Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Side-Lying Series

I was laying on my side at Pilates class, trying to relax and concentrate at the same time. Only problem was the lady next to me. Well, not her, but her shirt. It was a black band t-shirt, and with her back to me I could read a list of UK tour dates: Corn Exchange, Cambridge; UEA, Norwich; Colston Hall, Bristol. Nice venues. What group, I wondered. I had to wait until she turned onto her other side.

Australian Pink Floyd

I quickly rotated so she wouldn't think I was staring at her chest. Now it was even harder to breathe. Knowing that such a thing as Australian Pink Floyd exists is hard enough. That this group had toured all the way across the world, being welcomed into big halls in Great Britain, really made me wonder. And on top of all that, that someone would actually buy a shirt to commemorate the occasion.

I thought of talking to her about it. Maybe she'd just grabbed the nearest clean shirt. Maybe it had come from a charity shop where, in the heat of the moment, she or her husband had thought they'd snagged a genuine Pink Floyd t-shirt? Maybe she was having a laugh, wearing it ironically, like someone might have worn an Osmonds t-shirt back in the days when everyone didn't proudly admit they secretly love everything awful.

Or maybe it had been the best night of her life, seeing Australian Pink Floyd.

Damn, now I kind of want to see them.

20 comments:

Someone Said said...

I've never seen them but they seem to have impressive credentials.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Pink_Floyd_Show

Been together for 22 years, almost as long as the English Pink Floyd.

The Hound said...

I want to see Johnny Rotten wearing an Australian Pink Floyd shirt with the words I Hate scrawled on it. Size XXXL. Death to fake prog-rock.

Eric Goulden said...

I've got the Venezuelan Wreckless Eric shirts on order

Wornoutmorgan said...

Now. Try. Being. From. Here. A long way from everywhere, with good things to offer, but somehow all that gets through the long journey to "the world" is .. well, Australian Pink Floydd. Please rest assured that the "Australian Eric and Amy Show" will be strangled at birth.

Mike said...

Yeah, no worries cobber. Um, perhaps I should also mention that Australian has given the entertainment world the Australian Doors Show and BABBA. I kid you not.

While groups like The Triffids trekked off to Europe, they left behind vast pubs crammed with cover bands, mostly playing stodgy stadium rock. The Triffids could pull a few hundred, but these cowboys played to thousands each weekend. Huge PA's and light shows, etc.

So the Australian Pink Floyd Show has deep and rather dubious roots. Don't expect them to pop their platform boots any time soon.

But that t-shirt is a shocking thing to be confronted with when you are trying to relax.

amy said...

I'm sorry Anthony. There are plenty of good Australian things that make it elsewhere - didn't Puppetry Of The Penis originate there?!

Cause the Irish trib act did so well Eric?

I wouldn't say no if someone gave me a ticket SS. As long as CSI wasn't on TV that night...

Jim, thanks for that - I admit the JR story flashed across my mind when I was writing. You'd better read this though: http://www.pinkfloydonline.com/news/883/

Now my brain really hurts...

eliot said...

Way back in 1964, NY top 40 radio station WMCA sponsored a show which among many others, had a group named The American Beatles. Never saw or heard them and certainly don't have a tee shirt with their name on it.

Murray said...

I'm playing in a stooges covers band as a total one of tomorrow, Izzy and the stooges, with a female (L)izzy just to try to make it a bit different. I dunno if she's going to go with my plan of starting the gig naked and then ending up fully clothed, but rather than try and be like the originals it seems just as pointless to try and be as different as possible. We have our first practice together tonight so its definately going to be interesting for us anyway ....

amy said...

Mike, when Eric played his first SF show in many years, the line was down the block - for a Stiff tribute show at another club. There's no doubt a lot of people would rather revisit a carefully constructed past than see what their heroes are really up to.

No doubt it's time for a reunion show for the American Beatles, Eliot? Where are they now?

How about the band plays naked and the singer remains clothed Murray?

