Michael Cotten, director and coordinator of The Tubes Project, has done a superb job combining still photography and the soundboard recording of The Tubes May 8th, 1976, Buffalo, New York show from their “Young and Rich” Tour.
Listening to this concert, one hears classic elements of The Tubes show that will later be captured during their record breaking series of shows at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, UK, on ‘What Do You Want From Live‘.
Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
Setlist:
Young and Rich
Overture ’76
What Do You Want From Life?
Tubes World Tour
Pimp
Mondo Bondage
Don’t Touch Me There
Brighter Day
Poland Whole
Madam, I’m Adam
Gimme Dat Harp
Love Will Keep Us Together
Cathy and Fee Gee Perkins
Proud To Be An American
It’s Not Unusual
Third Stone From The Sun
Bill Spooner Intro
Waitin’ For My Man
Boy Crazy
Stand Up and Shout
White Punks on Dope
For me, the highlight of the Buffalo show comes after “Pimp” and before “Gimme Dat Harp”:
I suggest anyone who has never attended a 70s Tubes concert listen to the show in its entirety – along with viewing the still photography – it’s a valuable piece of rock and roll history.
I almost didn’t click the link.
I sure am glad I did, though!
Thanks Urbangraffito..and the Mighty Mike Cotten! I would personally advise anyone who loves Zappa and Beefheart to check out the Tubes on CD DVD and on their MySpace Channel, as soon as possible. Musically and visually amazing.
Thank you. I didn’t know The Tubes. Nice muzzik 🙂
Nice find, UrbanG. Thanks. I love Pairie Prince’s drumming!
I’ll never forget the sight of Fee Waybil swinging a real-live fully powered chainsaw (during the song Power Tools) over the heads of audience members at Radio City Music Hall in the early 80’s. Something I felt the Roxettes could of incorporated into their annual Christmas shows.
Wasn’t Jim Morrison arrested for exposing himself on stage during a Doors concert? Fee could have told Jim that when you pull out your tool on stage, make sure it has McCullough stamped on it! 🙂
[quote comment=”7458″]Nice find, UrbanG. Thanks. I love Prairie Prince’s drumming!
I’ll never forget the sight of Fee Waybil swinging a real-live fully powered chainsaw (during the song Power Tools) over the heads of audience members at Radio City Music Hall in the early 80’s. Something I felt the Roxettes could of incorporated into their annual Christmas shows.
Wasn’t Jim Morrison arrested for exposing himself on stage during a Doors concert? Fee could have told Jim that when you pull out your tool on stage, make sure it has McCullough stamped on it! :)[/quote]
By the time I saw The Tubes in 1981 they had already substantially toned down their elaborate quasi-pornographic shows, but the live Tubes experience was still there (as were the majority of the original band members, minus Re Styles). While Jim Morrison was arrested for exposing himself during a Doors concert, Fee’s alter ego “Quay Lewd” couldn’t have satirized Morrison any better – “a drunk, drugged out, barely coherent lead singer” and Quay Lewd’s costume, as I remember, barely kept Fee’s Hairy Balls contained at times. Absolutely fucking hilarious, even if Quay Lewd only appeared for the last song of the concert, the drug anthem, “White Punks On Dope”.
Frum Vinyl TV interviews Fee Waybill in this three part, July 25th, 2009, interview:
Part One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YOsKUaJzTg
Part Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi8UHGT2dAo
Part Three: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnDg2bc40cI
Everything you wanted to know about The Tubes but were afraid to ask…
[quote comment=”7460″]Absolutely fucking hilarious, even if Quay Lewd only appeared for the last song of the concert, the drug anthem, “White Punks On Dope”.
Frum Vinyl TV interviews Fee Waybill in this three part, July 25th, 2009, interview:
Everything you wanted to know about The Tubes but were afraid to ask…[/quote]
I caught Tubes twice back in the day and “White Punks …” was always a highlight (Now that was a fun audience chant . . . and don’t forget to raise your fist in the air as well!). Their stage productions were quite elaborate for a rock show. I’m sure even Alice Cooper was impressed.
Excellent chat with Fee above. Our big handed man is looking pretty good for his age (what? maybe 60?).
UrbanG, does it help any to know that one of your favorite bands won’t tour your country because of their disdain for Canadian promoters not Canadians in general?
