Latest news with #KingCreosote
The Herald Scotland
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Scots artist develops cosmic ray instrument for Fringe show
Special performances involving Scottish musicians Kathryn Joseph and King Creosote will take place on August 3rd and August 5th, respectively. The particles, known as muons, are used to generate in-depth 3D pictures of structural interiors, which helps researchers see inside dense materials, such as the pyramids of Giza. Artist Lomond Campbell helped design the machine. (Image: Glasgow University) Mahon said: 'Working with Lomond to expand the scope of that research, generating sound alongside images while he plays along with cosmic rays, has been a fantastic experience. 'I'm looking forward to seeing how audiences engage with the Muonophone during the performances and the installation during the month of August.' The series of live performances (entitled MŮO) featuring the muonophone's audiovisual output will be held at Edinburgh's French Institute during the month of August. After the performances conclude, the French Institute will continue to host the muonophone until the 25th of August, giving visitors the chance to see the instrument for themselves. Several events funded by the Institute of Physics in Scotland will also be held, where PhD students from the University of Edinburgh and Glasgow will discuss the science of muons with visitors. Tickets to the live show cost £10, while concessions are £8 and family tickets cost £6. Singer King Creosote is among the guests at the performance series. (Image: free) A statement on Campbell's website reads: 'Using muon detectors, MŮO captures cosmic radiation from deep space, transforming it into reactive sound and entrancing live visuals. 'Performing with his one-of-a-kind handmade instrument, the Muonophone, Lomond creates a constantly evolving sonic landscape, joined by special musical guests throughout the festival. 'Blending art, science and sound in a way you've never seen before, MŮO is a cosmic journey not to be missed.' Muons are generated when cosmic rays collide with the Earth's atmosphere and break apart. Special devices known as muon detectors pick up the presence of the particles as they pass through various materials. The Muonophone reacts to the detection of muons by triggering 'pre-prepared sound and visualisations.' As cosmic rays from 'deep space' shape the muonophone's outputs, Campbell will play live keyboard parts to accompany the machine's soundscapes. Read more: Why does everyone seem to hate Maggie Chapman? 'Long overdue': Scottish young people weigh in on lowering of voting age Smoked salmon, Irn-Bru bhajis and micro herbs: What's on the menu at Bute House? Dr Mahon, of the University of Glasgow's School of Physics & Astronomy, noted: 'I've been working on muon-related research at the University for more than 15 years now, finding new ways to harness cosmic rays to see inside objects. 'A University spinout company, called Lynkeos Technology, is now using muography to provide industry with detailed 3D images of the interiors of structures which are impossible to create using other methods.' Campbell added: 'When approached by The University of Glasgow to work with their muon detecting technology I jumped on it. There is a score being constantly written by the nuclear activity of the cosmos and with muon detectors we can listen in to that and then interpret it sonically and visually. 'I find that whole concept stirring and want MŮO to instil that same sense of wonder in people who come to experience the live performances and the installation. 'What began as an idea to make an instrument called The Muonophone, has grown into a fully immersive audiovisual experience called MŮO, thanks to support from Made In Scotland, Sonica Glasgow and The French Institute.' According to the National Institutes of Health in the United States, muography has a range of uses, including in the fields of geoscience, nuclear safety and security, and civil engineering and archaeology. Muons have been used to explore the interior of the of the most well-known applications of muography is the ScanPyramids project, which has mapped the inside of the Egyptian pyramids, and led to the discovery of several 'plane-sized' voids within the 4500-year-old structures in 2018. At the time, Mehdi Tayoubi, ScanPyramids project co-founder and president of the Heritage Innovation Preservation Institute, told The Independent: 'It could be composed of one or several structures, maybe it could be another Grand Gallery. It could be a chamber, it could be a lot of things. It was hidden, I think, since the construction of the pyramid.' The rays can also be used to image the inside of volcanoes, nuclear storage facilities, and blast furnaces - and now power musical instruments at the Edinburgh Fringe.
The Herald Scotland
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Summer Nights in the Southside success as thousands enjoy gigs
King Creosote, Hothouse, Lighting Seeds and Glasvegas also featured across the events. The 6,000 capacity venue was packed out across each of the four nights and the concerts have been deemed a huge success by organisers. Del Amitri headlined night one of the event and were joined by King Creosote, Withered Hand & Kathryn Williams and Alice Faye as support acts. Del Amitri at Summer Nights in the Southside (Image: Ashleigh Maitland Photography) Read More The following night saw Irish band The Saw Doctors performed hits such as I Useta Love and Joyce Country Ceili Band while being supported by fellow Irish acts Hothouse Flowers and Sharon Shannon. Echo & The Bunnymen headlined night three along with Lightning Seeds and Michael Head before Ocean Colour Scene were the main event with Glasvegas and Ben Walker also entertaining the sold out crowds.
