Dream live show?

[axel]

"Murphy's Law" of '60s garage-dom: bands that made the best records probably sucked live, and those who made the worst records (or just average) were outstanding live. Unscientific, but that's the impression I've gotten from my years of research and observation. It doesn't make sense, but the alchemy of the universe works in ways only Quetzalcoatl understands.

There's a reason why so many bands mentioned so far have never had panegyrics dedicated to their awesomeness written by contemporaries. They made no lasting impression on anybody. They were semi-competent, generic cover bands...

There's certainly a lot of truth in what you say. And I haven't got the slightest doubt about your competence. But for one thing, playing live is the only way to become a good live band, and a lot of those bands did play a lot of gigs. I'd say that you can hear to a certain extent from the record if the band hastily cobbled together something for a recording session, or if they have the backbone for being a good live act. If the band doesn't have real drive, they cannot just do it in the studio. It just can't be done. But a lot of garage records do have a lot of drive. I mean that's one important reason why we love them.
I was somewhat playing safe with the Remains, because I heard many times that they were extremely tight and powerful. And also with the Swamp Rats, because they had certainly left a strong impression on this guy I talked to, and I was the first to ever mention them to him in 30 years or so. He was a Pittsburgh native.
The fact that they didn't get the attention as did other bands, doesn't necessarily mean that those typical garage bands couldn't rock.

 

[M.T. Wallet]

I would be tempted to trust those fake "fun" atmospheres you can hear on some records... such as the Swingin' Medallions or the Premiers...

And bands with a "late 50s background" such as the Fabulous Wailers or the Kingsmen or the Undertakers (from UK), especially those who cut many covers and very few originals... there had to be a reason for it!

+... the Monks!!!

 

[Sancho Panza]

It's not quite the same as seeing them play "East West" but there is a CD that consists of three live versions of the track, recorded in '66-'67. It's a good one!

Really? Do you know where it'a available? Would love to hear Bloomfield play those indian scales live!

 

[AZ54]

Just get in a timemachine to the midsixties, go to anytown USA and walk into just any club. I bet you will enjoy yourself!
Sometimes I dream of getting lost in Columbus, Ohio - and to wander into Baroque Monthly playing You Are Your Only Mistery .....
Pure heaven!
AZ54

 

[Perkeo]

I'd want an all day midwest obscuro fest - We Who Are, Contents Are, Index, Mussies, Bedlam Four, Unbelievable Uglies, Benders, Stompers, Tyde, then have either the Knaves or Del-Vetts headline...man....

 

[mansson66]

That old super 8 gig with Zakary Thaks which they made for promo shows a competent cover band with pretty cool clothes. It's fun to watch once or twice. But they don't play any original numbers and they are certainly not a "great live band" IMHO. They melt into the background and deliver a perfect set for a teen dance. But Rolling Stones they are not.
I think most garage bands were hired to play the popular songs of today + they certainly played a few "hipper" covers by The Kinks, The Who etc aswell. But they were cover bands. A coupla years later the same bands played Jefferson Airplane covers... I don't like cover bands, including later ones like the Fuztones, Led Zeppelin or countless retro r-a-b acts, for example.
But then there musta been some garage bands that were great aswell. I have a live recording with The Nightcrawlers where they paly 'You Say' and 'Want Me' and it SOUNDS like a great show. Especially in 'Want Me' where it sounds like they actually smash the guitar and generally trash around for a lot longer than the studio version. The MC5 were probably way better live than on record when I come to think about it. Their debut LP must be one of the most over rated records this side of Sgt Pooper.

 

[M.T. Wallet]

The MC5 were probably way better live than on record

especially when Kramer takes the lead (I never liked Tyner's voice); but like the Stooges, I don't consider them as typical 60s garage bands but already as proto-punk rock bands: less vocal harmonies, more guitar loudness/power

one question: how many gigs did the Remains opening for the Beatles? is there absolutely no way that there's some footage left somewhere?

 

[axel]

one question: how many gigs did the Remains opening for the Beatles? is there absolutely no way that there's some footage left somewhere?

Did you know that Barry Tashian, singer of the Remains, wrote a book about that tour?

I haven't read it myself, but I will, especially now as I have purchased a Beatles live bootleg called "The Beatles Live From the Sam Houston Colosseum". It's a double album with the "Afternoon Concert" and "Evening Concert". The same songs, but with varying sound quality and also played in slightly different moods. It's an early bootleg from 1971, but not too rare I think.
It sounds as if it was taken directly from the mixing console. The screaming is pretty much in the background and the vocals are very up front. It's definitely the best I ever heard of the Beatles playing live in the mid-sixties. They were a great live band. Problem was nobody heard them.
John Lennon and Paul McCartney are constantly shouting on top of their lungs, probably because otherwise they wouldn't hear themselves. But it adds to the music in the best possible way. They absolutely stay in tune, but they are constantly shouting ("Help", "Can't Buy Me Love"... wow!). Very soulful and energetic. As if The Beatles were the best garage band of them all.
Also, the songs are played faster. I compared it to studio versions. They definitely sounded lame compared to the live performance.
I recommend it.

