Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Flip City (pre-Elvis Costello band) - Demos 1974-1975

Flip City
(Elvis Costello's early pre-fame band)
Demos & Unreleased Recordings 1974-1975

Studio soundboard recordings, very good quality
mp3 @ 192 kbps

OK, I had to include this one last Pub Rock entry, to follow-up on the Flip City post from last week. As already explained, Flip City was Elvis' early pre-Costello band that played on the pub rock circuit. Although they never had any records officially released, they did make it into a recording studio on three separate occasions, which are documented here. So, here we have their only recorded output, which includes several MacManus originals (both early versions of songs that would later be recorded by Elvis and songs that would never be released in any form) and fascinating covers (such as 'Knockin On Heaven's Door', 'Third Rate Romance', 'You Win Again'). Thus, this is a unique treasure trove for all Elvis fans, with a compelling look at his early works and songwriting, all in very good audio quality (unlike the previous live recording with only so-so audio quality). Incidentally, this recording of 'Third Rate Romance' was planned to be released as Flip City's first single, but unfortunately, it never happened, and by the end of 1975, Flip City called it quits. Of course, thankfully, that also allowed Declan to later be re-discovered and re-born as Elvis Costello. 

Tracklist: (All songs written by Declan P. MacManus, except where indicated)
BBC's Maida Vale Studios, 1974
1. Exile's Road
2. Baseball Heroes (later became, via about three re-writes, 'Miracle Man')
3. Radio Soul (later became 'Radio Radio')
Hope and Anchor Pub, Attic Studio, Islington, early 1975
4. Imagination (is a powerful deceiver) (early version of what would later become 'Alison')
5. Pay it Back
6. Radio Soul (version 2)
Hope and Anchor Pub, Attic Studio, Islington, 1975
7. Third Rate Romance (Russell Smith)
8. Knockin' on Heaven's' Door (Bob Dylan)
9. Packin' Up (Chris Kenner)
10. Please Mister, Don't Stop the Band
11. Exile's Road
12. Wreck on the Slide
13. On the Road (Steve Hazlehurst)
14. You Win Again (Hank Williams)
15. Sweet Revival

Flip City:
Declan P. MacManus - guitar, lead vocals
Mich Kent - bass, vocals
Steve Hazelhurst - guitar, vocals, keyboards, sax
Malcolm Dennis - drums (early session only)
Ian Powling - drums (last sessions)
Dickie Faulkner - percussion, vocals (last sessions)
 

Link updated 6/8/23
Elvis Costello_Flip City demos 1974-75.rar

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Flip City - 1975-11-30 - The Red Cow, London, UK

Flip City
(Featuring Declan P. MacManus)
November 30, 1975
The Red Cow, London, UK
 

