As soon as the tickets went on sale for the Peter Hook & The Light show in Chicago I snatched up a pair for myself within minutes. This was it; this was my whole teenage years coming full circle. I started listening to Joy Division in high school as I felt a certain connection to the music. Going through the usual teen years filled with depression and suicidal thoughts. Music like Joy Division and The Smiths helped me through those times as it did for many fans. The words spoke to me and made me feel a connection that was personal. I felt like I knew Ian. Of course there's no way to say I knew how he felt because that was his story, but the words pulled at my heart. To this day it's hard to watch the movie "Control." The ending always makes me cry because there's always that thought of what a tragic loss to the world. Such a talented man that was gone too soon. So as I filed into the Metro in Chicago I was a little further back then I had wanted, but still had a good view of Hooky and David Potts playing guitar. As the crowd yelled and screamed "Hooky" the chords to "Ceremony" started and the crowd's roar increased. Hooky walked on to the stage and my heart sank. There he was on stage; a legend right in front of me. It was surreal. I thought to myself this is the closest to Joy Division I will ever get. I think this was the closest for many who attended. As Joy Division had never toured America. Yes some may have seen New Order, but this was it for many of us. The second song into the Joy Divison set was "Transmission." This was one of my favorite songs from them and as we all started to dance you could just look around and see smiling faces of content. After a few more songs they went into "Isolation." This is probably my favorite song by Joy Division. That song was my inner thoughts as a teen and even some moments in my adult life. I wanted to cry when I heard him playing, but I was too happy to even cry. I was happy to just be there; happy to hear these songs in the flesh. Without hesitation they go right into "She's Lost Control" and then "Shadowplay." As we all jumped around and danced like we were 13 year old children, I noticed many in the front were motionless. I often wonder why be up front if you're just going to stand there like a pole in frozen ground? To me the front is where the action is. You're feeling the impact of the wrath behind you and you're in the cross hairs of the energy in front of you on stage. If I was just going to stand motionless I would hang out in the back of the audience. I just never understood that. I could never just stand there with that much energy and sound right in front of me. As "Shadowplay" ended the lights lowered and it was intermission time from the Joy Division set to the New Order set. I loved the Joy Division set, but wished it could have been a bit longer. I can't complain though, cos I was just lucky to hear it all in the first place. I do have to say that David Pott's guitar playing was phenominal. I was in awe when he went through the Joy Division set like butter. They seemed to have a great time together on stage and shared laughs and smiles with each other. I was hoping for a track from their Monaco days, but no such luck. It was also nice to see Hooky's son joining him on stage playing bass with him. That has to be a proud moment for Hooky and an experience his son will never forget. You can tell he definitely get's his musical chops from his Father. Also in attendence that night was writer Irvine Welsh. We didn't see him, but via their conversation on Twitter Welsh had a great time as well that night. The lights struck the stage and the New Order set was about to begin. They started it off with "Let's Go" and as with the Joy Division set the crowd were on their feet. I had wondered was this how it felt to be in the clubs back in their heyday? I still believe I was born in the wrong decade. I couldn't even imagine the feeling of hearing them back then. Not like today where everything sounds like manufactured crap coming from the Willy Wonka like plant that is called the music industry. Who cares if it doesn't have feeling, depth, or hell even a tangible instrument on an album; if it contains a catchy hook and nudity it's a hit. This generation doesn't even know what an album is really. They buy songs and truthfully a lot of these artists don't form their album as a landscape. They know their audience will be purchasing or streaming singles. I imagine back in the day Hooky and the boys never thought they'd have cult legendary status decades later or that they would influenece so many other great artists. That being said, it's best