm-2am, £3 KILLER KITSCH, THE BUFF CLUB, Electroclash & that, 11pm(£2, £1), free b4 9pm 3am, £4 (£3) DIVINE!, THE VIC BAR, Mr. Divine & Hushpuppy bring you REVOLUTION, QMU, Rock & punk with Martin Bate (XFM), northern soul, ska & mod tunes, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5) 10pm-2.15am, £2, £1 members GROOVEJET, MAS, Weekly house & RnB mix, 11pmT.I.T., KARBON, Lisa Littlewood & Graeme Ferguson, 3am, £7 (£5) 10.30pm-3am, £5 (£4) HIP DROP, BREL, Funk, soul, electro & disco from Robbie Rolex & Nel, 9pm-1am, Free HOME COOKIN’, BELO, Urban music showcase, 10pm- ART OF PARTIES, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Live acts & DJs from across the genres, 10.30pm-3am, £4 - £0 3am, £7, free b4 11pm DELIVERANCE, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, DJ Dec with HOMEGROWN, BAMBOO, Stevie Sole Middleton, alternative, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12am with Domenic Martin & Scottie B play house and smooth PIYP RnB, jazz & funk, 9pm-3am, £5, free b4 10.30pm/ ELETRICAT DANCE GROUP, RSAMD, Brazilian Street 12.30am students I LOVE THE GARAGE, THE GARAGE, Classics, 10.30pm- Dance classes, 6pm-7pm, £4 (£3.50), £3 RSAMD 3am, £7 (£5), £6 (£4) b4 12am GOSSIP, SSU, Gay/mixed with DJ Ricci, 8pm-late, Free KARBON SATURDAYS, KARBON, Kev McFarlane, JOINTS & JAMS, CUBE, The Longest running RnB night in Stephen Lee, Woody play house & hip hop classics, Glasgow, 11pm-3am, £3 (£2) 10.30pm-3am, £tbc MJAM SALSA, LIPTONS, Salsa classes from 8pm with NU-SCHOOL, THE BUFF CLUB, Fresh northern soul, jazz Chris Traynor, free club from 10.15pm, 8pm-12am, Free & funk featuring live percussion, classics downstairs, NEW FLESH, FURY MURRY’S, Rock, metal, punk, rap, 10.30pm-3am, £6 industrial & alternative music, 10pm-3am, £4, £2 from OPEN DEX, DEEP 6 (GUU), Bring your vinyl/CDs if you 10pm-11pm, £1 with flyer/after 11pm think you can do better, 9pm-1am, £1, £2 nonTONGUE IN CHEEK, BAMBOO, Lounge, RnB & indie, members 10pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with matric SOLUTE, CLUB 69, Wardy & Paulo present Silicone Soul WHATEVER, THE GARAGE, Andy & Brian, chart music, (Soma) for some house & techno, 11pm-3am, £8 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP SUBCULTURE, THE SUB CLUB, Weekly snapshot of the ever- THE BUNKER BAR, Martin Bate (Beat 106) plays vintage rock evolving house blueprint, 11pm-3am, £8, £5 b4 12am & indie, 9pm-late, Free ABC FRIDAYS, ABC1, Genre mash-up from Euan Neilson, SYNERGY, SOUNDHAUS, Trance & hard dance with Marc 11pm-3am, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

Van Linden’s album launch, 11pm-4am, £10 (£8) ANIMAL FARM, BLOC, House, techno & electro with *.*, THE BUFF CLUB, Rock’n’roll & northern soul, 11pm-3am, VOODOO, THE CATHOUSE, Under-18 club with metal, Turtle & Quaill, 10pm-3am, Free £3 emo & punk, 5pm-9pm, £6 (£3) BALLBREAKER, THE CATHOUSE, Barry & Billy with rock & ABOLICANO CAPOEIRA SCOTLAND, RSAMD, Brazilian THE BUNKER BAR, DJ Toast & Mash, 9pm-3am, Free metal, 10.30pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free martial art with dance & music, 6pm-7.30pm, £tbc THE CATHOUSE, Barry & Andy with all things rock, b4 11.30am with PIYP BABAZA, BELO, Hip hop with the funk, 10pm-3am, £6, 10.30pm-3am, £6 (£5), free b4 12am with PIYP BOOGIE DOWN, BLUU, The groove-merchant Stewart free b4 11pm CHINAWHITE, DJ Naeem playing main room RnB & Reid plays a jazz, disco & house sound, 10pm-3am, CHIX ON DEX, CHINAWHITE, Rock, funkpunk & house all classics, Mirrirbaw playing dunky house in the Mao £5, free b4 11pm mixed by lovely ladies, 10pm-3am, £4, free b4 11pm room, 10pm-3am, £10 BROWN BAGGIN’ IT, THE GARAGE, Retro, britpop, CIGARETTES & F**K ALL, THE BUTTERFLY & THE PIG, Craig alternative, chill, RnB & soul, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free THE GOAT, Paul Needles, 8pm-late, Free McGee plays indie & rock ‘n’ roll, 9pm-late, Free MACSORLEYS, Jazz band downstairs, Paul Cawley & b4 11.30pm with PIYP CRUSH, QMU, With McSleazy (XFM) & his bootlegs, COMPUTELOVE, THE MIXING ROOMS, Electronic sounds, Karim The Pro-Vinylist upstairs, 9pm-late, Free 10pm-2.15am, £2, £1 members From 8pm, Free REPUBLIC BIER HALLE, Leftfield music & pizzas, 9pm-12am, FREAKMOVES, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Fresh hip Free ELECTROBALL, KARBON, 80’s, nu-wave, rock & punk, hop & funk cuts from the Freakmenoovers DJs, Record 10.30pm-3am, £tbc Playerz in the bar, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3) FLUID, MAS, Funky house from Lisa Littlewood, 11pmFREAKSCENE, POLAR BAR (ABC), Indie classics with John, BASS INVADERS, BLACKFRIAR’S BASEMENT, Eats Tapes 3am, £5 11pm-3am, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

(Tigerbeat6) live, Stick 430 live & Bass Invaders DJs, FREAKMENOOVERS, RUST BAR, Early doors serving of THE FUNKY PRECEDENT, SAINT JUDE’S, Hip hop, funk, 11pm-3am, £6 hip hop, funk, RnB & soul, 9pm-12am, Free soul & motown with D_Fade, Duncan Harvey & Boom FREAKMENOOVERS, BLANKET, Fresh hip hop & funk cuts BLOC + JAM, BLOC, Open mic night, 9pm-1am, Free Monk Ben, 8pm-late, Free CLUB CUBA!, FAVELA, Latin rhythms, 9pm-late, Free from the Freakmenoovers DJs, 11pm-3am, £6 (£4) HOMEBREW, THE SUB CLUB, Hip hop to nasty electro via CLUB PRIORY: RETOX ROOMS, BLANKET, RnB with DJ MIXMYSTERS 07 HEAVEN, SOUNDHAUS, Under 18s the rest with Tiff Peaches, Provinylist Karim Ill Technique Richard Levinson, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3) hardcore evening, 6pm-10pm, £tbc & Groundskeeper GC, 11pm-3am, £3, £2 matric. card NOJ, POLAR BAR (ABC), No Music Policy, 11pm-3am, £6 COLD NIGHT SONG, THE GOAT, Guests & DJs play LOLLIPOP, GUU, Pop, RnB & Indie, 10pm-2am, £3 (£2, acoustic gems, 8pm-late, Free (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

DISCO BADGER, BAMBOO, Classic house music all night £1), free b4 9pm OLD SCHOOL, THE BUFF CLUB, Old school tunes with ON DEMAND, THE SHED, DJ Euan takes requests by text long from Dominic Martin, other boogie from Kash & Gordie & Jack, 10.30pm-3am, £6 Max, 10pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 10.30pm/12.30pm message at this interactive club night, 10.30pm-3am, £3 PINUP, WOODSIDE, Indie, punk, soul & electropop with PLASTIC FUNK, BAMBOO, Mark Robb, Tania & friends The Low Miffs, Midnight Machine & Coriolis, 9pm-2am, with matric play funk, soul & rock n roll, 10.30pm-5am, £4 (£3), JUNK, THE BUFF CLUB, Jazz & funk, with Marky Mark £5 featuring live percussion by Duffy, 11pm-3am, £3, free free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric RED & GOLD ROOM, ARTA, Soul musak, 10pm-3am, PUMP UP THE JAM, SSU, Old school cheese, live bands & with matric £7, free b4 11pm OPTIMO, THE SUB CLUB, JD Twitch & Wilkes will play pretty funky house, £2 RELENTLESS, THE SUB CLUB, Techno with guest Luke RADIOMAGNETIC, GAZELLE, Funk, soul & latin grooves much anything and mix it well, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5) Slater, 10pm-3am, £tbc with Radiomagnetic DJs, From 8pm, Free ROCKET, BAMBOO, House music from Geoff M, hip hop SPANK, THE CATHOUSE, Rock, punk & dance, 11pm3am, £4 (£2), free b4 1am with PIYP RECORD PLAYERZ, THE VIC BAR, Hi-Fi Sean & Hushpuppy & lounge from Junior Campos & Max, 9pm-3am, £5, THE BUNKER BAR, Neil Wyper playing new & old rock & free b4 10.30pm/12.30am students play disco electro, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3) electronica, 9pm-late, Free SOUND MUSEUM, BREL, DJ Hushpuppy (Art School) RUBBERMENSCH, ABC2, A night for indie lovers, 11pm3am, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric. & Chris Geddes (Belle & Sebastian) dig out some retro SKINT, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, DJ Billy with metal hip hop soul, 9pm-1am, Free BURN, THE BUFF CLUB, Glasgow institition with Normski & & rock, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with STEREODOG, CHINAWHITE, Mr. Livewire & Gary Curley Zeus playing underground classics, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), PIYP play house, 10pm-3am, £8 (£5) free for pub/club workers THE THURSDAY CLUB, THE GARAGE, Gerry Lyons & Brian TFI FRIDAY, SSU, DJ Phil, 4pm-3am, £2 after 5pm, free ELETRICAT DANCE GROUP, RSAMD, Brazilian Street playing chart anthems, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 4 students 12am with PIYP VANDAL, LIQUID LOUNGE, House sessions with residents Dance classes, 6pm-7pm, £4 (£3.50), £3 RSAMD FRESH, THE POLO LOUNGE, Popular gay venue with house THE BUNKER BAR, CJ plays grunge & rock, 9pm-3am, Free Mash & Gianni, 10pm-3am, £5 VICE, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, Indie rock party with Martin & indie, 11pm-3am, £5 Bate (Xfm), 11pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free POPTIMISM/ROCKTIMISM, THE GARAGE, DJ Andy & DJ Dec, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP ABC FRIDAYS, ABC1, Genre mash-up from Euan Neilson, b4 11.30pm with PIYP 11pm-3am, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

THE BUNKER BAR, Tam Coyle plays vintage rock & indie, BALLBREAKER, THE CATHOUSE, Barry & Billy with rock & 12 HOUR TUESDAYS, SSU, Chart 9pm-3am, Free metal, 10.30pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free music & live comedy, 3pm-3am, £2, free b4 3pm martial art with dance & music, 6pm-7.30pm, £tbc BABAZA, BELO, Hip hop with the funk, 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 11pm CHIX ON DEX, CHINAWHITE, Rock, funkpunk & house by lovely ladies, 10pm-3am, £4, free b4 11pm CIGARETTES & F**K ALL, THE BUTTERFLY & THE PIG, Craig McGee plays indie & rock ‘n’ roll, 9pm-late, Free CRUSH, QMU, With McSleazy (XFM) & his bootlegs, 10pm-2.15am, £2, £1 members FREAKSCENE, POLAR BAR (ABC), Indie classics with John, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

THE FUNKY PRECEDENT, SAINT JUDE’S, Hip hop, funk, soul & motown with D_Fade, Duncan Harvey & Boom Monk Ben, 8pm-late, Free HOMEBREW, THE SUB CLUB, Hip hop to electro via the rest with Tiff Peaches, Provinylist Karim Ill Technique & Groundskeeper GC, 11pm-3am, £3, £2 matric. card LOLLIPOP, GUU, Pop, RnB & Indie, 10pm-2am, £3 (£2, £1), free b4 9pm ON DEMAND, THE SHED, DJ Euan takes requests by text at this interactive club night, 10.30pm-3am, £3 PLASTIC FUNK, BAMBOO, Mark Robb, Tania & friends play funk, soul & rock n roll, 10.30pm-5am, £4 (£3), free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric PUMP UP THE JAM, SSU, Old school cheese, live bands & funky house, £2 RADIOMAGNETIC, GAZELLE, Funk, soul & latin grooves with Radiomagnetic DJs, From 8pm, Free RECORD PLAYERZ, THE VIC BAR, Hi-Fi Sean & Hushpuppy play disco electro, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3) RUBBERMENSCH, ABC2, A night for indie lovers, 11pm3am, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

SKINT, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, DJ Billy with metal hip hop & rock, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with PIYP THE THURSDAY CLUB, THE GARAGE, Gerry Lyons & Brian playing chart anthems, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 12am with PIYP THE BUNKER BAR, CJ plays grunge, 9pm-3am, Free

SATURDAY 6 JAN

WEDNESDAY 10 JAN

FRIDAY 5 JAN

THURSDAY 11 JAN

SUNDAY 7 JAN

MONDAY 8 JAN

FRIDAY 12 JAN

TUESDAY 9 JAN

52

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

4am, £6 (£5), 1/2 price b4 12am BOOGIE DOWN, BLUU, The groove-merchant Stewart Reid plays a jazz, disco & house sound, 10pm-3am, £5, free b4 11pm BROWN BAGGIN’ IT, THE GARAGE, Retro, britpop, alternative, chill, RnB & soul, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with PIYP COMPUTELOVE, THE MIXING ROOMS, Electronic sounds, From 8pm, Free DAS BOOT, BLOC, Eclectic night, 10pm-3am, Free ELECTROBALL, KARBON, 80’s, nu-wave, rock & punk, 10.30pm-3am, £tbc FLUID, MAS, Funky house from Lisa Littlewood, 11pm3am, £5 FREAKMENOOVERS, RUST BAR, Early doors serving of hip hop, funk, RnB & soul, 9pm-12am, Free FREAKMENOOVERS, BLANKET, Fresh hip hop & funk cuts from the Freakmenoovers DJs, 11pm-3am, £6 (£4) NOJ, POLAR BAR (ABC), No Music Policy, 11pm-3am, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

NUMBERS, THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL, Booty, miami bass, techno with Goon & Koyote, 10pm-2am, £tbc OLD SCHOOL, THE BUFF CLUB, Old school tunes with Gordie & Jack, 10.30pm-3am, £6 RED & GOLD ROOM, ARTA, Soul musak, 10pm-3am, £7, free b4 11pm ROCKET, BAMBOO, House music from Geoff M, hip hop & lounge from Junior Campos & Max, 9pm-3am, £5, free b4 10.30pm/12.30am students SOUND MUSEUM, BREL, DJ Hushpuppy (Art School) & Chris Geddes (Belle & Sebastian) dig out some retro soul, 9pm-1am, Free STEREODOG, CHINAWHITE, Mr. Livewire & Gary Curley play house, 10pm-3am, £8 (£5) TFI FRIDAY, SSU, DJ Phil, 4pm-3am, £2 after 5pm, free 4 students VANDAL, LIQUID LOUNGE, House sessions with residents Mash & Gianni, 10pm-3am, £5 VICE, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, Indie rock party with Martin Bate (Xfm), 11pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free b4 11.30pm with PIYP THE BUNKER BAR, Tam Coyle plays vintage rock & indie, 9pm-3am, Free THE GOAT, Robbie Rolex & The Radio Magnetic Soundsystem on Weekly Rotation, 8pm-late, Free CUBE FRIDAYS, Urban tunes from Clyde 1’a George Bowie, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3)

Black Magic

Colour can be so overrated, so get down and dirty in oil-slick black this season. From voluminous, pussy-bow blouses to cigarette pants and sultry film noir-style dresses, black is back. Contrast sharp graphic lines with soft touches of cream or white for extra drama and monochrome definition. For a feminine look, opt for volume with tulip skirts, trapeze coats, smock tops and puff ball dresses.

A white trench coat over a black minidress, a fitted white T-shirt with a black pencil skirt and patent belt…black is the seductively simple route to sharp and sexy dressing. Think Edie Sedgwick meets Audrey Hepburn for that perfect hybrid of classic and cool. Create two tone movement with monochrome mixing, using deluxe fabric slinks and eye-catching jewellery such as gold chains and statement earrings.

LIFESTYLE

LISTINGS GLASGOW CLUBS

SATURDAY 13 JAN

ABC SATURDAYS, ABC1, Gerry Lyons plays soul, punk, rock & indie dance, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

ABC SATURDAYS, ABC2, David Sinclair (Killer Kitsch) plays electro, house & pop, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

AUDIO, BLOC, House, techno & electro from DJ Aiden, 9pm-3am, Free BAD ROBOT, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Loose Joints & Stevie Elements play from rock to techno & breakbeats, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5), £2 GSA, free after 12am DBLSPK, BLACKFRIAR’S BASEMENT, Mweslee (Kindred Spirits) live, Zorfax live & Hudson Mohawk, 11pm-3am, £8 DIRTY RECORDZ, GUU, Paul N’Jie (Beat 106) plays current tunes, open decks downstairs, 10pm-2am, £3 (£2, £1), free b4 9pm DIVINE!, THE VIC BAR, Mr. Divine & Hushpuppy bring you northern soul, funk, ska & mod tunes with the Five Aces live, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5) GROOVEJET, MAS, Weekly house & RnB mix, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5) HIP DROP, BREL, Funk, soul, electro & disco from Robbie Rolex & Nel, 9pm-1am, Free HOME COOKIN’, BELO, Urban music showcase, 10pm3am, £7, free b4 11pm HOMEGROWN, BAMBOO, Stevie Sole Middleton, Domenic Martin & Scottie B play house and smooth RnB, jazz & funk, 9pm-3am, £5, free b4 10.30pm/12.30am students I LOVE THE GARAGE, THE GARAGE, Classics, 10.30pm3am, £7 (£5), £6 (£4) b4 12am INNER CITY ACID, SOUNDHAUS, Wonky techno madness with Si Begg & Cursor Miner, 11pm-4am, £tbc KARBON SATURDAYS, KARBON, Kev McFarlane, Stephen Lee, Woody play house & hip hop classics, 10.30pm3am, £tbc NU-SCHOOL, THE BUFF CLUB, Fresh northern soul, jazz & funk featuring live percussion, classics downstairs, 10.30pm-3am, £6 OPEN DEX, DEEP 6 (GUU), Bring your vinyl/CDs if you think you can do better, 9pm-1am, £1, £2 non-members SIREN, BLOC, KT Red & JT Hooker play house & electro, 10pm-3am, Free SUBCULTURE, THE SUB CLUB, Weekly snapshot of the everevolving house blueprint, 11pm-3am, £8, £5 b4 12am VOODOO, THE CATHOUSE, Under-18 club with metal, emo & punk, 5pm-9pm, £6 (£3)

LISTINGS

Opposite page: Black Velvet Skinny Trousers, French Connection £80 Trapeze Blouse with Black Pussy-Bow, H&M £24.99 Black Crocodile Patent Clutch Bag, Miss Selfridge £20 Black Leather Cuff, from a selection @ Brazen Studios This page: Black Taffeta Vintage Dress, H&M £34.99 Cream Fingerless Wool Gloves, Miss Selfridge £10 Black T-Bar Bow Detail Shoes, Office £40 Cream Necklace, from a selection @ Brazen Studios Stylist: Claire Morrison, Photographer: Adrian Barry, Make-up Artist: Ashley Murphy, Hair: Martin @ Anton Steele, Model: Sarah M @ Stolen.

Thanks to; Sarah at Brazen Studios www.brazenstudios.co.uk, Stockists; Raspberry Ripple & French Connection at Princes Square; Miss Selfridge & H&M at Buchanan Galleries; Office shoes, Buchanan Street; Brazen Studios, Merchant City.

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

13

LIFESTYLE THE BUNKER BAR, DJ Toast & Mash, 9pm-3am, Free

LISTINGS

SKINNY FASHION

CHIX ON DEX, CHINAWHITE, Rock, funkpunk & house all

mixed by lovely ladies, 10pm-3am, £4, free b4 11pm CIGARETTES & F**K ALL, THE BUTTERFLY & THE PIG, Craig McGee plays indie & rock ‘n’ roll, 9pm-late, Free CRUSH, QMU, With McSleazy (XFM) & his bootlegs, 10pm-2.15am, £2, £1 members DBLSPK, MACSORLEY’S, Sleepless Crew live, Muscle Beach live & David Barbarossa, 9pm-1am, £3 FREAKMOVES, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Fresh hip hop & funk cuts from the Freakmenoovers DJs, Record Playerz in the bar, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3) FREAKSCENE, POLAR BAR (ABC), Indie classics with John, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

BLOC + JAM, BLOC, Open mic night, 9pm-1am, Free THE FUNKY PRECEDENT, SAINT JUDE’S, Hip hop, funk, CLUB CUBA!, FAVELA, Latin rhythms, 9pm-late, Free soul & motown with D_Fade, Duncan Harvey & Boom CLUB PRIORY: RETOX ROOMS, BLANKET, RnB with DJ Monk Ben, 8pm-late, Free Richard Levinson, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3) HOMEBREW, THE SUB CLUB, Hip hop to nasty electro via COLD NIGHT SONG, THE GOAT, Guests & DJs play the rest with Tiff Peaches, Provinylist Karim Ill Technique acoustic gems, 8pm-late, Free & Groundskeeper GC, 11pm-3am, £3, £2 matric.

