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Home , Craig Wedren, Credit to the Nation, Jason Loewenstein, My Life Story, Shudder To Think, Steve West (musician)

standard. especially the McCartney gone punk For all the Cows and the neatly Indie - Live revolving Good Grief. Big Me could have been the Lemonheads (in the week they were any good). X Static is based on a bloke in The Clash tour shirt...) but we’re drone and delightfully pre-Grunge. Foo all here for the same reason- the Nirvana Fighters are certainly reminiscent of the connection, because is the pop side of their leader’s former band, but band led by Dave Grohl, drummer of the its also obvious that Grohl didnt spend his last great rock trio. time behind the kit just hearing the sound On the upcoming Foo Fighters of his own drums. These are well struc- Grohl plays all the instruments, and rather tured and imaginatively melodic songs. well too, but on stage Grohl is now up He’s got a voice too, a bark like a friend- front, singing and playing guitar, with sup- lier Cobain if you want, which puts some port from Pat Smear, second guitar in bite into the sound. Nirvana’s late touring incarnation and And he knows why people are there, and drums and bass from William Goldsmith is prepared to face up to it with some wit and Nate Mandell, both of still extant viz his first words ‘none of the songs are SubPop act Sunny Day Real Estate. I about Kurt...I wouldn’t even embarrass dont envy the drummer. Playing behind him like that...this songs about ...nothing Dave Grohl must be like coming to work at at all.’ Right. So now we know . We also some third division football team, and find- know that we’ll be back again because ing the new boss is Diego Maradona and Foo Fighters are just one hell of a good he wants to see you go through your band. See you at Reading. FOO FIGHTERS tricks. Perhaps he was the only man brave Kings College, enough to audition Whatever. JIMMY BLACKBURN They’re good. This is a real working band, At last the post Nirvana generation gets a getting experience the right way, touring PAVEMENT/ DEUS/ BLUMFELD night out. Who’d have thought that so with underground legend (read, has a lot Brixton Academy many hacks could get into one place at of famous mates, but not much success once. How many similes could have been himself.) Mike Watt in the States and sure- saved from torture by a well placed bomb ly impressing people with this excellent set Incredible! Who’d have ever thought that tonight. Damn. Half of the audience, look of pure pop . arch shamblers Pavement, once mainly like they haven’t got to university yet. The opener This is a Call , the first sin- known for getting one of their tunes cov- Come to think of it, some of the crowd gle, can only have been heard by a hand- ered by , a kind of don’t look like they’ve even got to sec- ful of people here but it’s greeted like an fame that the average government minis- ondary school yet. There are T shirts old favourite.Come to think of it, it sounds ter would baulk at these days, would end being worn that are older than some like an old favourite, like all the best songs up filling the joint at one of the capitals of the kids in the moshpit (thats you, do. Amazingly the set keeps up the same biggest venues. With a reportedly lucra- tive trip round North ous’ show. Here’s a question. Name a longthought. knockabout AT & T and this years C America on this years to fol- famous Belgian. No, make that name a & W tinged favourite Father to a sister of low and every major label in the world still famous Belgian comedian. Ha! Gotcha Hell, they’re just lovely, and when sniffing around. This is now a band who there!... the set ends up with the bands musical can call their own shots, and the sight of a But all this Eurorrificness is forgotten handyman, and centre of their soul Bob few thousand people ,singing along with when the truly wonderful Pavement make Nastanovich wearing a schwa (faceless every twisted and unlikely word, is a showing. People are smiling, babies alien) mask and yelling backing vocals ( strangely heartening. Not a sign of whiffy are being made, the vibe of love and all with a bit of curly hair poking out in the so-called Brit Pop in sight. peace is in the air. Even journalists are collar area) as half the crowd giggles you Which is some of the problem with the first dancing. How five fairly nondescript look- just have to wonder if live music gets any part of the evenings bill. ’s fan- ing Americans should have come up with better than this. All the time undisputed tastic Blumfeld do their bit for pan- the most appealing sound of the moment band leader and handsome WASP prince European unity by being as fantastic as is something of a mystery. This is after all, of American Stephen usual (see elsewhere for full review of a band whose members don’t even live in Malkmus looks on, indulgent and self pos- their show a couple of days previous.) but the same state, let alone town, and sessed, like he’s brought some new and unattractive Belgians Deus, makers of a whose records are clad in the shabbiest exotic animal back to a gilded medieval