to think like that really. It keeps a level head on your shoulders and you're not going to be a pompous twit that thinks the world owes you a living. The one song that I was most excited to hear was the instrumental song "Elegia." I have a soft spot for this song because it was the soundtrack to an after high school breakup. As I was coping through the heartbreak I played that damn song over and over. It was so powerful and as each chord hit, it was like a knife in my gut. The moments of that relationship played in my head like an 80's teen movie and that song was definitely pivotal. I just wanted to cry when I heard Hooky play it, but again I was just so happy to be there the tears couldn't make an apperance that night.They played a few more songs and then again went into a break. The next set was from their album Brotherhood. This album was my introduction to New Order. I had remembered seeing the videos for "True Faith" and "Bizarre Love Triangle" on Mtv and fell in love. After the Brotherhood set another short break and at some point there was a marriage proposal from a fan to his girlfriend on stage. This seems to be the new thing going on nowadays instead of proposals on the big screen at a baseball game. They appeared back on stage and started the last set with "State Of The Nation." I was excited to hear "True Faith" and "Temptation." It was so fun dancing to them and feeding off the crowd's energy. After "Temptation" was over they had a special surprise for the crowd. Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins joined them on stage to sing the classic hit from Joy Division "Love Will Tear Us Apart." The crowd was in awe of the moment and many probably couldn't believe he was on stage in front of them. There was a sea of cell phones and cameras being held up in the crowd to capture the moment. I must be honest, it was nice to see him up on stage, but I don't think he did the song justice. Maybe it's because the song has such feeling and emotion, but you really have to put your heart into it. It's not a lame karoke song to sing. I think if he would have joined Hooky on the vocals and helped Potts with some guitar work it would have been better, but I guess you can't ask for too much when someone isn't actually on the bill to perform. The lights went down and the crowd was thanked for coming to the show as the crew disassembled the drums and mics from the stage. There would be no encore, but there didn't need to be. It was a hell of a show and I think everyone walked away satisfied with the night's offering. As we assembled on the cold streets of Chicago we waited a few minutes in the alley of the club hoping to meet Hooky. We waited and as I froze like a popicsle we decide to go across the street and get a Chicago hot dog and glare out the window until he popped out of the club. After eating a horrible cheeese covered hot dog he still had not walked out of the club. We stood outside and I told my friend "We'll just wait a few minutes. I'll kick myself if we leave and he comes out." We waited a few minutes and there he was walking out the door with a big smile. Everyone was excited and asked for autographs and pictures. I patiently waited and finally got my picture with him and hugged him tightly while thanking him for the picture. I wanted to thank him for saving my life, but I could tell he was in a hurry to leave. I was so happy that I actually got to meet him and hug him that I skipped down the frozen Chicago streets like a little girl. My night was complete and another musical hero to check off my bucket list. I hope he tours again because I can't wait to see him again! SET LIST CEREMONY TRANSMISSION DISORDER NOVELTY DIGITAL ISOLATION SHE'S LOST CONTROL SHADOWPLAY ------------------------------- LET'S GO LONESOME TONIGHT THIEVES LIKE US LOVE VIGILANTIES THE PERFECT KISS THIS TIME OF NIGHT SUNRISE ELEGIA SOONER THEN YOU THINK SUBCULTURE FACE UP --------------------------------- PARADISE WEIRDO AS IT IS WHEN IT WAS BROKEN PROMISE WAY OF LIFE BIZARRE LOVE TRIANGLE ALL DAY LONG ANGEL DUST EVERY LITTLE COUNTS _____________________________ STATE OF THE NATION CONFUSION TRUE FAITH TEMPATION LOVE WILL TEAR US APART IMAGESVIDEO
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I'm happy to say I've been asked to be a contributor to Get It On Vinyl, a wonderful website dedicated to music and keeping your local music store alive. I wrote a review about the Future Islands after party show at the Fashion Meets Music Fest in Columbus, OH. If you would like to read it please visit the Get It On Vinyl site. Also check out their other articles and reviews..oh and the sweet merch!
