Artistic Appeal: Sitting rooms and seduction

CUTLER’S CULT

On Saturday afternoon I went to Edinburgh, suffering the Fringe hoards to see a new kind of show being performed by Hamish Hawk. A true performance piece titled Life in a Scotch Sitting Room, Vol. 0. I’m still struggling to pin down a succinct definition of what it was other than just the broad definition of a ‘performance.’ For it wasn’t just a mere retelling of Ivor Cutler’s original work of Life in a Scotch Sitting Room, Vol.2 but it also contained original material that Hamish had written specifically for the show. It bridged between two very different experiences of childhood across seventy years – from Cutler’s (born in 1923) own stories of childhood in late 1920s Glasgow to Hamish’s (born in 1991) childhood in Edinburgh in the late 1990s. Titles of Cutler ditties performed by Hawk included ‘Face Like a Lemon,’ ‘I Worn My Elbows,’ ‘Oho My Eyes,’ ‘Little Black Buzzer,’ ‘Lemonade,’ and the incredible ‘A Bubble or Two.’

The whole time I was in an almost permanent state of glee, a smile fixed upon my face. Whatever Hamish does, in whatever style he is performing in, if I happen to be lucky enough to be present I am filled with such a sense of joy and wonderment that I feel re-energised each time. (P.S. The post image you would have seen on the home page is the set within the Spiegeltent for the performance.)

Thinking over the show last night and what I could write about it, I was filled with the sense of just what a “good egg” Hamish is. How, much like David Bowie, my attraction to Hamish is nothing at all sexual but is fully composed of a blend of his great artistry and an intellect and humanity that I find compelling. A person who is modest in the right places, can be self-deprecating, is wholly appreciative and receptive to their audience but strives for full artistic merit – whether it succeeds or not. That is my feeling on both men anyway. And I know Bowie “sold out” during the 80s and released some stinkers – nobody is perfect – but he ended with pure artistry. I loved him so dearly, and the more time that passes since his death, the more I miss him.

A CHANGE HAS COME

And for a time you know, Jim Kerr was there too. The only difference in it was the sexual attraction was there too. As shallow as it was, the sexual attraction mostly went directly to the pre-Sparkle in the Rain period of Jim Kerr. Possibly as a consequence of that, or at least in tandem with it, artistically I find Kerr’s early songwriting superior. More abstract, more ambiguous, less formulaic. Less striving to find that “key to commercial success” thing.

When I was discussing these artistic differences with my Other Half on Saturday she said that she felt that Simple Minds were not “experimental” enough and too mainstream and that she felt they never strayed too far off centre. I actually did come to the defence of early SM with that by giving ‘Veldt’ as at least one example in which they were more than happy to go “off piste” with musical endeavours. But that was a VERY long time ago and there certainly wouldn’t be anything like that now.

“Principles cost money, Jim” and all those lame excuses. For a person who stresses they don’t like to compromise – I think a lot of “compromise” has happened with Simple Minds musically over the years. And to me, the quality of songs created solely as a “Kerr/Burchill” partnership, opposed to songs that have numerous other writers involved is distinct…but that’s just my opinion.

With one of the most recent Facebook posts that contained a quote from the upcoming “novel,” Kerr spoke of Simple Minds being “in the business of generating human happiness.” That it is “the primary reason” SM play live is “to make people happy.” (And not to prop up his pension, or to thrive off the adulation, seemingly. Oh, no!) Quoting further, Kerr said: “In my impetuous self-righteous youth, I would never have been heard to say that. We wanted to blow people’s minds, grab them by the throat and destroy them.”

And I was cheering for that “impetuous self-righteous youth” because HE CARED! He actually cared about the thing that matters! Not people! Fuck people! If I want someone playing live music to be “people pleasing”, I’ll go to an Andre Rieu concert, thank you very much. Give me the man that wants to “blow people’s minds.” Give me him! Maybe we have Prince to blame for more than we think? I mean, he was the reason for the title track to 2014’s Big Music, because when Kerr was seeing Prince in concert, HE “wanted the hits.” Well, I’d like more than a 12-minute karaoke version of ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ and a lacklustre ‘Sannyfy.’

Heck, even as I said to my Other Half during our conversation on Saturday, I’d even take a setlist of songs that Simple Minds have produced in the last 20 years. But…it won’t sell, promoters don’t want it (or so we’re told) and Kerr wants to make money and not lose it. The last time Simple Minds did anything even remotely innovative on that front was for 5×5 Live. Funnily enough, under new management. That same management some 15 years down the line seems unable to help the band reach for something artistically different in terms of live touring shows. Bellahouston Park was another of the well worn “let’s perform a whole album, and then have a ‘best of’ tagged on as filler.” Yawn yawn!

