I had my Bad Manners show ruined by some skinheads Saturday night. "Skinhead!", you say. Yeah, but keep in mind these skinheads were not the racist Nazi skinheads that many people believe are what all skinheads are. In fact, some of these skinheads were Chicanos. Confused yet?
Well, what I have discovered down here in Los Angeles is a fascinating sub-culture of working class Hispanic youth that are enthralled with the British working class youth/fashion movements of the late 70's-early 80's. Skinheads, Rock-a-Billy (or PsychoBilly), and Oi! Punks with Spanish surnames abound in this city. I don't know enough about it to know why this is or how it started, but there is a sizable Chicano following for these styles, often crossing over from one to another. Another strange thing is that many of them are fervent followers of Morrisey and The Smiths; they now pretty much make up his fan base here in Southern California--but that is a whole other story.
Many skinheads are known as S.H.A.R.P.s, which stands for skinheads against racial prejudice. It is an actual organization,but many Skins who are not officially part of it identify themselves as such. This working class youth movement began in England in the 1960s and was originally an outgrowth of the mod movement. The skins were more or less the poorer mods who couldn't afford all the latest fashions than the more well off peacock-ish mods could and they tended to be from rougher backgrounds and thus more gang-oriented and prone to violence.
The Skins favored Dr.Marten steel-toe boots, straight-leg Levi jeans or Sta-prest trousers, button-down shirts, Fred Perry or Ben Sherman polo shirts and braces (aka, suspenders), and flight jackets or blazers. They were rabid fans of the Jamaican music they heard from their Caribbean immigrant neighbors: ska, rock steady and early reggae.
When reggae began slowing down the tempo of the music and started singing about Black Nationalism and Rastafarianism, the Skins could no longer relate to the music and thus their connection to Jamaican music ends by about the very early 70's. Their was a skinhead revival in the late 70's that was parallel to the punk movement and found Skins following certain harder edged street punk groups as well as forming the core fan base for the 2 Tone revival of ska in the late 70's-early 80's, a more uptemo, punk-infected take on the genre.
Bad Manners was one of these groups, though they never actually recorded for the 2 Tone label. They were a strictly-for-fun 9 piece ensemble who recorded ska-pop orginals as well as covers of old ska, reggae, 50's R&B and novelty songs. They were and continue to be led by Buster Bloodvessel, a bald, 300 + pound mountain of a man who liked to revel in his own girth and stick out his considerably large tongue a lot. Between 1980 and 1983 they amassed 12 chart hits and were seen as a lightweight alternative to some of the more earnest socio-political messages being articulated in song by The Specials, The Selecter, and The (English) Beat. When the ska craze in England died down, so too did Bad Manners popularity. They tried to move away from their ska roots and released a dreadful pop album on the Portrait label called "Mental Notes". That flopped and in the 20-odd years since they have been a cult act who have toured the world playing the old hits and r eleasing a string of forgettable ska-oriented albums and countless compilations, re-recordings and live albums.
Which leads us finally to the show itself. I arrive at he Knitting Factory's main room, which is a dark and fairly unremarkable performance space with a back bar and an upstairs balcony that is closed off for tonight. Buster (now the only remaining original member) is holding court near the bar: chatting with fans and taking photos with them. In every single photo op he sticks out his tongue. I have seen Bad Manners a couple times before, but that was up in the college town of Chico, California and it is now a good 15 years ago. Buster appears much shorter than I remember him, considerably less than six feet. What is really surprising is how much weight he has lost. He is much more svelte than he has even been in his life. I'm thinking he must of had gastro-bypass surgery.
Bad Manners take the stage at 10:30 to their traditional opener "Echo 4-2". Buster hits the stage and they proceed to move through the same set they have been playing for years. I think only a couple new songs are ever added to the format of hits and live favorites from the first four albums. A couple of things from their late 80's attempt at a serious comeback are now live staples, including "This is Ska", "Sally Brown" and "Skaville UK".
All seems to be going fine, when all of a sudden, the crowd starts moving in my direction and away from the front right-hand side of the stage. I look over and see two Mexican skins pummeling some white guy senseless. The music stops and security come over and grab the dazed victim, who is bleeding profusely from his lower lip, and start to escort him from the building. I am thinking that it will only be a moment before the guys administering the beating will get the same treatment. Nothing happens. The band start to play again and now one of the Mexican skins has taken his shirt off (for some reason,a classic tough guy move) that shows off his muscles and his 2 Tone man and English Beat girl tattoos. At this point you get the sense that he is not through kicking ass, and it takes just a few seconds before he starts attacking someone else in the crowd. The band stops again and security again make a feeble attempt to restore order. This mostly involves waving flashlights around . Once again they don't do anything to try and kick out the trouble makers.
Buster has left the stage momentarily, perhaps he is in discussion with the promoter over what is becoming of the show. He returns and make a plea for everyone to stop the violence and that what we need to do is show one another "luff". At least the guy is trying. He then strikes up the band to start playing a slow ska-reggae version of "Can't Keep My Eyes Off Of You", perhaps hoping the lilting lovers rock tune will mellow out the crowd. A white skinhead couple are dancing cheek-to-cheek right next to me when all of a sudden they are violently shoved by some other Mexican skin. They shove back and things seem to be unraveling quickly. At this rate,Ska-Reggae's message of racial unity may be forgotten pretty soon. I start sizing up which exit is closest and/or easiest to get to in case this thing blows wide open. I might be seen as a likely target for someone to get their Saturday night frustrations-jollies out on.
A Mexican skinhead girl (who looks like quite the bruiser, let me tell you) pushes her way through the crowd and wallops some other girl for no apparent reason. And in a unintentionally funny moment, Buster says from the stage, "That doesn't look like luff to me." No kidding, big man.
The security staff have had enough and I see one of them give to the finger over neck symbol to kill the show. The sound man gets on his mike and declares the show is over. Many people, including myself,are unhappy, but perhaps a little relieved too. This does not change the fact that we paid $20 and only got to see approximately half the show. People mill around not wanting to leave, while the security staff start waving their stupid flashlights around. People are screaming about refunds and a crowd gathers at the box office outside in a vain attempt to get their money back. That isn't going to happen any time soon, so I am out of there.
It is really sad that 95 or so people had their Saturday night ruined by the actions of maybe 5 morons. I abhor violence, but if it has to happen, then let it be for a reason. These idiots seemed hell bent on creating a violent confrontation just for kicks or as some stupid weekend ritual they go through all the time to prove how tough they are or as a temporary escape from their grim day-to-day lives. But now I'm being extremely speculative.
As I move east down Hollywood Boulevard, away from The Knitting Factory and that night's debacle, I see a couple of cop cars and an ambulance heading in the other direction. I'm pretty sure I know where they are headed.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Ghosts of Top Ten Lists Past
I was rummaging through some old boxes at my parent's house yesterday and I uncovered a list of top ten albums of the year that I had done in the mid-80's. These were the first and last top tens I did until 2000.
It is quite the time capsule of what I was into at the time. 85'-87' were pretty seminal years as far as my music fandom went. It may have been the peak of my music fan obsession. 80' and 81' were my Beatle years. 82'-83' had a lot of "new wave" like Elvis Costello,XTC, Talking Heads,Squeeze and Joe Jackson ;synth-pop (Heaven 17, Thomas Dolby and Thompson Twins, anyone?) ; new romantics (hello, ABC), Two-Tone (Specials, English Beat and Madness) and punk survivors like The Jam and The Clash. 1984 I started to embrace a lot of the rootsy American bands (Long Ryders, Three O'Clock, Dream Syndicate, Blasters,True West, Los Lobos,Green On Red, The Gun Club) that were making a name for themselves on college radio and starting to creep onto the fringes of the mainstream via modern rock stations like The Quake in San Francisco or KWOD in SacTown. British band like Echo and the Bunnymen, The Alarm, The Pogues and The Smiths figured highly in 84',too.
