Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 92

Austin American-Statesman Saturday, June 11, 1983 Saturday, June 11, 1983 Austin American-Statesman 25 24 U2 fans messa ge by i es critics, wins pass LeRois oh a roll Band impresses Columbia at shaky booking f- 4-- 5- Upbeat i i J'-' v. I "if I ii i i I By KEVIN PHINNEY American-Statesman Staff Suddenly U2 Is popular again. The Dublin-based quartet has withstood all manner of assaults in the last year, as critics vilified their Christian-hued "October" lp, then mounted a second front against their new spring release "War." But those same journalists are reeling now U2's album has emerged one of the most successful records of the year. "It happens in England all the time," says U2 drummer Larry Mullen. "For a while, we just weren't It's really funny, because when we released 'Boy (their 1980 debut), U2 got amazing reviews.

We were the best thing since sliced bread. When 'October' came out I think it threatened some people, so they slagged off the album and anything we did after wasn't any good. Music magazines quit writing about us." DURING THE INTERIM, U2 regrouped and recorded "War," trading in the pastoral themes of brotherly love for current issues like solidarity and the ongoing religious strife in their homeland. While the press was busy ignoring them, U2 built its live reputation from cult draw to main attraction, and when "War" finally did happen, writers showed only token interest But U2 fans knew better. were in for a shock.

"The album went straight to No. 1 in the British charts and went gold in the first three weeks. We did a tour there and sold out every single night which is something that just doesn't happen there because business is bad. Suddenly," says Mullen with relish, "the press wanted to talk to us again and the positive reviews started to appear." In Ireland, the band can now do no wrong. "You know that St Patrick is our patron saint? Well," he chides, "they're knocking him off.

U2 will be made patron saints in a couple of weeks." They will return to Dublin July 4 to begin their next major project scoring a ballet for the city. THEY OFTEN HAVE been panned for just that sort of thing, putting ambition before talent "Everyone wants to know what our motive is for writing the way we do," muses Mullen. "They always ask if we're trying to cash in on something or what we're getting out of it That's how it was when we did just like we said to ourselves, 'maybe if we write about this, people will catch That's what hurts the most. "Right now, people are misinterpretirig songs like 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' or even 'New Year's taking them like the Clash's political statements. But we're not interested in politics as government.

We're interested in the politics of people, what people see. It's not the fact that Cath- Mil ,11, .111... 1 I.SHi I MOM! I A 4Vf ri r.j ri iI a I i'- YUM MLM hi II; r. mi In Ireland, U2 is so popular they may be made 'patron saints in a couple of "When 'War first came out" Mullen recalls, But before those reviews had been out long "the critics all said, 'now we're gonna kill enough to affect sales, critics and culture snobs The Big Boys are due at the Ritz June 17. Kerrville music fitting tribute to Rogers Sl Music EdWard liSHJlfttfc.jW.IBIgg- ya mm p- iiiwmW-1 jfSv jiJ Country Music John.

T. Davis And another Austin band gets a major league recording contract' Monday night at the Lone Star Cafe did not bode well for the LeRol Brothers. The band hadn't been getting along with each other nothing special, just the usual on-the-road irritations and they found themselves booked into New York on a Monday night, hardly the hottest night of the nightclub week in any town, opening for Paul Butterfield. They'd only been playing with their new bass player, Jackie Newhouse, for a couple of weeks, and they were nervous. They got even more nervous when it developed that Butterfield was ill and wouldn't be able to do the show.

That left them without a headliner, and, presumably, without a crowd. Butterfield's back-up band offered to open the show, and the LeRois became the headliners. By the end of the evening, though, even though the crowd was small and some of the expected media heavies didn't show up, they were feeling a lot better Four record companies had gotten the LeRoi buzz and showed up, and one, Columbia, requested that they show up the next morning to talk turkey. They dutifully appeared with manager Denny Bruce in tow, and, as Bruce says, "We kicked some figures around." They were offered a deal, and, barring a disaster, they'll be on Columbia Records in the very near future. The deal is for one ep, with an option to do an entire album, and at first the company just wanted to release the best of their amazing album, "Check This Action," but the band and Bruce didn't go for that, and now the band expects to recut a few of the tunes, along with some new ones, for the mini-album that Bruce says Columbia wants "right away." A producer is yet to be chosen.

