Bricolage, Head of Steam 16.3.08
Bricolage look like a band. You can tell they’re THE BAND as soon as they walk through the door. Taking their style cues from previous decades – primarily the fifties and the seventies rather than the eighties – curiosity is aroused before they even take the stage.
For a band which is both artful and resourceful, even the name is apt. Bricolage: something made or put together using whatever materials happen to be available; a mix of this and that. With influences worn on their sleeves (Orange Juice being the most obvious, with a Belle and Sebastian twist)) Bricolage are at once retro and of the moment.
A shame there weren’t more than thirty people there to enjoy their Sunday night set at The Head of Steam. With their distinctive guitar sound and vocal harmonising they play catchy and melodic pop – of the ‘cool’ variety.
The stay-aways missed the freebies too. Second band of the night, the youthful and promising New Vinyls, generously shared their Nice biscuits with the audience. Meanwhile someone on Bricolage’s team must have spent hours putting together the little goody bags that paying guests were welcomed with – complete with retro sweets, comic pages and other curiosities.
The Fall. Newcastle University, March 5th
The Fall are an important band – revered by many, highly influential and still in possession of an incredible work ethic. Or so Mark E Smith would have us believe. Experienced Fall fans however know that attending a Fall gig is akin to playing the lottery – you pays your money and you get what you’re given. Witness events at the Sage, Gateshead two and a half years ago.
On this occasion, MES deigned to join his band onstage some five minutes into an extended intro. He then humiliated them by interfering constantly with their sound - twiddling knobs and moving mics around. A good part of the set was 'performed' with his back to the audience - and then 35 minutes after his entrance he took his leave - mid song - leaving his fellow musicians stranded. His parting shot was to call the band a ‘cabaret act’.
At the time this caused some degree of discussion on the Fall forum. Apparently, The Fall have a reputation for cancelling gigs at the last moment and selling their fans short. One fan likened his position to that of a battered wife - he knows he shouldn't take it anymore, but can't help coming back for more… So it was with some trepidation that the faithful filled the basement of Newcastle University’s Student Union building on Wednesday; students temporarily displaced by men into their fourth decade or more of gig going.
As is often the case with a constantly changing line up the audience were witness to Mark yet again bedding in a new band. The ‘new’ guitarist (Pete Greenway), bass player (Dave Spurr) and drummer (Keiron Melling) had every reason to look nervous as they took the stage – in fact an expression of anxiety was never far from the guitarist’s face. Elena remains a constant on the keyboards and is becoming technically more accomplished but the overall impression was of a band still finding it’s feet and yet to fully embrace the Fall sound.
MES did a good impression of actually being interested in the gig and to a lesser extent the audience. He did the usual onstage antics and further disconcerted his guitar player by hovering around behind him altering sound levels. Mic stands were treated with disdain, MES pulling them over and around behind him putting one in mind of a slightly deranged hospital patient trailing his drip stand along with him. Lyrics were stuffed in and dropped out of his pockets, MES retiring behind the amps to crouch on the floor to read them from time to time. In a reference that only North-East fans may understand, visually he is morphing into an indie Bobby Thompson.
The initial set was barely half an hour long featuring older and relatively recent favourites (What About Us, Fall Sound etc) along with some promising new material - Alton Towers is an interesting departure. There was an unnerving flashback to the Sage gig as MES exited the stage, but thankfully he and the band returned not once, but twice for an encore. (The extended seven minutes of applause and cheering at the end almost heralded a third!) By now the band were beginning to hit their stride and songs such as Blindness (complete with ad libs) and White Lightening were magnificent.
The previous night’s reports from the opening show of the tour at Bilston didn’t bode well for the Newcastle gig. Dangerous to use football analogies in this part of the world, but supporting the Fall has been likened to supporting a football team – sometimes they lose and sometimes they win and if you wanted them to win all the time then you’d be a Manchester Utd, or Arsenal fan. For once it seems the Geordies came out with, if not a win, then at least a score draw.
Set List: Intro reading/ Instrumental / Fall Sound / What About Us /Wolf Man / 50 Year Old Man / Alton Towers / Tommy Shooter / Pacifying Joint // Latch Key Kid/ Sparta // Blindness / White Lightening
Glasvegas: The Cluny, Newcastle, 18.02.08
The last time Glasvegas played in these parts they were supporting fellow unsigned band Modes in the back room of a pub in County Durham. Apparently the Glaswegians were worried about coming off second best to the local heroes. They needn’t have concerned themselves. Set amongst the authentic faded décor suitably reminiscent of an earlier era, they mounted the tiny stage through a swirl of dry ice and stood like a colossus as they filled the room with their ‘wall of sound’.
