GIG GUIDE: Labour of love for packed music weekend

By Andrew Welsh

July 22 2022, 6:30am

Hue And Cry's Greg Kane, left, is promising a 'chilled out set' at Rewind Scotland on Saturday

Hue And Cry star Greg Kane says Rewind Scotland fans can expect to see his band at their best this weekend.

The Labour Of Love legends are lined up to play a mid-afternoon set at Scone Palace – and maestro Kane reckons that suits them down to the ground.

Rewind kicks off tonight (Friday July 22) with an under-canvas show from ex-Specials hero Neville Staple, with Hue And Cry – fronted by Greg’s older brother Pat – due to take to the festival’s main stage at around 3pm tomorrow (Saturday). “I sometimes request for us to go on early,” the pianist reveals.

“It kind of p***** Pat off a wee bit that we’re not on later, but the audience is hungry for it at that time of day and you can do a slightly more chilled out set.

“When we’re on it won’t be any less busy.

“People are in there from about 12, but the audience isn’t drunk yet or crazy from the sun so you can indulge them a wee bit – later at night they just want to jump around.

“My band are some of the top jazz musicians around and they’re leaving right after the gig to go and play Edinburgh Jazz Festival, so they’re quite chuffed.

“I like Nik Kershaw and The Christians, and Holly Johnson is brilliant and a funny man.

“I don’t think I’ll hang on to the end but I’ll stay and see a bit of his set.”

Rewind Scotland memories

Hue And Cry last played Scone when they opened the retro-fest in 2018.

They join the likes of Billy Ocean, Heaven 17, Bananarama and Hugh Cornwell on this weekend’s line-up, and classically trained Kane is delighted to see Rewind Scotland’s return following a three-year hiatus.

“Every summer for us 80s bands gets busier and busier now,” says Greg, 55.

“The festivals are getting bigger and bigger.

“We played a massive festival in Ireland last weekend that was the same sort of thing as Rewind with the same sort of acts, but the people who like 80s music aren’t solely 50-somethings.

“The audience is anything from kids whose parents played 80s music in the car when they were growing up to people in their 30s, 40s and beyond – there’s a real diverse audience that comes along.

“There’s so much good fun, not like when you see images of younger festivals and everyone’s going crazy and you just think, ‘I’d never want to be in there’.

“It’s just really civilised and I think that’s why 80s events have become even more popular.

“Rewind is one of the high-end ones and the whole production is brought up from south of the border and they always go away back again thinking Scotland’s the best place in the world.

“You could not want for a more picturesque scene than sun-kissed Perth on the banks of the River Tay. I like it when the country looks fantastic, so it makes me very proud.”

Busy weekend

It’s a busy weekend for the sophisti-pop duo, who also play an 80s Classical gig in Leeds tonight (Friday) alongside Kim Wilde, Belinda Carlisle and Opera North Orchestra.

“Pat and I have worked with orchestras throughout our careers,” says Greg.

“It’s a weird experience writing our music then watching 80 people play it back. People get nervous about it but it’s more like excitement for me.

“I always feel sorry for Pat. If he comes in at the wrong bit then – it’s like an oil tanker – you can’t turn it. There’s more pressure on him.”

Meanwhile, Rewind faces competition tomorrow (Saturday) from 80s blue-eyed soulsters Simply Red, who play Slessor Gardens.

Mick Hucknall and his Holding Back The Years muckers are being supported by R’n’B songstress Mica Paris, with the poptastic Sunset Live offering concluding on Sunday with a visit from Picking Up The Pieces hit-maker Paloma Faith.

Separately, Beat Generator has Stone Roses tribute band Resurrection tonight (Friday), featuring the Manchester legends’ former guitarist Aziz Ibrahim, who’s also worked with a solo Ian Brown plus Marillion’s Steve Hogarth and Paul Weller.

Ex-Stone Roses guitarist Aziz Ibrahim plays Beat Generator

Over at Conroy’s Basement, alt-punk exponents Lull, Shallow, Knives Chau Fanclub and Crocodile Tears play Jute City Hardcore-backed sets tonight (Friday), ahead of a Make-That-A-Take Records bonanza featuring German noiseniks Masada plus Kaddish and Blood Red Moon on Monday.

Elsewhere, Church has an open stage sesh tonight (Friday) featuring indie hopefuls Footloose Bruce, Stewart James, The Crom, Wicker Chair, Euan Clements and VRA, while blues outfit Wolftrain play Arbroath’s Pageant tomorrow.