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Post by lynette on Apr 10, 2008 4:51:37 GMT 8
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Post by lynette on Nov 12, 2008 19:28:01 GMT 8
Ado's music concert: appreciation (28.10.08 - An Lanntair) ADO MATHESON (An Lanntair, Stornoway, 28 October 2008) Back 30 October 2008 THE ISLE OF LEWIS claimed ownership of its arts centre the other night. The events programme is normally a well-balanced but reactive selection of touring music, theatre and dance events. There are a few sad omissions. Birds of Paradise theatre company are usually well worth catching, but Lewis audiences have been deprived of that chance for the last two tours. And I found the travel off the island to see V-amps production of Fleeto (reviewed on Northings by Mark Fisher) well worth the miles. That’s two companies who should be booked next opportunity. But the Ado Matheson gig shows that an Lanntair is open to suggestions in its programming. A near full-house on a dirty October Tuesday proves that local people will turn out for one of their boys. The performer in question would be past the boy stage if it weren’t for the fact that a resident of Stornoway can carry that description well into the four score and ten. So he’s a fair bit to go. Ado was the local guitar and song legend when I were a lad. He disappeared to London. You heard things from time to time. He played on a tour with Iggy Pop. He surfaced at an early Theatre Hebrides do, mid-to-late 90s. There was a tarpaulin over scaffolding and you worried about the relationship between electricity and driving rain. It was the cellar of the Lewis Hotel and the cabaret prepared the way for Ado on lead. He recruited the back-up and gave the crowd the rock and roll they had not even known they needed. I remember the guitar playing was better than ever, quiet virtuoso touches but within tight frameworks. This time we were in a comfortable venue with a good steep rake to the seats and beers and drams in plastic. The banter was going long before the performance began. It was interesting to compare the bald patches. You realise the ageing process could have left you slightly worse off. But there was no mistaking the period influence once the first acoustic chords rang. It is of course Van the Man, and that was made explicit with a nice jazzy ‘Moondance’ and a later request. Romance was in the air without shame. Two bonny guitars were caught by the spot and the centre’s well-miked baby grand. The solo performer has hung on to his own hair very well. He’s now father of the more famous Hans – the offspring who played Dr Zhivago in the last TV version – and indeed who plays percussion on Matheson’s new CD, Out On The Islands. I felt the performance was missing an element and soon the soloist did ask the audience to create their own clapping and stomping. Which they did with no further persuasion. Everyone was out for a good time. And we got our money’s worth from a commited performance. Album samples on the web show simple, bold backings. On the night, guitar, and in one song, piano, were solid but held in check to allow the self-penned songs their scope. Mood was good with a Country-flavoured whine that suits the Stornoway voice very well. Matheson was clearly moved by the support and by the merry banter coming from the community seated before him. He responded with the passion they sought and the deal was done. Don’t throw me out of town fellow Lewis folk, but there are buts. The tone was that bit too elegiac. Inclusion of a Lonnie Donegon version of ‘It Takes a Worried Man’ was a masterstroke, but for me revealed what would make this return of the local hero a show that could well travel elsewhere. We simply needed a bit more variety in the tone. And OK, I’m a poet by trade and too fussy about lyrics. My singer-songwriter cousin keeps telling me that songs are different. But I’ve been looking at different lyrics lately, including Proclaimer songs. And I think songs that ring best have a quirky memorable twist in the language – defeating expectations of which word comes next. I think some of Ado’s lyrics lull too much – they are a contemporary exile’s songs after all. Next album, I’d ban two words, cove - “ancient” and “ocean”. And let the guitar do a bit more of the talking. But the melody lines and guitar picking were real strengths and I kept feeling that this was so nearly there. A jam session would be good. What about an Lanntair trying to get this man to work with some local young musicians and throwing the doors open again to let us hear the results? © Ian Stephen, 2008 www.screenmachine.co.uk/default.aspx.locid-hianewoc1.Lang-EN.htm |
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Post by lynette on Nov 12, 2008 19:34:50 GMT 8
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Post by Gg on Nov 12, 2008 23:42:05 GMT 8
2004 when it came out -- makes sense
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Post by lynette on Nov 13, 2008 0:32:00 GMT 8
If I translate an article about it correctly, I really had no idea that Ado collaborated with Iggy Pop in the distant past...