Concurrent with all of this, especially since about 84', was my interest in older music, "source music" as Guy Kyser once said. Through my buddy, Morgan Young, I learned all about the 60's American and British bands other than The Beatles, bands who became the backbone of my entire music collection and sensibility--though that other stuff I listened to is still a part of me too. On my own I investigated soul, funk, 50's rockers,rockabilly and some country.
Yet what is happening at the time is what you can actually experience first hand and so these lists document a time when I would obsessively follow these band and know everything about them I could (all that one could in the pre-internet stone-age),as if my life depended on it. I still love music, but it would never be quite the same again. I don't think it ever is once you are no longer a teenager.
Anyway, the lists are accurate I suppose. I am shocked that there is no Pogues on any of these lists (must of forgot them), as well as being baffled as to why Naked Prey made it twice; I don't remember much about those roots rocking dudes. No surprise to see my big four of that era all over these lists: Husker Du, The Replacements, R.E.M. and The Smiths.
Then, as is now, they are not the most cutting-edge lists you will ever see. They represent stuff that was maybe on the more popular and accessible side of what passed for "alternative" or "college radio" type music.More than half are on major labels. I can't pretend I was discovering the most obscure or hip bands back then or now. That said, these acts, with the exception of R.E.M., were hardly selling huge quantities of records. I guess my love of The Beatles has set me up for a lifetime of needing music that was catchy, hooky,song-driven. No matter the style, I think all of these records qualify as having that. Anyway, without further ado, here are those lists.
Top 10 1985
1) Husker Du- "Flip Your Wig"
2) Husker Du- "New Day Rising"
3) The Replacements- "Tim"
4) The Smiths-"Meat is Murder"
5) Green on Red- "Gas, Food, Lodging"
6) Shriekback- "Oil and Gold"
7) R.E.M.- "Fables of the Reconstruction"
8) Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers- "Rockin and Romance"
9) Billy Bragg- "Brewing Up With"
10) Camper Van Beethoven- "S/T"
Honorable mentions: XTC "Big Express"; Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper "S/T"; Jefferey Lee Pierce "Wildweed"; Jesus and Mary Chain "Psychocandy"; Channel 3 "Last Time I Drank", Talking Heads "Little Creatures".
Top 10 1986
1) Peter Case- "S/T"
2) Elvis Costello -"King of America"
3) Screaming Blue Messiahs- "Gun Shy"
4) Husker Du- "Candy Apple Grey"
5) R.E.M.- "Life's Rich Pagent"
6) The Cramps- "A Date with Elvis"
7) The Housemartins- "London 0 Hull 4"
8) Elvis Costello and the Attractions- "Blood and Chocolate" (In retrospect, should not be on this list)
9) The Smiths- "The Queen is Dead"
10) Naked Prey- "Under the Blue Marlin" (Still trying to figure out why they are here)
Honorable mentions: Billy Bragg "Talking with the Taxman About Poetry"; Let's Active "Big Plans for Everybody"; XTC "Skylarking"; The Redskins "Neither Washington Nor Moscow".
Top 10 1987
1) Husker Du- "Warehouse: Songs and Stories"
2) The Replacements- "Pleased To Meet Me"
3) The Meat Puppets- "Huevos"
4) R.E.M.- "Document" (This should not be on here either; first lame album of their career)
5) Warren Zevon - "Sentimental Hygiene" (He sticks out like a sore thumb. Great album despite the bloated 80's production)
6) Thin White Rope- "Moonhead" (Might seem like a nod to the hometown boys, but it really is a great album)
7) Dinosaur- "You're Living All Over Me" (Before they had to add the "Jr" to their name)
8) The Gun Club- "Mother Juno"
9) The Screaming Blue Messiahs- "Bikini Red"
10) Naked Prey- "40 Miles From Nowhere" (Again with these guys--why?)
Honorable mentions: Sonic Youth "Sister"; Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers "Modern Lovers 88' "; The Soup Dragons "Hang Ten".
It is quite the time capsule of what I was into at the time. 85'-87' were pretty seminal years as far as my music fandom went. It may have been the peak of my music fan obsession. 80' and 81' were my Beatle years. 82'-83' had a lot of "new wave" like Elvis Costello,XTC, Talking Heads,Squeeze and Joe Jackson ;synth-pop (Heaven 17, Thomas Dolby and Thompson Twins, anyone?) ; new romantics (hello, ABC), Two-Tone (Specials, English Beat and Madness) and punk survivors like The Jam and The Clash. 1984 I started to embrace a lot of the rootsy American bands (Long Ryders, Three O'Clock, Dream Syndicate, Blasters,True West, Los Lobos,Green On Red, The Gun Club) that were making a name for themselves on college radio and starting to creep onto the fringes of the mainstream via modern rock stations like The Quake in San Francisco or KWOD in SacTown. British band like Echo and the Bunnymen, The Alarm, The Pogues and The Smiths figured highly in 84',too.
Concurrent with all of this, especially since about 84', was my interest in older music, "source music" as Guy Kyser once said. Through my buddy, Morgan Young, I learned all about the 60's American and British bands other than The Beatles, bands who became the backbone of my entire music collection and sensibility--though that other stuff I listened to is still a part of me too. On my own I investigated soul, funk, 50's rockers,rockabilly and some country.
Yet what is happening at the time is what you can actually experience first hand and so these lists document a time when I would obsessively follow these band and know everything about them I could (all that one could in the pre-internet stone-age),as if my life depended on it. I still love music, but it would never be quite the same again. I don't think it ever is once you are no longer a teenager.
Anyway, the lists are accurate I suppose. I am shocked that there is no Pogues on any of these lists (must of forgot them), as well as being baffled as to why Naked Prey made it twice; I don't remember much about those roots rocking dudes. No surprise to see my big four of that era all over these lists: Husker Du, The Replacements, R.E.M. and The Smiths.
Then, as is now, they are not the most cutting-edge lists you will ever see. They represent stuff that was maybe on the more popular and accessible side of what passed for "alternative" or "college radio" type music.More than half are on major labels. I can't pretend I was discovering the most obscure or hip bands back then or now. That said, these acts, with the exception of R.E.M., were hardly selling huge quantities of records. I guess my love of The Beatles has set me up for a lifetime of needing music that was catchy, hooky,song-driven. No matter the style, I think all of these records qualify as having that. Anyway, without further ado, here are those lists.
Top 10 1985
1) Husker Du- "Flip Your Wig"
2) Husker Du- "New Day Rising"
3) The Replacements- "Tim"
4) The Smiths-"Meat is Murder"
5) Green on Red- "Gas, Food, Lodging"
6) Shriekback- "Oil and Gold"
7) R.E.M.- "Fables of the Reconstruction"
8) Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers- "Rockin and Romance"
9) Billy Bragg- "Brewing Up With"
10) Camper Van Beethoven- "S/T"
Honorable mentions: XTC "Big Express"; Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper "S/T"; Jefferey Lee Pierce "Wildweed"; Jesus and Mary Chain "Psychocandy"; Channel 3 "Last Time I Drank", Talking Heads "Little Creatures".
Top 10 1986
1) Peter Case- "S/T"
2) Elvis Costello -"King of America"
3) Screaming Blue Messiahs- "Gun Shy"
4) Husker Du- "Candy Apple Grey"
5) R.E.M.- "Life's Rich Pagent"
6) The Cramps- "A Date with Elvis"
7) The Housemartins- "London 0 Hull 4"
8) Elvis Costello and the Attractions- "Blood and Chocolate" (In retrospect, should not be on this list)
9) The Smiths- "The Queen is Dead"
10) Naked Prey- "Under the Blue Marlin" (Still trying to figure out why they are here)
Honorable mentions: Billy Bragg "Talking with the Taxman About Poetry"; Let's Active "Big Plans for Everybody"; XTC "Skylarking"; The Redskins "Neither Washington Nor Moscow".