promising if worryingly wacky album last sleeves since the Fall signed off the dole, court. And thats the appeal, the wild and year, do their level best to destroy the but who have twisted various strands of cerebral in the same unit. As the encore warm Euro feelings circulating in the alternative and native American music into sees Malkmus on drums while both sticks- room. How much do I hate you, bass play- the finest body of work put together by a men reel about the stage yelling the er in a black vest and harem pants. You US rock band since Husker Du. Nirvanaesque Flux=Rad, Steve West in a deserve to get beaten up by ugly, cherry As you can tell, I like Pavement quite a lot, firemans hat and rescue workers luminous flavoured beery men as you pluck your not least for the wilfulness that makes cape, the whole thing seems the most log- naff looking, chest height, Level 42, their music sound initially unfinished and ical thing imaginable. Absolutely fucking spawn of the devil bass runs (I take it you yet, leaves you discovering new depths wonderful. don’t like this man then ? - Ed). Buy the long after better made, more fashionable bloody thing or leave the shop now. And stuff passes its sell by date...like say, the JIMMY BLACKBURN as for the violinist... Gah! You’re meant to Smashing Pumpkins who got a good kick- be inaudible, as you hack away on ing on Pavements best loved tune , the / ROYAL TRUX Paganini’s satanic tool. Pulp worked this slack country number Range Life. In fact Empire, Shepherds Bush out years ago. Appearance first, sound tonight it’s AC/DC who get a mention optional. Did the Velvet Underground lie to bizarrely enough, but that’s only one high- us all these years (answer : yes.) Did we light of a set played by a band at the It’s not that the new Teenage Fanclub grow out of it? (Answer : yes, but not in height of their powers. Mainly based album Grand Prix is good or anything, Antwerp, Belgium.) And as for the rest of around their last two , and first top but if anyone tops it this year then I sug- these sad Zappa loving Flems, thanks for 20Your hits, Hair Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain and gest, a trip to the bookies to bet your destroying the good bits of a promising this years the top tunes house on England winning next years record with your heavy handed, just keep on coming from semi-hit Cut European football championships with quirky (spit!) , annoyingly ‘humor- to Best Friends Arm, the singa- Elvis Presley scoring the winning goal. It’s also true that Simtek, the Sparky’s Dream. the logical next step, and go back to col- motor racing team credited for use of the But moaning about a lack of style at a lege... Formula 1 car on the sleeve are going Teenage Fanclub show is like complaining bust in a hurry. Hope thats not an omen that the local football team don’t play JIMMY BLACKBURN for tonight. Certainly it’s as likely that most rugby, or that the pub sells bad wine. It’s of the audience tonight have seen just not why you go. In this case you go to BIG CAT SHOWCASE Scotland’s finest pop classicists play a see a great band playing great songs, Dingwalls, Camden stinker as a blinder. Consistency has something they do better than ever with never been their strongpoint. the steady presence of new drummer Paul Still, the sense of anticipation is obvious. Quinn keeping it tight. Three great Talk about a non paying audience... I The band who made ’s singers, no song weaker than excellent, doubt if anyone here paid the advertised album of the year of 1991 have seen a and a general atmosphere of good times ticket price, but then this is just a chance whole host of lesser,but more astute rivals and impending chaos make up my idea of for burgeoning label Big Cat records ( best shoot past them in the intervening period. a good night out. The spectacularly known for Pavement, but with an uh, inter- Hell, what are labelmates Oasis doing dif- unsuccessful attempt to combine the esting roster to back them up.) to show off ferently apart from turning up the guitars? Beatles Rain and a Yo La Tengo song their wares. Still, sneering is not in this bands nature, into a medley is the only reminder of First up are Lotion, from , at and anyone who bases their publicity on Fanclub past, as the evening ends in anti- first glance a four piece made up of a cou- returning after a long layoff on their climax. So what. They were great. ple of jocks and a couple of nerds , whose singers daft new red beard, must be a lit- Which you could hardly say about Royal music reflects a similar clash. At their best tle less than cutthroat. Trux, tonights support. Former bandmates Lotion fill the space between the bombast But can they rock? The answer is most of John Spencer (now of the highly rated of Smashing Pumpkins and the introspec- definitely yes. A large part of tonights set Blues Explosion) in Pussy Galore, they tion of REM, a seriously epic band that comes from the underrated, if unfocused gained a notoriety for their drug intake as don’t suffer pomposity. But tonight they Thirteen album, and even songs like much as their music. But now with a new seem nervous