Sebastian and Belle and Sebastian
My brother reads books, I was always the musical one. I stopped playing the guitar because it made me focus on the guitarist whenever I listened to rock music. True nobility lies in being a reader and a musician, like Richard Wagner or Graham Coxon.
Belle and Sebastian probably read books. Performing last night at the Aktionshalle in Zürich, idyllically situated by the Zürchersee, it was clear that the lead singer had so far been impressed by Switzerland's natural beauty:
'It's so weird, like, because we came here yesterday and it has been, like, warm and sunny, you know? And then you look into the distance, like, and you look at the mountains, like, and you see snow.'
One would expect a man from Glasgow to understand the relationship between altitude and temperature. The audience laughs at everything this random Scottish yahoo mutters. The big hits go down well. The Boy with the Arab Strap being played fairly early on and The State I am in closing the encore. The rest, as my mum would say was just Dudelmusik. Think of the music that could accompany a grown man skipping and your on the right track.
And indeed they skipped, never with the slightest hint that full-on mosh-madness may break out. You get the feeling that the crowd expected more from a British band. These days it's all Kaiser Chiefs this, Franz Ferdinand that, Arctic Monkeys here, that geezer from The Streets there. Britain rocks and shocks like having your cock in a sock.
Comments
When it comes to twee Scottish indie pop, Aberfeldy are the new and improved Belle and Sebastian. Even though they're from Edinburgh.
And Graham Coxon's the only bloke who makes me want to talk in nothing but exclamation marks.
(If somebody's keeping score: I don't think you're a 'Swiss moron'.)
Olgz; May 5, 2006 1:03 AM
"One would expect a man from Glasgow to understand the relationship between altitude and temperature."
Does it get more pretentious?
"The audience laughs at everything this random Scottish yahoo mutters."
Why is he a random scottish yahoo? Oh, now I get it, I forgot, you like the scots. And who goes to a B&S concert to mosh?
steini; May 5, 2006 4:42 AM
You could also mention the band's namesake: The Belle and Sebastian cartoon, which was lovely. Lovely, like steini getting pooped on by a big mountain dog.
Herr Doktor Mosher; May 5, 2006 5:56 AM
Sorry Steini old pal, I should have written:
You'd think a bloke from Scotland would know what the difference between height and heat is.
Olgz, Aberfeldy rock, kilted Scots with unrestricted cocks.
Sebastian; May 5, 2006 9:51 PM