O.W.'s got a brand new Pig Bag Corner!!

PIGBAG - DrJeckle and Mr Jive (Y Records) THE PROGRESS of Pig Bag since their first gig supporting in early last year has been remarkable. Almost within weeks they were getting national coverage. The first single, "Papa" has been in the indie chartS eversince its release (sales now exceed l00,0OO) and as the blurb says: "lt's probably been played on every dance floor in Britain and a good many abroad." The success of 'Papa' has inevitably overshadowed the 2nd and 3rd singles, "Sunny Day'and "Getting Up". The band have wisely only included "Getting Up on this their first album as they were in danger of becoming known as one- hit wonders. ln retrospect they needn.t have worried because this album rs very good and fully dernonstrates Pig Bag's versatility- As ,lsual Simon Underwood's excellenl bass playing dominates. As the name implies, all manner ol rhytnms and horn/string noises are tnrown in to become the distincliYe Prg Bag sound. There are. c{ course. no vocals. influences occur thrcughout, but""Sunny Day' anC -Bra2il Nuts" display a low-key La:r.r iauour whilst my favourite, "Dozo Dan' and "Orangu{ango" are more West African, reminisc€nt of John Hassle and Gaspar Lawal. Less successful are the rather jokey tracks 'Brian the Snail" and "As lt Will Be" which respectively close sides one and two. They sound suspiciousty like Pig Bag handle so well! Those naked drums! Ummagumma-period Pi nk Floyd. All that brass blown in unison! Mouth , The production,s competent Bristol locarno took a big bite out of my patience but without being outstanding. Pig Bag's WAS lT the night when the youth ot Pig Bag restored the tissues. strength is ihal whiisl retarning a this city twisted its hair into Play that funky music you tame strong musical credibllity they are outrageous shapes and made the white boys. Pig Bag have a host of very easy listening with an appeal walls ol Mecca tumble to the ground? boring titles tor a pot full ol sprighfly across a wide variety of musical Did they stuff their heads into berets tunes. Gareth Sager knew all about it. tastes. and wide brimmed hats to go out and He was there shouting and wagging Comparisons with Rip F ig and give Sunday a bad name? Didn't it his arse at the crowd. They only had Pan ic may be resented butare almost mean a thing wilhout that tribal to play "Sunny Day" in order to inevitable, particularly given the pop swing? No. No. No. brighten things up. group connections. Whilst Rip Rig Bristol clapped. Bristol shrieked a The stage full of people laughs and and Panic seem to experiment ljttle. Bristol slapped its thighs and shakes and even makeswaylorsome continuously and strelch themselves congratulated itself. First of all there sing ing during "Caledonia". lnsistent musically Pig Bag remains contentlo was Mouth. A trio with a trumpet, guitar playing, dizzy trumpet playing create a more accessible sound. The timbales and a bloody nerve, Mouth - they did all their audience's result will mean more record sales were all frantic drumming, feigned favourite things. "Papa's Got A Brand but perhaps not as interesting music. ennui and only the possibility of a New Pigbag" wound the whole thing Still, "Dr Jeckle and Mr Jive" is an tongue being in their cheek to back it up. Mouth came back to mak€ excellent album, probably the best up. amends. The mixture of slapped ever from a Bristol (and Cheltenham) A break, a d rink, some rapping and a strings, skins and wind cast its spell band, and I look forward to their chance to wallow in some of that and Bristol shook a leg. pig Bag future progr'ess. I couldn't afford to vacuous cool. Pig Bag are the band means bared arms and the big, big go to the gig thoughl of the moment and a band of beat, Martin Elbourne moments. Thos bass lines The Jam Matlhew Godsell of horn would squeeze out even punkish trio playing old-fashioned more. 'New York Dolls'type stuff, powerful After three or four numbers they bass rhythms with lots of basic guitar went on a mad gallop through their riffs. They've a female singer whose old Motown hits, doing mosi o1 the voice ranges trom soprano to songs f rom the'Reach Oul, Lp. This scornful and they're pretty meant that none sutfered from competent but don't seem lo be abbreviation but that didn,t really doing anything new. matter- I used to think 'Walk Away 'Hunt Ball lmplosion'play even Renee' was the greaiest thing ever more old-fashioned music; rhythm f rom Motown - now I know it is; it sent and blues with the emphasis on tingles up myspine even though they blues. They're interesting if only only did one verse. When they did because they subvert conventional 'Reach Out' itself there was a rush to musical stereotypes in thatthey have the front to dance and reach out to a black man with dreadlocks singing shake hands with the band. Afterthat a white person's version (e.g. the they had to slow down to give the Stones "Route 66") of black people's audience a chance to recover their music. The form seems iust about emotions. played out, however, and even a From slow batlads to the disco hits skilfully wailing harmonica couldn,t like'When She Was My Girl, the Four sustain my interest for the whole.set. Tops were immaculale and full ot 'Pure Motivation' are a different soul, form and content matching prospect, however. They rework 60,s ,Don't perfectly. Theirencore of Walk soul to exhileraling effect. The .Away Now That I'm lnspired' inf luence of Tamla Motown rhythms rellected exactly the sentiments of and of 'Dexys' (the group not the the audience. lt was simply the best drug) are obvious but,pure concert l've ever been lo. Motivation' play with more speed Noel Boothroyd (not the drug) and less structure.

u r g rut -t ot i v a r i o n, Ii?;i: l'"l"j,xi lj:[11x; #:yj HUnt Ball. sensibty don't dominate bur t m plosidli, Go ld iliru"'?"::iilre1'1il;:',,,'l"""fo'l'ff: rririity ttal, bristoi lili'lff"J:::i.^Jiln'n' !3,"31,1 HAVTNG become a Lemsip addict :;t,T""TJ"I"1:5.,?il?: tast coupte 9vel.th.e, ot days I wasn't rurjir"ti"""?i::r,l? too thrilled ,rg,". at the prosoect of seetng ----'Noel Boolhrovd"i"'p,Jr" agroup called'Cold' buttheyturned out to be not too bad. They're a