Entertainment For Lively Minds
Introducing The Band
Posted by Kay Lester on 4 June 2011 - 8:42pm.
Reading about Suede’s recent shows reminded me of their gig in Dublin, Olympia Theatre in 1999.
It was a great performance and one of the things that stayed with me was the pre gig music i.e. the music between the support act and the main act.
Rather than a mix of various artists it was two sides of two albums – side one of Surfer Rosa and side one of Never Mind the Bollocks
I thought it was a novel idea and I immensely enjoyed the pre gig buildup, which can often be a bore, as they’re among my favourite albums. (does anyone know if they varied the music throughout the tour?)
Any other examples of notable pre gig noise?
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when I were just a lad
Of 22 in 1993... I travelled from the satellite town of Alcorcon to see Suede in Madrid. I was new in town so I went on my own. No regrets though; as I descended the stairs into the club, they were playing Dear Prudence. I knew then that I was among friends.
Boop boop diddum daddum waddum choo
The Fall, Hammersmith Town Hall, 1985
The mood was set by a very short tape which included Three Little Fishies ("And they swam and they swam right over the dam") – this must have played five or six times. The first couple of times were amusing…
Cracking gig though.
The Pink Floyd - Division Bell tour
ambient drone with birdsong by Richard Wright, beautiful and a much requested item from fans
Prince likes the three r's
1990 Nude Tour. Pre-concert soundtrack was The Sundays' debut album - sounded fantastic, and still does.
Saw counting crows a few times....
And every time the song played just prior to band appearing was California Dreaming. Pretty good as it goes.
The style council would always have a full on northern soul set by Ady Croadsell, also pretty good.
One of the good things about
'Madchester' was that it became compulsory to have a DJ on between bands so rather than listening to the sound engineers reggae compilation tape, you'd get Andy Weatherall, Mike Pickering or whoever playing some amazing Acid House. It worked a treat and it got people nicely hyped up ready for the band.
Didn't last long that trend (presumably having to pay a DJ was offputting) so we're back to the sound engineer again, only you get to hear his iPod on shuffle rather than compilation tape he fished out of the tour bus.
Steve Hackett 1979
On the great Spectral Mornings tour , side one of Atom Heart Mother played in full followed by polite applause from audience .
Or how about the Dame in 1997 at the Manchester Academy coming on after his very own " Heroes " was played from what sounded like an original scratchy vinyl copy .He didn't play it live that night .
There must be more ... remember the mighty Be Bop Deluxe coming on to the stuff John Betjeman recorded on the Famous Charisma Label which was peculiar but worked .
REM
REM at Milton Keynes Bowl in 1995-ish played Patti Smith's Horses in its entirety before coming on. I remember willing it to end...
Porcupine Tree
I saw them at the Irish Centre in Leeds and the interval CD playing was Pat Boone's In A Metal Mood. I had to ask the soundman what it was. Bought it as soon as I could.