Audience recording, fair quality
mp3 @ 192 kbps

To wrap up this look at '70's Pub rock bands, here's a band that played the London pub-rock circuit around 1974-75, but was not very well-known even within that scene and never quite made it. Formed in 1974 by Mich Kent, Malcolm Dennis, and Declan MacManus after meeting at Brinsley Schwarz shows and discovering their mutual admiration for all things Brinsley, they formed their own band to play similar styled music, but only achieved modest success in obtaining pub circuit gigs, and very little success in making any money at it, and thus disbanded by the end of 1975. However, they featured a young singer/songwriter/guitarist, Declan MacManus, who would soon go solo, change his name, sign a record deal, and make quite a splash as an emerging 'new wave' artist, and then continue to grow, develop, and mature into one of the great icons of rock over the next 40 years. That, of course was none other than Elvis Costello. This early band gave Declan (aka Elvis) a chance to try out some of his own compositions amidst the more standard pub rock fare, as well as begin to develop his own distinctive style. But by the end of 1975, Declan had recently gotten married, and soon had both a wife and baby to take care of, and the band was just not cutting it, so Declan had to pull the plug and try something else. He continued to do occasional solo shows (sometimes under the name D.P. Costello), but had to take a 'regular' job as a computer operator to pay the bills while he shopped his demo tape around. Of course, eventually (by late 1976), his tape made it to Stiff records where it was heard by Nick Lowe (of Brinsley Schwarz fame, now a producer at Stiff), and the rest, as they say, is history, as Nick produced the first several of Elvis' albums, and Elvis became a legend (sort of, eventually). The show we have here is one of the very last performances by Flip City before they called it quits (by most accounts this was the next to last performance, with the last performance coming the following week at Ewell Tech supporting the Climax Blues Band). This was the last show of a series of gigs at The Red Cow. By this time, they had become pretty accomplished as a band, and play a very fine set here. Declan already had early versions of several songs that would go on to be very successful in his solo career ('Miracle Man', 'Pay It Back', 'Radio Soul'- which would become 'Radio Radio', 'Imagination', etc.). Interestingly, in his recent live shows (most notably his 2013 solo acoustic shows), Elvis has gone back to performing this original 'Radio Soul' version rather than the more familiar 'Radio Radio'. Although this audience recording is certainly not very high quality, it really is not that bad either, very listenable, and certainly worth hearing.

Tracklist:
01. Don't Lie To Me
02. Sweet Revival
03. You Win Again
04. Before I Grow Too Old
05. Bring It On Home To Me
06. Another Saturday Night
07. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train To Cry
08. Radio Soul
09. I Love The Life I Live
10. Third Rate Romance
11. Gone Dead Train
12. Pay It Back
13. One More Heartache
14. Imagination is a Powerful Deceiver
15. On The Road
16. Flatfoot Hotel
17. Miracle Man

Flip City was:
Declan P. MacManus - guitar/vocals,
Mich Kent - bass
Ian Powling - drums
Steve Hazelhurst - guitar
Dickie Faulkner - percussion
Guest: Malcolm Dennis - drums on Gone Dead Train (was original drummer for group)

Flip City_1975-11-30_Red Cow.rar
Link updated 06/8/23


Sunday, May 18, 2014

Eddie & The Hot Rods - 1977-01-14 - Paris

Eddie and The Hot Rods
January 14, 1977
Le Bataclans, Paris, France

Audience recording, good quality (From The Moose Track Collection)
Mp3 @ 224 kbps


Continuing with more Pub Rock , here's some more from Eddie & The Hot Rods, this one a full-length set from early in 1977, which was after their first album, but before their second album, and thus features more of their regular 'pub rock' material, including several rock classics of old ('96 Tears', 'Wooly Bully', 'Dizzy Miss Lizzy', 'Gloria') and relatively new (the Who's' Kids are Alright', Seger's 'Get Out of Denver', and CCR's 'It Came Out of the Sky'), as well as original songs from their first album.

Tracklist
1. Get Across To You
2. 96 Tears
3. Keep On Keeping on
4. All I Need Is Money
5. Show Me
6. Woolly Bully / Horseplay
7. Why Can't It Be
8. Teenage Depression
9  The Kids Are Alright
10. It's Been So Long
11. Hard Driving Man
12. Double Checking Woman
13. Dizzy Miss Lizzy
14. On The Run
15. audience
16. Get Out Of Denver
17. Gloria
18. It Came Out Of The Sky
 

Link updated 11/8/21
Eddie & TheHotRods_1977-01-14_Paris.rar

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Eddie & the Hot Rods - 1977-11-19 - Passaic, NJ

Eddie and The Hot Rods
1977-11-19
Capitol Theater, Passaic NJ

Audience recording, good quality
mp3 @ 192 kbps

Here's Eddie & the Hot Rods, one of the later, more aggressive, harder-edged Pub Rock bands, during their first US tour, in which they opened a show that was billed as "New Wave In New Jersey" that featured The Talking Heads and The Ramones. This was after they achieved some success with their 1977 single 'Do Anything You Want To Do' reaching the top ten in the UK, and was in support of their second album, Life on The Line. Here, you can hear the move toward a more punkish sound and style, yet their pub rock roots also remain prominent.  
The band started in 1975 (from Canvey Island, just like Dr. Feelgood), and worked their way up from the pubs to semi-stardom in 1977, but just never quite caught on in the US, and although they continued to try for several years after, this was as famous as they would get as they never again achieved the level of success they had here in 1977, but they could definitely rock it. So, by this time, Pub Rock was pretty much over as a musical scene and movement. But the music lives on.

