ok, a couple of things.
first of all, yesterday was one week since the stranglers show and i got all nostalgic and shit. ONE WEEK LATER. what is the matter with me? well, anyway, i've made it my life mission to get my ass to england sometime in the near future to see them play. with jet, ideally. they are supposed to come back here in september to make up the detroit gig they had to cancel, so if they do any other shows aside from that one obviously i'm going. but i have to see jet play in my life. so that's that. i am setting aside all the money i make at my other job to save up for a flight and everything. so, hooray! let's hope that all works out.
second- hugh cornwell announced a show in "philadelphia" in december, along with a few other dates for his tour. yeah. it's not in philly. it's at the sellersville theatre. the theatre that is less than 2 miles from where i live out in bumblefuck pa. no, it's not really bumblefuck, otherwise we wouldn't have a theatre here, but it's certainly not philly with its plethora of music venues. not only did i used to go there as a kid when it was a movie theatre, and have gone there since they converted it for many shows, but my band played there in january this year. hugh is going to be on the same stage i once was on. i beat him there! clem burke is going to be on the same drum riser i once sat on! how cool is that? i'm pretty excited. he told me about it a while ago but i didn't want to blab about it until it was officially announced. but i was like "um, you're going to be 5 minutes from where i live!" and he was just like "oh, well, i guess i'll see you at the show, then."
so classy.
10 June 2013
billy idol
i got a text from my friend earlier today around 5:00 saying "i saw on fb that someone has an extra ticket to see billy idol at sands tonight." uh WHA? billy idol is in bethlehem and i DIDN'T KNOW? i told her to find out how much and when i had to be there and all that jazz and then changed out of my sweaty drumming clothes into a nicer outfit. i probably still smelled terrible but at least i looked ok. i think.
so the extra ticket was in one of those suites at the casino's event center. i've never been in one of those before and i felt super fancy. but kind of uncomfortable too. there was a fridge full of beer (and water and soda) and wine and food on the counter. i had a beer. and some potato chips. totally lived it up, huh...
but anyway, so BILLY IDOL opened with "ready steady go." the girl i got my ticket from was running a little late, and we got into our suite right as the song was starting. i started smiling like an idiot and kept trying to find a better view. i settled near a table with an older couple sitting there. they tolerated me, i think. the show was so fucking cool though. his band is great, steve stevens is insane, and we got to hear all the hits: "dancing with myself." "rebel yell." "white wedding." "mony mony." i guess he feels like he has to do those songs, but they're probably a lot of fun to perform, especially with a ton of happy fans singing along. and he also did "king rocker" so i was happy to hear those 2 generation x songs. so the boyfriend of the girl i came in with shoved me over to their little group, away from my old couple, during mony mony. i was like come on, now i have to interact with you guys? can't you see i was happy with the old people and my bowl of chips? then one of them asked me "do you like billy idol?" i mean...that kind of question doesn't even deserve a response. "no, i just came here for the food." idiot.
and sorry for being pervy but he looks HOT. i called my mom after the show, because i tried to get her to go with since there ended up being 2 extra tickets, but she said she had "stuff to do," so i was like "you missed out on such a great show! billy is SUPER HOT, mom." and she says "yeah, for an old guy." and i said "NO. for ANY guy. i've seen guys my age and younger that don't look half as good as that man." she laughed. but it's true.
also i think i kind of needed to do something to get out of stranglers-land in my head, and it worked for a while, but i'm back again. oh well. it's nice here.
so the extra ticket was in one of those suites at the casino's event center. i've never been in one of those before and i felt super fancy. but kind of uncomfortable too. there was a fridge full of beer (and water and soda) and wine and food on the counter. i had a beer. and some potato chips. totally lived it up, huh...
but anyway, so BILLY IDOL opened with "ready steady go." the girl i got my ticket from was running a little late, and we got into our suite right as the song was starting. i started smiling like an idiot and kept trying to find a better view. i settled near a table with an older couple sitting there. they tolerated me, i think. the show was so fucking cool though. his band is great, steve stevens is insane, and we got to hear all the hits: "dancing with myself." "rebel yell." "white wedding." "mony mony." i guess he feels like he has to do those songs, but they're probably a lot of fun to perform, especially with a ton of happy fans singing along. and he also did "king rocker" so i was happy to hear those 2 generation x songs. so the boyfriend of the girl i came in with shoved me over to their little group, away from my old couple, during mony mony. i was like come on, now i have to interact with you guys? can't you see i was happy with the old people and my bowl of chips? then one of them asked me "do you like billy idol?" i mean...that kind of question doesn't even deserve a response. "no, i just came here for the food." idiot.