 

[M.T. Wallet]

thanks for the tip about those bootlegs, will try to catch them somewhere

 

[Stampy]

Ditto from me, these bootlegs sound good.

 

[depravedskippy66]

Really? Do you know where it'a available? Would love to hear Bloomfield play those indian scales live!

It's on Winner Records, a label run by former Butterfield keyboard man Mark Naftalin. The CD is called East-West Live and there are currently a few copies up on GEMM ranging from $15 - $26. Just do a label search for "Winner" and you'll be good to go.

 

[EXPO67]

I'd take a trip back to London 1967, specifically The Cromwellian Club in South Kensington.

I'd be wearing the latest Carnaby Street threads, I'd have a pocket full of pretty green and a Dolly Bird on each arm. If my luck was in I'd be under the influence of some magic mind pills from Dr Sam Hutt. Yeah!, I'd be loaded in so many ways.

Time to check out some swingin' groups down in the cellar.

Timebox, The Birds, The Eyes, Georgie Fame, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Skip Bifferty.

2.00am

Kiss the Dollies goodbye, take one back to my pad, kiss the sky....

 

[Sancho Panza]

It's on Winner Records, a label run by former Butterfield keyboard man Mark Naftalin. The CD is called East-West Live and there are currently a few copies up on GEMM ranging from $15 - $26. Just do a label search for "Winner" and you'll be good to go.

Thanks man! Will be sure to chech it out.

 

[yeyequebec]

The Kinks, The Sonics, Les Miserables, The Haunted, Les Lutins and The Misunderstood.

 

[tom kirby]

I would like to go back to the time we were playing and to once again see the Ones, The Woolies, The Bossmen and The Beaux Jens at the Sceen.

 

[axel]

I would like to go back to the time we were playing and to once again see the Ones, The Woolies, The Bossmen and The Beaux Jens at the Sceen.

I'd love to be there, too.
But, Tom, you were there, so it wasn't just a dream, which actually WAS the best concert you remember of that time in the mid-sixties? No matter how popular or unknown the band.

 

[tom kirby]

I'd love to be there, too.
But, Tom, you were there, so it wasn't just a dream, which actually WAS the best concert you remember of that time in the mid-sixties? No matter how popular or unknown the band.

Axel, there wasn't really concerts back then as you know them today. There were Teen Clubs, barsw of course, Street Dances, School Gances both High School and colleges and Battle of the Bands. There were the big acts who started the concert thing mostly from TV then stadiums and so on. We played where people came to dance. And, usually there weren't more than 2 bands at a venue like The Sceen. On occassion there were shows of several bands where one band just followed the previous and play a set. The Batt;e of the Bands were usually where you would see some really good and relatively unknown bands. But, to answer your question directly, I would say that the show at The Sceen that featured The Ones, The Woolies, The Bossmen, The Beaux Jens, a couple other local area bands I can't remember and yes Tonto and the Renegades was part of that, too. That was one of the best days full of great music by those other great bands one right after the other. The Sceen had 4 stages, so once one band stopped the next one up started playing. It would be hard to choose the best of those. I did see The Plain Brown Wrapper do the Rock Opera "Tommy", but I think that may have been in the early 70's.

 

[beccabear67]

On second thought I'd love to have seen one of those battle of the band things where the Charlatans, Mojo Men, Daily Flash, Sons Of Adam and Golliwogs (maybe even the Gunge or PH Factor?) were all on the bill and got to do at least a couple of songs apiece. I don't think I'd be up to visiting the Red Dog though, sounds too wild for me being allergic to bullets and all.

 

[axel]

I would say that the show at The Sceen that featured The Ones, The Woolies, The Bossmen, The Beaux Jens, a couple other local area bands I can't remember and yes Tonto and the Renegades was part of that, too. That was one of the best days full of great music by those other great bands one right after the other. The Sceen had 4 stages, so once one band stopped the next one up started playing. It would be hard to choose the best of those.

That sounds like a pretty perfect rock'n'roll event, Tom. The Woolies were the ones who did that hard rockin' version of "Who Do You Love?", right? And the Bossmen were Dick Wagner's first band, I guess?
By the way, I think it's great when people dance to the music. That's what it should be like. I hate it when people just stand and stare at the band playing. Unless it's the Pink Floyd doing Ummagumma, but then they might as well stay home in bed...

 

[M.T. Wallet]

The Woolies were the ones who did that hard rockin' version of "Who Do You Love?", right?

talkin about "who do you love", here is the kinda band which must have been fun to see

proto-headbanging!