09-17-97

AMERICAN MUSIC: THE VIOLENT FEMMES MAILING LIST currently run by Pat. Wary ************************************************************************** TOUR DATES: (NEW DATES MARKED WITH A **) September 17-The Palace, Hollywood, CA (P,O) September 18-Canes, San Diego, CA (T,O,P) September 19-The Glass House, Pomona, CA (T,O,P) September 21-The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA (O,P) September 22-Luther Burbank Center, Santa Rosa, CA (O,P) September 23-The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA (O,P) **September 25-Marzz, Raleigh, NC (O)** September 26-Carolina Music Fest, The World Mardi Gras, Charlotte, NC (O,P) for more info call 704-333-2263 September 27-Smokey Mountain Jamboree,Knoxville,TN (P) October 9-Benedictine University, Lisle, IL (O) October 10-East Stroudsburg University, Abeloff Convocation Center, East Stroudsburg, PA (O,P) October 15-MontClair State University, Montclair, NJ (O) October 29-The Forum, London, ENGLAND (O) October 31-Sports Hall at Coimbra University, Coimbra, PORTUGAL (O) NOTA BENE: 'O' stands for the Official homepage 'P' stands for Pollstar 'T' stands for Ticketmaster 'I' stands for Insider Info All other references are subscribers ************************************************************************** The Quote Of The Day: special, special, what do you get, another day older and deeper in dept -From Special -Submitted by send your quotes to ************************************************************************** WHO/WHERE Going to a VF concert? Want to know if anyone else on the list also going? Check here first! Los Angeles --------------------- Pomona, CA --------------------- Santa Cruz, CA --------------------- San Francisco (Sept. 23) --------------------- Charlotte, NC --------------------- Knoxville, TN --------------------- East Stroudsburg, PA --------------------- Montclair, NJ ---------------------- ************************************************************************** ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO IMPROVE THIS LETTER SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO [email protected] ************************************************************************** WEB PAGES: Official: http://www.vfemmes.com Unofficial: http://www.gl.umbc.edu/~mmerry2/femmes.html Guitar: http://www.bucknell.edu/~wtorres/violent_femmes/ TAB DIGEST: [email protected] There are currently 14 subscribers to the tab digest. Mat respectfully asks "every one please send in their tabs as there is only so much time I have and I can't possibly tabs everything for every one." So please remember the tab digest is for sharing, not just taking. ************************************************************************** In Today's Issue: Clash Tribute Delay Some Montclair Info Meet Me at Pomona Greening of Mackay Greening of Mackay RE: Fans and GPB BITS RE: Fans RE: Fans RE: Fans RE: Fans RE: Religion RE: Drumming Lung Capacity Sabrina ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Regarding a question a few issues ago about the Clash tribute: I received email from Pete Folger at Ark Records (the label which is making this CD) and he has informed me the Clash project has been put on hold. SO I hope it's nothing serious, but the CD will not be released this month as scheduled. For more info, contact ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Alright i found some information on the montclair show. it isn't oficial yet, but i still managed to get some information. it will most likly be on October 15th, and the guy that i talked to said it will be all ages unless there is some stupid reason, so i doubt it. oh and if any one needs to know the area code for montclair is 201. i will probably be going, i am already excited :) -kara ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New to the area. I'd love to meet up wwith some people before the Pomona Show. What about it? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ hello, first my respects and a grateful handshake to pat who runs this mailing list, I do remember a time when I got Rock!!!!! once every other month :) I have never posted before because my english is bad but I just saw my first VF show friday. I bought their first album in 89 (I was 13) in a used record store because it was cheap and I had blurry memories of hearing their name somewhere, thought their name was pretty cool, violent.Like most of you I guess I just fell in love upon first listening, that incredible, timeless, twisted and strong self-titled album (I'm personnaly VERY glad to hear that new fans got into VF first with this album, even though I think my favorite to date is why do birds sing?) Growing up, I've always held a special place for them in my heart and music collection, but for some reasons, never got to see them live, and grew slightly obsessed with other bands, didn't listen to the femmes as much, but subscribed anyway to the mailing list.That's when I've heard about the free montreal show. I thought it was going to be very nice to finally see them live, memories of teenage years or something in that vein, I was pretty excited, smiling. But I didn't expect it to be like that at all. When they came onstage, Gordon had his black cowboy hat and a right spot hit his eyes, he did a childish evil grin and was sweating more charisma than in my strongest memories, I started crying by the second song, out the window. I fell for them all over again, maybe more strongly than I've ever been, and somehow idiots crowd-surfers, very young kids and drunk screaming teenage girls ("B.I.T.S"!!!!) were adding a special glow to the show, mixing all kinds of feelings of hate and humor with the brightness and darkness of music, lyrics...I don't know how to explain, but it somehow put everything in perspective for me. I was