and sorry for being pervy but he looks HOT. i called my mom after the show, because i tried to get her to go with since there ended up being 2 extra tickets, but she said she had "stuff to do," so i was like "you missed out on such a great show! billy is SUPER HOT, mom." and she says "yeah, for an old guy." and i said "NO. for ANY guy. i've seen guys my age and younger that don't look half as good as that man." she laughed. but it's true.
also i think i kind of needed to do something to get out of stranglers-land in my head, and it worked for a while, but i'm back again. oh well. it's nice here.
07 June 2013
the stranglers: the day after
i wrote this really great post about my feelings today, and lost it because i don't have a real internet connection. i'm going to try to recapture it so if this sucks just know that there was something way better.
i have been thinking about yesterday all day today. i'm not kidding. i can't stop thinking about everything that happened last night and what it means to me. unfortunately that means there's a lot of "ugh why didn't you say that?" and "why don't you look happier in the picture?" and "why didn't you try to get them to put their arms around you for the picture? or ask jj to smile for fuck's sake?" banging around in my head. the fact that this is bothering me so much has made me realize that what i wrote at the end of my post last night is 100% true: the stranglers are my favorite band. this is a huge realization for someone who loves rather than likes. when i really like something, i dive all the way in and love it with everything i have. why do you think all of my posts are so enthusiastic? every show i go to is great; every person i meet is wonderful. but no show - not a single one - has ever had me feeling so strange the next day. that's how i know it's true: the stranglers are my favorite band. everywhere i look in my apartment, there they are. the poster from the "shakin' like a leaf" 12" single hanging above the shelves next to my door. the hugh cornwell show flyer that he signed for me. the "10" insert that came with my "sweet smell of success" 12" single. the other poster i have hanging on my bedroom door that came in my "let me down easy" 12" single. and my newly signed black & white album hanging where it used to. "pour la belle chloë." every tuesday i go into my garage and play along with stranglers songs. usually all, or at least most, of rattus, plus whatever else i'm feeling like. and always "nice 'n' sleazy." yeah, the drumbeat is the same pretty much the whole way through, but it's funky and i love it. through those albums, jet has taught me so much. so, why the stranglers? why couldn't it be joan jett? why a bunch of old british dudes who were always being accused of being misogynistic assholes back in the day? i don't know. all i know is how i'm feeling right now and it's incredible. they are a huge part of my life. i listen to them when i'm sad. when i'm angry. when i'm happy. when i'm in the weird depressed state where i'm not really sure what i'm feeling. when i wake up in the morning and don't know what i'm in the mood for yet, but yeah, let's put on dreamtime. they've had me in their grip for years now but it took meeting them and seeing them live to understand just how much they mean to me. i wish i could go back and say all of this to them. i want them to know what they are to me. i can only hope that i get another chance to see them. that's all i ask for. until then, all i have are my memories from last night. and all their albums that i can listen to on repeat for the rest of my life.
also, i feel the need to add this: i have been officially converted. i believe in baz! yeah, hugh cornwell was a huge part of that band but baz has been in the band now for about as long as hugh was before he left. he does all the hugh songs justice live. if you haven't seen them, you can hear it on the live cd that comes with the deluxe version of giants (can't stop listening to it). if he's good enough for 3/4 of the original stranglers well fuck it, he should be good enough for the rest of us, right? also, LOOK AT THAT SMILE. he was so awesome in person (so were dave and jj, of course, but i was already psyched about those guys). of course i still love hugh but it's good to know that he has been replaced by the best possible person for the job. all of my love, guys, all of it.