DISCO BADGER, BAMBOO, Classic house music all night card long from Dominic Martin, other boogie from Kash & LOLLIPOP, GUU, Pop, RnB & Indie, 10pm-2am, £3 (£2, Max, 10pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 10.30pm/12.30pm £1), free b4 9pm with matric ON DEMAND, THE SHED, DJ Euan takes requests by text JUNK, THE BUFF CLUB, Jazz & funk, with Marky Mark & message at this interactive club night, 10.30pm-3am, percussion by Duffy, 11pm-3am, £3, free with matric £3 OPTIMO, THE SUB CLUB, JD Twitch & Wilkes will play pretty PLASTIC FUNK, BAMBOO, Mark Robb, Tania & friends play funk, soul & rock n roll, 10.30pm-5am, £4 (£3), much anything and mix it well, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5) SPANK, THE CATHOUSE, Rock, punk & dance, 11pm-3am, free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric PUMP UP THE JAM, SSU, Old school cheese, live bands £4 (£2), free b4 1am with PIYP & funky house, £2 THE BUNKER BAR, Neil Wyper playing new & old rock & RADIOMAGNETIC, GAZELLE, Funk, soul & latin grooves electronica, 9pm-late, Free with Radiomagnetic DJs, From 8pm, Free RECORD PLAYERZ, THE VIC BAR, Hi-Fi Sean & Hushpuppy BURN, THE BUFF CLUB, Glasgow institition with Normski & play disco electro, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3) Zeus playing underground classics, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), RUBBERMENSCH, ABC2, A night for indie lovers, 11pmfree for pub/club workers 3am, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

ELETRICAT DANCE GROUP, RSAMD, Brazilian Street SKINT, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, DJ Billy with metal & rock, Dance classes, 6pm-7pm, £4 (£3.50), £3 RSAMD 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with PIYP FRESH, THE POLO LOUNGE, Popular gay venue with house THE THURSDAY CLUB, THE GARAGE, Gerry Lyons & Brian & indie, 11pm-3am, £5 playing chart anthems, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 POPTIMISM/ROCKTIMISM, THE GARAGE, DJ Andy & DJ 12am with PIYP Dec, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP THE CATHOUSE, Barry & Andy with all things rock,

10.30pm-3am, £6 (£5), free b4 12am with PIYP CHINAWHITE, DJ Naeem playing main room RnB & classics, Mirrirbaw playing dunky house in the Mao room, 10pm-3am, £10 THE GOAT, Paul Needles, 8pm-late, Free MACSORLEYS, Jazz band downstairs, Paul Cawley & Karim The Pro-Vinylist upstairs, 9pm-late, Free REPUBLIC BIER HALLE, Leftfield music & pizzas, 9pm-12am, Free

SUNDAY 14 JAN

MONDAY 15 JAN

TUESDAY 16 JAN

FRIDAY 19 JAN

ABC FRIDAYS, ABC1, Genre mash-up from Euan Neilson,

11pm-3am, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

ANIMAL FARM, BLOC, House, techno & electro with ABOLICANO CAPOEIRA SCOTLAND, RSAMD, Brazilian Turtle & Quaill, 10pm-3am, Free BALLBREAKER, THE CATHOUSE, Barry & Billy with rock & martial art with dance & music, 6pm-7.30pm, £tbc ALL STAR, BAMBOO, Andy Wilson plays funk with DJ Kash metal, 10.30pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free b4 11.30am with PIYP on the hip pop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 11pm/ BOOGIE DOWN, BLUU, The groove-merchant Stewart 12.30am with matric DUB & GRUB, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Snacks, meals Reid plays a jazz, disco & house sound, 10pm-3am, £5, free b4 11pm & Mungo’s HiFi, 5pm-late, Free FOLK IT!, THE MIXING ROOMS, Up & coming folk musician BROWN BAGGIN’ IT, THE GARAGE, Retro, britpop, alternative, chill, RnB & soul, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free session, From 8pm, Free b4 11.30pm with PIYP FUNKY LUV, PLAY, Driving vocal house, 10pm-3am, £5, CHEW THE FAT!, THE SUB CLUB, Breaks DJs Stanton £3 NUS Warriors are the guests, 11pm-3am, £10 INFLATABLE FUN, THE GARAGE, Naughty Nicola with inflatables & groovy tunes, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 COMPUTELOVE, THE MIXING ROOMS, Electronic sounds, From 8pm, Free 12am with PIYP KALEIDOSCOPE LIVE, ABC2, Old school rock & roll, soul, ELECTROBALL, KARBON, 80’s, nu-wave, rock & punk, 10.30pm-3am, £tbc funk, from the 1960’s-1980’s, 10pm-3am, £3, free FLUID, MAS, Funky house from Lisa Littlewood, 11pmwith matric. After 12am KILLER KITSCH, THE BUFF CLUB, Electroclash & that, 11pm- 3am, £5 FREAKMENOOVERS, RUST BAR, Early doors serving of 3am, £4 (£3) REVOLUTION, QMU, Rock & punk with Martin Bate (XFM), hip hop, funk, RnB & soul, 9pm-12am, Free FREAKMENOOVERS, BLANKET, Fresh hip hop & funk cuts 10pm-2.15am, £2, £1 members from the Freakmenoovers DJs, 11pm-3am, £6 (£4) T.I.T., KARBON, Lisa Littlewood & Graeme Ferguson, 10.30pm-3am, £5 (£4) NOJ, POLAR BAR (ABC), No Music Policy, 11pm-3am, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

ART OF PARTIES, OLD SCHOOL, THE BUFF CLUB, Old school tunes with GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Live acts & DJs from across Gordie & Jack, 10.30pm-3am, £6 the genres, 10.30pm-3am, £4 - £0 RED & GOLD ROOM, ARTA, Soul musak, 10pm-3am, £7, free b4 11pm DELIVERANCE, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, DJ Dec with ROCKET, BAMBOO, House music from Geoff M, hip hop alternative music, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12am with PIYP & lounge from Junior Campos & Max, 9pm-3am, £5, free b4 10.30pm/12.30am students ELETRICAT DANCE GROUP, RSAMD, Brazilian Street SOUND MUSEUM, BREL, DJ Hushpuppy (Art School) Dance classes, 6pm-7pm, £4 (£3.50), £3 RSAMD & Chris Geddes (Belle & Sebastian) dig out some retro GOSSIP, SSU, Gay/mixed night with DJ Ricci, 8pm-late, Free soul, 9pm-1am, Free JOINTS & JAMS, CUBE, The Longest running RnB night in STEREODOG, CHINAWHITE, Mr. Livewire & Gary Curley Glasgow, 11pm-3am, £3 (£2) play house, 10pm-3am, £8 (£5) MJAM SALSA, LIPTONS, Salsa classes from 8pm with SYMBIOSIS, SOUNDHAUS, Drum & bass with guests, Chris Traynor, free club from 10.15pm, 8pm-12am, Free 10.30pm-4am, £tbc TFI FRIDAY, SSU, DJ Phil, 4pm-3am, £2 after 5pm, free NEW FLESH, FURY MURRY’S, Rock, metal, punk, rap, 4 students industrial & alternative music, 10pm-3am, £4, £2 from VANDAL, LIQUID LOUNGE, House sessions with residents 10pm-11pm, £1 with flyer/after 11pm Mash & Gianni, 10pm-3am, £5 TONGUE IN CHEEK, BAMBOO, Lounge, RnB & indie, 10pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with matric VICE, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, Indie rock party with Martin WHATEVER, THE GARAGE, Andy & Brian, chart music, Bate (Xfm), 11pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP b4 11.30pm with PIYP THE BUNKER BAR, Martin Bate (Beat 106) plays vintage rock XPLICIT, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Drum & bass, £tbc & indie, 9pm-late, Free THE BUNKER BAR, Tam Coyle plays vintage rock & indie, 9pm-3am, Free *.*, THE BUFF THE GOAT, Robbie Rolex & The Radio Magnetic CLUB, Rock’n’roll & northern soul, 11pm-3am, £3 Soundsystem on Weekly Rotation, 8pm-late, Free ABOLICANO CAPOEIRA SCOTLAND, RSAMD, Brazilian CUBE FRIDAYS, Urban tunes from Clyde 1’a George Bowie, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3) martial art with dance & music, 6pm-7.30pm, £tbc BABAZA, BELO, Hip hop with the funk, 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 11pm

12 HOUR TUESDAYS, SSU, Chart music & live comedy, 3pm-3am, £2, free b4 3pm

WEDNESDAY 17 JAN,

THURSDAY 18TH JANUARY,

SATURDAY 20 JAN

12 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

LIFESTYLE LISTINGS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

53

ABC SATURDAYS, ABC1, Gerry Lyons plays soul, punk, rock & indie dance, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

ABC SATURDAYS, ABC2, David Sinclair (Killer Kitsch) plays electro, house & pop, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

AUDIO, BLOC, House, techno & electro from DJ Aiden, 9pm-3am, Free BAD ROBOT, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Loose Joints & Stevie Elements play from rock to techno & breakbeats, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5), £2 GSA, free after 12am BEAUTIFUL SOUP, BLOC, Eclectic music with Aldo & John, 10pm-3am, Free DEATH DISCO, THE ARCHES, Gucci Soundsystem (Riton & Ben Fat Trucker), 10pm-3am, £12 DIRTY RECORDZ, GUU, Paul N’Jie (Beat 106) plays current tunes, open decks downstairs, 10pm-2am, £3 (£2, £1), free b4 9pm DIVINE!, THE VIC BAR, Mr. Divine & Hushpuppy bring you northern soul, funk & mod tunes, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5) GOODFOOT, RIVERSIDE CLUB, Northern soul, motown & funk, 10.30pm-3am, £7 GROOVEJET, MAS, Weekly house & RnB mix, 11pm3am, £7 (£5) HIP DROP, BREL, Funk, soul, electro & disco from Robbie Rolex & Nel, 9pm-1am, Free HOME COOKIN’, BELO, Urban music showcase, 10pm3am, £7, free b4 11pm HOMEGROWN, BAMBOO, Stevie Sole Middleton, Domenic Martin & Scottie B play house and smooth RnB, jazz & funk, 9pm-3am, £5, free b4 10.30pm/ 12.30am students I LOVE THE GARAGE, THE GARAGE, Classics, 10.30pm3am, £7 (£5), £6 (£4) b4 12am KARBON SATURDAYS, KARBON, Kev McFarlane, Stephen Lee, Woody play house & hip hop classics, 10.30pm-3am, £tbc MONOX, SOUNDHAUS, Techno session with Echoplex, Sugar Experiment Station & Lusinda, 11pm-5am, £10 NU-SCHOOL, THE BUFF CLUB, Fresh northern soul, jazz & funk featuring live percussion, classics downstairs, 10.30pm-3am, £6 OPEN DEX, DEEP 6 (GUU), Bring your vinyl/CDs if you think you can do better, 9pm-1am, £1, £2 nonmembers SUBCULTURE, THE SUB CLUB, Weekly snapshot of the ever-evolving house blueprint, 11pm-3am, £8, £5 b4 12am VOODOO, THE CATHOUSE, Under-18 club with metal, emo & punk, 5pm-9pm, £6 (£3) THE BUNKER BAR, DJ Toast & Mash, 9pm-3am, Free THE CATHOUSE, Barry & Andy with all things rock, 10.30pm-3am, £6 (£5), free b4 12am with PIYP CHINAWHITE, DJ Naeem playing main room RnB & classics, Mirrirbaw playing dunky house in the Mao room, 10pm-3am, £10 THE GOAT, Paul Needles, 8pm-late, Free MACSORLEYS, Jazz band downstairs, Paul Cawley & Karim The Pro-Vinylist upstairs, 9pm-late, Free REPUBLIC BIER HALLE, Leftfield music & pizzas, 9pm12am, Free

Kash on the hip pop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric DUB & GRUB, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Snacks, meals & Mungo’s HiFi, 5pm-late, Free FOLK IT!, THE MIXING ROOMS, Up & coming folk musician session, From 8pm, Free FUNKY LUV, PLAY, Driving vocal house, 10pm-3am, £5, £3 NUS INFLATABLE FUN, THE GARAGE, Naughty Nicola with inflatables & groovy tunes, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 12am with PIYP KALEIDOSCOPE LIVE, ABC2, Old school rock & roll, soul, funk, from the 1960’s-1980’s, 10pm-3am, £3, free with matric. After 12am KILLER KITSCH, THE BUFF CLUB, Electroclash & that, 11pm3am, £4 (£3) REVOLUTION, QMU, Rock & punk with Martin Bate (XFM), 10pm-2.15am, £2, £1 members ROCK KARAOKE, THE CATHOUSE, Karaoke to rock, Free b4 12am T.I.T., KARBON, Lisa Littlewood & Graeme Ferguson, 10.30pm-3am, £5 (£4)

WEDNESDAY 24 JAN

ART OF PARTIES, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Live acts & DJs from across the genres, 10.30pm-3am, £4 - £0 DELIVERANCE, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, alternative music, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12am with PIYP ELETRICAT DANCE GROUP, RSAMD, Brazilian Street Dance classes, 6pm-7pm, £4 (£3.50), £3 RSAMD GOSSIP, SSU, Gay/mixed night, 8pm-late, Free JOINTS & JAMS, CUBE, The Longest running RnB night in Glasgow, 11pm-3am, £3 (£2) MJAM SALSA, LIPTONS, Salsa classes from 8pm with Chris Traynor, free club from 10.15pm, 8pm-12am, Free NEW FLESH, FURY MURRY’S, Rock, metal, punk, rap, industrial & alternative music, 10pm-3am, £4, £2 from 10pm-11pm, £1 with flyer/after 11pm OCTOPUSSY, THE ARCHES, Student night with a bouncy castle, swimming pool?, jacuzzi?? & wedding chapel???, 10pm-3am, £4 TONGUE IN CHEEK, BAMBOO, Lounge, RnB & indie, 10pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with matric WHATEVER, THE GARAGE, Andy & Brian, chart music, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP THE BUNKER BAR, Martin Bate (Beat 106) plays vintage rock & indie, 9pm-late, Free

THURSDAY 25 JAN

*.*, THE BUFF CLUB, Rock’n’roll & northern, 11pm-3am, £3 ABOLICANO CAPOEIRA SCOTLAND, RSAMD, Brazilian

martial art with dance & music, 6pm-7.30pm, £tbc BABAZA, BELO, Hip hop with the funk, 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 11pm CHIX ON DEX, CHINAWHITE, Rock, funkpunk & house all mixed by lovely ladies, 10pm-3am, £4, free b4 11pm CIGARETTES & F**K ALL, THE BUTTERFLY & THE PIG, Craig McGee plays indie & rock ‘n’ roll, 9pm-late, Free CRUSH, QMU, With McSleazy (XFM) & his bootlegs, 10pm-2.15am, £2, £1 members FREAKMOVES, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Fresh hip hop & funk cuts from the Freakmenoovers DJs, Record Playerz in the bar, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3) FREAKSCENE, POLAR BAR (ABC), Indie classics with John, BLOC + JAM, BLOC, Open mic night, 9pm-1am, Free 11pm-3am, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

CLUB CUBA!, FAVELA, Latin rhythms, 9pm-late, Free THE FUNKY PRECEDENT, SAINT JUDE’S, Hip hop, funk, CLUB PRIORY: RETOX ROOMS, BLANKET, RnB with DJ soul & motown with D_Fade, Duncan Harvey & Boom Richard Levinson, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3) Monk Ben, 8pm-late, Free COLD NIGHT SONG, THE GOAT, Guests & DJs play HOMEBREW, THE SUB CLUB, Hip hop to nasty electro via acoustic gems, 8pm-late, Free the rest with Tiff Peaches, Provinylist Karim Ill Technique DISCO BADGER, BAMBOO, Classic house Dominic Martin, other boogie from Kash & Max, 10pm-3am, £5 & Groundskeeper GC, 11pm-3am, £3, £2 matric. card LOLLIPOP, GUU, Pop, RnB & Indie, 10pm-2am, £3 (£2, (£3), free b4 10.30pm/12.30pm with matric £1), free b4 9pm JUNK, THE BUFF CLUB, Jazz & funk, with Marky Mark featuring live percussion by Duffy, 11pm-3am, £3, free ON DEMAND, THE SHED, DJ Euan takes requests by text message at this interactive club night, 10.30pm-3am, £3 with matric PLASTIC FUNK, BAMBOO, Mark Robb, Tania & friends OPTIMO, THE SUB CLUB, JD Twitch & Wilkes will play play funk, soul & rock n roll, 10.30pm-5am, £4 (£3), anything and mix it well, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5) free b4 11pm/12.30am with matric SPANK, THE CATHOUSE, Rock, punk & dance, 11pmPUMP UP THE JAM, SSU, Old school cheese, live bands & 3am, £4 (£2), free b4 1am with PIYP funky house, £2 THE BUNKER BAR, Neil Wyper playing new & old rock & RADIOMAGNETIC, GAZELLE, Funk, soul & latin grooves electronica, 9pm-late, Free with Radiomagnetic DJs, From 8pm, Free RECORD PLAYERZ, THE VIC BAR, Hi-Fi Sean & Hushpuppy BURN, THE BUFF CLUB, Glasgow institition with Normski play disco electro, 11pm-3am, £4 (£3) & Zeus playing underground classics, 11pm-3am, £5 RUBBERMENSCH, ABC2, A night for indie lovers, 11pm(£3), free for pub/club workers 3am, £4 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

ELETRICAT DANCE GROUP, RSAMD, Brazilian Street SKINT, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, DJ Billy with metal hip hop Dance classes, 6pm-7pm, £4 (£3.50), £3 RSAMD & rock, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with FRESH, THE POLO LOUNGE, Popular gay venue with house PIYP THE THURSDAY CLUB, THE GARAGE, Gerry Lyons & Brian & indie, 11pm-3am, £5 POPTIMISM/ROCKTIMISM, THE GARAGE, DJ Andy & DJ playing chart anthems, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 Dec, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP 12am with PIYP

SUNDAY 21 JAN

MONDAY 22 JAN

TUESDAY 23 JAN

FRIDAY 26 JAN

3pm-3am, £2, free b4 3pm

11pm-3am, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

BALLBREAKER, THE CATHOUSE, Barry & Billy with rock & metal, 10.30pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free b4 11.30am with PIYP BOOGIE DOWN, BLUU, The groove-merchant Stewart

12 HOUR TUESDAYS, SSU, Chart music & live comedy, ABOLICANO CAPOEIRA SCOTLAND, RSAMD, Brazilian martial art with dance & music, 6pm-7.30pm, £tbc ALL STAR, BAMBOO, Andy Wilson plays funk with DJ

54

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

ABC FRIDAYS, ABC1, Genre mash-up from Euan Neilson,

YELLOW BOX DENOTES SKINNY HIGHLIGHTS

Reid plays a jazz, disco & house sound, 10pm-3am, £5, free b4 11pm BROWN BAGGIN’ IT, THE GARAGE, Retro, britpop, alternative, chill, RnB & soul, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 11.30pm with PIYP COMPUTELOVE, THE MIXING ROOMS, Electronic sounds, From 8pm, Free DAS BOOT, BLOC, Eclectic night, 10pm-3am, Free ELECTROBALL, KARBON, 80’s, nu-wave, rock & punk, 10.30pm-3am, £tbc FLUID, MAS, Funky house from Lisa Littlewood, 11pm3am, £5 FREAKMENOOVERS, RUST BAR, Early doors serving of hip hop, funk, RnB & soul, 9pm-12am, Free FREAKMENOOVERS, BLANKET, Fresh hip hop & funk cuts from the Freakmenoovers DJs, 11pm-3am, £6 (£4) MUNGO’S HIFI, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Dub, reggae, dancehall, , £tbc NOJ, POLAR BAR (ABC), No Music Policy, 11pm-3am, £6 (£4), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

OLD SCHOOL, THE BUFF CLUB, Old school tunes with Gordie & Jack, 10.30pm-3am, £6 PRESSURE, THE ARCHES, Dave Clarke, Slam, ROBERT HOOD, Tom Middleton, Silicone Soul, Andrew Weatherall & Ivan Smagghe, 10.30pm-3am, £19 RED & GOLD ROOM, ARTA, Soul musak, 10pm-3am, £7, free b4 11pm ROCKET, BAMBOO, House music from Geoff M, hip hop & lounge from Junior Campos & Max, 9pm-3am, £5, free b4 10.30pm/12.30am students SOUND MUSEUM, BREL, DJ Hushpuppy (Art School) & Chris Geddes (Belle & Sebastian) dig out some retro soul, 9pm-1am, Free STEREODOG, CHINAWHITE, Mr. Livewire & Gary Curley play house, 10pm-3am, £8 (£5) TFI FRIDAY, SSU, DJ Phil, 4pm-3am, £2 after 5pm, free 4 students VANDAL, LIQUID LOUNGE, House sessions with residents Mash & Gianni, 10pm-3am, £5 VICE, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, Indie rock party with Martin Bate (Xfm), 11pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 b4 11.30pm, free b4 11.30pm with PIYP THE BUNKER BAR, Tam Coyle plays vintage rock & indie, 9pm-3am, Free THE GOAT, Robbie Rolex & The Radio Magnetic Soundsystem on Weekly Rotation, 8pm-late, Free CUBE FRIDAYS, Urban tunes from Clyde 1’a George Bowie, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3)

SATURDAY 27 JAN

ABC SATURDAYS, ABC1, Gerry Lyons plays soul, punk, rock & indie dance, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

ABC SATURDAYS, ABC2, David Sinclair (Killer Kitsch) plays electro, house & pop, 11pm-3am, £7 (£5), free b4 11.30pm with matric.

AUDIO, BLOC, DJ Aiden, 9pm-3am, Free BAD ROBOT, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Loose Joints & Stevie Elements play from rock to techno & breakbeats, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5), £2 GSA, free after 12am DANCE CLUB, THE HOLD (ADMIRAL BAR), Live set from Nut Bros plus Billy Woods, Bobby Balmain, ProVinylist Karim & 7”, 10pm-3am, £5 DIRTY RECORDZ, GUU, Paul N’Jie (Beat 106) plays current tunes, open decks downstairs, 10pm-2am, £3 (£2, £1), free b4 9pm DIVINE!, THE VIC BAR, Mr. Divine & Hushpuppy bring you northern soul, funk, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5) GROOVEJET, MAS, Weekly house & RnB mix, 11pm3am, £7 (£5) FANTAZIA, BRAEHEAD ARENA, Hard dance, £tbc HIP DROP, BREL, Funk, soul, electro & disco from Robbie Rolex & Nel, 9pm-1am, Free HOME COOKIN’, BELO, Urban music showcase, 10pm3am, £7, free b4 11pm HOMEGROWN, BAMBOO, Stevie Sole Middleton, Domenic Martin & Scottie B play house and smooth RnB, jazz & funk, 9pm-3am, £5, free b4 10.30pm/ 12.30am students I LOVE THE GARAGE, THE GARAGE, Classics, 10.30pm3am, £7 (£5), £6 (£4) b4 12am INSIDE OUT, THE ARCHES, Hard house & trance, 10pm3am, £tbc KARBON SATURDAYS, KARBON, Kev McFarlane, Stephen Lee, Woody play house & hip hop classics, 10.30pm-3am, £tbc MELTING POT, RIVERSIDE CLUB, Disco & classic trax, £tbc NU-SCHOOL, THE BUFF CLUB, Fresh northern soul, jazz & funk featuring live percussion, classics downstairs, 10.30pm-3am, £6 OPEN DEX, DEEP 6 (GUU), Bring your vinyl/CDs if you think you can do better, 9pm-1am, £1, £2 nonmembers SUBCULTURE, THE SUB CLUB, Weekly snapshot of the everevolving house blueprint, 11pm-3am, £8, £5 b4 12am VEGAS, THE FERRY, Rat-pack, lounge, retro, swing, latin & soul, 9.30pm-late, VOODOO, THE CATHOUSE, Under-18 club with metal,

emo & punk, £9, £7 for the fabulously dressed, £6 (£3) THE BUNKER BAR, DJ Toast & Mash, 9pm-3am, Free THE CATHOUSE, Barry & Andy with all things rock, 10.30pm-3am, £6 (£5), free b4 12am with PIYP CHINAWHITE, DJ Naeem playing main room RnB & classics, Mirrirbaw playing dunky house in the Mao room, 10pm-3am, £10 THE GOAT, Paul Needles, 8pm-late, Free MACSORLEYS, Jazz band downstairs, Paul Cawley & Karim The Pro-Vinylist upstairs, 9pm-late, Free REPUBLIC BIER HALLE, Leftfield & pizzas, 9pm-12am, Free

SUNDAY 28 JAN

BLOC + JAM, BLOC, Open mic night, 9pm-1am, Free CLUB CUBA!, FAVELA, Latin rhythms, 9pm-late, Free CLUB PRIORY: RETOX ROOMS, BLANKET, RnB with DJ Richard Levinson, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3) COLD NIGHT SONG, THE GOAT, Guests & DJs play acoustic gems, 8pm-late, Free DISCO BADGER, BAMBOO, Classic house music all night long from Dominic Martin, other boogie from Kash & Max, 10pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 10.30pm/12.30pm with matric JUNK, THE BUFF CLUB, Jazz & funk, with Marky Mark featuring live percussion by Duffy, 11pm-3am, £3, free with matric OPTIMO, THE SUB CLUB, JD Twitch & Wilkes will play pretty much anything and mix it well, 11pm-3am, £6 (£5) SPANK, THE CATHOUSE, Rock, punk & dance, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 1am with PIYP THE BUNKER BAR, Neil Wyper playing new & old rock & electronica, 9pm-late, Free

LIFESTYLE

LISTINGS GLASGOW CLUBS

Fashion Addicts Anonymous

N A T TAR FOR A MORE SUBTLE APPROACH, GO FOR DARK BLUE OR BOTTLE GREEN TARTANS, WHICH LOOK GREAT IN MACS AND OVERCOATS.