PEOPLE PLEASER’S KEEP OUT

And so, for days I kept my mouth shut, only replying to a fan commenting on my shared Facebook post about the Acoustic album and how it alluded to all the early Simple Minds songwriting being solely down to Kerr and Burchill and totally wiping away the input of Derek Forbes and (in particular) Mick MacNeil. “Little and Large against the world” – aye, right! In response to that reply I said: “We’re in the business of generating human happiness?” Get ta fuck! You’re in the business of propping up ya pension, pal. Give me that “impetuous, self-righteous youth” ANY DAY! He actually CARED about the artistry. He cared about the important things – the music, the art, the performance. Not trying to be people/crowd pleasing. This is why I would give my right arm (and probably both legs and a kidney) to go back and actually experience some of their early shows myself. Yes, YouTube is great and the bootlegs can give a sense of atmosphere too – but what I wouldn’t give to experience that for myself back then. Oh, well.”

This is why I am sure that Bellahouston Park will be my last Simple Minds show – it absolutely holds no appeal to me at all any more. It’s like a bingo card game now. Kerr started a song with a “Brrrrrr-ha” sound – TICK. ‘Everybody, please, let me see your hands!” TICK. Yoga move – crotch to the crowd, one hand making sure not to expose the portly paunch – TICK. “That’s what Simple Minds call gurrrrrrrl powerrrrrrr” (PS: Fuck off you patronizing fud!) TICK. “Sing it in French, sing it in Japanese”, checks the time, gestures wanting to go off stage to eat. HOUSE!!!!!!

Give me experiences that move me that are not striving to be people pleasing but of artistic merit, and then by doing so WILL BE people pleasing as a consequence. And if not, well, you’ve earned a fan in me anyway. And yes, perhaps artistic integrity costs money too, and commercial success. But if you listen to David Brewis when he talks to Justin Hawkins on Hawkins’ YouTube channel, it’s a price worth paying – although it IS hard.

WHIT’S FUR YE’LL NO GO BY YE

So much of why my love for Simple Minds and Jim Kerr has waned is to do with this feeling of a fallen facade, a realisation that all is not as it seems.

I genuinely grapple with someone who acknowledges musical love and appreciation for bands and artists that have never been “mainstream” (amongst them the likes of Lou Reed/Velvet Underground, Doctors of Madness, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith – most of these names are very well known but never truly commercially successful) yet craved such commercial success for the band he’s in so emphatically. These days that notion just leaves me feeling very sad.

By the same token, I care less and less about it – what Kerr thinks, his motives for anything, and definitely what he thinks of me. That used to be something that I wanted SSSOOOO much! I so desperately wanted to mean something even remotely akin to what he meant to me – even just two years ago. Then around this time in 2023 a BIG grieving process began and it culminated in a period where I was *TRIGGER WARNING* suicidal. I might have spoken about this before – and most likely didn’t explain it very well. I tried to reach out to Jim Kerr, I was seeking reassurance from him that my place on earth was justified, that I had validity to be here, breathing air, taking up earthly resources. There was no response – but that in itself was actually the best thing he could have done for me. It made the grief sssooo much harder to go through. The months after were really hard. And yes, obviously I am still here. And I am free. I can’t tell you how much I was tied up in worrying about that man’s opinion on EVERYTHING. I thought he was so…above me, so superior to me. Cultured, smart. I really thought he was exceptional. I ADORED him. Beyond the sexual attraction – I loved him! I really loved him. A friend used to say to me “He’s just a man” and I would reply “No he isn’t!” But she was right all along. He is quite ordinary – and not in a way that is favourable. He has “punched above his weight” and not just in the women he’s married and is now partnered to but in artistic ways as well. I’m not implying he’s shit – far from it, but my view of Jim Kerr has altered so much over the past two years that I really couldn’t care less what he thinks of anything any more. And that’s freedom!

I’m happy to be back to pure artistic appeal – not letting my hormones and libido dictate what appeals to me artistically. There is a caveat to this, I still revere Jim Kerr up until around mid-1983. If I could go back to 1981 or 1982 and meet him then, I would literally fuck him until his cock fell off! (I know – but I would…if he was willing, of course. It would have to be consensual, obviously!) And, well, I might as well leave it there, being as gratuitous as all hell. Why not?

I’ll leave it to Mr Bowie. Take it away, David!