The Herald Scotland
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
King Creosote's sparked controversy but nothing can eclipse his music
In his concert review, Teddy noted that a list-style song, Dare I Hope I'm One of the Good Guys, reeled off a handful of 'controversial' characters, all of whom Creosote seemed to suggest qualified for the description. They included Van Morrison, JK Rowling and Eric Clapton, as well as Mel Gibson, Alex Jones, Tucker Carlson and Neil Oliver. In a follow-up piece, an 'open letter' from a self-confessed fan of King Creosote (real name, Kenny Anderson), Teddy spoke of having watched him 'possibly torch his good name by telling us in song that he thought that American hard-right commentators such as Alex Jones, Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens as well as local boy and vaccine-sceptic Neil Oliver were among his pantheon of 'good guys''. These days, it really doesn't take much to ignite a skirmish in the forever culture wars, even inadvertently, and those two Herald articles seem to have done that. Read more On Facebook, responding to an earlier post by the Anstruther Harbour Festival that King Creosote would be playing there on June 1, one man wrote: 'Evidently, [Creosote] has been expressing his support for far-right figures, including Alex Jones who harassed parents of children murdered at Sandy Hook. He is said to have done this at a recent performance. Yours is a family festival. Are you going to risk him promoting hatred on YOUR stage?' In a second post, in which he cited the reference to Alex Jones, the same man said: 'If [King Creosote] expressed such views at the festival, it would be a PR disaster and possibly become an unsafe occasion'. Someone else countered: 'My point was, if you weren't [at the Stirling gig], or knew the context of what was said, is it possible that this has been blown up, and out of proportion?' Beneath the Herald's post of Teddy's second article, one person made this observation: 'So an artist with an alternative opinion gets lambasted by mainstream media and folks get annoyed.'. Other voices shared similar sentiments. One of the issues touched on in the online discourse is, to what extent can – should – the artist and his art be separated from his personal life and opinions? As Teddy Jamieson noted: 'It is a bit ridiculous to think that artists should share the same views as you; pernicious, even, to think they are somehow less worthy of admiration if they don't. Art doesn't need to stick to some approved party political line… Still, there is a frisson of sadness when someone whose work has touched you deeply is revealed as someone you wouldn't want to invite round for dinner'. King Creosote's views may not have come entirely as a surprise. Back in November 2023 he told The Herald's Barry Didcock: 'In the last three years I've been writing lyrics that are very politicised, and I've never done that. That's never been a King Creosote thing.' His current concerns were with 'the sort of stuff that gets censored. It's like you can have an opinion these days but it has to be a very certain [one]. It's very narrow. If you agree with this, it's fine, you can say what you like. But if you don't, it's nu-uh'. Was he worried that he would end up being cast as some kind of libertarian, right-wing oddball? 'Yeah, of course. Because I've always been a critical thinker. I'm the guy that asks the awkward question'. Whatever happens in the future, nothing can overshadow Anderson's reputation as one of our finest and most highly-regarded – to say nothing of impressively prolific – songwriters. His most recent studio album, I DES, had as its common themes, as Barry noted in his article, mortality, ageing, and regret. Songs such as Blue Marbled Elm Trees and Burial Bleak were deeply moving. In 2006 Anderson summed up, in an interview for The Word magazine, his career up until that point: busking between 1989-91, 'endless toilet gigs with the Skuobhie Dubh Orchestra, 1991-95; in 1996, 'mad depression for a year' until a eureka moment made him realise that he could actually make his music the way he wanted to. Thus was born the Fence record label and musicians' collective, and a long, long line of lo-fi, self-released King Creosote albums. Things changed in 2005 with KC Rules OK, which was released on 679 Recordings, a Warner Music Group-owned record label. It put Anderson in the studio with members of The Earlies, and the result was