Tartan has clad Highland clans since the 3rd century AD. For this reason alone it should surely be relegated to the rear pages of history textbooks. From kitsch tartan tablecloths to your granny’s shortbread tin, tartan has never been, well, cool. But the national plaid has risen like a haggis from the heather-bed and is currently experiencing a mammoth global revival. Everyone from Bottega Veneta to Alexander McQueen featured tartan in their autumn/winter 07 collections, paying tribute to the potency of the iconic patter. And it is slowly but surely seeping onto our high streets and into our wardrobes. Just make sure you get it right, as it’s a tricky wee bugger to pull off.

MONDAY 29 JAN

BURN, THE BUFF CLUB, Glasgow institition with Normski &

Always

Zeus, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free for pub/club workers ELETRICAT DANCE GROUP, RSAMD, Brazilian Street Dance classes, 6pm-7pm, £4 (£3.50), £3 RSAMD FRESH, THE POLO LOUNGE, Popular gay venue with house & indie, 11pm-3am, £5 POPTIMISM/ROCKTIMISM, THE GARAGE, DJ Andy & DJ Dec, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP

Keep it simple: strapless tartan dresses with matching tights and mini kilts worn with statement tartan capes. Full-on tartan certainly has its place, but this is usually in Harry Potter or glossy American golf magazines. Tartan is best restricted to one item per outfit. Embrace this rule. Opt for tartan tights with a simple black jumper dress or a snug, tailored tartan suit jacket with your favourite jeans. For a more subtle approach, go for dark blue or bottle green tartans, which look great on macs and overcoats. Check out Topshop’s Tartan Smock Coat by Boutique (£85.00). [see picture]

TUESDAY 30 JAN

12 HOUR TUESDAYS, SSU, Chart music & live comedy, 3pm-3am, £2, free b4 3pm

ABOLICANO CAPOEIRA SCOTLAND, RSAMD, Brazilian martial art with dance & music, 6pm-7.30pm, £tbc ALL STAR, BAMBOO, Andy Wilson plays funk with DJ Kash on the hip pop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 11pm/ 12.30am with matric DUB & GRUB, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Snacks, meals & Mungo’s HiFi, 5pm-late, Free FOLK IT!, THE MIXING ROOMS, Up & coming folk musician session, From 8pm, Free FUNKY LUV, PLAY, Driving vocal house, 10pm-3am, £5, £3 NUS INFLATABLE FUN, THE GARAGE, Naughty Nicola with inflatables & groovy tunes, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free b4 12am with PIYP KALEIDOSCOPE LIVE, ABC2, Old school rock & roll, soul, funk, from the 1960’s-1980’s, 10pm-3am, £3, free with matric. After 12am KILLER KITSCH, THE BUFF CLUB, Electroclash & that, 11pm3am, £4 (£3) REVOLUTION, QMU, Rock & punk with Martin Bate (XFM), 10pm-2.15am, £2, £1 members ROCK KARAOKE, THE CATHOUSE, Karaoke to rock, Free b4 12am T.I.T., KARBON, Lisa Littlewood & Graeme Ferguson, 10.30pm-3am, £5 (£4)

WEDNESDAY 31 JAN

ART OF PARTIES, GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, Live acts & DJs from across the genres, 10.30pm-3am, £4 - £0 DELIVERANCE, THE CATHOUSE - LEVEL 2, DJ Dec with alternative music, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12am with PIYP ELETRICAT DANCE GROUP, RSAMD, Brazilian Street Dance classes, 6pm-7pm, £4 (£3.50), £3 RSAMD GOSSIP, SSU, Gay/mixed night with DJ Ricci, 8pm-late, Free JOINTS & JAMS, CUBE, The Longest running RnB night in Glasgow, 11pm-3am, £3 (£2) MJAM SALSA, LIPTONS, Salsa classes from 8pm with Chris Traynor, free club from 10.15pm, 8pm-12am, Free NEW FLESH, FURY MURRY’S, Rock, metal, punk, rap, industrial & alternative music, 10pm-3am, £4, £2 from 10pm-11pm, £1 with flyer/after 11pm OCTOPUSSY, THE ARCHES, Student night with a bouncy castle, swimming pool?, jacuzzi?? & wedding chapel???, 10pm-3am, £4 TONGUE IN CHEEK, BAMBOO, Lounge, RnB & indie, 10pm-3am, £4 (£2), free b4 12.30am with matric WHATEVER, THE GARAGE, Andy & Brian, chart music, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3), free +1 b4 12am with PIYP THE BUNKER BAR, Martin Bate (Beat 106) plays vintage rock & indie, 9pm-late, Free

LISTINGS

Avoid The tartan clad Highlander-look is slightly off beam, so avoid the traditional kilt and obvious accessories such as bagpipes, the sporran and the ‘Oor Wullie’ bunnet. Let’s face it, a bulky kilt is far from the most flattering of fashion items for women. Think sexy splashes, such as an outsized tartan scarf, as opposed to full William Wallace battle get-up. Also, try to avoid garish tartans designed for the likes of military forces, special interest groups, religious movements (including Krishnas), football clubs and whisky-drinking societies. Keep it simple and stick to the good-old fashioned red MacKenzie tartan. Oh and avoid Burberry, a.k.a. the Chav’s tartan. Do I really need to explain?

Acquire Well, let’s not beat about the bush: the ultimate tartan item would have to come from none other than Queen Vivienne Westwood, and specifically her ‘Red Label’ collection. Westwood first transported tartan from the depths of the rural Highlands back in the eighties and continues to wow with her sexy plaid swing coats, pencil skirts, cropped jackets and corsets. True genius and so damn sexy. However, for those of us on a more modest budget, amble along to Dorothy Perkins and pick-up their cute little red tartan mini kilt with a naughty underlayer of lace (£20), or head along to H&M for a selection of bold red and yellow tartan tights from £4.

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

11

EDINBURGH CLUBS THURSDAY 4TH JANUARY

Gato, free classes from 10pm, 11pm-3am, Free RETRIBUTION, STUDIO 24, Goth music for the old, 11pm& electro, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3) 3am, £5, £3 students BEAT ROOT JUICE CLUB, THE JAZZ BAR, Live afrobeat, SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY, THE JAZZ BAR, Erik D’Viking & latin & ska from resident band The Goat Stew Orchestra Astroboy, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm & resident DJ B*Wax, 10pm-3am, Free CLASS!, SUBWAY COWGATE, DJ Lucky Luciano plays vin- SEITEKI SATURDAYS, TOKYO, Funky house, 11pm-3am, £6 tage cheese, student anthems & requests, 11pm-3am, SOPHISTIFUNK, CITY, John Hutchison (Tokyoblu) plays £2, £1 students, free b4 12am house remixes, funky RnB & bootlegs, 11pm-3am, £8 GENETIC, CITRUS CLUB, Night of rock anthems, 11pmSOULCIAL, BAR 99, Dennis Probert & Yogi Haughton with 3am, £2 GRAFITTI, MEDINA, Kipp$ & Master Caird play party tunes the early soul session, 4pm-9pm, Free TEASE AGE, CITRUS CLUB, All things rock, motown, alterall night, 10pm-3am, £3 (£2) HOUSEBOUND, EGO, Sexy house, funky stuff, electro & native & soul, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm disco with DJs from Edinburgh & Glasgow, 10pm-3am, YUMMI RECORDS, PIVO CAFFE, Yummi Records showcase - DJs & local talent, 5pm-3am, Free £5

by Ema Johnson

THIS MONTH: LUCY MACLEOD

LUCKYME, CITY CAFÉ, Hip hop, soul & off beats, 8.30pm-1am, Free

SALSA DISCO, CUBA NORTE, Salsa dance & tasty tapas, 10pm-1am, Free

SOULED OUT, OPAL LOUNGE, Soul, disco & dance with

L

ucy MacLeod is sobbing. I have come round to her flat, but she is finding it hard to talk to me as she’s so upset. She has just been released from Edinburgh Art College, and is unable to see how four years of Fine Art tuition could help her survive the real world.

“What am I gonna do?” she asks in near-despair.

approach to illustration which has definitely become a strength. I definitely lacked the seriousness and, dare I say, pretentiousness, for a career in fine art. I just wanted to make good pictures. All in all though, the experience was positive and I still really miss having lots of people around me making things. It was a bit magical.

That was five years ago.

How did you arrive at illustration?

Today, I meet Lucy again in her home. All around us is evidence of her newly shaped family existence. Toys and books are strewn on the floor. The Teletubbies sing happily from the TV, much to the delight of her gorgeous one year-old daughter Maisie. “Did you know the baby in the sun is twelve now?” ‘The baby in the sun’ is not as portentous as it sounds: anyone familiar with the kids’ programme will be aware Lucy’s questions have lost their philosophical panic.

I discovered illustration by accident. I moped around a bit after college feeling bitter at everybody and everything. Then a friend gave me a second-hand computer with Photoshop installed on it. I just started mucking around with it until I realised that the work I was doing might constitute illustration. I got a few pictures together and started sending them around to various magazines, publishers and agents. If my memory serves me right, I was one hundred percent rejected. But I felt really strongly that I had the potential to get somewhere with it. I just kept doing more work and sending it off relentlessly.

What has she been up to, to bring about this dramatic change?

Well, her super sexy illustrations have just landed in London’s uberchic Fashion & Textiles Museum as part of the Production Lines exhibition - and that’s not all. Lucy already boasts an impressive client list, including the current British Airways campaign for BBH, La Perla, Smirnoff, Diva Magazine, The Independent, The Times, Channel 4, and Nylon Magazine. The list goes on.

In the flesh Lucy is a combination of Liza Minnelli, Trinny of Trinny and Suzanna, Sharon Osborne, and Erin O’Connor - all rolled into one. Her drawings reflect her impeccable observations and her vivacious sense of humour.

They say the pen is mightier than the sword. When did you start wielding your weapon?

My weapon of choice is generally charcoal. Occasionally I’ll use the pencil if I’m feeling a bit anal. I started wielding my ‘weapon’ on a semi-professional basis when I was pretty young - shitty pavement drawing competitions on ‘holiday’ in Aberdeen. I wasn’t best pleased when my little sister, who could barely draw, blatantly copied my design, bastardised it, then came in first place. She won a cup and a Barbie doll. Naturally, I boycotted the prize-giving ceremony. On the drive home in the car I executed my finest diva strop, tearing the head off said Barbie. It was then I realised I may have a bit of a competitive streak. I must point out that shortly after this event a matchstick hedgehog drawing I had done was featured in Tony Hart’s gallery on TV. Sweet, sweet revenge.

How did you land in ECA, and what were your experiences there?

I landed at ECA via Telford College’s “portfolio preparation” course.

I have always felt a bit guilty about it, though. All I did was find out what I needed for my portfolio at the beginning of the year, then did bugger all for the rest of it. I didn’t even bother turning up at the end, and just spent two weeks drawing and painting wildly, recruiting various members of my family, passing tradesmen and animals to pose for me. A paper mache mask sticks in my memory.

Also, I’m ashamed to say I ‘borrowed’ a couple of my Mum’s drawings (she studied painting at college in the Sixties) to ensure my entry. Will my degree be robbed from me after this sordid confession?

Anyway, college was a whirlwind of various viral diseases, much posing around and lots of smoking. With my work judged to be “too good-looking” by the tutors, painting was probably the wrong course for me. But I’m glad I did it, as it’s given me a more painterly

10 ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

After a few months, a couple of web magazines picked up some pictures and slowly feedback became more positive. It took ages to get paid work, though, and my first experience woke me up to the reality of those who commission illustration. Not to name names, but let’s just say The Shmindependent came calling one day, asking to use one of my illustrations for a weekend supplement feature.

Flattered and excited at my first paid job, I accepted their pathetic offer of £60.00 - only to learn that they had then used it for the cover of the supplement. They then added insult to injury by sending me a cheque for £40.00. After a meek complaint I was sent another cheque for £10.00. Whoopee!

Nowadays, I’m willing to say no to a job if the pay is rotten, or if they’re trying to get something from me for nothing. But with work so hard to find, I can understand people doing freebies and whatnot. Unfortunately it affects all illustrators, as commissioners think they can take advantage of you knowing that if you say no, someone else is willing to do it for l it t le or no fee. You would never dream of asking a plu mb e r t o mend your toilet for no money, or go into a shop and offer them ‘exp o su re’ for wea r ing their clothes, so I don’t see why these people get away with it.

PARTY NIGHT, EL BARRIO, Salsa night with DJ Papi & Alex

ALTER EGO, PO NA NA, DJ Diverse with indie, rock n roll

Future Projects?

Look out for a range of fashion and textiles in 2007 with a shop added onto the website www.lucymacleod.com. There will be many shenanigans with 4WALL. Currently 4WALL have taken over a square in Bermondsey, and the London Fashion and Textiles Museum, for Production Lines, a two week event. There is an illustration ‘supergroup’ exhibition [line-up includes: McFaul, Richard May, David Foldvari, Daisy De Villeneuve, Container, I LOVE DUST and Lucy MacLeod], fashion events, and a 99p tombola of postcards. The tombola contains drawings by Bono, Ken Livingstone, Tracey Emin and the likes, as well as random Bermondsey schoolchildren, passers-by, etcetera, just to mix it up.

Have you become the person you wanted to be when you grew up?

Absolutely not. I wanted to be adopted for starters (kidding, Mum and Dad). I saw myself as a trapeze artist. I had an overwhelming desire to be upside down. I was forced to make do with the swing in my back garden, and cartwheels. Wearing tights still makes me feel a bit tingly though.

Talk of tights brings me nicely to introducing Mrs Macleod’s clothing & textiles label, Empress, which she will launch in 2007. It’s top secret stuff for now, but t-shirts emblazoned with her pen work are already big in Japan. Not bad for a lady who at one time believed that her Fine Art degree would only qualify her to work in the “..sex industries”. Seriously, keep an eye out for Lucy Macleod; invest in some of her drama for your walls. Most of all, be inspired.

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/LUCYMACLEODILLUSTRATION

Gareth Somerville, Frazer McGlinchey & guests, 10pm3am, £3, free b4 12am THE SKINNY INDIE DISCO, PIVO CAFFE, Indie classics, mash-ups & links, 7pm-3am, Free SNATCH SOCIAL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Messy night guaranteed at eclectic student bash, 9pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 members SYNTHETIC, THE BONGO CLUB, Techno to drum & bass with Morph & residents, 11pm-3am, £3, £2 b4 12am TOKYO KYOUYOU, TOKYO, Scott Granger mixes funky house, RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£3) TRAFFIC, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY, Indie & alternative, 11.30pm-2am, Free ASSEMBLY BAR, The Departure Lounge DJs, 9pm-1am, Free LULU, Astroboy & Family - soul & boogie, 8pm-3am, £4, free for students

FRIDAY 5TH JANUARY

ABSOLUTE, STUDIO 24, Simon Mcleod (Nuklear Puppy) & Mark Doc (Rectify), 10pm-3am, £tbc CLUB CLASSICS, PIVO CAFFE, Classic club music from the past 15 years with Scott Elliot, Craig Gee & Gav Grant on rotation, 5pm-3am, Free CULT, PO NA NA, DJ Nicki & guests playing hip hop, disco, funk & RnB, 10pm-3am, £5, £2.50 b4 11pm DE LUXE, HUDSON CLUB, Funky house with resident DJs, 11pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am EVOL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie, hip hop, alternative beats & rock, 10.30pm-3am, £5 GET FUNK’D, MEDINA, Double D & Isla play hip hop to house, 10pm-3am, £4, £3 b4 11pm GROOVEJET, TOKYO, Tony McHugh with dancefloor hits, 10pm-3am, £6 JAM FRIDAY, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY, Pop & cheese, 10pm-3am, £2 MISFITS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Indie, electro, punk, rock, retro & a tequila girl, 11pm-3am, £2

MODERN LOVERS, COCTEAU LOUNGE (DOWNSTAIRS AT EGO), Soul, funk, ska, latin, garage, punk & psych

with Craig Jamieson & Mr. Divine, 11pm-3am, £6, £4 b4 12am NIGHT TRAIN, LIBERTY’S BAR (HERIOT-WATT), 8pm-2am, Free PLANET EARTH, CITRUS CLUB, 80s tunes with residents, 10.30pm-3am, £5 SALSA CARIBE!, THE LOT, Salsa DJs on the special wooden dancefloor, 9pm-1.30am, £5, £4 b4 9.30pm SUGAR DADDY, EGO, Trendy Wendy, Michelle, James Longworth, Chris Paton & JT, 11pm-3am, £5 UNKNOWN PLEASURES, TEVIOT UNION, Indie club, 9pm3am, £3 (£2) ASSEMBLY BAR, Trouble DJs, 5pm-1am, Free PARTY NIGHT, LULU, Al Kent & Gareth Somerville play house, disco & latin beats, 8pm-3am, £7, free b4 10pm THE MALTINGS, Open Mic, 9.30pm-late, Free OPAL LOUNGE, Jez Hill with upfront & classic tunes, 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 12am

WE ARE … ELECTRIC VS. ACCESS, CABARET VOLTAIRE,

Resident DJs play house, techno & electro, 11pm-3am, £tbc ASSEMBLY BAR, Gareth Somerville (Ultragroove) & Jonnie Lyley (Scratch), 9pm-1am, Free LULU, Andy Pirie & Hobbes play an eclectic mix, 8pm3am, £7, free b4 10pm OPAL LOUNGE, Saturday night soiree, 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 12am

SUNDAY 7TH JANUARY

ALL BACK TO MINE, OPAL LOUNGE, Eclectic mix of personal favourites, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm BABY DOLL, PO NA NA, Funky house, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm BOOTYLUSHOUS, MEDINA, RnB, soul, funk & disco with Trendy Wendy, Dale & Simone, 10pm-3am, £4, £2 b4 12am CLUB SIMBA, THE JAZZ BAR, Afro, carribean, RnB, hip hop, live pa & audio visual images with DJs Red Alert, Wellaz & guests, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 11.30pm CURIOUS? SUNDAY JOINT, THE BONGO CLUB, Diverse selection of music, free internet & games, 4pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm DISUKO, TOKYO, John Tokyoblu plays upfront disco, latin house with live percussion & sax from Pepe & saXingh, 11pm-3am, £3 (£2), free b4 11pm FRESHMODE, CITY CAFÉ (DOWNSTAIRS), Peas & DJG play hip hop, breaks, funk & open mic, 8pm-1am, Free FRICTION, LIQUID ROOM, Weekly night with Derek Martin & Stuart Johnston, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), £1 Centro card KAYOS, OPIUM, Rock, metal & indie with residents, 8pm-3am, Free

SCOTTISH HOBO SOCIETY (LIVE), THE BONGO CLUB,

Alternative music for justified sinners, 10.30pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm SIENTELO!, EL BARRIO, Latin America music mixed with chart tunes, 11pm-3am, Free SOUNDPROOF OPEN DECKS, BARAKA, Open decks night hosted by the Soundproof DJs, 8pm-1am, Free TASTE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Legendary gay-friendly club with Miss Chris, Fisher & Price & Martin Valentine, 11pm-3am, £8 (£6), £5 b4 11.30pm TASTE FOREPLAY, BARAKA, Pre-club with DJ Miss Chris, 8pm-12am, Free

MONDAY 8 JAN

HAPPY MONDAYS, PO NA NA, Night for students &

Industry folk, indie, rock & funk, 11pm-3am, £3, free for students/industry THE LATIN QUARTER, MEDINA, Salsa, funk & latin house, 10pm-3am, Free MOJO, OPAL LOUNGE, Modern music & timeless classics, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am PONY CLUB, TOKYO, Funky house, RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£3) ROCK KARAOKE, OPIUM, Rock Karaoke, From 8pm, Free SALSA DANCE CLASSES, THE BONGO CLUB, Cuban Salsa, drop-in classes, 7pm for beginners, 8pm for the advanced, 7pm-9pm, £5 SHOTGUN, SUBWAY COWGATE, 70s Rock, 11pm-3am, Free TRADE UNION, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Night for deserving bar & club staff, DJ Beefy & WolfJazz, 10pm-3am, £2, £1 Trade Union members/ECCF members 2HOT, EGO, RnB & hip hop with Ritchie Ruftone & friends, ZOOT SWING, CAFÉ ROYAL, Swing dance classes, beunder 18s only (14-17), 6.45pm-9.45pm, £5 ginners 7pm, improvers 8pm followed by big-band ALLSORTS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Chart, cheese & party, swing jazz & neo-swing beats, 9pm-late, £4.50 (£3.50), 11pm-3am, £2, free b4 12am free after 9 THE EGG, WEE RED BAR, Indie, garage, punk, ska & more BARAKA, P-Haze playing mashup, 8.30pm-1am, Free at the Art College’s long running institution, 11pm-3am, HENRYS CELLAR, Flamenco, latin & reggae with Kinkey, £5, £4 students/members 10pm-3am, £3 FEVER, EGO, DJs Fisher & Price & Martin Valentine, LULU, Jez Hill plays classic pop & funk anthems, 8pm11pm-3am, £10 (£8) 3am, £4, free b4 10pm LIQUID SOUL, PO NA NA, Mark B & guests with chirpy PIVO CAFFE, Monkey Boy, 9pm-3am, Free music, 10.30pm-3am, £6, £3 b4 11pm LOUNGE, LIBERTY’S BAR (HERIOT-WATT), Eclectic mix of tunes, 8pm-1.30am, Free ANTICS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Rock, emo, punk & metal, LUVELY JANUARY SAIL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Banging 11pm-3am, Free house tunes with a 007 dress code, 10.30pm-5am, £12 THE DIAMOND DICE, MASSA, Hip hop, RnB & grime (£10) with your host Mr. Jinx, 10.30pm-3am, £5 MUCH MORE, MEDINA, Hip-hop & funk cuts with Nasty FRUNT, THE LIQUID ROOM, DJ Stuart Johnston playing P & Cunnie, 10pm-3am, £4, £3 b4 11pm

WWW.LUCYMACLEOD.COM

SATURDAY 6TH JANUARY

What’s tickling your fancy right now, in terms of icons or inspirations?

In no particular order: the baby Maisie, Fiodor Sumkin, Sa m Web e r, Jef f rey D e c o s t e r, Charles Anastase, Kustaa Saksi, the drawings of Alasdair Gray, the fashions of Dorothy Cotton, the music of Great Ezcape.

