1 2 MELODY MAKER, October 16 1993 Brett Edited by Jim Arundel S U E D E /TH E got Vegas wrapped around CRANBERRIES her finger. Who knows: HUNTRIDGETHEATER, LAS VEGAS maybe Britain will wake "I LOVE YOU!!! I LOVE up next. YOU!!!" Backstage, the lovestruck The man behind m e - jock has found his way to shaven head, LA Raiders Dolores. He gulps, then speaks cap, flannel shirt, minimalist up. "Will you marry me?" beard, biceps like loaves of Suede are a popular British bread - resembles a alternative band whose particularly butch member Bowie/Morrissey musical of House Of Pain. Within melange has caused much two songs, it's all too much press attention and a Number for the poor soul. Tears One debut album over in streaking his cheeks, he England. I say this for the fights through 800 rapturous benefit of the 80 or so Las Vegans (?) to the stage, Cran-fans, bewildered ???s reaches into his pocket and almost visible above their holds aloft an engagement heads, who bother sticking ring. Dolores O'Riordan - around to see the "headline" marginally longer hair, act (if Suede have any sense, kick-fro-kill boots and they'll swallow their pride and maroon W ar On Want reverse the running order). minidress - is unimpressed. Suede's American tour has Pics: Pics: Phil Nicholls She's already been handed been a reminder of the days a big bunch of red roses and when no one gave a f*** who a crucifix, and anyway, this they were. This afternoon, a happensevery night. clueless radio interviewer Not for the last time, I asked Brett and Bernard wonder how many MM whether they play sports readers would believe what ("yeah, polo") or go dancing Vm seeing. Are these really ("the tango"). To be fair, a the same Cranberries (calf growing posse of Europhile 'em up on your personal girls with Mary Quant hairdos promised Suede's next single prejudice organiser: (shaved into a steep Brett would be an eight-minute epic Dolores "mild-mannered, wispy, wedge at the back) is incorporating a Brett Anderson ethereal post-Sundays types following Suede from city to rap!), but the old standards from Limerick circa 1991 city; this is a highly regional have rarely sounded better. The who wouldn't say Boo to a thing (they're huge on the weird thing is, I feel shamefully Radley")? Well,Kind of (I'll San Francisco gay scene, privileged to get so close. It's explain later), and once againmagazine front covers, like stumbling in on a private - see also Radiohead - it's academic analysis, the lot) and rehearsal. They're having a taken the Americans to tell things should really get going greaftime. us we're onto a good thing. as of tomorrow, when "The Meanwhile, down the front. Since the "breakthrough" Drowners" gets A-listed on The Kids Wanna Rawk. It's single "Dreams", The MTV (America still needs to be the only language they Cranberries have been spoon-fed). Their time will understand. They boaysurf, enormous here (over come. They'll stick like sick on stagedive, mosh or just plain 300,000 albums sold, the Stars And Stripes. fight. Even to the slow ones. proper Top 40 hits, eternal None of this seems to matter Which doesn't please Brett rotation on MTV and tonight. From the moment (when one human bison-burger Maaahdern Raaahk radio). skinny girl/boy Bernard Butler in a G N'R shirt leaps pitwards And deservedly so. While takes his piano stool and Brett during the intro to "Pantomime the Irish angle nas somethingAnderson - Dirk Bogarde Horse", he turns to Bernard to do with this (Sinead redesigned by Gerald Scarfe - and spits a disgusted "fack!"), comparisons follow Dolores puts his hands on his brown but the irony or watching all here as tenaciously as nylon waist to serenade us this male bonding going on Harriet/Liz/Bjork does at with "The Next Life", it's clear to a song about homosexuality home, but she can hardly Suede aren't changing is priceless. And the looks help her accent-"It's anything for the sake of of confusion when Brett neverrh quoite as it seems" Yank-friendliness. Brett orders does his now-traditional - so why should she, as The the stage lights way down low "Salome" dance ("He's Proclaimed put it, throw the (thus obscuring the empty Dead") are hysterical. V away?). Cranberries seats behind us), kicks off his An unforgettable 1993 are nothing like the shoes and surges into "Animal performance to an indifferent timid, naYve Virgin Marys Lover". Bernard struts, city. So let me get this straight: every subtly racist review hasduckwalks, swings his fringe, Cranberries are Gods and led you to expect. Two years pokes his tongue so far he's Suede are a sideshow? Truly, back, Dolores may have almost licking his own nipples, this is Another Country. And complained about and lets out an appreciative, if this was one of tbe strangest, "all that heavy metal stuff, ironic "Wooh!" whenever real topsy-turviest nights of the Satanic music", but The applause isn't forthcoming. By year. Hey, I really ought to tell Cranberries have foun^l their now, Suede arein excelsis. the readers... but they just own w ay of kicking ass: a There's nothing new (shame- wouldn't believe me. voice which can soar and last time I saw Mat Osman, he SIMON PRICE swoop away like an Andean condor and come slamming the best music develops. and festival-goers - the crowd to meditate to in back in, semitone-perfect. Asian, Arabic, African, underground, if you like-who've boom-shak-a-lak stylee, The way she follows the line Australasian and European experienced TGU's exquisitely and then, perhaps the jewel in " You mystify me,.." with a influences collide. Even Eskimos geteclectic, inspir-bloody-ational their belly button, "Shimmer", sinfully casual "Aow!!!" is a name check and there's definitelyambience; 199 l's classic, 'Temple has Tuup checking more Head", with its nah-nah-nah oppressed indigenous peoples civilisation-shattering. She's some Egypt in there, too. But it's foolish to trainspot the origins of Tibetan prayer sample, for than a Survival International TGU's rich, category-transcending example. Tonight, that trancey vibepamphlet. is gradually interspersed with some TGU slink away too soon, Pic: Mark Benney Mark Pic: magnificence. Simply, they're reclaiming much-malignea thoughtful, unifying chat from leaving pronouncements like "W orld Music" from efitist, Ghanaian rapper. The "Smash the BNP' to more-ethnic-than-thou yuppies. Unprecedented Unorthodox labelmates, Fun-Da-Mental, The tribal poundings of "Army Preacher, Tuup, bringing it into but return for "Earth Tribe", a O f Forgotten Souls" could be the big city perspective. tabla-heavy slowiewith more soundtrack for communities coming For the blissful, Balearic shuffle celebratory chanting. together down Whitechapel Roadthat is "I, Voyager", belly-dancing Sue Lawley lets her guests TRANS-GLOBAL Morris-dancing, fox-hunting forweird, karma-purifying Natacha Atlas' beatific wailing choose just one album. TGU's UNDERGROUND bastard. Trans-Global exercises. O r a herd or elephants floats atop a tuneful Tarzan call, new "Dream O f 100 Nations" THE VENUE, LONDON Underground aretruly English, in lolloping across the plains towardswhile a Sinead-y lament begins theLP would have tothe be THINK the blinkered retro of that they reflect a multi-cultural a watering hole; insert your dubby, One Dovey "La Voix Du contender for that universal. Blur or Morrissey epitomises society which - get used to it! - preferred cultural fantasy/reality. Sang". "Slowfinger" is a housey Desert Island Disc. Englishness? Then you're a sad,is the way we now live and which To date it has been mainly clubbersworkout for tonight's mainly white CARLLOBEN.