I’ve had various sets ready since Sunday. In the meantime some of the choices have been played, and other artists I had lined up have been played too recently. So I’m going to revert to the three performers/bands that - outside of metal as a genre - I’ve been most obsessed with throughout my life, since I was an early teen. As @Paul_Peos has said I’ve upped my sob story game, so I’m going with it (and I even tried to edit it, and ended up writing more…)
All songs, I realised after the fact, are gig-openers so let’s go with that theme:
Pre-megafame, lunchtime Cavern gig, the ceilings dripping from the heat, they’d already played 90% or so of the live gigs they would ever play and are yet to release an album. When I saw the Architects singer with his “Let It Be” T-shirt on I nearly went to the roof-top gig - only 8 years later! - but I’ll stick with this rare early rawness:
From one of my favourite albums - and a concert film I watched over and over. The opener is still my favourite - a heavier version overall, especially guitar-wise. Still my favourite guitarist.
One level of continuity in my set is the influence the first two acts had on this one. (Note Deaner’s guitar painted in tribute to George Harrison’s, Mystery Tour era Stratocaster, and the Prince chops - many interviews citing Prince as his biggest influence.) I never used to understand when people argued that they’d rather hear live versions of certain songs (ie. live albums) than studio performances - and then I fully discovered Ween. Always reinterpreting their own songs live… there are so many to choose from. This song has been played in the DJ thread before, but this version is a favourite given a metal edge - and the thread needs more Theremin:
Sorry/not sorry for my sob stories (which I did actually cut back). This thread gives me real joy and a place to ramble on about music in a way my family doesn’t really appreciate or put up with any more.
YY*Y
*I will say this… I didn’t like that Prince performance much AT ALL… The extra things in the arrangement and the additional guitar wankery robbed it of the original’s absolute strength - its elegant simplicity!! I’ve yessed it but it was a very close run thing and got through just by virtue of being a great song. No doubt we’ll agree to disagree, but there it is…
Time for a sob story. A girl I know went to the US to see Prince. The day of the gig it was raining and she somehow got hit by a car. When people were helping her all she could say was. “Purple rain, purple rain” because she was desperate to get to the gig. Needless to say they thought she had a head injury and ended up in hospital.
The Ween gig at the Evelyn back in the day was one on my all time favourites, even though I haven’t necessarily listened to that much recorded Ween over the years
And points for the sob stories. I have learned a lot from the sob stories in these threads.
I don’t want to miss anyone! I know some regulars suggested they weren’t really interested in playing live sets and would come back when “classic” DJ King returns. And a few others have popped in and said hello, but, haven’t given any indication they want to play. And a few others are on holidays.
TBH, I’m finding it hard to keep track of everybody
At any rate, if I’ve missed somebody, it’s been unintentional. I’m hoping others will suggest DJs who might want to play.