i have been thinking about yesterday all day today. i'm not kidding. i can't stop thinking about everything that happened last night and what it means to me. unfortunately that means there's a lot of "ugh why didn't you say that?" and "why don't you look happier in the picture?" and "why didn't you try to get them to put their arms around you for the picture? or ask jj to smile for fuck's sake?" banging around in my head. the fact that this is bothering me so much has made me realize that what i wrote at the end of my post last night is 100% true: the stranglers are my favorite band. this is a huge realization for someone who loves rather than likes. when i really like something, i dive all the way in and love it with everything i have. why do you think all of my posts are so enthusiastic? every show i go to is great; every person i meet is wonderful. but no show - not a single one - has ever had me feeling so strange the next day. that's how i know it's true: the stranglers are my favorite band. everywhere i look in my apartment, there they are. the poster from the "shakin' like a leaf" 12" single hanging above the shelves next to my door. the hugh cornwell show flyer that he signed for me. the "10" insert that came with my "sweet smell of success" 12" single. the other poster i have hanging on my bedroom door that came in my "let me down easy" 12" single. and my newly signed black & white album hanging where it used to. "pour la belle chloë." every tuesday i go into my garage and play along with stranglers songs. usually all, or at least most, of rattus, plus whatever else i'm feeling like. and always "nice 'n' sleazy." yeah, the drumbeat is the same pretty much the whole way through, but it's funky and i love it. through those albums, jet has taught me so much. so, why the stranglers? why couldn't it be joan jett? why a bunch of old british dudes who were always being accused of being misogynistic assholes back in the day? i don't know. all i know is how i'm feeling right now and it's incredible. they are a huge part of my life. i listen to them when i'm sad. when i'm angry. when i'm happy. when i'm in the weird depressed state where i'm not really sure what i'm feeling. when i wake up in the morning and don't know what i'm in the mood for yet, but yeah, let's put on dreamtime. they've had me in their grip for years now but it took meeting them and seeing them live to understand just how much they mean to me. i wish i could go back and say all of this to them. i want them to know what they are to me. i can only hope that i get another chance to see them. that's all i ask for. until then, all i have are my memories from last night. and all their albums that i can listen to on repeat for the rest of my life.
also, i feel the need to add this: i have been officially converted. i believe in baz! yeah, hugh cornwell was a huge part of that band but baz has been in the band now for about as long as hugh was before he left. he does all the hugh songs justice live. if you haven't seen them, you can hear it on the live cd that comes with the deluxe version of giants (can't stop listening to it). if he's good enough for 3/4 of the original stranglers well fuck it, he should be good enough for the rest of us, right? also, LOOK AT THAT SMILE. he was so awesome in person (so were dave and jj, of course, but i was already psyched about those guys). of course i still love hugh but it's good to know that he has been replaced by the best possible person for the job. all of my love, guys, all of it.
06 June 2013
the stranglers. THE STRANGLERS. HOLY SHIT I SAW THE STRANGLERS.
buckle yourselves in, this is gonna be a long one.
i wrote something before about how i bought a vip ticket for the stranglers show in philly, because i love this band so fucking much and i was also really excited to meet jet black. i found out not too long before the show that jet was not on this leg of the tour, which probably shouldn't have surprised me, but it was still incredibly disappointing for me. so, i'm going to tell you something super nerdy that i did. i drew a picture of jet (just his face) and wrote him a little note around it, saying how i was really looking forward to meeting him, he's one of my favorite drummers, and playing along to stranglers albums has made me so much better. i thanked him for being "so fucking cool" and that sort of thing. i brought it with me so i could find a way to get it to him. i told you it was nerdy.
i bought my friend a ticket to the show as her birthday present, so i drove us to philly, got something to eat and then i had to ditch her in the restaurant to get to the venue in time. i got my ticket at the box office, then i got handed my vip lanyard, and then i had to stand in line and i must have looked crazy because i couldn't stand still and i kept looking around and fidgeting. it was annoying. i annoyed myself. but i was so excited! another friend was doing the vip thing with his wife so he let me stand with them and we laughed at how nervous i was. my hands were literally shaking. but i was glad to have someone there that i knew even though i was still freaking out. i watched everyone take their turn, and wished i could hear what they were saying so i could have some idea what to say to them because my mind was just blank. then my friend and his wife took their turn. i was next.
my heart was pounding and i felt like i might throw up, but i managed to walk to the table and say hello, and they all said hi to me. jj was standing, and he kept leaning forward to talk. it was nice. he asked me my name, and i said chloe, and he said "is that c-h-l-o-e, with an umlaut?" and i was like UHHH YES YOU ARE SMART. or something. i always say the dumbest things when people ask me about my name, i should probably work on that. so i handed them the one album i decided to bring along because it's so fucking good and also ideal for signing purposes, as you can see - black & white - and asked if they would sign it, and they said of course. dave was first, and he looked at me and said "do you have a pen?" luckily, i was carrying a sharpie on me. it kind of made me laugh that they had this vip event, and nothing to sign with. so he signed it next to his picture. then baz was next. he said "do you want me to sign it? since i'm not on this record." i knew this was going to happen. part of me really didn't want him to sign it, because no, he's not on the record, and i've always fancied myself a cornwell girl. but who fucking cares? the way he was looking at me, the way that he asked...this guy is as much a strangler as the others so what the fuck is my problem? no problem. i said "i don't want you to feel left out. you sign it too." so he drew a head on hugh's body and signed next to it. and i love it. absolutely fucking love it. jj signed his name, and then it was picture time. jj moved out so i could get on the bench between him and baz and he said "do you want to come sit with the bad boys?" YES. FOREVER. PLEASE. he probably says that to all the girls. but i felt special. as i moved in and sat down, i actually said out loud "i'm totally freaking out right now." then jj decided to personalize his signature and wrote "pour la belle chloë" and i just about melted onto the bench right there. he said something about how since he had asked my name, he should write it on there. which is really sweet.
