The Gazette du lieu suivant : Montreal, Quebec, Canada • 35

THE GAZETTE. MONTREAL. THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 25. 1997 11 p)c NO Its II ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: LUCINOA CHODAN 987-2568 Portishead captures tunes C6 PA 'Ll--L "IIL tenor or th British band is cool: the polar opposite of Nirvana The lead singer of the New York- POPARAZZI based Pilfers railed against the evils of "living wickedly" and preached "re spect for ladies." The Cold War is a thing of the past and contemporary spies require a new soundtrack.

Single-string guitar statements in surf are no longer called upon to foil the Kremlin's aging apparatchiks. More, and less, is at stake: industrial espionage, sexual perils, unguarded E-mail, nano-science, petty Ska, the uptempo grandfather of reg gae, allied itself with punk, hip hop, power pop and trad jazz a musical and social inclusiveness. "So this is a prayer right here for mankind, declared the Pilfers frontman. "Comprendez-vous? A pitch for unity all of us under the same Spies may be required once again to save civilization. The city's alternative rock has been shaken by the death of Si mon Galipeault, manager of Grim Skunk, the goth-punk-metal band that is one of the province's biggest alt-rock ERIC SIBLIN transmuted, with the emphasis on muted.

On the surface, Portishead appears much less radical than grunge, and suggests a pinstriped presence comfortably ensconced in a martini bar. But it is a sound capable of stealth, of insinuating itself into the corridors of musical power. So far, it's incognito: Portishead, unlike Oasis, does not encourage fan mail The spy has not come in from the cold. 'NO GUN' The secret-agent of social change can also be detected on the dance floor. At last Saturday night's quadruple-bill ska show headlined by the Kingpins, a 26-year-old fan undid the buttons on his black-and-white hounds-tooth high-lapel sports jacket and revealed a gun holster clinging to his armpit.

It held no firepower, only his wallet "No gun," explained ska enthusiast Patrick Foisey. "The more you look like a spy, the cooler you are." Among the Kingpin's bouncy, horn-infused compositions are tunes called Spy vs. Spy and Mata Hari. Yet the spy spiel is decidedly nonviolent for the ska movement, which is based on the principles of dance and tolerance. "Stop racism, stop fascism that's basically it," Foisey said as the dance-floor hordes made like a pogo stick.

outfits. Simon, 27, was the victim of a skateboard hit-and-run accident last weekend. A funeral was held for Gali nationalisms a multi-channel universe of good and evil. "In the days, the golden days, when everybody knew what they wanted," sings Portishead on its new album. "It ain't here today." Portishead, which has perfected the trip-hop style, is a spy for our times.

Its eponomously titled second release, coming out next week, is simultaneously lush and sparse, stripped-down but technologically elaborate, a retrofitted futurism. Singer Beth Gibbons as Mata Hari is armed with lipstick and laptop. "I will never resign myself from the trial I see," she croons, as tremolo guitar chords suggest espionage and sampling carries it out. SOPRANO SPYMASTER As in the Bartolucci film Stealing Beauty in which the Portishead number Glory Box makes a superb appearance the object of theft here is primarily romantic. But Gibbons, as befits the role of soprano spymaster, plays her cards close to her chest.

The glossy magazines report that she has gone underground and is unavailable for interviews. She would give away too much. Two pivotal styles of pop music have peault in Saint-Lambert yesterday. Those wishing to contribute to a foundation being set up in Galipeault's name to send bands on tours abroad should contact promoter Greenland, Indica Records or Grim Skunk. MARIE-FRANCE COAUIER.

GAZETTE The Montreal concert date for the in Weird and wonderful: David Bowie performs at the Metropolis last defatigable Rolling Stones will proba night, the first of a two-night Montreal stand. bly be Jan. 11, though the date is not yet set in stone. Two shows in Quebec City REVIEW have been booked for Jan. 13 and 14.