Word spreads fast. Now signed to Columbia, the Glasgow based group are in the midst of a largely sold-out tour. The Cluny was full to its industrial beams and the weight of expectancy was palpable. A glance around the room revealed a largely male audience with a good proportion over the age of 35. What was the attraction then – the retro sound or the fact that this is harnessed with the type of terrace chant that breeds a sense of camaraderie?
In the event, the gig posed more questions than it answered. The dry ice has been dispensed with but the band, uniformly dressed in black, still cut an impressive, if somewhat incongruous shape on stage: bassist Paul Donoguhe has the slightly menacing air of an indie Bill Sykes (I’m sure he’s a pussy cat really), singer James Allan is vaguely reminiscent of a young Joe Strummer, guitarist Rab Allan’s broken tooth gives him a certain street credibility, while the diminutive Caroline McKay stands resolutely to attention behind her drum kit.
The set was disappointingly short (7 songs in total with no encore) but for the brief time they were on stage they filled the 300 capacity venue with their heroic sound, fine melodies, confessional lyrics and reverb. Although borrowing heavily from their influences (and unashamedly covering The Ronettes Be My Baby) they are different enough from what’s currently available musically to make them interesting at least.
As they stood on stage at the end with fists raised in salute to an appreciative audience (with its hard core of Weegie followers) it felt as though the band were acknowledging that they were ready to face their future head on. Whether they have the attitude and personality to make the connection with their audiences meaningful or the depth to their musical ideas to broaden the spectrum of what they are doing remains to be seen. But it felt last night that at least some of the hype is justified and that Glasvegas could well be a part of the musical landscape for the next five years.
Set List:
Flowers & Football Tops
It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry
Polmont On My Mind
Geraldine
Go Square Go!
Daddy's Gone
Be My Baby
Rodchenko Exhibition, Revolution in Photography, The Hayward, London SE1, 7 February-28 April (Posted Jan 2008)
If you’re down in London in the next month or so, you could do worse than pop along to the exhibition of Rodchenko’s poster art. There you’ll see many examples of the work of the Russian Constructivist which has inspired the cover art of bands like Kraftwerk, dutch punk band The Ex and of course Franz Ferdinand.
Speaking to the Observer recently, bass player Bob Hardy said: “I've got a book of his film posters at home and you'll probably find most of the influences for our record sleeves in there. Speaking about the original poster which influenced the design of You Could Have It So Much Better he continued, “We chose this particular image because of its starkness, which was something we aim for in our music. Really good pop music should have the same characteristics as good graphics. Both should be arresting and instantaneously blow you away.”
Sons and Daughters, Other Rooms, Newcastle 30.11.07
(Posted: 9.12.07)
The first person we met as we approached the venue was Jazzy Lemon aka Annie ( http://jazzylemon.co.uk/ ) who is a respected and prolific photographer of the North-East music scene. We had bumped into her a couple of weeks previously when she was taking photos of bands Marcheys House and Modes at the A-Z of Franz Ferdinand Book Launch. It was good to see someone going about their task enthusiastically as she took shots of the support bands before leaving to cover another gig in town. (After promising to induct me in the ways of gig photography). That Friday night was a good night for music in Newcastle – Van Morrisson at the Sage, Glen Tilbrook at the City Hall….
Support bands Kinevil ( http://www.myspace.com/kinevilband ) and Victorian English Gentlemens Club (http://www.myspace.com/thevictorianenglishgentlemensclub) were worth the entrance money on their own – especially as we nearly got treated to extra entertainment as the lead singer of Kinevil left the stage to remonstrate forcibly with one embarrassing individual who was booing the band – well that’s one way of dealing with it…. I was particularly taken by the female drummer in VEGC, who was energetic, sexy and beguiling all at once – and an excellent drummer to boot.
Glasgow band Sons and Daughters played to an enthusiastic crowd. Their rolling, rhythmic, almost tribal sound was tighter than ever. Just as well as both vocalists, Scott and Adele, seemed to be suffering from colds and struggled throughout the set. Their energy levels never dipped however and the new songs sounded better than ever.
