Sinister: Belle on ze box

[Jonathan Cole]

After much prodding (ouch !) by Monsieur Stephane Buron, here is my very
first posting (hope it doesn't hurt as much as the postings some boys got
at school - that tree they planted in the playground was a source of great
fear to all of us under-sevens, I can tell you...), but having lurked in
silence on the list for 6 months or so, it's probably time for an
excursion.  Anyway, I come to bring you news (of sorts) about a TV
programme that was broadcast in France last Friday, called "Tracks" on the
Franco-German channel "Arte".  It was only short, but as it was the only
B&S thing I've ever seen on TV, so I'll give you all a blow-by-blow account
- you can always make a cup of tea if you get bored...

So, on our TV screens appear the words "Century of Fakers", and then in the
next frame "A story by Belle and Sebastian".  Someone I didn't recognise,
with a beard and wearing an apron, was then seen sitting by a canal smoking
a cigarette.  It then cut to Isobel, doing sign language to the words of
the song, which were also subtitled on the bottom of the screen (they
turned yellow as they were sung, which was a nice touch).  Back to the
bloke with the beard, who is opening the metal shutters outside a shop, to
reveal Isobel sitting in the shop window reading a magazine.  She has
sprouted angels' wings, which must be most inconvenient when getting on and
off of the bus.  Bearded bloke puts a sign outside the shop/cafe/whatever,
which says "Java events".  Bearded bloke returns to shop or whatever,
staggering with a big cardboard box and trying to light a cigarette at the
same time (which, as anyone who has ever tried lighting a cigarette whilst
carrying a big cardboard box will know, is rather tricky).  We then see the
band outside the "Halt Bar", and the gentleman with the aforementioned
facial hair reappears carrying a guitar case, and goes into the bar.  He is
later seen cleaning the windows of the shop/cafe/thingy.  Isobel is seen
kneeling in the grass, surrounded by lots of flowers, reading again, and
the video ends. 

Interspersed into this cinematographic oeuvre are bits of interviews held
in the Halt bar with Chris Geddes and Mick Cooke (unless I'm wrong, in
which case it was someone else), and introductory bits from the presenter. 
Because the bits said by the band were dubbed into French, I've had to
translate most of it back, so it won't be exactly what was said, but hey,
you get the picture...  

Presenter: B&S took their name from the famous TV programme of the same
name, which incidentally none of the band has ever seen.  Only 2 of them
deign to appear before the cameras, and their concerts are as frequent as
solar eclipses.

Chris (probably): We rarely travel out of Glasgow, it's quite a strange
place.  There are loads of good bands that come from here, but Glaswegians
aren't the type of people to worship a group, even if they appreciate
them......   I don't really know how to describe the Glasgow music scene,
there are loads of groups, but the main thing is maybe our way of working,
we're a long way from the big centres of the music industry....  

Presenter: Their first album, Tigermilk, sold like hot muffins, and today
Americans queue around the block to see them, but the group have kept a
cool head.  

Chris (?): I share a flat with Stuart at Church Hall.  Musicians often come
by to practice; it's good, there are people around all of the time...

Presenter: If you go to Glasgow, it's at the Halt bar that you are most
likely to see B&S - we tried, and it worked!

Chris (?): We were students at Stow College and our first album came out on
the college's label "Electric Honey" records.  We took them a tape and they
liked it.  As part of the music management course, they release a record
every year, which acts as practical experience for the students - the
production of the record makes up part of the course...

The whole thing lasted about 2 minutes, but it made by week anyway.... 

Maybe I'll post again before the next 6 months are out (just to keep
Stephane happy), or maybe that was too boring and I'll be sent to the
cyber-hell for train spotters
.

Jean Charbon

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.             Listen, this is pish, I think I'll leave
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