Both Night Court and the Vicious Cycles MC had been in top form, but the surprise didn't come during their sets, either. We saw a couple of new Night Court songs, from their new album, due in September, but I think I'd heard them the other night, too. I did not document those, but I caught a clip of them doing "Human Torch" and "Mistakes Become You," both off their previous LP, $HIT MACHINE. They were in top form, carrying the exuberance of a band that just returned from a big tour... see my previous posts for more (they did "Surfin' Iona," too, which I provided the backstory for, dedicating its surfy aspects to the Mummies... but I elected to dance, not shoot). They did do a song identified as "ACAB" on the setlist but which proved to be a Kids cover -- I didn't know that one, and it was real fun to see, and not expected, since their politics tend to be a little less overt, but again: it was NOT the big surprise.
Billy of the VC's told a fun story as part of "I Love My Bike" that involved riding the same bike (otherwise a piece of shit, apparently) to a concert in Portland to see the Mummies, dressed as a mummy -- he wouldn't lie about that, would he? The song was the high point of their set (though I like the one about life insurance, too -- off Motorpsycho, from a few years ago, as were the songs I shot a clip of). I think I'm figuring out that I like the songs of theirs the best that bring me into the band's emotional world, which are almost always songs they write about their bikes. I mean, they might also have a real emotional investment in that truck stop nun, too, and, I dunno, maybe they really like those hot dogs, but I don't connect with those as I do with a song (long absent from their sets) like "Ain't That Tough," which is another favourite, since Billy explained to me who he wrote that one about... one of my all-time favourite interviews, that was).
And I mean, Nick was absent from the band last night, but that was no big surprise either, as I interviewed him in prep for the upcoming Young Fresh Fellows gig in Vancouver (a must-see show this April, which will feature the Tranzmitors and some surprise guests...). So I knew from the outset that he wasn't going to be there!
I said hellos to a dozen people (including Jeffrey of the Tranzmitors and Adam Payne of the Bad Beats, both of whom should have new albums out this year, and Ty Stranglehold of the Angry Snowmans, over from Victoria to see the gig, who I didn't really get to talk to beyond a hello). Not even surprised to see Eric von Schlippen in the house, since the Mummies are very much in his wheelhouse; he was front-and-center for the merch, which included a gig-exclusive 7", which I also snagged. Should I be a real loser and leave it sealed?
I was particularly happy, later in the evening, to see that Betty Bathory got into the show (she'd been asking on Facebook about tickets) when the Mummies launched into a cover of Devo's "Uncontrollable Urge," but that wasn't the big surprise either...
...no, the big surprise happened while Grant Lawrence was on the mike to walk through a Mummies gig history in Vancouver, beginning with a 1990 gig with Grant's band the Smugglers at the Town Pump. He was doing this by way of introducing the Mummies, of course...
(Lifted off Grant's FB page)
There were a few other shows he mentioned, including one with Wild Billy Childish that had the Earl of Suave sleeping on a Smugglers' couch. He emphasized through his spiel how shitty the attendance had been for all of these shows, telling the audience to give themselves a big middle finger for not having been there... later the Mummies would strike a similar note, calling their last Vancouver gig a show that the parents of the audience members were not at... that gig having happened in 1991 at the Cruel Elephant...
And that, when I realized what show they were talking about, was the surprise, and it comes with a story; a story I have told no one before, I don't think, because it's just kind of sad (or should I say, pathetic?). See, in 1991, I was part of the Sub/ Pop singles club (of course) and had gotten a Thee Headcoats single in the mail, of "Davey Crockett." I wasn't exactly cool enough to understand what I was hearing, back then--I was more into TAD and Mudhoney and Nirvana (Bleach-era, we're talking)... I didn't know much about garage rock or psych or so forth... the reference points were lost on me... but I did LIKE it!
...So I presently bought (on cassette) Heavens to Murgatroyd, Even, It's Thee Headcoats, Already -- which I also liked a lot. That album was my first encounter with the art of Daniel Clowes, actually!