a superb, lyrically heartfelt album that contained some of his finest moments: Not One Bit Ashamed, The Vice-Like Gist of It, 678, I'll Fly By the Seat of My Pants, Marguerita Red. On the album, Ian Rankin noted in an appreciation that accompanied a fuller, re-issued version the following year, Anderson 'transforms simple song lyrics into some of the most haunting wee stories around, snapshots of loss and redemption played out against small-town backdrops'. Anderson himself said, in a 2009 interview with Ryan Drever for The Skinny: 'For me, [KC Rules OK] was basically the first chance I got to do a proper album as King Creosote … I think it was the album that made my songs shine. I also think it made people listen to songs that I had put out on my own label in a different light. It was almost like they went 'God, yeah, I think there's actually gonna be good songs on these records' and lo and behold, there are!' Then came Bombshell, in September 2007, a rather beautiful album. Produced and arranged by Jon Hopkins, it was something of a widescreen version of Anderson's customary sound. Plaintive strings and his own accordion ushered in the eerily magnificent opening track, Leslie. Subsequent songs – Home in a Sentence, You've No Clue Do You (which the Herald described as veering in almost a New Order-like direction), Church as Witness, Now Drop Your Bombshell, Admiral, and At the W.A.L. – were as good as anything he had ever written. The Herald's arts editor, Keith Bruce, loved it: 'Bombshell is his finest moment yet', he wrote. 'These 13 east coast mini-sagas of the heart and head are dispatched with a sharp wit and a sublime melodic shine. Producer Jon Hopkins lends the album a gorgeous flow, galloping round the curves with the likes of 'At the W.A.L.' and slowing to an exquisite reverie with the HMS Ginafore-penned 'And the Racket They Made'. Marvellous'. Separately, the Herald also wrote: 'His new album further refines his alternative take on folk, rendering it more accessible without dulling the sharp edges that set him apart from more morose peers, and Bombshell seems the perfect not-so-easy listening track for those windswept autumn days soon to greet us'. In an enthusiastic track-by-track description of the album in the Guardian, Jude Rogers said that one line from Admiral summed up Anderson's songwriting: 'huge emotions delivered in the language of a soft-hearted man, who's trying desperately not to be, accompanied by instruments that hint at softness, but still hold the schmaltz back. What's especially wonderful is that he sounds like no one but himself. This is folk, but it's not traditional or old-fashioned; it's warm, bright and modern. Folk for folk like us'. Unfortunately, Anderson's brush with 679 Recordings did not last long. 'I didn't understand that way of working,' he told the Herald in April 2009, 'and it was quite impersonal.' There were arguments about singles, and album sequencing. 'It was going the wrong way, so I wasn't distraught to come out of that. But I was just a little bit pissed off because I'd done everything I felt I could to cut costs and make it a viable project'. Read more On the Record On Bombshell, he insisted, he had pushed things as far as he could. 'It's as poppy as I could have done. It's as angst-ridden, it's as sarcastic. It's me firing on all cylinders and I just didn't think I could better it, to be honest. And I didn't want to be under any pressure to better it, and I just wanted to have fun with music and not think about any of that'. In a later interview with the Guardian, Anderson elaborated further: Warners had tried to smother the lead single with strings, had tried to tell him what to wear, and had only accepted Hopkins as producer when his previous work with Coldplay had been mentioned. Ahead of Anderson there would be many further glories, including the wondrous, Mercury Prize-shortlisted Diamond Mine (2011), on which he worked with Jon Hopkins, his collaborator on Bombshell. The manager of Domino, the indie label which released the album, is said to have cried when the duo played him the first completed track, 'John Taylor's Month Away'. Three years later, in 2014, came From Scotland with Love, a great collection of Anderson songs that soundtracked an archive documentary film of the same name, directed by Virginia Heath.
The Herald Scotland
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Surely King Creosote is allowed to have his own opinions?
