Pillars of Strength

A&RTALENT land over the past year. One such band is Missing Link, whose Dublin gigs have witnessed Pillars of Gail force visits from A&R people from Capi- tol,EMI, Phonogram, CBS and by Duncan Holland more besides, and whose debut THEY'RE GOING to have trouble single, Wanna Be Loved (Solid) has if they try to promote Gail Ann just entered the Irish chart. strength Dorsey in the girlie category. Even Over thelast year, the main the Chapman pigeonhole misses songwriters Jimmy Tague (vocals) by Kirk Blows the mark: "It's easy to put me in and Dave Morrissey (keys) have the woman songwriter category, refined their set into a 16 -song SAMSON IN 1988 represent very the new generation of Jonis and forceofdanceable, much a new and fresh entity. Now tourde Carleys, but my music is more rock effervescent pop. that guitarist Paul Samson and writ- and soul, music that goes back to Acknowledging the influence of ing partner vocalist Mick White theoldformula,peoplesitting artists like Paul Weller, Joe Strum- have recruited a new, young line- around in a room and playing." mer and Paul Cleary, Missing Link up and taken on a new direction Gail Ann Dorsey came to Eng- have made that crucial elevation that combines power with melody, land five years ago from Philadelphia, via New York, initial- from pub -scene to national status the task is to break down the bar - in a relatively short time. Despite barriers and preconceptions and ly working the jazz circuit, hitching her bass to anyone from Well Red the band's claim that they'll sign get the message across. Says Mick "only when it's right", it shouldn't White: "This band's been together to Thrashing Doves. At first the rec- GAIL ANN Dorsey: "I just don't like opera!' ordcompaniesdidn'twantto be too long before Missing Link a year, andit'sonly now that know, "I hod a long way to go as takes another leap forward with people are beginning torealise beats. Obvious linksare hopes his creations will ultimately erratic awriter",but eventuallythings their highly -charged hooks and in- that it bring world music to the attention is a totally new band, and with fellow Northern masters of started to fall into place and she telligent moves. one that has nothing to do with the dislocated pop likeTheFallor of a wider audience. was booked for a slot on The Tube. old Samson." Membranes, coming out of the ur- New York based, Kamins was in- SomethingofaTerenceTrent Theline-upiscompleted by gency of punk yet more concerned strumental in securing Madonna a D'Arby reaction resulted and up bassistDave Boyce,drummer with the way that words and music record deal and produced her first popped WEA. She remains en- Charlie Mack and keyboard can fall together. A sense of the record. These days the young tal- thusiastic about the opportunity of Banned but player Toby Sadler, a team that absurd shines through it all. ents he works with include contro- workinginLondon rather than has gelled into a unit whose poten- Now, Milkfloat move on to vinyl versial US vocalist Karen Finlay, New York. tial is illustrated on the recent And with a debut EP on Ediesta called Ofra Haza and a belly dancer call- "There're fewer venues in New undaunted There It Is ... mini -album on Razor. The Absolute Non -End. Typically ed Sabah. York where you can actually get Negotiations are now taking place wilful and abrupt,it chugs along "Even though I can't understand out and play. Here you teach, do by Ian Watson session work, whatever. You don't with several major companies for under its own steam, upending it- what they are singing I have just necessarily have to know all the CAUSE I Said So, The Godfather's the release of a full album later this self just for fun at odd moments, got a feeling for the music more follow up toBirth School Work than I have for Western music," he right people and even then support year. But why the mini -LP? not to say that it's "wacky". A fasci- yourself by working six days a Death, has received hardly any of "It gives us something to back up nation with the form of the song says. "Here, most singers work to the airplay that was expected. One a formula, while Eastern music is week in a shop." the live shows, and gives the live helps them write. "As art students, The result can now be heard on reason might be the original sleeve performances apurpose,"says painting is the best way for us to a more spiritual thing." the new single Wasted Country picture of Maggie Thatcher with a Paul. 