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Saw "X" last night in Boston...

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Saw "X" last night in Boston...

Old 06-17-03, 09:45 PM
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Saw "X" last night in Boston...

...and it was a great show. They've become one of my favorite bands in the last few years as I've backtracked and gotten all the old albums, but I had never seen them live before. Nice tight set and mix, great energy. Billy Zoom is indeed coolness personified! They only played stuff off the first four albums, and I can't complain too much, but they really only played hard-rocking stuff, and I wouldn't have minded some of their (slightly) more mellow stuff like Poor Girl or 4th of July. Still, I heard most of my favorites: The New World, The World's a Mess (And It's In My Kiss), Breathless, Hungry Wolf, Devil Doll, Year One, Johnny Hit and Run Pauline, Nausea, The Once Over Twice, etc.

I would really like to see them write new X material reflecting their age, and tour with that, but I feel lucky to have seen this show. I'm glad I saw Joe Strummer in 1999, and his passing was a sobering reminder that these great talents aren't going to be around forever. I would definitely recommend catching this tour for any X fans----and for you young'uns who don't know who they are----they are most certainly worth discovering!
Old 06-18-03, 12:23 AM
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Thought there was a meet and greet with the DVD Talk Admin.


I hope to catch them in a month or so.

Joe Strummer passed through town a few times and sadly I never made the show.
Old 06-18-03, 07:02 AM
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X was one of the bands that first got me into punk music. I'd love to see them do an old school set.
Old 06-18-03, 07:19 AM
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Billy Zoom in "Decline of Western Civilization" is just about the coolest guitarist ever.
Old 06-18-03, 07:38 AM
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Originally posted by Hiro11
Billy Zoom in "Decline of Western Civilization" is just about the coolest guitarist ever.
Completely agree.
I have not seen X in years but I saw some scortching good shows in Los Angeles back in the early 1980s.

I love the scene in "Decline of Western Civilization" when Exene shows off her "reglious" phamplet collection and laughs about the hypocrisy in them. Very cool.
Old 06-18-03, 07:53 AM
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Thanks for sharing about the show. I agree that Billy Zoom is just about the coolest person/icon you'll ever see in rock music.
Old 06-18-03, 10:42 AM
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Never seen them, but would love to...
Old 06-18-03, 12:06 PM
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Seen these guys over a dozen times. Genuine Americana and one of the best punk bands ever. Their shows aren't as good as they used to be but they're still well worth checking out.
Old 06-18-03, 12:58 PM
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Like I mentioned in the other X thread, they are one of my fav bands, I would rate Los Angeles as one of my "5 Albums that Changed My Life" (or whatever that thread was called) I have seen them many times, starting way back when they were originally together, saw them with Tony, and again with Billy

Recorded them at the HOB in Anaheim in 2001, and Billy was given a copy of my recording. He kept ffw to his solos and would listen to himself over and over again. I even chatted with him via email about my recording techinques and mics, etc...He repairs Amps near by in Orange, CA. He claims he has never, ever even heard any of the "other" X music, like 4th of July, and anything later after he left the band, so I'm sure we will never see him do those other songs.

Truly the greatest "punk" band!
Old 06-18-03, 04:35 PM
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Originally posted by Loc-Nar
Genuine Americana and one of the best punk bands ever.
Excellent description.

And man, this band was/is criminally underappreciated. Even casual music fans usually have heard of The Clash, Sex Pistols and the Ramones---but X never even got to that level of recognition. IMO, they were a deeper, better band than the Pistols or the Ramones, and even though I'm a huge Clash fan I would have to say there's a folky warmth to X's music that the Clash never really captured.
Old 06-18-03, 05:00 PM
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I hope they wrap up the tour soon.

Zoom needs to get back and fix my amp!
Old 06-18-03, 07:43 PM
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Originally posted by Ky-Fi
Excellent description.