Anderson sang the praises of several right-leaning showbiz controversialists such as Mel Gibson and Eric Clapton – and TV presenter Neil Oliver - prompting critics to ask two central questions; whatever happened to the days when pop stars led the protest vote on behalf of the ordinary person? And in these days of cancel culture, is it clever to voice a political opinion that even Donald Trump supporters would stay clear of? A generation or two ago, we delighted in hearing John Lennon sing Give Peace A Chance, because we all knew the Vietnam War was rancid. And who didn't support Jane Fonda when 'Hanoi Jane' was vilified by American Republicans. Over the years we've heard the liberal protest voice amplified by the likes of Dylan and Springsteen, the Dixie Chicks and Taylor Swift. Read more on King Creosote Those on the right have long wailed into the microphone too. James Cagney was a friend of Ronald Reagan who saw hippies as 'functionless creatures". Charlton Heston and John Wayne were also Good Old Boys who believed guns to be a force for good. And in more recent years the voice of conservatism has been carried loud and clear by Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, Tony Hadley, Lulu and Geri Halliwell. Yet, in these days of polarised opinions and social media pile-ons, is it wise to be too vocal? Sir Elton John, in cautious voice, admits he's left leaning. 'If I was to say what I am, I'd be a Labour man. And in America I'd definitely be a Democrat; I'd never be a Republican. But I just want people to vote for things that are just, things that are important to people; the right to choose, the right to be who you are, and not let anybody else tell you who to be.' PR guru Mark Borkowski supports the argument for artists putting their own message out there – if the cause is right. 'Once upon a time music was synonymous with political dissent. I knew of Peter Paul and Mary primarily through Ed 'Stewpot' Stewart and Puff the Magic Dragon: but for an entire coffee house generation these guys owed their cred as much to their political attitudes and moral and ethical outlook as to their music.' He adds; 'Maybe the rock icons of this age are toothless tigers, a bunch of easy-living no-goods whose rage is all front, a force for nothing bar their own inflated incomes and egos. In which case, forget it, dismiss the Dylans, Seegers, Geldofs, Bonos and other humanitarian rock crusaders as unfortunate blips in musical history, and let's get on with selling the T-shirts.' King Creosote referred to Neil Oliver as 'one of the best guys' (Image: free) Billy Bragg or Paul Weller will sing out their lefty stance from the rooftops. As will Alice Cooper on the right. However, while Bruce Springsteen may be America's blue-collar representative on stage, the Boss suggests caution when it comes to proselytizing. 'The more you do it, your two cents becomes one cent and then no cents whatsoever,' he maintains. 'So, I think your credibility and your impact lessens the more you do it. That's why I've been hesitant to overplay my hand in that area, and I generally come to service when I feel it's kind of necessary and it might help a little bit." Is that what it's about? Measuring mood - and yet still being true to your convictions? Lulu didn't seem to measure the mood in Scotland when the former tenement baby revealed herself a Thatcherite. However, the singer from Dennistoun's record sales didn't nosedive as a result. And actor Vince Vaughn's career didn't suffer a nosebleed, in spite of becoming a Trumpeteer in recent years. Yet, supporting a mainstream political party is one thing, but when you align yourself with extreme thought – a clear example being Mel Gibson's apology for anti-Semitic ranting during his arrest for drink-driving – or tie into conspiracy theories - then your career could be headed for the toilet. PR professional James Nickerson argues that if artists feel strongly about being political, they need to be aware of the potential fallout. 'Artists really have to be sure enough in their belief that if they lose some of their fan base, they will be okay with that.' That doesn't seem to be the case with The Smiths former frontman Morrissey, who once wore a For Britain badge, (a right-wing political party Nigel Farage believed to be made up of 'Nazis and racists'), declared reggae to be 'the most racist music in the world' and defended Harvey Weinstein. The singer later admitted to fans in the US; "As you know, nobody will release my music anymore.' John Wayne was a well-known right-winger (Image: free) So, it's fine to air views, if it's to demand civil rights, or demand the end to wars or battle the gun lobby. But when you cross the line, as actor Laurence Fox seems to have done when making statements such as 'The wokeists are fundamentally a racist bunch' then there's a real chance you can find yourself looking for a new line of work. Yet, we don't want our artists' mouths to be taped up. I once interviewed the icon that is Smokey Robinson and Smokey didn't want to talk about early Motown days or offer thoughts on romancing Diana Ross. All he wanted to talk about for two long hours was Jesus and how God found him. And it was apparent that God hadn't given Robinson the gift of self-awareness. But at least the interview ended with an understanding of the man. And doesn't that signal that even if we don't agree with the voices of the likes of King Creosote it's better to know what a performer actually thinks? What we've also got to consider is that most people who complain about an artist's expression of their views are just upset because they don't agree with their own. So, let's hear the voices from the ends of the spectrum.
The Herald Scotland
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Surely King Creosote is allowed to have his own opinion?