So the idea about this blog entry came from a conversation I had on a dating site. In one of my photos I had on the Joy Division "Unknown Pleasures" shirt. A guy messaged me and commented on the shirt and our conversation began. He had said that he got over depressing music a long time ago. That got me thinking, what music stays with us till we die and what music is just a blip on our musical spectrum? And what decides this musical filing? Is it what we are going through at each phase of our life or do our musical taste broaden and what we thought was once amazing is just vanilla? Some bands will always be classic and no one will ever compare to them. In high school I started listening to punk music. I loved the energy and how it was formed around the idea of anti-establishment and conforming to all the latest trends. It's funny now because punk itself became a trend. You can see the punk look on fashion runways and hear bubblegum punk on the airwaves. While still liking punk music I transgressed to Industrial and 80's New Wave music. Partly to the fact that I started to date a guy who was into the music and introduced me to underground bands and cool movies. I think for me music has always grown up with me. It was the soundtrack to my life and I felt that it truly kept me alive. Like most teens I lacked self-confidence and felt indifferent. When I started high school I was a regular kid. I didn't fit into any of those clichéd labels. At the time I was dating a guy and this one night changed my life. It changed how I viewed the world, the clothes I wore, and the music I listened to. At the time I had no idea what sex truly was. It was a different time then how things are now. You can't turn on television without an ad or show with some sort of sexual innuendo or nudity. My world was quite simple and I really wasn't allowed to have a social life. It was all tame until this one night and my world became jaded. It became bitterly filled with sexual and social limitations that I would have to work through. That one night I was raped in the back seat of a car by the boy I had been seeing. It was late at night and he had picked me up down the road from where I lived. We had gone to a park and fooled around until it reached a level I wasn't comfortable with. I won't go into details any further, but this night changed me forever. As said before I was quite naive and thought this was what sex was supposed to be. I thought even if you didn't want to do it, you still did it. It wasn't until I had spoken to a trusted teacher after a sex ed session in class that I knew this had happened to me. I felt betrayed, embarrassed, and alone. I didn't want to tell my parents or anyone for that matter. I went into a depression and felt that somehow I brought this onto myself or that I was at fault, but music was my therapy. It took me years and an understanding boyfriend to pull me through the drudge to make me see that that night wasn't my fault and didn't define me. I would arise above it and be able to have real sexual interaction again. It will always be there of course, but it's not clutching onto my psyche as it once did. This is when I transformed into a girl who wore baggy clothes, closed myself off, and started to listen to "darker" music. I felt the angst of punk music a comfort. I also started listening to Joy Division, The Smiths, and Tori Amos to name a few at this point. Amos helped because she too had went through a similar experience as I had. I also started writing poetry at this time and obtained a new group of friends who shared the same tastes in music. We were the misfits or weirdos of the school. We mostly didn't participate in sports or football games on the weekend. We found comfort in skipping school and going to a nearby college town. It was great fun going to the record stores and hanging with college kids. It really opened a whole new world to me. The music and the scene helped me heal my wounds a bit. I didn't feel alone and felt that I had found myself in a sense. I pretty much kept this musical wave going until a few years after high school. That's when I started getting into metal. I think at the time I was angry with a lot of things and the heavy riffs and lyrics fed that need. I still loved my classic 80's and 90's music, but I was going through another wave in my musical spectrum. I rode that wave until a few years after my son was born and I started to mellow my music taste once again. I started getting out my old cds and having a listen again. It brought back memories of my teen years and sounded just as fresh as it did back then. It gave me comfort and warmth that no other music could. It had always spoke to me and was the voice when I had no words to utter. I'm not for sure if we over time disband our music tastes, but I do believe we go through phases or "waves" as I like to call them. If you put on a song from your youth or when you were going through a particular time in life, all those memories drift back to your psyche like a heavy downpour. There are some bands that have that magic today, but I don't think they could capture a memory as heavy as hearing The Smiths or Talking Heads for the first time. Especially back then because it was all so new and refreshing to what was being played on the airwaves at the time. Like many I don't even listen to the radio anymore. Very few times will I find something that speaks to me and makes me wanna look a band up. Of course, I do live in a small town in the midwest so that could play a huge part. Maybe when I'm older I will file my records in chronological order like Rob did in High Fidelity. Right now they are just mixed up all together and I'm sure it's an OCD nightmare to some. To this day I will go through my records and forget a record I bought when I was a teen. It's kind of a pleasant surprise. So at least in my experience music can get you through a difficult time in your life and change everything from that point forward. It can change you as a person and can broaden your outlook on life. It can be that warm blanket, that fuzzy memory, or the place that makes you realize you aren't the only one to feel the way you do. I never gave up on depressing music and perhaps he wasn't depressed enough to appreciate the music that got him through life? {Side note: This is probably the most personal blog entry to date, but looking back at my musical spectrum it was a defining moment. If someone who reads this has went through the same thing, I hope they will know they're not alone. } So here it is almost 4am and I have just arrived home from the Future Islands show in Indianapolis. I have to write this now while the whole night is fresh in my mind, because my memory sucks anymore. I'm not for sure if it's the tumor in my head or I'm getting old; but nonetheless I won't remember every bit by tomorrow. This was the first show I had gone to by myself and had a bit of anxiety about it. I always loved sharing the concert experience with a friend and having someone to keep me entertained on the way home. Everyone around me told me not to worry and that when the music starts we're all alone anyway.