TUESDAY 9 JAN

LIFESTYLE LISTINGS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

house music all night long, 10.30pm-3am, Free MOTHERFUNK, OPAL LOUNGE, Fryer & Gino play original soul, funk, disco, latin & hip hop, 10pm-3am, Free REWIND, PRIVE’ COUNCIL, 100% upfront RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £2, ladies free b4 12am SPEEDDATER SPEED DATING EVENT, GRAPE, 25-33 Women, Men 27-35, 7pm-uptoyou!, £19.95 SPLIT, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Blend of house, techno, drum & bass, breakbeat from Edinburgh locals, healthy midweek rave, 11.30pm-3am, Free SWING DANCE CLASSES, THE BONGO CLUB, Beginners at 7pm, advanced at 8pm, social dancing at 9, 7pm9pm, £4 (£3) for one, £6 (£5) for both VIBE, EGO, Weekly gay club with James Longwarth playing chart, 11pm-3am, £4 PIVO CAFFE, Trouble DJs, 7pm-3am, Free

10pm-3am, £2

MINGIN, STUDIO 24, Dark ‘sexy’ house club, 11pm3am, £5

MISFITS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Indie, electro, punk, rock, retro & a tequila girl, 11pm-3am, £2

NIGHT TRAIN, LIBERTY’S BAR (HERIOT-WATT), 8pm-2am, Free

NUKLEAR PUPPY, EGO, Hard dance & trance, 11pm3am, £tbc

PLANET EARTH, CITRUS CLUB, 80s tunes with residents, 10.30pm-3am, £5

SALSA CARIBE!, THE LOT, Salsa DJs on the special

LISTINGS

LIFESTYLE London Calling?

wooden dancefloor, 9pm-1.30am, £5, £4 b4 9.30pm SOLESCIENCE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, The annual bang-off Rob, Nick, Neil & Barry - house party, 11pm-3am, £3 UNKNOWN PLEASURES, TEVIOT UNION, Indie club, 9pm3am, £3 (£2) ASSEMBLY BAR, Trouble DJs, 5pm-1am, Free LULU, Hobbes, Gareth Somerville, Isla Blige & The Blond CHAMBLES, OPAL LOUNGE, Funk & chart with DJ Jez Hill, Flash rotate through soul, funk, house & latin, 8pm9pm-3am, £5 (£4) 3am, £7, free b4 12am HOT SUSHI, TOKYO, Lisa Littlewood plays funky house & THE MALTINGS, Open Mic, 9.30pm-late, Free club classics, 10pm-3am, £tbc OPAL LOUNGE, Jez Hill with upfront & classic tunes, INDI-GO, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie & alternative, 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 12am 10.30pm-3am, £2, £1 students INSOMNIA, PRIVE’ COUNCIL, Warner Powers & Claudio 2HOT, EGO, RnB & hip hop with Ritchie Ruftone & bring fresh house tunes each week, 10pm-3am, Free friends, under 18s only (14-17), 6.45pm-9.45pm, £5 PAUL DALY, PIVO CAFFE, Free flowing funk to house, 9pm-3am, Free ALLSORTS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Chart, cheese & party, 11pm-3am, £2, free b4 12am THE PIT, SUBWAY COWGATE, Rock & metal, 11pm-3am, Free THE EGG, WEE RED BAR, Indie, garage, punk, ska & STIR FRIED, THE OUTHOUSE, Pre-club with indie & rock from more at the Art College’s long running institution, 11pm3am, £5, £4 students/members B-Sides & Bootross Rock, 9pm-1am, Free TOASTER, CITRUS CLUB, Breaks & Bobs, 11pm-3am, £3, GIVE IT SOME, THE BONGO CLUB, Funky 45s & soulful 7”s free b4 11.30pm with Red6, 11pm-3am, £6, £4 b4 12am TOXIK, OPIUM, DJ Nu-Clear playing new & old metal & HOLLA, THE LIQUID ROOM, New RnB & commercial hip hard rock, 8pm-3am, Free hop with the 2Hot DJs, 10.30pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am WE ARE … ELECTRIC, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Gary Mac & Kev Wright playing house, electro, tech-house & breaks LIQUID SOUL, PO NA NA, Mark B & guests with chirpy music, 10.30pm-3am, £6, £3 b4 11pm with Tall Paul in the back, 11pm-3am, £2, free b4 12am/members LOUNGE, LIBERTY’S BAR (HERIOT-WATT), Eclectic mix of BARAKA, Funk, soul, disco, dancehall & reggae, 8pmtunes, 8pm-1.30am, Free late, Free MUCH MORE, MEDINA, Hip-hop & funk cuts with Nasty LULU, Mash & Jon Pleased - past & future electronic clas- P & Cunnie, 10pm-3am, £4, £3 b4 11pm sics, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm PARTY NIGHT, EL BARRIO, Salsa night with DJ Papi & Alex Gato, free classes from 10pm, 11pm-3am, Free RETRIBUTION, STUDIO 24, Goth music for the old, 11pmALTER EGO, PO NA NA, DJ Diverse with indie, rock n roll 3am, £5, £3 students & electro, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3) SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY, THE JAZZ BAR, Erik D’Viking & BEAT ROOT JUICE CLUB, THE JAZZ BAR, Live afrobeat, Astroboy, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm latin & ska from resident band The Goat Stew Orchestra SEITEKI SATURDAYS, TOKYO, Funky house, 11pm-3am, & resident DJ B*Wax, 10pm-3am, Free £6 BLACK TAPE, COCTEAU LOUNGE (DOWNSTAIRS AT EGO), No SOPHISTIFUNK, CITY, John Hutchison (Tokyoblu) plays superstar DJs, bring your own tunes, 11pm-3am, £3 house remixes, funky RnB & bootlegs, 11pm-3am, £8 CLASS!, SUBWAY COWGATE, DJ Lucky Luciano plays vin- SOULCIAL, BAR 99, Dennis Probert & Yogi Haughton with tage cheese, student anthems & requests, 11pm-3am, the early soul session, 4pm-9pm, Free £2, £1 students, free b4 12am TEASE AGE, CITRUS CLUB, All things rock, motown, alterGENETIC, CITRUS CLUB, Night of rock anthems, 11pmnative & soul, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm 3am, £2 ULTRAGROOVE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Gareth Somerville GRAFITTI, MEDINA, Kipp$ & Master Caird play party & Ritchie Vallenz play house with Astroboy in the backtunes all night, 10pm-3am, £3 (£2) room, 11pm-3am, £8 (£6 with flyer/nus), £5 with HOUSEBOUND, EGO, Sexy house, funky stuff, electro hogmanay ticket before 12am & disco with DJs from Edinburgh & Glasgow, 10pmVEGAS, EGO, Rat-pack, lounge, retro, swing, latin & 3am, £5 soul, 11pm-3am, £10, £7 for the fabulously dressed LUCKYME, CITY CAFÉ, Hip hop, soul & off beats, YUMMI RECORDS, PIVO CAFFE, Yummi Records show8.30pm-1am, Free case - DJs & local talent, 5pm-3am, Free SALSA DISCO, CUBA NORTE, Salsa dance & tasty tapas, ASSEMBLY BAR, Gareth Somerville (Ultragroove) & Jonnie 10pm-1am, Free Lyley (Scratch), 9pm-1am, Free SOULED OUT, OPAL LOUNGE, Soul, disco & dance with LULU, Hobbes, Gareth Somerville, Isla Blige & The Blond Gareth Somerville, Frazer McGlinchey & guests, 10pmFlash rotate through soul, funk, house & latin, 8pm3am, £3, free b4 12am 3am, £7, free b4 12am THE SKINNY INDIE DISCO, PIVO CAFFE, Indie classics, OPAL LOUNGE, Saturday night soiree, 10pm-3am, £6, mash-ups & links, 7pm-3am, Free free b4 12am SNATCH SOCIAL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Messy night guaranteed at eclectic student bash, 9pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 members ALL BACK TO MINE, OPAL LOUNGE, Eclectic mix of perTOKYO KYOUYOU, TOKYO, Scott Granger mixes funky sonal favourites, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm house, RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£3) BABY DOLL, PO NA NA, Funky house, 11pm-3am, £5, TRAFFIC, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY, Indie & alternative, free b4 11.30pm 11.30pm-2am, Free BOOTYLUSHOUS, MEDINA, RnB, soul, funk & disco ASSEMBLY BAR, The Departure Lounge DJs, 9pm-1am, with Trendy Wendy, Dale & Simone, 10pm-3am, £4, Free £2 b4 12am LULU, Blackbeard, Astroboy & Family - Quantic Soul CLUB SIMBA, THE JAZZ BAR, Afro, carribean, RnB, hip Orchestra After Party, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm hop, live pa & audio visual images with DJs Red Alert, Wellaz & guests, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 11.30pm CURIOUS? SUNDAY JOINT, THE BONGO CLUB, Diverse CLUB CLASSICS, PIVO CAFFE, Classic club music from selection of music, free internet & games, 4pm-3am, the past 15 years with Scott Elliot, Craig Gee & Gav £3, free b4 11pm Grant on rotation, 5pm-3am, Free DISUKO, TOKYO, John Tokyoblu plays upfront disco, CULT, PO NA NA, DJ Nicki & guests playing hip hop, latin house with live percussion & sax from Pepe & saXdisco, funk & RnB, 10pm-3am, £5, £2.50 b4 11pm ingh, 11pm-3am, £3 (£2), free b4 11pm DE LUXE, HUDSON CLUB, Funky house with resident DJs, FRESHMODE, CITY CAFÉ (DOWNSTAIRS), Peas & DJG play 11pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am EVOL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie, hip hop, alternative beats hip hop, breaks, funk & open mic, 8pm-1am, Free FRICTION, LIQUID ROOM, Weekly night with Derek Martin & rock, 10.30pm-3am, £5 & Stuart Johnston, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), £1 Centro GET FUNK’D, MEDINA, Double D & Isla play hip hop to card house, 10pm-3am, £4, £3 b4 11pm KAYOS, OPIUM, Rock, metal & indie with residents, GROOVEJET, TOKYO, Tony McHugh with dancefloor hits, 8pm-3am, Free 10pm-3am, £6 SCOTTISH HOBO SOCIETY (LIVE), THE BONGO CLUB, JAM FRIDAY, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY, Pop & cheese,

WEDNESDAY 10 JAN

SATURDAY 13 JAN

THURSDAY 11 JAN

SUNDAY 14 JAN

FRIDAY 12TH JAN

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

55

latin & ska from resident band The Goat Stew Orchestra & resident DJ B*Wax, 10pm-3am, Free CLASS!, SUBWAY COWGATE, DJ Lucky Luciano plays vintage cheese, student anthems & requests, 11pm-3am, £2, £1 students, free b4 12am GENETIC, CITRUS CLUB, Night of rock anthems, 11pm3am, £2 GRAFITTI, MEDINA, Kipp$ & Master Caird play party tunes all night, 10pm-3am, £3 (£2) HOUSEBOUND, EGO, Sexy house, funky stuff, electro & disco with DJs from Edinburgh & Glasgow, 10pm-3am, £5 LUCKYME, CITY CAFÉ, Hip hop, soul & off beats, 8.30pm-1am, Free ON REQUEST, EGO, Commercial dance fun, limbo etc, HAPPY MONDAYS, PO NA NA, Night for students & Industry folk, indie, rock & funk, 11pm-3am, £3, free 11pm-3am, £3 SALSA DISCO, CUBA NORTE, Salsa dance & tasty tapas, for students/industry 10pm-1am, Free THE LATIN QUARTER, MEDINA, Salsa, funk & latin SOULED OUT, OPAL LOUNGE, Soul, disco & dance with house, 10pm-3am, Free Gareth Somerville, Frazer McGlinchey & guests, 10pmMOJO, OPAL LOUNGE, Modern music & timeless clas3am, £3, free b4 12am sics, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am PINS AND NEEDLES, RED, House, techno & breaks with THE SKINNY INDIE DISCO, PIVO CAFFE, Indie classics, CJ Hardtime (Jackhammer), Kenny Breaks & residents, mash-ups & links, 7pm-3am, Free SNATCH SOCIAL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Messy night guar10pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am anteed at eclectic student bash, 9pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 PONY CLUB, TOKYO, Funky house, RnB & hip hop, members 10pm-3am, £4 (£3) TOKYO KYOUYOU, TOKYO, Scott Granger mixes funky SALSA DANCE CLASSES, THE BONGO CLUB, Cuban house, RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£3) Salsa, drop-in classes, 7pm for beginners, 8pm for TRAFFIC, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY, Indie & alternative, the advanced, 7pm-9pm, £5 11.30pm-2am, Free SHOTGUN, SUBWAY COWGATE, 70s Rock, 11pm-3am, ASSEMBLY BAR, The Departure Lounge DJs, 9pm-1am, Free Free TRADE UNION, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Night for deserving bar & club staff, DJ Beefy & WolfJazz, 10pm-3am, £2, LULU, Blackbeard, Astroboy & Family - Quantic Soul Orchestra After Party, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm £1 Trade Union members/ECCF members ZOOT SWING, CAFÉ ROYAL, Swing dance classes, beginners 7pm, improvers 8pm followed by big-band BEATROOT, EGO, Dirty house, electro & techno, 11pmswing jazz & neo-swing beats, 9pm-late, £4.50 3am, £6 (£5) (£3.50), free after 9 BIG TOE’S HI-FI, THE BONGO CLUB, Reggae, dub, danceBARAKA, P-Haze playing mashup, 8.30pm-1am, Free hall & grime, 10pm-3am, £5 (£4) HENRYS CELLAR, Flamenco, latin & reggae with Kinkey, CLUB CLASSICS, PIVO CAFFE, Classic club music from the 10pm-3am, £3 past 15 years with Scott Elliot, Craig Gee & Gav Grant on LULU, Jez Hill plays classic pop & funk anthems, 8pmrotation, 5pm-3am, Free 3am, £4, free b4 10pm CULT, PO NA NA, DJ Nicki & guests playing hip hop, disPIVO CAFFE, Monkey Boy, 9pm-3am, Free co, funk & RnB, 10pm-3am, £5, £2.50 b4 11pm DE LUXE, HUDSON CLUB, Funky house with resident DJs, ANTICS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Rock, emo, punk & metal, 11pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am 11pm-3am, Free EVOL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie, hip hop, alternative beats THE DIAMOND DICE, MASSA, Hip hop, RnB & grime & rock, 10.30pm-3am, £5 with your host Mr. Jinx, 10.30pm-3am, £5 GET FUNK’D, MEDINA, Double D & Isla play hip hop to FRUNT, THE LIQUID ROOM, DJ Stuart Johnston playing house, 10pm-3am, £4, £3 b4 11pm house music all night long, 10.30pm-3am, Free GROOVEJET, TOKYO, Tony McHugh with dancefloor hits, MOTHERFUNK, OPAL LOUNGE, Fryer & Gino play original 10pm-3am, £6 JAM FRIDAY, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY, Pop & cheese, soul, funk, disco, latin & hip hop, 10pm-3am, Free REWIND, PRIVE’ COUNCIL, 100% upfront RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £2 MISFITS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Indie, electro, punk, rock, 10pm-3am, £2, ladies free b4 12am SPLIT, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Blend of house, techno, drum retro & a tequila girl, 11pm-3am, £2 & bass, breakbeat from Edinburgh locals, healthy mid- NIGHT TRAIN, LIBERTY’S BAR (HERIOT-WATT), 8pm-2am, Free week rave, 11.30pm-3am, Free SWING DANCE CLASSES, THE BONGO CLUB, Beginners PLANET EARTH, CITRUS CLUB, 80s tunes with residents, 10.30pm-3am, £5 at 7pm, advanced at 8pm, social dancing at 9, 7pmSALSA CARIBE!, THE LOT, Salsa DJs on the special wood9pm, £4 (£3) for one, £6 (£5) for both en dancefloor, 9pm-1.30am, £5, £4 b4 9.30pm VIBE, EGO, Weekly gay club with James Longwarth SUGAR DADDY, EGO, Trendy Wendy, Michelle, James playing chart, 11pm-3am, £4 Longworth, Chris Paton & JT, 11pm-3am, £5 LULU, Eclectic sets from Hobbes & friends, 8pm-3am, THE 2XPARTY, THE BONGO CLUB, Jonny Two-Times with £4, free b4 10pm funk, soul, disco & heydays hip-hop, 11pm-3am, £6, PIVO CAFFE, Trouble DJs, 7pm-3am, Free £4 b4 1am, £2 b4 12am UNKNOWN PLEASURES, TEVIOT UNION, Indie club, 9pm3am, £3 (£2) CHAMBLES, OPAL LOUNGE, Funk & chart with DJ Jez ASSEMBLY BAR, Trouble DJs, 5pm-1am, Free Hill, 9pm-3am, £5 (£4) HOT SUSHI, TOKYO, Lisa Littlewood plays funky house & LULU, Hobbes, Gareth Somerville, Isla Blige & The Blond Flash rotate through soul, funk, house & latin, 8pmclub classics, 10pm-3am, £tbc 3am, £7, free b4 12am INDI-GO, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie & alternative, THE MALTINGS, Open Mic, 9.30pm-late, Free 10.30pm-3am, £2, £1 students INSOMNIA, PRIVE’ COUNCIL, Warner Powers & Claudio OPAL LOUNGE, Jez Hill with upfront & classic tunes, bring fresh house tunes each week, 10pm-3am, Free 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 12am Alternative music for justified sinners, 10.30pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm SIENTELO!, EL BARRIO, Latin America music mixed with chart tunes, 11pm-3am, Free SOUNDPROOF OPEN DECKS, BARAKA, Open decks night hosted by the Soundproof DJs, 8pm-1am, Free TASTE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Legendary gay-friendly club with Dave Begg, Fisher & Price & Martin Valentine, 11pm-3am, £8 (£6), £5 b4 11.30pm TASTE FOREPLAY, BARAKA, Pre-club with DJ Miss Chris, 8pm-12am, Free LULU, Dava & friends, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm

MONDAY 15 JAN

FRIDAY 19 JAN

TUESDAY 16 JAN

WEDNESDAY 17 JAN

PAUL DALY, PIVO CAFFE, Free flowing funk to house, 9pm-3am, Free

THE PIT, SUBWAY COWGATE, Rock & metal, 11pm-3am,

SATURDAY 20 JAN

100% DYNAMITE, THE BONGO CLUB, Soul Jazz Records

Sound System with Pete Reilly mixing funk, reggae, ska, dancehall, hip hop & more with MC Oxman, 11pm-3am, £6, £4 b4 12am from B-Sides & Bootross Rock, 9pm-1am, Free TOASTER, CITRUS CLUB, Breaks & Bobs, 11pm-3am, £3, 2HOT, EGO, RnB & hip hop with Ritchie Ruftone & friends, under 18s only (14-17), 6.45pm-9.45pm, £5 free b4 11.30pm ALLSORTS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Chart, cheese & party, TOXIK, OPIUM, DJ Nu-Clear playing new & old metal & 11pm-3am, £2, free b4 12am hard rock, 8pm-3am, Free THE EGG, WEE RED BAR, Indie, garage, punk, ska & more WE ARE … ELECTRIC, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Gary Mac at the Art College’s long running institution, 11pm-3am, playing 4 hours with Dava le Funk (Headspin) in the £5, £4 students/members back, 11pm-3am, £2, free b4 12am/members LIQUID SOUL, PO NA NA, Mark B & guests with chirpy BARAKA, Funk, soul, disco, dancehall & reggae, 8pmmusic, 10.30pm-3am, £6, £3 b4 11pm late, Free LOUNGE, LIBERTY’S BAR (HERIOT-WATT), Eclectic mix of LULU, Mash & Jon Pleased - past & future electronic tunes, 8pm-1.30am, Free classics, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm MUCH MORE, MEDINA, Hip-hop & funk cuts with Nasty P & Cunnie, 10pm-3am, £4, £3 b4 11pm ALTER EGO, PO NA NA, DJ Diverse with indie, rock n roll OBSCENE, COCTEAU LOUNGE (DOWNSTAIRS AT EGO), Drum & bass with DJ Calvin, Dvs1 & Jonny, 11pm-3am, £5 & electro, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3) (£4) BEAT ROOT JUICE CLUB, THE JAZZ BAR, Live afrobeat, Free

STIR FRIED, THE OUTHOUSE, Pre-club with indie & rock

THURSDAY 18 JAN

56

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

YELLOW BOX DENOTES SKINNY HIGHLIGHTS

ONE-OFF PARTY, THE LIQUID ROOM, Progression residents and DJ Decoy (Poland) play, 10pm-3am, £8, £5 b4 11pm OPTIMO, EGO, A dip into many genres, 11pm-3am, £10 PARTY NIGHT, EL BARRIO, Salsa night with DJ Papi & Alex Gato, free classes from 10pm, 11pm-3am, Free RETRIBUTION, STUDIO 24, Goth music for the old, 11pm3am, £5, £3 students SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY, THE JAZZ BAR, Erik D’Viking & Astroboy, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm SEITEKI SATURDAYS, TOKYO, Funky house, 11pm-3am, £6 SOPHISTIFUNK, CITY, John Hutchison (Tokyoblu) plays house remixes, funky RnB & bootlegs, 11pm-3am, £8 SOULCIAL, BAR 99, Dennis Probert & Yogi Haughton with the early soul session, 4pm-9pm, Free TEASE AGE, CITRUS CLUB, All things rock, motown, alternative & soul, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm YUMMI RECORDS, PIVO CAFFE, Yummi Records showcase - DJs & local talent, 5pm-3am, Free ASSEMBLY BAR, Gareth Somerville (Ultragroove) & Jonnie Lyley (Scratch), 9pm-1am, Free LULU, Hobbes, Gareth Somerville, Isla Blige & The Blond Flash rotate through soul, funk, house & latin, 8pm3am, £7, free b4 12am OPAL LOUNGE, Saturday night soiree, 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 12am

GETTING AWAY

Most tour companies run day tours to Loch Ness all year round. For backpackers and younger, more adventurous travellers MacBackpackers run the most suitable tours, along with options of longer tours which are also highly recommended.