Anderson sang the praises of several right-leaning showbiz controversialists such as Mel Gibson and Eric Clapton – and TV presenter Neil Oliver - prompting critics to ask two central questions; whatever happened to the days when pop stars led the protest vote on behalf of the ordinary person? And in these days of cancel culture, is it clever to voice a political opinion that even Donald Trump supporters would stay clear of? A generation or two ago, we delighted in hearing John Lennon sing Give Peace A Chance, because we all knew the Vietnam War was rancid. And who didn't support Jane Fonda when 'Hanoi Jane' was vilified by American Republicans. Over the years we've heard the liberal protest voice amplified by the likes of Dylan and Springsteen, the Dixie Chicks and Taylor Swift. Read more on King Creosote Those on the right have long wailed into the microphone too. James Cagney was a friend of Ronald Reagan who saw hippies as 'functionless creatures". Charlton Heston and John Wayne were also Good Old Boys who believed guns to be a force for good. And in more recent years the voice of conservatism has been carried loud and clear by Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, Tony Hadley, Lulu and Geri Halliwell. Yet, in these days of polarised opinions and social media pile-ons, is it wise to be too vocal? Sir Elton John, in cautious voice, admits he's left leaning. 'If I was to say what I am, I'd be a Labour man. And in America I'd definitely be a Democrat; I'd never be a Republican. But I just want people to vote for things that are just, things that are important to people; the right to choose, the right to be who you are, and not let anybody else tell you who to be.' PR guru Mark Borkowski supports the argument for artists putting their own message out there – if the cause is right. 'Once upon a time music was synonymous with political dissent. I knew of Peter Paul and Mary primarily through Ed 'Stewpot' Stewart and Puff the Magic Dragon: but for an entire coffee house generation these guys owed their cred as much to their political attitudes and moral and ethical outlook as to their music.' He adds; 'Maybe the rock icons of this age are toothless tigers, a bunch of easy-living no-goods whose rage is all front, a force for nothing bar their own inflated incomes and egos. In which case, forget it, dismiss the Dylans, Seegers, Geldofs, Bonos and other humanitarian rock crusaders as unfortunate blips in musical history, and let's get on with selling the T-shirts.' King Creosote referred to Neil Oliver as 'one of the best guys' (Image: free) Billy Bragg or Paul Weller will sing out their lefty stance from the rooftops. As will Alice Cooper on the right. However, while Bruce Springsteen may be America's blue-collar representative on stage, the Boss suggests caution when it comes to proselytizing. 'The more you do it, your two cents becomes one cent and then no cents whatsoever,' he maintains. 'So, I think your credibility and your impact lessens the more you do it. That's why I've been hesitant to overplay my hand in that area, and I generally come to service when I feel it's kind of necessary and it might help a little bit." Is that what it's about? Measuring mood - and yet still being true to your convictions? Lulu didn't seem to measure the mood in Scotland when the former tenement baby revealed herself a Thatcherite. However, the singer from Dennistoun's record sales didn't nosedive as a result. And actor Vince Vaughn's career didn't suffer a nosebleed, in spite of becoming a Trumpeteer in recent years. Yet, supporting a mainstream political party is one thing, but when you align yourself with extreme thought – a clear example being Mel Gibson's apology for anti-Semitic ranting during his arrest for drink-driving – or tie into conspiracy theories - then your career could be headed for the toilet. PR professional James Nickerson argues that if artists feel strongly about being political, they need to be aware of the potential fallout. 'Artists really have to be sure enough in their belief that if they lose some of their fan base, they will be okay with that.' That doesn't seem to be the case with The Smiths former frontman Morrissey, who once wore a For Britain badge, (a right-wing political party Nigel Farage believed to be made up of 'Nazis and racists'), declared reggae to be 'the most racist music in the world' and defended Harvey Weinstein. The singer later admitted to fans in the US; "As you know, nobody will release my music anymore.' John Wayne was a well-known right-winger (Image: free) So, it's fine to air views, if it's to demand civil rights, or demand the end to wars or battle the gun lobby. But when you cross the line, as actor Laurence Fox seems to have done when making statements such as 'The wokeists are fundamentally a racist bunch' then there's a real chance you can find yourself looking for a new line of work. Yet, we don't want our artists' mouths to be taped up. I once interviewed the icon that is Smokey Robinson and Smokey didn't want to talk about early Motown days or offer thoughts on romancing Diana Ross. All he wanted to talk about for two long hours was Jesus and how God found him. And it was apparent that God hadn't given Robinson the gift of self-awareness. But at least the interview ended with an understanding of the man. And doesn't that signal that even if we don't agree with the voices of the likes of King Creosote it's better to know what a performer actually thinks? What we've also got to consider is that most people who complain about an artist's expression of their views are just upset because they don't agree with their own. So, let's hear the voices from the ends of the spectrum.
