Category Archives: live

Lunch Break: Invisible Sex, “Valium”

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I was watching clips from the punk/new wave movie Urgh! A Music War, a British movie that came out in 1982 that featured filmed live performances of a lot of bands you’ve heard of, and Invisible Sex.

According to the Urgh! Wikipedia page, this performance of Invisible Sex appears to be the only time they ever played live and they left behind no other released recordings. In 2008, however, a guy named Tom surfaced on the Urgh Yahoo page claim to be Gene Axe, the band’s guitarist. There is a page here, which features less than clear writing and a collection of known facts about the band. The most interesting is a list of the supposed band members names:

Gene Wow: Lead vocals
Gene Yus: Keyboards
Gene Axe: Guitar (Probably Tom Toomey)
Gene Machine: Female dancer
Gene I: Drums
Gene Junction: Female dancer
Gene Tee: Saxophone
Ranking Gene: Male dancer, fire blowing, percussion, “keeper of the stash”
Banana Gene, AKA Gene Banana: Bass

 

And then there is Valium, which is tons of fun.

Night Music: Jimi Hendrix Experience, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”

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A movie about Jimi Hendrix came out this past week, and doesn’t seem to be making a lot of noise. It was written and directed by John Ridley, who wrote 12 Years a Slave, but was made without the cooperation of the Hendrix heirs, and they withheld song rights.

I haven’t seen it, so no comment on how you make a Hendrix in 1967 movie without Purple Haze, but I have seen this clip of a show in London when Hendrix and the Experience started the show with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, notable because John Lennon and Paul McCartney were sitting in the front row.

Night Music: Psychedelic Furs, “We Love You”

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Gene lumped the Smith’s with the Psychedelic Furs and Tears for Fears earlier today, which is maybe in the right time frame. Heck, could be the same cultural moment, but for me it’s all different.

I liked the beginning Psychedelic Furs music. I never saw them, but Richard Butler was a personality like Morrisey, with more of an attachment to Johnny Rotten. That isn’t bad.  And the Furs played rock music.

In other words, I own Psychedelic Furs vinyl, but not vinyl of the Smiths. I’m not sure that means anything, but it tells me what I was thinking at the time.

Today, the Furs still sound good, kind of like an Englishy Strokes. Lots of chops, lots of personality, but also lots of derivation. In any case, this is fun.

Night Music: The Sweet, “Ballroom Blitz”

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When I was in high school, when this song came out, we thought it was sooo stupid. And we were right. But it was a huge hit and plumbed some ideas about glam and rock and theater that were oh so courant in 1973. And, of course, it was out of these ideas that punk erupted, in its many forms, shortly thereafter.

And it was this song that bounces back in my head when I’m thinking, Hey Ho Let’s Go from the Ramones.

It is this song that reminds me that I’ve not ever seen Rocky Horror Picture Show.

No Music: The Clash and Undertones in Toronto 1979

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Evidence is evidence.

The Clash weren’t perfect, or even close, but as a band they hit all the marks.

This clip documents a somewhat awkward encounter between Joe Stummer and a Canadian interviewer. And brings the Undertones in for better comment.

Talking about the culture and business of rock, this is still terrible bullshit. And the Clash are implicated seriously.

But, as a video moment? Draw your own conclusions.

Link: 35 Years Today, the Clash at the Palladium

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I saw the Clash for the first time at the Palladium 35 years ago this day. I don’t keep track of such things, but others do.

This post at Dangerous Minds links to some film that was shot that night, synched to bootleg audio of the show. The effect is pretty cool, but like every live tape I listen to of a show I attended, it isn’t the same thing. The filters are all different.

But let’s say you’re not 35 years old and had no chance to be at this great show (and why doesn’t anyone mention Sam and Dave and the Undertones, who were also great?) this is what you’ve got.