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Previews: Beck, Brian McFadden, Bollington Festival
metromagazine26/ 5/2005
GOSSIP columns are buzzing this week with the news the boy band
veteran Brian McFadden may quit Britain to live in the US with
girlfriend Delta Goodrem.
Now I know his first solo album Irish Son struggled in the charts,
but it worked for Robbie and Geri.
That is, be the first to quit a successful band, slim down to half
your normal weight and then go solo.
With Westlife he sold more than 30 million records and picked up 12
number ones, so there must be legions of fans out there eager to
catch him at the Apollo before he leaves our shores for good.
The Irish singer has had some solo success since his amicable
break-up with Westlife in March 2004.
He saw his song Real to Me become a number one album and three Top
10 singles also came from the same album.
And he's back in the charts again.
Following his not-so-amicable break-up with wife Kerry last year,
his new single Almost Here is a duet with Australian singer and new
love Delta Goodrem.
Brian (formerly Bryan) describes the album as largely
autobiographical, with every song a true story.
Irish Son is about growing up in Ireland and the Catholic Church;
Walking into Walls deals with domestic violence; He's No Hero
explores the effect of alcoholism; while Demons is about insomnia
and nightmares.
It was co-written with producer Guy Chambers, who worked with
Robbie when he left Take That, as well as producer Mark Taylor and
songwriter Paul Barry.
Apollo, Thursday.
AFTER an absence of four years, the Bollington Festival is
back.
By the time it concludes with a dramatic firework display on
Monday, around 150 amateur and professional events will have been
staged in this small town on the outskirts of Macclesfield.
Bollington manages to blend drama, comedy, dance and literature
with a series of sports events and, as a twist this year, the
organisers have even concocted their own literary relay race, which
is running throughout the whole festival. Several residents of
Bollington have each been given the task of writing a 1,000-word
chapter on prearranged days of the event. The aim is to create a
short novel - with many different writing styles - during the run
of the festival, which is already under way.
Bollington chairman Ian Walker said: "It's going to be interesting
to see how the online book turns out - it's still work in progress
at the moment.
"We've been working on this festival for the last two and a half
years and it all began with some processions through the town. The
festival works on various levels - but it's mainly a chance for
local people to entertain or to be entertained."
Most of the festival's events are being staged in a specially
erected big top tent in the centre of the town. ou can enjoy the
big soul sound of the Screaming Beavers on Saturday night.
"We always look forward to appearing at the Bollington festival,"
say the Screaming Beavers' bass player, Graham Braddock. "I think
that people in that part of the world really know how to enjoy
themselves.
"It's an unusual event because it always feels like a big local
fete - which is one of its charms."
The Chris Barber Band will perform in the big top before a dramatic
firework display takes place at around 10.45pm.
The Bollington Festival runs until Monday, May
30.
TAKING one look at Beck's background, it isn't hard to
understand where he got his creative side.
The LA born singer's father David Campbell was a conductor and
string arranger, who would later work on his son's music.
Meanwhile his mother was Bibbe Hansen. She was involved in Andy
Warhol's Factory art scene in New York during the 60s - eventually
to provide Tony Wilson with the name for his record company. And
she also appeared in the legendary artist's film Prison.
Going further back, granddad Al was a leading light in the Fluxus
art movement which launched Yoko Ono.
Following in the family's artistic traditions, the young Beck
Hansen dropped out of school and begun busking and writing poetry,
before moving to New York.
There, he became involved in an acoustic punk scene dubbed
"anti-folk".
He worked with singers such as Michelle Shocked.
He was eventually spotted by producers who wanted him to sing folk
songs to hip hop beats.
The result, featuring slide guitar and a Dr John sample over drum
machine rhythms, was Loser - years ahead of its time when it was
recorded in 1991.
The single would eventually become an international hit propelling
the singer to superstardom.
But it was not released nationally for another three years.
Beck had put out unheard-of indie singles like MTV Makes Me Want To
Smoke Crack and albums such as A Western Harvest Field By
Moonlight.
Apollo, Sunday
But 1994's Mellow Gold projected him into the mainstream - although
some critics dismissed him as a fly in the pan novelty act.
They were quickly silenced by Odelay in 1996, however.
Seen by many as the album of the year, or even of the decade.
It was produced by The Dust Brothers - responsible for The Beastie
Boys' transformation from joke band into serious musical fighting
force.
It also contained more ideas than most artists come up with in
their entire careers, effortlessly shifting between styles and
sampling everything it came into contact with.
And it sold over two million copies, won him a Grammy and spawned
hit after hit.
Since then, he has flirted with Prince-style funk on Midnite
Vultures and gentle folk on Tilted Mutations and Sea Change.
The musical chameleon, who is now 34 and recently became a dad, has
returned to the cut and paste style with latest album Guero -
Spanish for blondie, his nickname in the Hispanic LA neighbourhood
he grew up in.
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