A NIGHT WITH THE ENGLISH BEAT

Saturday March 6th was the official beginning of concert season with a trip to the Gothic Theater here in Denver to see a trio of good performances: Outlaw Nation, Fishbone and The English Beat. I was joined by a friend who is a diehard Bunnymen fan who wanted to expose me to other sounds from the 1980's.


Outlaw Nation is a 4 piece reggae band from Louisiana, with Christian Simeon on vocals/guitar, Danny Woolen on bass, JB “Tha Drum Killa” on said drums, and Jackson White on guitar. The people who showed up early were rewarded by their playing an interesting fusion of hip-hop and reggae that got the place fired up.

Fishbone is an American alternative rock band that plays a fusion of ska, punk rock, funk metal and more. The band was formed in 1979 in South Central Los Angles by Angelo Moore, who sometimes uses the stage name "Dr. Madd Vibe". They were sensational and could easily have been the headliner for the evening. Dr. Madd Vibe was a beacon of energy, not only during their performance, but later in then show when he joined The English Beat on stage, bringing the place down.

The English Beat are a 2 Tone ska revival band founded in England in 1978. Their songs fuse ska, pop, soul, reggae, and punk rock, and their lyrics deal with themes of love, unity, and sociopolitical topics. they played the hit all their song, including "Tears of a Clown," "Can't Get Used to Losing You," "Save it for Later" and the audience loved it.

I'm pretty sure I've seen both Fishbone and The English Beat in the early 80's but I can no longer remember where and when. I think one of them was the opening act for The Pretenders in 1981.

Great evening!!

I brought in my usual stash and consequently recorded the show. The dilemma I face is deciding whether to simply enjoy the show, finding a place close to the stage and loudly expressing my appreciation for the performance or getting the best possible recording by positioning myself somewhere near the sound booth and no cheering/clapping from em or my neighbors. So far having fun wins out over collecting the sound. The recording is very good but I know it could be better. Enjoy!

Wolves cloaked in lambs wool

Calmly sooths the bleating herd

Just before the kill

Download it here:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GE90DME4

BUNNIES DANCING IN THE SNOW

February 18 through 21, 2010: began at Copper Mountain, one night at Janet's Hut, up through Searle Pass, over Elk Ridge, two nights at Jackal Hut and exiting from Camp Hale. A cabin full of great people, everyone of them superb skiers. Each meal was a sumptuous delight. Some of the best scenery from the deck of any hut in the 10th Mountain system. Good powder could be found with some knowledge of the terrain, secret stashes hidden in the forest on north facing slopes. I did my best to keep up with this fast moving pack of people. The weather cooperated, giving us some snow early on followed by high cloudiness, keeping the surface of the powder from melting and crusting over. A fabulous experience! Disappointment sets in once I'm back on the highway, creeping along through traffic, realizing that I'm back in the rat race.


Moons halo up high
Snow drops from the mountain sky
Pin pricks on the face


Climbing on his skis
One foot after the other
Struggles just to breath


Sun shines for a while
Gray clouds mark the coming storm
Icicles dripping

Two excellent bands, two excellent recordings of live performances. First up were The Killers and their live performance in Ireland at the Oxegen Festival on July 8, 2007. The CD player, cigar and flask came out when most everyone else had gone upstairs to bed. Ten degrees Fahrenheit outside and wasn't feeling it. Dancing to the music on the outdoor deck under a nearly full moon that was passing in and out of clouds. The band sounded great during this show, riding high in the charts following their release of Sam's Town near the close of the previous year.

Voices bellowing

Proud of their stupidity

And of their audience

Cater to the fringe

Whisper sweet talk in their ears

Prostitutes must please

Corporate illusion

Prosperity trickles down

Drops wet broken backs

Tax exemptions cease

Loud wailing from the wealthy

Their crocodile tears

Download it here:
http://rapidshare.com/files/89341915/TKs_-_O2_2007.rar

The main act followed, Echo & The Bunnymen performing live in the Roseland Ballroom in New York City on October 25, 1997. An excellent recording that on the headphones sounded like I was there. Although I was surrounded by the beauty of the night in the mountains, I often found myself with eyes closed simply focusing on the music, imagining that moment in the past when they were performing up on the stage.

The three former members, McCulloch, Sergeant and Pattinson, regrouped in 1997 for "Evergreen", their successful comeback album which restored them to the British top 10; the first release from this CD, "Nothing Lasts Forever", helped to secure ongoing success as it received widespread airplay, especially in their homeland where it climbed into the top 10; the follow-up single, "I Want To Be There (When You Come)" hit the top 30 in Britain and also on the American Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks.

Immediately prior to the release of their next album,What Are You Going To Do With Your Life? (1999), Les Pattinson quits the band.

McCulloch then goes on to explain that Pattison's departure was strictly for personal reasons, with naught to do with any sort of conflict within the band's ranks. Indeed, it was a combination of family illness, divorce, and child custody, all of which added up to both a need and a desire to stay home rather than record and tour with the Bunnymen.

"By not mentioning it in the press release, it makes it seem more sinister than it really is, when, in fact, it was really just something that he needed to do, that had to be done." McCulloch allows himself a chuckle. "People try to make a lot out of saying that Will and I are now the only two original members left, when, in fact, the band began as Will, myself, and a drum machine. Then Les joined a year later, and then Pete (DeFrietas) came along after that."

(http://members.cox.net/nonstoppop/bunnymen.htm)

Download it here:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=06QF8OTX