THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #709 - December 15, 1997
Magical Armchair Digest Monday, December 15 1997 Volume 01 : Number 709
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TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST:
The Sheperd's Bush Empire Review - Dec 11th, 1997 - Official Review. well. kind of.
sensitive guys!
Just a coupla things #:-)
SNL
RE: McCartney BFF connection?
the moot point of seperation.
Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #701
Pompoms
Dublin Gig
Proposed SNL plays
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 14 Dec 1997 01:33:53 +0000
From: Leung <paul.leung@virgin.net>
Subject: The Sheperd's Bush Empire Review - Dec 11th, 1997 - Official Review. well. kind of.
The Sheperd's Bush Empire Review - Dec 11th, 1997 - Official Review. well. kind of.
This momma's gonna be a huge one, which is why it's been so long in coming! Anyway,
there's some stuff in the beginning that won't interest the guys who are in a hurry, so
just scroll all you like over my masterpiece...
Ok. The scene is london, it's fuckin' freeeeezin', and there is one icy wind. We (my
friend and I) have just arrived, and it's 4:50, and there's no one at the head of our
queue. We missed a couple people 'cos they couldn't be bothered to come, and the others
hadn't come yet. So, my friend and I decide that instead of standing for about 2 minutes
then subtley sitting down, we should just set up camp and sit straight down. It's cold,
and there's this really icy wind. There's ages to go.
Looking across at the other queue, which was for the mosh pit, there are some girls that
we saw from last time, and another group. I wasn't sure I knew them, and I thought
they'd think I was even crazier than I was, so I didn't say hello. Instead I sat down
and prepared an impromptu 'My name is...' sticker which turned out to be pretty useless.
I couldn't exactly sit properly with this mic down my leg, so waiting was hell.
Most of you probably know Sheperd's Bush as an area in which Bush Formed. It's not the
safest place to be. So, my friend and I watch the passers by. It's quite funny really.
So, we see this guy running from something, or to something, just past. That's fine.
Probably getting the bus. A few minutes later, 2 police cars drive past, sirens blazing.
Sure, fine. Then an ambulance. Then, this guy walks past with this massive bag, carried
in a certain way as to provoke not a little suspicion. A couple police cars later and I
was hysterical. Then, three guys each pushing a trolley full of 'goods' just trundled
past. Man, I didn't know what to think. I ended up expecting the Iraqi Air Force flying
past pursued by the American Air Force.
Sorry? What was that? You guys don't actually want to know? Fine by me.
The time comes, I'm perfectly prepared, I go right through after having my bag searched
for stuff, and after getting the best seats, I bust straight for the toilets, where
thankfully there was a private room. I unwrap myself, prepare the mic and out I go.
Unluckily, there wasn't exactly anywhere to hide, so while I was setting up there was
this guy staring at my Stuff, and a bunch of girls looking at me and asking each other
what I was doing. Oh well. Still, nowt happened.
After a beer, The Band With No Name come on. They had improved. I was expecting the same
shite as last time, but it was a pleasant surprise. They highlight of the show, however
was when the singer killed the keyboardist's equipment.
Next up were Ether, who were actually this time superb. Expecting a pile of dross, I
was proved wrong and Ether were on top form-their drummer was as mad as you'll ever get,
their bass player got the groove and their frontman was really good. Shame we couldn't
hear the keyboardist though, it looked as if he was pretty good.
Ok, so the lads come on. Woohoo! They rip out Dr. Pyser, with the usual Misirlou cut.
Got the crowd going! Then they played Battle of Who Could Care Less, and after a bit of
banter, went in to Philosophy. Man, you should have heard the crowd! It was cool. Then
Selfless Cold and Composed, which didn't get such a hot reception. After that came The
Last Polka, Missing the War (they are sisters) and then Steven's Last Night. The latter
was excellent, no surprises that it was going to be played from the moment he picked the
wind thing up, but then he did that Call and Response thing with the crowd where he
screamed at us, and we screamed back! Tres cool! The girls next to us were really
getting into it, and you could tell it was their first concert by the way they were
soooo happy! Julianne came along, Jackson Cannery, Kate, Underground complete with Disco
diva singing from the man Sledge. Then, by that time, I had been screaming Emaline, and
they finally played it! cool! Guys were shouting for eddie walker, but they didn't play
it, which was a shame. They did play she don't use Jelly though.
