The Damned John Anson Theater Hollywood CA 21st October 1988

 

Here's the first night that the band played in Hollywood.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-vCkKXJIO3i

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-vw2j3sSio4

The Damned John Anson Theater Hollywood CA 22nd October 1988 (TFTLTYTD #15)

 

This was the second of theree nights that The Damned played at the John Anson Ford Theater in Hollywood back in 1988. Once again, the set is rather experimental with a handful of Rock 'n' Roll/Garage covers thrown in. The first, 'You Must Be A Witch' was by sixties Garage band, The Lollipop Shoppe. The track later appeared on one of the noted 'Pebbles' compilation LPs which I guess is how it probably came to the band's notice. 'Cathouse' is a Danielle Dax cover and the origins of 'Tonight' I do not know. Of course, 'Johnny Remember Me' and 'Fever' are both very well known. 

Support on these dates was provided by Sham 69.

This post is dedicated to bass player, Bryn Merrick who was with the band for much of the 1980's having replaced Paul Gray in 1983. Bryn succumbed to cancer in 2015 at the age of just 56.

The cover photos and ad are from the Unofficial damned Nonsence Facebook page.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-QNxQhyeGoH

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-TNQBBTKaDc

Big Country Audley End Saffron Walden Essex 11th August 2022

 

Audley End house is a huge country pile not so far from where I live. Originally the site of a Benedictine priory, it became an aristocratic family seat after the dissolution of the monasteries in the reign of Henry VIII. Now in the hands of English Heritage the site combines history and entertainment as a means of funding the upkeep of the house and gardens. In this Audley End is not alone. In recent years stately homes, forests and even racecourses have doubled up as high end gig venues. The bills for these summer events (the UK climate dictates that these events only occur in the summer months!) tend to be filled with bands that had their greatest sucesses in the 1980's, which makes sense when the organisers are looking to draw in an audience who can drive to the venue with family and friends. I have no real problem with this as a revenue stream if it contributes to keeping historic buildings and forests standing, but that said this set up is not for me... and its not just because I can't abide Simple Minds!

Soft Cell have recently played these events, and I love Soft Cell. Unfortunately, my Soft Cell is the sleaze sodden, drug fuelled car crash of a band of 'The Art of Falling Apart' era rather than the Radio 2 friendly electro-pop duo that your Gran would tap her toes to. What I am trying to convey is my disdain such 'Picnic in the Park' type affairs which sets designed to appeal to the most casual of gig goers.

Here, I can already hear cries of 'What about The Stranglers playing castles'. Point taken, but having been to the Caerphilly gig, the atmosphere was not much different to a normal Stranglers gig and I guess that this is due to the fact that the bill sets to tone, support coming in the form of Ruts DC in this case. I imagine the same will be true of Warwick and Lincoln.

Anyway, at the Audley End event Big Country were providing support for Simple Minds, this date forming part of a bigger 40th Anniversary tour. I am not a big fan of Big Country (although they have never provoked me in the way Simle Minds do!). I fully understand why they (BC) are as popular as they are, and I appreciate how loved Stuart Adamson was, especially in Scotland. So here they are... and who should pop up.... Jobbo! So I give you 'Skid Country' or perhaps 'Big Skid' (no perhaps not!). 

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-GRcihQmXnP

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-9v0bhcxqZA

Het Depot Leuven 20th October 2024

 

And here's another from the recently concluded European tour. Many thanks to a site contributor for the kind share of the files. Cheers.

MP3 (as received): https://we.tl/t-vze0hMiElA

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-fMbbZHpdLV

01. Intro
02. Toiler On The Sea
03. (Get A) Grip (On Yourself)
04. Duchess
05. The Raven
06. Nice ‘N’ Sleazy
07. Sweden (All Quiet On The Eastern Front)
08. Just Like Nothing On Earth
09. Princess Of The Streets
10. Water
11. Don’t Bring Harry
12. Ships That Pass In The Night
13. Breathe
14. Peaches
15. Golden Brown
16. Always The Sun
17. Genetix
18. White Stallion
19. Walk On By
20. Hanging Around
21. Tank
22. JJ Burnel
23. Go Buddy Go
24. No More Heroes