4. 4, 4. Three recordings by Montreal's pre Time mac mier jazz and gospel artists saw Hi, bhi jiinim. the powerful light of day this week. a'neLee'fnew David Bowie transports Metropolis Ranee recording, Seasons of Love, is crowd through the decades ERIC SIBLIN The Gazette The artist formerly known as Ziggy Stardust channeled the industrial strength of his four-piece band through funk, cabaret, Neanderthal rock, jungle-techno it was all grist for his mill, all quite beautiful.

"saw 1 i Not many aging rock idols can im merse themselves in so much machin bolstered by David Murray on tenor sax. Piano whiz Oliver Jones teams up with Ray Brown on bass and Jeff Hamilton on drums for the aptly-titled Have Fingers, Will Travel. The Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir has ery of the moment while remaining perfectly faithful to the past. arguably appeared thus far this decade. One belonged to Kurt Cobain; the other is typified by Portishead.

Nirvana spewed, and was consumed by, its convincing angst-a jarring, jagged and distorted soundscape. The Portishead sound -called trip-hop or Bristol, as in the British city that produced like-minded bands such as Massive Attack and Tricky is Nirvana's polar opposite: cool and languid and smooth, a silky upholstery that is comfortable with the latest recording gadgetry and familiar with the hip-hop beat it has David Bowie can, and did last night in a show that catered to the current pop appetite for tough-as-nails texture broken up by Gatling-gun beats and re lentless technology. fashioned the in' And through it all he was quintes- destructible beat of St. Henri 3 around sounds from South Africa on a CD titled Hamba Ekhay One song happens to be called Impimpi (The Spy). Portishcad's Geoff Barrow and Beth Gibbons: sound of capable stealth.

'HERE'S AN OLD ONE' "Well, here's an old one," said the supremely relaxed singer, sporting a goatee, a no-frills beige shirt and launching into The Man Who Sold the World. Everything old was new again: with the frenetic beat, synthesized noodling, power-guitar machismo and Bowie's still-fabulous voice, songs from a quarter-century ago resembled his latest state-of-the-art stuff. The so-called jungle technodrum-n'-bass sounds in vogue these days ideally suit an artist who was tinkering with eccentric and machine-like sounds ages ago. Any other aging rock star he's now 50 would stand accused of rampant band-wagonism. Not Bowie, who's always been at home in dissonance and prides himself on otherworldliness.

Similarly, his trailblazing as an overtly bisexual artist, his calculated shock value as a glam-rocker and his pioneering use of theatrics onstage now go with the territory Fame, it is called, and Bowie fittingly started his encore with his memorable and soulful song of the same name. Tonight's David Bowie show at the Metropolis is sold out. sentially Bowie. "You got a few minutes?" the Man Who Fell to Earth asked the wall-to-wall crowd at Metropolis, dragging co-quettishly on a cigarette. "So have I.

No rush." He then meandered into a slow pure blues, strumming his acoustic 12-string like a kid with a thousand smiles, and 12 bars later morphed the song into vintage rocker The Jean Genie, laying bare its hitherto unglimpsed blues foundation. FIVE ENCORES It was two parts theatre, one part power chords -19 songs in all, followed by no less than five encores, the old tunes like Fashion, Panic in Detroit and All the Young Dudes rubbing shoulders with the new. with the lion's share plucked from Bowie's latest recording, Earthling. Selections from TV TONIGHT Seinfeld, Friends back for a new season Gazette television columnist Mike Boone picks the best of tonight's programs: Man Alive (CBMT-6 at 7): 31st season begins. Veronica's Closet (CFCF-12 at Kirstie Alley stars in new comedy.

Health Show (Channel 6 at Season begins with report on adults and asthma. Friends (CKMI-46 at 8): Third season begins. Witness (Channel 6 at 8): Season begins. Union Square (WPTZ-Sat New comedy Seinfeld (Channel 46 at 9): Season debut North of 60 (Channel 6 at 9): Sixth season begins. Pointe de Vue (Tele-Qucbec-17 at 9): La Mort des Masques looks at inmates.

