Bassy
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Post by Bassy on Sept 19, 2020 18:16:16 GMT
YouTube and other media sources contain a treasure trove of bootleg recordings and video clips of innumerable gigs, going way back.
If you happen to find an audio or visual clip of an especially memorable gig which you actually attended, please post it in this thread.
I'll kick things off with an audio recording of Black Flag at The Marquee in 1985 (not 84 as incorrectly stated on the text of the clip).
I'd been a huge fan of Black Flag since first hearing them in 1982 on the "Let them eat jellybeans" compilation of American punk bands released in the UK by Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label. When his band toured the UK in their early days, he would often be asked what other American punk bands were worthwhile, so this record was his response to those questions in vinyl form.
This is the Rollins/Ginn/Stevenson/Roessler lineup and I was initially disappointed not to see Chuck Dukowski walk onstage to strap on a bass. I shouldn't have been concerned because it was a fantastic gig. The band had been roundly abused all over the UK before closing the tour in London and they were in "KILL" mode. I remember Stevenson looking into the crowd during a particularly intense section of music and shouting "Fuck you limey pigs !" for no apparent reason. The stage at the old Marquee was very low anf had no barriers, so you could actually feel the sweat flying off of the band. I was so staggered by the performance that it took me 5 minutes to lift my jaw back up from the floor.
See below. There's a short instrumental section before Rollins emerges for the gig proper. (at about 21 minutes in if you want to get straight to the meat).
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Bassy
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Posts: 131
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Post by Bassy on Sept 19, 2020 18:17:06 GMT
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Sept 19, 2020 18:26:07 GMT
^ If I didn't know I would think that was a heavy metal group Bassy. Very riffy innit?
I know a few of us were at Iggy and his Stooges performing Raw Power in Hammersmith - what a night...
Iggy & The Stooges - Raw Power / Search And Destroy live @ Hammersmith Apollo, London
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Bassy
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Post by Bassy on Sept 19, 2020 18:38:36 GMT
^ If I didn't know I would think that was a heavy metal group Bassy. Very riffy innit? Black Flag actually formed in 1978 and were essentially the template for American Hardcore. Their first album "Damaged" documents this well. By 85, they'd tired of being "The godfathers of Hardcore", slowed down and become far more dark and mean. At times, they deliberately produced a slow, crushing grind to emphasise the heaviness. Almost a different band, though their set on the gig I posted contains some of the earlier fast material. Start listening from 21 minutes in, when the instrumental jams are finished and the proper set begins. That'll give you a better idea of what Flag were about.
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Post by zeopold on Sept 19, 2020 18:47:20 GMT
The Fingers filling in for Sham, who lost their nerve
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Bassy
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Posts: 131
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Post by Bassy on Sept 19, 2020 19:34:46 GMT
Husker Du live in Camden, 1985. A phenomenal gig. As it was being filmed for TV (a show called "New from London"), entry was free to ensure a large crowd and a lot of non-fans turned up for a freebie. This explains the occasionally lukewarm audience response.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2020 9:53:15 GMT
YouTube and other media sources contain a treasure trove of bootleg recordings and video clips of innumerable gigs, going way back. If you happen to find an audio or visual clip of an especially memorable gig which you actually attended, please post it in this thread. I'll kick things off with an audio recording of Black Flag at The Marquee in 1985 (not 84 as incorrectly stated on the text of the clip). I'd been a huge fan of Black Flag since first hearing them in 1982 on the "Let them eat jellybeans" compilation of American punk bands released in the UK by Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label. When his band toured the UK in their early days, he would often be asked what other American punk bands were worthwhile, so this record was his response to those questions in vinyl form. This is the Rollins/Ginn/Stevenson/Roessler lineup and I was initially disappointed not to see Chuck Dukowski walk onstage to strap on a bass. I shouldn't have been concerned because it was a fantastic gig. The band had been roundly abused all over the UK before closing the tour in London and they were in "KILL" mode. I remember Stevenson looking into the crowd during a particularly intense section of music and shouting "Fuck you limey pigs !" for no apparent reason. The stage at the old Marquee was very low anf had no barriers, so you could actually feel the sweat flying off of the band. I was so staggered by the performance that it took me 5 minutes to lift my jaw back up from the floor. See below. There's a short instrumental section before Rollins emerges for the gig proper. (at about 21 minutes in if you want to get straight to the meat). I saw Black Flag in Night Moves in 1983 and they got pelters as Rollins just took the piss out the spikey tops all night. Not the best approach and he was probably lucky to get out of there alive as the Glasgow punters are not very forgiving. The support band that night were called Nig Heist and were truely dreadful. I never thought they were very 'hardcore' but I"m a huge fan of 'Ginn's' guitar sound even if it's a bit self indulgent(just like him). Henry's vocals aren't the strongest but he's a good frontman. Keith Morris for me was the man. A peculiar night.
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Post by smogquixote on Sept 20, 2020 15:57:29 GMT
Aphex Twin in Italy (2018), Godspeed You! Black Emperor In Newcastle (2016?) and I saw a Maldivian female folk singer on a beach once who had one of the most beautiful voices I ever heard but I lost the footage, that was in 2019.
