Robert Forster - The Mash House

 It's been a long time since I bought that Postcard Records single and first release for the Go-Betweens 'I need Two Heads' and finally seeing one of the driving forces of that band live. 

It's been a journey since those years of the Go-Betweens producing critically acclaimed albums but somehow success seeming forever out of reach. Solo careers with the same outcome, the return of the Go-Betweens then the death of Grant Mclennan, more solo music. Throughout Robert Forster has continued to produce interestingly offbeat songs with an angularity and an increasingly poignant feel.

So I find myself, finally, in a venue to see this singular talent on tour to sing the songs from his latest album 'The Candle and the Flame'. It's Robert backed by his son Louis on guitar and bass.

The night features the bulk of the new album from the biting punkiness of 'She's a Fighter' to the reflectiveness of 'Tender Years' and 'The Roads'. The new songs sit well with the revisited Go-Betweens songs that are scattered through the set, 'Spring Rain' and 'Rock'n'Roll Friend' get a warm reception but  the new songs do too 'There's a Reason to Live' and 'When I was a Young Man' capture the mood well. As a writer I've always felt listening to his songs that they sound like short fiction, its like Raymond Carver or Sam Shepard had put their stories to music. Robert maintains an easy and droll banter with the audience throughout and seems genuinely moved by how warmly he is received. He finishes the night with 'Head Full of Steam' and everyone goes away happy.

 

Independence and Building a Nation

 This article was prompted by trying to process the announcement from Nicola Sturgeon that she was standing down as First Minister of Scotland and SNP Leader. It doesn't have the answers and is a personal view based on my experience as an SNP member, organiser and veteran of the 2012-2014 Independence referendum campaign.  

The problem for the SNP and the independence movement is not necessarily the intransigence of Westminster over consent for a section 30 order and a new independence referendum but actually in continually seeking of a referendum when the answer is always no. As Labour leader Keir Starmer has also backed the no section 30 order mantra the road to independence via a referendum appears narrowed to the point of being unpassable. Increasingly shrill elements of the independence movement attack the SNP, its government and increasingly the First Minister for this impasse. The target should be the Tories and Labours denial of democracy.

The campaign for independence has become the campaign to get a referendum with the hope and vision of an independence prospectus playing second fiddle. Even when that independence vision was talked about it seemed to obsess on things like the currency and independent Scotland would use or split on whether to re-join the EU or apply to EFTA (the latter option is a minority view but a vocal one). By focussing on these issues divisions are created rather than consensus. There is a lack of a forum to create that consensus as the Scottish Independence Convention seemed to go mute after staging a huge meeting in the Edinburgh Usher Hall which should have resulted in the establishment of a means to progress the wider independence campaign. That didn’t happen despite a multiplicity of groups and organisations advocating for an independent Scotland some of which were set up to try and fill that vacuum.

Maybe now is time to put aside obsession with getting a referendum and focus on better governance for Scotland and importantly the furtherance of Scottish interests. That can be seen widely as the Scotland that independence can build but can also be seen in the Scotland that home-rule can build. We’ve seen some of that with the creation of Social Security Scotland and changing the narrative around benefits; it is also evident in the changes to the tax system to redistribute wealth in Scotland. Both come from recently accrued powers from Westminster. Other areas where creating a different Scotland could be realised are in the area of Social Care where though work has started there are contentious issues that need to be resolved and if they can be worked through Scotland can again show that solutions made here in our nation can make Scotland better. Other bold areas could include reform of local government – our councils need autonomy starting with the way they are funded. Empowering local government and trusting them to make good decisions should be the sign of a confident national government. Decentralising decision making should be the watchword and one that could go further within local government itself.

