Re: First Impressions

["sdhill" <sdhill@br...net>]

Nice use of A House lyrics - very cool.
STEVE HILL 

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Dalzell <PaulD@jr...co.uk>
To: 'blueplanes@st...net' <blueplanes@st...net>
Date: 21 January 2000 13:01
Subject: RE: First Impressions


>I just find it all really depressing.
>
>I first saw the mighty Aeroplanes supporting REM in 1988 at Newcastle
>City Hall - a great set & a stage that their presence was deserving of.
>I'll never forget the first time I heard the coolest introduction to a
>song ever - "Pick a Card, Any Card - WRONG!" It was from this that
>started a love affair with a band that should have had the world, but
>the world turned away......
>
>I saw them several times over the years Leeds Uni,Poly of Wales,Belfast
>Limelight and one of the greatest gigs I have seen - at the Town &
>Country in London's  Kentish Town. The Aeroplanes soared that night &
>assaulted the audience with a toxic mix of whirling guitars and in your
>face poetry. The future was so bright you had to wear (Gerald's) shades.
>
>And then - nothing.
>
>Where is the justice? - the music biz is incapable of bringing music to
>the masses as it sits justwaiting to jump on any third rate trend -
>milking it to death - once again putting money where the music is not.
>
>The Aeroplanes playing in front of 75 people?  FUCK OFF!
>
>I still love the attitude though - 5 albums this year????    ABSOLUTELY
>CLASSIC.
>
>If there is any justice in the world this time next year they will be
>playing the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff supported by the Manics, Oasis
>& Rolling Stones - and Gerard will be able to afford a believable wig &
>a nice little tuck job.
>
>OK LINE UP & PLACE YOUR BETS!!
>
>
>PAUL DALZELL
> 
>CARDIFF
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Huw Dylan Owen [SMTP:huwdylan@gl...screaming.net]
> Sent: Friday, January 21, 2000 8:55 AM
> To: Blueplanes@Sthomas. Net
> Subject: First Impressions
>
> So, what was it really like?  Ahem, yes, I was at the Lomax club
>in
> Liverpool last night.
>
> The Lomax club is a rock venue of the most wonderful sort.  Down
>a dodgy
> looking side alley with a bar in basement, venue upstairs and a
>locked
> gallery.  It's small (capacity about 150 I would guess), dingy
>(dark, loud
> music, bricked, very rock and roll), hot and sweaty.  "Ill have
>a pint of
> bitter please."  "Oh we only have Carling or Guinness, is that
>ok?".....
>
> Anyway, first on were Disney Porn.  Lilting tunes from a
>musically
> impressive band who just could not get their act together.  The
>lead singer
> apologised ("I'm sorry about this next song, I know it's pretty
>crap") to
> the audience about 7 times.  Not very impressive.  They bungled
>their way
> through a short sharp shit set.  Penultimate song bounced, but
>that was it.
>
> Second band : World is my Oyster.  Fucking brilliant.  Best new
>band I have
> ever seen, me reckons.  Loads of theatre and some of the
>tightest best rocky
> ballads that you have ever heard.  No mistakes on this one,
>every song flew
> and I was terrified.  How on earth could the Blue Aeroplanes
>follow this.
> World is my Oyster kept everyone's attention for the whole set.
>Every song
> was given with a hefty dose of arty semi-spoken drama.  When
>singing about
> Christmas the singer (heavily dressed in frilly shirt, leather
>jacket, cool
> hat and shades along with spandex!) opened a wrapped gift on
>stage; then he
> sang about Marjorie and turned his guitar into an ironing board.
>This was a
> group attempt.  Synchronised movements in the best sense
>chugging along with
> incredibly powerful music.  Get to see these.......
>
> Suddenly there were more people on stage than in the audience
>(about 75-100
> in attendance).  The Blue Aeroplanes at last were setting up.
>Les Avion
> Bleu are my best band of all time.  They are a synopsis of my
>college
> memories, arty music with very wordy frontman.  God, I shiver
>when Gerard
> says "The sound of violins" and "holding a book and a skull"
>etc.  You know,
> I've got all their records and love every one to the last
>second.  They
> really mean a lot to me.  This was a great way to see them, I
>mean, I was
> stood about 2 yards away from Gerard with a stage about one foot