Tracklist:
01. Teenage Depression
02. The Kids Are Alright
03. Telephone Girl
04. Life On The Line
05. Quit This Town
06. I Might Be Lying
07. Why Can't It Be
08. Do Anything You Want To Do
09. Ignore Them
10. Beginning Of The End
11. Get Out Of Denver

Barrie Masters - Vocals
Graeme Douglas - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Dave Higgs - Guitar, backing vocals
Paul Gray - Bass, Backing Vocals
Steve Nicol - Drums, Backing Vocals
 

Link updated 11/8/21
Eddie & The Hot Rods - 1977-11-19 - Passaic NJ

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Pub Rock - Explained

Pub Rock Primer

As we have been exploring aspects of the '70's music scene that was known as Pub Rock, it occurred to me that I never properly introduced just what the British Pub Rock movement was, and what it was all about. So, here is a brief introduction. But first, a bit of background. By the early Seventies, rock music and rock bands had pretty much been removed (priced themselves?) out of the pubs and clubs where they had had really gotten going in the sixties. Rock bands moved to bigger stages, bigger venues, and bigger spectacles. Complex progressive rock, glam rock, and heavy metal extravaganzas were the rage, as well as increasingly slick, sophisticated, and highly polished (overproduced?) recordings. Along with all that, rock music and musicians had begun to take themselves and their music quite seriously, very seriously, indeed. Pub Rock was a backlash against all of that, a return to the smaller, greasy bars and clubs, and a return to basic, good old rock 'n roll and R&B music, and perhaps just as importantly, having fun and a 'good time', both when playing and listening to the music. So, to me, that's what Pub Rock was all about. Basically, this 'movement' occurred from 1971-1976, and was restricted, for the most part, to the Greater London, and Essex area, although the impact resonated much further. In many ways then, this was a 'back to basics' movement, and a return to the good time energy and fun that had been missing in recent years. Pub rock is also considered to be the catalyst for, and lead directly into, the UK punk rock scene. Now, I am certainly no expert on Pub Rock, as I was in the US and missed out on the whole thing at the time, other than those that later went on to greatness beyond the pubs (Rockpile, GP & The Rumour, etc.), but I am a fan, and have been interested in the whole phenomena. Thus, this is my own interpretation of the Pub Rock scene, as best as I have been able to put together. So, although this was an entirely British scene, ironically, it was an American country-rock band, Eggs Over Easy, that is credited with getting the whole thing started.