This process of nation building is something that can build confidence towards independence as electors see positive changes that affect their lives. If a good governance can produce tangibly good outcomes with a devolved Parliament then confidence can be built in the ability of an independent Scotland can do even better.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s and into the early terms of the Scottish Parliament the fault line in the SNP was one of gradualist vs fundamentalist. Put simply the gradualist method believe building support and powers in the Scottish Parliament could see all but independence achieved while the fundamentalist line was complete independence achieved in an instant. The misguided 1992 General Election slogan ‘Free by 93’ was fundamentalist hubris and while it raised aspirations at least for those in the SNP it failed miserably at the polls. Instant-ism is not a great political philosophy. The SNP independence strategy in the 1990s (and before) was to win a majority of Westminster seats and then negotiate independence. That changed with the coming of the Scottish Parliament and the SNP adopted a formal policy of holding a referendum on independence following an election victory. That strategy was one of gradualism. Voters could vote for the SNP in an election without committing to supporting independence. As a political strategy it worked - SNP support rose to the point where after winning the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections the UK Government recognised the legitimacy of the call for a referendum and permission was granted. If there was a flaw in the SNP policy it was that there was no right for the Scottish Parliament to call a referendum again without asking for permission from the UK Government. More recently an independence referendum has been seen almost as an article of faith for the independence movement. The IndyRef2 syndrome that needed a date before serious campaigning could start. At times it felt like a referendum was needed even if the outcome was rejection.

There is a real danger that if another independence referendum is lost the independence project will be derailed indefinitely. You only need to look at present day Quebec to see a becalmed independence movement. The Quebec sovereigntist feeling still exists – indeed three of the parties elected to the National Assembly would call themselves sovereigntists and currently they are in the majority but talk of a fresh referendum on Quebec independence is muted. In the most recent parliamentary by-election the Quebec Liberals attacked Quebec Solidaire for having members who support a fresh referendum. The latter won the by-election but there is so far no re-ignition of the sovereignty debate.

We are in an uncertain time for our own independence movement. We are dealing with a UK Tory government that practises a muscular unionism to interfere in Scotland. They have made it clear that a referendum will not be permitted and Labour as putative government in waiting echo that.

Some argue that there is a glimmer of hope in Gordon Brown's 'Commission on the UK's Future' and it's talk of strengthening Scotland's economic powers though it is all couched in terms of co-operation and mutual benefit so may not offer the autonomy Scotland needs over various matters such as increased control of welfare or immigration to name two. If Labour do win the next UK General Election the SNP should hold them to deliver on the recommendations as they affect Scotland and push for further devolution. The question for Labour is how much they are willing to give. The other side of that may be based on whether they make any inroads in terms of winning seats from the SNP in Scotland. Though even if they do win more seats there is no evidence that a Devo-Max Labour exists anymore. 

That is why it is important to have strong and cohesive SNP group of MPs at Westminster and it will be as important if not even more so if and when Labour takes over from the Conservatives. It is therefore important that we do not lose what we've built and work now to empower a new case for independence. The responsibility for getting that out to the public will be with the grassroots of the party - no more waiting for the starting gun to be fired or a date to be set. The case for the powerful government that independence can deliver needs to be communicated door to door. It is those conversations that will identify both the appetite for independence and the issues that actually concern voters so that they can be addressed. If as a party the SNP can make progress on that surely the wider independence movement will shake off the cobwebs and get out there with their vision of an independent Scotland as well. There were many strands in the 2014 independence campaign and there is a need to energise that multiplicity again.  

The new SNP leader will have to grapple with these issues and chart a way forward that builds on what autonomy Scotland has, seeks to further that autonomy, stands up for Scotland's interests and watches the political weather for the opportunity to get to independence. 

Nadia Reid with support Lorkin O'Reilly - Sneaky Pete's

It's three years since I was supposed to see Nadia Reid play live. Covid meant a long delay to watch the creator of 'Out of My Province' in a live setting.

It was worth the wait as Nadia has recently recorded a new album so there were some well received glimpses of that album featured in the show. It was also a sold out show so a welcome return to Nadia who had finished her last UK tour at the same venue in 2017.  