I arrived early and was first in line. Heading to the front row I had to wait another hour before the opening act called Operators started. They are a three piece band that sounded like wonderful 80's new wave industrial. It was a great surprise because usually I'm patient, but truly wishing the opening act would hurry up so I can see the band I came to see in the first place. This time it was different. Their whole set kept me entertained and wanting more. They seemed so grateful for the audience's love that night, which has me wondering if this is something they don't experience much? I know the people behind me wouldn't shut up during their whole set and among other things is on my concert pet peeve list. I will get to that later. During one of their songs the edgy and beautiful keyboard player broke her necklace that I had been admiring all night. She said "Like during sex, sometimes jewelry breaks" and she handed it to me. It was a wonderful gesture, but I'm going to try to fix it for her and send it back. It truly belongs on her neck! After they had finished their set, it was time for the main act... Future Islands! Everyone was pumped and in anticipation for what was coming up next. This was my first Future Islands show, but for many in the crowd it wasn't their first time around the Future Islands block. As the band came out one by one the crowd welcomed them with screams and sweaty hands clapping together. Gerrit and William are the low key members of the band letting Sam the lead singer electrify the crowd with both his insane levels of vocal range and theatrical performance. At times Sam will bring you into an old punk show with his intense screams and brings you back down to altitude with soft spoken words. Even though the other members are not running about stage, their ingredients to the band are quite important. Many of William's bass lines remind me of Joy Division/New Order or some older punk, especially "Heart Grows Older." Gerrit nicely ties the whole landscape together with keyboards and programming that will take you to another terrain. Mike, the tour drummer, is reminiscent of Stephen Morris of Joy Division/New Order. I have been asked many times what does Future Islands sound like? I really have no true answer. I can name a list of bands that take a bit here and there, but they're unique. They give their all when they play and are quite humble when the audience reciprocates the feeling. During the show I was in awe of Sam's performance and just wondering how the hell he does it. He probably sweated out about five pounds in one show. Of course, the front row received most of this sweat. I think my record may contain some of his sweat as well. He would connect face-to-face with the crowd and touch hands. It was as if he was some messiah, everyone he locked eyes with was in awe of his presence. The show was so exciting that I only took a few photos. I couldn't take my eyes off of them, it was that good. I wanted to take in this moment. Take this experience and actually enjoy it without technology getting in the way. After the encore, I headed to the exit and down the alley by the club. I was one of the first few to hang out in the back for the band to possibly sign autographs and take photos. I had waited for about thirty minutes and then finally Sam had appeared. Gone were his sweat soaked clothes from the show and a tight fitting gray shirt along with an Orioles cap. I was the first one to greet him and I was yet again transformed into a 16 year old fan girl. This is a wonderful feeling, but is something I try to keep under control so I don't seem like a weirdo. I think the reason why I get this way is because I'm in awe of people who could possibly make me feel a certain way just by a few words and notes. Like others, without The Smiths and Joy Division in high school I probably wouldn't be here today. I guess I feel a great deal of gratitude to the music makers. Without knowing you, they can make you feel like every song they play is about you or what you're going through. Many times music is your closed captioning in life. You don't have the right words to say or the melody speaks to you in a way that no one could ever understand. Think about it, certain music or images from your childhood can either bring that warm nostalgic feeling or possibly the feeling of innocence lost. So I lost track, but it's almost 5am. Right now I'm running on White Castle and Mountain Dew, which I'll probably regret tomorrow. So back to the story, Sam signed my record and I got a picture with him. Then we stared at each other and I was in some sort of weird Twilight Zone trance. I had no idea what to say, but to glare at him like a fuckin' idiot. He could possibly play in a remake of 1984 and have us all in a trance with his eyes. Sam went on to meet other fans and share stories and baseball talk. While waiting for William I had started chatting