'We also wanted to show the explain what we do, the ideas of Adamant thatheintendsto and a debut LP coming later this Hitler moustache. Inevitably, the avoid becoming an artist in his own variation andpossibilitieswithin layers and spaces. Humour is im- month. It's all very spicy stuff, a funk sleeve was banned, but this doesn't the new situation." Indeed, the cur- portant, but more in the way that right -a fact borne out by the list edge keepinghappy company seem to have daunted The God- rent live set includes just two old train -of -thought words can mean of fabricated names credited for with the sort of rock we always fathers at all. songs, testimony to the strength of so many differentthings when the tracks on his United House Na- knew we really liked. An eclectic "Our music's been called violent the new material. they're set in music. We often just tions album (due for autumn re- soul, is Dorsey, expect to find her and aggressive," comments vocal- "It's not just that we play well to- tape ourselves, with no real plan, lease) - Kamins is pleased with his in conversation about any form of ist Peter, "and they see that as a gether and all get on great," con- then find after there are things we first solo project. The debut single, music from Hendrix to Tom Petty, threat. But it's not just the music, it's tinuesPaul,"it'salsothatwith can useinthere. So our words Holle, Holle, was orginally releas- from Stevie Wonder to Aztec Cam- the lyrics as well because they are younger guys you've got that hun- mean whatever you want them to!" ed on his own independent label era (who she recently supported to much acclaim), but don't mention all about thinking for yourself and ger and enthusiasm that givesit The EP is a neat debut. Yet live in the US, Pow Wow Records, but they're not going to promote that was soon picked up by Circa in the opera: "Y'know, opera is the only that edge. With these guys, every- is where Milkfloat really shine, re- on a radio station where they want UK. music Ican't enjoy. Ijust don't like thing's a challenge and Ifind that cent London gigs picking up a opera" everyone to think the some." really exciting." growing crowd and good reviews. Now the intention is to initially release all the records in the UK America doesn't view The God- There's a weird intensity to them fathers with such distaste, however. - Kamins sees the British market as barking daft one-liners over ram- They have recently been nominat- pant music, getting worked up with more receptive to new trends - be- Missing Link fore bringing them back for re- ed for the Best New Band On brusque guitars.It'swhere they Video in this year's MN awards lease in the US. make sense. alongwith Buster Poindexter, Milkfloat "Gigs have been good, even But,asmixing and matching discovered existing recordings form the core Swing Out Sister, Jodie Whatley though it can be a perverse pleas- by Paul O'Mahony and Guns And Roses and are due ure to drive all the way from Hull of his work, what of the continuing sampling debate? Kamins believes IT'S AN interesting idea. Between to be filmed in an MTV special in to Brixton to play to 40 people in 8pm and lOpm each night September. Infact, they are so afloat some tiny backroom. It's just all part that when a piece of music is taken out of context it becomes some- Burgerland,theIrish fast-food popular in Europe and the US that of the oddness. But as long as we chain, have introduced the playing The Godfathers may eventually by Ian Gittins get a response, that's okay. People thing new, not warranting a royalty payment to the originator. "Once of demo tapes by local bands in- abandon us altogether. DEATH BY Milkfloat began as a bit can love what we do or hate it, stead of an incessant stream of 'We'd rather not leave Eng- of fun for three undergrads in fine as long as it's not mediocre." a record is out it becomes public property," he states. anonymous piped music. land," says guitarist Mike, "because art at Hull University. Only recently, Milkfloat intend to spend a year Bands submit their tapes to the there's a lot we've gained out of as good degrees have coincided trying to make headway with their management, who in turn seek cus- just being English and obviously with fine reviews in the music pa- music.Atbest,cultstatus may tomers' views on the merits of the our lyrics are affected by it. But if pers, have they been able to look beckon, at worst lifeinthe tiny MARK KAMINS 'Eastern music is music, subsequently informing the it gets to the point where you're more spiritual' ahead.

Load more