Re: First Impressions

["David Hanson" <dhanson@uk...oracle.com>]

>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.

A House Now there's another great band who just disappeared.

Anybody know what happened to them?

Sorry if this is an old thread, I could have missed it.

BTW: I'm going to LA2 next week - anyone else going?

Now where did I put my old Beatsongs tee-shirt..?

Thanks,

David.
*************************************************
David Hanson
Senior Support Consultant
Oracle UK Ltd,
Phone: +44 (0)1344 787487
Email : dhanson@uk...oracle.com
*************************************************
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Dalzell <mailto:PaulD@jr...co.uk>
To: 'blueplanes@st...net' <mailto:blueplanes@st...net>
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2000 1:00 PM
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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