ANOTHER NIGHT WITH THE BEAT

The English Beat swing back through Denver on July 25, 2010, this time stopping at the Ogden Theater, and appearing with another 80's band, the Squeeze. A friend invited me to attend the show, both remembering how good it was last time. Only problem was it happened on a Sunday night, the expectation of having to go to work the following morning restraining me from having a blow out experience. But hey, on the positive side I remembered the entire event. I had purchased a second ticket and my visiting sister joined me for the show.


We arrived shortly after 8 PM, entering the theater to hear the English Beat already playing on stage. Very unusual since most shows begin well after the doors open. I was also expecting the Squeeze to perform first, saving the best for last, at least in my opinion. I had to scramble to the stage to find my friend and then set up the recording rig on the fly, losing the first two or three songs they performed this evening. The English Beat performed a shortened set, as is the case with all warm up bands. Too bad because Dave Wakeling is such a great performer and entertainer, loving his audience. I've never seen someone sweat so much while performing on stage, Dave making fun of that fact as well! Enjoy the excellent recording.

Download it here:

English Beat July 25, 2010 Gothic Theater Denver
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0ZZ47TMK

The Squeeze took the stake after a short delay, their performance assisted by graphics flashing on the large screen behind them on stage.

Wikipedia describes them as such:

Squeeze are an English Band that came to prominence in the United Kingdom during the New Wave period of the late 1970s, and continued recording successfully in the 1980s and 1990s.

They are known in the UK for their hit songs "Cool for Cats", "Up the Junction", "Tempted", "Labelled With Love", "Black Coffee In Bead", "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)", and "Hourglass". Though not quite as commercially successful in theU.S., "Tempted", "Hourglass" and "853-5937" were all American chart hits for Squeeze, and the band have a dedicated following there and continue to attract new fans. All of Squeeze's hits were written by band members Glen Tilbrook and Chris Difford.

Glenn stills wears his white shoes.

Download it here:

Squeeze July 25, 2010 Gothic Theater Denver Colorado
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WI6A9VQ5

A KILLER OF A JOKE

Friday night before my sisters arrives from New York after which we will shortly go on a hiking vacation together with the whole family. Since I was busy preparing for the coming adventure, I made a trip to Jack Jensen's bookstore/gallery/coffee shop earlier in the week. Two more paintings were acquired. The "Dang, I forgot to get a job" painting was reserved for purchase by a member of the band Slipknot, but the guy never returned or made arrangements to pay for it so it was back on the market when I expressed an interest in it.

Tonight's show was spent with the Killing Joke, their May 20, 1989 live performance in Lyon, France.

Wikipedia describes them as follows:

Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England (several sources state that they formed in early 1979.) Founding members Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards) and Geordie Walker (guitars) have been the only constant members.

A key influence on industrial rock. Their early music was described by critics Stephen Thomas Erlewine and John Dougan as "quasi-metal ... dancing to a tune of doom and gloom," which gradually evolved over the years, incorporating elements of electronic music, synth-pop, gothic rock and alternative rock though always emphasizing Coleman's "savagely strident vocals."

A good show, great recording with lots of political commentary, with an emphasis of America's negative influences.

A final salute

Volley fired into the air

Left with just echos

Burying the past

All early connections lost

Shovel by shovel

Download it here:
http://rapidshare.com/files/53858127/Killing_Joke_1989_05_20_Lyon.rar

LORDS OF ACID

On the spur of the moment, based solely on having seen a single YouTube video, and wanting to do a live show, I purchased a ticket to see Lords of Acid perform at the Ogden Theater this Wednesday night. I was prepared to sleep in the back of the truck in order to save time traveling back home, but that proved unnecessary. An appointment the following morning allowed me to sleep in for an extra couple hours.

The Lords Of Acid returned to Denver after a 10 or so year absence, this being their US Sextreme Ball tour with a new lineup: Praga Khan, Lacey Conner, Sin Quirin, M3 (Murv Douglas) and Kirk Salvador. My understanding is that the performers are always changing, Praga Khan being the only constant throughout their history.

Joining Lords of Acid on the 29-date U.S. tour was the Sacramento-based band Blownload. They were the first band to take the stage, their heavy metal music invigorating the audience, getting them to dance to the loud, ultrabass beat. The area in front of the stage, where I stood, turned into a mosh pit with the metal heads throwing themselves against one another and into the people around them. The lead guitarist spent much of his time on stage spitting.

Thrill Kill Kult were next to take the stage. Their saga began in Chicago 1987 when recently transplanted Boston musician Buzz McCoy and poet/artist/singer Groovie Mann discovered that they shared a similarly oblique view of the world inspired by tabloid headlines, B-movie ethos, sexually ambiguous decadence and sheer boredom. With a revolving cast of eccentric characters, patented use of samples and live instrumentation, intriguing subject matter, outrageous stage shows, and general propensity towards sensory overload, My life With The Thrill Kill Kult has - throughout the past decade and with each new project -continually reinvented its own reality, earning a somewhat mythical status in the process.

The Lords of Acid were the last to take the stage. Their act opened with a scantily clad stage assistant strutting the stage with tasseled whip in hand, flailing herself and members of the audience. She was hot! The remaining band members took the stage and launched into a fast paced music set laced with sexually explicit lyrics.

Wikipedia describes them as follows:

Lords of Acid is a Belgian acid house/techno band that started as a spinoff of Praga Khan with the controversial New Beat single "I Sit on Acid" in 1988. Created byJade 4U, Praga Khan, and Oliver Adams; their debut album, 1991's Lust (along with additional singles "Rough Sex" and "I Must Increase My Bust"), became famous within the electronic music and dance music communities for their outrageously sexual lyrics and sound samples - perhaps their most popular song, "I Sit on Acid", begins with the a cappella lyrics "Darling, come here / fuck me up the…" only to be interrupted with a grinding rave beat. Their second album was Voodoo-U, which featured a more industrial sound. This was followed by Our Little Secret (1997), Heaven Is an Orgasm (1998) and Expand Your Head (1999). In 2000 they released a more rock-influenced album entitled Farstucker and in 2003, after being in the business for fifteen years, released a greatest hits album called Greatest T*ts. Their fans formed an online community called Children of Acid.

Lacey Conner is the bands lead vocalist, dressed in tight leather that shows off her shapely figure which she was so proud to taunt the audience with. She is a musician and reality TV participant best known for her appearance as a contestant on Rock of Love with Bret Michaels and Rock of Love: Charm School. She was also the lead singer of industrial rock band, Nocturne.

All hands were reaching out for her.

Blond haired Praga Khan was high on something, wobbly on his feet and continually knocking over his mic stand and the keyboards he was attempting to play. The poor stage hand was forever running out to pick up what he was always pushing over, not even duct tape being capable of holding things down. He was also all over the stage, jumping on the guitarists, climbing on top of or behind of Lacey and pushing them all off stage into an audience prepared to hold them up and carry them around.

Towards the end of the show people were leaving because it had become so hot and crowded in the mosh pit. My clothing was completely soaked in sweat by the time the show ended sometime after midnight. Paramedics were hydrating people out on the Colfax Avenue sidewalk, an ambulance pulling up as I was leaving.

Great time! I'd do it again.

Download it here:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NL9ML6UT