remembering live music no.5

Nirvana, live in 1991

Nirvana, Shonen Knife, Captain America / Eugenius - Rock City, Nottingham, 3 December 1991

It's been a while since I've posted one of these. And I don't think I'll be heading out for a gig anytime soon. This memory was prompted by an earworm, which in turn was prompted by Little Ms D's current musical obsession. She loves Nevermind (she's a little too young for In Utero - "Daddy, what does 'Rape Me' mean?") and plays it whenever she can. 

So yes. I am old enough to say that I saw Nirvana play live. It's the kind of thing that sometimes impresses people. But less so when I say, "They were alright."

An explanation.

I was listening to something on Radio 4 a few years ago and in a discussion about favourite music, a female panelist came up with the perfect description. I wish I could remember her name because I've been using this line ever since. 

She said that Nirvana didn't change her life. They were just the end of a musical line that she'd been following through the 1980s. And that sums up how I feel about them. When you've seen Pixies and Sonic Youth, and heard Hüsker Dü, Butthole Surfers, Big Black, Killdozer, Mudhoney, etc… they weren't anything Earth shatteringly new. 

Now don't get me wrong, they were a great band, with great songs and a no-doubt charismatic lead singer.

Plus it was really exciting to hear "our music" being played on daytime Radio 1. I actually remember hearing Smells Like Teen Spirit being played in Nottingham's much-missed Selectadisc record shop and being blown away by how good bit sounded. 

And I'm not trying to say that I heard them first. As far as I'm concerned, that honour goes to my old friend Sally-Anne. We swapped tapes and she had all of those early Sub Pop releases and Dope, Guns & Fucking In The Streets compilations. 

So anyway I saw Nirvana. And they were pretty good. Tight and well rehearsed in the way of most American bands. But, because this was over THIRTY YEARS AGO, my memories are pretty scattered. 

1. I went to this gig on my own. I don't know why nobody else was around or could be arsed but there you go. I bumped into someone who was more a friend of-a-friend, gave him a lift home and he eventually became the singer in my last band. Strange. 
2. Captain America (the then-current band by Kurt Cobain's favourite musician, Eugene from The Vaselines) had changed their name to Eugenius by the time the gig happened. They didn't think that Marvel would mind. The past really is another country, yes?
3. Shonen Knife was very kawaii and buzzy and punk-pop-tastic. Too much sugar is bad for you. 
4. Setlist.FM has got this gig completely wrong, I think. I'm positive that the first song they played was Aneurysm. 
5. Kurt Cobain played a guitar solo while doing a forward roll. 
6. Krist Novoselic spent a good deal of the gig throwing his bass into the air. 
7. Nirvana had a dancer, who it turns out was the drummer in Derby band Bivouac. 
8. It felt like they tossed out …Teen Spirit early in the set. 

Weirdly in researching the date for this post (I threw away all my old gig tickets!!), I stumbled on this video report of the gig. I've no memory whatsoever of seeing a film crew there but some of these kids look like yr archetypal gormless Nottingham Rock City types. 

The interview with the band is the classic alternative scene, make-up-some-stuff-and-riff-on-it-to-confuse-the-interviewer situation. But interestingly, when asked about success, they seem to say their role is to point people to all the bands that came before them (from 4.29). 

A few years ago, I went to see Bob Dylan. I was lucky and got Good Bob that night so came into work afterwards saying that I'd never been in the same room as a living legend before. A colleague said, "Ah, but you were in the same room as Kurt Cobain."

To which I replied, "Yes, but he wasn't a living legend until he'd died."

Sad but true?

remembering live music 4: the missed and the misunderstood

A quick detour from these posts - which could come over as "cooler than thou I WAS THERE" grandstanding - I'm going to talk about a few artists that I either missed or just didn't get at the time.

1. Pavement, Derby Wherehouse, May/June 1992

Yes, this was the band's first ever UK gig. Yes, they were all over the British music press. And yes, this was a hot-shit ticket.

But I only went because a friend of mine from college got a ticket. At the time, I was a right snooty so-and-so who saw them as a complete rip-off of The Fall.

But, y'know, the difference was they wrote HUMMABLE SONGS and seemed to be charming and amusing people.

There was one writer in Melody Maker who at the time called skronk avant-garde guitar manglers Trumans Water the REAL Pavement. Which is a statement I agreed with but which is, in retrospect, so needlessly arsey it's ridiculous.

The gig was packed (ooh look, there's the drummer from The Wedding Present!) plus it was a beautiful sunny evening.

Pavement were ramshackle. And cute. And charming. And their original loose-cannon drummer Gary did handstands and chatted with the crowd.

But I just didn't get it. Even though I can still remember some of the tunes they played that night. Because HUMMABLE SONGS.

At the time I preferred the support act, Jacob's Mouse (no, me neither).

I still listen to Trumans Water. But nowhere near as much as I've listened to Pavement in the years since this gig, right up to the present day.

