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The Herald Scotland
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
'Scotland's great lost rock star' looks back at his band's debut album
It's always interesting to ask musicians how they feel about their debut albums - albums that, in some cases, might be a few decades old. Goodbye Mr Mackenzie's excellent introduction, Good Deeds and Dirty Rags, is a case in point. Released in April 1989, within weeks of such landmark albums as Pixies' Doolittle and The Cure's Disintegration, it sounds as fresh and captivating today as it did back then. It sprinted into the UK charts at number 26, contained some of the Edinburgh band's strongest material, and led to eventful tours of the UK and Europe. Live, too, they were a formidable proposition, one guaranteed to get the audience up on its feet. One review of a London Marquee gig, in 1989, begins: 'What an extraordinary bunch these Mackenzies are! If they ever become famous enough to have a cartoon series or soap opera written about them, the scriptwriters will have a field day'. Many fans of the group have fond memories of the debut and of such songs as The Rattler, Open Your Arms, Goodwill City, and Face to Face, all of which charted. When, a few months ago, the question was asked on Facebook, what's your favourite Goodbye Mr Mackenzie song?, many opted for them. 'Face to Face', said one. 'First time I heard it, have to admit brought a tear to my eye and ever since'. Wrote another: 'Now We Are Married [from the follow-up album, Hammer and Tongs] was the first song at our wedding, but I need to go with Goodwill City. Don't tell the missus'. Does Martin Metcalfe, the band's charismatic singer, feel that the album has aged really well? 'I don't think I'm the person to ask', he demurred earlier this week. 'There are fans who still love it, so it hasn't dated for them, and that's great, but it's not something I can stand back from and say, that was a timeless piece of work or whatever. Certainly, it has stood the test of time, because it keeps getting played on national radio, so I suppose it must have some kind of timeless element to it'. It was, however, something of a turning-point for the group. In a 2019 interview with Narc magazine, Martin did acknowledge that the album had been a 'defining life moment' for him: 'In those days any musician who managed to have a proper album released felt they'd arrived in one way or another. The fact that it went top 30 was yet another life landmark and I suppose would have cemented the 'arrived' metaphor if we'd managed to keep performing at that level'. Goodbye Mr Mackenzie - Martin, 'Big John' Duncan (formerly of the punk group, The Exploited, on guitar, Fin Wilson on bass, Derek Kelly on drums, and Shirley Manson and Rona Scobie on keyboards and backing vocals - were formed in Bathgate, and emerged into a thriving music scene in the capital. 'For lads coming from Bathgate and immersing ourselves in that [Edinburgh] environment, it was actually great', Martin says. 'It was an era when things were really opening up in Scotland, and Edinburgh anyway. 'I know that Glasgow had the advantage over Edinburgh regarding venues, possibly because of the size of the city. But the great thing about those days was that student unions had funding: in Edinburgh you had gigs at Telford College, Napier College, Teviot Row, and Queen Margaret College in Corstorphine. 'You had gigs in Chambers Street in Edinburgh - a huge building that had three floors, maybe four, and on three of those you could stage gigs. Also, you had Potterrow, which was a real centre of young bands. Ents committees wanted to bring local bands in and had a desire to attach themselves to local musicians. 'That college circuit in the UK, which lasted into the Mackenzie's big period, was a genuine support. They had budgets to pay bands a reasonable amount of money. That is something that hasn't happened for a few decades now. 'On top of all of that you had The Venue, on Carlton Road, where bands like Suede kicked off … then along came La Sorbonne [in the Cowgate], which was a fantastic place for bands'. Read more: The band toured widely. In Glasgow, there were gigs at the famed Barrowland venue, in 1987 (supporting the Blow Monkeys), in 1988 (supporting Aztec Camera) and headlining in 1989). Asked how Goodbye Mr Mackenzie's distinctive sound evolved, Martin responds: 'It really came out of post-punk. When punk came along it was like an adrenaline rush, an explosion, but as Steven Severin [bass guitarist with Siouxsie and the Banshees] said, it wasn't that different in a lot of ways from pub rock and rock'n'roll'. He marvels now that, looking back, the Banshees managed to influenced much of the post-punk movement without having released a record, having won invaluable exposure from John Peel sessions in 1977 and 1978. They and other unsigned, groundbreaking acts broadcast by Peel were picked up by numerous other groups across Britain, who absorbed the sound and altered their own musical style. 