Top 10 1987
1) Husker Du- "Warehouse: Songs and Stories"
2) The Replacements- "Pleased To Meet Me"
3) The Meat Puppets- "Huevos"
4) R.E.M.- "Document" (This should not be on here either; first lame album of their career)
5) Warren Zevon - "Sentimental Hygiene" (He sticks out like a sore thumb. Great album despite the bloated 80's production)
6) Thin White Rope- "Moonhead" (Might seem like a nod to the hometown boys, but it really is a great album)
7) Dinosaur- "You're Living All Over Me" (Before they had to add the "Jr" to their name)
8) The Gun Club- "Mother Juno"
9) The Screaming Blue Messiahs- "Bikini Red"
10) Naked Prey- "40 Miles From Nowhere" (Again with these guys--why?)
Honorable mentions: Sonic Youth "Sister"; Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers "Modern Lovers 88' "; The Soup Dragons "Hang Ten".
FTJ
Note: This show took place in January 2008.
Just wanted to tell you about the From The Jam show. Pretty great show from Bruce, Rick and the other two. This took place last Saturday at The El Rey Theater in the Wilshire District.
First up was Hugh Cornwell, formerly of The Stranglers. I was looking forward to seeing him, but I have to say that it was pretty underwhelming. He performed as a trio with a bassist and drummer. Most importantly, no keyboard player. This was unfortunately all too apparent on all the Stranglers material he played. Those Doors-ish keyboard touches were sorely missed on stuff like, "Peaches". His set would be one Stranglers tune, one undistinguished solo tune,repeat. So we got "Get A Grip", "Hanging Around", "Nice and Sleazy", "Peaches","Always The Sun", "Down In The Sewer" and some ho-hum solo work.However, Hugh did not seem that into it at all. He looked a little haggard and though he knows the Stranglers material is his bread and butter, I think he might be a bit bored with having to play them at this point. To make matters worse, his vocals were kind of buried in the mix.
Then came the main event--From The Jam! Bruce Foxton on bass, Rick Buckler on drums, some stand-in for Paul Weller on guitar, and some other dude on second guitar and occasional keyboards. They really nailed it in my opinion. The sound was perfect, the energy was there and the Paul Weller-alike did a credible job of imitating Paul's gruff vocals of that period.
They kicked off with "In The City" of course and proceeded to sail through the band's catalogue for about 90 minutes. It was hit singles like "Start", "Eton Rifles", "Down In The Tubestation","Town Called Malice","Strange Town","The Modern World", "When You're Young" that filled up the great majority of the set. They also threw in some album tracks like, "Little Boy Soldiers","It's Too Bad", "In The Crowd","To Be Someone","Pretty Green" and "The Gift". Bruce Foxton got to sing his two best Jam numbers, "Smithers-Jones" and "News of the World",as well as sing "David Watts" like he did on the Jam's version. They also threw in rare B-side cover of the Who's "So Sad About Us", which may say more about what happened to the original group than it does about their obvious debt to the Who's music. Thankfully such Bruce gems as "London Traffic" were not tackled.
Bruce Foxton (at least from 20 feet away) looked like he was beamed in from 1982. He had the same mullet hair, same build, same suit and two-tone mod shoes as he did back in the day. He also did the leaps and flying kicks of old, like he did on the back of second album. Rick, even from a distance, looks like he is getting on a bit, but the drumming was rock-solid and he seems to be in pretty good shape. I was disappointed that they didn't do "Funeral Pyre", with it's distinctive drum pattern / solo to spotlight Rick's talents. Bruce may have said hello but that was about it. Rick said nothing. The Paul Weller stand-in would introduce songs and mumble a few things in a heavy,and at times indecipherable,cockney accent, usually punctuated with a "Nice One!"
The crowd was pretty fired up as California crowds go and Rick and Bruce got rousing applause when they were introduced. They really seemed to be loving the adulation, especially Rick. I found it kind of heart-warming to see these guys get their due again, after all these years and particularly since Paul left them high and dry when he broke up the band. Weller wanted to move on and work with other musicians in other styles, which I suppose is his prerogative. However, he not only pulled the plug on the band when they were at their peak, but he has not even spoken to them since then. I know Weller is supposed to be kind of a dick, but come on! It was no surprise that Bruce and Rick faded out of the limelight pretty quickly, like within a year or so.
I am surprised that this alliance did not happen sooner, like 10 to 15 years sooner. Bruce was playing with Stiff Little Fingers for a time and Rick has been doing his Jam tribute band The Gift for a couple of years. This band is really The Gift + Bruce Foxton.
I'm not saying that I actually saw The Jam. Paul Weller was the voice, the song-writer, and the vision for that band. I saw him last year and he as that charisma that separates stars from the just regular guys, like his FTJ stand-in. Weller is open to performing a couple of Jam songs per show, but is unlikely to fully embrace that part of his career; he doesn't have to. So, this is probably the closest we will ever get to seeing the real deal and it ain't bad. It felt nice to contribute to the Bruce and Rick retirement fund. It was also worth every penny.
Just wanted to tell you about the From The Jam show. Pretty great show from Bruce, Rick and the other two. This took place last Saturday at The El Rey Theater in the Wilshire District.
First up was Hugh Cornwell, formerly of The Stranglers. I was looking forward to seeing him, but I have to say that it was pretty underwhelming. He performed as a trio with a bassist and drummer. Most importantly, no keyboard player. This was unfortunately all too apparent on all the Stranglers material he played. Those Doors-ish keyboard touches were sorely missed on stuff like, "Peaches". His set would be one Stranglers tune, one undistinguished solo tune,repeat. So we got "Get A Grip", "Hanging Around", "Nice and Sleazy", "Peaches","Always The Sun", "Down In The Sewer" and some ho-hum solo work.However, Hugh did not seem that into it at all. He looked a little haggard and though he knows the Stranglers material is his bread and butter, I think he might be a bit bored with having to play them at this point. To make matters worse, his vocals were kind of buried in the mix.
Then came the main event--From The Jam! Bruce Foxton on bass, Rick Buckler on drums, some stand-in for Paul Weller on guitar, and some other dude on second guitar and occasional keyboards. They really nailed it in my opinion. The sound was perfect, the energy was there and the Paul Weller-alike did a credible job of imitating Paul's gruff vocals of that period.
They kicked off with "In The City" of course and proceeded to sail through the band's catalogue for about 90 minutes. It was hit singles like "Start", "Eton Rifles", "Down In The Tubestation","Town Called Malice","Strange Town","The Modern World", "When You're Young" that filled up the great majority of the set. They also threw in some album tracks like, "Little Boy Soldiers","It's Too Bad", "In The Crowd","To Be Someone","Pretty Green" and "The Gift". Bruce Foxton got to sing his two best Jam numbers, "Smithers-Jones" and "News of the World",as well as sing "David Watts" like he did on the Jam's version. They also threw in rare B-side cover of the Who's "So Sad About Us", which may say more about what happened to the original group than it does about their obvious debt to the Who's music. Thankfully such Bruce gems as "London Traffic" were not tackled.
