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The Red and Hlark
Tuesday, April 28.1981
XTC, R.E.M. show both a good time and a challenge
Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding of XTC
By KEVIN BICKNELL
K<4 ind BUck Staff Wrtur
The Friday night concert
by XTC and R E M. at the B
and L Warehouse (sponsored
by Tyrone's and the 40 Watt
Club) was, before it was
anything else, an event
Although both of the bands
had a reputation for ex
cellent live shows, it was
where the performance took
place that was so appealing
The B and L Warehouse
does not exactly have a
reputation for putting in
novative rock and roll on its
stage For the most part, the
club books either in
terchangeable boogie bands
or heavy metal cover
groups With the exception of
last Tuesday's Nighthawks
show, one would have to go
back to the Four Tops show a
year ago for an original rock
act booked in the club.
And yet here were two
groups that would likely be
dismissed by the majority of
B and L regulars as “new
wave” not only playing the
club, but also drawing a
capacity crowd Included in
that crowd were people who
go there all the time, if one
could judge by their cowboy
hats arid Van Halen T-shirts
And as these people had paid
at least $5 for a ticket, one
could conclude that they had
really paid to see the bands
What was going on?
For R.E.M. this was
another step in their
progression from a cult band
originally started for nothing
more than a good time to a
tightly knit rock band with at
least the potential to gain a
mass audience should they
choose to do so.
So much haS been said
about R.E.M., almost all of it
dripping with praise, that
anything else sounds
redundant. I won't say
anything about the perfect
summing-up-an-era chords
that Pete Buck used to start
"Gardening at Night," or the
confidence that Michael
Mills' background singing
has gained, or the fact that
Bill Berry looked like he was
going to collapse from
exhaustion but played hard
anyway. I'll just say that if
there were any justice in this
world, this group would be
on the radio.
For all that though,
R.E.M. just put on their
usual superb show. XTC was
the real surprise
The band had always
struck me as an art-rock
band with a pop overlay but
from their opening song,
"Real by Reel,” on they
played a set of the most
bone-crushing rock
imaginable.
With only a few exceptions
such as the stunning
"Generals and Majors," the
keyboard sound that
dominates the group’s
records was replaced by
Colin Moulding's
jackhammer bass This gave
the group a sound that could
be described as heavy-
metal-with-a-beat but which
is closer to the Kinks when
they recorded “You Really
Got Me."
The Kinks comparison was
further suggested by Andy
Partridge, the lead singer,
guitarist, and chief
songwriter for the group
who, in his stage movements
called up Ray Davies, Nick
Lowe and others in the
Cheers
tradition of British smart-
alecks. Especially during
the anthem-like "Respec
table Street,” Partridge
acted like a man who had too
much stage presence for his
own good, fairly writhing in
comic psychosis
Most important of all, the
band connected with their
audience, including the
regulars, and this was why
the show made sense.
It is only natural that
bands as good as XTC and
R.E.M. should attract a
large and diverse audience,
and playing places like the B
and L (where they attracted
over 1,000 people) is the best
way of doing so Their ac
ceptance by people who are
usually accustomed to bands
like Eli and Subway says
good things about the
current rock and roll
audience. It says that the
audience is ready to accept a
band, new wave or not (and
the term “new wave" has
long outlived its usefulness),
on the basis of quality.
In a way, this raises a
challenge to the B and L.
They have to face the fact
that their audiences will
accept better shows than
they have been given and
that there is a whole new
audience beyond them. The
B and L can continue as
usual, or they can bring
exciting and original music
to greater numbers of people
than ever before. Here's
hoping they do it.
