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Gigs - First/Worst, Best/Last, Missed/P#ssed

Opportunity missed DDW, that made Jordy Chandler a millionaire
 
First: Iron Maiden, Southampton Gaumont, October 5th 1984. World Slavery Tour. Supported by Waysted. Not bad as first gigs go!

Worst: Bon Jovi, Hammy Odeon 1990.I'd passed through my teenage metal phase and went along as a favour to a mate. Having gone through thrash and now grunge, this just seemed piss weak. I sat down and read a magazine after the first few songs.

Best: Bongwater, Newcastle Riverside, March 18 1991. According to setlist.fm this was one of only ten gigs they ever played, five of which were in the UK. It was just a random trip up with the uni (ok, poly!) gig society. None of us really had any knowledge of the band beyond vague familiarity with Kramer and the Shimmy Disc label. But everyone I kept in touch with afterwards agreed it was pretty extraordinary. I've never had so much fun at a gig. Support was Th' Faith Healers and Dogbowl. Both awesome. And Ann Magnuson was the lead singer, who is awesome and has since turned up in a huge number of TV shows and films.

Support band: These days, I'm generally far too cool to watch support bands, preferring to stay in the pub till the last minute and then saunter in nonchalantly while everyone gasps at my cavalier attitude. (In my head.) The reality is I'm too old and don't like standing up for a long time. But back in the day I was blown away by Babes in Toyland supporting Sonic Youth in September 1990. That started a lifelong love affair BiT. Sonic Youth were also awesome. And according to setlist.fm, Teenage Fanclub were also on the bill that night but I have no memory of them at all.

your shimmy disc reference made me have a check at their discography, mainly cos one of my favourite albums of the 90s, dude by false front, was released by them.

you prob knew, but i didn't, that Mark Kramer (aka Kramer) was the founder and also played in Bongwater amongst other bands.

I didn't recognise many bands in the discography - i've heard of bongwater but know nothing by them. the ones i knew outside false front - king missile, boredoms (if it's the japanese band), walkingseeds (from liverpool i thought), GWAR - isn't that the band that dressed up(?) and more bizarrely, Galaxie 500 though that looks like maybe a one album distribution deal for europe. dogbowl was on the label as well, and was the band name for one of the king missile members and kramer also played in the dogbowl ensemble.

..and who wouldn't be blown away by babes in toyland though again it was a later listen for me despite hearing all about them at the time. the lead from Priests reminds me a bit of the BiT vibe, when she's being punky rather than poppy.
 
your shimmy disc reference made me have a check at their discography, mainly cos one of my favourite albums of the 90s, dude by false front, was released by them.

you prob knew, but i didn't, that Mark Kramer (aka Kramer) was the founder and also played in Bongwater amongst other bands.

I didn't recognise many bands in the discography - i've heard of bongwater but know nothing by them. the ones i knew outside false front - king missile, boredoms (if it's the japanese band), walkingseeds (from liverpool i thought), GWAR - isn't that the band that dressed up(?) and more bizarrely, Galaxie 500 though that looks like maybe a one album distribution deal for europe. dogbowl was on the label as well, and was the band name for one of the king missile members and kramer also played in the dogbowl ensemble.

..and who wouldn't be blown away by babes in toyland though again it was a later listen for me despite hearing all about them at the time. the lead from Priests reminds me a bit of the BiT vibe, when she's being punky rather than poppy.

Yeah, I got fairly familiar with Kramer and Shimmy. King Missile's Detachable Penis is a fave song :)
Power of Pussy by Bongwater still stands up. Some very good almost folk stuff on that. Double Bummer is long rambly mess of a record which is really hard work. Stuart Maconie featured it on his Freak Zone show a while back.

From memory, others from the Shimmy catalogue that I have are things by B.A.L.L. (another Kramer project, I think), Jad Fair, Jellyfish Kiss, Spongehead and Walkingseeds. Think some Ween and Daniel Johnson might be on Shimmy too.
 
I look at you and I think 'there's a guy who watches Bodycount'. I hope you know all the lyrics to Cop Killer.


Fun fact, I bought their first album with Cop Killer on it, before the final track was changed to 'Freedom of Speech'.
I also have the album with Cop Killer on it.
It's actually on a pile next to me right now, as it was one I thought of for the re-visiting albums thread.
Obviously in the past week it has gained a more contemporaneous feel to it.
 
Not getting anywhere with the small girl/big guitar vibe?

No, not at all, the first one I tried was Bruise Violet, not bad but it sounds like she's struggling to shit. I then tried 'He's my Thing' which was better but it all sounds like I've heard it before. I cant help but think of Sex Bob-Omb with a shouty girl
 
No, not at all, the first one I tried was Bruise Violet, not bad but it sounds like she's struggling to shit. I then tried 'He's my Thing' which was better but it all sounds like I've heard it before. I cant help but think of Sex Bob-Omb with a shouty girl

I don't think anyone chooses loud guitar music for something they haven't heard before. Personally I never tire of shouty girl bands.
 
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