The Hound said...

"I admit the JR story flashed across my mind when I was writing. You'd better read this though: http://www.pinkfloydonline.com/news/883/"

He gave his hand away as a closet prog rocker w/PIL and playing Can records on the BBC. I guess Malcom McClaren will hit his grave spinnin'....

the fly in the web said...

Why are you doing Pilates?

amy said...

Hound, I saw the news on Malcolm Mclaren and clicked on the Independent story - the "I Hate" Pink Floyd anecdote was right there. I wondered what Lydon thought of Mclaren's passing - this is from his site:
"For me Malc was always entertaining, and I hope you remember that. Above all else he was an entertainer and i will miss him, and so should you"

tfitw - I asked myself that question when I started, because I found it incredibly boring. It's a common small business around here so in lieu of a gym (the nearest one is 40 minutes away) it seemed better than doing nothing but walking and biking. Having spent the better part of 25 years riding in ratty old vans and cars, sleeping on beds and sofas, floors of every description and lugging equipment around and standing for hours holding a block of wood on my hip, I am finding it great for my back. Now if they would only introduce a dress code...

Buzz said...

This post and your comment on Eric's SF show reminded me of a bit on an old Simpson's episode set in Vegas. A billboard with huge letters announces "Tonight's headliner: A Tribute To the Moody Blues!" while way down in tiny letters at the bottom, it added, "opening act: the moody blues."

amy said...

The Simpsons have always predicted the future, haven't they Buzz? (I can't think of any other examples at the moment but I know that many exist)

the fly in the web said...

Thanks, now I get it.
Thjey've closed down the OAPs keep fit session...must have heard I'd qualify for it.
The dress code there was pretty amazing.

garagePunk said...

i'm australian and i've never seen them, kinda pointless, i did meet the singer from the doors show, and, un prompted, he was full of rationalisations and, justifications for partaking in the 'australian doors show'.
but
i did see a beatles show that was kinda fun, especially the early rock n roll songs, it was kick ass really.

thank fuck we do have a few great original bands otherwise we'd look pretty dumb/weird.

Murray said...

We all managed to stay clothed in the end, it was good fun but I'm in no rush to do it again. Maybe in a years time, but without a practice just to keep that jazz angle on the go ...

www.myspace.com/izzyandthestoooges

amy said...

garagePunk, a great musician friend of Eric's plays in Bootleg Beatles - we saw them at...Royal Albert Hall. They were awesome.
wanted to update - I was at the class again yesterday and the lady was wearing the shirt again. On closer inspection, what had looked like the triangle graphic on Dark Side Of The Moon revealed itself to be - a map of Australia!

Make sure you bill it as a reunion show, Murray.

Jittery White Guy said...

Ok, let me be one to admit that I've not only seen the Australian Pink Floyd Show, but I bought a t-shirt. And you know what? Had a great time, and felt no shame in it. While I proudly wear my indie rock credentials, from Amy to Wilco, I grew up on classic rock, but was too young at the time to see many of them live (except for the Who, well past their prime). So seeing even a fake Floyd band was pretty cool (and unlike some tribute bands, these guys really nail it). I've seen other tribute bands as well, and usually have a good time.

None of which interferes with my ability to see great, "real" artists all the time, but if you come to an artist too late to catch them live, it's not the worst thing in the world, if you're in the right frame of mind.

Just saying.

amy said...

I do appreciate that OMR, though I have to disagree as far as The Who go - we saw them a few summers ago in Paris and I was amazed at how great they were. Yes, no Keith Moon/John Entwistle but they did lift the roof off the arena in a way musicians playing their roles could not have done - partly because the intensity of feeling of the audience for their heroes cannot be duplicated when the heroes themselves are not actually present. And partly because whatever made them great is still there. I read lots of criticism of their Super Bowl halftime show and I agree it was lousy. But seeing Pete & Rog, the real ones - okay, "past it" but still giving it everything, I'll never forget it.