I always know I've been at a memorable gig when I wake up in the morning with a tune stuck in my head. This one was 'Heart to Ride' which, like all of her songs combines beautiful melodies and singing with a bit of world weariness and a rhythm that subtly drives the songs. Her voice carries the songs effortlessly and powerfully with a plaintive shade of regret. 

All in all this was an assured return that while pleasing the crowd with a range of her best known songs - 'Richard', 'Oh Canada' while pointing to the future with four or five songs from the as yet unreleased fourth album. I'm glad to have caught Nadia Reid live after that long Covid gap and the wait was worth it as i think that new album will be on heavy rotation.

Another hook for the show was the mordant troubadour that is Lorkin O'Reilly as support. Sharp eyed readers will know I shouted his praises last year when he supported Charlotte Cornfield at he same venue. Frankly anyone that writes songs namechecking Hart Crane, the Simpsons, Columbus and Townes Van Zant is worth hearing in my book.  

https://www.nadiareid.com/

https://lorkinoreilly.bandcamp.com/

Native Harrow - Voodoo Rooms Edinburgh

 I should really stop writing about Native Harrow gigs but they are so good I just can't. It's February so it is Native Harrow in Edinburgh gig time.  

It's the Voodoo Rooms for tonight which compared to my first review of them is the perfect venue. The Speakeasy room allows the intimacy for their warm Laurel Canyonesque tunes to connect with the audience. This tour to promote the recent album 'Old Kind of Magic' obviously heavily features songs from that album. Devin Tuel introduces 'Heart of Love' as a rare love song and after it an audience member shouts out 'write more love songs'. he might have a point but really for me that song which was definitely a stand out on the night actually encapsulates what what Native Harrow do best. Their songs seem timeless - see the Laurel Canyon reference. While they do have an echo of the canyons there are a lot of other influences in there. Stephen Harms bass runs show to these ears a jazz influence in their melody something he confirms afterwards - Danny Thompson is an influence. They perform as a two piece with Devin on guitar and vocals and Stephen on guitar, bass, keyboards and they manage to make it look easy as they capture the essence of their recordings and present something really quite sublime to their audience.

Native Harrow are much greater than the sum of their influences by a long stretch and I look forward to catching them again, perhaps next February. 

Shout out too for Maz O'Conner whose accomplished support helped create the mood for the night - stand out for me was her protest song 'Can't get enough of what I don't need'.  She's got plenty of other songs that you should find time to hear.

https://www.nativeharrow.com/

https://mazoconnor.com/

Throwing Muses/Anastasia Screamed - Edinburgh Calton Studios March 1991

 

EVER GONE TO A concert, got stuck at the back hardly able to see the stage, thinking that in spite of the ongoing rock'n'roll situation you'd rather be at home listening to the same songs on record? This was the Throwing Muses gig at the Calton Studios. Despite some snappy pop from the Real Ramona I left early, cheered somewhat by the Tony Iommi haircut of the bassist in Anastasia Screamed.

There in three sentences is my review of Throwing Muses from 1991. This was published in TLN (Tennents Live News) a free music magazine that ran for a few years alongside the brewers support for live music in Scotland at the time. I believe the Calton Studios benefitted from that investment. The section 'Short Lives' featured readers reviews of gigs limited to 60 words - I appear to have taken that quite literally unlike some of the other writers. I was surprised reading that I'd left early but I do remember being right up the back with limited views of the stage despite my height. I can only think that my girlfriend couldn't see a thing and that was a big factor in the early exit. I still have and listen to the Real Ramona and I do have the Anastasia Screamed album 'Laughing Down the Limehouse' (it kinda sounds like their name). I've since seen Kristin Hersh twice and stayed until the end both times.

Thanks to Edinburgh Gig Archive for the image edinburghgigarchive.com  And Thanks to TLN for the original publication. Note: perhaps bizarrely at the time of LeithNotes re-publication of this review the issue of TLN in which it features was available on Ebay for £9.99!