Bruce Foxton (at least from 20 feet away) looked like he was beamed in from 1982. He had the same mullet hair, same build, same suit and two-tone mod shoes as he did back in the day. He also did the leaps and flying kicks of old, like he did on the back of second album. Rick, even from a distance, looks like he is getting on a bit, but the drumming was rock-solid and he seems to be in pretty good shape. I was disappointed that they didn't do "Funeral Pyre", with it's distinctive drum pattern / solo to spotlight Rick's talents. Bruce may have said hello but that was about it. Rick said nothing. The Paul Weller stand-in would introduce songs and mumble a few things in a heavy,and at times indecipherable,cockney accent, usually punctuated with a "Nice One!"
The crowd was pretty fired up as California crowds go and Rick and Bruce got rousing applause when they were introduced. They really seemed to be loving the adulation, especially Rick. I found it kind of heart-warming to see these guys get their due again, after all these years and particularly since Paul left them high and dry when he broke up the band. Weller wanted to move on and work with other musicians in other styles, which I suppose is his prerogative. However, he not only pulled the plug on the band when they were at their peak, but he has not even spoken to them since then. I know Weller is supposed to be kind of a dick, but come on! It was no surprise that Bruce and Rick faded out of the limelight pretty quickly, like within a year or so.
I am surprised that this alliance did not happen sooner, like 10 to 15 years sooner. Bruce was playing with Stiff Little Fingers for a time and Rick has been doing his Jam tribute band The Gift for a couple of years. This band is really The Gift + Bruce Foxton.
I'm not saying that I actually saw The Jam. Paul Weller was the voice, the song-writer, and the vision for that band. I saw him last year and he as that charisma that separates stars from the just regular guys, like his FTJ stand-in. Weller is open to performing a couple of Jam songs per show, but is unlikely to fully embrace that part of his career; he doesn't have to. So, this is probably the closest we will ever get to seeing the real deal and it ain't bad. It felt nice to contribute to the Bruce and Rick retirement fund. It was also worth every penny.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Next Position Please
Nothing like a Tuesday night at the House of Blues. This venue, which is part of the well known chain, is like a Disney theme park ride, complete with its own gift shop.With its faux tin shack exterior and many examples of "folk art" on the inside, they may as just as well call it The Haunted Southern Roadhouse ride. No scary animatronic hillbillies or Uncle Remus characters to seen here,thank god. I think they are just one step away from being an adult Chuck E. Cheese. Though I have to say, I don't mind this place. Food and drink is pricey, but this is L.A., the Sunset Strip no less. Sound and lighting are top notch and the staff at this venue are extremely friendly.
At first sight it appears to be a horrible turn out. This is the second night of Cheap Trick playing here and the tickets are in the $80 range. On top of this they are doing a Monday and Tuesday two-nighter, hardly big concert going nights for their fan base. I ask the bartender how the turnout was for last night and he says it was barely half full. This is the reality of the concert business these days. High ticket prices in this economy are resulting in some shockingly low attendance figures. Many of these acts need to get realistic about what they are charging to see them play. The days of inflated ticket prices, which have just gone through the roof in the last ten years, has to be waning. I was sifting through some old ticket stubs from the 80's (yes, I have saved most of them) recently and I was just gob smacked at how low the prices were. I know it was 20 to 25 years ago, but still. It seems like most of the shows were less than $15! Veteran acts now routinely charge $75 to $125 or more for shows, figuring that their older fan base has money and will pony up to see them. I think that mid-level veteran acts are going to have to bring those prices down. Cheap Trick, for example, should be $40 to $50 at most.
Anyway, getting off that tangent and getting back to the gig. The opening act was Ricky Warwick,a tough looking bloke from Belfast, Ireland sporting tattoo sleeves on his arms, a 70's porn mustache, and an acoustic guitar. He began by saying "I know what you're thinking when you see a guy with an acoustic guitar, 'Oh no, here we go, another bastard who wants to serenade us about his feelings " He turned out to be a rock n' roller with the tools of a singer-songwriter. He had the kind of style that was the equivalent of Bruce Springsteen or John Mellencamp goes to Ireland. He was not as brilliant a writer as those two gentlemen, but he bashed out some decent originals in a compelling and heartfelt way. He did a cover of Motorhead's 'Ace of Spades' and that helped him get over with the crowd. He acquitted himself admirably.
Now the main event. The venue has filled up to maybe a little more than half way by the time our headliners arrive.Cheap Trick have been around since the early 70's (though their debut album was in 1976) and have long been considered the elder statesmen of that rock sub-genre known as Power Pop. There are those who like to dismiss that label and just see them as a rock band, maybe even a classic rock band, a Guitar Hero band. However, if the Power Pop is defined as having the crunching power chords of The Who combined with pop melodies of a band like The Beatles, with maybe some Beach Boys-style harmony thrown in for good measure, then Cheap Trick is a Power Pop band. They were a group that achieved major success for a brief time in the late 70's and early 80's after their 'Live at Budokan' album blew up, fueled by pumped up live versions of their own "I Want You To Want Me" and a cover of Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame" and relentless touring, mostly as an o pening act for the likes of KISS,The Kinks and Be-Bop Deluxe. Their popularity faded by about 1983 or so. There was a big, but also short-lived comeback in the 1988 with the "Lap of Luxury" album, which featured a pretty awful rent-a-power-ballad called "The Flame" (a song the band apparently hates) which went to number one and an over-produced in an 80's way cover of Elvis' "Don't Be Cruel". Almost immediately after that good fortune it was back to flop albums and more of a cult following, but the touring has never stopped.
In retrospect, the band's first four albums are absolutely brilliant records: filled with great tunes, quirky lyrics, fine musicianship and the world class vocalizing of Robin Zander. This is a band that may have suffered because they were thought of as being too soft for the rockers and too hard for fans of pop and new wave. It is the first four albums that a make up the bulk of their show these days. They hit the stage to their traditional opener "Hello There" and proceeded to plow through a mostly greatest hits set. They showed their influences with covers of "That 70's Song" (actually "In The Street") by Big Star, "Magical Mystery Tour" by The Beatles, and "California Man" (which is on their second album) by The Move. The playing was tight and economical throughout, with no bombastic over-indulgence into heavy jams or anything. They have songs with tremendous choruses and hooks, but retain a hard rocking edge.
The band was alway visually striking and unique. They had two pretty boy members (Zander and bassist Tom Petersson) and two goofballs (Rick Nielsen and Bun E. Carlos). Rick Nielsen stills sports the black suit, bow tie, and cap combination from the early days and goes through a succession of custom guitars (a twin neck that has a caricature of him on its body and an unwieldy-looking five neck guitar monstrosity) and acts as De-facto MC. On this night he said hello to his wife in the balcony and announced it was their 39th (!) wedding anniversary.He kind of reminds of the actor John Lithgow. Nielsen also thanked the bands that Cheap Trick used to open up for in the 70's. He did,however, note that while the rest of The Kinks were good guys, Ray Davies was "An Asshole", though he stepped away from the microphone and mouthed these words. Tom Petersson, with his suit and black horn rim glasses,looks like a hip college professor. Bun E. Carlos looks practically n ormal and considerably thinner than in their heyday. Robin Zander hides himself behind wrap-around sunglasses and cowboy hat pulled down tight.
75 minutes after they began it ended with "Goodnight", "Dream Police" and "Just Got Back". Would be nice if they played longer considering what they charge, but it is a solid show that won't disappoint anyone. Only two songs ("Magical Mystery Tour" and "Ghost Town") were from after 1982 and there was nothing save the "That 70's Song" cover from the last twenty years,but then the band is wise enough to play to their strengths and to give the people what they want. I hope they continue to do so for many years to come.
