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80s bands sure did look weird sometimes

#41
Smallmouth_Bass said:
Yeah, but if they're in the band, you'd think they would put in a little amount of effort to mimic the part correctly! Even if they didn't play it in the studio, I am assuming they would have played some live shows with the band "musicians", unless they were doing the Milli Vanilli.
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You mean like this?
IMG_5171.webp
 
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#42
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#43
FilterFunk said:
The title of the thread is "80s bands sure did look weird sometimes"

He didn't make a blanket statement about all '80s bands, nor did he make a sweeping judgment about the look of '80s bands compared to any other decade, nor did he say only '80s bands look weird. But the subject sure ruffled some feathers and touched some nerves, didn't it?
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No, but he singled that band out in particular. Sure, they were a fleeting moment in the British alternative pop scene…goofy, giddy, aimed at a youth audience, just fluffy fun. But there’s always been that kind of stuff. A little punkier than Bananarama or whatever, who had a better production team. They were kinda like Grebo, another Brit trend that didn’t translate to the U.S.
 
#47
Smallmouth_Bass said:
Yeah, but if they're in the band, you'd think they would put in a little amount of effort to mimic the part correctly! Even if they didn't play it in the studio, I am assuming they would have played some live shows with the band "musicians", unless they were doing the Milli Vanilli.
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Watch Tom Dawes's left hand toward the end of this video.

 
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#53
Gopherbassist said:
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Opened for this band at Club Revival in Philadelphia in 1988, I think?

They were pretty bad players and even more unfriendly as people.

It was a small place and they had an oversized touring package (probably being rented to them by their label at ridiculous cost...) anyway, there was no room for our drummer to set up in front of their kit and they refused to move their gear, even a little bit because "they were the headline act" .

We told the club owner we would just go home, no harm, no foul, rather than be put through this kind of nonsense.

He was friend and we had played that club many times previously, so he forced them to move the kit, so we could set up.

I remember him arguing with the band's road manager and saying that we were doing them a favor by playing and drawing a crowd.
 
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#54
Michedelic said:
Nah, pretty typical. A bit outlandish, perhaps, but expressive in the context of the times. Have you ever seen Sigue Sigue Sputnik? All were children of Ziggy, and trickledown from the New Romantic phase.
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Martin Degville for ZZS lived in Walsall, UK. he came from the Beechdale estate, a place no one should enter back then without a Rottweiler as protection. Eventually he shacked up in the town centre in a place called Freer Street. He had a companion he lived with, we used to call him Gorgeous George. as well at a couple of girls Jan and Ronnie. They used to do a lot of trading in the Birmingham Rag Market to compete with or sell to Khan and Bell's in Hurst St., Brum.
Walsall's nightlife was pretty straight back then but there there was a club in nearby Birmingham called Barbarella's, one of the most important Pre and Post Punk clubs outside London back in the 70's. Toyah was a regular there as well as a host more Midlands (to become stars such as LeBon and other Duranies) who took over the Rum Runner club in Broad Street B'ham as their spring board in early 80's and the rest is ancient history.. Funny thing was Degville's mate Georgeous re-invented himself as a fella called Boy George, who has always told the world he'd rather have a cup of tea. Degville on the back of George rode the waves of jorge with ZZS, and I assume sank beneath those waves, as they were mediocre at best. Of Jan and Ronnie I know nothing about, the last time I ever saw them was at the Victoria (The Cats) in about '79 - 80 but they was both lovely people with none of the airs and graces of the wannabee's they lived with, just lovely people.
If you think George is from London, maybe that's true, but he cut his teeth in a provincial town in the West Midlands, I know as I went there with a mate to Freer Street to smoke blow when he was still wearing Malcolm McClaren tartan bondage trousers and while he still had a shock of red hair long before his rebirth.
 

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