and uncomfortable and Escher and The Cabbage get the love clean and sober attitude and a major label play a poorly judged set that dissipates they never got on original release. The debut to promote, they’re just well...bor- the tension too often. Dr. Link from last new stuff is topper mind, though they don’t ing. People will pay to see their lives lived years excellent Full Isaac album gets peo- play the atrociously titled Neil Jung , my throughYou others, whether they’ll pay to see ple noddding appreciatively, but they fave from Grand Prix . Come to think of it, something that sounds like a bad Thin seem unsure about whether they should almost all the songs have abysmal titles, Lizzy circa 1976 I doubt. The new Thank debut stuff from next months follow up. as if after doing the hard work of writing album is pretty damn good but Dont worry men. I’ve heard it. It’s fine. the best tunes ever composed by the live...it’s a sorta cross between grunge I’ve seen them play better than this and Scots , the act of chucking out the working and sludge. Grudge. Thats a good name I’m sure they will again, but its a pity that title is too much. Still it adds to the fun for it, cos I’m sure they must resent the the short time allocated leaves no room learning that those tunes you’ve been fact that everyone else has got all the for the wonderful Precious Tiny, a free humming all week are really called good tunes. A friend mistakes singer form freakout from the new record. Commercial Alternative (who’s Jennifer Herrema for a male Axl Rose Still, who wouldn’t be miffed at being been reading Billboard then?) and impersonator. Perhaps they should take moved down for the shambling Crowsdell, two gals and a guy from the scenic route, with more stops and / YO LA TENGO somewhere in the southern states of the starts than the average metroplolitan main Shepherds Bush Empire USA. A mate of a mate tells me that road. Singer persists with they’re the only reason he’s there and his odd if affecting falsetto, though thank- they’re going to be huge, but I can’t see it fully he’s ditched the dungarees he used I’ve never seen a venue this size full so myself, and anyway he probably paid to to wear, but too often their circuitous path early than for tonights four band extrava- get in. The bass player can’t, the singers ends up in some musical equivalent of an ganza. Skilfully arriving in time to see voice, fine on disc, is reduced to a breathy industrial estate cul de sac .. Boo. Get to Quickspace Supersport leaving the stage drone. But what the hell. It’s a free trip to the point goddammit. There’s nothing big to some large applause,I can assume that Europe and who can blame them. They’ll and clever about funny time signatures. Its the junior Stereolab act I saw the other get better... just showing off. A disappointment. day has progressed as hoped. Hobokens Blumfeld are Hamburg’s contribution to Yo La Tengo are up next. (It means ‘I the continuing debate on European rock- JIMMY BLACKBURN. have it’ in Spanish. Something to do with is it crap or what ? Well, not this time . baseball apparently.) The New Jersey trio Blumfeld are the best band new to me that must be at least twelve years into their I’ve seen this year. Singer Jochen is a career now but despite their extensive true star, and a bit of a crooner as well, and often excellent back catalogue they and plays up the innocent abroad accent treat us to a two song set tonight, each between each excellent song. No one’s over fifteen minutes. It is brilliant. The shouting ‘Wo ist die bahnhof?’ tonight, as nearest comparison is probably they did last week when a Midlands crowd Spiritualized, but Yo La are more physical felt the need to pay tribute, and use gram- and aggressive, not least Ira Kaplans matically incorrect German , but the three astonishing guitar playing. They’re either or four piece (their roadie adds second great or lousy in my experience mind, but guitar at times.) play a wonderful set, not get there early if you ever see their name that far from prime time , or on a bill, and marvel at how one man gets Pavement, but with a distinct if uncon- so much sound out of one guitar. scious nod to the seventies ‘Krautrock’ Sebadoh, those other veterans of repetitious style , usually played by hairy America’s underground network have , by Germans who lived on farms. Actually approaching commercial success, put Blumfeld don’t really sound like anything themselves in an unusual and uncomfort- else, and the language barrier is no barri- able position. Always notorious for the er to great music. Lovely. random nature of both their shows and Unlike , whose early releases, even since their first recordings records were something of a cult as they they’ve come up with authentic pop gems combined grace, power and melody in a amongst the experimental fumblings. way rarely seen. But for me anyway, their However last years terrific last couple have been disappoint- album saw a disciplined approach they’d ments, ditching the directness for never shown before, probably as they got we’ll get the atmosphere, all you have to TOUR - NEWS supply is the beer.