[quote comment=”7472″]
UrbanG, does it help any to know that one of your favorite bands won’t tour your country because of their disdain for Canadian promoters not Canadians in general?[/quote]
I have to say that there certainly is some truth to Fee Waybill’s accusations regarding Canadian Concert promoters (they are, and were, a very shady lot). One just has to look at the acts currently touring Canada to get an idea. Top 40. Billboard stuff. The acts also have to be capable of drawing big crowds in cities quite far apart. Bands like The Tubes in the late 70s and early 80s were often part of multi-act “Rock Circuses” as the promoters called them, playing before open air stadiums of 65,000 or more. Those concerts are long gone now in Canada, and individual acts cannot afford large Canadian tours otherwise.
So when small tours of groups like ZPZ and the Grande Mothers Re:Invented pass through, I jump for the opportunity to see them live. Otherwise, my live music fix comes from great local bands (which no doubt explains my affinity for Tribute Bands).
I feel your pain, UrbanG. Even in NYC, I see a growing trend of my favorite bands skipping the “Big Apple”. I travelled to New Jersey to see Project/Object and Dweezil and the band did a pass here for the festival part of the tour and the no word on them coming here for the fall. No Halloween show?! Maybe I’ll just dress up like Frank this year and go Trick or Treating with the kiddies.
I think Top 40 bands are taking over our venues here as well. Alternative music is apparently too risky in this cloudy economic climate.
Getting back to the Fee Waybill interview, Fee seemed convinced that if the band stuck with producer David Foster they would’ve been as popular as Journey (1 of my wife’s favorite bands. Ugh!) I find this theory very possible. It’s also possible that if Tubes had made it big, Waybill would be currently replaced by a Phillipino Tubes tribute singer! 🙂
Hugh, you’re in NYC? I just moved here a month ago, we ought to grab dinner sometime.
[quote comment=”7487″]Fee seemed convinced that if the band stuck with producer David Foster they would’ve been as popular as Journey (1 of my wife’s favorite bands. Ugh!) I find this theory very possible. It’s also possible that if Tubes had made it big, Waybill would be currently replaced by a Phillipino Tubes tribute singer! :)[/quote]
Fee does have something there (though I love the Todd Rundgren produced ‘Remote Control’ to anything David Foster ever did). If The Tubes would have stayed with David Foster any longer, yes, they would have been as popular as Journey and REO Speedwagon, but they wouldn’t be the same band. That’s why I always refer to David Foster as the Devil of the music business. Bands lose their souls whenever they work with him. As Fee said about Foster, “It’s all about making the best album possible…” He really doesn’t care about the band dynamic. Should I be proud that he’s a fellow Canadian that’s made it big in the US, or frown that he nearly destroyed one of the best bands in rock ‘n roll? Personally, compared to the Foster produced albums, those early albums sound pretty damn good (they may be sloppy in spots, but they have heart – something Foster’s slick production lacks in spades).
[quote comment=”7490″]Hugh, you’re in NYC? I just moved here a month ago, we ought to grab dinner sometime.[/quote]
Uh oh…
I’m afraid Paranoid Bob is right, Alex. Now that you’re a New Yorker, try to refrain from asking strange men out to dinner.
How about the next time the Tubes play BB King’s in Times Square, we’ll toast the Tubes from the bar with a pint of Brooklyn Lager and be glad they didn’t turn into REO Speedwagon!
Hey Bob, that doesn’t sound too gay does it?
[quote comment=”7492″]but they wouldn’t be the same band. That’s why I always refer to David Foster as the Devil of the music business. Bands lose their souls whenever they work with him.[/quote]
Those early albums you mention w/o Foster are the Tubes at there creative peak. Remote Control is the disc that first got me.
Can a band go from cult to pop status after their peak? Fee & the Boys get the green and we get the poop, I mean pop. Sorry, Fee the band decided with their hearts not their wallets when they skipped on Foster and went back to Rundgren for “Love Bomb”. An album I have & love.
Fee does redeem himself from his capitalist dream at the end of the interview by saying he’s happy with his status and still loves to perform after all these years. But a man/wo-man can still dream of financal independence, right?
REO was gay?
[quote comment=”7503″]REO was gay?[/quote]
No, just the Seedwagon.
[quote comment=”7496″][quote comment=”7490″]Hugh, you’re in NYC? I just moved here a month ago, we ought to grab dinner sometime.[/quote]
Uh oh…[/quote]
You know what, Bob? Your antagonism has officially put me off of commenting on this site. Thanks.
[quote comment=”7504″]No, just the Seedwagon.[/quote]
yet, they were all able to live happily together, weren’t they?