The show was actually pretty short compared to last time, what with the string quartet
having to be brought on last time, but there you go. They did bring up a superb finale
though, with Song for the Dumped, and they just jammed on that track for a while-Sledge
did that buzzing thing with the jack on his bass, while Ben climbed onto the piano and
started screaming 'do you see a fat lady?' then he came back down and killed the piano
with his microphone. Superb. He ended the show by throwing the piano stool at the piano.
Cool.
Shame is, missed it on my bootleg. Those girls behind us walked on my bag disconnecting
my microphone. Oh well, maybe not, I guess we'll try again.
Other songs that made an appearance were Brick and Fair, and One Angry Dwarf. And no,
there was no Boxing or Best Imitation, contrary to one 'high' person.
The concert ended, I waited outside for the band who took a really long time to come
out, and it was damned cold. We froze, us and a few other really dedicated fans.
Positive things were that I again saw many cool things-a man abused a hot dog vendor and
tried to kick his cart over. Nothing much happened, though, which is good, otherwise I
would have tried to break it up. Not wise. I picked up a ten pound note ($15), which was
nice. I saw this guy with lights in his hair, and he was cool. Saw Ether, got some
autographs. Oh, and two drunk female americans came over and started talking. They were
cool, I just reminded them of somebody they knew. What a wonderful world! You guys
oughta sit back sometime and look at it.
Otherwise, we just froze, I managed to talk to the other dedicated fans, but not much,
until eventually Ben Folds came out. He was in a hurry, and I got bad vibes from the
guy, even though he was really nice. He was with some blonde female, not Kate. I don't
know who she was. seemed ok to me though, actually appreciated us waiting. Sledge and
Jessee came out afterwards, and I got really bad vibes from them too, even though they
were trying to be nice. Some stupid girl asked about Brick and abortion, which I guess
wasn't cool. I suppose, when you've been on tour for as long as they have, you'd be
a little pissed off. Oh well.
Oh, and Ben said there'd be a new record out in March. I can't wait, they've put it off
for tooooo long. The material's starting to wear thin on me, so I don't know what it
must be like for those guys. They'll also be on Later with Jools Holland. Hope they get
happier!
don't get me wrong, they were really good on the night! Maybe it's just me and my bad
vibes. Perhaps I was expecting too much.
Anthony :) (reasonably happy.)
Moo!
P.s. by the way, the armchair's getting a lot nicer. Hmmmm. Fuck you too.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 20:58:01 -0500
From: jaedonely@juno.com (A A DONELY)
Subject: sensitive guys!
Today at work I was restraining myself from buying the YM get to know the
real you issue(such a vicious cycle! If I buy it, I hate myself, if I
dont, Im sad and magazineless. Im a magazine addict, and its so true!)
So I was looking at the magazine while ignoring the older(this means
you!j/k) people waiting in line to buy their generic christmas gifts(that
was sarcastic, basically, I was looking at the mag)
So on the what type of guy you are attracted to quiz?
12. you went to the HORDE festival to see..
a ben folds five
b primus(etc)
if you chose a, you like "sensitive guys:) i think the celebrity example
was not necessarily scott wolf, but a scott wolf type.
I hate cheesy teen magazines! They manipulate me!
Writing for one of those magazines... thatd be an easy job!
~Elisabeth
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 19:22:58 PST
From: "Kel Lane" <kel_l@hotmail.com>
Subject: Just a coupla things #:-)
Isn't the Chair a lovely place to be?!?
Anyway, I'm gonna add my piece to a thread that hasn't been mentioned
for a while, anyway, it was; What song would you love Ben to teach you.
Well, I've been thinking about this for a LONG time, and I would love
Robert, Darren, and Ben all to teach me one thing on their respective
instruments:
Robert - Bass part to Smoke. Smoke isn't one of my fav songs, but I
absolutely LOVE the bass part to it. If ya can't remember it, go and
listen to it NOW. It is fantastic. On ya Robert!!! #-)
Darren - Drum part to Kate, and the little drum solo in Sports and Wine.
I love the little 'solo' that Darren does in SAW. And Kate is just a
cool song
Ben - Underground. That song just ROCKS man!
Anyway, sorry for the (probably) boring post.