They also played - Kristin Hersh

The Proclaimers - Whitehall Theatre, Dundee 1994

 

I found this article typewritten. In fact there was more than one - original and photocopies. I think I submitted it to a couple of papers but it was never published. Until now.

As part of a touring schedule that reaches the venues and towns few rock acts reach the Proclaimers show comes to Dundee. More specifically the Whitehall Theatre usually home to the likes of Daniel O'Donnell and Sydney Devine. Indeed the smiling visage of Scotland's very own rhinestone cowboy grins from posters in the foyer.

Entering the auditorium the sense of anticipation is thicker than the fug of cigarette smoke rising to the rafters. 

Opening the show the Proclaimers stamp their authority on the night with loud confident readings of 'Hit the Highway' and 'Guess Who Won't Beg'. By the time they pitch into 'I'm on My Way' the audience are on their feet, stamping, clapping and hollering along. 

A Proclaimers concert is now an adrenaline charged distillation of American music producing a release of emotion akin to a soul revue or an evangelist revival. The audience is caught in euphoric rapture as the songs hit home.

The set comes to a close with 'Don't Turn Out Like Your Mother' the band reaching higher and higher towards the finale. Taking a short breather on the encore of 'King of the Road' they finish the night with a yelping 'Oh Jean' with Charlie speaking in tongues like a man possessed. Transcendence is reached and its time for home assured in the knowledge that nothing like this has been seen in the Whitehall Theatre, ever. 

1994

 I've seen the Proclaimers countless times from their beginnings playing in hip clubs and 'hairdresser' bars of Edinburgh. I'm due to see them this summer in a big top on Leith Links. It's been a long gap since I saw them last at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange in the early 2000s.

Tom Verlaine

 I never saw Tom Verlaine or Television live but with his sudden passing I'm realising how much I listened to his music.

I arrived at Television a bit late, I'd found contemporaries Blondie, the Ramones and Talking Heads first The evidence is in my record collection the monumental 'Marquee Moon' LP is budget priced 'Nice Price' release and the second 'Adventure' is a cut-out import bought for £3.49, probably at that hippie run second hand record shop I used to go to in Dundee.  

Those two albums were inspiring, 'Marquee Moon' was like nothing else of it's time (and nothing since). The interplay between the twin guitars of Verlaine and Lloyd is legendary. I've always found 'Adventure' more approachable but nonetheless a sublime and important album. 

I bought the first two solo albums when the came out and played them endlessly. This was brought home to me when I listened to them today, the Sunday after Tom's passing and finding I know them back to front, singing along, well blurting out lyrics tunelessly but accurately. 

I dug those vinyl albums out along with a compilation 'Shake to Date' which contains that iconoclastic single by the the Neon Boys, Verlaine's band with Richard Hell. The early version of 'Love Comes in Spurts' is the well known song that Hell took to the Voidoids but my favourite is 'That's all I know (right now)' it is punk in attitude and approach all incendiary guitar which is probably why Verlaine is often called the godfather of punk. In truth his playing and writing was always more sophisticated than punk perhaps as he said he was inspired by jazz so moved well beyond the one chord wonder limitations of punk. There was always an economy in his playing, it was like he was choosing his path carefully not wasting any notes so the attack was more precise.

Of course Tom Verlaine was originally, like his friend Patti Smith, a poet and somewhere on my bookshelves there is a slim volume shared with Patti that I bought in Grouchos Record Shop in Dundee possibly on the same day that I bought the 12" 'Gloria/My Generation' by the Patti Smith Group in a brown paper bag. 

Tom Verlaine is gone and I might have a slight regret that I didn't see him live but I'm just glad I have the music to listen to and that I have that quartet of albums that I've returned to again and again over the years.

Perhaps bizarrely Television were due to tour with Billy Idol last year, playing large venues - the Hydro in Glasgow - but dropped out due to illness. In hindsight a portent of what we are now mourning. RIP Mr Verlaine, Thank you for the music.