also able to finally have my own opinion about the debates going on this mailing list; guy live is a very tight drummer, maybe not as "playful" as victor, but he's really great and has the infamous blue eyes.:) And I don't know how some of you can be truly pissed at the youngest fans, maybe lots of them have no ideas what this music's about, but they DO think BITS is a great song, or that gordon looks so rad, or anything else; they still have been touched by the band, in one way or another, and I was very pleased to see so many very young fans at the concert, and on this list. Maybe a show with just older fans who knows their f.a.q would be a very pleasant elitist experience, but I would have been pretty depressed to only see old-school fans at the show; it's nice to know that their fan-base is in permanent reconstitution. thanks for reading, that was long and confused. Have a good day yours, nathalie -Pat. Says: Nathalie, please do not let the fact that English is not your first language keep you from writing. Your command of English is far far better than many Native English speakers. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ hey, just got back to jersey from the femmes show in montreal, the greening of mackey, event. the show was out of this world. they played for an hour and a half at an outdoor venue. it was a free event and the boys played a mix of new and old . A couple of weird things happened at one point somebody threw something on stage and Guy stopped playing and walked off stage. so Gordon asked everybody to play nice and try to coax Guy back to play. he came back out and the fun continued. one other weird thing was when some guy was crowd surfing and got tossed toward the stage and hit the mic stand which then banged into Gordon mouth. He was concentrating on the singing and didn't see the dude coming and got knocked back. but he maintained his cool and carried on. anyway that was the third time seeing the femmes and they never disappoint except i wish they could keep playing all night there's always a ton of songs they don't play. later, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ this letter is in response to beth i am one of those grungsters, is that the word that was used, that you referred to. my favorite bands are nirvana, the violent femmes, and nine inch nails. what's wrong with that, are there only certain people that can listen to the femmes? people that you find worthy of their music? i'm 16, and have loved the femmes for four years. who cares if you were the 'original' femmes fan, in your generation? who really gives a fuck? i don't. its like the whole underground punk band thing. 'oh i liked them before you even knew who they were, so i'm cooler than you' its so stupid, it pisses me off!!!! but, hey if it keeps your boat floating and your self esteem at a good level, then hey go for it. wait a second, what am i talking about?? maybe you are 'cooler' than me...but you can be cooler than me; quite frankly i don't want to be as cool as you. so, i'll smile cooly and ask you stop bragging about how you're like the ?only? true femmes fan in our generation. pssssst...oh yeah...um..no offense or anything. *dana* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hey Beth (and everybody)- I'm 14, I like the Femmes. Sure, there are fans who are just BITS oriented, but who cares? You don't have to put that kind of fan down just to show YOUR PERSONAL superiority as a Femmes fan. My favorite album is by far the first, but I have all the rest- so don't overgeneralize. And since you're fifteen, I bet you're tired of being placed in this catergory, too. So don't judge us because of our age, and don't think we're not as good of fans as you because of some people you might know. Also (sort of unrelated) the version of BITS on the Grosse Pointe soundtrack sounds EVEN MORE acoustic than the one on the first album. And Gordon seems whinier, although he is getting a little older.... oh well. Still sounds pretty cool. I would have liked to have heard "Good Feeling" at the reunion scene in the movie. Oh well. I LOVE THAT SONG. Sorry. My posts are becoming more anger driven. I think the list is becoming this way too. Maybe that's a good thing, though. Have I turned anybody on to Pavement yet? -- Paul -- "Freeze. Don't move. You've been chosen as an extra in the movie adaptation of the sequel to your life................" -Pavement, "Shady Lane" -Pat. Says: I do NOT think the anger increasingly expressed in this list is a good thing. I wish it would stop. As long as you all do not get too insulting, I am duty bound to print it, but I happen to think angry confrontation over tiny little issues is ultimately self-destructive, to this list and to our own psyches. That's just my two BITS. Your response is mild, Paul, and for that I thank you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PART 1:"Well did i call it or what. If you like the whole cd its a different story (not really)" this comment was not meant for you it was meant for the person who made it like most people who arent "true fans" only like BITS! but thanks on the advice on what cd to buy PART 2:for jal215 comment thanks its nice to see a long time fan stick up for us new comers i agree with you i would never compare myself too you i just say were all fans! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I've noticed that the way a lot of people on this list think is if something is popular, it is bad. Do you really need so much to be different that you have to hate what the majority likes. One big example of this is the whole BITS thing. So much bitching goes on about that song. If it had not been for that song, I don't really think that the first album would have made it as big as it had, and without that big first album, would more have come? Sure BITS is just one of those catchy tunes that instantly makes people crazy, but I think the Femmes needed a song like that to be where the are today. BITS made me listen to the Femmes, and yes I started out listening to the first album. But, after listening to the album, I decided that my favorite song on it was Prove My Love, and no, BITS wasn't second. So the point I was trying to make (I kind of went off on a tangent) was that if you like things that are different, great! I'm happy for you and your unique tastes, but why must you hate things that are popular? Why do you have to act like such pompous asses with your cooler than thou attitudes? That's my bit on BITS, -Sandi Barr "In the dime stores and bus stations, People talk of situations, Read books, repeat quotations, Draw conclusions on the wall." -Bob Dylan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I think the first place most new femmes fans start as mentioned a zillion times before (including by me I think) is add it up. This is fine as mentioned by whatever their name was oberline or whatever. It is also a wise comment as also metioned by myself in the past that if you like add it up why not buy the other damn music they have. Get there tape it offa friend or swipe it from tower (please if you get caught its not my fault.) But please, please please please, do not start your collection with blind leading the naked. Its not a horrible album, but certainly not one of their better. I would strongly advise for everyone who loves add it up to first get the first album, then hollowed ground (One of the best rock albums or any kind of music album ever, though the first one is also amazing) after that it is up to them, I still would think that going chronologically could be your best bet to fully understanding the femmes and their music. I think that's probably the best course of action for anything new that you already like. Though on the second hand if you know that you really love them and won't stop even if you hear a god awful album well then start with the femmes lesser works, their not awful just not great like 3 (which isn't bad after a while, or blind leading which has some amazing songs but mostly filler) Personally I first heard the first one from a freind, got add it up, then bought the first one and then got hallowed and why do the birds sing together followed by blind leading and my final album number three. (though i did get Rock much later after three). Good luck all . Ps I don't feel like introducing myself. if anyone cares which i doubt they do its all in my extensive profile , and no that was meant to be satirical. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi, My name's Erik, I'm 24 and one of the few Swedes, on this mailing list. I heard the Femmes in 1990 for the first time and I've loved them ever since. I have all their official CD's including the Breakin up single, with an excellent version of Didgeriblues. I also have Brians 3 solo albums, but unfortunately Gordon's is pretty much impossible to get ahold of. Them femmes haven't been to Sweden in the 90's, their closest concert was in Denmark '92, so I haven't had the privilege of ever seeing them live. Fortunately, I've corresponded with one of Brians friends who delivered a message about them not coming to Europe very often, and Brian emailed me back saying that they're coming next year. I was glad to read thet Travis is also interested in the religion topic. I see my self as agnostic, even though both my father and my grandfather have been ministers, but I've always been very interested in religion or rather beliefs of different kinds. I think the Femmes have made it quite clear that they truly do believe in God, but that they like so many others dislike the widely-spread hypocracy among many Christians. Ok, now don't get pissed off, cause I'm not saying that all Christians are hypocrits, I'm only saying that there are many contradictions in the way some believers act in comparison to what they say they believe in. I'm a song-writer myself and many of my songs are about believing, or rather me sometimes wishing I could just accept a God. I hope I haven't started a war here, 'cause I just want an open discussion about The Femmes and what people here have to say about religion in Femmes songs. Erik (... special, special, what do you get, another day older and deeper in dept) "Special" From TBLTN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In response to Emily, I thank you for commenting on the drumming thing. I think you are one of the first people to actually talk about his drumming. So did you think he was cute too??? Also, I think that you are very candid and I really admire that and hope you continue to voice your intelligent opinions as often as you feel necessary. One HAppy Hummer, humdrum ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I have to say one thing about Brian: for a guy who comes out smoking a cigar at all the concerts he sure has incredible lung power!! (like when he plays the didjerroo) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'm a long time Femmes fan. I bought their first single when it came out, and saw them live 30 times between '83 and '93. Why I'm writing this is that I happened to watch SABRINA the other night and was totally shocked at how...let's put this gently..."well-fed" both Brian and Gordon looked! What in the hell happened? Toby Germano <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< "...The Earth Does Not Belong To Man...Man Belongs To The Earth..." <><><><><> Chief Seattle<><><><><>< -Pat. Says: Unfortunately, the camera sometimes distorts a person's true appearance. I saw the band about the time the show was taped, and I assure you that that was NOT how they really looked. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~