ER (Channel 12 at 10): Live season debut. Tom Snyder (WCAX 3 at Studs Turkel. Into the West (Channel 12 at 1 a.m.): Lovely Irish story Prime-time schedule. Page CIO the hard techno-informed album in cluded I'm Afraid of Americans, Battle for Britain, Looking for Satellites and Little Wonder. Top 20 Singles Montreal Metro Week of Sept.

21 Top 20 Current Albums Montreal Metro Week of Sept. 21 Top 10 Albums Week of Sept. 21 This Last Week Nationally ArtistTitle Week 1 1 Marian CareyButterfly 2 2 Puff DaddyNo Way Out 1 3 13 Jean WyciefCarnivnl 2 4 3 Men In BlackSounatrock 3 4 Busts RhymesWhen Disaster Strikes 8 6 Notorious B.I.Q.Life After Death 4 7 5 Orlg. CastSOTKSoulfood 8 7 SWVReiease Some Tension 6 9 9 98 0grees98 Decees 5 10 10 Wu-TongWu-Tang Forever 9 This Last This Last Week Nationally ArtistTitle Week Week Nationally ArtistTitle Week 1 1 Elton John Candlo in the Wind 1 7 Andrea BocelllRomanza 1 2 3 Notorious BIQMo Money Mo Problems 2 2 1 Marian CarayButterfly 3 2 Puff OaddyEvanaI'll Be Missing You 13 3 Backttract BoytBackstroet's Back 2 4 4 Marlon CarayHoncy 3 4 4 Puff DaddyNo Way Out 3 23 Ultra NateFree 12 5 Sarah McLaughlanSur facing 4 6 8 BackttrMt BoyaEvorybody 4 35 Various ArtlttaMcMario Donct Album 7 5 Boyi II Men4 Soosons of Loneliness 6 7 31 Various ComposersHelmut. Lotti 8 8 7 Leonn RimesHow Do I Live 9 8 6 JewelPieces of Vou 9 9 12 BlackstreetFix 8 9 2 AquaAquarium 15 10 21 FruK da la PassionTic Tic Tac 10 10 9 ProdigyTot of the Land 6 11 9 98 DegreesInvisible Man 5 11 37 Bruno PelletlerMiscrere 5 11 .18 OaslsD'You Know What I Mean X2 12.

OasJsBe Here Now 7 13 93 KlllarmyWu Renegades 16 13 34 Elton JohnLove Songs 17 14 22 Elton JohnSomething About tha Way 17 14 63 Jean Wye lef Carnival 13 IB 58 BrtghtmanBocelllTime to Soy Goodbye 14 IS 22 Daft PunhHomcwork 12 18 11 Backstreet BoyaCverybody Remixes 18 11 Spice ClrlsSpice 11 17 126 Capital SoumlHifiber Love 13 17 28 RadloheadO.K. Computer 10 17 13 ProdtgyBfenthe 11 18 14 Men In BlackSoundtrack 14 19 38 MadonnaDon't Cry for Me Argentina -11 19 21 Buata RhymesWhen Disaster Strikes -19 19 Nine Inch NaltsPerfoct Of ug 20 10 Our Lady PeaceClumsy 16 Top 10 Hard Music Week of Sept. 21, 1997 1 Our Lady PeaceClumsy 2 Sugar RayI looted 3 SoundtrackSnnwn 5 AeromlthNine Livrs 4 Foo FlhtersCplour find the Sliaiie 7 Marilyn Manson Antichrist SupersUir 10 SublimeSublime 13 PanteraOfficint Live 1 2 10 1 2 3 4 5 7 6 9 9 8 6 Mighty Mighty Botones 'Let's F.ire It 12 Marilyn ManaonSmotls Like Children) Notmg btwd on retail recon! vn SwcF lnm Sountf.tran: Kit. r..