up with the tour drummer Mike. I had told him he had reminded me of Stephen Morris and he was delighted to hear the comparison. He said he had practiced "Bizarre Love Triangle" when he was learning how to play. I asked him if he had his own band and he said he had a band named Mt Royal. Check them out if you have a chance, as I will be doing so tomorrow! I happened to snatch Gerrit as he was walking back into the venue and asked if he could sign my album and get a picture with me. He seemed delighted and pleased to do so. I then finally got to chat with William and yet again I was star struck because when I was coming into the venue I had passed him on the way to the stage. I thought it was him, but didn't want to look like the idiot if he had some twin. We laughed about that for a moment and then we talked about the tour. I had mentioned how I loved the smaller venues because I felt you had more of a connection with the band. We then went into how bands seem to forget about poor Indianapolis and head straight up to Chicago. I was telling him how I'm going to see Peter Hook in Chicago in November and we chatted about how great he is sounding. I mentioned I had an extra ticket so if he wanted to go let me know...by the way that offer still stands William! I'm laughing right now. We discussed Joy Division's album Closer and how you could hear tinges of early New Order in that album. He signed my album and we got a photo together. He then asked if I wanted a pic of me and the whole band and it took only a second to jump on that offer. I gave my camera to another fan because my phone was only on 20% battery. We all got together and I thought had taken about 5 or 6 photos... by the time the last ones were taken it was like some 80's Aerosmith shoot; everyone with legs in the air and silly faces. I thanked them all again and gave William a hug and said thank you again and that I was so glad to meet them. So, on a drive home fueled by some crap fast food, Mountain Dew, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, and Prince I finally made it home. I don't think I scarfed food and drink that fast in my life! I hadn't eaten anything since 2pm and hadn't had anything to drink since 6pm. As always when I do that, I get one of my wonderful headaches. After getting into a comfy nightgown and inserting my SD card I found out that not one photo from tonight was on my camera. I was heartbroken. The only pictures I had were a few during the show and ones with Sam and Gerrit. I know, I know... I shouldn't complain. I really was looking forward to seeing the pictures and I also didn't have one with William and I. Regardless, it was a great and a much needed night. I wish I would have been able to ask them some questions for my blog, but the fan girl in me took over! Hopefully I will be able to see them in Columbus in a few weeks and will be able to retake those pics! I was able to ask Bob 1 ( guitarist from DEVO) a few questions...
1. Back in the day it took a band years to develop a fan base. Do you think programs like Spotify, Pandora, and downloadable music has help or hindered artists? B1- Both. Back in the day a band playing gigs and all their friends came to see them, and they brought their friends. It took a long time to break through internationally. Now people can just put a band together and just put crap on the internet and sometimes people can put stuff out that shouldn't even be playing, but it's also a lot easier to create a fanbase. 2. What bands/guitar players influenced you growing up? B1-Keith Richards, Pete Townsend, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Hendrix, and Jeff Beck 3. What is one thing people misunderstand about DEVO? B1-They think Devo doesn't have feelings. Devo has feelings too. 4. Zombie apocalypse scenarios are popular right now, but do you think one day the robots will get fed up and take over? B1-We can always hope so :-) 5. Do you see any of today's bands carrying on the Devo torch? B1-I hear different bands have different parts and sounds of Devo. Can't name any at the moment tho -Thanks again Bob 1 for this unconventional Q & A session- I have only met a few famous musicians/bands. You always hear how so many of them have huge egos or are just complete jerks. I am always completely surprised and thankful when I meet someone and they blow that impression out of the water. I love it, because I know they are human. Yes..they eat cereal on a Saturday morning, hate ads on Youtube, and eat sloppy spaghetti. For some reason I think when you are younger you think they are some sort of subhuman species. Untouchable..unattainable..just a complete science fiction character. They can do no wrong..well a few bad albums usually, but they are "it" in your book. Hell I remember getting into complete arguments over bands..I am THAT passionate about music. For obvious reasons. That will be a later story for the books.