The natural is Dave Edmunds, and apparently he's interested, but he's not going to be available before September or October, and Columbia definitely wants a product before then. Bruce suggested himself and Craig Leon. I suggested Nick Lowe, but Bruce said he'd leave him to "that other Austin band" that he manages, the Fabulous Thunderbirds. So congratulations to the LeRois, who will apparently be playing the Nightlife on the 17th, and added Congrats to drummer Mike Buck, who's making Juneteenth his wedding day. And LeRoi lovers can thank forward-looking Columbia man Joe McEuen, whose first love is black music (he's responsible for the label keeping the Manhattans on until they got a gold record, as well as for the hot new best-of anthologies by Jackie Wilson, the Chl-Lltes, and Tyrone Davis), but who flew down here to catch the LeRois at the Continental Club just before it closed and decided that they needed to be with Columbia.

Oh, and all you fans? Buy the ep olics are killing Protestants. The point is that people are dying and that's what we're concerned with. We know we cant change the world, but at least we can comment and make people aware that there is hope." If anything filters through Larry Mullen's words, it's sincerity. U2, he says, takes a stand in its music with pride, prudence and deliberation. He says that's the advantage his band has over most popular groups getting airplay now U2 cares more about people than acquiring a string of hits.

"WE'RE DIFFERENT in that we evolved during the whole punk movement and from then on, we said we were four schoolkids from Dublin, and that's what we've tried to be true to. Our songs are not about boy-girl relationships, although those things are fine. We tend to be more autobiogra- phical. We don't stand on a soapbox and say, 'you've got to change. We say, 'we've got to Small wonder that when U2 first ventured out on th6 road, no one knew what to make of them.

In an age of synthesizers, resurgent soul and brass music, U2 boasts three instruments, Edge" on guitars, bassist Adam Clayton, drummer Mullen and vocalist Bono Vox) a concept more associated with Jimi Hendrix and Cream than high-tech '80s hit machines like Haircut 100 and Human League. Mullen's view of the rash of British musical exports is both direct and disdainful. "We're not a part of this new musical scene, Duran Duran or Culture Club. They may fufill a need, but we want nothing to do with it U2 talks about real music, real people and real emotions, honesty and truth. We sing about things that affect us personally, and I think that's what should be on the radio.

"Duran Duran are all good musicians and they're a fine band, but they're not going to be here in five years' time. You've got bands like Journey selling out concerts and people are buying their records, but don't call that new music. That's pop music and it's been on the radio for the last 15 years. The only thing new about them is they are new faces and they're wearing makeup now. If that's what they want to do, then great, fair play to them, but that's not what U2 wants to do.

We're in a different league." MULLEN'S WORDS mightrmg of thumb- -ing were there not so much truth behind them. When asked what he thinks of the Irish-sounding Dexy's Midnight Runners (the band is actually from Birmingham, England), Mullen says he regrets their singles success with "Come On, Ei- leen." "They've been around a long time and had some fabulous tunes, but I think it's a shame they had a hit over here. They're going to find it very difficult to survive, because hits don't mean that you're a big band, just that a lot of people bought your pop record. To be successful, you have to sell your albums." By contrast U2 has never had an American hit single, and furthermore, could care less. Their signature tune, "I Will Follow," never entered the U.S.

charts it was wildly popular, Mullen con- cedes, but largely through the airplay of liberal FM stations and club DJs. 'That suits me just fine," Mullen says. Even the release of U2's second single from "War," a tune called "Two Hearts" doesn't make him yearn for the Top 40. "I would far rather that people went out and bought the album and heard those 10 songs instead of just one aspect of what we're trying to say." U2 performs tonight at The Meadows, Interstate 35 and South Congress Avenue. -V'-- Staff Photo by Barbara Lamg Photo by Brian N.

Kanof Kinky Friedman is planning Stan Rogers, left, and Jim Morison light up the stage at a cable TV appearance. the Kerrville Folk Festival. er. Considering there's only two of them, and they never played live, to my knowledge, I wonder if it counts as a real breakup. And rumors are rampant that there'll be a double wedding as Mick Jagger and Keith Richards marry their longtime flames next month, which is approximately when I hear the new Stones album will be out As with all items from the World's Oldest Rock 'n' Roll Band, this is subject to change at any time.

