Comments on: Clips from Edinburgh Liquid Rooms gig http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/08/10/clips-from-edinburgh-liquid-rooms-gig/ the Scritti Politti source Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:45:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: bernhard http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/08/10/clips-from-edinburgh-liquid-rooms-gig/#comment-947 bernhard Fri, 11 Aug 2006 08:58:56 +0000 http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/08/10/clips-from-edinburgh-liquid-rooms-gig/#comment-947 And then in another completely unplanned nostalgia fest, it’s time to go to London’s Scala for a Scritti Politti gig just last week. Bear with me - I wasn’t a massive fan of the band back in the day, rather I was just under the staircase in my childhood home illicitly using my dad’s stereo to tape the Top 40, trying not to get the DJs voice between the pauses betwen tracks and thinking any band were better than Elton John. And THEN I decided 'Wood Beez' was the most amazing record ever to disturb my headphones. I was sat on the steps next to the sounddesk during the rehearsal and bore witness to frontman Green Gartside in paroxyms of doubt onstage about how good it sounded. He was squatting down with his head in his hands at one point. I sat there swigging my water, waiting for an interview that was two hours overdue, but still feeling for him dreadfully. The man had panic attacks for years, it’s really not his fault. It didn’t bode well for the actual gig either. I should have had faith. By the way, I have to to declare an interest here. My friend Rhodri has been recruited to play keyboards for Scritti Politti. Regardless of all that, the gig was superb. Imagine frontman Green Gartside being crippled with stagefright since before their chart-topping heyday in the mid Eighties and then transport yourself to this venue where he is a self-assured funny frontman. He is transformed. Actually, weird beard withstanding, he is a master. Even though he decides to play his 1978 ‘hit’ 'Skank Bloc Bologna',which is possibly a record only John Peel could love, he is the most amazing lead singer and aside from tracks from the masterful new album 'White Bread Black Beer', he deigns to play older hits such as 'Wood Beez (Play Like Aretha Franklin)'. An auditorium collectively melts. He even plays 'The Sweetest Girl' which everyone recognises in an instant. Even requests for his most obscure back catalogue draw a wry smile and a "Jesus Christ!". No sign of nerves here then. taken from http://blogs.tunetribe.com/jodythompson/july2006/tourtwo.htm And then in another completely unplanned nostalgia fest, it’s time to go to London’s Scala for a Scritti Politti gig just last week. Bear with me - I wasn’t a massive fan of the band back in the day, rather I was just under the staircase in my childhood home illicitly using my dad’s stereo to tape the Top 40, trying not to get the DJs voice between the pauses betwen tracks and thinking any band were better than Elton John. And THEN I decided ‘Wood Beez’ was the most amazing record ever to disturb my headphones.

I was sat on the steps next to the sounddesk during the rehearsal and bore witness to frontman Green Gartside in paroxyms of doubt onstage about how good it sounded. He was squatting down with his head in his hands at one point. I sat there swigging my water, waiting for an interview that was two hours overdue, but still feeling for him dreadfully. The man had panic attacks for years, it’s really not his fault. It didn’t bode well for the actual gig either.

I should have had faith. By the way, I have to to declare an interest here. My friend Rhodri has been recruited to play keyboards for Scritti Politti. Regardless of all that, the gig was superb. Imagine frontman Green Gartside being crippled with stagefright since before their chart-topping heyday in the mid Eighties and then transport yourself to this venue where he is a self-assured funny frontman. He is transformed.

Actually, weird beard withstanding, he is a master. Even though he decides to play his 1978 ‘hit’ ‘Skank Bloc Bologna’,which is possibly a record only John Peel could love, he is the most amazing lead singer and aside from tracks from the masterful new album ‘White Bread Black Beer’, he deigns to play older hits such as ‘Wood Beez (Play Like Aretha Franklin)’. An auditorium collectively melts. He even plays ‘The Sweetest Girl’ which everyone recognises in an instant. Even requests for his most obscure back catalogue draw a wry smile and a “Jesus Christ!”. No sign of nerves here then.

taken from http://blogs.tunetribe.com/jodythompson/july2006/tourtwo.htm

]]> By: bernhard http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/08/10/clips-from-edinburgh-liquid-rooms-gig/#comment-946 bernhard Fri, 11 Aug 2006 07:30:15 +0000 http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/08/10/clips-from-edinburgh-liquid-rooms-gig/#comment-946 tour postcard 5: tokyo quattro http://rhodri.livejournal.com/511713.html tour postcard 5: tokyo quattro
http://rhodri.livejournal.com/511713.html

]]> By: Ellen http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/08/10/clips-from-edinburgh-liquid-rooms-gig/#comment-945 Ellen Fri, 11 Aug 2006 06:22:49 +0000 http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/08/10/clips-from-edinburgh-liquid-rooms-gig/#comment-945 JUst iploaded the new file. Sounds much better! And do i hear 'This one is for Karren' in the beginning. Think i actually recognize her screaming after that! :) JUst iploaded the new file. Sounds much better! And do i hear ‘This one is for Karren’ in the beginning. Think i actually recognize her screaming after that! :)

]]> By: John http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/08/10/clips-from-edinburgh-liquid-rooms-gig/#comment-944 John Fri, 11 Aug 2006 03:12:28 +0000 http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/08/10/clips-from-edinburgh-liquid-rooms-gig/#comment-944 Actually I just synched the two clips together. Watch for a better version with the new audio. It should be posted soon. Actually I just synched the two clips together. Watch for a better version with the new audio. It should be posted soon.

