1SM Friday, July 22, 2016 ............... 51

Watch video of band at:thescottishsun.co.uk

ON: THE PETSHOP BOYS

I’m collectingthem on vinyl

NEWMUSICBy Jim Gellatly

HALO TORAWHO: Chris Alexander (vocals/guitar), Ian McCall (vocals/gui-tar), Mark Young (bass), RyanConnery (piano /keys), ChrisMcKeown (drums).WHERE:Glasgow.FORFANSOF:Biffy Clyro, Mog-wai, Coheed and Cambria.JIM SAYS: Since releasing theirdebut album Omni\One lastyear, Halo Tora have been on aroll.

Back in May they played TheGreat Escape in Brighton, theUK’s biggest and most influen-tial showcase for emerging acts.

Last month the band were inaction at Scotland’s premierrock and metal festival, Wildfire.

Chris Alexander and ChrisMcKeown previously playedwith Airdrie outfit Anavris, com-ing together as Halo Toraaround 2011.

Chris Alexander told me: “Wewanted to take our sound in adifferent direction and thisrequired a different line-up. Weknew Ian from playing showswith his band at the time so wegot him in. I met Ryan in a musicshop that I worked in and he toldme he played piano. I practicallygrabbed him and gave him nochoice but to come for a jam.The bass position has reshuf-fled a few times but we are deadset now with Mark at the helm.

“The response to the albumhas been incredible. At Wildfirewe were hearing people sing thewords back to us in a place thatisn’t our home. For people to getthe record enough to listen andlearn the songs is absolutely

amazing. We are truly grateful toeveryone that has taken noticeof it.”

Omni\One is a glorious mix ofmetal, prog and post-rock. Anatmospheric soundscape thathooks you in, it has a certain cin-ematic quality.

Chris explained: “There are amillion things that inspire andinfluence us on a daily basis.Speaking for myself I’d have tosay someone like John Carpen-ter is a huge influence on mecreatively. He wrote, directedand scored the music for theHalloween movie franchise.”

Always challenging them-selves musically, Halo Tora are aband forever moving forward.

Chris said: “We have alwaysstayed clear of pigeon holeswith this band. We write what welike.

“With the album we tried topush the boundaries as far aswe could. It was a challenge butwe are incredibly proud.”

After sell-out shows at Audioand King Tut’s in Glasgow, HaloTora now have their sights setfurther afield, with a Europeantour planned for October. Theguys are also working on newmaterial.

Chris added: “We can’t wait tounleash our new work. We’vebeen working hard writing foranother record. It costs anunbelievable amount of moneyto make an album so we justneed to finance it. If there areany rich music enthusiasts outthere, hit us up.”More info: www.halotora.coml Jim presents a weekly show-case of NewMusic onAmazingRadio, Sundays, 2-4pm.

www.amazingradio.comwww.jimgellatly.com

ingback theyearsWEDELVEINTOPHIZZ-WHIZZINGARCHIVESOFBGFGREAT

THE INITIAL IDEARoald kept two ideas books to write down hisearly thoughts.

In one of the books, the notes read: “AFantasy . . . The man who captured and kept inbottles ideas from the brain . . . thoughts . . . piecesof knowledge . . . jokes.”

Underneath this, Roald had written “B.F.G.”and “Big Friendly Giant”.

The next note seems to suggest he wasinitially thinking of this as something quitespooky.

It says: “Not many people know about theBig Friendly Giant. He only comes out at night.He moves very silently. He is careful not to beseen.”

Alongside this text, Roald drew a picture of atrumpet-like implement blowing a smoke-likesubstance towards a sleeping child.

FIRST APPEARANCE IN PRINTAs true Roald fans will know, the character

of The BFG first appears in his earlier novelDanny, The Champion of the World in a storytold by Danny’s dad.

Roald wrote a poem about The BFG for theoriginal draft of Danny, which included theselines:

And out of the doorIn the grassy floorThere comes a giant manWith a jet black cloakHe is tall as a treeHe creeps on his toesTowards the caravanStraight for the caravan.The poem did not make it into the final

draft.FIRST DRAFT

In the original draft of The BFG, the centralcharacter is a boy called Jody not a girl namedSophie. And the BFG talks in normal language,not Gobblefunk.

He wears a tall black hat, a leather apron,black trousers and black leather boots. Insteadof a suitcase, he carries a knapsack.

He is 18ft tall. In the final draft he is 24ft.The snozzcumber makes an appearance but

there is no mention of frobscottle orwhizzpoppers yet.

GOBBLEFUNKRoald ultimately decided to make up a whole

new language for the BFG, and called itGobblefunk.

WHIZZPOPPINGWriting to his editor about one of the later

versions of the story, Roald tells him that hehas added a scene in which The BFG does awhizz-popper for the Queen.

Roald knows this is vulgar but he alsoknows that children will love it. (This is agreat scene in the movie, too!)

In an interview, Roald states his beliefthat children find nothing funnier than anadult farting!

He thinks bodily functions are mysteriousand funny to kids and that theyalso humanise adults.

WHAT THE BFG WOREThe BFG originally wore boots but

they didn’t look right in Quentin Blake’sinitial illustrations.

One day, Quentin received one ofRoald’s own giant Norwegian sandals inthe post which he then incorporatedinto the drawings.

This is probably the only time Roaldever made alterations to the text ofhis story to suit Quentin’sillustrations.

THE BFG movie launches in cinemastoday and promises to be the film of thesummer. The book about little Sophie’sadventures with the Big Friendly Giantwas published in 1982, just eight yearsbefore Roald Dahl’s death in 1990. Tocoincide with the film, there is a newBFG exhibition at the Roald DahlMuseum and Story Centre in GreatMissenden, Bucks.Here we delve into the amazing

archives to see just where all thewhizzpoppers and Gobblefunk came from.

BOOKS Edited byNATASHA HARDING

1. After You – Jojo Moyes2. The Girl on the Train –Paula Hawkins3. Get Even – Martina Cole

4. Murder House – JamesPatterson5.MeBeforeYou – Jojo Moyes

Chart fromWHSmith

NEWVERSIONISBRILLIDICIOUS

THE BFGRoald Dahl &Quentin Blake, £11.99

THIS beautwiddle edition is availableexclusively at Waterstones, with some

editions also available in the House ofIllustration shop. We asked ZAK HOPE, ten, toreview the new version of the book. He writes:

I’VE read all of Roald Dahl’s books and The BFG isone of my favourites. This version is really special. It’sgot lots of pictures I haven’t seen before and thatmakes it seem more memorwizzle. The BFG tells thestory of Sophie’s adventureswhen she’s taken from her bedin the dead of night by a giant.

It sounds really scary but itisn’t because the giant,although HUGE, is actuallyvery friendly and he looks afterSophie really well and they goon a magical journey togetherwhere they catch dreams.

I love the way that the giantspeaks, it makes me laugh alot. I’ve read this book threetimes before, but I’ll read itagain. It’s brillidicious.

HHHHH

BOOKOFTHEWEEK