So this chance meeting was with someone who I did not fantasize about, have plastered on my bedroom walls, or knew every tidbit about. All the same, it was a surreal experience. Something you just don't see in your usual lineup on a snowy Monday afternoon. I won't go into specifics on how I know the person who introduced me to Bob 1 from the famous band DEVO, but they do know the band well. So one minute I am rummaging through bins of vinyl at a record exchange in Ohio and the next minute I am told I will be meeting the guitarist for DEVO. As I said before I wasn't obsessed with DEVO, but knew their music and knew they were way beyond their time. I always thought they were pioneers and completely underrated. I love unique and different things. It has a soft place in my heart. To be different and to not follow the masses and be an independent thinker is always king in my book. When I was in high school if everyone was into a certain group or style, I didn't want any part of it. I always felt the stronger could survive by themselves, but the weak had to follow under what was popular and in favor. Okay..I got off track..which will happen at times. Hold tight. So when we finally arrive I walk in to the kitchen and as I am introduced to Bob 1 I can't help but notice he looks like any other guy I'd see walking down the street. For some strange reason I always think that in their own element, rock stars still carry around a flaming cigarette hanging from their mouth and a velveteen half opened robe with a big busted blonde hanging on their arm. Hmm..maybe that's more Keith Richards? Bob 1 has a white plain shirt on and Levi jeans. As I look him over, I can't help but think of my Dad. My Father always wore plain white shirts and jeans. He was a simple man and I kind of think maybe Bob 1 is also. Through the small talk about the weather and other issues I sit patiently waiting. I keep my 16yr old fan girl self under control. I know most musicians are use to over zealous fans, but I try to play it cool. As I'm sitting there waiting to be called upon like some poor fool on a job interview, it finally happens. The conversation floats my way. We chat about Indiana and Ohio..how similar they are and I remark about bands not giving a flying fig about fans in Indiana anymore. Bob 1 then tells us a story about being unpaid one time for a gig back in the heyday. He said there was money and a gun on the table and told it was best to just leave. (I am paraphrasing) We all laugh and he remarks how times have changed and now money goes into escrow accounts. I am always in awe of old stories from tours of the past. Some of the stories are rather seedy and that much more enjoyable then the usual lull of today's tours. You know, the artist who throws a tantrum because they requested 35 red jelly beans, but was only provided with 34..oh the humanity! He agrees to sign my two records and asks which ones I brought to sign. He predicted right..Freedom of Choice. I guess it's a popular album to be signed and one of their most popular albums because of their classic song "Whip It!" I picked the record because I like the cover photo and my favorite song is on that album, "Girl You Want." He signs both albums and comments on the live album saying that the label on the record itself was specifically designed and it wasn't put into the usual record sleeve like most albums. (hence why it was a pain to get in and out of the plastic sleeve!) When I hear the background stories about songs or tour horror stories I feel like I am some sort of mole in a top secret meeting at the white house. Any minute Q will hand me my dossier and I'm off to an outrageous adventure all over the world. Is that what it's like to be a music journalist? Hmm..probably not. I'm thinking crap hotels, cold room service, and late musicians who don't want to answer the questions you ask. After signing my records I thank him and we decide to shuffle off into the blinding winter day. I thank him again and tell him it was nice to meet him. As I get back into the car I kick myself because there was my chance to ask some questions, but again I didn't want to over step and be that weirdo fan. Even though their work is what catapulted them to stardom, I'm sure they feel like they need to talk about what's going on NOW. I can relate, I'm sure if someone asked me a million times over why on Earth did I decide to do this and what my thoughts were on yadda yadda back in '95 were..I'd slit my wrists on the spot. I can understand the urgency of keeping away from the past, but when you hear a song, see a movie, or see someone from your youth..you can't help but want to get in that Delorian and go back to when things were simple and new. -Thank you again to Bob 1 from DEVO for a great fan girl experience!- |
AuthorAngela Marie. I like writing. I like music. I have thoughts falling from my head. Archives
July 2018
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