I even wrote huge sections of my University dissertation about their second album, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. TRUE STORY.

2. The Strokes, Sheffield Leadmill, 23 August 2001

Another gig that I was dragged to by friends - Simon and Annabel. This was one of their first UK tours but even though all the influences and references were there, again I JUST DIDN'T GET IT.

Was I threatened by how insanely cool and attractive they were? I wouldn't like to say. But probably, yes. Definitely.

They were supported by The Moldy Peaches, who were cute but annoying after a while. I actually listened to them while writing this post and I really enjoyed them.

I think at the time The Strokes didn't even have that many songs so I think they just played tracks from their forthcoming (?) album. Maybe even in the album order?

God, they were cool.

And looking back now, they were everything I want in a band. Locked-in together, no flash, no gimmicks, chops for days.

About 6 months after this gig - so almost exactly 6 months after everyone else in the world - I borrowed the CD of Is This It from Annabel and finally understood. Now I think that if anyone wants to learn how to play alternative/indie-rock guitar they should just play along with this album. It's all there.

As if to prove a point, I've just spent 15 minutes watching live footage of them from around this time. They was great.

I'd completely forgotten that both Moldy Peaches and The Strokes were tainted by the shadow of 9-11: The Strokes first album came out at the end of August 2001 and featured New York City Cops ("...they ain't too smart"); The Moldy Peaches album actually came out on September 11 2001 and featured the song "NYC's Like a Graveyard" - ouch.

3. Bill Hicks, Sheffield University, 26 November 1992

This one hurts but confession is good for the soul. Also, not music although he had a rock-star attitude.

This gig took place during my first year studying at Sheffield Uni. With my brother I'd devoured Bill Hicks' legendary 1991 comedy set Relentless when it was shown on Channel 4. Politically he was light-years ahead and had a great, no-bullshit persona.

Dreadful hair and glasses, however.

His '92 UK tour was around the time he recorded his Revelations set. At the time The Guardian and various left-wing comedians were all hymning his act with its politically edgy material. It turns out Bill didn't want to be idolised. He also didn't like the idea that people felt they had a handle on him.

So for that recording - in front of an audience of paid-up believers and his peers - he launched into an extended, skin-crawlingly appaling bit which saw him adopt the persona of Pan The Randy Goat Boy.

It's truly horrible. But point made.

Two years later Bill died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 32. His legend has only grown in subsequent years. Some of his political material would be entirely relevant now if you could just change the names.

Truth be told his sexually explicit material would have been his downfall had he survived. I dread to think what he would've made of the #MeToo movement or issues of rights for trans people. And some of his material hasn't aged at all well. But that's comedy, right?

So anyway. On his final UK tour (?), he played down the road from me, at the University where I was studying.

And I didn't go. 

Worse than that, I didn't go because I couldn't be arsed.

Nurrrr...

remembering live music no.3

 

LCD Soundsystem, Magna Centre, Rotherham, 13 November 2010

ROAD TRIP!

This gig was at a crazy venue - Magna Science Adventure Centre just outside Rotherham. Thankfully all the interactive exhibits were safely away by the time the gig started.

I loved - and I still love - LCD Soundsystem. I wouldn't say they were strictly dance music per se (Mrs D, who is a bit of dance-music officianado, sometimes dismisses them as 'indie dance'). But they're probably as close as I'll get (chip on my shoulder caused by bad experiences at university combined with my own snobbery).

And the Sound of Silver album is one of my all-time faves - a concept album (kind of?) about careening towards middle-age (hmmm, why would this possibly resonate with me?)

So as soon as the tour with Hot Chip was announced - LCDs FINAL tour, no less - I knew I had to get tickets for me and Mrs D. By the time the gig rolled around, she was pregnant with Little Ms D so my brother was more than happy to tag along.

The tour was a co-headlining-deal with the two bands taking turns to headline - on this night, LCD were on first.

I've always been the sort of gig-goer who doesn't like to be too near the front. The only times I've been in the "pit" are Galaxie 500 (which was never going to be too raucous!), Fugazi (politest, most respectful mosh-pit EVER) and this gig.

Now I have pretty short hair. But when the beat kicked in after the intro of Dance Yrself Clean, it was so LOUD that it moved my hair. I remember my brother and I danced our butts off throughout their set.

Yet again, as a live band they were ferociously tight. Even when one of Nancy Whang's antique synths went haywire near the start of the set they kept it going.

And I don't think there's anything better than watching a brilliant drummer. And Pat Mahoney was - if you'll excuse the language - fucking amazing. He was like a frigging machine, just holding it down throughout the set. Evan when James Murphy wandered over to play bits of his kit in a way which must have been off-putting. If not bloody annoying.

I can't argue with SetList.fm this time - it certainly tallies with my memory, anyway. But I can't believe they turfed out All My Friends so early in the set.

