Live Music On German TV

In the mid 90's Jarvis Cocker appeared with his band Pulp on the scene. Headdress, greasy hair, no modeling fretting, unbelievable dance style and yet - Jarvis Cocker was and is a sex symbol. Women, whom he did not even dare to look at in his entire youth, worship the man idolatly since he is in the spotlight with Pulp. With Different Class they released their masterpiece and Common People went to the top of the charts. Still a song that explores more than a bit of hip culture like Dead Kennedys did in Holidays In Cambodia.  But in the best days Cocker wrote songs that was nearly close to songs Ray Davis wrote decades ago. Songs that described live and situation in England at these days. I remember when I saw this footage for the first time and I really liked what I saw and heard. A few week later I saw them live and Pulp were at the top of their days and after 26 years you can listen to them with big joy.

 

Live Music On German TV

 

Another post in a long living series of live music in German Television. Back then in the early 80's the airplay in radio stations for modern music for young people were a desert. I can remember when we were lucky that local radio station played rock music for just one or two hours each day. Me and my friends switched to AFN, the local radio station for American soldiers close to my town. It got better in the beginnings of the 80's when also local TV stations made formats for young people. Beside Beat-Club which were featured at this place for several times, Bavarian TV produced a format for twens where political and social themes were discussed by young people. I remember the first discussions about HIV and new right wing fascists in Germany that impressed me much and built the tenor of the thoughts and meanings I have right now. It was usual that after the discussions a band played a short live concert that was featured on TV. Searching for clips from Live From Alabama, an old concert hall in Munich, I found a lot of live performances that are worth to be featured now and during the next weeks. One of those was a concert by Everything But The Girl from May 1985 and it shows the abilities of Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt playing songs from their first albums. They were great at this time and never lost anything of their attraction during the last decades. A footage that is superb for me.

Live Music In German TV

Back in 1985 some British musicians brought Irish music into punk and New Wave. One of the first one's were The Pogues that gave us Germans the sound of new Irish based music. Before we knew this traditional music by The Dubliners played in traditional style. But Shane MacGowan gave us all a new view how folk-punk could work. Me and my oldest brother had at all times a hidden grade to Irish music and so we went to their gig in a club in Stuttgart that is now closed for a few decades. We were both amazed about the physical presence and the fun the band had playing the gig. It was on the tour they promoted their first record and we saw them a few times after. Later they wrote better songs but the first time we saw them was incredible. Never saw them playing with such a verve and enthusiasm. This live document is from this tour and was recorded in Munich in a smaller club by Bavarian TV which had a very good choice in music in these days.