I just found out yesterday that the Flamin Groovies are going to be in town tomorrow night and I'm probably going to go see 'em. Just wondering if any of you have seen them on this tour and how the shows have been. Reviews & thoughts, please!

 

From the looks and sounds of a few of the videos I've found on YouTube, they sound pretty good...

 

They played in Memphis last night. I didn't go. :(

I JUST GOT BACK FROM SEEING THEM IN CHICAGO (excuse the caps. It's very late.)

It hurts me to my heart to say it was'nt very good. I mean, there were moments , some songs really stood out , and at least , they went easy on the Beatlesque stuff , even though I was surprised and a bit disapppointed that they did'nt do "You Tore Me Down" .... as a friend said , they appeared under - rehearsed , and did'nt really gel.    Chris Wilson was trying , but , he was really drunk , and certain assholes in the audience made him angry , but , he managed to tell them what as what without being a tool.

There was a VERY bad vibe in the audience , all these entitled drunks who got in for free ( For the record , I bought a discount Groupon ticket , but , nearly everyone else got the memo that Reckless Records had free passes , when the barely - advertised show failed to sell too many tix at $35 a pop , originally.). First , some brainiac threw a tall boy can (Which must've cost $10.) at the stage. Wilson handled it well , telling whoever it was that it was a cowardly move to throw something at a man who's not in a position to defend himself (The main floor is'nt exactly accesible from the stage , even if Chric were 25 years old and in a mood to fight.).........And , oh , yes , fighting . A couple of fights broke out. Who picks a fight at a Flamin' Groovies show? Entitled motherfuckers who got in for free.

The band , at least , saw the humor in the stage diver , but , that , too , is so disrespectful.

MAYBE THIS WAS JUST AN EXCEPTIONALLY BAD NIGHT , though it did'nt have to be. There were often long breaks between songs , and some confusion about which songs they were going to play.....OR , AT LEAST , IN WHAT ORDER. Wilson almost walked off the stage at one point , and seemed pretty certain the others would follow suit. I would'nt have blamed him . Who throws a beer can at The Flamin' Groovies , even if they are having a bad night?

IT WAS REALLY A BAD TRIP , comparable to when The Cramps played there in 2002 , and Lux threw part of a mike stand in the air , inadvertently hitting Ivy on the head.    Then , their Roadie , Jason (Bomboras , Fuzztones, Lords of Altamont) was delegated to try to keep the jock - punks off the stage with no help from Security. He got the ever lovin' shit beat out of him by at least 20 people, I wish I were lying.

I TRIED TO HAVE A GOOD TIME IN SPITE OF IT ALL......As Melissa said , there is a very bad mojo about that place. I said , it did'nt help that they poured dirt from Robert Johnson's grave into the foundation , when they first built it. IT'S rare that I'd go there , now . Maybe the first five years ,all the greats played there , most of whom are now dead or retired. I can handle it in small doses , but , this dose was cut with strychnine.                         John.

I will see them in Paris on June 12th and will report it...if I don't forget. John, I'm worried after reading your gig's report (thx for it btw!) but you never know how a show will be and... that's the beauty of it after all! Anyway, the FG are a great band, let's party on!

Manu , The Groovies are great.....I tried not to be biased , as I saw Roy and Cyril twice , with The A-Bones , and both shows kicked "Le Derriere"  (   I   ) , and I knew the obvious : This is a totally different band . Some people expected them to sound like "Flamingo" /"Teenage Head" era Groovies. Of course, I expected them to sound like Sire Records Groovies.....They did sound harder than I expected , but , unfortunately , they got off to a good start , then it kind of fell apart.  I hope the Paris show is better. Chris Wilson used to live in Paris , or , maybe he still does?

Is it Victor Penalosa on drums on the Dallas video? He hits hard!!!

MANU , I could'nt tell you....It's the same Drummer I saw them with , though.... THEY SOUND BETTER , ON THIS VIDEO , than they did in Chicago , though not by much.  ON THE ONE HAND , I had an all right time , BECAUSE i DID'NT EXPECT ANYTHING. i DID EXPECT THEM TO BE A LOT TIGHTER AFTER TOURING SO MUCH , BUT , I was'nt really sure WHAT to expect....

My friend in Detroit said the same thing - Band was sloppy , fans thought it was going to be THEE Flamin' Groovies of "Flamingo" and "Teenage Head" renown , not the "Shake Some Action " Groovies of possibly MORE renown. A few beers in , and ,when some of these whiners did'nt get their way, they syarted hurling dbris and duking it out amongst themselves.

(Spoiler alert : It's common knowledge Roy and Cyril , amicably , parted company two or three years ago, and did'nt call themselves The Flamin' Groovies , then ,  anyway .     The original band NEARLY reformed about ten years ago , but , opted not to , after one rehearsal .).

My friend said these people were mad because the band was'nt doing classics like "Second Cousin" or "Heading For The Texas Border" or "Roadhouse" , because the LONEY - LESS GROOVIES NEVER DID THAT STUFF  (Not to my knowledge , anyway.), barring , of course , "Teenage Head".

I'M SURE SOME OF THESE GUYS WHO NEED AT LEAST Three 40oz.'ers to get a buzz on are far more computer - literate than I am , and could have checked out the many recent video clips on You Tube , , or Googled the band's name , and they would have learned it's Cyril , Chris , George , AND , I guess , Victor , touring now.

I ALSO HEARD THEIR CHOICE TO DO "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Paint It Black" , back to back , was not well - recieved in Detroit (The only covers they did , here , were 'Tallahessee Lassie" and an NRBQ song.), but , the Sire Records Flamin' Groovies opted for the  same covers back when , and some even MORE obvious and done to death (I do like the early 70's version of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" they did.). 

So , some people were disappointed to the point of violence. Well , they don't know disappointment , and they have'nt seen a MAJOR train wreck. They 're too young to have seen Johnny Thunders.

Still , I think the band needs to try harder , and it might behoove them to throw the non - Power Popsters a bone and learn a couple of of those earlier songs . Just sayin'.