This joint’s been a real nostalgia rag lately, but much like today’s subject, I’m only channeling.
Today’s reminiscence concerns (again) something I miss now that the Internet exists. I miss not having any idea who the opening band was until they started playing.
Lately I’ve tried to recreate that lack of access to information as much as I can, and it’s been mostly successful, but it’s way too hard to avoid checking out a band’s MySpace to see if I want to go to the show early. It’s saved me from a lot of bands I wouldn’t have enjoyed, but it’s also severely limited the number of awesome surprises.
My recollection is that Julian Cope opened for The Three O’Clock at Wolfgang’s (1985 or 86), but it might have been the other way around. Regardless, he was a complete surprise and made a lasting impression, crooning and climbing all over his custom microphone stand.
Julian turned out to be my kind of guy, following his crackpot star wherever it leads. For a quick overview of some of his principles regarding communal magic and his gnostic odyssey, read this interview from 1995.
If you’re interested in a thorough, YouTube-ified overview of what’s been a long and ridiculously fruitful and varied career, you can’t do any better than the history that American author/poet Dennis Cooper posted on his blog:
Part 1 1979-1991
Part 2 1991-2008
For my part, I’ll just leave you with this a lovely lil number from the Arch-Drude’s oboe-rific first solo LP.
Julian Cope – Elegant Chaos from World Shut Your Mouth
Bonus Forward-Thinking Mofos
Julian Cope has authored a number of nonfiction books, including The Modern Antiquarian, a 1998 title on Britain’s megalithic sites. The BBC produced a documentary series based on it, touring with Julian to the places of his research.
Here’s Part 1 — the rest is on YouTube as well.
“Rock and roll didn’t start off as an excuse for sloth.”
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Charlotte Anne, I do understand.