And man, this band was/is criminally underappreciated. Even casual music fans usually have heard of The Clash, Sex Pistols and the Ramones---but X never even got to that level of recognition. IMO, they were a deeper, better band than the Pistols or the Ramones, and even though I'm a huge Clash fan I would have to say there's a folky warmth to X's music that the Clash never really captured.
They're a singular act, no question. No other band is really like X. The American version of The Sex Pistols has to be The Dead Kennedys IMO. The Ramones, The Stooges, MC5 and The New York Dolls all seem to be of a piece to me. X doesn't really fit in with those bands.
Old 06-19-03, 05:37 PM
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GODDAMn, I was really into them after Wild Gift. I saw them at the Roxy along with the blasters. I remember the crowd, the energy, the great music (I was amazed how good they sounded live) and of course.....Billy Zoom standing there beatin his guitar. If anyone has any info on them coming to the LA/SD area, lemme kno. Would love to see them with BZ.

Good times....good times.....

I didn't think anyone remembered them but me and a few people I grew up with. Personally, I think that Under the Big Black Sun is their best album.

I haven't kept up with them recently, whatever happened to DJ Bonebrake? and is Manzarek still affiliated with them?
Old 06-19-03, 06:49 PM
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Originally posted by grip
...I think that Under the Big Black Sun is their best album.

I'll second that. Wild Gift is great, as is Los Angeles but Under the Big Black Sun is in a class by itself.
Old 06-19-03, 08:08 PM
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Originally posted by grip
I haven't kept up with them recently, whatever happened to DJ Bonebrake? and is Manzarek still affiliated with them?
DJ is still in the band.

Friday June 27
Ventura Theater
Ventura CA

Friday September 5
San Diego Street Scene
San Diego CA

Are the upcoming LA/SD shows
www.xtheband.com
Old 06-19-03, 10:47 PM
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The first four albums are certainly all great, but I'd have to take More Fun in the New World as my favorite. It's full of flat-out rockers, but songs like The New World and Poor Girl pushed things a bit IMO, and it just has this aura of a band completely confident and comfortable with who they were and what they were doing. And, I think I could listen to the song "We're Having Much More Fun" about a million times without getting sick of it--in fact, I'm well on my way there ....
Old 06-20-03, 06:20 AM
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I would have to go with Wild Gift as their best. I have seen X twice and they are just about my favorite band ever. Must agree with everyone who thinks Billy Zoom is one of the coolest dudes on earth.
Old 06-20-03, 08:22 AM
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Ky-Fi, I also like "More Fun..." the best. It probably has more to do with the fact that was the first recording I heard from them back in '84. But my favorite song might be "The World's a Mess It's In My Kiss". "More Fun..." has some incredible songs... it's the one CD I had the band sign when I could have chosen another one.
Old 06-20-03, 09:00 AM
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Here's a great article on Billy Zoom:

http://www.billyzoom.com/niceguy.html
Old 06-20-03, 10:34 AM
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I am soooooooooooo going to see them at the SD Street Scene.

THANKs FOR THE INFO CHRISEDGE.
Old 06-20-03, 04:03 PM
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Atlantamoi, yeah, I might have to agree about "The World's a Mess...."---that is an incredible song. In the liner notes for the remastered Los Angeles CD John Doe talks about it being one of the rare songs where they played it for the first time in rehearsal and he thought "this is a hit song!".

slop101---thanks for that link---that's an awsome interview!
Old 06-20-03, 06:27 PM
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Originally posted by slop101
Here's a great article on Billy Zoom:

http://www.billyzoom.com/niceguy.html
Cool article! Thanks for posting that.
Old 06-21-03, 01:37 PM
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I didn't even know they were still around, but I loved Wild Gift. I was also unaware that Joe Strummer died. I saw The Clash 20 years ago when they opened for The Who.

tasha
Old 06-21-04, 01:14 PM
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Bump from the past...

I saw them again on Sat Night, and met Billy. Friend of mine does work for him and got us some passes for the HOB show. Great as always....
Old 06-21-04, 08:15 PM
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Originally posted by Chrisedge
Bump from the past...
One year to-the-day of the last post, even!

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