As the story goes, Eggs Over Easy came to London to record an album (at Olympic Studios) in late 1970, but after they arrived and began their sessions, their financial backing for the album fell through, and so while they scrambled to get a new deal to finish their sessions, they were searching for regular gigs around London. The breakthrough came in May 1971 when they were able to convince the Tally Ho Pub in Kentish Town, North London, to break their 'Jazz Only' music policy and give them a shot at playing Monday nights (usually an off-night). They quickly gained a strong following, not only with music fans, but among other bands as well, featuring their signature  blend of laid-back country-rock and straight-ahead, driving rock & roll that became the the template for the entire movement. They were a big influence on many emerging London bands. Among their biggest fans were Nick Lowe and Brinsley Schwarz, who marveled at their repertoire of over a hundred songs, and incorporated aspects of their style into their own band, adding a more overtly country sound to their songs, and more old-time R'nR. Shortly thereafter, other area pubs (like The Cock, Hope and Anchor, The Red Lion, The Nashville, and many more) began booking local bands (such as Bees Make Honey, Max Merritt & the Meteors, and of course, Brinsley Schwarz) playing similar styled music, which eventually picked up the label 'Pub Rock'. Although the movement was gaining momentum and popularity, Eggs Over Easy's tenure on the scene was quite short. As their work permits were expiring, they played their last Tally Ho show in November, 1971, then head back to the US, still without a record deal (They did eventually sign with A&M, and released their only album, Good and Cheap, in 1972, before breaking up shortly after - although the album didn't sell at all at the time, it is now considered a classic among pub rock fans). But the Pub Rock movement itself continued to grow and gain momentum around London, with more venues, more bands, and more fans joining in, and as the trend grew bigger, the music itself began to broaden somewhat, with three main styles (or sub-genres) of rock being the most prominenet: In addition to the country-rock first established (and continued by bands such as Brinsley Schwarz, Kursaal Flyers, Byzantium, Chilli Willi & the Red Hot Peppers), there was the more hard-nosed R&B revivalism (bands such as Dr. Feelgood, Kilburn & The Highroads, Ace, Ducks Deluxe, The Winkies, Roogalator, Michigan Flyers), and a type of uptempo funk-rock and soul (Kokomo, Clancy, FBI, Moon, Cado Belle, G.T. Moore & His Reggae Guitars, Palm Beach Express).



At the very peak of popularity (1973-1975), it seemed nearly every large pub in London, was supplying live 'pub rock', and the straight-forward, unpretentious, good-time music and atmosphere was a welcome relief to a music scene that had begun to take itself far too seriously, and fans responded. Leading the movement by that time was the more raucous style and energy of Dr. Feelgood. As the movement progressed through 1975, and influenced by the style and attitiude of Dr. Feelgood, more of the bands took on a harder edge and more aggressive style, re-interpreting late fifties, early sixties rock classics (with bands such as Eddie & The Hot Rods, The 101ers, and The Count Bishops), and became more popular than ever. For the most part, pub rock bands disdained any form of flash or glitz, preferring a deliberately dirty and gritty look, and featuring straight-forward rock and R&B music. Unfortunately, the music people wanted to hear in the pubs was not necessarily the music they would buy at the music store, as few Pub Rock bands were able to make the transition from popular pub band to successful concert performers or recording artists, even though record companies at the time were eager to sign them. Out of all the pub rock bands playing at that time, only one big 'hit' single resulted, Ace's 'How Long', and that was the only thing they were ever known for. Of course, Dr. Feelgood, was also able to break through (at least in UK) with their live album, Stupidity, going to #1 in 1976. Thus, Pub Rock bands quickly came and went, forming and re-forming into new and different bands trying to make a go of it. Thus, few of the bands ever went very far, although many individuals within those bands would find success later in other bands. Of course we know about the boys from Brinsley Schwarz, Nick Lowe going to Rockpile and solo fame, Brinsley and Bob Andrews joining ex-Ducks Deluxe guitarist Martin Belmont and becoming The Rumour, and other Ex-Ducks moving to other bands (Tyla Gang, the Motors, etc). There was also Ian Dury finding success after leaving Kilburn & he Highroads, Graeme Douglas leaving Kursaal Flyers for the harder-edged Eddie & The Hot Rods and Will Birch (also Kursaal Flyers) later forming The Records, and Joe Strummer leaving his 101ers for The Clash. And then there was a band called Flip City, which was obscure even in Pub Rock circles, that featured a fellow who became known as Elvis Costello, and did pretty well for himself. As quickly as bands like the Brinsleys and Ducks DeLuxe folded, they were replaced by younger and more aggressive bands. By around 1976, an even more aggressive style of rock was emerging in the pubs, which became known as punk rock, lead by the Sex Pistols, and as punk became popular through 1976 and 1977, it completely overshadowed and overtook Pub Rock, as Pub Rock just seemed so tame in comparison to the full-on assault of punk. Thus, the punk explosion marked the end of the Pub Rock movement, and many of the pubs and clubs now featured punk music. As already noted, many pub rockers made the transition to punk or new wave to continue on, or move up into concert halls (like Rockpile, The Rumour), a few were able to continue on with what they were doing (like Dr. Feelgood), but most faded away, and Pub Rock as a movement was pretty much dead by 1977. And although punk rock evolved from pub rock to some degree, there were many notable differences (other than the shear intensity and decibel level). Whereas Pub Rock always respected and embraced the old style rock 'n Roll and R & B music (Chuck Berry, early Stones, etc), punk rock basically rejected everything that came before it, including Pub Rock. And one of the main points of pub rock was to not take itself too seriously, and to always have fun, whereas fun or 'good times' are not something you would associate with punk. Ironically, it was Stiff Records, which was formed from a £400 loan from Dr.Feelgood’s vocalist Lee Brilleaux, that went on to become prominent in the punk and new wave movements, releasing the first British punk single—The Damned’s "New Rose". Stiff Records' early clientele consisted of a mix of pub rockers and punk rock acts for which they became known.