Set List:
Hello There
That 70's Song (aka "In The Street")
California Man
High Roller
Oh Candy
If You Want My Love
She's Tight
Heaven Tonight
Magical Mystery Tour
I Want You To Want Me
Voices
Downed
Ghost Town
Surrender
Goodnight
Encore:
Dream Police
Just Got Back
At first sight it appears to be a horrible turn out. This is the second night of Cheap Trick playing here and the tickets are in the $80 range. On top of this they are doing a Monday and Tuesday two-nighter, hardly big concert going nights for their fan base. I ask the bartender how the turnout was for last night and he says it was barely half full. This is the reality of the concert business these days. High ticket prices in this economy are resulting in some shockingly low attendance figures. Many of these acts need to get realistic about what they are charging to see them play. The days of inflated ticket prices, which have just gone through the roof in the last ten years, has to be waning. I was sifting through some old ticket stubs from the 80's (yes, I have saved most of them) recently and I was just gob smacked at how low the prices were. I know it was 20 to 25 years ago, but still. It seems like most of the shows were less than $15! Veteran acts now routinely charge $75 to $125 or more for shows, figuring that their older fan base has money and will pony up to see them. I think that mid-level veteran acts are going to have to bring those prices down. Cheap Trick, for example, should be $40 to $50 at most.
Anyway, getting off that tangent and getting back to the gig. The opening act was Ricky Warwick,a tough looking bloke from Belfast, Ireland sporting tattoo sleeves on his arms, a 70's porn mustache, and an acoustic guitar. He began by saying "I know what you're thinking when you see a guy with an acoustic guitar, 'Oh no, here we go, another bastard who wants to serenade us about his feelings " He turned out to be a rock n' roller with the tools of a singer-songwriter. He had the kind of style that was the equivalent of Bruce Springsteen or John Mellencamp goes to Ireland. He was not as brilliant a writer as those two gentlemen, but he bashed out some decent originals in a compelling and heartfelt way. He did a cover of Motorhead's 'Ace of Spades' and that helped him get over with the crowd. He acquitted himself admirably.
Now the main event. The venue has filled up to maybe a little more than half way by the time our headliners arrive.Cheap Trick have been around since the early 70's (though their debut album was in 1976) and have long been considered the elder statesmen of that rock sub-genre known as Power Pop. There are those who like to dismiss that label and just see them as a rock band, maybe even a classic rock band, a Guitar Hero band. However, if the Power Pop is defined as having the crunching power chords of The Who combined with pop melodies of a band like The Beatles, with maybe some Beach Boys-style harmony thrown in for good measure, then Cheap Trick is a Power Pop band. They were a group that achieved major success for a brief time in the late 70's and early 80's after their 'Live at Budokan' album blew up, fueled by pumped up live versions of their own "I Want You To Want Me" and a cover of Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame" and relentless touring, mostly as an o pening act for the likes of KISS,The Kinks and Be-Bop Deluxe. Their popularity faded by about 1983 or so. There was a big, but also short-lived comeback in the 1988 with the "Lap of Luxury" album, which featured a pretty awful rent-a-power-ballad called "The Flame" (a song the band apparently hates) which went to number one and an over-produced in an 80's way cover of Elvis' "Don't Be Cruel". Almost immediately after that good fortune it was back to flop albums and more of a cult following, but the touring has never stopped.
In retrospect, the band's first four albums are absolutely brilliant records: filled with great tunes, quirky lyrics, fine musicianship and the world class vocalizing of Robin Zander. This is a band that may have suffered because they were thought of as being too soft for the rockers and too hard for fans of pop and new wave. It is the first four albums that a make up the bulk of their show these days. They hit the stage to their traditional opener "Hello There" and proceeded to plow through a mostly greatest hits set. They showed their influences with covers of "That 70's Song" (actually "In The Street") by Big Star, "Magical Mystery Tour" by The Beatles, and "California Man" (which is on their second album) by The Move. The playing was tight and economical throughout, with no bombastic over-indulgence into heavy jams or anything. They have songs with tremendous choruses and hooks, but retain a hard rocking edge.
The band was alway visually striking and unique. They had two pretty boy members (Zander and bassist Tom Petersson) and two goofballs (Rick Nielsen and Bun E. Carlos). Rick Nielsen stills sports the black suit, bow tie, and cap combination from the early days and goes through a succession of custom guitars (a twin neck that has a caricature of him on its body and an unwieldy-looking five neck guitar monstrosity) and acts as De-facto MC. On this night he said hello to his wife in the balcony and announced it was their 39th (!) wedding anniversary.He kind of reminds of the actor John Lithgow. Nielsen also thanked the bands that Cheap Trick used to open up for in the 70's. He did,however, note that while the rest of The Kinks were good guys, Ray Davies was "An Asshole", though he stepped away from the microphone and mouthed these words. Tom Petersson, with his suit and black horn rim glasses,looks like a hip college professor. Bun E. Carlos looks practically n ormal and considerably thinner than in their heyday. Robin Zander hides himself behind wrap-around sunglasses and cowboy hat pulled down tight.
75 minutes after they began it ended with "Goodnight", "Dream Police" and "Just Got Back". Would be nice if they played longer considering what they charge, but it is a solid show that won't disappoint anyone. Only two songs ("Magical Mystery Tour" and "Ghost Town") were from after 1982 and there was nothing save the "That 70's Song" cover from the last twenty years,but then the band is wise enough to play to their strengths and to give the people what they want. I hope they continue to do so for many years to come.
Set List:
Hello There
That 70's Song (aka "In The Street")
California Man
High Roller
Oh Candy
If You Want My Love
She's Tight
Heaven Tonight
Magical Mystery Tour
I Want You To Want Me
Voices
Downed
Ghost Town
Surrender
Goodnight
Encore:
Dream Police
Just Got Back
Friday, December 12, 2008
If You're Viper
Note: This is from a show I saw back in July.
Viper:
Any of several venomous Old World snakes of the family Viperidae, having a single pair of long, hollow fangs and a thick, heavy body. Also called adder 2 .
A vicious or treacherous person
A term used in 1920s to describe a Heroin addict, also a heavy marijuana user.
In my ongoing quest to hit all the music venues in the Los Angeles area, I decided it was time to visit the "notorious" (as the web site self-proclaims)Viper Room on the Sunset Strip. The club usually hosts shows by no-name rock bands, kind of a West Coast CBGB's. Last night they had a straight ahead, old school punk rock band from Texas called The Riverboat Gamblers, a band I've heard of and think will suffice. And this is Johnny Depp's place, opened in 1993. Doubt you will see him here much. He lives in France and probably only comes to his club once in a blue moon, and then probably only for private shows. (editors note: I have come to find out that Johnny Depp may not be an owner anymore)
I arrive at the club after my UCLA class at around 10:30pm. The entrance to the club is on the side of the building, down a steep hill slightly. Located there is a bouncer with the smallest velvet roped off area I've ever seen. There was no-one there, aside from him and a guy he just let in.The bouncer looks like a walking cliche of an 80's era,dumb weight lifter type--wavy shoulder length hair and vaguely He-Man looking. I walked up and asked him if this was the entrance to the club. He says yes and then hooks the rope onto the little post, securing the area once more. I ask him again if this is the entrance to the venue (as opposed to a service entrance) and he says "Oh, you want to come to the show? Are you ready to ROCK OUT?" I'm thinking "Like nobody's business I'm ready to ROCK OUT! Let me in , He-Man dude! He calls out down the hallway over his shoulder, "I got one paying customer!" Then he unhooks the rope and lets me pass.
I walk down a long and narrow hallway until I reach the girl at the ticket booth (a lot of ink and a sour puss--too much time in Hollywood rock club world I think). I pay the $15 and go forward into the downstairs lounge. One thing this club favors is the color black (I later discover this extends to the club's toilets and sinks!) All the walls are painted black and the lighting is real low--lots of muted blue and red neon. The lounge is located below the main bar / show room above at street level. There is a bar here and leather covered benches line the rest of the walls in an L-shape. There are a number of Hollywood types lounging around down here looking bored. I decide to head upstairs to the main room.