'Initially, Goodbye Mr Mackenzie wanted to play this punk music but by the time we were starting to play, and were a little bit older, post-punk had taken over. The bands we were listening to, and loving, were Magazine, the Banshees, the Skids, the Scars and other bands like that. And then Joy Division came along …' Good Deeds and Dirty Rags was released on the Capitol label. Listening to it afresh after 36 years is to release the truth of something that Vic Galloway wrote in 2018 - that they 'blended the feral nature of punk, arty intelligence and effortless pop melodies'. It's a well-crafted album, intelligently written. The Rattler remains, perhaps, their best-known song, a perennial audience favourite. In 1986 they performed it on the TV music show, The Tube. That same night, when they played the Hoochie Coochie in Edinburgh, the venue was rammed because everybody had seen them on The Tube. Speaking to Billy Sloan for the Herald in 2021, Martin discussed the song and some of the influences hat went into it: 'We were completely taken aback when [The Rattler] took on a life of its own. I look at Bowie and wonder why his work was such genius. I think he just sucked in information from so many different sources. In the art world you'd call it research. 'I love Iggy Pop, New Order, The Cocteau Twins and Talking Heads. All had direct input into what we were doing. I'd also seen a documentary about Woody Guthrie where he travelled from town-to-town on trains spreading a socialist message, and got up to no good while he was doing it. 'So that had an effect on the song too. It could have been about a rattlesnake but it could also have been a Freudian symbol for sex … a train going into a tunnel. [Scots poet William] McGonagall wrote a poem called The Rattling Boy From Dublin – which is absolutely hysterical – so it's in there too.' Another song on the album, Face to Face, is a provocative piece about a female hitchhiker who was repeatedly raped in a pub, only to see her attackers being acquitted in court on the grounds that she had been 'asking for it' because of the way she was dressed. Yet another track, Goodwill City, is about the Aids crisis that afflicted Edinburgh in the Eighties. 'I had a couple of friends round about that time who affected by Aids', Martin says. 'That was quite a powerful moment in time, quite a landmark affecting a small part of the Eighties. I've got a friend who is an Aids survivor from that period. He's still alive, which is amazing'. Read more On the Record: About the album as a whole, he is philosophical. 'The thing about artists is, not many of them can ever look back at their own work and think, that was great, that was perfect. The word 'perfect' never comes into it. 'Most bands hate the song that they're weighed down by - their albatross, the song that everyone shouts for, the one that everyone films on their phone and ends up on YouTube a million times. But I like listening to The Rattler. And I think it's a really good record'. Unfortunately, Goodbye Mr Mackenzie would go on to be plagued by record company indecision and internal politics. Though there were three further, very fine, albums - Hammer and Tongs (1991), Five (1994), and The Glory Hole (1996) - the band came to an end, with a final live gig at Glasgow's The Garage in late 1995, after Manson and Duncan had departed. Along the way, band members had created a side-project, Angelfish, whose well-received 1994 album was produced by Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads. As for Martin, his later projects have included the acclaimed Filthy Tongues, alongside his old Goodbye Mr Mackenzie bandmates, Derek Kelly and Fin Wilson. Profiling the Filthy Tongues in 2005, the Herald's David Belcher had this to say: 'Martin Metcalfe may be Scotland's great lost rock star. Blessed with the stature to look lanky Nick Cave straight in the eye, a dark rich baritone and the songs to match, in the 1980s and 1990s it seemed he could only pout it all away. Fate conspired to take matters out of his and Goodbye Mr Mackenzie's hands, thanks to eccentric management, and the emergence of Shirley Manson as one of the pop music icons of recent time'. During that Herald interview Martin looked back on his days as such a distinctive frontman with Goodbye Mr Mackenzie. "All that rock star stuff is just acting', he said, 'as Bowie explained with Ziggy Stardust. I used to think people like John Lydon were more real than that, but I remember reading something one of his friends said about him just pursuing the theatre of rage, just basing his character on Richard III and things like that. But I think I did an okay job of playing a rock star'. And of his old band itself he declared: "We were like a family because there were girls and boys in the band, it wasn't your average lads' band, going off and getting trashed and hanging out with women. On tour we were our own unit, we didn't need anybody else, but included our crew in that because we had a special relationship with them