Off the record: David Smyth

Evening Standard   04.05.07

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David Smyth discusses the new series of Later... with Jools Holland, a family reunion, rock star Iggy Pop's possible appearance at the Chelsea Flower Show and the latest on the internet.

STARS SHINE SOONER OR LATER

Top of the Pops is now all but forgotten, Channel 5 recently gave up on its plan to resurrect the CD:UK show and a week ago Channel 4 axed Popworld, once the must-watch of music television. Give thanks, then, for the return tonight of Later ... with Jools Holland, the 29th series of BBC2's popular music show for grown-ups.

The closest rivals to Holland's essential live music hour go out on the same night - BBC1's Friday Night With Jonathan Ross and Channel 4's Transmission - and this week both feature the same band (The View). Later's list of guests beats them both by a mile. On tonight's show alone, Holland introduces Arctic Monkeys, Bryan Ferry, Tuareg nomads Tinariwen and 89-year-old chansonnier Henri Salvador.

Despite what you might think, though, these eclectic line-ups are not the result of a quick thumb through Holland's bulging address book, but months of dedicated gig-going by producer Alison Howe.

She's the resident starmaker, sometimes putting acts on the bill before they have released a single, and seeing their popularity swell soon afterwards thanks to the cachet of an appearance. Often cited as one of the most influential figures on the British music scene, as a former producer for John Peel she brings the same individual thinking to television. "We're not interested in the charts," she tells me, "we're not interested in trends. We just put great performers together who'll make a really fascinating hour of TV."

Successes include a then unknown KT Tunstall, Corinne Bailey Rae, Antony and the Johnsons, and Mika. As a result, Howe is swamped with requests from new bands. "Everybody wants to come on," she says, "from groups starting to get big in America to viewers sending in home-made demo CDs."

Those that do make the cut can look forward to a bright future. This series includes the Hold Steady, heirs to Bruce Springsteen's blue-collar rock throne, retro soul singer Candie Payne ("She could do what Amy Winehouse has done") and Leeds indie band the Cribs, long overdue more recognition. Howe also tips LA grunge revivalists Silversun Pickups, yet to receive any publicity in this country.

And there will be many more. "The music scene is moving so quickly now that out of nowhere, somebody fantastic can suddenly arrive. We're deliberately not booking bands too far in advance so that we can keep up."

So, some TV to stay in for again.

WATERSON FAMILY REUNION AT THE ALBERT HALL

It seems the family that plays folk together stays together. From the Carters in the US, the Canadian Wainwrights and Richard, Linda and their son Teddy Thompson over here, folk is still being passed from generation to generation.

Next Saturday, one of our longest-running dynasties, the Watersons of Yorkshire, plays the Albert Hall with children, husbands and numerous other relatives in tow.

"The folk world is no different from being a builder. If your dad's a builder there's a good chance you'll be a builder, too," explains matriarch Norma Waterson, wife of Martin Carthy and these days best known as part of Waterson: Carthy, the group that comprises the couple, their daughter Eliza and son-in-law Saul Rose, husband of Eliza's sister.

"The whole folk scene is like a family, anyway. We all see a lot of each other."

It's also a growing family, with younger musicians such as Adem and Devendra Banhart making it cool again, just as the Watersons did in the Sixties. "Whenever there isn't much happening in the pop world, it seems we get another influx of young people." Don't miss the chance to see where the upstarts got their ideas from.

HOW DOES IGGY'S GARDEN GROW?

Whether it's Alice Cooper playing golf or Roger Daltrey farming trout, the lifestyles of older rock stars can put a dampener on their past tales of debauchery. Surely Iggy Pop at the Chelsea Flower Show trumps them all. The Children's Society hopes the man who sang Gimme Danger and Raw Power will be at their first garden at Chelsea this month, a collection of salvias, alliums, a mespilus tree and a fountain inspired by Lust for Life. "I'm honoured," says the wild man.

Designed by 37-year-old Angus Thompson, a former singersongwriter with three albums to his credit, the garden will sadly not terrify pensioners by playing the 1977 hit on a deafening loop. Rather the jet will fire against a limestone wall, beating out the song's opening drum rhythm. "It's meant to be a celebratory garden," says Thompson. "I wanted to capture the song's energy, to bottle the feeling of that drum beat." What next? Marilyn Manson at Crufts?

NEW ON THE NET

Two significant announcements this week bring ever nearer a future filled with free digital music.

First, London indie band the Crimea realised that all the cash is in gigging these days, and gave away their new album for nothing in a bid to generate enough interest to allow them to play bigger concerts. Secrets of the Witching Hour is downloadable at www.thecrimea.net.

Also, Peter Gabriel has announced the June launch of www.we7.com, a new download service offering free music, the catch being that you must watch a 10-second advert first. Spiralfrog received much publicity for the idea a while back, but it looks like We7 will get there first. You'll still be able to buy tracks if you prefer to keep your music experience free of promo messages about deodorants, but I bet most users will go for the cheap option.

 

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