And then I saw that Thee Headcoats were coming to town, playing the Cruel Elephant, where I was already seeing bands like ALL, the Dwarves, Tankhog, the Melvins, Helmet, Love Battery, Facepuller and (best of all) the Volcano Suns (see the current Big Takeover; Peter Prescott and I talk about that show). I loved that venue, loved that they had "Yoo Doo Right" on the jukebox (first exposure to Can!), and had some friends who could drive (I couldn't) who were into shows there, so I got to see a bunch. I'd been to a couple of gigs previous in Vancouver (like the Dead Kennedys all-ages show in 1984 at the York, previously written about here, with a Bev Davies photo of me at age 16), but mostly living in Maple Ridge meant that I missed out on shows -- I can count on two hands the Vancouver bands I saw in the 1980s (Death Sentence, Spores, Haters, House of Commons, Bill of Rights, Braineater, and... that's about all I remember).
But none of my male buddies cared about Thee Headcoats. It just wasn't their thing. So I elicited a ride with a female friend, a pretty cute, nerdy, but conservative girl (tho' a worthy painter) named Kathy, who did like the sound of that album. BUT...
...I had been trying to sell her on how interesting LSD was. See, 1991 was roughly when I was first exploring psychedelics. I was pretty sure they were doing my brain and understanding of the world enormous good (maybe they were?!). They seemed like they had life-changing potential. And I wanted her to see how they really weren't that big a deal. We were actually IN HER CAR listening to the album above, ON THE WAY TO THAT VERY GIG, when I told her something like, "Look, I want you to see that acid is nothing to be afraid of. I've taken a tiny dose for tonight's show. You'll see... I won't act weirdly or anything! I just enjoy concerts a bit more if I'm psychedelicized..."
She would have none of it. She was raised in a pretty anti-drug environment (Mormon, in fact!), was convinced I was damaging my brain, and she actually PULLED OVER and decided that she didn't want to go to the gig anymore, if I was high, and -- driving me back to my parents' apartment, dropping me off -- also told me that she couldn't be my friend anymore. "But, but... I have no other way of seeing Thee Headcoats!"
So that's my story: one of my biggest missed-gig regrets! And apparently, according to Grant, in apportioning his scowls at the audience, there were only 35 people in attendance at that show.
So fuck you, Kathy! You cowardly, dorky square. There could have been 37 people at that show, INCLUDING ME!!! And I'd have seen Nation of Ulysses, too!!!
That was the last time before last night the Mummies played Vancouver. Last night's show was a bit better attended than that gig at the Cruel Elephant. I still haven't seen Billy Childish (someone bring him back?), but now I've seen the Mummies. They were pretty unhinged! My ears are still a bit sore.
I didn't get to chat much with Rob or Ben, mind you, but I've really come to enjoy Neptoon in recent years. It's now my second-most-frequented record store (I still hit Red Cat the most, but that's really just geography -- I'm usually coming from that end of town!). And Grant was spot-on in saying that it's terrific that Neptoon never judges you, even when you're buying a Taylor Swift album. (I've never actually bought a Taylor Swift album but that's good to note). Here's a photo Grant took for Rob and Ben with the Mummies!
Photo by Grant Lawrence
The only other thing to note, I am kinda glad the Mummies didn't do that nasty Sal Mineo song, because it's my favourite song of theirs! Which is to say, I ducked out after "Planet of the Apes," so I missed a few, but am happy to see that none of them were that one -- at least, it ain't on the setlist Rob Frith photographed in the hands of the Smugglers' Beez!
So thanks, Beez and Rob, for making it clear that I did NOT miss my favourite Mummies song last night (I bet they played it back in 1991 though).
Photo by Rob Frith
Note: people who like surprises should be at that Young Fresh Fellows gig. Just a word to the wise... I think Grant will be there, and they also have not played Vancouver in a real long time... more to come!!!
All photos UNLESS AS NOTED by me, of course (though Patrick Powers was there and has better ones, I'm sure).
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