the guy taking the pictures seemed kind of antsy so i smiled as best i could but i kind of felt like crying at the same time because they were so nice and my turn was almost over and i wanted to hang out with them for the rest of my life. anyway, so he took the picture while i tried to keep it all together.
i skipped a part. i handed them the record to sign and it got passed along and then i said "i have kind of weird request," and they all just looked at me inquisitively. everything was so adorable. i know i sound like a total fangirl but i warned you all about this. ok, so i pulled jet's note out of my bag and said "i wrote something to jet; would you be able to give this to him for me?" and they all said "yeah, yeah, absolutely, of course." they were so cool about it. then jj said to give it to some guy (tour manager? roadie? i don't know, but he was really nice to me as well) and he would make sure it got to jet. the guy asked if he could look at it, so i said yes. he did, and then said "i could scan this and email it to him tonight, if you would like that." FUCK YEAH. that would be amazing. he asked if i wanted the original back and i said no, i want him to have that too. and i told the dudes that i love jet's drumming so much and that i just really wanted him to know that, and i was sad i didn't get to meet him, and they said that he was sad to not be here. but he isn't well and couldn't make it. they got all serious and sad looking which made me nervous. it's such a bummer. but i guess the next best thing to meeting him is that he'll get my note. so after the picture i turned and shook baz's hand, and leaned over to shake dave's hand, and then jj's, and jj was so sweet. he has such an adorable face. i wanted to give hugs instead of handshakes but i felt like i would just be embarrassing myself. and there was still half the vip people to go, so i didn't want to be an asshole. i wrote down my email address on the back of the note in case jet wants to email me back; i said i wasn't sure if he was into that kind of thing but the dude said he's really cool with his fans. so yay. then i had to go back outside to wait.
my friend was out there so we reconvened and she listened to me babble on like a crazy person about how wonderful they are and how happy i was and whatever the hell else i was saying. then my boss and his lady friend showed up and stood in line with us and we all hung out together. i'm glad they were all so understanding, because i am pretty sure i was acting like a 15 year old girl who just met the beatles. minus the crying. you can imagine how obnoxious that would be right? yeah. i'm sorry. but it was a big deal.
so the opening band was called residuels? i think. they were really good but i'm not going to talk about them now because this is turning into a tolstoy novel.
you know what? here's the set list:
i know this is wrong at the end because they definitely didn't do "something better change." that was sad enough for me because i was really looking forward to that song (mostly, so i could hear jj shout "STICK MY FINGERS RIGHT UP YOUR NOSE" because it's like the greatest lyric ever written) but then i find out IT'S ON THE SET LIST AND THEY SKIPPED IT. ugh. my life is so hard. (sarcasm, guys.) after "no more heroes" they came back out for "tank" and "hanging around." then they left and came back and did "5 minutes" and "straighten out." so no "down in the sewer" either. SAD FACE.
but seriously, it's cool. it was one of the best shows i've ever seen. i was pretty close to the front, and before they started some guy said "aren't you a little young to like these guys?" NOPE. "what's 'too young' anyway?" he didn't know how to answer that. then it was "how long have you been listening to them?" SINCE I WAS 15, YA BITCH. i should have said that, but i didn't. maybe he was just being friendly and trying to make conversation but it felt like he was challenging me. usually the old punks are cool and happy that there are young people keeping the flame burning but sometimes you get the feeling they think they're better than you because they saw the band in the '70s. sorry i wasn't alive then, asshole, and thanks for rubbing it in because if i could do anything it would be to time travel and see all the bands i love back when they were starting out. uh, so anyway, he kept asking me things but luckily the lights went down and "waltzinblack" started playing. i had an empty plastic cup in my hand, and when that waltz started, i freaked out and crushed it in my hand. it was kind of funny. so, they came out on stage! and stated playing "toiler on the sea"! this other guy who was in front of me kept turning and looking at me as the set progressed and i was shamelessly singing my heart out and dancing, and at some point he motioned for me to stand in front of him. uh, are you sure? he nodded, so i grabbed the opportunity. it was between "skin deep" and "always the sun." 2 brilliant songs. the only bad part was that he is an avid air guitarist and his strumming hand kept hitting my ass, especially on "walk on by," which is the longest song they do. oh well. I WAS UP FRONT!