>high!
>
> So, how did they fare?  Well not very well at the start.  They
>stumbled on
> stage with no background noises, no dimmed lights.  They just
>walked on.
> The visual backdrops were exactly the same ones as they had some
>9 years ago
> and very tacky cut out aeroplanes were everywhere.   The crowd
>(mainly
> consisting of schoolteachers of about 27-27 age group - probably
>in college
> when Swagger arrived) didn't cheer.  An embarrassed silence
>dominated.
> Gerard stood there looking at us.  He looks old.  A serious
>receding
> hairline, a beer gut, and an awkward tallness which I hadn't
>noticed before.
> Even Rodney Allen looks about 30!  How can this be?  They aren't
>meant to go
> old.  However the shades are there along with seriously arty
>rainbow
> coloured cobble of trousers (very boring black top).  No Wotjec.
>No room
> for him, but a real empty space pervades the band.
>
> They begin.  "Hi, how are you?  How's it going?  You look....."
>The guitars
> ROCK.  A compliment of 4 guitars, 1 bass and drums.  Layers of
>guitars are a
> BA speciality and this is good.  Gerard sways his head in that
>controlled
> fashion and tingles go down my spine and then it all goes wrong
>somehow.  We
> can't really hear, the crowd don't react as they should
>(probably still
> thinking about World is My Oyster!), and a guitar amp starts to
>go haywire.
> They fly through about 4 songs (3 trance atmospheric blues
>numbers of which
> I had never heard).  Gerard says nothing between songs and their
>is a
> distinct lack of showmanship here.  When he does move it looks
>uncomfortable
> for him.  Rodney sings "I've been there and I came back" in
>tuneful mode as
> usual.  Jacket Hangs with Rodney taking centre with that guitar
>show.
> Things go seriously wrong.  One of the guitarists is having real
>problems
> now and he insists on trying his stuff out in the middle of THE
>song.
> Gerard and Rodney look unhappy (as does the very tall strange
>business
> suited bass player).  They decide to play an acoustic number.
>Mandolins and
> acoustic guitars come out and they surprise us with a wonderful
>rendition of
> Jack Leaves, Back Spring, really very good and moving.  The
>guitarist goes
> berserk and throws one of the cardboard planes away with real
>anger and
> suddenly his guitar is ok.  They roll on to an astonishingly
>good version of
> Cowardice and Caprice.  Tuneful, melodic and wordy.  This is the
>way I like
> them.  Guitar goes wrong again.  Guitarist goes crazy.  Walks
>off and comes
> back on with a new amp.  All is well.
>
> Suddenly they play Weightlessness and it all comes together.
>Gerard is
> confident.  The guitars layer thick and everything looks up.
>They even
> start a sing along.  A banjo rushes in and you all know the
>wonderful guitar
> run from this one to "and Stones", it is done in such a fashion
>on the banjo
> that the crowd now go crazy and cheer.  A young man gets up to
>dance (he
> looks remarkably like Wojtec and dances like him - offspring?).
>I feel
> dizzy with it all.  The rainbow colours light up and the Blue
>Aeroplanes are
> their former selves.
>
> They are flying now and glorious.  It all comes to a slow
>magnificent ending
> and I'm in love with them again.  I guess that this setting
>suits them.  You
> can actually focus on the music rather than the dancing etc.
>Gerard sings
> ART STAR which he says is about a visit to an art exhibition in
>Bristol
> where Damien Hirst etc were there and how "fucking shite" they
>all were.
> Gerard actually sing on a few numbers (must be getting old!) and
>then tells
> us that this is an important year for them with 5 albums on the
>way!  5
> Albums!?!  Crazy.
>
> They finish.  Encore.  They play Colour Me which is spiritual
>and the
> highlight of the gig easily.  They finish as ever with the multi
>guitar
> attack of Breaking in my Heart.  No surrender eh lads?
>
> We make our excuses and leave.  Two hours drive back to West
>Wales.
>
> Impressed?  Very.
>
> Les Avion Bleu need a marketing manager!  5 albums?!  They had
>no
> merchandise on sale.  No T-shirts, no new singles, nothing.  A
>shame as I
> guess everyone there would have got a T-shirt.
>
> Anyway, see you next time Gerry.
>
> Huw Dylan Owen
>
>
>
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