The 1981 varsity cheerleading squad
will practice long hours to do just that
‘Pippin" inaudible as ballroom claims another victim
By NANCY L. NETHERY
Red and Black Staff Writer
In the last scene of “Pippin," an enraged Leading
Player tells Charlemagne s son Pippin to try living
without costumes, pink lights and magic
Luckily, he didn't mention choreography, for dance
and movement put the little pizzazz into Thursday
night's performance at the Memorial Hall Ballroom
The sold-out show, as played by Daedalus Produc
tions of New York in conjunction with the Performing
Arts division of the University Union, was debilitated
by both uneven performances and the ballroom's in
adequacies
This musical comedy utilizes a troupe of traveling
players to act out Pippin's search for fulfillment “Pip
pin" is a racy, colorful adventure, enhanced by a cat
chy score guaranteed to plague one's daydreams for
weeks
Unfortunately, Thursday’s show failed to capture
"Pippin's" rowdy charm. Pippin's mother Fastrada,
as portrayed by Lisa Pauline, was an admirable cross
between a maleficent Miss Piggy and a refined bar
maid, but her lines were nearly inaudible Pippin
(David Anderson) and the Leading Player-
Charlemagne (Daniel David) also had projection pro
blems on and off during the show
However, the facility itself was probably more
distracting than any of the onstage foibles. With the ex
ception of the larger chorus numbers, the music disap
peared into the cavernous depths of the ballroom. The
floor-level stage was difficult-to-impossible to see. and
even the use of several sets of risers raised the number
of "good" seats to, perhaps, 25.
Performing under these conditions was rather like
attempting to swim in a bathtub. Yet the players made
a creditable effort and the performance had several
moments of excellence, particularly the dance se
quences Especially memorable was Pippin's pursuit
of a wood nymph in a ballet between man, woman,
unicorn and snake The eerie battle song "Glory”
showed the male chorus to good advantage For sheer
fun, the "go for the gusto" advice of Pippin's
grandmother-in-drag. (Mark Wolff) was tops, though
some of the scene’s humor was dulled by the
unintelligibility which plagued the entire production.
In essence, Daedalus' production of “Pippin" was
solid, though not sparkling, a pleasant evening which
never quite claimed its own corner of the sky.
By SUSAN HANDELMAN
Rfd and Black Contributing Writer
Even though football season is still five
months away, some Georgia supporters are
anxious to show their Bulldog spirit.
After weeks of rigid practice and cut
sessions, the 1981 cheerleading squad took
over on Saturday.
Next year's squad includes: Donna
Morrison, the girl's captain and a three-year
member; Mary Claire Pruett, a new
member and the new Miss Georgia Football;
Lisa Daffin, a new varsity member; Deidre
Cummins, a member of last year’s squad;
Ann Kelly, also a member of last year's
squad; and Shawn Sarajian, a new varsity
member.
The 1981 boy's squad includes: Bob Fuller,
a new member , Freddie Wheeler, also a new
member; Doug Padgett, a three year
veteran; Barry Odom, who was a member of
last year’s squad; Max Grizzard and Stan
Beecham, both new members of the varsity
squad.
The route to being a Georgia cheerleader is
very competitive, according to Mike
Castronis, the cheerleaders' adviser.
"Seventy plus girls came out on April 6th,”
Castronis said The first practice also drew
25 male competitors
Practices were held daily until May 15
when the first cuts were made at the
Coliseum when 25 girls were cut and all the
boys remained in the competition, Castronis
said.
The judges included coaches, former
cheerleaders, a student solo twirler and a
gymnast.
The second cut was on April 22, leaving 15
girls and 10 boys making up the boys' squad
of eight varsity and two junior varsity
cheerleaders
The final cut for the girls was on Saturday
at G-Day pre-game ceremonies, after the
judges interviewed the applicants.
For the new cheerleaders the work has just
begun.
"Every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday we
have two-hour practice sessions,” Castronis
said. “In the Sunday session we have a game
analysis where they are given a game
situation and asked what cheer is ap
propriate,” he said.
July 4-6 the cheerleaders will join
Castronis at the YMCA Boy's Camp in
Tallulah Falls to practice three times a day
“They have no outside distractions,” he
said, "and they also have a good time."
August 10-14 the Athletic Department
sends the cheerleaders to a clinic camp for
college cheerleaders on the University of
Tennessee campus at Knoxville, Tenn,
Professionals teach different chants,
traditional yells and pyramids to the 150
squads in attendance.
The squad returns 10 days before the first
game and practices two times a day.
Castronis stressed the cheerleaders’
outside activities, such as appearances at the
Bulldog Club in Augusta, the Quarterback
Club in Atlanta and an appearance next week
at the Coliseum.
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