Seeing Mr. Partridge isn't touring anymore... I guess these would all be old memories, but why not? Participating in this tribe reminded me of fond memories of seeing XTC twice.
First time was at SJSU in 1980, they played to a handful of people on Halloween in our Student Union ballroom. Great show, even if few were there. On the other hand, I was devasted because I'd been asked to cook for the band, but not told Andy was a vegetarian and made beef burgandy. If I had only known... sniff.
Second show was a year later at California Hall in SF with Wall of Voodoo opening. There the band all dressed in sea faring fashions... I think Big Express was either out or they were previewing some of the material. Festive fun all around, if not a bit fuzzy in the memory department.
Anyone else?
First time was at SJSU in 1980, they played to a handful of people on Halloween in our Student Union ballroom. Great show, even if few were there. On the other hand, I was devasted because I'd been asked to cook for the band, but not told Andy was a vegetarian and made beef burgandy. If I had only known... sniff.
Second show was a year later at California Hall in SF with Wall of Voodoo opening. There the band all dressed in sea faring fashions... I think Big Express was either out or they were previewing some of the material. Festive fun all around, if not a bit fuzzy in the memory department.
Anyone else?
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SF Bay Area
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Re: Share your live XTC experiences!
Tue, February 24, 2004 - 8:48 PMSadly, I never got to see them live... *weep, sob* Wow, in your student union? Holeeee cow, that's cool! -
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Re: Share your live XTC experiences!
Thu, February 9, 2006 - 4:53 PMThey would have probably been touring for Black Sea. Big Express came out much later, didn't it?
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Re: Share your live XTC experiences!
Sat, February 11, 2006 - 6:10 AMsaw them around "Drums and Wires" period I believe....at the Bayou in DC......one of the best shows ever by any band!!!! can't remember any details unfortunately......think it was a packed house......... -
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Re: Share your live XTC experiences!
Sat, February 11, 2006 - 10:28 PMI interviewed Andy after Nonsuch came out, and both Colin and Andy after Apple Venus I came out. Well that counts as live, doesn't it?
Both times after the interview was over, I got to talk with Andy for 45 minutes or so about Jack Kirby.
If he had gone into stand-up comedy rather than music, he'd be every bit as brilliant at that: he's incredibly funny and talks as if each new idea has to jump out of his brain quickly to make room for more. Colin was sort of kind of like a straight man in that he didn't make constant wisecracks...but his low key style was actually no less funny. -
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Re: Share your live XTC experiences!
Sun, February 12, 2006 - 5:58 PMI got to talk to Andy who was doing an in-store visit here in San Francisco for AppleVenus. I asked him how he felt doing a promotional tour for the album in a "Virgin" record store. As Andy would say, his eyes were daggers - and "no", he did not like it one bit. He signed my copy of AppleVenus and I turned back to tell him that we all loved him, my truly heartfelt sentiment. The line was around the block to get his autographs. I sincerely hope this gave him a good feeling. He was a sweet guy, looking very tired, but doing his obligatory best to be there for his fans. And we all do love him, don't we?
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Re: Share your live XTC experiences!
Thu, April 20, 2006 - 9:49 AMI didn't know they toured much at all..? Doesn't Andy have stagefright? Or is this urban legend... -
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Re: Share your live XTC experiences!
Thu, April 20, 2006 - 7:22 PMNo. It's true. It's not urban legend. But Andy or Colin will do some publicity tours, like showing up in a record store to autograph CD's and the like. Sadly, I never saw them perform. Andy's stage fright did finally get the best of him - right before/or as they embarked upon the "English Settlement" tour (for which I had tickets in San Francisco). Hard to imagine when you see pics of an exhuberant Andy at their earlier gigs - he looks like a true stage performer and was probably a whole lot of fun to watch. It looks like he's having fun and getting into it, anyway. Who knows what dark stuff was writhing around in his psyche at the time. Who knows if they would have been huge had Andy's malady not overtaken him. I still love the guy, and the band and that's all that matters. -
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Re: Share your live XTC experiences!
Fri, June 16, 2006 - 10:15 AMYeah I thought the whole point of his "Dear Madam Barnum" song was about his stagefright. And how performing makes you feel like a monkey... I can relate... I love playing but am not fond of performing either.
By complete coincidence, I did see Dave Gregory perform with Aimee Mann one time about 12 years ago in Pittsburgh. This was before Aimee got "noticed" again so it was a thrill seeing two of my underground--or at least unrecognized--heros playing together.
Bless their dark psyches!
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