The first thing I notice when reaching the top of the long and narrow staircase is the smell of....flowers? Wait a minute, no, I think it's citrus. I come to realize that the club pumps some kind of air freshener into the venue to keep it from smelling like a smelly beer hall. Is this Johnny's idea?
This is not a big room, maybe holds 200 or so people. Directly to my right is a big bar that takes up most of the back wall. Directly ahead of me is the stage. It is arranged in a semi-circle and has electric powered curtains that open and close for the performers. Some of you will remember the scene in the documentary Dig when The Brian Jonestown Massacare are playing a crucial showcase gig and the band members get into a fight on-stage. The curtains are closed on the group, with the exception of their goofy maraca player who is caught outside the curtains with a priceless deer-in-the-headlights look. I think only of this when I see the stage.
Looking up and to my left I spot the sound man's booth, neatly tucked away near the ceiling in a sort of enclosed crow's nest. Located directly below the crow's nest is some sort of room with a large window facing out towards the room. Upon closer inspection, it appears to be a v.i.p. area of some kind. There are all kinds of small framed mirrors hanging from the walls and the window has blinds. Hmm..I think I can put two and two together. The room also contains one framed 8x10 glossy photograph, signed and framed. I strain to make out who it is, and though I'm not 100% positive, I think it's Johnny Cash. There are also circular leather booths (also favored at the Whisky) located on the far wall , to the left of the stage.
Anyway, the Riverboat Gamblers proceed to rock mightily;the first 20 minutes is played at such an unbelievable break neck speed I am astounded. The lead singer, a real bean pole thin, Iggy-like front man does his damnedest to connect with the audience. He does that straight up leap where his feet kick behind him, almost kicking himself in the back.He twirls the mic cord incessantly. He crawls onto the the leather booths to his left. He climbs up one of the two supporting beams that are in the middle of the club--the beams that can kind of screw up sight lines and one flaw I see with this venue. He falls into the audience several times and crowd surfs to the middle of the dance floor and then is carried back. He even hops off-stage and wanders out the Sunset street level entrance and sings to people on the sidewalk. Some of these antics remind me of this little band from Sacramento called Magnolia Thunderfinger. Anyway, the singer certainly gives it his all. This band might not have the most memorable songs or a real original approach, but boy are they one insanely well-oiled machine.
The band finish up at 12:30--no encore. I have had my two beer limit and I cut out and head for my car. I have to say that I think it is a pretty cool little rock dive. I'm not too crazy about the "Too Cool For School" rock n' roll types who hang out there, but that is par for the course, particularly at any of these Sunset Strip venues. All in all, not a bad night out at Johnny's place.
Rock On.
Viper:
Any of several venomous Old World snakes of the family Viperidae, having a single pair of long, hollow fangs and a thick, heavy body. Also called adder 2 .
A vicious or treacherous person
A term used in 1920s to describe a Heroin addict, also a heavy marijuana user.
In my ongoing quest to hit all the music venues in the Los Angeles area, I decided it was time to visit the "notorious" (as the web site self-proclaims)Viper Room on the Sunset Strip. The club usually hosts shows by no-name rock bands, kind of a West Coast CBGB's. Last night they had a straight ahead, old school punk rock band from Texas called The Riverboat Gamblers, a band I've heard of and think will suffice. And this is Johnny Depp's place, opened in 1993. Doubt you will see him here much. He lives in France and probably only comes to his club once in a blue moon, and then probably only for private shows. (editors note: I have come to find out that Johnny Depp may not be an owner anymore)
I arrive at the club after my UCLA class at around 10:30pm. The entrance to the club is on the side of the building, down a steep hill slightly. Located there is a bouncer with the smallest velvet roped off area I've ever seen. There was no-one there, aside from him and a guy he just let in.The bouncer looks like a walking cliche of an 80's era,dumb weight lifter type--wavy shoulder length hair and vaguely He-Man looking. I walked up and asked him if this was the entrance to the club. He says yes and then hooks the rope onto the little post, securing the area once more. I ask him again if this is the entrance to the venue (as opposed to a service entrance) and he says "Oh, you want to come to the show? Are you ready to ROCK OUT?" I'm thinking "Like nobody's business I'm ready to ROCK OUT! Let me in , He-Man dude! He calls out down the hallway over his shoulder, "I got one paying customer!" Then he unhooks the rope and lets me pass.
I walk down a long and narrow hallway until I reach the girl at the ticket booth (a lot of ink and a sour puss--too much time in Hollywood rock club world I think). I pay the $15 and go forward into the downstairs lounge. One thing this club favors is the color black (I later discover this extends to the club's toilets and sinks!) All the walls are painted black and the lighting is real low--lots of muted blue and red neon. The lounge is located below the main bar / show room above at street level. There is a bar here and leather covered benches line the rest of the walls in an L-shape. There are a number of Hollywood types lounging around down here looking bored. I decide to head upstairs to the main room.
The first thing I notice when reaching the top of the long and narrow staircase is the smell of....flowers? Wait a minute, no, I think it's citrus. I come to realize that the club pumps some kind of air freshener into the venue to keep it from smelling like a smelly beer hall. Is this Johnny's idea?
This is not a big room, maybe holds 200 or so people. Directly to my right is a big bar that takes up most of the back wall. Directly ahead of me is the stage. It is arranged in a semi-circle and has electric powered curtains that open and close for the performers. Some of you will remember the scene in the documentary Dig when The Brian Jonestown Massacare are playing a crucial showcase gig and the band members get into a fight on-stage. The curtains are closed on the group, with the exception of their goofy maraca player who is caught outside the curtains with a priceless deer-in-the-headlights look. I think only of this when I see the stage.
Looking up and to my left I spot the sound man's booth, neatly tucked away near the ceiling in a sort of enclosed crow's nest. Located directly below the crow's nest is some sort of room with a large window facing out towards the room. Upon closer inspection, it appears to be a v.i.p. area of some kind. There are all kinds of small framed mirrors hanging from the walls and the window has blinds. Hmm..I think I can put two and two together. The room also contains one framed 8x10 glossy photograph, signed and framed. I strain to make out who it is, and though I'm not 100% positive, I think it's Johnny Cash. There are also circular leather booths (also favored at the Whisky) located on the far wall , to the left of the stage.
Anyway, the Riverboat Gamblers proceed to rock mightily;the first 20 minutes is played at such an unbelievable break neck speed I am astounded. The lead singer, a real bean pole thin, Iggy-like front man does his damnedest to connect with the audience. He does that straight up leap where his feet kick behind him, almost kicking himself in the back.He twirls the mic cord incessantly. He crawls onto the the leather booths to his left. He climbs up one of the two supporting beams that are in the middle of the club--the beams that can kind of screw up sight lines and one flaw I see with this venue. He falls into the audience several times and crowd surfs to the middle of the dance floor and then is carried back. He even hops off-stage and wanders out the Sunset street level entrance and sings to people on the sidewalk. Some of these antics remind me of this little band from Sacramento called Magnolia Thunderfinger. Anyway, the singer certainly gives it his all. This band might not have the most memorable songs or a real original approach, but boy are they one insanely well-oiled machine.
The band finish up at 12:30--no encore. I have had my two beer limit and I cut out and head for my car. I have to say that I think it is a pretty cool little rock dive. I'm not too crazy about the "Too Cool For School" rock n' roll types who hang out there, but that is par for the course, particularly at any of these Sunset Strip venues. All in all, not a bad night out at Johnny's place.
Rock On.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Madge's Stadium Gig
Madonna had her big outdoor gig at Dodger stadium earlier this month. My class was canceled that night and an extra ticket became available at a slightly discounted rate, so I decided the time was right to cross this iconic artist off my list of big names that I really should see once. She joins other such luminaries as Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Paul McCartney, The Who and The Rolling Stones as acts who I can now say I saw live.
