The Gin Goblins At Nice'n'Sleazy

From Meantime...

Viewed through dry ice and chemistry set explosions, Big John is a mutated metal Billy Gibbons, a slobbo truckdrivin' cousin of Lux Interior squeezing hybrid Chuck Berryisms from his lamé gold Gretsch. Fake blood adorns his face, arranging it into an A(big)laddin Sane lightning flash. This is Mudhoney for blood money. Blood Uncle money.
Frontman Mikey casts off a harlequin hat, revealing a shaven-head to match a Rollins-style back tattoo. He claims he hasn't slept for days and he can't be bothered performing but, amid studied leering and bouts of cymbal bashing, you'd never guess. Decked out as punk panto pirates, the Gobs may try a little to hard to shock (not being bothered being part of the bargain), but they impress as sure-footed plunderers of rock mayhem.

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The Velvet Underground in Edinburgh

Hearing that the Velvet Underground were playing the Playhouse was mind-blowing. And not one but two shows – I remember saying one must be for Sister Ray and the other for the rest of the material. I’d read that the Velvets had played Heroin live in 1990 but the idea of them getting together half a mile from where I grew up was crazy: my favourite group reuniting after 25 years (with Cale) or 23 years (with Reed) and doing it on Greenside Place – it was outrageous. I’d had a little VU history with the venue as in early 1982 I’d seen Nico play at the Nite Club (directly above the Playhouse) with the Blue Orchids. At one point she mentioned L-oooo-uuuu Reeeeed was soon to play in London and the thought of him playing 393 miles away was pretty exciting in itself. I didn’t know she’d stayed in Edinburgh and was living in Manchester. I was aware of Rab from The Scars but, living away from the city, hadn’t realised they’d briefly lived together in Stockbridge, frequenting bars on St St...

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George Gallacher

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Pleasures Of The Harbor

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