11pm-3am, Free

THE DIAMOND DICE, MASSA, Hip hop, RnB & grime with your host Mr. Jinx, 10.30pm-3am, £5 FRUNT, THE LIQUID ROOM, DJ Stuart Johnston playing house music all night long, 10.30pm-3am, Free MOTHERFUNK, OPAL LOUNGE, Fryer & Gino play original soul, funk, disco, latin & hip hop, 10pm-3am, Free REWIND, PRIVE’ COUNCIL, 100% upfront RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £2, ladies free b4 12am SPLIT, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Blend of house, techno, drum & bass, breakbeat from Edinburgh locals, healthy midweek rave, 11.30pm-3am, Free SWING DANCE CLASSES, THE BONGO CLUB, Beginners at 7pm, advanced at 8pm, social dancing at 9, 7pm-9pm, £4 (£3) for one, £6 (£5) for both VIBE, EGO, Weekly gay club with James Longwarth playing chart, 11pm-3am, £4 LULU, Eclectic sets from Hobbes & friends, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm PIVO CAFFE, Trouble DJs, 7pm-3am, Free

WEDNESDAY 24 JAN

CHAMBLES, OPAL LOUNGE, Funk & chart with DJ Jez Hill, 9pm-3am, £5 (£4)

HOT SUSHI, TOKYO, Lisa Littlewood plays funky house &

club classics, 10pm-3am, £tbc INDI-GO, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie & alternative, 10.30pm3am, £2, £1 students INSOMNIA, PRIVE’ COUNCIL, Warner Powers & Claudio ALL BACK TO MINE, OPAL LOUNGE, Eclectic mix of perbring fresh house tunes each week, 10pm-3am, Free sonal favourites, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm PAUL DALY, PIVO CAFFE, Free flowing funk to house, 9pmBABY DOLL, PO NA NA, Funky house, 11pm-3am, £5, 3am, Free free b4 11.30pm THE PIT, SUBWAY COWGATE, Rock & metal, 11pm-3am, BOOTYLUSHOUS, MEDINA, RnB, soul, funk & disco Free with Trendy Wendy, Dale & Simone, 10pm-3am, £4, STIR FRIED, THE OUTHOUSE, Pre-club with indie & rock from £2 b4 12am B-Sides & Bootross Rock, 9pm-1am, Free CLUB SIMBA, THE JAZZ BAR, Afro, carribean, RnB, hip TOASTER, CITRUS CLUB, Breaks & Bobs, 11pm-3am, £3, hop, live pa & audio visual images with DJs Red Alert, free b4 11.30pm Wellaz & guests, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 11.30pm TOXIK, OPIUM, DJ Nu-Clear playing new & old metal & CURIOUS? SUNDAY JOINT, THE BONGO CLUB, Diverse hard rock, 8pm-3am, Free selection of music, free internet & games, 4pm-3am, WE ARE … ELECTRIC, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Gary Mac & £3, free b4 11pm Jacek playing house, electro, tech-house & breaks with DISUKO, TOKYO, John Tokyoblu plays upfront disco, Trouble DJs in the back, 11pm-3am, £2, free b4 12am/ latin house with live percussion & sax from Pepe & saX- members ingh, 11pm-3am, £3 (£2), free b4 11pm BARAKA, Funk, soul, disco, dancehall & reggae, 8pmFRESHMODE, CITY CAFÉ (DOWNSTAIRS), Peas & DJG play late, Free hip hop, breaks, funk & open mic, 8pm-1am, Free LULU, Mash & Jon Pleased - past & future electronic clasFRICTION, LIQUID ROOM, Weekly night with Derek Martin sics, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm & Stuart Johnston, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), £1 Centro card KAYOS, OPIUM, Rock, metal & indie with residents, ALTER EGO, PO NA NA, DJ Diverse with indie, rock n roll & 8pm-3am, Free electro, 11pm-3am, £5 (£3)

SUNDAY 21 JAN

For everyone else Highland Experience provide excellent Loch Ness Tours. The Highland Experience Tour takes in: Monadhliath Mountains (Monarch of the Glen territory), lunch at Spean Bridge, Loch Ness for a cruise (summer season only), past Ben Nevis (Britain’s highest mountain), Glen Coe and finally Stirling Castle.

Go Away!

DEPARTURE TIME: 8AM RETURNS: 7.30PM COST: £32 ADULT, £30 CONCESSION HIGHLAND EXPERIENCE, 0131 226 1414 WWW.HIGHLANDEXPERIENCE.COM

ON A HIGHLANDS DAY TOUR The enthusiasm of the group was initially low on this typically wet and cold Scottish Autumn day.

But the enthusiasm of our guide Chris quickly dispelled any worries about the weather. “Liquid sunshine – how lucky are we?” He went on to explain that the Loch Ness Day Tour was all about the three ‘C’s: “Coffee to keep me going, the Colours of autumn throughout the Highlands, and those dirty Campbells.” He spat. “Sorry, have to do that each time I mention those bastards.”

On the way to Loch Ness we stopped off at regular intervals to appreciate the colours and breathtaking scenery. Following the rain of the previous few weeks the hills were a vibrant green, against yellow trees and rusty reds of fallen leaves and brush, all framed by the newly snow-capped mountains in the background. Chris also set the group thinking, as we stood covered in several layers appreciating a view, how difficult life must have been for the Highlanders dressed only in kilts, leading their cattle over the unforgiving landscape and dealing with the elements all year round.

While he drove, the stories didn’t stop, and presented with such passion and purpose it was impossible not to be taken in by the enthusiasm Chris has for the Highlands and Scottish history.

We were told all about William Wallace and how Mel Gibson got it all wrong in Braveheart, among many other tales.

Soon afterwards we stopped off at Glencoe, one of the most astounding mountain ranges in Scotland, to hear all about the third ‘C’ – those dirty Campbells and the brutal demise of the MacDonald clan who once lived here. While Scottish history, and particularly the Glencoe Massacre, is often romanticised for the tourists, Chris dished up a more authentic account.

The story goes that one afternoon the Campbell Clan arrived, close to death due to the extreme weather. These two clans hated each other, but Highland Law dictated that you must take in anyone in need of rest and sustenance. After a few days the Campbell Clan moved on, only to immediately return and massacre the MacDonalds

LIFESTYLE

LISTINGS EDINBURGH CLUBS

Loch Ness

– the original purpose of their journey.

At Loch Ness the tour stopped for nearly an hour to hear how the legend of Nessie had evolved over the years, and the different supposed sightings.

On the way back to Edinburgh there was more amazing scenery, including Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in Britain. Glen Laggan is Monarch of the Glen country, and you’ll be happy to know it looks just like it does on TV.

STAYING AWAY

If you’re on a day tour there’s no need to stay away. Howeve r, if you’re visiting Edinburgh MacBackpackers have excellent hostels dotted around the city centre.

CASTLE ROCK HOSTEL 15 JOHNSTON TERRACE, EDINBURGH TEL: 0131 225 9666 HIGH STREET HOSTEL 8 BLACKFRIARS STREET, EDINBURGH TEL: 0131 557 3984

Overall a Loch Ness tour is an exhausting day but extraordinarily fulfilling. If you’re in Edinburgh as a tourist, student, or even if you live here, make sure you make it to the Highlands at least once – it’s possible all year round. For the more adventurous why not take a multiple day tour with MacBackpackers: I’ve previously done one of these, and for an adventurous Highland tour they’re unbeatable.

ROYAL MILE BACKPACKERS 105 HIGH STREET, EDINBURGH TEL: 0131 557 6120

If you’re planning a longer trip, accommodation is built in with MackBackpacker Tours. If you want to sort out your own trip MackBackpackers have hostels in the following locations around Scotland: Pitlochry, Inverness, Skye, Fort William, Oban.

by Xavier Toby

THURSDAY 25 JAN

SCOTTISH HOBO SOCIETY (LIVE), THE BONGO CLUB,

Alternative music for justified sinners, 10.30pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm SIENTELO!, EL BARRIO, Latin America music mixed with chart tunes, 11pm-3am, Free SOUNDPROOF OPEN DECKS, BARAKA, Open decks night hosted by the Soundproof DJs, 8pm-1am, Free TASTE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Legendary gay-friendly club with Marco Smith, Fisher & Price & Martin Valentine, 11pm-3am, £8 (£6), £5 b4 11.30pm TASTE FOREPLAY, BARAKA, Pre-club with DJ Miss Chris, 8pm-12am, Free LULU, Dava & friends, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm

BEAT ROOT JUICE CLUB, THE JAZZ BAR, Live afrobeat, latin & ska from resident band The Goat Stew Orchestra & resident DJ B*Wax, 10pm-3am, Free CLASS!, SUBWAY COWGATE, DJ Lucky Luciano plays vintage cheese, student anthems & requests, 11pm-3am, £2, £1 students, free b4 12am GENETIC, CITRUS CLUB, Night of rock anthems, 11pm3am, £2

GOULAG BEAT, COCTEAU LOUNGE (DOWNSTAIRS AT EGO),

Electro, soul & punk with live bands, 11pm-3am, £3 GRAFITTI, MEDINA, Kipp$ & Master Caird play party tunes all night, 10pm-3am, £3 (£2) HOUSEBOUND, EGO, Sexy house, funky stuff, electro & disco with DJs from Edinburgh & Glasgow, 10pm-3am, £5 HAPPY MONDAYS, PO NA NA, Night for students & LUCKYME, CITY CAFÉ, Hip hop, soul & off beats, 8.30pmIndustry folk, indie, rock & funk, 11pm-3am, £3, free 1am, Free for students/industry MUNGO’S HIFI, THE BONGO CLUB, Glasgow’s soundsysTHE LATIN QUARTER, MEDINA, Salsa, funk & latin house, tem rolls into town for dub, reggae & dancehall, £tbc 10pm-3am, Free SALSA DISCO, CUBA NORTE, Salsa dance & tasty tapas, MOJO, OPAL LOUNGE, Modern music & timeless clas10pm-1am, Free sics, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am SOULED OUT, OPAL LOUNGE, Soul, disco & dance with PONY CLUB, TOKYO, Funky house, RnB & hip hop, Gareth Somerville, Frazer McGlinchey & guests, 10pm10pm-3am, £4 (£3) 3am, £3, free b4 12am ROCK KARAOKE, OPIUM, Rock Karaoke, From 8pm, THE SKINNY INDIE DISCO, PIVO CAFFE, Indie classics, Free mash-ups & links, 7pm-3am, Free SALSA DANCE CLASSES, THE BONGO CLUB, Cuban SNATCH SOCIAL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Messy night guarSalsa, drop-in classes, 7pm for beginners, 8pm for the anteed at eclectic student bash, 9pm-3am, £5 (£4), £3 advanced, 7pm-9pm, £5 members SHOTGUN, SUBWAY COWGATE, 70s Rock, 11pm-3am, TOKYO KYOUYOU, TOKYO, Scott Granger mixes funky Free house, RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£3) TRADE UNION, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Night for deserving TRAFFIC, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY, Indie & alternative, bar & club staff, DJ Beefy & WolfJazz, 10pm-3am, £2, 11.30pm-2am, Free £1 Trade Union members/ECCF members ASSEMBLY BAR, The Departure Lounge DJs, 9pm-1am, ZOOT SWING, CAFÉ ROYAL, Swing dance classes, beFree ginners 7pm, improvers 8pm followed by big-band LULU, Blackbeard, Astroboy & Family - Quantic Soul Orswing jazz & neo-swing beats, 9pm-late, £4.50 (£3.50), chestra After Party, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm free after 9 BARAKA, P-Haze playing mashup, 8.30pm-1am, Free HENRYS CELLAR, Flamenco, latin & reggae with Kinkey, ASSEMBLY ROOMS CEILIDH, ASSEMBLY ROOMS, With Cei10pm-3am, £3 lidh band HLI & caller Ken Gourlay, 8pm-late, £10 (£5) LULU, Jez Hill plays classic pop & funk anthems, 8pmCLUB CLASSICS, PIVO CAFFE, Classic club music from the 3am, £4, free b4 10pm past 15 years with Scott Elliot, Craig Gee & Gav Grant on PIVO CAFFE, Monkey Boy, 9pm-3am, Free rotation, 5pm-3am, Free CULT, PO NA NA, DJ Nicki & guests playing hip hop, disco, ANTICS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Rock, emo, punk & metal, funk & RnB, 10pm-3am, £5, £2.50 b4 11pm

MONDAY 22 JAN

FRIDAY 26 JAN

TUESDAY 23 JAN

LISTINGS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

9

DE LUXE, HUDSON CLUB, Funky house with resident DJs, 11pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am

THE NEW BELL

DEPARTURE LOUNGE, THE CAVES, Mark De Clive-Lowe

A ROCKETTE, PEAR AND WALNUT SALAD TOPPED WITH GRILLED GOATS’ CHEESE HAD THE DELICACY OF A MERINGUE The service is slow at the New Bell. Not disorganised slow, cold food slow, or poor service slow. Perfectly slow. This is a smart, relaxed restaurant in which customers are invited to feel at ease in an atmosphere that sits somewhere between traditional city pub and upmarket rural inn. A treat, in other words.

The food is also relaxed and pub-like. Or, to be accurate, as relaxed and pub-like as a fine dining spread can be. A rockette, pear and walnut salad topped with grilled goats’ cheese had the delicacy of a meringue, but with a tangy balance of favour. Meanwhile, pan seared venison with parsnip puree was hearty but not too solid. To follow, a fillet of pork with Puy lentils had a similar effect, if a very different taste, and a combination of baked cod with chorizo and saffron sauce was unusual and very delicious.

Desserts are easy. White peach crème brulée worked as well as one would expect, while dark chocolate and pistachio terrine was also quite delicious.

The New Bell stands above the competition in two areas. They pay as much care to mains as they do to the lesser courses, when other restaurants of a similar standard often struggle. And there is the mood of the place: as bustle-free and elegant as a pub could ever be. [RJ Thomson] 2 COURSES £22, 3 COURSES £27, PLUS WINE. 233 CAUSEWAYSIDE, EDINBURGH, 0131 668 2868.

photo: Lorenzo D’Alberto

WWW.THENEWBELL.COM

THE LANDSDOWNE

WHILE THE CLIENTELE IS CLOSER TO THE REGULAR JENNERS CROWD, THE FOOD IN THE RESTAURANT UPSTAIRS LIVES UP TO THE HIGH QUALITY STANDARDS OF ITS VALVONA AND CROLLA SUPPLIERS.

It’s an odd place, the Landsdowne. It’s neither here nor there in terms of its location. Situated about half way up and down Great Western Road means it’s neither the City Centre nor the West End of Glasgow. It does, however, have the best of both worlds, with elements of a trendy suburban watering hole. A nondescript stairwell is the entrance to the pub, whilst a surprising open planned interior lies within. Most interesting is the beautiful conservatory at the rear of the building, giving the bar a grand Victorian feel. The menu has a strong international feel, with many unique seafood dishes, the most notable being the sea food Thai green curry. The lasagna is dense

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS, WITH ELEMENTS OF A TRENDY SUBURBAN WATERING HOLE. and creamy with a tasty side of garlic bread, and the pizzas are juicy and crispy in all the right places. Service was quick and attentive and the experience was perfectly suited to a late sunday lunch. Sadly a few too many TV screens detract from the atmosphere. Expect to pay between five and ten pounds for a tasty lunch. [Graeme Park] THE LANDSDOWNE BAR AND KITCHEN, 7A LANDSDOWNE CRESCENT, GLASGOW, 0141 334 4654 WWW.LANDSOWNETHEBAR.CO.UK

WWW.VALVONACROLLA.CO.UK photo: Lisa Divine

SCOOTS - THE BANK, MUIREND

‘SCOOT’ – AN ADVENTURE YOU CAN EMBARK ON FROM EDINBURGH OR GLASGOW TO A SECRET LITTLE PLACE OF INTEREST

You’re probably not going to walk to the Bank in midwinter, and I doubt you’ll be walking there even in the summer or the spring - although, it’s a nice wee jaunt on the bus or the train. Escape the Christmas mayhem in the city centre to this warm little pub just out of town.

hip hop, breaks, funk & open mic, 8pm-1am, Free FRICTION, LIQUID ROOM, Weekly night with Derek Martin & Stuart Johnston, 11pm-3am, £4 (£2), £1 Centro card KAYOS, OPIUM, Rock, metal & indie with residents, 8pm-3am, Free

SCOTTISH HOBO SOCIETY (LIVE), THE BONGO CLUB,

Alternative music for justified sinners, 10.30pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm SIENTELO!, EL BARRIO, Latin America music mixed with chart tunes, 11pm-3am, Free SOUNDPROOF OPEN DECKS, BARAKA, Open decks night hosted by the Soundproof DJs, 8pm-1am, Free TASTE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Legendary gay-friendly club with Fisher & Price & Martin Valentine, 11pm-3am, £8 (£6), £5 b4 11.30pm TASTE FOREPLAY, BARAKA, Pre-club with DJ Miss Chris, 8pm-12am, Free LULU, Dava & friends, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm

MONDAY 29 JAN

HAPPY MONDAYS, PO NA NA, Night for students &

Industry folk, indie, rock & funk, 11pm-3am, £3, free for students/industry THE LATIN QUARTER, MEDINA, Salsa, funk & latin house, 10pm-3am, Free MOJO, OPAL LOUNGE, Modern music & timeless classics, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 12am PONY CLUB, TOKYO, Funky house, RnB & hip hop, 10pm-3am, £4 (£3) ROCK KARAOKE, OPIUM, Rock Karaoke, From 8pm, Free SALSA DANCE CLASSES, THE BONGO CLUB, Cuban 2HOT, EGO, RnB & hip hop with Ritchie Ruftone & friends, Salsa, drop-in classes, 7pm for beginners, 8pm for the under 18s only (14-17), 6.45pm-9.45pm, £5 advanced, 7pm-9pm, £5 ALLSORTS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Chart, cheese & party, SHOTGUN, SUBWAY COWGATE, 70s Rock, 11pm-3am, 11pm-3am, £2, free b4 12am Free EDENANGELS, THE VAULTS, House & techno with resiTRADE UNION, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Night for deserving dents, 10pm-3am, £5 bar & club staff, DJ Beefy & WolfJazz, 10pm-3am, £2, THE EGG, WEE RED BAR, Indie, garage, punk, ska & more £1 Trade Union members/ECCF members at the Art College’s long running institution, 11pm-3am, ZOOT SWING, CAFÉ ROYAL, Swing dance classes, be£5, £4 students/members ginners 7pm, improvers 8pm followed by big-band HEADSPIN, THE BONGO CLUB, The 9th birthday party with swing jazz & neo-swing beats, 9pm-late, £4.50 (£3.50), the residents, 11pm-3am, £tbc free after 9 LIQUID SOUL, PO NA NA, Mark B & guests with chirpy BARAKA, P-Haze playing mashup, 8.30pm-1am, Free music, 10.30pm-3am, £6, £3 b4 11pm HENRYS CELLAR, Flamenco, latin & reggae with Kinkey, LOUNGE, LIBERTY’S BAR (HERIOT-WATT), Eclectic mix of 10pm-3am, £3 tunes, 8pm-1.30am, Free LULU, Jez Hill plays classic pop & funk anthems, 8pmMANGA, THE LIQUID ROOM, The 11th birthday with turn- 3am, £4, free b4 10pm PIVO CAFFE, Monkey Boy, 9pm-3am, Free tablist DMC Champion DJ Craze, MC Armani, T.C. & MC Jakes, 10pm-3am, £15 MUCH MORE, MEDINA, Hip-hop & funk cuts with Nasty P ANTICS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Rock, emo, punk & metal, & Cunnie, 10pm-3am, £4, £3 b4 11pm 11pm-3am, Free PARTY NIGHT, EL BARRIO, Salsa night with DJ Papi & Alex THE DIAMOND DICE, MASSA, Hip hop, RnB & grime Gato, free classes from 10pm, 11pm-3am, Free with your host Mr. Jinx, 10.30pm-3am, £5 RETRIBUTION, STUDIO 24, Goth music for the old, 11pmFRUNT, THE LIQUID ROOM, DJ Stuart Johnston playing 3am, £5, £3 students SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY, THE JAZZ BAR, Erik D’Viking & house music all night long, 10.30pm-3am, Free MOTHERFUNK, OPAL LOUNGE, Fryer & Gino play original Astroboy, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm soul, funk, disco, latin & hip hop, 10pm-3am, Free SEITEKI SATURDAYS, TOKYO, Funky house, 11pm-3am, REWIND, PRIVE’ COUNCIL, 100% upfront RnB & hip hop, £6 10pm-3am, £2, ladies free b4 12am SOPHISTIFUNK, CITY, John Hutchison (Tokyoblu) plays SPLIT, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Blend of house, techno, drum house remixes, funky RnB & bootlegs, 11pm-3am, £8 SOULCIAL, BAR 99, Dennis Probert & Yogi Haughton with & bass, breakbeat from Edinburgh locals, healthy midweek rave, 11.30pm-3am, Free the early soul session, 4pm-9pm, Free SOUL SANCTUARY, THE HUB, Soul tunes in two rooms (no SWING DANCE CLASSES, THE BONGO CLUB, Beginners at 7pm, advanced at 8pm, social dancing at 9, 7pmnorthern room!?), £tbc 9pm, £4 (£3) for one, £6 (£5) for both TEASE AGE, CITRUS CLUB, All things rock, motown, alterVIBE, EGO, Weekly gay club with James Longwarth playnative & soul, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm ing chart, 11pm-3am, £4 ULTRAGROOVE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Gareth Somerville & LULU, Eclectic sets from Hobbes & friends, 8pm-3am, Alan Gray (Telefunken) qith Solescience DJs in the back, £4, free b4 10pm 11pm-3am, £8 (£6 with flyer/nus) PIVO CAFFE, Trouble DJs, 7pm-3am, Free YUMMI RECORDS, PIVO CAFFE, Yummi Records showcase - DJs & local talent, 5pm-3am, Free ASSEMBLY BAR, Gareth Somerville (Ultragroove) & Jonnie CHAMBLES, OPAL LOUNGE, Funk & chart with DJ Jez Hill, Lyley (Scratch), 9pm-1am, Free 9pm-3am, £5 (£4) LULU, Hobbes, Gareth Somerville, Isla Blige & The Blond HOT SUSHI, TOKYO, Lisa Littlewood plays funky house & Flash rotate through soul, funk, house & latin, 8pmclub classics, 10pm-3am, £tbc 3am, £7, free b4 12am INDI-GO, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie & alternative, OPAL LOUNGE, Saturday night soiree, 10pm-3am, £6, 10.30pm-3am, £2, £1 students free b4 12am INSOMNIA, PRIVE’ COUNCIL, Warner Powers & Claudio

THURS 4 JAN

WED 10 JAN

Burns or Ginsberg within these walls, 8.30pm, £4 (£3) FRANTIC CHANT, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free OUT OF THE BEDROOM, THE CANON’S GAIT, *Note venue change from previous events., 9pm, Free THE ONE DAY SPEAKERS, STUDIO 24, 14+ Rock n’ roll evening, 7pm, £5 THE VACANT TOURISTS PLUS RAFF, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free

9pm, Free

BEATNIX POETRY NIGHT, THE JAZZ BAR, Find the next

SPANKY’S HEROES PLUS BLISS CREEK, WHISTLE BINKIES, THE ALVAS, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free

THURS 11 JAN

OUT OF THE BEDROOM, THE CANON’S GAIT, *Note venue

BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4

change from previous events., 9pm, Free THE HEDRONS, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Glaswegian femme rockers and recent Alice in Chains support act, 7pm, £6 THE WYND, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4 THE ZIPS, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free

FRI 5 JAN

BINKIES, Midnight, Free

THOSE FLYING MACHINES PLUS THE MANNEQUINS,

BORIS YELTSIN LOVE XI PLUS EPIC 26, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4

FLOOD OF RED, SUBWAY COWGATE, TBC, £5 LEE PATTERSON, WHISTLE BINKIES, Local troubadour. See our album review in Sounds, 6pm, Free

THE DAMAGE ROOM PLUS RUBIX TORCH, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free

THE USUAL SUSPECTS, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4

SAT 6 JAN BLACKJACK BLUES BAND, WHISTLE BINKIES, 6pm, Free

WITHOUT MALICE PLUS ULTRA VIOLET PILOT, WHISTLE

FRI 12 JAN

DIGNAL, DOWELL AND WHITE, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4

DROPKICK PLUS DEADBEAT CLUB, HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, Also includes The Scuffers and My Radio, 7.30pm, £4 JYROJETS PLUS STEREOGLO, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Young fast rising Inverness indie rockn’ rollers, 7pm, £TBC SUGARHOUSE, WHISTLE BINKIES, 6pm, Free

TEN STORIES HIGH PLUS LOST GENERATION, WHISTLE

BINKIES, German rockers pay a flying visit with Fife-dwelling

CREVIS, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4 MODUS, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free THE RAB HOWAT BAND, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD,

Indie stalwarts in tow, 9pm, Free

Weekly house band afternoon slot, 3pm, Free TOURETTES, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4

SAT 13 JAN

SUN 7 JAN

ALMEDA, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free OPEN MIC AFTERNOON, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 3pm, Free

SABAI, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free THE WYND, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4

MON 8 JAN

JUST TURN UP, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free OPEN MIC NIGHT, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free THE GREAT JAM SESSION, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free

TUES 9 JAN

BAND SHOWCASE, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free CEILIDH CLUB, THE LOT, 8.30pm, £6 FOLK N’ FRIENDS, THE WAVERLEY, Open Mic Night, 8.30pm, Free

THE SHJQ QUARTET, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free

THE BUBBLE PROJECT PLUS REBEL YELL, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4

JOJOCOKE, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4 SIZE QUEEN, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free THE RAB HOWAT BAND, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, Weekly house band afternoon slot, 3pm, Free TUNDE, THE QUEEN’S HALL, TBC, £15

SUN 14 JAN

BALDEGO, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free DIA PLUS PANIC IN STYLE, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4

OATBEANIE, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free OPEN MIC AFTERNOON, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 3pm, Free

SLAVES TO GRAVITY, CABARET VOLTAIRE, 7pm, £TBC

MON 15 JAN

JUST TURN UP, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free OPEN MIC NIGHT, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free THE GREAT JAM SESSION, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free

WEDNESDAY 31 JAN

Grab one of the Paisley Line trains from Central Station and jump off at Muirend. Once you reach the station head up the stairs and take a quick left, heading toward the main road. Passing Somerfield, take a left on the main road. As you walk down you’ll notice a rather unusual block of apartments on your left, which up until a few years ago used to be the Muirend Cinema house, a borderline art deco joint, similar to the Grovesner in Ashton Lane.

