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Dear Jon
I’m writing to you to apologise
for not being able to attend Saturday night’s performance of your mighty Blues
Explosion. I’m sure the gig went off
like a bomb as your shows inevitably do.
This
was the first JSBX gig that I’ve missed in quite a few years and I put it down
to becoming a happily married man. Not
that I’m blaming my wife “M”. Marriage can
do strange things to you, like eschewing many things you previously held dear
because you want to spend time with your beloved. And let’s face it; we’ve seen the inside of a
quite few Aussie pub venues over the journey and they’re not exactly the most
stylish of venues. At least the beer is
great, but you can’t snuggle up to that on a cold Saturday night (like the one
just past); God knows I’ve tried!
Personally,
I’d prefer to point the finger at the combination of Messrs Bob Mould, Neil
Young and their promoters for their scheduling of their gigs on the nights
immediately preceding yours. And I also
blame your promoter for not putting your tickets on sale before theirs and the invisibility
of their marketing campaign. But then
again you did play to full houses, so they must have done something right.
And I
guess I’ve got to take some of the blame too.
It’s not as though I now have the stamina to do things like attend two
gigs in one night or hit the circuit for nights on end. There was that sequence in 1993, for example,
when I saw Chris Whitley on a Wednesday night, The Cruel Sea and Robyn Hitchcock
on the Thursday, Babes In Toyland on Friday, best man at a wedding on the
Saturday, The Angels on Sunday and Alice In Chains on the Monday. I remember
turning to someone at the latter gig, asking what night it was and on getting a
response uttered, “Monday. Then this must be Alice In Chains”. But alas those days, and a bachelor’s life are now like Alice In Chain's Layne Stayley,
long gone.
But I
digress. My point is that due a
combination of all of the above, I had to think of my wife. Would I be pushing it to get a leave pass for
a third night in a row and a Saturday at that?
Especially with the AFL footy season about to start and the dual pain of
turning “M” into a football widow and
watching the Western Bulldogs this season?
No. Like you I subscribe to the
notion of “Happy Wife, Happy Life”. I
figure you must understand because you’ve done roughly the same thing in the
past by putting the Explosion into hibernation whilst gigging with your missus Christina
Martinez in Boss Hog. (And before that
being with her in Pussy Galore.)
So
ultimately Jon, I have to say this, it’s not you, it’s me. I’m not saying that I’m not just that into
you anymore. Far from it. The memories of your gigs have sustained me
through many a barren musical time and I’ve paid you the ultimate compliment. I
bought a print of that wonderful tour poster of your 1999 tour and I’ve hung it
up in my music hall of honour in my downstairs toilet. Every time, I’m there I see the posters of
you and many other memorable gigs from my past and give thanks for the life I’ve
led and now partially leave behind.
I’m
also playing tribute by playing nothing but your music over the weekend,
starting with;
(207) The Jon Spencer
Blues Explosion – Controversial Negro
I have a bone to pick with you about this one. It’s your only live album but you a) released
only a handful of tracks from it on the Rocketship single here, whilst b)
releasing this album in Japan. It meant
that I paid over the odds to get a copy which was fine until you recently
released it properly with bonus tracks.
Still its bloody good and I have no quibbles with the track
listing. A hint: if you’re ever thinking
to retrospective release another live album, why not consider the awesome show
you played at the Palace Nightclub St. Kilda on 4 September 1997. Now that was a blast!
(208) The Jon Spencer
Blues Explosion – Now I Got Worry
What’s your favourite album Jon? Many people reckon it’s got to Orange. I think it’s this one and I can prove it for
two reasons. First, you re-introduced
the world to the genius that was R.L Burnside (R.I.P). More importantly, its got Skunk on it and
Fuck Shit Up and 2Kindsa Love and Rocketship – basically a concise, rockin’
introduction to that fusion of alternative rock, blues and soul that you do so
well.
(209) The Jon Spencer
Blues Explosion – xtra acme USA
I also reckon that nobody has produced as many enjoyable
remix or B-sides albums as your good self.
This album, containing all the additional tracks assocatoed with the
Acme album is so good that its actually better than it. The opening trio of Wait A Minute, Get Down
Lover and Confused is fantastic. Bacon
is typical you, the remixes are great and, most of all, its got two of my old
time favourite JSBX track and its an outtake (Chowder). I also love that humours
radio advert you stuck on the end as a hidden track.So anyway Jon, apologies once again for not making the gig. Say hi to Judah, Russell and Christina, give my respects to R.L should you happen past his resting place and PLEASE mastermind another Andre Williams album. He really needs you!
Regards and respect
Otis.Youth (pronounced Otis Dot Youth)
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