Lots of love, friendliness,and smiles
Kel
#:-}
***
"You're my hero, I confess"
- - BFF
"You are the star tonight, you shine electric outta sight,electrolite"
- - R.E.M
ICQ name - M_Stipe
ICQ number - 4321387
***
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 22:07:58 -0500
From: Craig <Craigc@gte.net>
Subject: SNL
Alright here goes a guess for the appearance:
If they do one song: Brick
If they do two: Brick first and OAD or Underground second. Philosophy
is the longshot.
Don't even speculate about three songs. McCartney, sting, and Paul
Simon hold that distinction.
Shall we start the bidding at $10?
- -- -- ---
I yam what I yam -Popeye
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 23:50:13 -0600
From: Timothy Wise <twise@ameritech.net>
Subject: RE: McCartney BFF connection?
- ------------------------------
Date: Mon, 08 Dec 1997 21:52:14 +0000
From: Hilarie Surrena <walflowr@Op.Net>
Subject: McCartney BFF connection?
Hi everyone,
I was watching BFF on TV with my cousins from Va yesterday and they had
some intresting imput. BFF gets a lot of airtime in Charlottesville and
when my one cousin heard "BOWCCL" at my house, he asked who it was. He
said he keeps hearing this one song at home and it sounds like the same
band. Of course I rundown numerous BFF songs until he stops me at
"Kate." He told me that he thought it was very similar to Paul
McCartney's song "Jet." Does anyone know that tune because I sure
don't! Is there any similarity between "Kate" and "Jet?"
I would think that Kate has a definite Randy Newman influence rather than Paul McCartney.
My $0.02.
Tim
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 14 Dec 1997 02:42:26 EST
From: F2G 2 <F2G2@aol.com>
Subject: the moot point of seperation.
i'm sorry kids.
i thought that you people, as fans of ben folds and his music (sorry for the
exclusion robert, darren, truly. for the sake of this little lecture, i'm
gonna have to leave you 2 out.) i would think the majority of you out there
are moderately mature and have experienced life some.
loosely translated, many of you have probably felt a serious relationship OF
SOME KIND. and as many of you have SURELY felt the break of one of those
serious relationships. maybe that's why songs for the dumped gives you that
pissed off little joyous feeling.......
or evaporated sings to you of a kite, flying high and random, dangling a
string.
or julianne liberates you from giving a shit.
or kate walks in the garden so the roses can see.
or the last polka pounds it all out, anger and pain.
i know i have experienced some of the above, giving me an appreciation and a
respect for the music. and the man.
enough to say this. curiousity be damned in this issue. it is NOT our
business, whether it is, or is not occurring. and i for one dislike this
speculation.
so let's talk concerts, let's talk speculative proms, let's talk about discs
in our disc player, and the music and how it touches US..........
let's cease this gossip about so sensitive a topic as divorce.
matthew
".......it evaporated.......see?.............."
"when you scamps get together you're as bad as a sewing circle."
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 14 Dec 1997 02:43:00 EST
From: F2G 2 <F2G2@aol.com>
Subject: Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #701
sorry if that's pissy.
but let's think about it?
m.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 14 Dec 1997 02:56:03 -0500
From: Carrie Shanafelt <cds9@po.cwru.edu>
Subject: Pompoms
>I think Robert could just go crazy with pompoms.
EEEE!!! Ginger, you are a genius. I would laugh my butt off.
There's been a bit of discussion about Robert as a bassist. I remember
reading an interview with some bassist who said "Yeah, I've almost fallen
asleep during concerts..." Can you imagine that ever happening to Robert?
No way! He's (just like Darren and Ben) so intensely concentrated on what
he's doing, he's phenomenal! On the upright, bowing technique aside, he
uses all of his strength and intensity to draw from it what needs.
Personally, being a pianist surrounded by percussionists all my life, I
think I don't tend to listen to the bass very often... With Robert, though,
what I can appreciate most of all is his obvious perfectionism and ear for
the part...
>robert and darren? i'm saying linus and pigpen, respectively
Other way around...
Feeling froggy, as my dear Kellie would say,
Carrie
"When I'm good, I'm very good...but when I'm bad, I'm better."
-Mae West
"I like the itch I provoke."