The Reading Festival line up has been bossed around by a more serious record announced by the Mean Fiddler company. Virtually every track is a pure Organisation. As usual it takes place dur- nugget of melody, all given a hard but not ing the August bank holiday in ..erm.. abrasive production at Bostons famed Reading. The headliners are Smashing Fort Apache studio. In short, it sounds like Pumpkins, Bjork and Neil Young. the next big thing. And at first tonight they The full line-up reads Friday August 25th live up to it. The six or seven opening Main Stage Smashing Pumpkins, Green songs of this show are lovely. Singer/gui- Day, Hole, Teenage Fanclub, Beck, tarist has a fine line in wistful Deus, and China Drum. pop, sad and understated, while bassist On the second stage as NME call it or the Jason Loewenstein copes well with the stage as Melody Maker call shouty stuff (but best when he uses Lou’s it are Gene, Menswear, Stereolab, mike, oddly enough.)Top choons like Marion, Royal Trux, Guided By Voices, Together or Alone, Careful and the fan- Moist, Weknowwhereyoulive, Scarce tasticallySaw Sebadoh hopeful Play Brand A New Good Love Show sound , and Heather Nova. wonderful. But just when you’re thinking On Saturday August 26 the main stage about getting yourself a tattoo saying I features Bjork, The Boo Radleys, the Tricky, Throwing Muses, Shed Seven, usual happens . Rabid self indulgence Corduroy, Little Axe, Skunk Anansie sets in , as between song pauses get and James Hall. The other stage, as longer and more painful, instrument RAGE will call it, has Foo Fighters, swaps take an eternity and the set degen- Tour News , Drugstore, Electrafixion, erates into material that can hardly be , My Life Story, Snuff, 60 described as filler. I accept that the crap is Ft Dolls, Powder, Kaliphz, Puressence as much part of what this band is about as The main news for Rage is the and Heavy Stereo. the good stuff, and that might even be a Glastonbury festival. We will be covering On Sunday August 27th the main stage factor in what makes the good stuff so the whole festival, laptops shoved under hosts Neil Young, Soundgarden, good, but it was no surprise that the last our arms and mobile phones at the ready. Pavement, Mudhoney, Buffalo Tom, tube seemed so compelling to so many. The festival sold-out ages ago so don’t Babes In Toyland, White Zombie Tad, Putting these men in front an audience is bother trying to get a ticket, but you can No FX and Pennywise. The smaller stage like putting a drink in George Best’s hands get the next best thing by watching our has Carter USM, Ween, Mazzy Star, before a live TV appearance. As painfully coverage on the net. We’ll be reviewing it Reef, Ash, Vent, Silverchair, Geraldine predictable as a sit com. Ouch. as it happens, hopefully with the normal Fibbers and Cast. JIMMY BLACKBURN rage irreverance, we’ll get the pics, and Tickets for the whole event cost £60 in advance and are available Zeitgeist album with an Autumn tour. See at face value, for cash, at all Mean Fiddler them at Barrowlands outlets i.e. The Forum, The Jazz Cafe, (September 18 & 19), Aberdeen Music The Garage, The Subterania and of Hall (20), Leicester Granby Halls (22), course The Mean Fiddler. If you want to Brighton Centre (23), Manchester Apollo spend extra, all reputable ticket agencies (25), Birmingham Aston Villa Leisure will carry tickets too and, if Glastonbury is Centre (28 & 29), Bridlington Spa Royal any guide, so will some unreputable ones. Hotel (30), Bournmouth International Further information can be had on 0181 Centre (October 2), Plymouth Pavilion (3) 963 0940. and Brixton Academy (5 & 6).