Across the street and on the corner is The Bank, named after the building’s former function. The interior is split over a number of levels, including a large mezzanine. This is a remnant of the intended grandeur that was once afforded to buildings designated to hold money, whilst the split levels were designed to send out impressive, and perhaps trusting feelings. Now it splits the premises up effectively into dining and bar areas, while maintaining a traditional pub feel throughout. The food is hearty pub ‘fayre’ and between us we enjoyed breaded mushrooms, goats’ cheese, ribs and a steak pie.

We were, however, defeated by the steak pie: its compact structure hiding a large amount of warm, meaty goodness inside.

To get back into the city centre, grab pretty much any bus heading North and you’ll find yourself back in town in no time. [Graeme Park]v

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

FRESHMODE, CITY CAFÉ (DOWNSTAIRS), Peas & DJG play

TUESDAY 30 JAN

MULTREES WALK, EDINBURGH. TEL 0131 557 0088

8

11pm-3am, £3 (£2), free b4 11pm

SATURDAY 27 JAN

VINCAFFE

Opened and established as ‘the place to be’ in 2004, Vincaffe still looks like the award-winning wine bar and restaurant it is, but is now really only the ‘place to be’ with your grandmother. While the clientele is closer to the regular Jenners crowd, the food in the restaurant upstairs lives up to the high quality standards of its Valvona and Crolla suppliers. Although the kitchen could do with some compulsory hairnets, a wholesome Italian lunch for two can be had for around £30, including a bottle of an unusual sparkling house red. The classic V&C Antipasto is beautifully presented on a large plate, and perfect for picking between two before the mains arrive: the smokily delicious parma ham melts in your mouth. Highly recommended is the Crespelle con Ricotta e Spinace (£12): at once flavoursome and surprisingly light for stuffed pancakes. The Peperoni Arrosto (£6.50) goes nicely as a main with a plain rocket salad. Watch out for dessert specials - a creamy bread and butter pudding recommended by the waitress rounded off a satisfying lunch with a subtle nutmeg finish. [Sophie Kyle]

performs alongside Astroboy & friends, 10pm-3am, £9 EVOL, THE LIQUID ROOM, Indie, hip hop, alternative beats & rock, 10.30pm-3am, £5 FAKE, STUDIO 24, DJ Kozmo with italo disco, electrohouse & electro punky stuff, 11pm-3am, £5 (£4) GET FUNK’D, MEDINA, Double D & Isla play hip hop to house, 10pm-3am, £4, £3 b4 11pm GROOVEJET, TOKYO, Tony McHugh with dancefloor hits, 10pm-3am, £6 JAM FRIDAY, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY, Pop & cheese, 10pm-3am, £2 MISFITS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Indie, electro, punk, rock, retro & a tequila girl, 11pm-3am, £2 NIGHT TRAIN, LIBERTY’S BAR (HERIOT-WATT), 8pm-2am, Free PLANET EARTH, CITRUS CLUB, 80s tunes with residents, 10.30pm-3am, £5 SALSA CARIBE!, THE LOT, Salsa DJs on the special wooden dancefloor, 9pm-1.30am, £5, £4 b4 9.30pm TOKYO BLU, EGO, Full live house band, visual delights and house DJs, 11pm-3am, £8 (£7), £6 (£5) b4 12am UNKNOWN PLEASURES, TEVIOT UNION, Indie club, 9pm3am, £3 (£2) ASSEMBLY BAR, Trouble DJs, 5pm-1am, Free LULU, Hobbes, Gareth Somerville, Isla Blige & The Blond Flash rotate through soul, funk, house & latin, 8pm3am, £7, free b4 12am THE MALTINGS, Open Mic, 9.30pm-late, Free OPAL LOUNGE, Jez Hill with upfront & classic tunes, 10pm-3am, £6, free b4 12am

EDINBURGH LIVE

LISTINGS

LIFESTYLE EATING & DRINKING

SUNDAY 28 JAN

ALL BACK TO MINE, OPAL LOUNGE, Eclectic mix of per-

THE BANK - 443 CLARKSTON ROAD , MUIREND , SOUTHSIDE , GLASGOW - 0141 637 8461

LIFESTYLE LISTINGS

sonal favourites, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm BABY DOLL, PO NA NA, Funky house, 11pm-3am, £5, free b4 11.30pm BOOTYLUSHOUS, MEDINA, RnB, soul, funk & disco with Trendy Wendy, Dale & Simone, 10pm-3am, £4, £2 b4 12am CLUB SIMBA, THE JAZZ BAR, Afro, carribean, RnB, hip hop, live pa & audio visual images with DJs Red Alert, Wellaz & guests, 10pm-3am, £3, free b4 11.30pm CURIOUS? SUNDAY JOINT, THE BONGO CLUB, Diverse selection of music, free internet & games, 4pm-3am, £3, free b4 11pm DISUKO, TOKYO, John Tokyoblu plays upfront disco, latin house with live percussion & sax from Pepe & saXingh,

www.skinnymag.co.uk

bring fresh house tunes each week, 10pm-3am, Free PAUL DALY, PIVO CAFFE, Free flowing funk to house, 9pm-3am, Free THE PIT, SUBWAY COWGATE, Rock & metal, 11pm-3am, Free STIR FRIED, THE OUTHOUSE, Pre-club with indie & rock from B-Sides & Bootross Rock, 9pm-1am, Free TOASTER, CITRUS CLUB, Breaks & Bobs, 11pm-3am, £3, free b4 11.30pm TOXIK, OPIUM, DJ Nu-Clear playing new & old metal & hard rock, 8pm-3am, Free WE ARE … ELECTRIC, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Gary Mac & Teme Nosce with Gareth Somerville in the back, 11pm3am, £2, free b4 12am/members BARAKA, Funk, soul, disco, dancehall & reggae, 8pmlate, Free LULU, Mash & Jon Pleased - past & future electronic classics, 8pm-3am, £4, free b4 10pm

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

57

TOBY SPENCE PLUS JULIAN MILFORD, THE QUEEN’S

of Henry’s, 8pm, £5

HALL, 7.45pm, £17-£10 (£15-£9)

FRI 26 JAN

TUES 16 JAN

BAND SHOWCASE, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free CEILIDH CLUB, THE LOT, 8.30pm, £6 FOLK N’ FRIENDS, THE WAVERLEY, Open Mic Night,

NEW FOUND SOUND: ROSE KEMP, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, See Edinburgh Under Surveillance column in

Sounds for more, 9pm, £4

8.30pm, Free

THE SHJQ QUARTET, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free

ROGUESTAR, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4 THE DEMONS EYE, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free THE ENEMY, CABARET VOLTAIRE, 7pm, £7

WED 17 JAN

SAT 27 JAN

DAVID BEATTIES LUCKY TULE PLUS HARLEM 75, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free

HOLLOW HEART PARLOUR, HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, Monthly acoustic night, 7.30pm, £5

THURS 18 JAN

AMBULANCE PLUS WOMAN, HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, Edinburgh Uni Indiesoc presents…, 8pm, £TBC JACK GLASS PLUS ELKO, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free OUT OF THE BEDROOM, THE CANON’S GAIT, *Note venue change from previous events., 9pm, Free SAFEHOUSE, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free

FRI 19 JAN

YELLOW BOX DENOTES SKINNY HIGHLIGHTS

Weekly house band afternoon slot, 3pm, Free

TOFFS CAN’T DANCE: THE SECOND COMING, THE CAVES, It’s back, O.B.E., The Dials, Penny Blacks, Tam’s

Railways. See feature in Sounds, 9pm, £6 before 11, £7 after U-KNOW-HOO, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4

OATBEANIE, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free OPEN MIC AFTERNOON, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD,

cludes Kudos and Seneka, 7pm, £3

THE RAB HOWAT BAND, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, Weekly house band afternoon slot, 3pm, Free

SUN 21 JAN

AMEN, THE EXCHANGE, The return of Casey Chaos and his band of misfits, support comes from The Inbreds, see our feature in Sounds, 7pm, £12 BLACKJACK BLUES BAND, WHISTLE BINKIES, 6pm, Free

TUES 30 JAN

BAND SHOWCASE, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free CEILIDH CLUB, THE LOT, 8.30pm, £6 FOLK N’ FRIENDS, THE WAVERLEY, Open Mic Night, 8.30pm, Free

THE BLUETONES, CABARET VOLTAIRE, See our interview feature with Mark Morriss in Sounds, 7pm, £13 THE SHJQ QUARTET, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free

WED 31 JAN

FABLES LAST STAND, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free DISTANT SOUL PLUS LADY MERCEDES, WHISTLE BINKIES, GRAYSON CAPPS, THE VILLAGE, New Orleans swamp 9pm, Free

folk-soul, 7.30pm, £8

tal’s hard riffs mongers meets surf rock par excellence, 8pm, £4

BARFLY, 8pm, tbc

MON 22 JAN

OTAGO LANE, ambient electro-acoustic soundscapes,

HUSTLERS, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4 THURS 4 JAN ONE SELF, CABARET VOLTAIRE, 7pm, £TBC OPEN MIC AFTERNOON, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, FLOOD OF RED, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00 DICELINES: JIEZUBERBAND / TEAM SALT, 13TH NOTE, 3pm, Free THE TYRANT LIZARD KINGS PLUS DICK DANGEROUS 8pm, £5.00 & THE LOVEBASTARDS, HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, The capi- CORTEZ + THE BLUE ROZES + THE RIVER MERCHANTS,

JEREMY WARMSLEY, EAGLEOWL, CABARET VOLTAIRE, 7pm, £TBC

LEO

SAGITTARIUS

Jupiter is in Mars’ orbit which makes this the year that New Year’s resolutions will be stuck to. New Year’s resolution - to give a Piscean a present every month.

New Year, New Life. Could it be time to drop it all and start again? New Year’s resolution – make better friends.

You have your eye on someone. Keep at it and they will say yes eventually – after ten vodkas. New Year’s resolution – don’t put your keys in the bowl.

TAURUS

VIRGO

CAPRICORN

You’ll be surprised how much fun making robots out of clay can be. Don’t wear grey if you don’t want to look like a terrorist. New Year’s resolution – create more prettiness.

You’ll feel unsettled and find it hard to relax this month. Got an itch? Try natural yoghurt. New Year’s resolution – wear cotton undies.

LIBRA

Sod New Year’s resolutions. Who are you kidding? Don’t try, you’ll only be disappointed. Chocolate will be big this year. New Year’s resolution – hinder all others.

One month off the booze means mighty fish tank. New Year’s resolution – eat more cheese, especially before bed.

A sexy Sagittarius is making a beeline for you. Single? Grab them with both hands. Not? Be careful for you will be tempted. New Year’s resolution – take more risks.

CANCER

SCORPIO

If Kylie can catch it so can you! Check your boobs. If you don’t have any find the nearest available pair. New Year’s resolution – make a new friend every week.

What goes around comes around. You’ve been a good person. Now it’s time to reap what you’ve sown. New Year’s resolution – it’s all about me!

THE CULTURE VULTURE

SUN 28 JAN

GOING UNDERGROUND From summer 2007, we are told, commuters on Glasgow Underground will be able to use their mobile phones in tunnels. The Vulture isn’t an idiot, and knows this is plainly impossible. The chat is some shit about networks in the stations, and increasing security. Yeah, so next time the Vulture is lying in a bloody heap being beaten by nasal-voiced hoodlums, they’ll be able to video-message ‘Mum’ on the V-phone as they do it. I prefer to never leave the nest, personally.

Local hard rock outfit. See our Album review in Sounds, Indie rock, 9pm, £4 9pm, £4

LAKI MERA, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4 THE ONE DAY SPEAKERS, SUBWAY COWGATE, Also in-

ARIES

GEMINI

LEE PATTERSON, WHISTLE BINKIES, Local troubadour. See 3pm, Free our Album review in Sounds, 6pm, Free PRIME SUSPECT, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free LITTLE GREEN MACHINE, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, THE INDUSTRY ENSEMBLE, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD,

SAT 20 JAN

by Mic Psych

We’ve all thought about giving up our bad habits but think of all the interesting people you’ve met because of them. New Year’s resolution – stick to what you know.

DAKOTA, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free RECLINER, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4 THE BELGRANOS, WHISTLE BINKIES, 6pm, Free THE RAB HOWAT BAND, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD,

THE ACUTE PLUS THE VIVIANS AND ROYAL TREATMON 29 JAN MENT PLANT, CABARET VOLTAIRE, A triple bill of energetic JUST TURN UP, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free indie rockers, 7pm, £TBC LECORUM, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, Acoustic indie THE DIALS, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free rock, 9pm, £3 WIRED DESIRE, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4 OPEN MIC NIGHT, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free THE GREAT JAM SESSION, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free

Stars

YOU’LL BE SURPRISED HOW MUCH FUN MAKING ROBOTS OUT OF CLAY CAN BE

PLAYING BRIDGE

bikies, henrys, euro

LIFESTYLE

LISTINGS EDINBURGH LIVE

Fife and Clackmannanshire Councils have been arguing over what to call the new Kincardine Bridge. One side wants the Kingdom Bridge, the other the Clackmannan Bridge. As they were unable to come to a decision, the Vulture was invited in as official adjudicator. Using that tried and tested method of creative process, the office shout-round, the Vulture came up with a few short-listed suggestions: the Chuck Norris Bridge, the Highway to Hell Viaduct, the One Step Forth Two Steps Back Bridge, the Vulture’s Party Bridge, and the Skyway of Dirty Dreams. Eventually it has been decided to call the bridge all these things at once: the Chuck Hell Forth Party Skyway.

AQUARIUS

PISCES Your boss is being a total dick. Tell them. They’re not the boss of you! Well maybe they are but this is a time for change after all. New Year’s resolution – shop more.

by The Vulture

In case anyone was wondering, naming bridges is a piece of piss. The diary is free.

WITNESS THE SHITNESS November and December were about as wet as any the Vulture can remember. (The Vulture is old. That’s how it gets its authority. And its ease with the third person.) This extreme wetness had cultural effects, not least for the citizens of Edinburgh, who got wet and complained that ‘all culture is shit’. Douglas Gordon’s Superhumanatural ‘exhibits’ at the Botanic Gardens are all very well, but no substitute for appropriate clothing, a Bovril, and a box of watercolours.

FAGS West Lancashire Council has placed a ban on ‘fag breaks’, with concern for the health of their staff as the justification for the decision. Most upset with this move have been the locals of Coronation Street, Weatherfield. Local barmaid Betty of The Rovers Return bar complained: “How are the punters supposed to enjoy their hot pot if they ain’t got nowt to smoke during their lunch hour?” Even more annoyed was long-time barfly and taxi driver Les

Battersby: “It’s bad enough my wife is sleeping with my daughter and my step-son has donated a kidney to his great dane! This is the last straw!” Local vigilante Emily Bishop has vowed to fight the decision, declaring: “I shall take this one to the Church of England, then we’ll see who’s boss around here!” A meeting is scheduled for Monday night at 7.30.

THE SMOKE This weekend the Vulture is off to London – the town where old vultures go to die.

Those worried about the short term health of the Skinny Scavenger need not fret, it’s just a flying visit. In line with the trend that ‘Culture’ and ‘the Rulings of Local Councils’ are often confused in this column, your favourite vulpine scribe has booked for tea at Mr Livingstone’s.

Oysters are on the menu. Expect sauce to follow.

THE IMPOSSIBLE FLOWERS & FRIENDS, TCHAI OVNA, 8pm, £2

FRI 5 JAN

ANIMAL FARM, BLOC, 10pm, Free JUST TURN UP, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free THE DIALS, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00 OPEN MIC NIGHT, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free THE GREAT JAM SESSION, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free JOY PROMOTIONS, 13TH NOTE, 8pm, £5.00 THE ELVIS SUICIDE + LE RENO AMPS + THE YOUNG TUES 23 JAN HIPS, BARFLY, Americana tinged rock, 8pm, tbc BAND SHOWCASE, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free THE FUNHOUSE, BARFLY, 8pm, tbc CEILIDH CLUB, THE LOT, 8.30pm, £6 CHRIS KNIGHT PLUS ALANA LEVANDOSKI, THE PLEAS- SAT 6 JAN STONESTHROW, NICE’N’SLEAZY, 8.30pm, Free ANCE, Angry folkster with hints of Mellencamp, 8pm, £10 THE ADS + STEREOGLO + SBC SUNSHINE, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00 FOLK N’ FRIENDS, THE WAVERLEY, Open Mic Night, 8.30pm, Free BEAUTIFUL SOUP, BLOC, 8pm, Free THE SHJQ QUARTET, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free CENTURY CHAOS + BAYAN + DARK LITTLE POET, BARFLY,

WED 24 JAN

RAY LAMONTAGNE, USHER HALL, 7pm, £18 THE DRAYMIN PLUS LITTLE GREEN MACHINE, WHISTLE BINKIES, See our respective single and album reviews in

8pm, tbc

SUN 7 JAN

TAKE A WORM FOR A WALK WEEK, NICE’N’SLEAZY, 8.30pm, tbc

Sounds, 9pm, Free

PUNY HUMAN PROMOTIONS: MEANS TO AN END,

night, Free

BLOC JAM, BLOC, 8pm, Free ROCKETFOX EP LAUNCH, BARFLY, 8pm, £4.00 CONOR MASON, BUTTERFLY N PIG, 8pm, Free

WYLDFLOWER PLUS THE WYND, WHISTLE BINKIES, Mid-

THURS 25 JAN

CARTER PLUS DEAD SEAS SOULS, CABARET VOLTAIRE, Electro and Indie from Bathgate and Edinburgh, 7pm, £4 (£3) MY RADIO, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, Indie rock, 9pm, £4 OUT OF THE BEDROOM, THE CANON’S GAIT, *Note venue change from previous events., 9pm, Free SOMETHING ILLEGAL, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free

THE DELOREANS PLUS HOLLOW POINT, WHISTLE BINKIES, See our single review in Sounds, 9pm, Free

13TH NOTE, 8pm, £5.00

MON 8TH JAN

ACOUSTIC JAM SESSION, NICE’N’SLEAZY, 8.30pm, tbc HUNDRED REASONS * RESCHEDULED FROM 10/10/6, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £11.00

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, BARROWLAND, 8pm, £15.00 YAMAN, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, sitar, flute and mixes, 8pm, £2

TUES 9 JAN

MUERSAULT, NICE’N’SLEAZY, 8.30pm, tbc BIRCHVILLE CAT MOTEL, 13TH NOTE, 8pm, £5.00 evening of live local indie in the claustrophobic environs ANDY MILLER, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, acoustic guitar THIS IS MUSIC: O.B.E PLUS MY TINY ROBOTS, THE RIPPS, HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, Another undoubtedly stellar

58

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

LISTINGS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

7

LIFESTYLE ‘Lifestyle’ is a curious term. ‘Style’ is a loose enoug h c onc ept t o begin with, and ‘life’ is still giving our best thinkers cause for uncertainty. What, then, are we on about?

HEADS UP!

virtuoso presents some of his favourite bands, 8pm, £2 SODASTREAM AND ROY MOLLER, BACCHUS, 8pm, £5.00

THE FELT TIPS + WAKE THE PRESIDENT + HEY PRINCESS,

at Dancebase

The Skinny’s Lifestyle section this month offers certain indicators on what we mean. In terms of style, there’s a beautiful black and white fashion spread (the clothes at least are black and white), and our cover feature on Edinburgh’s supremely talented Mistress of Illustration, Lucy MacLeod. As for life, or at least living, there is another instalment of our increasingly authoritative eating and drinking guide (a project our restaurant reviewers assure us will never be completed), and an invitation to get your rhythm and vigour flowing at Dancebase. Essentially it’s a question of what we like. And when it seems that Lifestyle has nothing more to offer, there’s a Culture Vulture there to pick at your bones. /RJ Thomson

Sitting at a desk all day, slouched over a computer? On your pins all day behind a bar? Working on a site from the crack of dawn in the wind and rain? Repetitive work is not good for your body, especially in the cold, dark winter. Just like our brains, our bodies need a time out and bit of variation every now and again. Stiff shoulders and curved backs would do well to get a bit of a stretch out after the alcohol-soaked restless nights of the festive period. So, just as your body begins to assume the shape of your office chair, a new course of drop-in dance sessions starts at the National Centre for Dance in Edinburgh, Dancebase.

Okay, so there’s a cringe-inducing element to ‘dance classes’. Memories of a cold, dusty school hall, country dancing lessons and a hated PE teacher shouting ‘one-two-three-four! one-twothree-four!’ at the top of their voice, resonate in

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI THE SKINNY ON TOUR

the back of the mind - but Dancebase isn’t like this. Well, at least the building isn’t. Beautifully presented studios have been designed to bring more ‘dimension’ to dance sessions: glass ceilings invite more light inside, hidden balconies keep secrets from the Grassmarket, and symmetrical temple lines channel energy into Dancebase’s classes.

are surprised to know you have, and make sitting at a desk all day a whole lot easier. An up-beat ‘Vogueing’ session early in the evening will let out the poser in you after a day of biting your tongue at the boss, and make you laugh at yourself in the mirror. There’s also an array of street dance oriented classes to drop into, and you get to listen to some great music too.

Many Skinny readers will have been moshing it out with the most energetic of us down at some of the city’s Christmas and Hogmanay bashes, but beer-soaked stumbling about in a crowd is not the kind of dance that will give your body (or your mind) a boost. At Dancebase there is a range of classes designed around the fact that people get up late, work all day and generally find it hard to break the routine. With new springtime classes to drop into, it’s easier to catch a Pilates Morning before work. Bring to life parts of your body you

From 8 January to 24 March Dancbase will be running sessions to improve the wellbeing of the average 20-something year-old, and you know the gym will be packed full of guilty turkey gobblers desperately trying to get rid of their extra inches after Christmas. Why not try a dance?

FOR A FREE BROCHURE CONTACT 0131 225 5525 – DANCE@ DANCEBASE.CO.UK. WWW.DANCEBASE.CO.UK. DANCE BASE, NATIONAL CENTRE FOR DANCE, 14 -16 GRASSMARKET, EDINBURGH EH1 2JU.