(The previous text represents my own interpretation of Pub Rock based on the information I was able to cobble together from various other internet sources, such as Wikipedia, Punk77, All Music Guide, and individual artist and band websites) - BBKron
Note:
Here are a couple of good compilations of Pub Rock bands and music (although they are somewhat difficult to find these days). 
Naughty Rhythms: The Best of Pub Rock (1996 - EMI Premier) 2-CD - Good intro to Pub Rock, featuring several songs each from some of the most well-known and popular pub rock acts. 
Goodbye Nashville, Hello Camden Town: a Pub Rock Anthology (2007 - Castle Music) 2-CD - Delves a little deeper into pub rock music, featuring many more different artists, including many less well-known artists and songs.

Here are some of the individual albums released by some of the Pub Rock bands mentioned here (just those that have not already been featured in previous Pub Rock posts). Unfortunately, most of these are out of print, but some have been re-released on CD (and many can be found around the web if you look hard enough).

Eggs Over Easy - Good 'n Cheap (A&M), 1972

Bees Make Honey - Music Every Night (EMI), 1972

Chilli Willi & The Red Hot Peppers - Kings of the Robot Rhythm, 1972; Bongos Over Balham, 1974

Kursaal Flyers - Chocs Away (UK),  1975; The Great Artiste (UK), 1975; The Golden Mile (CBS), 1976; Five Live Kursaals, 1977.

Starry Eyed and Laughing - Starry Eyed and Laughing (CBS), 1974; Thought Talk (CBS), 1975.

Kokomo - Kokomo (Columbia), 1975; Rise and Shine (Columbia), 1976.

Clancy - Seriously Speaking (WB), 1975; Everyday (WB) - 1976

F.B.I. - F.B.I. (RCA), 1976

Cado Belle - Cado Belle (Anchor), 1976; The Cado Belle EP, 1977

Ace - Five-A-Side (Anchor), 1974; Time For Another (Anchor), 1975; No Strings, 1977.

Kilburn & the Highroads - Handsome (Pye), 1975

The Winkies - The Winkies (Chrysalis), 1975

Roogalator - Play It By Ear, 1977.

The Count Bishops - Speedball (EP) (Chiswick), 1975; The Count Bishops, 1977.

Eddie & The Hot Rods - Teenage Depression (Island), 1975; Life on the Line (Island), 1977.

The Pirates - Out of Their Skulls, 1977

Update: Some of these albums from classic Pub Rock bands can now be found (for a limited time) through Willard's Wormholes (see sidebar links). Go to the Reader's Links section and search for Pub Rock Pioneers. 