Jarvis Cocker and his band, Pulp, return Weezer return to these shores to promote for their first tour in over a year in October. their album imaginatively titled Weezer in Catch the Pulp experience at Glasgow June. The itinerary reads as follows Barrowlands (Oct 1), Newcastle University London Astoria (June 16), Wolverhampton (2), Middlesborough Town Hall (4), Leeds Wulfrun Hall (17), Leeds Irish Centre (19), Town and Country (5), Norwich University Manchester University(21) and Leicester of East Anglia (6), Cambridge Corn De Montfort University. Exchange (8), Nottingham Rock City (9), Leicester De Montfort Hall (10), Public Enemy have confirmed two Birmingham Que Club (11), Manchester London shows. They will be held at Academy (12), Liverpool Royal Court (14), Kentish Town Forum (July 10) and Cardiff University (15), Exeter University Clapham Grand (11). (16), Brighton Event (18), London Sheperd’s Bush Empire (19), London Menswear, the next big thing or a load of Kentish Town Forum (20) and Sheffield media hype, judge for yourself at Sheffield City Hall (22). Leadmill (June 26), Liverpool State Ballroom (27), Birmingham Irish Centre Oasis are to play two shows in a huge (29) London Marquee (July 1) and Marquee imported from China. They will Cambridge Junction (3). take place on Irvine beach near Ayr on the 14th and 15th of July. The tickets are sold The 3rd will be held at out but if you fancy your chances and Long Marston from the 13th to 16th of July. think that there will be some ‘spares’ avail- The main headline acts are Bob Dylan, Faith able at reasonable prices, the doors of the No More and Paul Weller. tent open at 6pm on the Friday and 5pm The full line up reads as follows. On Friday on the Saturday. August 14 the main stage will feature Bob Dylan, Suede, Van Morrison, Tricky, The The Levellers are to promote their Fall, Wedding Present, Chumbawumba, The Phoenix

Salad and Velvet Crush. On Saturday Faith Jesus,James Taylor Quartet, Apache Indian No More headline supported by Public and D-Influence. Enemy, Terrorvision, Paradise Lost, Ice T, Bodycount, EMF, Senseless Things, Gallon The Carlsberg stage will see around fifty per- Drunk, Shootz Groove and Pigshifter. On formers including Robin Hitchcock, Martin Sunday it’s Paul Weller, Brand New Stephenson, Frances Black, An Emotional Heavies, Warren G. and the Funk Fish, The Rockingbirds and Goya Dress. Ere,George Clinton and Parliament Funk, The Charlatans, Underworld,Spearhead, The Dance stage among others will see The Credit To The Nation, Marion and Dub Orb, Underworld, Eat Static, Transglobal War. Underground Loop Guru and Drum Club.

Melody Maker stage will start on the Thursday Apart from the music there will be a comedy night with Bootsy Collins and his new stage featuring Frank Sidebottom, Lee Rubber Band, Little Axe, Prophets Of Da Evens, Mark Lamarr, Lily, Savage and Ian City, Oui 3 and Interact. Friday has Aztec Cognito plus over twenty others. If this is not Camera, Aimee Mann, Edwin Collins, The enough there will also be celebrity football on Blue Aeroplanes, Lisa Germano, Dick Dale, all four days. Confirmed so far EMF, Suggs, McAlmont,Cast, The Nubiles, Damon Albarn, Terry Hall, The Lightening Catatonia,Bivouac and Sack. On the Seeds and Brookside’s Anna Friel. There will Saturday the line up is Spiritualized, Electric also be a funfair, a cinema and a circus area. Machine, The Verve, Nitzer Ebb, Cardiacs, Reef, Alice Donut, Man Or Astroman, A.C. Tickets are £58 in advance for the whole Acoustics, 60ft Dolls, Gorkys’ Zygotic weekend or £25 per day and are available by Monkey, Delicatessen and Scarfo. Sunday post from Phoenix 1995, Box 1707, London has The Wildharts, Biohazzard, Dog Eat NW10 4LW ( add 50p per ticket booking fee). Dog, Headswim, Shudder To Think, Die They are available at face value from all Mean Tottenhosen, Honey Crack, H.Blockx, Fiddler booking offices i.e. The Forum, The Joyrider, Strech, Shihead and Schtum. Jazz Cafe, The Garage, The Subterania and The Mean Fiddler. Credit card booking can be There will also be a Jazz Cafe stage which fea- made on 0171344 0044. For INTERNET tures many acts including Gil Scott Heron, information use Galliano, Corduroy, Guru’s Jazzmatazz HTTP://WWW.CERERUS.CO.UK/CDJ/PHO featuring Ronny Jordan, MC 900ft ENIXCARLSBERG.