INDY READING THE SKINNY IN SINGAPORE

Skinny On Tour to:

The beginners’ tango class

LETTERS@SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

1pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

WED 10 JAN

THEATRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

details

site for details

standards played by our resident trio, 8pm, £2 PARANOID MONKEYS, 13TH NOTE, Politically astute psychedelic rock/post prog, 8pm, £5.00 PAUL DOCHERTY, CAFÉ RIO, solo cosmic rough ride, 8pm, free INVAIN + THE ROCK JUNKIES, BARFLY, 8pm, tbc MICHAEL SIMONS, TCHAI OVNA, SOUTHSIDE, folk, blues and beyond from this fingerstyle guitarist, 8pm, £2 THE FORTUNATE SONS, BLOC, 8pm, Free

songwriters and bands, 8pm, free

Celtic Connections Website for details SCOTLAND’S MUSIC LIVE, CITY HALLS, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

DON’T TELL ME: FOREIGN STUDENT STUDY-

I’m studying mechanical design en- I’m also studying mechanical design ING ENG LIT. gineering. engineering.

I’m studying English Literature and History of Art, all the things to imHAVE YOU EVEN BEGUN TO THINK ABOUT SO YOU LIKE THE BELL TOWER TOO, EH? prove my English.

WHAT THAT MEANS? I think the best thing about Glasgow My image of Glasgow is probably the is the architecture, although for AYE. GIVE US YOUR BEST ENGLERY THEN. Bell Tower at Glasgow uni. me it’s probably just the University My impression of the city of Glasgow Library. is of the museums and the gardens.

LORD OF TIME, EH. WHAT’S GONNA HAPBut of the place, I would say live PEN IN THE FUTURE, THEN? SO HOW DO YOU PLAN TO STRIKE OUT IN music.

My New Year’s resolution is to get THIS BIG OLE WORLD? a job.

This year I’m going to learn to drive. PASSABLE. WHAT ABOUT ‘07?

I’ve started a children’s book called Paolo Nutini John Pakita and the Magic Flower.

6

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

THERE’S A REALLY BEAUTIFUL, BUT INTIMI- ARE YOU CLEVER?

WILL YOU LOOK AFTER ME? I’VE GOT A

DATINGLY LARGE GIRL, JUST OVER MY I’m studying Psychology.

SPLINTER.

LEFT SHOULDER. HAVE YOU SEEN HER?

I’m studying medicine.

I ’ m s t u d y i n g S o c i o l o g y a n d ANALYSE THIS. [GESTURES AROUND.] Psychology.

My impression of Glasgow is of the Gallowgate. It’s partly about being SO YOU SEE PEOPLE AS SYSTEMS AND rich and showing off in all the trendy THAT? bars, and also it has this whole thing My image of Glasgow is of a friendly going on with Mono and the Note. worker, nothing too aggressive but very industrial.

YOU SEEM A BIT FEY. WHERE’S THAT TAK-

details

CERT HALL, 1.30pm, £6

low experimental music, 8pm, free

CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

CERT HALL, 1.30pm, £6

SAT 13 JAN

CLANNAD WITH SUPPORT, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm,

TUES 16 JAN

0 DEGREES OF SEPARATION FEATURING VASHTI BUNYAN, ADEM, VETIVER, JUANA MOLINA, ABC, Experi-

ING YOU?

Byres Road is probably my favourite thing about Glasgow. It has great people on it, and great craic.

SOULS, AND ALL THAT JAZZ?

My New Year’s resolution is quit uni My New Year’s resolution is to make My New Year’s resolution is to study and do something I want do, like be lots of money. abroad. a joiner.

HAVE YOU FULFILLED YOUR DREAMS?

LIFESTYLE LISTINGS

CEOLRAIDH: : PETER TICKELL WITH ADAM SUTHERROBYN HITCHCOCK & THE VENUS 3 (FEATURING PETER BUCK, SCOTT MCCAUGHEY & BILL RIEFLIN), THE LAND AND SIOBHAN MILLER AND GORDEANNA CLASSIC GRAND, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Web- MCCULLOCH, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD,

BLOC

COME&TRY : HARMONY SINGING WORKSHOP, CON-

site for details

MAURA O’CONNELL WITH HEIDI TALBOT TRIO, CON-

CERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

details

MINDY SMITH WITH THE STATE BROADCASTERS, TRON THEATRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

details

CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

site for details

WENDY WEATHERBY “A SCOTS QUAIR”, CITY HALLS,

7.15pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

BETH NIELSEN CHAPMAN WITH TEDDY THOMPSON, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections

Website for details

THE UKRAINIANS WITH RISE KAGONA & “CHAMPINIGHTMARE OF YOU, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £8.00 ON” DOUG VEITCH, CLASSIC GRAND, 8pm, see Celtic BLEED THE DREAM + VALENTIN, BARFLY, 8pm, tbc Connections Website for details BOB FOX WITH SIOBHAN MILLER, NATIONAL PIPING JACK KNIVES, SERPICO, ARCHES, 8pm, £6.00 JAMIE T, GARAGE, , £10.00

CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

WED 17 JAN

SAT 20 JAN

FEST NOZ WITH SKOLVAN, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE,

see Celtic Connections Website for details THE BLOOD BROTHERS, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £8.50 MICHAEL SIMONS, TCHAI OVNA, SOUTHSIDE, folk, blues and beyond from this fingerstyle guitarist, 8pm, £2

MULTI-COLOURED SPEAKEASY, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO

THURS 18 JAN

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD : : WINNERS 2006, CONCERT HALL : EXHIBITION HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER WITH SUPPORT, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

SO YOU BELIEVE IN THE HARMONY OF

BILLY MACKENZIE TRIBUTE NIGHT, CLASSIC GRAND,

FERRY, , SOLD OUT

free

LIVES?

RICHIE HAVENS WITH DAVID FERRARD, ABC, 8pm,

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 see Celtic Connections Website for details CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY DAVID MACDONALD, RASPBERRY BADGER, ABC2, FRI NIGHT BLUES : WITH ERNIE HAWKINS, HOLIDAY INN, GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 soulful pop and melodic rock, 7pm, £6.00 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details COME&TRY : BODHRAN WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, LITTLE JOHN ROCKET + THE SPIN OFFS + TRABECA, SCO: MOZART, BRITTEN, MENDELSSOHN, CITY HALLS , 11am, £6 BARFLY, anthemic chic punk, 8pm, tbc 7.30pm, £10.00 COME&TRY : BODHRAN WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, SIREN, BLOC, 8pm, Free ACUTE RIOT, NICE’N’SLEAZY, 8.30pm, tbc 11am, £6 NORMA JEAN, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £10.00 COME&TRY : CLARSACH WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, SUN 14 JAN 11am, £6 ANIMAL FARM, BLOC, 8pm, Free LINCHPIN, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00 JOANNA NEWSOM, CITY HALLS, New Folk, 8pm, £19.50 BARRA NIGHT WITH MAGGIE MACINNES & CATHY- COME&TRY : CLARSACH WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, 11am, £6 MUST BE SOMETHING + REBEL YELL, BARFLY, 8pm, tbc ANN MCPHEE, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE, 8pm, see OPENING YOUR VOICE 2, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website for details JAMES HARA, BUTTERFLY N PIG, 8pm, Free BETTER CRACK CLUB, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, monthly Celtic Connections Website for details WOMEN’S SAMBA WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, 11am, story telling evening, 8pm, free MON 15 JAN see Celtic Connections Website for details BRUCE COCKBURN WITH THE ALISON BROWN ACOUSTIC JAM, NICE’N’SLEAZY, 8.30pm, Free QUARTET, ABC, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Web- NEW VOICES: : NUALA KENNEDY, CONCERT HALL, 1pm, NEWTON FAULKNER, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £6.00 see Celtic Connections Website for details site for details FOR THE MOMENT + LAHOYA + DARKLIGHT, BARFLY, DASHING WHITE SERGEANTS + OUR BELOVED + THE- TASTE OF THE FEST HOSTED BY ISHBEL MACASKILL, 8pm, tbc NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 2pm, see Celtic Connections YAMAN, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, sitar, flute and mixes, ATRE FALL + THE BALLANTINES, BARFLY, 8pm, tbc Website for details MADVIOLET WITH GIVEWAY, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, £2 DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

LANE, open mic night hosted by Tom Snowball, 8pm,

WHAT GIVES YOU THE DRIVE TO SAVE

BIG FACE + TINY LITTLE HEARTS + VIVAMELODICA,

tbc

HANDS ACROSS THE WATER, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm,

ARE YOU TIMOTHY’S SIDEKICK?

OLD FRUITMARKET, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

DANIEL LAPP TRIO WITH ANDREA ZONN, TRON THEATRE, FRI 19 JAN 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details NOW ITS OVERHEAD, ABC2, 8pm, £7.50 JUSTIN CURRIE WITH THE POEMS, ABC, 8pm, see VULTURE SPEAK/CEL, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, minimal- CELTIC CONNECTIONS CEILIDH WITH THE SCOTT HARVEY CEILIDH BAND, CONCERT HALL, 10.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details ist psychedelic folk music, 8pm, £2 Celtic Connections Website for details UNCLE EARL AND JOHN SPILLANE, CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details TRONIC PRESENTS: DEXTRO / IVES, 13TH NOTE, 8pm, FRI 12 JAN £5.00 SCO: BACH, RAMAEU, CITY HALLS, 7.30pm, £10.00 SUN 21 JAN CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY MOONSHAKER, 13TH NOTE, 8pm, £5.00 COME&TRY : CLARSACH WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 AUSTIN, AUDIOALYSIS, CLASSIC GRAND, progressive pop, SESSION A9 WITH THE DUHKS, OLD FRUITMARKET, 10pm, 1.30pm, £6 7.30pm, £5.00 COME&TRY : CLARSACH WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, see Celtic Connections Website for details SALON BORIS, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £6.00 CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CONCERT 1.30pm, £6 LOGAN, BARFLY, 8pm, £8.00 COME&TRY : HARMONY SINGING WORKSHOP, CONTHE FUNHOUSE / EYES WIDE OPEN CLUB, BARFLY, 8pm, HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website for

Website for details

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?

PHIL CUNNINGHAM AND FRIENDS WITH DÒCHAS,

7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details VINNY PECULIAR, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £6.50 BEAUTIFUL SOUP, BLOC, 8pm, Free

site for details

CELTIC CONNECTIONS TORCHLIGHT PROCESSION 2007, GEORGE SQUARE, 5pm, see Celtic Connections

RACHAEL, 20, GLASGOW

details

SOLAS WITH IARLA Ó LIONÁIRD, CONCERT HALL,

Celtic Connections Website for details

GLIDER, BARFLY, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

details

PAUL, 18, GLASGOW

HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

site for details

£15.00

HALLS, 11:00am, see Celtic Connections Website for

ARIK, 24 BERLIN

ORKNEY NIGHT WITH THE WRIGLEY SISTERS, CONCERT

8pm, £10.00

BLACK ALLEY SCREENS, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00 DEICIDE, CATHOUSE, None more Black metal, 8pm,

CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CITY

LAUREN, 22, FRANCE

8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

see Celtic Connections Website for details

THURS 11 JAN

STEVEN SEAGAL *RESCHEDULED FROM 19/09/06*, THE

LYN, 19, BURMA

MATT MCGINN NIGHT, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE,

BARFLY, 8pm, tbc

mental folk, 8pm, £15.00

TIMOTHY, 19, PAISLEY

LILY O’LÉ AND FRIENDS, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, singer SCOTLAND’S MUSIC LIVE, CITY HALLS, 7.30pm, see

site for details

influenced by rock, folk and jazz styles, 8pm, £2 SOIL, CATHOUSE, 8pm, £10.00 THE MANIKEES, BLOC, 8pm, Free photos: David Winton

ISLAND TAPES WITH DAVID ALLISON, CONCERT HALL,

JIM LAUDERDALE WITH MAEVE O’BOYLE, TRON

THE HOPE CONSPIRACY, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £7.00 JIM WHYTE, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, singer songwriter

GUTTER TALK WEST END, GLASGOW

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD,

details

BARFLY, Charming indie-pop, 8pm, £4

WHISPERS IN THE ATTIC, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, mel-

Send your photos for

HALL, 1pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

Connections Website for details

CANDIRU JAZZ, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, modern jazz

BEER SOAKED STUMBLING ABOUT IN A CROWD IS NOT THE KIND OF DANCE THAT WILL GIVE YOUR BODY (OR YOUR MIND) A BOOST

CEOLRAIDH: : EWAN MACPHERSON WITH SÉAMUS EGAN AND JENNA CUMMING WITH MARY ANN KENNEDY, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic

LISTINGS

DITORIAL * EDITORIAL * EDI

GLASGOW LIVE

details

A WILHELM SCREAM, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £7.00 ALEX KID, BLOC, 8pm, Free CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 8pm, £3.50

www.skinnymag.co.uk

details

COME&TRY : FIDDLE WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL,

8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

COME&TRY : SAMBA WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL,

8pm, £9.00

1.30pm, £6 1.30pm, £6

COME&TRY : WHISTLE WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, 1.30pm, £6

GET CAPE WEAR CAPE FLY!, QUEEN MARGARET UNION, ISOBEL CAMPBELL WITH MARK LANEGAN & SUPPORT KATHRYN WILLIAMS, ABC, 8pm, £15 KRIS DREVER & ÉAMONN COYNE WITH JOHN WILLIAMS & DEAN MCGRAW, TRON THEATRE, 8pm, see

DRIVE CAREFULLY RECORDS PRESENTS: THE KARA Celtic Connections Website for details SEA / RABIES NATION, 13TH NOTE, 8pm, £5.00 MYSTERY JUICE AND FRIENDS WITH HAZEL MORRICELTIC CONNECTIONS CEILIDH WITH THE SCOTT HARVEY CEILIDH BAND, CONCERT HALL, 10.30pm, see SON, CLASSIC GRAND, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Celtic Connections Website for details

Website for details

nections Website for details 11am, £6

Connections Website for details STEM + GOODSON, BARFLY, 8pm, tbc TIREE NIGHT, CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details EMMA JANE, FRAME 13, BUTTERFLY N PIG, 8pm, Free

Celtic Connections Website for details

Connections Website for details

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 SHOOGLENIFTY AND TANYA TAGAQ WITH SKOLVAN BIG BAND, OLD FRUITMARKET, 10pm, see Celtic ConCOME&TRY : MANDOLIN WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL,

SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : GLASGOW, HOSTED BY DORIS ROUGVIE, UNIVERSAL, 8pm, see Celtic

KIDS PERCUSSION WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, 11am, FRANKIE GAVIN AND HIBERNIAN RHAPSODY WITH BERROGÜETTO, OLD FRUITMARKET, 9.30pm, see Celtic see Celtic Connections Website for details OPENING YOUR VOICE 1, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Connections Website for details FRANKIE GAVIN AND HIBERNIAN RHAPSODY WITH Celtic Connections Website for details OPENING YOUR VOICE 1, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see BERROGÜETTO, OLD FRUITMARKET, 9.30pm, see Celtic COME&TRY : TRADITIONAL SCOTS SINGING WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, 11am, £6 CELTIC CONNECTIONS YOUTH CONCERT, CONCERT

MON 22 JAN

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

59

GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 IAIN ANDERSON IN CONVERSATION : KARINE POLWART, CONCERT HALL, 12.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

site for details

BBC RADIO 2 “RADIO BALLADS”, CONCERT HALL,

7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

DICK GAUGHAN “HANDFUL OF EARTH”, CITY HALLS, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details RAY LA MONTAGNE, CLYDE AUDITORIUM, 7.30pm, £17.50 JESSE MALIN, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £10.00 ANDREW BRADLEY, BLOC, 8pm, Free

DIDIER SQUIBAN QUARTET WITH SIMON THOUMIRE AND DAVID MILLIGAN, CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details GINGER (FULL ELECTRIC SHOW), BARFLY, From the Wildhearts, 8pm, £10.00

HARMONICA NIGHT WITH BRENDAN POWER & DONALD BLACK, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details JOHN CALE WITH SUPPORT, ABC, Velvet viola man, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

ROBERT TANNAHILL LAUNCH CONCERT, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

site for details

7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details ARCHITECTS, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £6.00 JEAN HONEYMOON, CAFÉ RIO, 8pm, free CANDIRU JAZZ, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, modern jazz standards played by our resident trio, 8pm, £2

JOHN DOYLE & ANNA MASSIE WITH HEELIEGOLEERIE, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details MCQUEEN, BARFLY, 8pm, £7.00

MICHAEL SIMONS, TCHAI OVNA, SOUTHSIDE, folk, blues and beyond from this fingerstyle guitarist, 8pm, £2

ARCHITECTS + TAKE A WORM FOR A WALK WEEK **OVER 14’S. DOORS 8PM , KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £6.00 RAB NOAKES WITH MICK HANLY, TRON THEATRE, 8pm,

TUES 23 JAN

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website

for details

IAIN ANDERSON IN CONVERSATION : MARGARET BENNETT, CONCERT HALL, 12.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

site for details

SONGS OF CONSCIENCE WITH TOM PAXTON AND ROY BAILEY, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

ANNA WENDY STEVENSON WITH FORCE 10, TRON THEATRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

details

BBC FOUR - LIVE AT THE FESTIVAL, OLD FRUITMARKET,

8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

CEOLRAIDH: : ANGUS LYON WITH ALAN KELLY AND RUARIDH CAMPBELL WITH DOUGLAS LAWRENCE, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connec-

tions Website for details

GOOD SHOES + DANANANANKROYD + THE ANSWERING MACHINE, BARFLY, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

IDLEWILD AND DE ROSA, ABC, 8pm, £16.00 KERRANG TOUR FEATURING BIFFY CLYRO AND THE BRONX, BARROWLAND, 8pm, £14.00 OLIVER SCHROER (CAMINO) WITH ESPIDO, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections

Website for details

SIXPEOPLEAWAY, BLOC, 8pm, Free SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : WESTER ROSS & LOCHABER, HOSTED BY ISHBEL MACASKILL, UNIVERSAL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

details

SPEAKEASY SESSIONS, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, a pick of the city’s best bands and performers, 8pm, £2

THE MCDADES WITH THE TIM EDEY TRIO, CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

details

XFM XPOSURE LIVE FEATURING GOOD SHOES, DANANANAKROYD, THE ANSWERING MACHINE, BARFLY, 8pm, £6.00

WED 24 JAN

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website

7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details LORD OF THE DANCE, CLYDE AUDITORIUM, 7.30pm, £33.50

NANCE, CONCERT HALL, 1.30pm, see Celtic Connec-

GRAND, Ska, 7.30pm, £8.00

see Celtic Connections Website for details

STATLER PROJECT, THE DECENT SOULS, CLASSIC

MAKE GOOD YOUR ESCAPE, KING TUTS, 8.30pm,

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 21ST CENTURY SOUND CLUB FEATURING THE STATLER KIST O’ DREAMS, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic PROJECT, THE DECENT SOULS AND THE BONE IDOLS, Connections Website for details CLASSIC GRAND, 8pm, £8.00 LEARN THE IRISH PIPES IN A DAY, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website for details ANNA MASSIE BAND WITH GWENAN GIBBARD, THE BIG BALLAD, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic TRON, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

RAGE, 8pm, tbc

GORDON DUNCAN MEMORIAL SOLO PIPING COMPETITION FOR GORDON DUNCAN TROPHY,

Connections Website for details

for details

site for details

SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : THE NORTH EAST, HOSTED BY DORIS ROUGVIE, UNIVERSAL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

TEJEDOR WITH FINLAY MACDONALD BAND, ABC,

8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

BÉLA FLECK AND THE FLECKTONES WITH UNCLE EARL, OLD FRUITMARKET, 9.45pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

THUR 25 JAN

MARKET, 10pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

details

CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website

for details

IAIN ANDERSON IN CONVERSATION : GLASGOW CELTIC SOCIETY, CONCERT HALL, 12.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

site for details

BOYS OF THE LOUGH AND FRIENDS, CITY HALLS,

HOLIDAY INN, 2pm, see Celtic Connections Website

GORDON DUNCAN TRIBUTE WITH PADDY KEENAN,

THE YOUNG TRADITION, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 2pm,

CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

site for details

JIM MALCOLM WITH FRIBO, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE,

8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details WING AND A PRAYER, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, singer songwriter duo strongly influenced by the blues, 8pm, £2

LORD OF THE DANCE, CLYDE AUDITORIUM, 7.30pm,

THE SCOTTISH WORLD, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE,

SAT 27 JAN

COME&TRY : WAULKING WORKSHOP, CONCERT HALL, 1.30pm, £6

THE ENEMY + KUNG FU, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £7.00 BODHRAN FOR PLAYERS, CONCERT HALL, 1.30pm,

tbc

KATE RUSBY WITH RODDY WOOMBLE, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

nections Website for details

HOT CLUB DE PARIS, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £7.00 RADIO DEPT, NICE N SLEAZY, 8.30pm, £6.00 BEN TAYLOR, ABC2, 8pm, £9.00 BURNS MELA AND BUFFET, OLD FRUITMARKET, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

Celtic Connections Website for details

PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website

IMPROVER FIDDLE, CONCERT HALL, 1.30pm, £6 HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details CELTIC CONNECTIONS CEILIDH WITH THE SCOTT HARVEY CEILIDH BAND, CONCERT HALL, 10.30pm, see GORDON GUNN TRIO WITH RACHEL HAIR, NATIONAL CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £7.50 SALSA CELTICA WITH FRED MORRISON BAND, OLD site for details

BEGINNER FIDDLE, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website for details

COME&TRY : STEPDANCING WORKSHOP, CONCERT

for details

JAMES GRANT WITH SUPPORT, TRON THEATRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

MARTIN GREEN MACHINE WITH RORY CAMPBELL AND CORQUIÉU, CLASSIC GRAND, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

MARTYN JOSEPH WITH ROSIE DOONAN AND BEN MURRAY, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE, 8pm, see Celtic

Connections Website for details CONCERT HALL : CLYDE FOYER, CONCERT HALL, 11am, NOT YOUR HERO, BARFLY, 8pm, £7.00 RAILROAD EARTH WITH JP CORMIER, ABC, 8pm, see see Celtic Connections Website for details ANNUAL PIPING CONCERT, CONCERT HALL, 12.30pm, Celtic Connections Website for details SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : THE HIGHLANDS, see Celtic Connections Website for details HOSTED BY ISHBEL MACASKILL, UNIVERSAL, 8pm, see SWEDISH YOUNG TRADITION, CONCERT HALL, 1pm, Celtic Connections Website for details see Celtic Connections Website for details

LISA KNAPP AND MAEVE MACKINNON, NATIONAL PIP- THE CITISENS + THE RAIL + THE ADS + STARKICKER,

CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

site for details

MON 29 JAN

tions Website for details

JULIE FOWLIS, THE STAIRWELL SISTERS AND GENTICO- CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY RUM, CITY HALLS, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 Website for details CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CONCERT LORD OF THE DANCE, CLYDE AUDITORIUM, 7.30pm, HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website for £33.50

details

DRIVE, 7pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

CERT HALL, 12.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website

GORDIE SAMPSON WITH LAURA BOOSINGER AND JOSH GOFORTH, TRON, 8pm, see Celtic ConnecIAN CARR & NIKLAS ROSWALL WITH MIKE & ALI VASS, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

ROBOTS TALK IN TWOS, BLOC, 8pm, Free SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : LOTHIAN & THE BORDERS, HOSTED BY DORIS ROUGVIE, UNIVERSAL,