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Post by Virgil Reality on Nov 13, 2008 15:26:39 GMT 8
Great article It says "he played on on a tour with Iggy Pop" Not exactly a collaboration, he may have just stood in the background and played a guitar Wonder if it was anything like "Strange Fruit"? Or maybe it was  |
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Post by lynette on Nov 16, 2008 21:07:31 GMT 8
Great article It says "he played on on a tour with Iggy Pop" Not exactly a collaboration, he may have just stood in the background and played a guitar Wonder if it was anything like "Strange Fruit"? Or maybe it was Thanks! I wanted to hear it. |
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Post by lynette on Apr 4, 2009 21:28:06 GMT 8
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Post by lynette on Apr 28, 2009 17:10:20 GMT 8
I just found an older article on Ado Matheson www.shape-london.u-net.com/iain.htmIain Matheson Iain grew up on the Island of Lewis off Scotland. His father was a Gaelic singer and was a strong influence on Iain, whose music reflects the depth, wilderness and beauty of his own culture. He sings mostly in English but some of his songs are in his native Gaelic language. 'I was born to be a musician, but it is only in the past ten years that I became inspired to write my own material. Music and song enable me to communicate a range of emotions. It is a medium with which I can free the pain and suffering that has been locked up inside. My writing is an honest expression of my life experiences and perceptions. My Celtic background has, in many ways, influenced the subject matter. Gaelic is a very powerful language, especially through song, so I have translated some of my songs into Gaelic as their focus is primarily on the yearning of the Celtic Heart. They reflect my own culture and my desire to feel a sense of belonging and find happiness. As Sting writes about being an 'Englishman in New York', I write of being an Islander in the city. I am inspired by music that conveys the truth. I used to be a big rock and roll fan, but the beats and the noise tend to disolve the words and the meaning behind them. I like to be able to hear the lyrics and to work out the story being told. Although I am essentially a solo artist, about 5 years ago I started playing at several poetry evenings with Chris Brierley, a very talented and versitile classical violin player. After that we used to play at small clubs and concerts. As we got more and more gigs, the band started to expand. Now 'The Iain Matheson Band' is now composed of Chris, Ben Clark, and experienced tabla and drum player, Alf Thomas on the keyboards, and myself on guitar and lead vocals. Performing live is quite a dynamic experience as everybody is inspired by each other and adds their own creation to the final piece. I prefer this to playing solo because the interaction adds a new dimension to my music. On a number of occasions I have played the Union Chapel in London. More recently I supported Marianne Faithful at the Shepherds Bush Empire and was also the support for Davey Spillane at his last concert in London. Earlier this year I was invited to perform at the Midem Festival in France. This was thoroughly enjoyable and projected lots of positive feedback. The obstacles I have faced during my time as a musician have essentially been caused by record companies who have raised my hopes only to let them fall. I haven't lost faith, however I am planning to go independent and produce an album in the near future. Music is a mirror of my life so, unless it decides to give me up, we're stuck together forever.' excerpt from article by Sonali Shah published in Disability Arts in London , May 1997, issue 124 |
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Post by cat on Apr 28, 2009 22:38:44 GMT 8
What a thoughtful, but nice little insight into Ado's world.
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Post by lynette on May 1, 2009 21:16:33 GMT 8
Unfortunately, the information is so d**n low ..   |
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Post by cat on May 2, 2009 5:17:01 GMT 8
I can kind of see your point. The article I was referring to is from May 1997, so yes, that is an incredibly long time. And potentially not even relevant anymore.
I am wondering what has happened to Ado's website? I presume that he has had one at some point or another, because the domain name for "Ado Matheson" is still very much taken. I only found out about this when I was searching google for info on his CD.
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Post by Laura2102 on May 2, 2009 22:57:13 GMT 8
Has anyone seen Joy Division with Ed Stoppard and Tom Schilling, Will is in that for a short time as the artist Charlie.
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Post by lynette on May 3, 2009 1:02:21 GMT 8
I can kind of see your point. The article I was referring to is from May 1997, so yes, that is an incredibly long time. And potentially not even relevant anymore. I am wondering what has happened to Ado's website? I presume that he has had one at some point or another, because the domain name for "Ado Matheson" is still very much taken. I only found out about this when I was searching google for info on his CD. I came to this place interesting article copied his work from the 90th of the last century. I know it's a long time. I was happy when I accidentally found this article.  I look at your notice of its official web page, but I found nothing. Too bad I really do not know what happened. I think Ado annul its website. He has not been updated since year 2003, which gave its debut on CD "Out on the Islands".  |
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Post by lynette on May 3, 2009 1:09:12 GMT 8
Has anyone seen Joy Division with Ed Stoppard and Tom Schilling, Will is in that for a short time as the artist Charlie. I did not see any movie with William Matheson. I saw him only as Marc Bolan in the series LIFE ON MARS on the website youtube.com. I think that he had a wig on his head. I wonder how it looks in other films, without the wigs.  |
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