Fugazi - for those so inclined

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/26/arts/music/fugazi-live-series-a-post-punk-bands-archive-of-shows.html?_r=1

if this link doesn't work (subscription) you can go to dischord records directly and find these recorded shows next thursday according to the article: http://www.dischord.com/band/fugazi

something to be thankful for

dave

Indeed. Thanks for posting.

Looks like I need to go looking for the dozen or so shows that I attended.

I interviewed them for a zine that some friends and I put out in 89 or 90. In the back of the tour van. As a fellow guitar player and a huge fan of Guy Picciotto (pronounced Gee) I couldn't think of any real questions so I asked them about their gear. What I remember most was when I asked them about their Marshalls. I asked what model and when I Ian told me I looked baffled. "No way man. A JCM800 can't make those sounds" I replied.

Both Ian and Guy looked at me and simultaneously said. "No one, and I mean no one plays a stock marshall, kid"

Never pried what mods they had out of them. I hit 'em up for years.

I'll have to tell my old bass player that. He kept wanting my never ending rotation of amps to eventually land on a JCM800 but it never did...

That is really cool. Of all the times they came to Atlanta, I only saw them once. 95 or 96(???) in Florida (Firsetone maybe???) with Shudder To Think, who were boo'd and called "faggots," and also became my favorite band that night.

I heard stories from some of the Atlanta shows where Ian would refuse to play unless the Nazi Skins left..which lead others to "escort" them out. I also heard of him screaming at people to start berkeleying dancing when Emo became the 'thing' and it wasn't cool to dance anymore.

Their music is still phenomenal. Of all the bands that 'sell out' and put out E36 M3ty records, you know you can buy a new Fugazi record and it will rock your berkeleying world. I think this is entirely due to Ian's philosophy of keeping their music cheap and accessible. I remember buying "Red Medicine" and HATING some of the songs when I first listened to it. Then realizing that the record was more than the sum of its parts.

Also, you can grab pretty much anything on dischord and be confident that it'll be good. Me and some best friends played in a band called "The Next Crisis" (plural) in South Florida in late 90'sish, and the best shows we played were opening for Bluetip and Kerosene 454. Those guys were really cool, and actually asked us to go to on the road with them for a couple more shows in Florida.

And if you see someone with a Fugazi t-shirt or bumper sticker, kindly remove said conterfeit Chinese garbage and destroy it.

You are not what you own.

PS: Google "Wugazi" Good stuff.

Veteran of the harDCore era here:

Everyone in DC had JCM800s which at some point had passed through the hands of Steve Angela @ Angela Instruments. He was the local wizard, and in all likelihood was responsible for whatever had been done.

I've always thought that the gear does influence the "gestalt" of a band. In my case it always seemed to be Les Paul Jr. or SG w/ P90s into a JCM800 w/ the only effect being a 20' Whirlwind cord. Bass was always a P or a Jazz into an an Ampeg SVT head on an SVT 8x10 cab. In the hardcore days I played maple Ludwigs, Zildjians, and an 8" maple Ludwig coliseum snare.

favorite band sound I was a part of: Guitarist had a couple early 60s Les Paul goldtops and a Mesa/Boogie 200 w/ 2 4x12s. Bass player had a Hamer 8 string and an SVT rackmount head on a n 8x10 cab. I was playing Gretsch maples - 24, 13-16-18 and a 1938 Leedy 8x14 snare and Sabian AA cymbals. Monstrous!

We occasionally fancied ourselves a hardcore band, but my metal and classical influences were too strong. Plus, I did most of the vocals and I was a really crappy shouter. We used cover Blueprint and I was always getting yelled at for singing it too much - especially the beginning of the outro. If I wasn't careful, it would start sounding like Bruce Dickenson, and even I cringe at that thought.

My bass player fought buying a p-bass the same way I fought getting a Marshall. He did get an Ampeg, but he usually (and still does) play a Ric bass. I was never comfortable playing SG's, so the closest I got to one was/is a Les Paul Firebrand (still have it).

I was never in a band (though I did scream into a microphone a few times), so can't relate from that angle.

However, Fugazi always put on a great show. I'm going to have to look up the ones they had at Saratoga Winner's.

poopshovel wrote: Shudder To Think

Thank you I have been trying to remember that bands name for like the past three weeks.

poopshovel wrote: Shudder To Think

Funny story. I was at a shudder to think show waiting for them to go on stage. My girlfriend at the time told me that she was leaving and I made WTF noises. She stated loudly that she wasn't going to sit though that crap because the singer sounded too much like Geddy Lee. She had no idea that the guy I was sitting with was Craig Wedren, the singer for the band. His face just fell and you could tell his heart sunk.

The first half of their set was terrible but as the crowd repsonded he perked up and it got great. Just in time for them to play "rag"

Thanks for posting the link. My wife and I are both big Fugazi fans.

ditchdigger wrote:

poopshovel wrote: Shudder To Think

Funny story. I was at a shudder to think show waiting for them to go on stage. My girlfriend at the time told me that she was leaving and I made WTF noises. She stated loudly that she wasn't going to sit though that crap because the singer sounded too much like Geddy Lee. She had no idea that the guy I was sitting with was Craig Wedren, the singer for the band. His face just fell and you could tell his heart sunk. The first half of their set was terrible but as the crowd repsonded he perked up and it got great. Just in time for them to play "rag"

Craig was my wife's prom date in high school, for reals. DC is a small town, and all the Dischord kids were smart and/or privileged...

motomoron wrote:

ditchdigger wrote:

poopshovel wrote: Shudder To Think

Funny story. I was at a shudder to think show waiting for them to go on stage. My girlfriend at the time told me that she was leaving and I made WTF noises. She stated loudly that she wasn't going to sit though that crap because the singer sounded too much like Geddy Lee. She had no idea that the guy I was sitting with was Craig Wedren, the singer for the band. His face just fell and you could tell his heart sunk. The first half of their set was terrible but as the crowd repsonded he perked up and it got great. Just in time for them to play "rag"

Craig was my wife's prom date in high school, for reals. DC is a small town, and all the Dischord kids were smart and/or privileged...

You have got to be berkeleying kidding me. I'll derail further:

My girlfriend got me tix to see them in high school (Pony Express Record tour.) They were kind of "our band." We got their super early for whatever reason. I got to meet craig. We shook hands. Told him:

"My girlfriend bought me tix for my birthday"

Craig: "Really, when's your birthday?"

Me: "The 12th"

Craig: "Oh mine's the 16th."

Swoon. They were berkeleying amazing that night. Nathan Larson just stared at the back wall and rocked pete townsend-god-style. There was a spot where craig sang solo, and his psycho vibrato made the glasses in the bar (masquerade - ATL) vibrate violently - to the point where everyone turned around trying to figure out WTF was going on. One of the best shows I've ever been to.

AWESOME.

The only time I saw them was back around 1995 and they were just amazing.

A truly incredible, important band. The stuff they were doing between 1988 and 1990 was a preview of a lot of what would happen in alternative rock in the following decade.

I can't say enough good stuff about Fugazi.

The liner note photos on the red self-titled EP were one of the motivating factors of why I got a Gibson SG way back in 1991.