as well. Even though we were all quite dysfunctional people, as a band we were quite a functional unit.' Goodbye Mr Mackenzie has had a legacy. In 2007, when Vic Galloway challenged his radio listeners to name the top 50 Scottish bands of all time, they came in at number 31, ahead of Blue Nile, the Cocteau Twins and the Skids. And The List magazine once observed that they 'left behind the most complex and fascinating footprint of any Scottish band'. In 2019 Goodbye Mr Mackenzie hit the road again, to mark the 30th anniversary of the debut album. As he told the Herald's Barry Didcock at the time: 'It happened by accident. Me, trying to make a crust, had decided to try to do the album in its entirety as a solo gig. But the response I got was so incredible that I thought I can't do this without at least asking if Fin and Kelly want to do it.' In that interview with Narc magazine mentioned above, he declared: 'To be perfectly honest, I wasn't excited about revisiting the whole album as we've moved on from 80's subversive pop/rock and as a creative person it's hard not to be critical of your own work but in the end, we realised that (most of) the songs were really well crafted. 'There aren't many moments live where I think this part of the song doesn't work or that part goes on too long. I think we had a solid grasp of song arrangement back then, so in many ways, I'm proud of how we pulled it together'. He has every right to be proud. And the band are still active, still touring, still looking and sounding great on stage. Their forthcoming gig at Glasgow's Oran Mor on July 11 should be something else.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
SUNY Broome simulates disaster scenarios with local EMS
TOWN OF DICKINSON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – Controlled chaos on SUNY Broome's campus today, as several programs and local EMS teamed up to create a realistic version of a tragic accident. Over 300 students participated in the mock accident, acting as victims, triage officers, law enforcement, and others. In the fictional scenario, a group of friends were hosting a graduation party when a car drove into a crowd, killing and injuring several people. The mock accident is a chance for students to experience what a real emergency might feel like, everything from the blood to people screaming. One student involved Ayden Doolittle, was playing a Public Information Officer, and we interviewed him amidst the chaos. 'We've got everybody from nurses, to EMS workers, to law enforcement. So, there's a lot of people here that have never seen anything like this. This is a very big situation, and especially with all of the noise that's going around. We've got people screaming, we've got birthing mothers, we've got even news here, trying to talk to us, it's a lot, and it's going to be a lot of pressure on everybody,' Doolittle said. Before the event started, SUNY Broome made several announcements to the surrounding community that the noise and sirens were a planned drill. This is the college's 10th mock disaster. SUNY Broome simulates disaster scenarios with local EMS Binghamton students celebrate Israeli Independence Day American Civic Association's annual All Nation's Parade and Festival Windsor students learn different jobs in medical field Brookside students get their hands dirty in the garden with CCE Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Aurora's Susanna Doolittle shares secret to 100 years
The Brief Aurora celebrated the 100th birthday of longtime resident Susanna Doolittle, known as "Mother Doolittle." Mayor Richard Irvin proclaimed March 12 as "Mother Doolittle Day" in her honor. Doolittle credits prayer and family for her longevity. AURORA, Ill. - The City of Aurora came together earlier this month to celebrate a milestone birthday for one of its most cherished residents. Susanna Doolittle, affectionately called "Mother Doolittle," turned 100 on March 12, marking a century of resilience, faith, and community impact. What we know Surrounded by loved ones who were eager to celebrate her extraordinary life, Doolittle entered her surprise birthday party to the tune of Peggy Lee's "I'm A Woman." During the event, she reflected on the predictions doctors made when she was a child, recalling, "The doctors told my parents that I wouldn't live to be two years old… and here I am at 100, feeling just fine!" Mayor Richard Irvin honored Doolittle's legacy by proclaiming March 12 as "Mother Doolittle Day." "Mother Doolittle, today we honor you and thank you for loving us," Irvin said. Big picture view When asked about her secret to having lived a long life, Doolittle credited "prayer and family." The Source The information in this article was provided by the City of Aurora.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Yahoo
Deputy indicted in fatal Leon County traffic crash