-Sandra Cisneros
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 14 Dec 1997 10:45:36 -0000
From: "Paul May" <paulmay@bigfoot.com>
Subject: Dublin Gig
Hey Everyone
This was BFF's first trip to Dublin, and I'm guessing it won't be their
last. The gig last night was *amazing* The gig was on in a venue called the
RedBox. It's a great place, you can get right up close if you want. The
support band "Ether" were truly awful. The lead singer had the dubious
honour of an un-broken (un-changed) voice. He sounded like he had been
inhaling balloons...anyway. This crap band did get me fired up for BFF (
not a crap band!), I wasn't disappointed.
They came on stage at 9.00, and ripped into "Dr. Pyser" The crowd went
mental!! I was really surprised. Up until the gig last night I knew of a
grand total of 4 Irish fans, but everyone knew the words to all the songs,
it was cool!! I managed to get the setlist by the piano, (cool!) so here it
is as written on Ben's page:
Pyser
Battle
Philosophy
Selfless
Missing
Polka
Steven
Fair
Brick
Kate
Jackson
Dwarf
Best
Smoke
Underground
Julianne
Boxing (encore)
Dumped(encore)
In there somewhere they did "Emaline" and a bit of improv. A guy from the
audience shouted "Show us your Willy!!!" (willy being an Irish word for
penis...ahem!) Ben refused to reveal his own private melodica, but instead
made up a great song about Show us your Willy.
Ben is a true showman. He was up on the piano, throwin' his stool around
and lotsa crazy stuff, all while wearing a red Santa hat! The guy is nuts!
When he plays Smoke he tapes the tube from the Melodica to the mic, and
plays the melodica with one hand and the piano with the other! At the end
of julianne, he climbed up on top of two amps with his stool. He must have
been 20 ft off the ground. He slammed his stool down on the piano and
exited the stage via a balcony!!! They came back and did Boxing and Song
for The Dumped. After that the crowd were still screaming for more, but the
boys had given 300%, and we gave up!
After the gig I waited for about an hour to get an autograph and a photo,
but they didn't show. I don't really mind though, the gig was Perfect!
I want to thank everyone who went and made it the best gig of my life. Todd
Karman (top bloke!) Sabrina Keenan, Lynn (King Buzzo), my brother Simon,
all the people I met there, the roadie for giving me the setlist, the
camera shop for selling me dodgy out-of-date film. And of course Ben,
Darren and Robert who make up the best damn band on the planet.
Well that's about it. What a night! Thanks again to everyone!!!
Paul
______________________________
Visit those People on the Armchair:
http://www.iol.ie/~may
______________________________
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 14 Dec 1997 05:54:04 -0600 (CST)
From: Mayor of Simpleton <sk26@evansville.edu>
Subject: Proposed SNL plays
I would think that they'll do Brick...that's a given.
For the second song, I'd like to see Smoke, Sony'd probably like to see
Song for the Dumped, irreverence would like to see them cover Video Killed
the Radio Song...
but I think that either Dwarf or Kate would be most likely...they aren't
going to play two songs of the same type (Brick is very down and feely,
Dwarf/Kate are 'lighter')...
By the Grace of God Go I,
Steve K.
:)#=> :)#=> :)#=> :)#=> :)#=> :)#=> :)#=> :)#=> :)#=> :)#=> :)#=> :)#=>
Steve Kristoff {} "One of my less pleasant chores when I
sk26@evansville.edu {} was young was to read the Bible from one
RSChristopher@hotmail.com {} end to the other. Reading the Bible
ICQ UIN: 681494 {} straight through is at least 70 percent
Owner CSL Detroit Lions {} discipline, like learning Latin. But
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ the good parts are, of course, simply
Junior Mass Comm Major <> amazing. God is an extremely uneven
University of Evansville <> writer, but when He's good, nobody can
Schroeder Hall 121 <> touch Him."
Go Penguins! <> - John Gardner, NYT Book Review,
___________________________________________________________________________
"Do you worry that you're not liked, How long till you break,
You're happy cause you smile, But how much can you fake,
An ordinary boy, an ordinary name,
But ordinary's just not good enough today."
- "Superman's Dead" Our Lady Peace
===========================================================================
% "It seems it's always the crazy times % "The statistics on sanity are
% You find you'll wake up and realize % that one out of every four
% It takes more than saline eyes % Americans is suffering from
% To make things right." -Jars of Clay % some form of mental illness.
%_______________________________________% Think of your three best
% friends. If they are okay, then
Buy more Ben Folds Five Albums! % it's you." - Rita Mae Brown
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
------------------------------
End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #709
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