Long time visitors to this blog will know that I'm a massively soppy bugger. One of the things which can set me off are songs about home.

Talking Heads' This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) is a particular killer. Even Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's Our House can set me off if I'm in the right mood.

So when LCD ended their set with Home - the last track from their final album at one of their final ever UK gigs - it was just perfect.

I mean, I wasn't anywhere near as bad as this guy from the DVD of their FINAL EVER gig at Madison Square Garden in 2011 but it was pretty powerful nonetheless.

It was so good that we didn't stay for all of Hot Chip's set. It just wasn't able to come anywhere near the majesty of LCD Soundsytem going out at the top of their game.

Except they didn't. Because a few short years later they reformed.

And I couldn't even be mad at them, especially not when I saw them perform Call the Police on SNL.

But imagine being by this guy!

At least he was at the MSG gig.

remembering live music no.2

Pixies, Rock City Nottingham, April 25 1989

Picture young Steve, aged 15, attending only his second ever gig, going to see what was at that time his favourite band. Live music after this point was basically ruined for me.

My (older) brother had seen them play the previous year and we'd got tapes of Come on Pilgrim and Surfer Rosa. Obsessed.

Excitement was only increased by their second Peel session (which I taped, obviously) and this awesome appearance on SNUB TV (which we kept on video until the tape wore out) - I remember telling people at school to watch it.



How can people who look so ordinary - square, even - make a sound so wild? Look at their little faces, they look almost embarrassed to be on TV. Kim had only just stopped going by the nom de disque Mrs John Murphy. Couldn't Black Francis get a clean top?

In advance of the release of Doolittle, John Peel was playing a different song every night on his Radio 1 show. I'd even managed to get hold of a one-sided promo record with four songs on it. I was primed and ready to go.

Which is why it's so disappointing that I can remember so little about the gig!

• They started with "Into The White" which hadn't been released at that point. It had a very literal (and blinding) light show.
• Early in the set they played the (similarly unreleased) UK Surf version of "Wave of Mutilation" - I was convinced they were playing it so slowly because they were f*cked off - too many cries of "You fat bastard" from the more *excitable* and *refreshed* members of the audience?
• "No. 13 Baby" was the only song from Doolittle I'd not heard before I got the album the week before this gig. It's still my favourite track on the album. The light show was awesome for the long instrumental coda.
• And regardless of what Setlist.fm says, I have a vivid memory of them playing "Vamos". Joey Santiago playing much of the solo with a beer can as a slide - and I've just remembered he had a teeny tiny guitar amp!

Kim was pretty much the only Pixie to speak to the audience ("Thanks!" and not much else).
Regardless, I do know that they were bloody brilliant. So loud, so incredibly tight and just completely on it.

A few short years later they were hanging out with Bowie and U2, barely speaking to each other and having band promo pictures taken in their sunglasses.

remembering live music no.1

Do people really need another blog about living with MS in the times of COVID-19? Thought not!

Kind-of inspired by those Facebook posts about "10 books / albums / *delete as necessary that made me", I'm going to be posting about the best gigs I ever saw.

Why? Because reasons. But mostly as a reminder of something which none of us will be doing for some while.

---

Lemonheads, Trent Polytechnic, Nottingham, May 23 1990

The Lemonheads in 1992. Photograph: Ebet Roberts/Redferns

Starting off with a gig which I still maintain is the best I have ever seen. This was in a tiny room just next to the student bar at the old Trent Polytechnic, like a glorified recreation room. It was a glorious summer night and I went with my brother and my first actual girlfriend.

The Lemonheads (or as my gig ticket had it, The Lemon Heads) had recently trimmed down from a fractious five-piece line up to the classic power trio which would go on to record Lovey. At this gig they played stuff that would show up on that album, along with loads of songs from Lick (in my - unreliable - memory they started their set with Mallo Cup). 

They played so long that after a handful of encores Evan Dando said they didn't have any more songs. But the audience wouldn't let them off the stage (the room was so small that they had to push through the front rows to get on and off the stage).

Eventually Evan Dando said (and please remember that I'm paraphrasing based on my aged fading memory so I may have totally misremembered / embellished it all), "I wrote this song today, and after this we've got nothing". He then played a solo version of Ride With Me, still one of my favourite Lemonheads songs.



Like I mentioned earlier, if I ever had to say what was the best gig I ever saw, this was it. It was just a great example of the "simple" pleasure of great songs played well, and the unmistakeable heft of classic power trio. Plus the feeling when you're at a gig where everyone is loving it, and you're all there before a band goes supernova.

"I was there", indeed.

FUN FACT: Lemonheads are also responsible for the worst gig I ever saw. This was in Sheffield on the Car Button Cloth tour with Murph from Dinosaur Jr on drums. This was (I *think*) 1996-7 and Evan was deep into his crack years. Not pretty.

He encored by turning his back on the audience and feeding his guitar back for what seemed like 15 minutes.

Challenging. And more than a little sad.