8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

FRI 26 JAN

Celtic Connections Website for details

details

HOW TO SWIM, STINKY MUNCHKINS, SCHOOL OF ART, 8.30pm, £4.00

details

MAKE GOOD YOUR ESCAPE + THE MOTION + TEAM FANTAZIA OVER 50 DJS AND 8 LIVE ACTS, BRAEHEAD ARENA, 8pm, £32.50 SALT, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00 LAU WITH ANGUS LYON AND RUARIDH CAMPBELL, CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY THE CLASSIC GRAND, 8pm, see Celtic Connections GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 Website for details KARINE POLWART AND SETH LAKEMAN, OLD FRUITMARKET, 10pm, see Celtic Connections Website for MALINKY WITH RANARIM AND LAUREN MACCOLL, details

CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

CERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website

MANDOLIN NIGHT WITH DAGGER GORDON AND KEVIN MACLEOD, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see

CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CONfor details

FIDDLERS’ BID INTERNATIONAL, CONCERT HALL,

7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

tions Website for details

SCOTT MACDONALD, BUTTERFLY N PIG, 8pm, Free FALLOUT BOY, GARAGE, , Sold Out

BBC TAKE THE FLOOR, STUDIO ONE BBC QUEEN MARGARET IAIN ANDERSON IN CONVERSATION : BILLY KAY, CON-

THE ENEMY + KUNG FU, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £7.00 CHUMBAWAMBA (ACOUSTIC) WITH ELIN FFLUR, THE CELTIC CONNECTIONS CEILIDH WITH THE SCOTT HARVEY CEILIDH BAND, CONCERT HALL, 10.30pm, see GARAGE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

LLOYD COLE WITH ASTRID WILLIAMSON, CITY HALLS,

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

SONGS OF CONSCIENCE WITH ODETTA AND THEA GILMORE, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm, see Celtic Con-

kingdom and beyond, 8pm, £2

TUNE UP ON TOUR WITH BURNSONG, CITY HALLS,

60

£33.50

BARFLY, 8pm, tbc

LORD OF THE DANCE, CLYDE AUDITORIUM, 7.30pm, £33.50

for details

CUTE IS WHAT WE AIM FOR *PLEASE NOTE CHANGE ING CENTRE, 2pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details OF VENUE, GARAGE, 8pm, £8.50 FOLK FAE FIFE, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, music from the DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD,

FRI NIGHT BLUES : WITH SPENCER BOHREN & SCOTT AINSLIE, HOLIDAY INN, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connec-

details

CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Website

FERNHILL WITH BREABACH AND JENNA REID, CONCERT

HALL, 11am, £6

CROOKED STILL WITH EIVØR PÁLSDÓTTIR, ABC, 8pm,

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD,

£6.00

7.45pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details GLASVEGAS, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00

see Celtic Connections Website for details

BBC RADIO SCOTLAND YOUNG TRADITIONAL MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR FINAL 2007, CITY HALLS, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

FRUITMARKET, 10pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

ACOUSTIC AFFAIR WITH THE RIVER DETECTIVES AND KIERAN DOCHERTY, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE, 8pm,

see Celtic Connections Website for details

8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details NA H-OGANAICH, CCA, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details BANJO NIGHT, CONCERT HALL, 7.45pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

SHOWCASE SCOTLAND CONCERT, CONCERT HALL,

Celtic Connections Website for details

DERVISH WITH LUKA BLOOM, ABC, 8pm, see Celtic

site for details

site for details

site for details

NEW VOICES: : KRIS DREVER, CONCERT HALL, 1pm, see

CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

RADIO 2 LIVE BROADCAST WITH MIKE HARDING,

CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

tions Website for details

Connections Website for details

see Celtic Connections Website for details

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD,

IAIN ANDERSON IN CONVERSATION : MATTHEW FITT, CONCERT HALL, 12.30pm, see Celtic Connec-

HOT CLUB DE PARIS + DARTZ! + SLOWCLUB **OVER 14’S. DOORS 8PM, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £7.00 LULLABIES IN SCOTS & GAELIC, CONCERT HALL, 1.30pm,

£5.00

IAIN ANDERSON IN CONVERSATION : SIMON THOU- Celtic Connections Website for details SOIG SIBERIL & NOLWENN KORBELL WITH LORI WATMIRE & SHONA MOONEY, CONCERT HALL, 12.30pm, SON 3, TRON THEATRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections see Celtic Connections Website for details DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, Website for details THE HAZEY JANES SUPPORT KEIRAN DOCHERTY, CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

for details

tions Website for details

BEECAKE, BARFLY, 8pm, £5.00 BEN FOLDS, CARLING ACADEMY, 8pm, £25.00 CRASH MY MODEL CAR WITH ATTIC LIGHTS, THE GA-

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : SKYE & UIST, GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 HOSTED BY ISHBEL MACASKILL, UNIVERSAL, 8pm, see GLASVEGAS + THE AM’S + MADSKULL **OVER 14’S. Celtic Connections Website for details DOORS 8PM, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00 YAMAN, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, sitar, flute and mixes, FOUR MEN AND A DOG WITH CORQUIÉU, OLD FRUIT8pm, £2

YELLOW BOX DENOTES SKINNY HIGHLIGHTS

WOODEND TENNIS + BOWLING CLUB, 8pm, £10.00

THE SUPERSUCKERS, ABC2, 8pm, £12.50 HELLOGOODBYE * PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE, ALL TICKETS VALID, QUEEN MARGARET UNION, , SOLD OUT

SUN 28 JAN

INTRODUCTION TO FIDDLE - SET UP & MAINTE-

for details

JOHN MARTYN “SOLID AIR” WITH DAN ARBORISE, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

CONTENTS

6 14 16 19 20 21 22 26 28 42 50

LIFESTYLE Lucy MacLeod Fashion Shoot

LGBT

Queer & Goth Questions Worth Asking

FILM

2007: A Film Odyssey Peter O’ Toole

THE SKINNY

LISTINGS GLASGOW LIVE

10 12

14 15

16 17

DVD

Superman II: The Doner Cut 19

GAMES Nintendo Wii

BOOKS

LXG: None More Black

THEATRE Daniel Kitson’s C-90 All My Sons

ART

Edinburgh Printmakers Body Language

SOUNDS Ben Folds Celtic Conections

BEATS

Swollen Members Cappablacks

20

Queer & Goth, p 14

21

22 24

26 27

Lucy MacLeod, p 10

28 32

42 44

LISTINGS

Edinburgh & Glasgow Art, Comedy, Theatre, Club and Live Music listings

Cappablacks, p 44

site for details

LORD OF THE DANCE, CLYDE AUDITORIUM, 7.30pm, £33.50

A’ THE BAIRNS O’ ADAM, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE,

8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details ARCA FELIX, BLOC, 8pm, Free JACK SAVORETTI, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £5.00

CELTIC PROCESSION WITH GENTICORUM, CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

details

CEOLRAIDH: : JARLATH HENDERSON WITH PADDY KEENAN AND RACHEL NEWTON WITH CORRINA HEWAT, NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details SCOTT MATTHEWS, ABC, 8pm, £10.50

SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : LEWIS, HOSTED BY ISHBEL MACASKILL, UNIVERSAL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

THE SKINNY RATING SYSTEM EXPLAINED 1 Skinny: Anything that receives one Skinny is probably best avoided. Chances are it will suck the will to live straight out of you. In other words, god awful baws.

2 Skinnys: Boring.

Bog-standard or hugely derivative. Only for hardcore aficionados of the genre.

3 Skinnys: A good, solid rating. You’ll have a fine time but you won’t be bowled over.

YAMAN, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, sitar, flute and mixes, 8pm, £2

4 Skinnys: Excellent stuff. Unmissable if you’re into this sort of thing.

TUES 30 JAN

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 L’OCCIDENTALE DE FANFARE WITH THE STAIRWELL SISTERS, OLD FRUITMARKET, 10pm, see Celtic Connec-

5 Skinnys: A rare honour indeed; a must-see for all and sundry. Sublime.

www.mcclurenaismith.com Solicitors and supporter of The Skinny Contact: Euan Duncan 0141 303 7814

tions Website for details

LISTINGS

www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

5

THE SKINNY TEAM * THE SKIN PUBLISHER MANAGING EDITORS

MARKETING MANAGER GLASGOW MANAGER DEPUTY EDITOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR PRODUCTION EDITOR SUBEDIT & ART MUSIC GLASGOW MUSIC BEATS CLUBS LISTINGS ONLINE ASSISTANT ONLINE FILM THEATRE BOOKS LGBT GAMES DVD FASHION EDITOR LAYOUT ASSISTANCE

PROOFING ASSISTANCE

FATSO MEDIA LTD SOPHIE KYLE & XAVIER TOBY MIKE MCGRAIL GRAEME PARK RUPERT THOMSON CHARLOTTE RODENSTEDT JANE FENTON JAY SHUKLA DAVE KERR GARETH K. VILE ALEX BURDEN & BRAM GIEBEN ANDREW COOKE ALEX KIRK PAUL MITCHELL PAUL GREENWOOD HUGO FLUENDY KEIR HIND NINE JOSH WILSON ALEC MCLEOD CLAIRE MORRISON IAN SINKAMBA KAY BENNETT KIM CARPENTER EMMA BREMNER ROBBIE THOMSON SARA BONTHRONE MIKE DUFFY

CONTRIBUTORS The Staff of Alphabet Video, Graeme Allister, Liam Arnold, Finbarr Bermingham, Ilani Blanke, Jamie Borthwick, Tom Brogan, Ally Brown, Taliska Burgess, Peter Burns, Bradley C, Maris Cather, Chris Catley Stephen Carty, Colin Chapman, Dave Cook, Charlotte Cooper, Declan Dineen, Natalie Doyle, Michael Duffy, Neil Ferguson, Hugo Fluendy, Duncan Forgan, Simone Gray, Paul Greenwood, Gabriella Griffith, Jasper Hamill, Billy Hamilton, Roger Haruki, Vince Hillaire, Ben Howe, Damien Hughes, Barry Jackson, Kate Joester, Ema Johnston, Diana Kiernander, Hamza Khan, Margaret Kirk, Laslo Kovak, Andrea Krudde, Omar Kudos, Rose Lindgren, Ted M, Ali Maloney, Paul Matusavage, Milo McLaughlin, Alec Mcleod, Sean Mcnamara, Colan Mehaffey, Sean Michaels, Nick Mitchell, Paul Mitchell, Lauren Mooney, Zach Morris, Jonny Ogg, Struan Otter, Graeme Park, Julie Paterson, Chris Pickering, Tony the Pony, Mic Psych, Dave Reid, Angus Ross, Jon Seller, Keira Sinclair, Solescience, David Stewart, Karen Taggart, Garry Thomson, Timothy Weir, Michael Whitam, Alex Woodward

PHOTOGRAPHERS Lorenzo D’Alberto, Jane Fenton, Ed Fisher, Charlotte Rodenstedt, Alex Woodward, Stu Younger, David Winton, Mike Byrne, Kristina Milic, Lisa Divine

CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CONCERT HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website for

details

EDITORIAL Merry New Year peeps! The world is a year older, you are, and The Skinny is too. Long may this happy relationship last.

But January tends to bring all kinds of guilty feelings to the fore, and our happiest indulgences tend to get the axe. Chocolate, booze and fags are the favourite cast offs. The Skinny likes chocolate booze and fags more than most: we risk feeling particularly disheartened.

And it’s cold in January. The season of good will to all men and DFS sofas to all homes has quickly dissipated, and everyone is booking their easyjets to the sunshine.

Might as well give up on Scotland.

But NO! Your trusty Skinny has not succumbed to despondency, and is showing you a whole new face: a new year, a new look. Storming into Oh Seven in full

LISTINGS/ONLINE

LISTINGS/ONLINE AT WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

THE SKINNY

IAIN ANDERSON IN CONVERSATION : IAN MCCALMAN, CONCERT HALL, 12.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, colour, The Skinny is sleeker, brighter and, as always, the magazine is packed full of mayzin things to do.

Sentimentality and habit can hold a vice-like grip on those who are already content – as surely we were – and it was hard to make the decision. But to hell with personal attachments: we re-designed The Skinny anyway. After a glorious 15 issues in Mr Stu Younger’s Skinny world (he was our first Creative Director), we now present Charlotte’s take on it all. We think what she has done looks fucking ace.

Do you care? The only person we were really worried about was you. (A readership is a great amorphous mass, not the sort of dude you want to meet down a dark alley, let alone meet in a fight.) Every design decision was made with your ageing priorities in mind.

There’s more white to reflect the light off your ever-

wrinkling gobbles (hold the Skinny under your chin while you read down your nose). There are crisper section colours to aid those ageing eyes as they navigate the paper. And there are fewer colour boxes to keep our pages and your fingers cleaner. It’s a veritable lifesupport machine of a listings magazine.

The address hasn’t changed letters@skinnymag.co.uk.

And nor, deep down, have we.

CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Website

for details

EDDI READER AND FRIENDS WITH DECLAN O’ROURKE, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Web-

site for details

FLUTES OF THE WORLD, CITY HALLS, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

BALLADS OF THE BOOK, CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : DUNDEE AND ANGUS, HOSTED BY DORIS ROUGVIE, UNIVERSAL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details THE BLACK VELVETS, BARFLY, 8pm, £5.00

Bampots thegither.

THE MAGIC CARPET CABARET, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO

Enjoy…

LANE, Jim McAteer presents a night of singer songwriters

and bands, 8pm, £2

xx

TOMMY O’SULLIVAN WITH CHRIS STOUT AND CATRIONA MACKAY, THE NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

TROY MACGILLIVRAY WITH CANTERACH, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website

for details

COMPETITIONS

HAVE A LOOK FOR MORE SKINNY FREEBIES AT WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK, ALONG WITH OUR COMPETITION REGULATIONS. THE DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS 20 JANUARY UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED. SEND YOUR ANSWERS, ALONG WITH YOUR NAME, ADDRESS AND CONTACT NO. TO: COMPETITIONS@SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

WINE, WOMEN AND SONG WITH GRETCHEN PETERS, MATRACA BERG AND SUZY BOGGUSS WITH GUEST DEAN OWENS, ABC, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

WED 31 JAN Ilk are designing some new t-shirts, and would like your help. If you do so, you stand to win a free Ilk industries t-shirt of your choice. They have 4 to give away Over the past few years Ilk have gone for as wide a range of colours as possible. But sometimes, you just cant find the colours you want. They want to know what colour you’ve been waiting for to finally complete your wardrobe.

Hamilton’s bar and grill in Stockbridge, Edinburgh has a well-earned reputation as one of Edinburgh’s finest ale-centric eateries. They’re offering a lucky Skinny reader, and partner, the chance to head on down and enjoy a meal for 2 and a bottle of champagne.

Visit WWW.HAMILTONSBAR.CO.UK to have a look at what fine surroundings you will be prileged to enjoy. Then, to be in with a chance of winning, answer our devilish question below.

A hostelry that specialises in good grub is:

ADVERTISING SALES INFORMATION

(B) A FIDELCASTRO-PUB

Email: SKINNY@SKINNYMAG.CO.UK Phone: 0131 467 4630 Distribution: The Skinny is distributed monthly Though a network of bars, clubs, retail outlets, music stores, cafes, venues, hostels and lifestyle centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow. If you would like to be on the distribution list please contact

(C) A GASTRO-PUB

SKINNY@SKINNYMAG.CO.UK.

details

IAIN ANDERSON IN CONVERSATION : RICHARD HOLLOWAY, CONCERT HALL, 12.30pm, see Celtic Connec-

“You see bands that sound just exactly like The Libertines. And their influences were The Libertines. That’s their sole, stock influence.

People literally don’t get it. Even the Arctic Monkeys do it. They’re obviously a talented band. They did a couple of covers. One of them was a song called ‘Put Your Dukes Up, John’ by the Little Flames, which I thought was a pretty cool track. And the other one they just described as, ‘some soul track from the 60s or something.’ Those were their words.

People just don’t really seem to care. There’s no appreciation, they’re not bothered about the background of the music they like in the first place.”

tions Website for details

DANNY KYLE’S OPEN STAGE HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, for details

COWBOY JUNKIES WITH SUPPORT, ABC, Soft country psychedelia, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details DONEGAL CONNECTIONS, CONCERT HALL, 7.30pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details SWITCHES, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £6.00

CEOLRAIDH: : NORRIE MACIVER WITH JULIE FOWLIS AND SHONA MOONEY WITH JOHN MCCUSKER, THE NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE, 8pm, see Celtic Connections

Website for details

JEAN-MICHEL VEILLON WITH JAMIE MCMENEMY AND FRIENDS, ST ANDREW’S IN THE SQUARE, 8pm, see

(A) AN ASTRO-PUB

Tasty.

SOUNDS

HALL, 11am, see Celtic Connections Website for

CONCERT HALL, 5pm, see Celtic Connections Website

Go to WWW.ILKINDUSTRIES.COM/SKINNY to register your favourite colour.

They’ll try and feature the most desired answer in their new collection.

The winners will be picked out of a hat at random to receive a garment of their choice. *competition closes: 29th January

What better way to treat that special someone in the run up to Valentine’s Day?

COVER ILLUSTRATION: LUCY MACLEOD, WWW.LUCYMACLEOD.COM

CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL CLUB HOSTED BY GIBB TODD, HOLIDAY INN, 10.30pm, £3.50 CELTIC CONNECTIONS SCHOOL CONCERT, CONCERT

Independent Scottish publishers Canongate are offering one lucky literary reader the chance to win a copy of each of their exciting January releases (below). To be in with a chance of winning a copy, tell us the correct name of the classic Canongate sci-fi novel by novel by Alasdair Gray; is it: (A) A HISTORY MAKER

(B) A HISTORY FAKER

Celtic Connections Website for details SWITCHES + THE KICK, KING TUTS, 8.30pm, £6.00 LECORUM, BLOC, 8pm, Free

MCCALMANS AND FRIENDS WITH THE WHITE HARE BAND, CONCERT HALL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for details

MICHAEL SIMONS, TCHAI OVNA, SOUTHSIDE, folk, blues

(C) A HISTORY FAKIR

and beyond from this fingerstyle guitarist, 8pm, £2

THE PRIZE: The Successor – Ismail Kadare, Bukowski Locked in the Arms of a Crazy Life - Howard Sounes

In My Skin - Kate Holden, Graffiti My Soul - Niven Govinden, The Paris Review interviews - ed by Philip Gourevitch

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 DC Thomson Issue 16 January 2007 © fatso media ltd

MULTI-COLOURED SPEAKEASY, TCHAI OVNA, OTAGO LANE, open mic night hosted by Tom Snowball, 8pm, free

SONGS & MUSIC OF SCOTLAND: : AYRSHIRE, DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY, HOSTED BY DORIS ROUGVIE,

REVIEWS

THEATRE

FILM:

Daniel Kitson’s play/monologue C-90 was considered a triumph at this year’s Fringe. Declan Dineen looks forward to the one-man-show’s visit to The Arches in the Theatre Section (page 22), but we also managed to secure an interview with the magnificent Mr K. Here’s a taster of what he had to say:

Eragon, Flags of Our Fathers, Night at the Museum, Apocalypto

GAMES: Tony Hawks Downhill Jam For Nintendo DS BOOKS:

Projections: the Director’s Cut edited by John Boorman and Walter Donohue, Paula Spencer by Roddy Doyle

WAS THE PROCESS OF WRITING C-90 VERY DIFFERENT TO HOW YOU WOULD USUALLY WRITE YOUR STAND UP MATERIAL? DO YOU FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE PERFORMING EXPLICITLY

THEATRE:

WRITTEN WORK?

Butterfly

nections Website for details

The writing of C-90 was the most intensive and pressured writing of a piece of work I’ve ever done. Story writing is always different to stand up, in that it’s genuinely written; stand up is more evolutionary in process.

Yes, you heard, evolutionary in process. I said that. You ask me to talk about the “process” and I’m going to give you both barrels. That was one. Here comes the other...

THE END OF THE MONTH CLUB: PIXEL 8 / CRISIS PROJECT (& GUEST VOCALIST GAYLE) / BOZILLA / + FRIENDS, 13TH NOTE, 8pm, £5.00 REAL WORLD, OLD FRUITMARKET, 9pm, see Celtic ConBORIS YELTSIN LOVE XI PLUS EPIC 26, BANNERMAN’S UNDERWORLD, 9pm, £4

FLOOD OF RED, SUBWAY COWGATE, TBC, £5 LEE PATTERSON, WHISTLE BINKIES, Local troubadour. See

THEY’LL HAVE TO BE SENT IN BATCHES OF THREE BECAUSE THE SYSTEM PREVENTS LARGE ATTACHMENTS by Lewis Hosie

photo: www.factionphotography.com

details

UNIVERSAL, 8pm, see Celtic Connections Website for

THE SKINNY TEAM * THE SKIN

GREAT WHITE HYPES THE HORRORS TALK STYLE OVER CONTENT (AND VICE VERSA) WITH BEN HOWE, SEE THE INTERVIEW ONLINE

THE DAMAGE ROOM PLUS RUBIX TORCH, WHISTLE BINKIES, 9pm, Free

THE USUAL SUSPECTS, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, £4 THE GREAT JAM SESSION, THE JAZZ BAR, 9.30pm, Free TOBY SPENCE PLUS JULIAN MILFORD, THE QUEEN’S HALL, 7.45pm, £17-£10 (£15-£9)

WYLDFLOWER PLUS THE WYND, WHISTLE BINKIES, Midnight, Free

SOUNDS:

ALBUMS: Cancer Bats - Birthing the Giant, Freshfabrik

FULL INTERVIEW IS ON WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK

our album review in Sounds, 6pm, Free

Daniel Kitson

FILM

Tales of the Arabian Nights, Madama

- Finest, Ghost - In Stormy Nights, Kling Klang- The Esthetik Of Destruction, Make Good Your Escape Never Come Back Here Again, Mudbone - Fresh Mud, Neurosonic - Drama Queen.

SINGLES: Conan and the Mockasins - ‘Sneaky Sneaky Dog Friend’, Idlewild - ‘If It Takes You Home’, Impure Thoughts - ‘Take On The World’, Indigo Moss - ‘Start Over Again / See See Rider’, La Puma - ‘Slave For The Rabbit Boy’, Pull Tiger Tail - ‘Mr 100 Percent’

BEATS:

The estate of Alfred Hitchcock has taken out a restraining order against director Brian De Palma, forbidding him from going within 100 yards of the late auteur’s grave. De Palma, without an original thought since 1983, was last seen attempting to disinter the bumchinned thrillmeister, while screaming “I know you’re holding out on me! Give me more ideas!”

ALBUMS: Dirtcrew - Presents Collection 01, Faithless - To All New Arrivals, Swollen Members - Black Magic

MORE FROM THE HOLLYWOOD JUICER ON WWW.SKINNYMAG.CO.UK Hitchcock & De Palma

4

ISSUE SIXTEEN January 07

LISTINGS THE SKINNY

ONLINE

Eragon review online

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

61

NEXT ISSUE FEB 2007

DJ HELL

THE INTERNATIONAL DEEJAY GIGOLO, AND THE SKINNY

HOT FUZZ

THE SHAUN OF THE DEAD TEAM ARE BACK WITH THEIR TAKE ON THE COP-BUDDY MOVIE

DEATH TO THE PS2 WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE LAST, LAST-GEN CONSOLE’S GLORY DAYS

AMON TOBIN EDDIE MURPHY ICE CLIMBING OSCARS PREVIEW AEREOGRAMME

SOUNDS www.skinnymag.co.uk

January 07 ISSUE SIXTEEN

41