Trashcan Sinatras went through some financial garbage, but the band is back with a show at the El Rey on Friday
Whether the Trashcan Sinatras are criminally underappreciated, plainly clueless or just unlucky is hard to say, but the cool Scottish band will play a rare Golden State gig Friday the 13th at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles.
The Trashies will certainly play tunes off their tuneful latest release, "Weightlifting," which includes the subject of at least half of all songs ever written: what women do to men.
They're also noted for their cool cover of a hit song by Lulu from way back when, "To Sir With Love."
The Trashies made their debut in 1990 with "Cake," an album that had the critics working hard to invent some new adjectives to describe the ethereal pop with hauntingly beautiful vocals by Frank Reader. The band is yet another in a long line of memorable Scottish outfits that include AC/DC, Simple Minds, Texas, Teenage Fanclub, the Soup Dragons, Del Amitri, Franz Ferdinand and Belle & Sebastian — all of which have more dough and a longer resume than the Trashies.
Sort of like the smartest guy in jail, the band has been around for a long time but hasn't a lot to show for it.
One of the major reasons those other Scottish bands are famous and the Trashies are back to square one is that their British label Go! Discs went bankrupt and left them with a song in their hearts and holes in their pockets. They even had to close their own Shabby Road Studio.
But recently, the Scottish Arts Council kicked down some dough to help fund the band. Imagine the government doing something for someone rather than to someone.
In any case, this timely cash advance allowed the band to play the last SXSW in Texas, then it played a few more shows at the Troubadour in October and now it's back.
For guitar player Paul Livingston, this gig will be a homegame of sorts since he's recently changed continents, exchanging fog for smog.
As a kid, he always wanted to be the studly guitar player that ripped off all those jaw-dropping killer solos and yet didn't have to be troubled with all that singing.
In the Trashies he is that guitar player, but his solos are so subtle that they wouldn't scare Mom, and he still doesn't sing, nor does he talk that much, either.
He is in a cool band with a cool name, however, so there's that.
You're in L.A.?
Yes, I am.
So are you a Dodger fan yet?
No, I'm afraid not — don't like any sport.
Haven't lost your accent.
No. I don't even try and people seem to understand me. I love American accents — I learned it from "Starsky & Hutch."
Has "Weightlifting" made you guys rich rock stars at last?
No, not even close.
So have you been on a different label for each album?
No, in Britain we were on Go! Discs for the first three albums, and over here, it was Polygram. The new one is on spinART.
How did you guys end up covering "To Sir With Love"?
I'm not sure, but we also used to do an ABBA song, "When I Kiss the Teacher."
Is there anything about the band that is distinctively Scottish?
You know, I don't think so. Not these days. I don't ever think there's such a thing as that. Everything is just the language of rock 'n' roll.
Are Scottish bands all sad?
Maybe, but the most famous Scottish band is AC/DC, and they're not sad.
Actually, you should all be happy because your government supports the arts, right?
It's very cool, really. They don't advertise it very well, but anybody can just ask for some money.
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And they'll give it to you?
Pretty much, if they think you're worth it. You know the SXSW festival in Austin? They ended up giving money to about 16 Scottish bands to help pay for the costs. I mean, that's really cool. I don't know where the money comes from — taxpayers, probably.
So what's happening musically in Scotland?
It's really cool. It used to be really uncool bands like Simple Minds and Texas, but now there's a lot of good ones like Franz Ferdinand, Belle & Sebastian that make it kinda cool.
Where do you guys fit into that whole scene?
We're old, but we're still cool.
How have the Trashies survived so long?
I joined in 1987, and we signed a record deal in 1988. That's a very long time, and we've only made four albums in that long entire time. Isn't that shocking?
What does the band sound like this week?
The same as it did last week, soft rock.
Is the band more Trashcan or more Sinatra these days?
More Sinatra these days. It used to be more Trashcan, but we're getting older.
Does bad love make for good songs?
It probably does because you're alone most of the time so you have time to get wasted and write songs.
What is it exactly that women do to men?
They make them feel good for the most part.
Wow. How do you guys go over in the United States?
Really nice. They can't believe that we're here. Sometimes, we'll start a song, and everyone in the crowd sings. It's a beautiful thing. They just seem to really like us here. We were here last October, and we did a few gigs in New York in 2000, but before that, it was like '93.
That's a dozen years ago, so you guys are well-rested then?
Yes.
Who inspired you to be a guitar player?
Heavy-metal bands. I always wanted to be the lead guitarist in a heavy metal band — one that doesn't sing but just plays guitar.
How'd that work out?
It's working out OK actually, and I really enjoyed it when we played three gigs in two nights at the Troubadour last October — that was very nice.
What have you learned on the road?
Still learning. It's very tiring. We used to have a proper record company that pays for a tour bus and stuff, and it was luxurious. But the way we do it now, we still travel around, and we have a lot more fun these days. The worst thing is the pay — you don't get any money.
OK, so is there a band plan?
The plan is to do another album and do it as quick as possible, before seven years are up. We have some songs and a few bits and pieces. I think we can get it done if we really concentrated.
Who has the best beer?
Scotland. Actually, I like American beer — you can drink all day and only get a little buzz. If you drink three pints of Scottish beer, that's the last thing you remember.
Getting there: Trashcan Sinatras
The band plays at 8 p.m. May 13 at El Rey Theatre, 5515 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, call 1-323-936-4790. For tickets, go to http://www.TheElRey.com.
Originally appeared in the Ventura County Star |