[quote comment=”7506″][quote comment=”7496″][quote comment=”7490″]Hugh, you’re in NYC? I just moved here a month ago, we ought to grab dinner sometime.[/quote]
Uh oh…[/quote]
You know what, Bob? Your antagonism has officially put me off of commenting on this site. Thanks.[/quote]
Alex, just ignore those people who have nothing constructive to add to the conversation (or the topic at hand, or the thread). This is your community, not theirs. Once they realize that their childish, inane, antagonisms won’t get a rise from anyone, they’ll return from whence they came (or, my goodness, make intelligent commentary!).
[quote comment=”7500″][quote comment=”7492″]but they wouldn’t be the same band. That’s why I always refer to David Foster as the Devil of the music business. Bands lose their souls whenever they work with him.[/quote]
Those early albums you mention w/o Foster are the Tubes at there creative peak. Remote Control is the disc that first got me.
Can a band go from cult to pop status after their peak? Fee & the Boys get the green and we get the poop, I mean pop. Sorry, Fee the band decided with their hearts not their wallets when they skipped on Foster and went back to Rundgren for “Love Bomb”. An album I have & love.
Fee does redeem himself from his capitalist dream at the end of the interview by saying he’s happy with his status and still loves to perform after all these years. But a man/wo-man can still dream of financal independence, right?[/quote]
They should make a new album with Todd Rundgren. His last album ‘Arena’ was cool and his recent production work on the New York Dolls was good too.
[quote comment=”7513″][quote comment=”7506″][quote comment=”7496″][quote comment=”7490″]Hugh, you’re in NYC? I just moved here a month ago, we ought to grab dinner sometime.[/quote]
Uh oh…[/quote]
You know what, Bob? Your antagonism has officially put me off of commenting on this site. Thanks.[/quote]
Alex, just ignore those people who have nothing constructive to add to the conversation (or the topic at hand, or the thread). This is your community, not theirs.[quote comment=”7513″][quote comment=”7506″][quote comment=”7496″][quote comment=”7490″]Hugh, you’re in NYC? I just moved here a month ago, we ought to grab dinner sometime.[/quote]
Uh oh…[/quote]
You know what, Bob? Your antagonism has officially put me off of commenting on this site. Thanks.[/quote]
Alex, just ignore those people who have nothing constructive to add to the conversation (or the topic at hand, or the thread). This is your community, not theirs. Once they realize that their childish, inane, antagonisms won’t get a rise from anyone, they’ll return from whence they came (or, my goodness, make intelligent commentary!).[/quote]
turn from whence they came (or, my goodness, make intelligent commentary!).[/quote]
Thanks urbangraffito, you’re a pal!
Just got their ‘Dawn Of The Tubes’ album. I almost didn’t find it ’cause it was in the ‘Punk’ section of the record store! It’s a collection of demos and live recordings from before their debut album. I’ve been searching for it for 9 years! I hope the Tubes documentary gets released soon.
Congrats, Jamez. ‘Dawn of the Tubes’ is a difficult CD to find a hard copy of at best of times. Many of the demos and live recordings are released here for the first time ever. Songs like “Whiz Quiz”, “Baby Your Face Is Mutated”, “Wonderbread Bodies”, “Lunch Face” and “The Hip Dip” were only available via bootlegs (difficult to find already).
I’ve been following Michael Cotten’s work on the Tubes documentary. So much footage. What does one keep in and cut out?
I[quote comment=”7627″]Congrats, Jamez. ‘Dawn of the Tubes’ is a difficult CD to find a hard copy of at best of times. Many of the demos and live recordings are released here for the first time ever. Songs like “Whiz Quiz”, “Baby Your Face Is Mutated”, “Wonderbread Bodies”, “Lunch Face” and “The Hip Dip” were only available via bootlegs (difficult to find already).
I’ve been following Michael Cotten’s work on the Tubes documentary. So much footage. What does one keep in and cut out?[/quote]
I’ve been listening to that C.D. all weekend and must say that it’s EXCELLENT! Songs like ‘Whiz Quiz’ (Demo from Wally Heider Studios circa ’73), ‘Lunch Face’ (Live from an early ’74 concert) and ‘The Hip Dip’ now rate alongside my fave Tubes songs such as ‘Haloes’, ‘I Want It All Now’, ‘Poland Whole/’Madam I’m Adam’, ‘I Don’t Wanna Wait Anymore’, ‘What Do You Want From Life’ and many, many more..In fact ‘Whiz Quiz’ seems like a precursor to ‘What Do You Want From Life’ (“Take a week in Las Vegas and have a big party, does anybody want it? I’ll tell you the answer…we’ll split up the prizes..etc”).
Michael Cotten should keep the ‘Foster years’ footage to a mininum..and have as much Re Styles footage as possible!
Appears as if Amazon still has a few copies of Dawn Of The Tubes
(Dawn Of The Tubes)