Thoughts On The Dead

Musings on the Most Ridiculous Band I Can't Stop Listening To

Tag: 1986 (Page 1 of 2)

And Here’s A Better Picture

January 31, 2021 / / 9 Comments

Eagle-eyed Enthusiasts will note Matt Kelly is not being assaulted by any drummers whatsoever in this photo. Hawk-eyed Enthusiasts understand that the look on Jaco’s face might best be described as “currently deciding whether you’re a secret robot assassin.” Hippo-eyed Enthusiasts will take the photo as a threat, and charge and kill it. Aye-aye-eyed Enthusiasts won’t be taken seriously by anyone. Cock-eyed Enthusiasts won’t see dick.

Stop it.

Shan’t.

Shall.

Mustn’t.

MUST!

I haven’t the energy to fight. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it–

God, I hate you.

–but I’m riddled with disease.

You’ve brought it up once or twice.

I’m being inspiring. I’m an inspiration. I’m a hero.

Please just spit up a few more lines about the Dead and go back to sitting quietly and not bothering the nice people.

Fine, but once more: I’m only giving in because–

OHMIGOD I’M ROOTING FOR THE CANCER.

–I’ve lost my wind due to my many and various maladies.

…

…

…

No re–

Do whatever you want, man.

–sponse? Thank you for your support in this trying time. Keen-eyed Enthusiasts have spotted that Bobby’s fit during the Jaco gig includes a sling, and not the Hell In A Bucket video-type sling, either.

Bobby fell off his bike in September of ’86 and spent the next month or so plastered up and unable to play guitar, but still perfectly capable of wearing jean shorts. As usual, Corry over at Hooterollin’ has more info and some context to thereby heighten one’s understanding of the situation.

Also: John Cipollina. That’s it, that’s the whole tweet.

Now Playing At Fillmore South

January 31, 2021 / / 2 Comments

Jaco started off crazy and then got hit on the head a lot, plus he was from Florida; poor bastard was doomed from the start.

ALWAYS A DEAD CONNECTION, TORTURED GENIUS EDITION: Bobby and Jaco were in a band together for 15, maybe 20 minutes. They called themselves Nightfood, and if you wanna know how they were, then listen to this:

Yeah. Don’t play Misty for me, please.

Completist

December 5, 2020 / / 5 Comments

When Mr. Completely (the Hero of Cascadia) recommends a show, then I listen to that show. But maybe you’re Mr. Contrary. Maybe you need a little nudge towards beauty, and require some details.

Here goes:

  • Half-Step>Roadrunner opener. (The Junior Walker Roadrunner, not the Jonathan Richman version.)
  • Hot, hot, hot Esau.
  • WILLIE AND THE MOTHERFUCKING HAND JIVE>GDTRFB.
  • Desolation Row, yo. (Y’know how Bobby always nails Desolation Row and it’s like “How the fuck did he do that?” You will not ask that question this go-round.)

3/31/86 from Providence. Ball’s in your court, sucker.

Four? Loco!

April 26, 2020 / / 6 Comments

Precarious?

“Yo.”

How you holding up?

“This corona shit’s for pussies. Back in ’82, we had something going around called groupie pox.”

That sounds terrible.

“Contracting it was fun.”

Sure. Small question about the microphones on Bobby’s speaker cabinet.

“Okay.”

Why four?

“There’s not four. Look careful. There’s five.”

Why?

“Weir had been complaining about wanting a fuller sound. So we did that to shut him up. I think only one mic is actually plugged in.”

Placebo mics?

“Essentially.”

Always something new with this band.

“Never boring, though. Except when we’d play Indianapolis. That was always boring.”

Cold Sweat

April 5, 2018 / / 7 Comments

Elvis went nuts, and so did Michael Jackson. In her own low-key, tasteful way, Barbra Streisand might be crazier than entire lunatic asylums. But no one–no one at all–went bull goose starkers like James Brown did.

This is not, Enthusiasts, a legendary and historic performance; it’s just a 1980’s night in New York, but it has its charms. What, you ask?

  • The robot from Rocky IV introduces the set.
  • The band plays for 20 minutes before James decides to show up.
  • Holy shit, is he high.
  • I would say “high as a kite,” but kites honestly do not fly all that high.
  • Maybe if you brought a kite to the International Space Station, then James Brown would be as high as that kite.
  • James Brown: Hardest Working Man in Show Biz.
  • James Brown’s corset: Hardest Working Support Garment in Show Biz.
  • Are…are…are they playing the Entertainment Tonight theme song?
  • Jeff “Skunk” Baxter on guitar, for some reason.
  • The band is literally wearing Sexual Chocolate’s tuxedos.
  • The most half-assed “Put the cape on the Godfather and then he comes back” routine you’ve ever seen.
  • And–tell me if I’m lying, I dare you–James Brown is so high he cannot open his eyes the entire show.
  • So much fucking Jheri Curl.

Security To The Stage, Please

June 22, 2014 / / 0 Comments

From relentless commentator and Prime Minister of Park Slope Drew, we get this from 2/11/86. It’s the Boys with the Brothers and approximately 84 million people are onstage and the cut for tonight is Eyes of the World.

Every Neville in the world is up there, banging and hammering and some rude motherfucker brought his goddamn drum machine and maybe the monitors aren’t working, or maybe there’s just too many Nevilles, but it does not work.

Give it a listen: it sounds like Garcia wants to throttle someone, specifically someone large, black, and invited by Mickey.

Seriously: how many Nevilles are on the stage? Are Longbottom and Chamberlain there, too?

PS Starting in Spetember on CBS: Too Many Nevilles!

« Older posts

The Stacks

Follow Us

Google Verification

Follow Us

Follow me on Twitter

© 2026 Thoughts On The Dead

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