i'm not going to talk about each individual song and what they mean to me and why i like them, because i need to stop at some point. i could talk about this for the rest of my life if i thought anyone cared that much. but LOOK AT THAT SET LIST. those songs! they are so good! and i saw them playing those songs right in front of me! during "no more heroes," dave was playing one handed and draining his drink with the other hand and when his cup was empty, he threw it at baz, who then headbutted it. it was perfect. the entire show i kept freaking out. i know for a fact when "nice 'n' sleazy" started, i shouted "OH MY GOD" because i was so happy. and it was really fucking cool to hear them do "grip" and "peaches" because as i said in my hugh cornwell post, those were the first stranglers songs i ever heard. and to hear dave's keyboards and jj's bass right in front of me...it was almost too much. remember - teenage beatles fan sans the tears? that was me at the stranglers show. sigh.
i'm so happy right now. i don't know what to do. it's 3:30am and i don't want to sleep because then that means that the night is really over and i want this to last forever. i could keep writing but there's not much else to say. they are spectacular humans and i'm proud to call the stranglers my favorite band.
i wrote something before about how i bought a vip ticket for the stranglers show in philly, because i love this band so fucking much and i was also really excited to meet jet black. i found out not too long before the show that jet was not on this leg of the tour, which probably shouldn't have surprised me, but it was still incredibly disappointing for me. so, i'm going to tell you something super nerdy that i did. i drew a picture of jet (just his face) and wrote him a little note around it, saying how i was really looking forward to meeting him, he's one of my favorite drummers, and playing along to stranglers albums has made me so much better. i thanked him for being "so fucking cool" and that sort of thing. i brought it with me so i could find a way to get it to him. i told you it was nerdy.
i bought my friend a ticket to the show as her birthday present, so i drove us to philly, got something to eat and then i had to ditch her in the restaurant to get to the venue in time. i got my ticket at the box office, then i got handed my vip lanyard, and then i had to stand in line and i must have looked crazy because i couldn't stand still and i kept looking around and fidgeting. it was annoying. i annoyed myself. but i was so excited! another friend was doing the vip thing with his wife so he let me stand with them and we laughed at how nervous i was. my hands were literally shaking. but i was glad to have someone there that i knew even though i was still freaking out. i watched everyone take their turn, and wished i could hear what they were saying so i could have some idea what to say to them because my mind was just blank. then my friend and his wife took their turn. i was next.
my heart was pounding and i felt like i might throw up, but i managed to walk to the table and say hello, and they all said hi to me. jj was standing, and he kept leaning forward to talk. it was nice. he asked me my name, and i said chloe, and he said "is that c-h-l-o-e, with an umlaut?" and i was like UHHH YES YOU ARE SMART. or something. i always say the dumbest things when people ask me about my name, i should probably work on that. so i handed them the one album i decided to bring along because it's so fucking good and also ideal for signing purposes, as you can see - black & white - and asked if they would sign it, and they said of course. dave was first, and he looked at me and said "do you have a pen?" luckily, i was carrying a sharpie on me. it kind of made me laugh that they had this vip event, and nothing to sign with. so he signed it next to his picture. then baz was next. he said "do you want me to sign it? since i'm not on this record." i knew this was going to happen. part of me really didn't want him to sign it, because no, he's not on the record, and i've always fancied myself a cornwell girl. but who fucking cares? the way he was looking at me, the way that he asked...this guy is as much a strangler as the others so what the fuck is my problem? no problem. i said "i don't want you to feel left out. you sign it too." so he drew a head on hugh's body and signed next to it. and i love it. absolutely fucking love it. jj signed his name, and then it was picture time. jj moved out so i could get on the bench between him and baz and he said "do you want to come sit with the bad boys?" YES. FOREVER. PLEASE. he probably says that to all the girls. but i felt special. as i moved in and sat down, i actually said out loud "i'm totally freaking out right now." then jj decided to personalize his signature and wrote "pour la belle chloë" and i just about melted onto the bench right there. he said something about how since he had asked my name, he should write it on there. which is really sweet.
