Saturday Clubs

 

In the early 1980s, clubs were still called discotheques. It was only later that the term “club” became established here too. One of these clubs was the Oz in the center of Stuttgart. The Oz was more of a meeting place than a dance temple for goths and wavers. It was a relatively small space for about 250 visitors, most of whom were dressed in black, wore Doc Martens, and had heavy kohl eyeliner. It was a meeting place for the subculture, and we often went there because there were few venues that played Siouxie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, or Joy Division.

I also witnessed King Kurt throwing eggs and flour sacks on and off the stage and Anne Clark performing her poetry to electro dark wave for the first time. I didn't get to hear a new, unknown electronic band because the hall was completely overcrowded. So I had to listen to Depeche Mode with many others on the stairs leading to the event room.

One highlight was definitely Big Country's performance when they were promoting their debut album, The Crossing. It was a wonderful concert where I met a colleague who took me backstage, and I had the opportunity to exchange a few words with Stuart Adamson and the band.

In the nineties, the club underwent a transformation and dark wave was replaced by techno. I went there a few more times and the music was okay, but I wasn't ready for that sound yet.

Destination Zululand

 

At the beginning of the 80s, there was a very lively live scene in southern Germany. Almost every week there were concerts in various clubs by new, unknown bands that were still affordable. Dynamic pricing had not yet been invented and I was lucky enough to see many young bands. 

It was in spring 1984 when me and a friend went to see the next new and weird thing from England. King Kurt brought rockabilly back into music and they were famous for their excessive live appearance. We were not really sure what we expected but afterwards we were happy have seeing them live. As announced, we experienced a band that delivered a wild concert. Driving beats, classic guitars and a singer who danced wildly on stage. To top it all off, they threw wallpaper paste, eggs and flour around. 

Certainly not the best concert we have attended, but one of the most fun we have had.

When I was in London for the first time two years earlier, I experienced a similar concert in a small club. Tenpole Tudor were the band of the moment and in the charts with their first two singles. For a punk band, they played amazingly good riffs and had a feeling for melodies and a lot of fun on stage.

What Happened To Pub Rock # 7

If we talk about pub rock and I have recently written about Nick Lowe, the name Dave Edmunds cannot be remained unmentioned. Dave Edmunds is a Welsh guitarist, singer and producer. Although he was named with pub rock and New Wave his natural leaning has always been leaning to 50s style an rock and roll. He's became known in the late 60s with his band Love Sculpture as he scored a hit by a cover from Khachaturian's Sabre Dance as a high speed-crazed rock number. He was always torn backwards and I know him as a type that was born 30 years too late. His next project was to make an album that would have a Phil Spector-sound. Subtle as a Flying Mallet could be a record that was produced by Phil Spector. Most of the instruments were played by Dave Edmunds and it is still a superb record. After this record he became linked with the pub rock movement in the early 1970s, producing Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe and The Flamin' Groovies. One of his trademarks was using a stripped down, grittier sound mostly reduced to a leading guitar. In this time he started his collaboration with Nick Lowe and their band Rockpile. Until the 1980s they couldn't act as a band because they signed to different companies. Also the line-up on their solo records were nearly the same over the years. Dave Edmunds had several hits through the 1980s covering songs from Elvis Costello, Graham Parker and Nick Lowe. In the 1980s he produced acts carrying his musical influences into today like King Kurt and The Stray Cats.

Dave Edmunds - Born To Be With You
Dave Edmunds - Crawling From The Wreckage
Dave Edmunds - Get Out Of Denver
Dave Edmunds - Trouble Boys

Twanging Tuesday # 2

Back in the summer of 1984 the hottest thing form Great Britain was King Kurt. A band that played a combination of psychobilly and classical rock - suitable for lots of folks. Released on Stiff records and produced by Dave Edmunds, their single 'Destination Zululand' was in this year the common sense of a lot of folks I knew.