ALEX
CHILTON
LIVE IN
GLASGOW April 1996
Mark Morris of the
Bluetones spoke in VOX magazine about how the Stone Roses gave
him inspiration and opened up other musical influences such as the Byrds,
Led Zep, Sly Stone & Hendrix. All these bands were, it was obvious,
influencing the Stone Roses. Ready Steady Go! web site evolves on the
same line of thought and continues to do so. If you are serious about
your music you will do the same. You know you're hooked on music when
you are in it this deep, but the discoveries make it more than worthwhile.
Teenage Fanclub, to their credit, wear their influences proudly
on their sleeves and as unlikely ambassadors of music they have opened
my eyes to an array of fantastic music. Far more music than the music
press tells you about these days in their desperation to talk about new,
flavour of the month bands. No matter how bland they are, these are the
bands that sell papers and that's business.
Teenage Fanclub's
tastes are a wide and varied as most yet the press only pick up on the
most obvious. From bubblegum pop to hip hop, country to easy listening,
power pop to lo-fi, Teenage Fanclub have paid their dues in the past none
more so than introducing hundreds of people to the classic music of Big
Star. Big Star still sound so fresh and exciting and their legend
refuses to lie down. So when the rare opportunity came to go and see the
man himself, Alex Chilton (pictured right with yours truely!) playing
live in Glasgow with Teenage Fanclub as his backing band, Ready Steady
Go and it's bunch of fellow pop tarts shot up to Glasgow to witness this
unique event.
Unique partly because
Alex and the Fanclub were playing in a fairly low key 200 capacity venue
called the 13th Note. Alex was in Glasgow for one week. His itinerary
included playing two shows at the 13th Note with Teenage Fanclub, another
night joining the Posies on stage (who just happened to be in town the
very same week!) as well as finding a bit of time to do some recording
with BMX Bandits.
Sadly Ready Steady
Go was only around for the two special nights at the 13th Note. The venue
in hindsight was a naff choice as viewing the stage was impossible unless
you were right down at the front. The stage was no higher than a pavement
off a curb so plenty of neck straining was in order to get the best possible
view. With the venue packed to the rafters it doesn't take long to start
feeling hot, sticky and uncomfortable so maybe a bigger venue would have
been to the a better idea for the enthusiastic crowd.
Alex steps on the
stage for the first of two sets and blasts into the one and only Big Star
song of the two nights, September Gurls. From there on it's cover
versions and solo stuff with Alex purring like a Memphis cat and Teenage
Fanclub plodding away respectfully in the background.
These days Alex has
laid the 'rock' to rest, which is a shame because his voice is still in
top immaculate form. As a result the second set sees Alex playing a load
of Jazz and Blues standards. Two of these songs Margie and Hide
and Seek have been recorded and released on a limited seven inch single
through Shoeshine Records and they capture the bar room blues atmosphere
the inimitable Alex created in this dingy venue.
In-between sets Alex
sauntered nonchalantly around the venue passing bemused fans and looking
as totally un-rock'n'roll as you possibly could get! Nobody could have
guessed, that here was a living legend and a man who in the past had lived
the rock'n'roll lifestyle to the hilt. He looked oblivious to his surroundings.
Here is a man who has long since realised his pay cheque is never gonna
come, no doubt wondering what all the fuss was about. I even managed a
few polite words and a photo which meant, for me naturally, piss your
pants time. Rather than ask the countless number of questions I could've
dreamt up in my sleep, the conversation was a bit short and sweet. But
then that's better than making a real ass of your self, I suppose. Alex
though was courteous and polite and portrayed a resigned air of cool,
characterised by his bewitching slow Southern Memphis drawl. Not the obnoxious,
couldn't give a damn, persona I'd half expected. More a stoned and detached
'Hey Man!' than a 'Get outta my way, mutha!'
Needless to say it
made my night. The second night went the same merry way and Alex was forced
to delve into Big Star territory when one guy got on stage to sing Thirteen
with him! As it was the last night a party at a local nightclub followed
the gig into the early hours where the music was 60's Mod, Stax and Northern
Soul. Groovy!
Various members of
Superstar, BMX Bandits, Pastels and Whiteout came to the two shows. I
bumped into Eric and Paul from Whiteout at the party afterwards
where I clearly remember Eric, in my drunken haze, reveal a childhood
passion for supporting Leeds United so they now are even higher
in my esteem!
The spirits flowed
and the weekend eventually seemed to blend into the dreams that had started
a week or so before setting off to Glasgow. You know you have had a good
time when you can't remember much about it but if I have one everlasting
memory of my first pilgrimage to Glasgow it is the burning desire to hunt
down more of the wonderful yet criminally ignored music from yesteryear.
Mission accomplished!
Some months after
this event another larger event was planned but collapsed at the last
minute. Alex was to come back to Glasgow and perform with Teenage Fanclub
along with other legends like producer Jim Dickinson who was to perform
with Primal Scream and soul legend Dan Penn who was to perform
with the BMX Bandits. Now that would have been some shindig!
One of the Glasgow gigs was recorded by BBC Radio Scotland and can be
obtained on bootleg if you search long and hard enough!
Back
to Big Star Home Page
Go
to top of page
|