How's about them Big Boys? Their new album, "Lullabies Help the Brain Grow," is available now, and the band themselves will be back from California any time. Like all good hardcore albums, it seems, this was produced by the mysterious Spot at Third Coast Studios, and you can see them in the company of such fabulous bands as the Circle Jerks and Flipper at the Ritz on Friday the 17th. (Speaking of which, has anybody heard Flipper's great record of the kids' song "The Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly?" Yikes!) On the Town: Not that you have to wait til Friday for hardcore jollies: the Ritz welcomes back the Dicks with the Offenders, Burn. Center, and Fudge Tunnel tonight Slightly more sedate, but hardly less exciting, will be U2 and the Alarm at the Meadows, and Steve Goodman at Soap Creek. Sunday brings a big show to Xa-lapeno Charlie's, as Scratch Acid, the Jitters, Max 4 the Makeups, Skank and Human Drama fill the beer garden with sound all day long, and the lineup of Sunday's reggae show at the Meadows has changed, thanks to Max Edwards getting into a gun battle in Kingston, so now we see Pressure, the Raft, Judas Starr, Iribana and the Trinidad Steel Band on the bill.

On Monday, you can rest and on Tuesday, I'll be back here with more, so keep the tips coming, and I'll see you then. As many readers of the newspaper, and most of the audience at the concluding weekend of the Kerrville Folk Festival know, the Air Canada DC-9 flight from Dallas to Toronto that caught fire over Cincinnati June 2 took the life of Canadian folk singer Stan Rogers, who had performed at Kerrville the previous week. Rogers was one of the three Canadian musicians (along with Connie Kalder and Al Simmons) who were at Quiet Valley Ranch participating in the 12th annual Folk Festival's "Salute To Canada." Ironically, Rogers missed his scheduled flight to stay in Texas a few more days to sample the unique ambiance of the festival. His brother, Garnet, and bass player, Jim Morison, arrived back in Toronto without incident but Rogers' layover caused him to catch the ill-fated flight. Rod Kennedy, the director of the Festival, was notified of Rogers' death by a Kerrville reporter about 4:30 a.m.

June 3. He had the Canadian flags at the site lowered to half-staff and the volunteer staff began handing out tiny maple leaf pins to spectators as a remembrance. In addition, the staff and performers took up a collection to plant a maple tree on the site in Rogers' memory and they, along with some of the audience, began taking up a collection to send to Rogers' family in Canada. The show, of course, went on. "Stan Rogers touched all of us who met him," Kennedy told a Kerrville reporter, "We thought he was superb and had invited him back for next year.

(He) would have been the last one to have wanted us going around with long faces." A day later, Kennedy received a letter from Rogers' brother, written before the tragedy, extolling the festival, saying how much Stan had enjoyed the experience and how much they were both looking forward to returning in 1984. Many people at the festival felt that the most heartfelt eulogy to Rogers' memory was the abundance of good music that filled Quiet Valley Ranch for the remainder of the weekend. On a happier note, three of the six New Folk Concert contest winners are or have been Austin residents. Michael Tomlinson, who has moved from Austin to Seattle, was one of the winners of the songwriting and performing competition, along with Robert Keen of Austin and Sara K. when it comes out so they can get to do the album! The Beat' Goes On: Speaking of the Nightlife, a lot of people are wondering where they came up with that name, and I'm going to have to cop to having chosen it, even though I didn't know that's what I was doing.

Brad First and Shirley Staples called me with four names and asked me to pick which one I liked best The names I was offered were the Trend, the Underground, the Nightlights, and the Nightlife. Night lights are things kids have in their rooms to keep the boogie men at bay, and as for the Trend and the Underground, I thought they stunk. Little did I know that those were the final choices, and mine the deciding vote. I understand yet another change is being considered. The much-ballyhooed video system is a bit short on programs, the club's financial problems aren't over yet, they've recently passed on such potential moneymakers as Red Rockers and former Bob Marley backup singer Judy Mowatt and things generally seem a bit chaotic, but they've closed down the big room until the New Order show on the 19th, and maybe those upstairs shows will make the difference.