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Bassy
Full Member
Posts: 131
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Post by Bassy on Sept 20, 2020 20:14:02 GMT
YouTube and other media sources contain a treasure trove of bootleg recordings and video clips of innumerable gigs, going way back. If you happen to find an audio or visual clip of an especially memorable gig which you actually attended, please post it in this thread. I'll kick things off with an audio recording of Black Flag at The Marquee in 1985 (not 84 as incorrectly stated on the text of the clip). I'd been a huge fan of Black Flag since first hearing them in 1982 on the "Let them eat jellybeans" compilation of American punk bands released in the UK by Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label. When his band toured the UK in their early days, he would often be asked what other American punk bands were worthwhile, so this record was his response to those questions in vinyl form. This is the Rollins/Ginn/Stevenson/Roessler lineup and I was initially disappointed not to see Chuck Dukowski walk onstage to strap on a bass. I shouldn't have been concerned because it was a fantastic gig. The band had been roundly abused all over the UK before closing the tour in London and they were in "KILL" mode. I remember Stevenson looking into the crowd during a particularly intense section of music and shouting "Fuck you limey pigs !" for no apparent reason. The stage at the old Marquee was very low anf had no barriers, so you could actually feel the sweat flying off of the band. I was so staggered by the performance that it took me 5 minutes to lift my jaw back up from the floor. See below. There's a short instrumental section before Rollins emerges for the gig proper. (at about 21 minutes in if you want to get straight to the meat). I saw Black Flag in Night Moves in 1983 and they got pelters as Rollins just took the piss out the spikey tops all night. Not the best approach and he was probably lucky to get out of there alive as the Glasgow punters are not very forgiving. The support band that night were called Nig Heist and were truely dreadful. I never thought they were very 'hardcore' but I"m a huge fan of 'Ginn's' guitar sound even if it's a bit self indulgent(just like him). Henry's vocals aren't the strongest but he's a good frontman. Keith Morris for me was the man. A peculiar night. I wish I'd seen them in 83, Rogue. Right from the early days, Black Flag thought that most UK punk bands and punters were weak and unimaginative. They didn't remotely try to hide their scorn and contempt for the UK82 crew and suffered accordingly at the hands of audiences during their UK tours. When I saw them at the Marquee in 85, they deliberately instructed the venue DJ to play ZZ Top's "Eliminator" album on loop before they came on, rather than the expected punky choons of the day. I was baffled on the night but later came to admire their degree of bloody mindedness. BTW, Nig Heist also supported at the Marquee. Only Flag were aware that Nig Heist was actually their tour crew "pretending" to be a band. Their attempts to offend were truly pitiful, as was the music. A private joke that should've remained private.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2020 21:39:18 GMT
Henry kept dedicating the songs to people by taking the piss'i.e. this ones for Maggie Thatcher', 'This songs about being on the dole' etc.
I think he called it wrong as the Glasgow punks had fuck all to do with the scene down south and that was as alien to them as American hardcore bands like Black Flag.
Still, they were pretty raw and Ginns guitar sound was pretty unique.
I think Nig Heist had Spot their producer in them and having long hair didn't go down well that night amongst the locals.
Funny though.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2020 21:43:48 GMT
Also, as a footnote to above both Jeff Bale and Tim Yohannon of MRR were equally dismissive of UK punk back then I recall the reviews of the likes of Instant Agony, Court Martial etc weren't too kind.
Funny how a lot of these bands are revered now by the hipsters who write for MRR now.
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Post by smogquixote on Sept 23, 2020 19:51:53 GMT
I saw Dead Can Dance in London either last year or the year before and they were really good as well
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Post by jsm on Sept 23, 2020 22:51:04 GMT
Magazine during their Australian tour in 1980 were brilliant. I saw them at least three times and they were fantastic every time. Two of the gigs were in rather small venues, but they were bloody loud.
An LP, Play, was recorded at one of their Melbourne gigs and I remember it didn't get very good reviews. It certainly doesn't convey the sense of excitement I got from the Sydney gigs, maybe because they were in such small venues. Or maybe the band just wasn't on fire on the night of the recording. Don't get me wrong, Play is still a very good record, but not as good as I remember the live experience. Anyway, the set list is interesting:
Give Me Everything 4:27 A Song From Under The Floorboards 4:15 Permafrost 4:59 The Light Pours Out Of Me 4:46 Model Worker 2:57 Parade 6:05 Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) 3:49 Because You're Frightened 3:53 Twenty Years Ago 4:00 Definitive Gaze 3:48
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Bassy
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Posts: 131
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Post by Bassy on Sept 26, 2020 15:43:27 GMT
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Post by zeopold on Sept 27, 2020 19:14:06 GMT
Best gig I ever saw was The Clash on the '16 Tons' tour at Portsmouth Guildhall.
At the time I was going through a Crass phase and bought into the 'Clash sold out' orthodoxy after 'London Calling' came out, but a friend had a ticket and gave it to me cos he couldn't make the show so I thought what the hell it's a night out.
They rocked me senseless. It was clear that they were not fooling around.
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