PARTY WITH PIL ON THE PASS

I was not feeling 100% this evening but I loaded the truck up anyway and drove west into the mountains. Nor was I enthusiastic about drinking heavily after having attended two concerts earlier in the week. So it was a rather subdued night in the Loveland ski area parking lot with the stereo cranked, snow coming down the whole time. A lone coyote would periodically show up, sniffing the ground, hoping to find some scrap of food that a skier had dropped in the parking lot earlier in the day. A fantastic day skiing the following day, six to 12 inches of new powder, depending on which slope you were on.


Nine more young men dead
In a far off dusty land
We’ve forgotten why


God-like egos rule
Weilds inordinate power
Sends them to their graves

Watched the suffering
Bombs answer their cries for help
False promise of peace


US citizens
Business pushes for their
immigrant status


Devout and faithful
Spending all their time praying
In an empty room


This evening Public Image Limited performed for me at the Nagoya City Hall in Tokyo, Japan on January 12, 1985. Excellent sounding recording. This gig features the underrated 1984 'This is what you want...' Lydon/Atkins/Bruni/Helm/Shultz line-up, described as a "rocky" group that played a "metal funk" sound. It's a very good gig, and a great set, similar to what they were playing in 1983 except for some newer material plus 'Bodies'.


Early in the show Johnny says "Thank you. No more show. We're going home now. We're tired." To which A Japanese person in the audience shouts out "I don't know what you said"


Costly conflicts price
Has drained the nations coffers
Give away our crown


Highly indebted
Sold off at the checkout line
To our enemy


Receive the grim news
"Nine children have been killed"
Mounting hatred grows


I got this show from pilhead. Visit his site and get it here: http://sex-pistols-pil-live.blogspot.com/2011/01/12th-january-1985-nagoya-city-hall.html?zx=d8982cb7c8e14c6a

THE ENGLISH BEAT

Tuesday night was spent at the Summit Music Hall with the Beat Girl, a friend who could have been the model for the iconic figure on the English Beat's albums and posters. But before we went to the theater we learned that Dave Wakeling was appearing at Illegal Pete's in downtown Denver to meet with his adoring fans. When I arrived, he was at the Beat Girls table, talking to her and her friend, having just finished signing a pair of record album covers. A short time later someone found a guitar and he took a seat at a mic and played an acoustic version of Save It For Later. Other members of his band were also hanging out at the restaurant.

We arrived at the music hall fairly early to stake out a spot along the front rail, essentially standing at Dave's feet. DJ Aaron, a local fixture here in Denver, started the show at 8 PM, followed by Shaw-skank Redemption. Shortly after 10 PM The English Beat took the stage and ruled the evening with their joyous, fast paced dance sound. Loved it! Another fun, but late, evening out enjoying a great band, Dave truly showing his appreciation to his loyal fans in attendance this evening. He always makes a point of getting down off the stage and thanking members of the audience after the shows. A real down to earth guy.

'The Love You Give tour exemplifies band member Dave Wakeling's humanitarianism by donating all proceeds from the special solo, acoustic recording of the song to organizations that make a direct, positive impact for families of those with autism."

"Dave and The English beat hail from Birmingham, England where they rushed onto the music scene with their simple message of love and unity in 1979, which was a period of political, social and musical turmoil. They first became popular in the U.S. by touring with The Clash and The Police and have become one of the most influential bands of the British Ska movement."

http://www.examiner.com/city-buzz-in-denver/the-english-beat-brings-the-love-you-give-tour-to-denver-on-march-22nd

Find it here, an excellent audience recording:

http://www.filefactory.com/file/45i6e1swnnk7/MP3%20EB%20Summit%20Denver%20CO%2022032011.rar

SHE WANTS REVENGE

Monday night was spent at the Bluebird Theater to see She Wants Revenge. I saw them perform in LA on October 24, 2009 when they opened up the evening show for Echo & The Bunnymen on their Ocean Rain Tour. I liked SWR enough to buy a couple of their CDs which were promptly confiscated by my daughter, disappearing into her cluttered room, never to be seen again. So I had no choice but to go when I learned the were beginning their 2011 tour here in Denver, on their way to the Coachella Music Festival in Indio CA this coming April.

Wikipedia describes them as such:

She Wants Revenge is an American musical duo, based in San Fernando Valley, California.

Due to a broad array of musical influences, and a reluctance to stick to a single genre of music, She Wants Revenge's genre is often disputed.

Considered part of the post-punk revival movement of the 00s, the group have been compared to Joy Division or Interpol in the music press because both vocalists (Paul Banks and Justin Warfield) have similarities to the baritone vocal range of Ian Curtis. However, Justin Warfield has stated many times his band is more electronically based often referring to She Wants Revenge as "Dance Music."

Musically, their influences range from the dance of 1980s acts like New Order, Depeche Mode and The Psychedelic Furs to the alternative rock groups of the 1990s, such as Pulp, My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth to the darker rock bands of the New Wave and post-punk movements such as Bauhaus, Danse Society, and The Sisters of Mercy who helped create the aesthetics of the original gothic rock genre.

Justin Warfield speaks about the umbrella term darkwave which has been applied to She Wants Revenge's music:

“ ...Dark wave to me is darker than what we do, I mean honestly I just consider it dancy rock n roll: not like rock n roll like early Stones dancy rock n roll, but certainly rock n roll like dance. Sure we've said before it's like dark dance because that's an easy way for people to wrap their hands around it. If you want to get more specific, yeah it's dark.”

The show opened up with a DJ spinning records, followed by The Californian. Everyone was waiting to SWR, who put on a great show. When I shut my eyes I could swear I was listening to Interpol. I loved it! I'm glad they made it to Denver.

The show was recorded, yielding a very fine audience recording that captures their sound. Find it here:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EE7143DN

For those of you who could not attend, enjoy!