Let's hope" so: we can't afford to lose another club right now. Over in Britain, they're splitting and joining together Yaz, the talented duo of Vince Clarke (ex-De-peche Mode) and Alf Moyet who made one of last year's hottest syntho-pop dance singles in "Situation," have announced that after their forthcoming album is finished, they'll cease to work togeth mer business, like "Blue Thunder," "Return of the Jedi" and "War Games" just like they used to show cartoons and newsreels. Dallas and Houston theaters are featuring the CBS production, but there is no word when, or if, it will play Austin. But while it may not a lot of real, live humans will. Here is a partial rundown.

Tonight Steve Goodman and Nanci Griffith wrap up a two-night stand at Soap Creek Saloon, Walter Hyatt and Champ Hood play at Waterloo Icehouse, Cripple Creek are at the Double Eagle, Butch Hancock and the Lucky Tigers are at Xalapeno Charlie's, Billy Joe Shaver and Band will be at emmajoe's and Carolina will be at the Shorthorn Lounge. Sunday, the Austin Friends of Traditional Music will be at emmajoe's from 2-6 p.m., followed by an open house for the Peace and Justice Coalition from 7-10 p.m. In addition, Roger Beck and the Western Swing will be at Ed's 281 Club, Country Robots will be at Weather or Knot Tex Thomas and the Danglln Wranglers will be at Hut's and Al Dressen and the Super Swing Revue will be at Liberty Lunch. Tuesday, George Strait will be wandering up the road from San Marcos to play a show at the Double Eagle. Wednesday, Mandy Mercler will be at emmajoe's (with Darden Smith playing a $1 twilight hour show from p.m.), People's Choice will be at the Double Eagle and Kenneth Thread-gill and Bill Neely will be at Threadgill's.

Thursday, the Jimmie Mac Band will be at the Double Eagle and Jimmie Gilmore will be at emmajoe's (with Sarita Rodriguez playing a twilight hour show). Friday, the Supernatural Family Band will be at the Shorthorn Lounge, Darrell McCall will be at the Double Eagle and Nancy Scott will be at emmajoe's, with Mark Luke Daniels playing a twilight hour show. and refinement who performed with a guitar crafted from a toilet seat Friedman, who has never been known to underestimate the taste of his audience, announced his plans for a low-key promotion of his new album, "Under the Double Ego," on the program. Something involving dancing girls and strategically placed album covers. Charlie Edwards, of KELG's "Texas Tea Party" program, will be presenting a special show highlighting some of the performers at Al Dres-sen's "Swingfest '83" on his show June 19.

It Ain't "News of the World," But It Ain't Bad Dept: Willie Nelson has a certain tangential relationship with the silver screen, but it has been enhanced considerably since the video of "Pancho and Lefty," with Nelson and Merle Haggard began playing between features in theaters around the country. The 4i-minute version of Townes Van Zandt's outlaw elegy was filmed last winter in Austin and environs, with Nelson and Haggard as Pancho and Lefty, respectively. The song is, of course, the title of their duet album on CBS Records. But rather than pitch the finished product to, say, MTV (which doesn't acknowledge the existence of, among other things, country music), CBS campaigned to have the video shown in motion picture theaters between features doing hot sum Wooldrldge, who moved from Santa Fe, N.M., to perform with Gary P. Nunn.

After her performance, she flew to Europe to join Nunn and his band on tour across the pond. Other contest winners were Alex Abravanel of San Antonio and Jan Marra of Minneapolis. Swing fans who were looking forward to joining Al Dressen and the Super Swing Revue and the Original Texas Playboys tommorrow at Liberty Lunch will have to content themselves with Dres-sen's fine band alone. Dressen reports that circumstances beyond his control kept the Playboys from confirming their date at the club. However, Dressen will be performing and he promises some special drop-in guests.

Swing aficionados can take heart in the fact that the Playboys probably will return to perform for Aqua Fest in August and Dressen is talking about setting up a regular swing show on Sunday nights at the Double Eagle. And this from our Rocket-To-Stardom Desk: Kinky Friedman reported that his next gig, following hard on the heels of his emcee duties at Jerry Jeff Walker's Birthday Bash a couple of weeks ago, would be to guest on Chlnga Chavin's new "Country Blue" program, under the auspices of the Playboy Cable channel. You all remember Chavin from a few years ago, that arbiter of taste.