Thursday, May 8, 2014

The 101ers (featuring Joe Strummer) - 1975-12-12 - Derby, UK

The 101ers
(Featuring Joe Strummer)
1975-12-12
Cleopatra's, Derby, UK

Audience recording, good quality
Mp3 @ 320 kbps

The 101ers were a short-lived pub rock band, known now primarily because it featured Joe Strummer as vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. Formed in London in May 1974, they played a mix of up-tempo rock classics, R & B, and some orginals, and were prominent briefly in the pub rock scene.
The group was named after the address where they lived together: 101 Walterton Road, Maida Vale. But then on April 3, 1976, the opening act for the 101ers at The Nashville Room, was a new band called The Sex Pistols, and when Strummer heard them he 'saw the light' and then knew he needed to be part of the developing punk scene. As he stated years later, "5 seconds into their (the Pistols') first song, I knew we were like yesterday's paper, we were over." Joe left the 101ers and joined a new punk band with Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Keith Levenes, which became known as The Clash. They played their first gig, as opening act for The Sex Pistols, on July 4, 1976, just a little over a month after first getting together. Thus, by the time the 'debut single'for the 101ers was released, the Joe Strummer-penned 'Keys To Your Heart', Strummer was already in The Clash and the band was no more. The 101ers' recorded output was initially limited to that one single. However, by 1981, interest in The Clash was at its height and a second single and a compilation album Elgin Avenue Breakdown was released. The Clash have played 'Keys to Your Heart' at some live shows. Joe Strummer on his former band - "I know the 101ers were good. In fact, as far as sound and excitement went we were much better than Eddie and the Hot Rods." 
Here we have a full-length show from the 101ers, from Cleopatra's, a nightclub in Derby, in December, 1975. Note that their set is full of old-time Rock 'n Roll standards & classics (Bonie Maronie, Heartbreak Hotel, Be Bop a Lula, Who Do Ya Love, Gloria, etc), including numerous Chuck Berry covers (Johnny Be Goode, Oh Carol, Monkey Business, Roll Over Beethoven), some Stones (Out of Time) and even two Beatles tracks (I'm Down, I Saw Her Standing There). There also are a handful of original Strummer-penned songs (indicated in tracklist). So, here's your chance to hear Joe Strummer doing straight-up Rock 'n Roll, before his punkish epiphany, in the 101ers.  


Tracklist:
1. Bonie Moronie
2. Letsagetabitarockin (Strummer)
3. Shake Your Hips
4. Hoy Hoy
5. Heartbreak Hotel
6. Choo Choo Ch'Boogie
7. Smokey Joe's Cafe
8. Johnny Be Goode
9. Oh Carol
10. Out Of Time
11. I'm Down
12. Route 66
13. Who Do Ya Love
14. Silent Telephone (Strummer)
15. Monkey Businesss
16. Junco Partner
17. Be Bop A Lula
18. Steamgauge 99 (Strummer)
19. Hideaway (Strummer)
20. I Saw Her Standing There
21. Slippin and Slidin
22. Willie And The Hand Jive
23. Sweety of the St. Moritz (Strummer)
24. Motor Boys Motor (Strummer)
25. Roll Over Beethoven
26. Gloria (full length)

This is essentially Disc 2 from a bootleg known as 'Smokey Joe's Cafe' (Redline, Italy), containing this show from Cleopatra's (except that here I have replaced the edited version of Gloria originally included - for time constraints so show would fit on single CD - with the full length version). Disc 1 of this compilation consisted of various demos and outtakes.