Adele and Ailidh Scott Patterson
Dec 6th
The issue of NME which featured my book 'An A-Z of Franz Ferdinand' (Dec 1st) looks set to be one of the most controversial for a while. In a re-run of an earlier dispute, the NME has once more attacked Morrissey for what it feels are his racist views. Ironically, Franz Ferdinand were instrumental in healing the rift between the two parties when they stepped in and interviewed the singer for NME in 2004. Following the most recent interview with the paper, the divide is now monumental.
When I was emailed me with the news that the book was featured in the current NME, I replied with a comment that it was good to have the publicity, but that I was saddened by what I saw as the decline of the publication. In the 1970s NME was a well respected weekly music paper with journalists who were later to assume iconic status. Their writing was well crafted and inspirational. The NME of today, I remarked, has degenerated into a hybrid of Heat and Smash Hits.
Now Morrissey has hit back at the NME and is taking them to court. In a bitter statement he expressed the view that he is being used by the NME to boost their flagging sales figures. Morrissey grew up in the same city (Manchester) and same era as myself and read the same NME that I remember. The sentiments he expresses in his statement echo those felt by myself.
He writes: "The "new" NME is very much integrated into the industry, whereas, deep in the magazine's empirical history, the New Musical Express was a propelling force that answered to no one. It led the way by the quality of its writers - Paul Morley, Julie Burchill, Paul du Noyer, Charles Shaar Murray, Nick Kent, Ian Penman, Miles - who would write more words than the articles demanded, and whose views saved some of us, and who pulled us all away from the electrifying boredom of everything and anything that represented the industry. As a consequence the chanting believers of the NME could not bear to miss a single issue; the torrential fluency of its writers left almost no space between words, and the NME became a culture in itself, whereas Melody Maker or Sounds just didn't."
He continues later in the piece: "It is true that the magazine is ailing badly in the market place, but Conor (editor) doesn't understand how the relentless stream of "cheers mate, got pissed last night, ha ha" interviews that clutter every single issue of the "new" NME are simply not interesting to those of us who have no trouble standing upright."
Although some of Morrissey's reported comments on immigration might be ill-advised, or make for uncomfortable reading he has publicly given his support to anti-racism campaigns. The NME have not only let their journalistic standards drop but their stance in this matter is, to say the least, questionable.
All Sparks
SPARKS WORLDWIDE SPECTACULAR – 21 ALBUMS IN 21 NIGHTS
Friday 16th May – Friday 13th June 2008
Carling Academy Islington & Shepherd's Bush Empire
The Sparks Spectacular will be taking place in London in May and June 2008 - one album per night, played in its entirety, starting with 1971's album Halfnelson and concluding with the brand new, as yet untitled, 21st album. The only concession made to man's physicality is that, whilst the order of the albums will be chronological, there will be some days off during the run!http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/INFO/21x21/
Have you ever heard of anything more amazing? Has any band ever done anything like that before? How would you choose which night(s) to go to? How many fans will make it to all 21? Are the band mad?
Don't be fooled into thinking that Sparks are some aging, washed up, one hit wonders from the 1970s (although who can forget their memorable TOTP performance of This Town Aint Big Enough For The Both Of Us?). I went along to see Sparks play at The Sage, Gateshead about 18 months ago with no expectations (my curiosity having been raised by various members of Franz Ferdinand constantly referencing them) and was blown away by their stage presence and unique way of presenting a gig. For the first half of the show they played their current album in its entirety complete with graphics and projected visuals. Following a very civilised intermission, they came back on stage with a full rock band and blew the audience away with a selection of hits from their back catalogue spanning three decades. In all departments they were stunning.
Last year saw me taking a sabbatical from my teaching post at Bedlington Station First School in order to carry out research for, and ultimately write, my book ‘An A-Z of Franz Ferdinand’. Much of the year was spent travelling up and down to Glasgow in order to interview the members of the band - Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy, Bob Hardy and Paul Thomson. My interest in the band stemmed from their music – but also from the intelligence and art sensibility which they bring to their work. The band believe strongly that their visual identity is as important as their sound and they are passionate and articulate in explaining their vision.
Upon meeting the band they didn’t disappoint and spending so much time in their adopted city made me get a feel for the environment which had nurtured this aspiring bunch of musicians. A few locations in Glasgow are central to the Franz Ferdinand story and this soon to be published article gives a little insight into the background of the band and my experiences whilst researching their history.
No Buildings Will Fall Down…….