]]> By: Zach http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/08/10/clips-from-edinburgh-liquid-rooms-gig/#comment-941 Zach Thu, 10 Aug 2006 21:39:50 +0000 http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/08/10/clips-from-edinburgh-liquid-rooms-gig/#comment-941 When I checked the link to teawithtufty's blog (in the previous posting of the Wood Beez and Boom Boom Bap audio), I also found an mp3 of the Sweetest Girl from that night's show, the audio of which might make a nice substitute for the otherwise unfortunate murk which accompanies that video. Not that it's necessary to go do some magic and sync them up or anything, just saying that if one wants a higher fidelity recording of a really great performance (you can even hear the back-up harmonies on the bridge!), I recommend downloading it. Why oh why isn't there a live album in the works? The band just sounds better and better, and Green manages to not sound bored or frightened--both good signs it should be documented! If there are any Scritti US shows in the offing, I may just have to rent a portable recording rig (with band and venue permission, of course). Many thanks to Sheena, John, and everyone else who keeps great content popping up on this site continually. When I checked the link to teawithtufty’s blog (in the previous posting of the Wood Beez and Boom Boom Bap audio), I also found an mp3 of the Sweetest Girl from that night’s show, the audio of which might make a nice substitute for the otherwise unfortunate murk which accompanies that video. Not that it’s necessary to go do some magic and sync them up or anything, just saying that if one wants a higher fidelity recording of a really great performance (you can even hear the back-up harmonies on the bridge!), I recommend downloading it. Why oh why isn’t there a live album in the works? The band just sounds better and better, and Green manages to not sound bored or frightened–both good signs it should be documented! If there are any Scritti US shows in the offing, I may just have to rent a portable recording rig (with band and venue permission, of course). Many thanks to Sheena, John, and everyone else who keeps great content popping up on this site continually.

]]> By: sheena http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/08/10/clips-from-edinburgh-liquid-rooms-gig/#comment-940 sheena Thu, 10 Aug 2006 20:53:39 +0000 http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/08/10/clips-from-edinburgh-liquid-rooms-gig/#comment-940 hey andy what do u mean possibly Glaswegian im glaswegian ! :-( joking of course he was. probably he was as drunk as a skunk too . didnt the guy shout green your music pish ? i did talk to a few others after the gig in the bus station i know a lot of people were very disappointed with the music as they were expecting all the older tunes not the new stuff but i would never have missed for anything i was so close to grabbing greens legs now he would never have forgotten me in a long time but i resisted the temptation :-) hey andy what do u mean possibly Glaswegian im glaswegian ! :-( joking of course he was. probably he was as drunk as a skunk too . didnt the guy shout green your music pish ? i did talk to a few others after the gig in the bus station i know a lot of people were very disappointed with the music as they were expecting all the older tunes not the new stuff but i would never have missed for anything i was so close to grabbing greens legs now he would never have forgotten me in a long time but i resisted the temptation :-)

]]> By: Andrew James http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/08/10/clips-from-edinburgh-liquid-rooms-gig/#comment-939 Andrew James Thu, 10 Aug 2006 19:43:19 +0000 http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/08/10/clips-from-edinburgh-liquid-rooms-gig/#comment-939 Thank you Sheena and bibbly-o-tek! That brought it all back! Not that I'd forgotten--it was only three nights ago, after all. Did anyone get Petrococadollar on their mobile? A couple of small memories from the gig; Green seems relaxed now to the point where the occasional fluff (and there were a few) is greeted with a smile and a shrug, rather than a gnashing of teeth and pulling out of hair. His banter with the audience was equally relaxed and funny (anonymous punter: "Asylums in Jerusalem!"; GG "You wish..."). Despite this, there's still an occasional glimpse of the steel that lies just beneath the surface of his new happy-go-lucky persona. When one drunk heckler (possibly Glaswegian :-)) started berating Green, the latter replied with a terse, distinctly un-amiable "F-ck You", to cheers from the crowd. Thank you Sheena and bibbly-o-tek! That brought it all back! Not that I’d forgotten–it was only three nights ago, after all. Did anyone get Petrococadollar on their mobile?

A couple of small memories from the gig; Green seems relaxed now to the point where the occasional fluff (and there were a few) is greeted with a smile and a shrug, rather than a gnashing of teeth and pulling out of hair.

His banter with the audience was equally relaxed and funny (anonymous punter: “Asylums in Jerusalem!”; GG “You wish…”). Despite this, there’s still an occasional glimpse of the steel that lies just beneath the surface of his new happy-go-lucky persona. When one drunk heckler (possibly Glaswegian :-)) started berating Green, the latter replied with a terse, distinctly un-amiable “F-ck You”, to cheers from the crowd.

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