The Cure BBC Radio Theatre, Broadcasting House, London, 6 Music Session 30th October 2024

 

I am not the greatest fan of the Cure by any stretch of the imagination. I do however have a great respect for the and how they conduct themselves as a band, as an institution you could almost say. I like the buzz that they have consistently been able to create around the release of new material. With yesterday's release of 'Songs of a Lost World', their first abum for 16 years, they have excelled themselves. I didn't really follow the build up to the release, but the oganisation behind the band worked brilliantly with the BBC to make the release a highly anticipated feast of the Cure's music old and new.

Here's how they announced it.

'To mark the release of Songs Of A Lost World next month, we will head to the BBC Radio Theatre, London on Wednesday 30th October for a special 6music session with Huw Stephens and an exclusive RADIO 2 IN CONCERT with a very small audience. 

Registration for the free ticket ballot is open now at by clicking HERE and will close at 9pm on Wednesday 9th October. Please see the link for full details and terms and conditions.

Both shows will then be available to watch and listen from 31st October via the BBC iplayer and BBC sounds.'

As if that was not enough, a full gig (all three hours of it) at London's Troxy was streamed free for fans. 

I appreciate that Mr Smith and Co are not overly constrained by budgetary considerations in such matters but fair play to them for giving their fanbase world wide the oppurtunity to participate, even if only digitally, with such grand launch events happening in London.

Many thanks to the original Dime uploader (auto_pilot).

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-oupCzhPOjF

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-8gaJYb7AoJ

01. Robert Smith interviewed by Huw Stephens
02. DJ Intro
03. Plainsong
04. Last Dance
05. I Can Never Say Goodbye
06. DJ
07. Burn
08. And Nothing Is Forever
09. At Night
10. A Forest
11. DJ
12. All I Ever Am
13. Prayers for Rain
14. DJ
15. Disintegration

The Stranglers Photostory (Flexipop March 1981)

I am not sure whether this is still a thing in mangazines aimed at the teenage market. Come to think of it, I am not sure whether teenage magazines are still a thing in these more tech orientated times. But back in the '70s and '80s such magazines were a newsagent staple for which young adolescents were prepared to be parted from their pocket money. Photostoris were born out of girl's magazines that used photostrips to play out teenage dilema's, of the boy meets girl type. Occasionally, for humerous purposes some of the weekly music papers ran such photo stories in which they featured current bands and this is something that was carried through into the pages of the excellent but short lived 'Flexipop' publication, so named as each issue can with a flexidic single from a featured band. As an aside, these discs were notoriously fragile. Any mishandling of the waffer thin plastic would deform the disc such that your record players stylus would be thrown from the surface of the record rendering the disc unplayable! Anyway back to the photostory thing. 

The Stranglers had appeared previously in at least one such photostory within the pages of Record Mirror, so when Barry Cain moved on and set up Flexipop I guess he pulled in a couple of favours and got the Meninblack to repeat the process. Barry had long been a fan and supporter of the band, and in turn, he was one of the few music journalists whose name did not appear in Burnel's black book... indeed, the friendship and respect endures to this day. In this photostory, the band are forced to live in close proximity to each other for 60 days in a nuclear fall-out shelter as part of a scientific experiment sponsored by the military.

In some respects this could be seen as a portent for things to come.

Ruts DC The Underworld Camden London 3rd June 2017

 

Surprised that I overlooked this one on my hard drive. This is a great sounding recording (not sure who the taper was, sorry) of the band playing at The Underworld in Camden as part of The Camden Rocks Festival 2017, an event where one ticket gets you into all participating venues in the locality. Ruffy makes reference to the fact that if you were quick The Damned were playing up the road at the Electric Ballroom in half an hours time.

This was Ruts DC's return to the marvellous Underworld venue, where in September of the previous where they played a gig to launch the new album, 'Music Must Destroy'. A highlight of this set, and all Ruts DC's sets is 'Mighty Soldier' here dedicated to Tenor Fly who had died fairly recently.

Give this one a listen!

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-blp7ONep7G

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-xCatJFFavN