As long term fans of Franz Ferdinand know, the early history of the band is intrinsically tied up with two Glasgow buildings, namely the Chateau (as it came to be known) and the Bridgeton Jail. Having outlived their usefulness, these once imposing buildings to the south and east of the city centre, had been left to languish by their former occupants. To a band looking for cheap rehearsal space and hooked on the romanticism of loft and warehouse parties held in places like Berlin they were perfect. They provided an exciting and alternative home for the music and arts events that Franz Ferdinand and their friends hosted in the early days of the band.
The Chateau, an Art Deco building and ex warehouse, was stumbled upon by Alex and Nick. Being unable to afford any rent they came to an agreement with the landlord that if they fixed the windows, put in electricity and got rid of the pigeons they would be able to use it for free. Always a fan of doing hands-on stuff Alex and Nick relished the chance to get to grips with the building. Along with the others and assorted friends and fellow artists they set about making the place usable with Nick making daily trips to the place with his cleaning apparatus. It was to be the scene of many arts events, gigs and parties, until the police discovered it towards the end of 2002.
The Bridgeton Jail was the next building to carry the spirit of the Chateau forward and again Nick was instrumental in it’s discovery having happened upon the place whilst cycling around the city’s east end. Formerly a police station, jail and morgue housed all in one building, it was abandoned and left to crumble at the mercy of the elements. Franz Ferdinand and their friends stepped in, cleaned the place up and breathed new life into the building as they continued hosting events that further cemented the links between the artists and musicians communities in Glasgow. In February 2003 together with friends and other musicians they staged their ‘Cells Out’ gig, then continued to use the jail as a practice, rehearsal and storage space throughout the remainder of that year.
It was whilst researching material for ‘An A-Z of Franz Ferdinand’ that I decided to pay a visit to both of these buildings, which had slipped imperceptibly into Franz Ferdinand folklore. I had seen both buildings before from the outside but it was whilst chatting to Nick that I joked that I was going to try to break in to have a proper look around. Looking a little alarmed he said, “No – don’t do that - that’s not a good idea - there’s still people in there. They’re not empty!” He did however give me a couple of contacts so that I could legitimately explore both sites.
The next morning I took a taxi ride past Barrowlands and on to Tobago Street, location of the Bridgeton Jail. It was when I went round the back of the building that the stories I’d heard about it began to make sense. Here there was no mistaking its former role as a jail with tiny barred windows pricking the rear brickwork. The first person I came across, loading scrap into a trailer, turned out to be Harry - the owner of the building and reputedly the hardest man in Glasgow. This reputation was belied by his friendly and amiable demeanour as he showed me round the premises. Although happy to chat, he declined to have his photo taken - joking that he would break the lens. Managing to get in the way several times whilst I was taking shots however, he inadvertently ended up on some of the photographs.
The famously leaking roof had heaped more damage on the interior of the building and it was a perilous path I trod as Harry left me to have a poke around on my own. The corridors and stairwells were strewn with debris, but to my surprise there was evidence in some of the cells of artists still using them as active workspaces; in fact one such artist was engaged in his work and paused for a chat. In the middle of the courtroom was a Mondrian style installation – under the ceiling rose, which was still defying gravity and remaining firmly fixed in its place. Landmarks from past photoshoots remained in the shape of writing on the wall, peeling staircases and rusty jailgates. Yet more evidence of the Franz Ferdinand connection was unearthed as I peeped into one of the cupboards and discovered a pile of Franz t-shirts along with what appeared to be old police uniform trousers.
A twenty minute walk west and then south across the Clyde brought me to Bridge St and a meeting with Simon – artist and friend of the band. He had kindly agreed to show me round the Chateau and it was he who led the way through a side door and up the first set of stairs. This building was in better repair and Simon explained that it was still well used by artists and musicians alike. His workspace on an upper floor was well equipped and natural light still managed to force its way through the somewhat grimy windows. Climbing the stairs further to the roof of the building I was startled by one of the pigeons that still claimed ownership of the building, flying into my face. But the views from the top were worth the uncomfortable experience as Glasgow spread out below us in all directions.
Franz Ferdinand continue to defy convention and like to seek out interesting places to rehearse and perform. It was again Nick who came up with the band’s current practice space in another formerly grand city building – the old town hall in Govan. Although not as dilapidated as the Chateau and the Jail, it has the same ambience and only the leaky roof is missing. Explaining his fascination with old buildings, Nick says, “It’s totally from my days as a kid exploring at night and stuff. I just still love it and if I see a place I try to have a look. I do usually ask people these days but not always. In Munich everything’s used and renovated – here there’s so many opportunities…”
An A-Z of Franz Ferdinand by
Helen Chase. Published by
Northumbria University Press,
November 2007.