Leon County, Tx (FOX 44) – A Montgomery County deputy has been indicted in connection with a 2024 traffic crash that left another deputy dead. Deputy James Francis was named in the indictment in connection with the February 21, 2024 crash that occurred in Leon County as a prisoner was being transported. Another Montgomery County deputy, Charles Rivette of New Caney, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle said Deputy Francis has been placed under arrest and terminated from his employment with Montgomery County. Sheriff Doolittle said this is a serious matter and that the Sheriff's Office remains committed to upholding the highest standards of accountability and integrity. He said the legal process will proceed accordingly and that his agency will continue to cooperate with all relevant authorities. At the time of the crash Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Justin Ruiz said it had occurred at 10:29 p.m. Wednesday February 21, 2024 on Interstate 45 southbound, about five miles south of Buffalo in Leon County. Sgt. Ruiz said the patrol vehicle, a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe, was being used to conduct an inmate transport. It was traveling southbound when it struck a 2009 Freightliner 18-wheeler which was also going south. During the crash, the front passenger of the Tahoe was ejected and landed in the northbound lanes. After the initial crash, the Tahoe also ended up coming to rest in the northbound lanes. Just after the first crash a 2008 Ford F-150 going north struck the passenger who was ejected. A 2016 Freightliner and a 2008 Freightliner going north then struck the Tahoe, where it had come to rest. The passenger who was ejected and struck was identified as Deputy Rivette, and was pronounced dead at the scene. PREVIOUS STORY: Montgomery County deputy killed in five-vehicle crash in Leon County Deputy Frances had been the driver of the Tahoe. After the crash he was airlifted to Christus Mother Francis Hospital in Tyler with serious injuries. The back seat inmate passenger was airlifted to CHI St Joseph Regional Hospital in Bryan. The driver of one of the Freightliners that struck the Tahoe was transported to Freestone Medical Center. The other Freightliner drivers and the driver of the F-150 were not hurt. Sheriff Doolittle issued the following further statement: 'The loss of Deputy Rivette is deeply felt by all who knew and served alongside him, and the events that followed have only added to the sorrow. We stand firm in our responsibility to ensure accountability while recognizing the gravity of this moment for everyone involved. In times like these, we must support one another, honor those we have lost, and remain steadfast in our commitment to justice and integrity.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Doolittle signs as Wildcats' Cotton wait continues
NBL legend Bryce Cotton's future remains uncertain but the Perth Wildcats have locked in another key roster piece, with fellow import Kristian Doolittle inking a new three-year deal. American forward Doolittle played a major role this season in steering the Wildcats to the playoffs, where they fell to Melbourne United. The 27-year-old averaged 15.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists across the campaign and posted nine double-doubles. Three more years of lock down defence, unguardable middies and double-doubles. 🔒After a career-best season in NBL25 averaging 15.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and and 3.6 assists, we can't wait to see what the future holds for Kristian Doolittle as a Perth Wildcat! — Perth Wildcats (@PerthWildcats) March 14, 2025 "I'm excited to commit my long-term future to the Wildcats and call Perth home," Doolittle said. "The club has been really good to me and my family and I've enjoyed my first two seasons at the Wildcats under head coach John Rillie, who has the same dedication to winning as myself. "To come so close to qualifying for this season's championship series only fuels my desire to win a title with the Wildcats and I believe we are heading in the right direction to achieve the ultimate success." Doolittle produced a monster performance in the deciding game of the playoffs series against Melbourne, registering 37 points and 10 rebounds. Wildcats coach Rillie lauded the Oklahoma product's development over his first two seasons in the NBL. "We're really happy to have Kristian back at the Wildcats for another three years after watching his growth as a player and leader over the last couple of seasons," Rillie said. "It was great to see Kristian become a real leader in our group this season. "He's the ultimate professional and has an infectious desire for winning." The Wildcats are still sweating on a decision from Cotton after offering the five-time NBL MVP a deal that would reportedly make him the highest-paid player in league history. Cotton will play in Puerto Rico over the NBL off-season and has been linked with a move to Japan's Chiba Jets, who are coached by former Wildcats boss Trevor Gleeson. The 32-year-old has won a record seven Wildcats MVP awards over nine seasons and has indicated he would not play for another NBL club.