the guy taking the pictures seemed kind of antsy so i smiled as best i could but i kind of felt like crying at the same time because they were so nice and my turn was almost over and i wanted to hang out with them for the rest of my life. anyway, so he took the picture while i tried to keep it all together.
i skipped a part. i handed them the record to sign and it got passed along and then i said "i have kind of weird request," and they all just looked at me inquisitively. everything was so adorable. i know i sound like a total fangirl but i warned you all about this. ok, so i pulled jet's note out of my bag and said "i wrote something to jet; would you be able to give this to him for me?" and they all said "yeah, yeah, absolutely, of course." they were so cool about it. then jj said to give it to some guy (tour manager? roadie? i don't know, but he was really nice to me as well) and he would make sure it got to jet. the guy asked if he could look at it, so i said yes. he did, and then said "i could scan this and email it to him tonight, if you would like that." FUCK YEAH. that would be amazing. he asked if i wanted the original back and i said no, i want him to have that too. and i told the dudes that i love jet's drumming so much and that i just really wanted him to know that, and i was sad i didn't get to meet him, and they said that he was sad to not be here. but he isn't well and couldn't make it. they got all serious and sad looking which made me nervous. it's such a bummer. but i guess the next best thing to meeting him is that he'll get my note. so after the picture i turned and shook baz's hand, and leaned over to shake dave's hand, and then jj's, and jj was so sweet. he has such an adorable face. i wanted to give hugs instead of handshakes but i felt like i would just be embarrassing myself. and there was still half the vip people to go, so i didn't want to be an asshole. i wrote down my email address on the back of the note in case jet wants to email me back; i said i wasn't sure if he was into that kind of thing but the dude said he's really cool with his fans. so yay. then i had to go back outside to wait.
my friend was out there so we reconvened and she listened to me babble on like a crazy person about how wonderful they are and how happy i was and whatever the hell else i was saying. then my boss and his lady friend showed up and stood in line with us and we all hung out together. i'm glad they were all so understanding, because i am pretty sure i was acting like a 15 year old girl who just met the beatles. minus the crying. you can imagine how obnoxious that would be right? yeah. i'm sorry. but it was a big deal.
so the opening band was called residuels? i think. they were really good but i'm not going to talk about them now because this is turning into a tolstoy novel.
you know what? here's the set list:
i know this is wrong at the end because they definitely didn't do "something better change." that was sad enough for me because i was really looking forward to that song (mostly, so i could hear jj shout "STICK MY FINGERS RIGHT UP YOUR NOSE" because it's like the greatest lyric ever written) but then i find out IT'S ON THE SET LIST AND THEY SKIPPED IT. ugh. my life is so hard. (sarcasm, guys.) after "no more heroes" they came back out for "tank" and "hanging around." then they left and came back and did "5 minutes" and "straighten out." so no "down in the sewer" either. SAD FACE.
but seriously, it's cool. it was one of the best shows i've ever seen. i was pretty close to the front, and before they started some guy said "aren't you a little young to like these guys?" NOPE. "what's 'too young' anyway?" he didn't know how to answer that. then it was "how long have you been listening to them?" SINCE I WAS 15, YA BITCH. i should have said that, but i didn't. maybe he was just being friendly and trying to make conversation but it felt like he was challenging me. usually the old punks are cool and happy that there are young people keeping the flame burning but sometimes you get the feeling they think they're better than you because they saw the band in the '70s. sorry i wasn't alive then, asshole, and thanks for rubbing it in because if i could do anything it would be to time travel and see all the bands i love back when they were starting out. uh, so anyway, he kept asking me things but luckily the lights went down and "waltzinblack" started playing. i had an empty plastic cup in my hand, and when that waltz started, i freaked out and crushed it in my hand. it was kind of funny. so, they came out on stage! and stated playing "toiler on the sea"! this other guy who was in front of me kept turning and looking at me as the set progressed and i was shamelessly singing my heart out and dancing, and at some point he motioned for me to stand in front of him. uh, are you sure? he nodded, so i grabbed the opportunity. it was between "skin deep" and "always the sun." 2 brilliant songs. the only bad part was that he is an avid air guitarist and his strumming hand kept hitting my ass, especially on "walk on by," which is the longest song they do. oh well. I WAS UP FRONT!