Big shows in arenas are not my thing, so to go to a baseball stadium for a live gig seems preposterous. However, for musicians on a living legend sort of scale, you often have no choice. Madonna does stadium-size shows in other countries on a regular basis, but has never done them in the U.S., with the exception of 'Live Aid' type of extraganzas for which she is not the only act. She usually does arenas, often multiple nights in some cities. This and I think one other show in Miami were an experiment to see if she can draw for this size venue. Dodger stadium does not play host to too many live shows. Elton John played here in 70's and other package rock shows took place then, but you hardly ever hear of them nowadays. I think The Police may have played here on their reunion tour last year.
So, I hopped in the car with some new acquaintances and set off for Dodger stadium at about 6:30pm. It was stop-and-go nightmare traffic all the way down Sunset Boulevard. We took an alternate route on SillverLake Boulevard, winding around the reservoir and ending up on the other side of Dodger stadium and more traffic lining up to get inside the stadium, though not as bad as if we had stayed on Sunset.
The concert ticket said 7:30 as the start time, but I knew there was no way the show would start that early. We arrived in the stadium at about 8:30 and there was an opening act--DJ Paul Oakenfold-- who just looked like guy behind a desk. "Could be doing spreadsheets for all we know." remarked one of our companions.
One fortuitous event was that we got bumped down one whole level from the top deck to the reserved level of the stadium. This was due to the show not being sold out and the music promoters (Live Nation) deciding to close up the top deck--pretty common occurrence at live shows. So, despite news reports of it being a capacity crowd, this was not the case. Nevertheless, there were plenty of people crowed into that venue, many off them on the playing field, which had huge tarps over it and folding chairs. The stage was situated where the outfield bleachers would be. The areas on the sides of the bleachers were also closed off. I would estimate there was 40-50 thousand people there, approximately the amount that would have attended two arena shows.
The show finally got under way at 9:50 pm as the house lights cut out and the stage lights came on. Onstage was large box shaped contraption that eventually raised up to revealed old Madge and her dancers. She had a live band playing behind her, pushed was to the back of the stage in practical darkness. It was a full-on audio/visual extravaganza, with video screens left, right and center. The ones on the left and right had mostly footage of what was going on on-stage and the center one had pre-filmed bits timed to go with whatever song they were doing. The Jumbotron screens sure came in handy for those of us in the stands, who despite being moved a bit closer were still a million miles away from the action and needed the aid of the screens (or in my case, my binoculars) to see exactly what was going on down there.
Sound was mostly clear and loud and everything was expertly timed and choreographed down to the last dance move and lighting cue. It is hard to say for sure how much actual singing was going on on-stage. It is pretty apparent that a great deal of it is mimed. Choruses in particular seemed beefed up with pre-records. It is hard to criticize her because this is the norm for shows like this. I mean, how in the hell can you be running around, dancing, skipping rope (for one early 80's/NYC/electro/Double Dutch/Keith Harring graphics assisted rendering of 'Into The Groove"), pretending to box ('Die Another Day', complete with boxing ring that popped out of the end of catwalk at the end of the stage), writhe around on a piano ('Devil Wouldn't Recognize You'), go all Eastern European Gypsy hoe-down on us (complete with Romanian folk group, violins and all), and not be out of breath, much less sing in key?
Another thing that Madonna seems to favor these days is to strap on the old electric guitar and pretend she is some guitar hero. This is kind of comic, in that it appears that the thing may not be even turned on and the guitar sounds are courtesy of her guitarist who lurks in the shadows behind her. But whatever, the instrument is basically another prop she uses and gives her an opportunity to perform a few songs standing mostly still, looking cool, and not having to dance some more. This rock-tastic approach was used for her re-arrangements of old songs like 'Borderline' and 'Hung Up' which now have crunching rock arrangements that actually worked well. In general, Madonna is willing to perform the oldies, but she has reserved the right to reinvent them to her liking.
One has to put away any misgivings about how "live" the music is and just remember that this is a "show" in the purest sense of the word. It's like the circus or a magician and it's best to forget about how it's being done and just sit back and enjoy the spectacle. If there were any doubts about how Madonna really sings and how it sounds on stage or on record, the proof was in the acappella version of 'Dress You Up' she performed as a crowd sing-a-long--actually one of the more enjoyable moments of the night. She sang and the crowd would respond with the next line. However, when she tried to hit the highs in the chorus, she struggled mightily. She actually stopped the song early and said, "I think we have to stop. I'm butchering my own song."
Of course the crowd were eating out of her hand all night long. Madonna fans are as impassioned as they come. It is telling that the crowd really came alive for all the old stuff. Abouta third of this show was devoted to the new album, "Candy Shop", and the material went down well. Latter day hits were trotted out: 'Music', 'Ray Of Light', 'Human Nature', 'Die Another Day'. But if the song was something from the 80's, say anything from "The Immaculate Collection" album, the crowd went berserk and sang along: 'Vogue', 'Borderline', 'Like A Prayer', 'Into The Groove'. Madonna still sees herself as a contemporary artist, and like any such artists, doesn't just want to rely on all the old stuff that they made their career on. She will give up some, but will do them in an updated way and then mix in things from throughout her career and the new album. I think she achieved the right balance with this show and is not ready for the oldies circuit anytime soon.
Oh yeah, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that, yes, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake were there and performed with Madonna, just not together. Britney came out during 'Human Nature', sang a bit of the chorus with Madonna and that was pretty much it. Justin joined Madonna late in the show for a duet on '4 Minutes', which they performed together on the studio version. Very anti-climactic really.
Exactly two hours after it began, the big box on stage came back down with an 80's video game style graphic on it that said "Game Over". And so it was. I think myself and everyone else there that night went home pleased.
Here is the set list for the show / tour.
Intro/Candy Shop
Beat Goes On
Human Nature
Vogue
Into The Groove
Die Another Day
Borderline
She's Not Me
Music
Devil Wouldn't Recognise You
Spanish Lesson
Miles Away
La Isla Bonita/Lela Pala Tute
Romanian folk interlude
You Must Love Me
4 Minutes
Like A Prayer
Ray Of Light
Dress You Up (acappella version with audience)
Hung Up
Give It To Me
Big shows in arenas are not my thing, so to go to a baseball stadium for a live gig seems preposterous. However, for musicians on a living legend sort of scale, you often have no choice. Madonna does stadium-size shows in other countries on a regular basis, but has never done them in the U.S., with the exception of 'Live Aid' type of extraganzas for which she is not the only act. She usually does arenas, often multiple nights in some cities. This and I think one other show in Miami were an experiment to see if she can draw for this size venue. Dodger stadium does not play host to too many live shows. Elton John played here in 70's and other package rock shows took place then, but you hardly ever hear of them nowadays. I think The Police may have played here on their reunion tour last year.
So, I hopped in the car with some new acquaintances and set off for Dodger stadium at about 6:30pm. It was stop-and-go nightmare traffic all the way down Sunset Boulevard. We took an alternate route on SillverLake Boulevard, winding around the reservoir and ending up on the other side of Dodger stadium and more traffic lining up to get inside the stadium, though not as bad as if we had stayed on Sunset.
The concert ticket said 7:30 as the start time, but I knew there was no way the show would start that early. We arrived in the stadium at about 8:30 and there was an opening act--DJ Paul Oakenfold-- who just looked like guy behind a desk. "Could be doing spreadsheets for all we know." remarked one of our companions.