John "Woody" Mellor aka Joe Strummer – Guitar, vocals
Clive Timperley – Guitar, vocals
Dan Kelleher – Bass, guitar, vocals
Richard Dudanski – Drums
Tymon Dogg – Fiddle, vocals

Link updated 11/8/21
The 101ers_1975-12-12_Derby.rar


Thursday, May 1, 2014

Dr. Feelgood - 1976-03-10 - Detroit, MI

Dr. Feelgood
1976-03-10
Ford Auditorium, Detroit, MI 

Audience Recording (JEMS Master), very good quality
mp3 @ 320 kbps

Although bands like Rockpile and Graham Parker & The Rumour emerged from the Pub Rock scene with greater success and international acclaim, the band that probably most exemplified what the Pub Rock Movement was all about, and carried the banner most proudly, the 'Poster Child' of Pub Rock, if you will, was probably Dr. Feelgood. Dr. Feelgood was a hard-driving  distinctively British R & B band out of Canvey Island, Essex, formed in 1971. Lead by their vocalist, Lee Brilleaux, and guitarist Wilko Johnson, Dr. Feelgood developed a frantic, gritty act with a rough and ruthless edge. Their distinctive sound and style, with Johnson's jerky movements and choppy, percussive guitar style, Brilleaux's raucous vocals and harmonica, and their dark, shabby, unkempt suits, they personified the look, sound, and attitude of Pub Rock. By 1974, they were one of the leaders of the Pub Rock movement and were getting more notice and acclaim. They released their first studio albums (Down By The Jetty-1974, Malpractice-1975) at this time, but didn't make it really big until the release of their next, a live album (Stupidity-1976), which, being live, captured the full appeal of the band better than their studio efforts, and went all the way to #1 in the UK. However, their success never translated to the US. Despite attempts to release Malpractice, Stupidity, and their 4th album (Sneakin Suspicion-1977) in the US, as well as a brief tour there in 1976, they just never caught on with American audiences (or radio programmers), and no further albums were ever released in the US. Dr. Feelgood is also credited with being a strong influence on the next phase in the British Rock scene, Punk Rock, as they already had the attitude that would carry forward. However, after 1977, and disputes over their 4th album, guitarist Wilko Johnson left the band, and they would never be the same again, nor achieve the same level of popularity. And by this time, Punk was becoming all the rage and stole much of the thunder from Pub Rock, and the pub rock movement (and bands) faded. Dr. Feelgood did carry on, however, first with Gypie Mayo on guitar, who brought his own unique style, then others. Lee Brilleaux continued with the band until his untimely death due to cancer in 1994. but even after that, upon the wishes of Lee himself, the band continued on again (although now without any original members) throughout the nineties and beyond, and has continued on to this day, being a very active, touring pub band. Wilko Johnson continued in several diferent bands over the years (most notably w/Ian Dury & the Blockheads and the Wilko Johnson Band), but has never gone back to Dr. Feelgood. Here is a show from their very limited American tour in 1976, which shows them in a much more subdued state then their normal high-energy antics (they were probably advised to tone things down for the American audience). So, it is not really a typical show for this period, but it does show off their music and musical abilities as a rockin' bluesy R & B band (It seems that there were very few recordings actually made at the various Pubs during this Pub Rock scene, so many of the recordings that are available for all these bands are from more formal concerts and US shows). Interestingly, for this show, they opened for Starcastle and Journey, which, ironically, are just the type of bands (Prog rock, glam, slick, overproduced sound) that the pub rock movement (and Dr. Feelgood) were reacting to and rebelling against (perhaps, then, it is not surprising that this type of audience didn't exactly embrace them).  

Setlist:
01. I Can Tell
02. Twenty Yards Behind
03. Another Man
04. Going Back Home
05. Back In The Night
06. Keep It Out Of Sight
07. Boom Boom
08. Don't You Just Know It
09. Riot In Cell Block No 9
10. Rolling And Tumbling
11. She Does It Right
12. Roxette
13. You Shouldn't Call The Doctor (If You Can't Afford The Bills)

Band Members:
Lee Brilleaux - vocals & harp
Wilko Johnson - guitar & occasional lead vocals
John B Sparks - bass
The Big Figure - drums

Note: Opening set in support of Starcastle and Journey for what was their first and only American tour (promoting their 2nd album, Malpractice).
   
Dr. Feelgood_1976-03-10_Detroit.rar
link updated 05/19/2023