i'm not going to talk about each individual song and what they mean to me and why i like them, because i need to stop at some point. i could talk about this for the rest of my life if i thought anyone cared that much. but LOOK AT THAT SET LIST. those songs! they are so good! and i saw them playing those songs right in front of me! during "no more heroes," dave was playing one handed and draining his drink with the other hand and when his cup was empty, he threw it at baz, who then headbutted it. it was perfect. the entire show i kept freaking out. i know for a fact when "nice 'n' sleazy" started, i shouted "OH MY GOD" because i was so happy. and it was really fucking cool to hear them do "grip" and "peaches" because as i said in my hugh cornwell post, those were the first stranglers songs i ever heard. and to hear dave's keyboards and jj's bass right in front of me...it was almost too much. remember - teenage beatles fan sans the tears? that was me at the stranglers show. sigh.
i'm so happy right now. i don't know what to do. it's 3:30am and i don't want to sleep because then that means that the night is really over and i want this to last forever. i could keep writing but there's not much else to say. they are spectacular humans and i'm proud to call the stranglers my favorite band.
oh jj, you so cute.
dave greenfield. the one and only.
baz, you won me over tonight. thank you.
this is not jet black, but he does really well playing like him.
bass face ♥
04 June 2013
walter lure
if you had asked me 10+ years ago "who is walter lure?" i would have stared back at you blankly; meanwhile i knew by heart all the words to songs like "chinese rocks" and "born to lose." i never really paid attention to people's names until more recently, when i realized that these old punk dudes are out playing shows as themselves. working at a record store has also helped with that. so, walter lure was in the heartbreakers with johnny thunders; naturally i wanted to see him play a solo show at the one and only brighton bar.
oh, so a few months ago i went to this strummerville thing at the bowery electric in new york. i'm not sure why i didn't write about it. i saw jesse malin in january, and as he was talking to me, he mentioned the strummerville show he put together and said i should go. so i did. because that's the kind of person i am. but seriously, i fucking love joe strummer and the clash and i saw that there were going to be a bunch of cool people performing: h.r. from bad brains, ivan julian from the voidoids, bob gruen (the photographer), obviously jesse malin, and also walter lure. i'll do a whole post about this sometime, probably, maybe. but anyway walter lure did "i fought the law" and i honestly wasn't impressed. which was disappointing to me, because i wanted to like him, but it really bothered me how he kept saying "and the law won" when there are not supposed to be words there. you know what i mean right? here, watch the video. so yeah. everyone only did one song, sometimes two, and that was his one.
but i still wanted to see him again! i figured that might have been weird for him, maybe he was having a bad night, maybe they didn't get to rehearse (a lot of people were reading notes as they performed; everything was a little haphazard but overall a lot of fun. i'm not trying to shit talk, honest), maybe he got stuck doing a song that he didn't know that well? who knows. so me and ryan (show buddy extraordinaire) went out saturday night to see walter lure and the waldos. ryan claims that he is not a punk fan (he thinks they can't play their instruments; i have so much to teach him) but he loves the new york dolls, therefore he loves johnny thunders, which is how i got him to go to this show with me.
we ended up loving every opening band. curtis suburban, rama amoeba, frankenstein 3000, and ingrid and the defectors. at one point, before the show started, i went to the bathroom and when i came out, ryan said "holy shit, marc bolan is here." um. what? "no seriously. wait until you see him. it's marc bolan." i finally did see who he was talking about; the singer/guitarist from rama amoeba (all the way from japan you guys!) looks like fucking marc bolan. the hair. the shiny suit. we were both really excited. they were a ton of fun to watch, too.
anyway- so walter lure! the dude who drummed and sang for curtis suburban was drumming for him too, which made me happy because he's really fucking good. so, the girl who used to love this guy without knowing who he even was got to hear him sing/play "chinese rocks" and "born to lose." you bet your ass i was singing along. i also got to hear "pirate love" and "too much junkie business" and "all by myself." seriously, it was so much fucking fun. i'm really glad i didn't let that weird clash song ruin his rep for me, because i would have missed out on a fantastic night. it was fun to turn and look at everyone watching him, too. i love going to shows like this because the people there are usually out of their minds with excitement (obviously this includes me as well).