One fortuitous event was that we got bumped down one whole level from the top deck to the reserved level of the stadium. This was due to the show not being sold out and the music promoters (Live Nation) deciding to close up the top deck--pretty common occurrence at live shows. So, despite news reports of it being a capacity crowd, this was not the case. Nevertheless, there were plenty of people crowed into that venue, many off them on the playing field, which had huge tarps over it and folding chairs. The stage was situated where the outfield bleachers would be. The areas on the sides of the bleachers were also closed off. I would estimate there was 40-50 thousand people there, approximately the amount that would have attended two arena shows.
The show finally got under way at 9:50 pm as the house lights cut out and the stage lights came on. Onstage was large box shaped contraption that eventually raised up to revealed old Madge and her dancers. She had a live band playing behind her, pushed was to the back of the stage in practical darkness. It was a full-on audio/visual extravaganza, with video screens left, right and center. The ones on the left and right had mostly footage of what was going on on-stage and the center one had pre-filmed bits timed to go with whatever song they were doing. The Jumbotron screens sure came in handy for those of us in the stands, who despite being moved a bit closer were still a million miles away from the action and needed the aid of the screens (or in my case, my binoculars) to see exactly what was going on down there.
Sound was mostly clear and loud and everything was expertly timed and choreographed down to the last dance move and lighting cue. It is hard to say for sure how much actual singing was going on on-stage. It is pretty apparent that a great deal of it is mimed. Choruses in particular seemed beefed up with pre-records. It is hard to criticize her because this is the norm for shows like this. I mean, how in the hell can you be running around, dancing, skipping rope (for one early 80's/NYC/electro/Double Dutch/Keith Harring graphics assisted rendering of 'Into The Groove"), pretending to box ('Die Another Day', complete with boxing ring that popped out of the end of catwalk at the end of the stage), writhe around on a piano ('Devil Wouldn't Recognize You'), go all Eastern European Gypsy hoe-down on us (complete with Romanian folk group, violins and all), and not be out of breath, much less sing in key?
Another thing that Madonna seems to favor these days is to strap on the old electric guitar and pretend she is some guitar hero. This is kind of comic, in that it appears that the thing may not be even turned on and the guitar sounds are courtesy of her guitarist who lurks in the shadows behind her. But whatever, the instrument is basically another prop she uses and gives her an opportunity to perform a few songs standing mostly still, looking cool, and not having to dance some more. This rock-tastic approach was used for her re-arrangements of old songs like 'Borderline' and 'Hung Up' which now have crunching rock arrangements that actually worked well. In general, Madonna is willing to perform the oldies, but she has reserved the right to reinvent them to her liking.
One has to put away any misgivings about how "live" the music is and just remember that this is a "show" in the purest sense of the word. It's like the circus or a magician and it's best to forget about how it's being done and just sit back and enjoy the spectacle. If there were any doubts about how Madonna really sings and how it sounds on stage or on record, the proof was in the acappella version of 'Dress You Up' she performed as a crowd sing-a-long--actually one of the more enjoyable moments of the night. She sang and the crowd would respond with the next line. However, when she tried to hit the highs in the chorus, she struggled mightily. She actually stopped the song early and said, "I think we have to stop. I'm butchering my own song."
Of course the crowd were eating out of her hand all night long. Madonna fans are as impassioned as they come. It is telling that the crowd really came alive for all the old stuff. Abouta third of this show was devoted to the new album, "Candy Shop", and the material went down well. Latter day hits were trotted out: 'Music', 'Ray Of Light', 'Human Nature', 'Die Another Day'. But if the song was something from the 80's, say anything from "The Immaculate Collection" album, the crowd went berserk and sang along: 'Vogue', 'Borderline', 'Like A Prayer', 'Into The Groove'. Madonna still sees herself as a contemporary artist, and like any such artists, doesn't just want to rely on all the old stuff that they made their career on. She will give up some, but will do them in an updated way and then mix in things from throughout her career and the new album. I think she achieved the right balance with this show and is not ready for the oldies circuit anytime soon.
Oh yeah, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that, yes, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake were there and performed with Madonna, just not together. Britney came out during 'Human Nature', sang a bit of the chorus with Madonna and that was pretty much it. Justin joined Madonna late in the show for a duet on '4 Minutes', which they performed together on the studio version. Very anti-climactic really.
Exactly two hours after it began, the big box on stage came back down with an 80's video game style graphic on it that said "Game Over". And so it was. I think myself and everyone else there that night went home pleased.
Here is the set list for the show / tour.
Intro/Candy Shop
Beat Goes On
Human Nature
Vogue
Into The Groove
Die Another Day
Borderline
She's Not Me
Music
Devil Wouldn't Recognise You
Spanish Lesson
Miles Away
La Isla Bonita/Lela Pala Tute
Romanian folk interlude
You Must Love Me
4 Minutes
Like A Prayer
Ray Of Light
Dress You Up (acappella version with audience)
Hung Up
Give It To Me
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Love Doc
http://www.amazon.com/Love-Story/dp/B00197KG02/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1217311091&sr=1-2
Great documentary about Arthur Lee and Love,finally available to purchase. All the band members (including Brian MacLean back in the late 90s) are interviewed about the history of the original band. Love's music is used throughout (as opposed to some docs that can't get the rights) and there is priceless footage of the band and the LA music scene of the 60's.
Would have been nice to have more information about Arthur's post 60's life,even though that's probably not a very happy tale. This documentary is definitely pro-Arthur and keeps it all very positive. The troubled soul that was Arthur Lee is not really delved into and maybe that is best for a project like this that is more about celebrating the music. In the interviews with Arthur (thankfully not the only perspective, considering what a slippery personality he was) show both the sweet and thoughtful side and the bitter, angry side that unfortunately derailed his career more than once.
I feel so lucky to have seen him four times during the last years of his life. I only wish that last show at Cafe DuNord hadn't been the drunken, ranting nightmare show from hell.I would love to hear a bootleg tape of the show, as there were many "choice" quotes from Mr. Lee, including "My waterbed jumped up and made a peace sign at me!" and "I had four AK-47s pointed at my head--quatro!" I did get him to sign my copy of Love's first record before the show, which of course is now a prized possession. Sadly, he was the master of self-sabotaging whatever streak of good luck he had going. I'm sure I'm not the only one who can relate to that. Nevertheless, he did leave us with some of the most sublimely beautiful music we will hear in our lifetimes.
Buy it, rent it, whatever. See it now!
Great documentary about Arthur Lee and Love,finally available to purchase. All the band members (including Brian MacLean back in the late 90s) are interviewed about the history of the original band. Love's music is used throughout (as opposed to some docs that can't get the rights) and there is priceless footage of the band and the LA music scene of the 60's.
Would have been nice to have more information about Arthur's post 60's life,even though that's probably not a very happy tale. This documentary is definitely pro-Arthur and keeps it all very positive. The troubled soul that was Arthur Lee is not really delved into and maybe that is best for a project like this that is more about celebrating the music. In the interviews with Arthur (thankfully not the only perspective, considering what a slippery personality he was) show both the sweet and thoughtful side and the bitter, angry side that unfortunately derailed his career more than once.
I feel so lucky to have seen him four times during the last years of his life. I only wish that last show at Cafe DuNord hadn't been the drunken, ranting nightmare show from hell.I would love to hear a bootleg tape of the show, as there were many "choice" quotes from Mr. Lee, including "My waterbed jumped up and made a peace sign at me!" and "I had four AK-47s pointed at my head--quatro!" I did get him to sign my copy of Love's first record before the show, which of course is now a prized possession. Sadly, he was the master of self-sabotaging whatever streak of good luck he had going. I'm sure I'm not the only one who can relate to that. Nevertheless, he did leave us with some of the most sublimely beautiful music we will hear in our lifetimes.
Buy it, rent it, whatever. See it now!
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