before the show, he was wandering around, and i found myself standing next to him at the bar. i was alone. he was alone. i looked at him and then looked away as he looked at me. i had no idea what to say to him. it kind of looked like he wanted to laugh, and then he walked away. so after the show, ryan approached him and asked him to sign my poster for me (brighton usually gives out show posters to the first bunch of people to show up; i still have my hugh cornwell one from the first time i was there). and then i grew some balls and asked for a picture with him, and he said sure. then i said "i don't have a flash on my phone, we'll have to go over to the stage. it's too dim here." he rolled his eyes at me, but he was smiling, and i followed him over to the stage. he sat down, and i squeezed in next to him, and he put his arm around me. it's actually turned out to be a really great picture. i thanked him, we shook his hand, and then left.
i really appreciate opportunities like this because i wasn't born yet when these bands all got their start. no, i'll never see johnny thunders perform since he died a month before i turned 5 years old; i'll never get to see jerry nolan (drummer for new york dolls after original drummer billy murcia died, and also for the heartbreakers), since he died the year after johnny. but i got to see walter lure, which is pretty fucking special. he looks like he's still having fun, which is enough for me.
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oh, so a few months ago i went to this strummerville thing at the bowery electric in new york. i'm not sure why i didn't write about it. i saw jesse malin in january, and as he was talking to me, he mentioned the strummerville show he put together and said i should go. so i did. because that's the kind of person i am. but seriously, i fucking love joe strummer and the clash and i saw that there were going to be a bunch of cool people performing: h.r. from bad brains, ivan julian from the voidoids, bob gruen (the photographer), obviously jesse malin, and also walter lure. i'll do a whole post about this sometime, probably, maybe. but anyway walter lure did "i fought the law" and i honestly wasn't impressed. which was disappointing to me, because i wanted to like him, but it really bothered me how he kept saying "and the law won" when there are not supposed to be words there. you know what i mean right? here, watch the video. so yeah. everyone only did one song, sometimes two, and that was his one.
but i still wanted to see him again! i figured that might have been weird for him, maybe he was having a bad night, maybe they didn't get to rehearse (a lot of people were reading notes as they performed; everything was a little haphazard but overall a lot of fun. i'm not trying to shit talk, honest), maybe he got stuck doing a song that he didn't know that well? who knows. so me and ryan (show buddy extraordinaire) went out saturday night to see walter lure and the waldos. ryan claims that he is not a punk fan (he thinks they can't play their instruments; i have so much to teach him) but he loves the new york dolls, therefore he loves johnny thunders, which is how i got him to go to this show with me.
we ended up loving every opening band. curtis suburban, rama amoeba, frankenstein 3000, and ingrid and the defectors. at one point, before the show started, i went to the bathroom and when i came out, ryan said "holy shit, marc bolan is here." um. what? "no seriously. wait until you see him. it's marc bolan." i finally did see who he was talking about; the singer/guitarist from rama amoeba (all the way from japan you guys!) looks like fucking marc bolan. the hair. the shiny suit. we were both really excited. they were a ton of fun to watch, too.
anyway- so walter lure! the dude who drummed and sang for curtis suburban was drumming for him too, which made me happy because he's really fucking good. so, the girl who used to love this guy without knowing who he even was got to hear him sing/play "chinese rocks" and "born to lose." you bet your ass i was singing along. i also got to hear "pirate love" and "too much junkie business" and "all by myself." seriously, it was so much fucking fun. i'm really glad i didn't let that weird clash song ruin his rep for me, because i would have missed out on a fantastic night. it was fun to turn and look at everyone watching him, too. i love going to shows like this because the people there are usually out of their minds with excitement (obviously this includes me as well).
before the show, he was wandering around, and i found myself standing next to him at the bar. i was alone. he was alone. i looked at him and then looked away as he looked at me. i had no idea what to say to him. it kind of looked like he wanted to laugh, and then he walked away. so after the show, ryan approached him and asked him to sign my poster for me (brighton usually gives out show posters to the first bunch of people to show up; i still have my hugh cornwell one from the first time i was there). and then i grew some balls and asked for a picture with him, and he said sure. then i said "i don't have a flash on my phone, we'll have to go over to the stage. it's too dim here." he rolled his eyes at me, but he was smiling, and i followed him over to the stage. he sat down, and i squeezed in next to him, and he put his arm around me. it's actually turned out to be a really great picture. i thanked him, we shook his hand, and then left.
i really appreciate opportunities like this because i wasn't born yet when these bands all got their start. no, i'll never see johnny thunders perform since he died a month before i turned 5 years old; i'll never get to see jerry nolan (drummer for new york dolls after original drummer billy murcia died, and also for the heartbreakers), since he died the year after johnny. but i got to see walter lure, which is pretty fucking special. he looks like he's still having fun, which is enough for me.
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like a motherfucker, y'all.
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