Most impactful live show of my lifetime
March of 1992 on a Wednesday, the 23 East Cabaret in Ardmore, PA (just outside of Phila), the band is Ghost of an American Airman. Understand that I had been working at the Cabarets/Cornerstone Management outside of Philadelphia for six months. I worked on show promotions at the office three days a week, while twice a week I would work the door at their smaller 450 capacity venue, the 23 East Cabaret. Many artists we certainly know in the 80s/90s made their way through this room (some I witnessed the year I was employed there), but I won't bother listing even a few of them. With that said, nothing in that club or in any club, theater, amphitheater, arena, or stadium would musically impact me, still to this day, more than these four unassuming chaps from Belfast, Ireland that night named Ghost of an American Airman.
Remember that back in 1992, Belfast was not the ok area where sat the Game of Thrones main filming set. It was war torn and angry. You did not see Irish bands busting out of Belfast. If they weren't from Dublin, they came from scattered towns all over, away from Belfast. Here comes this group from Belfast, signed to Hollywood Records... imagine Bono's voice in front of The Alarm. Here we have "Life Under Giants", the record produced by renowned Australian music producer, Mark Opitz (I say renowned now, but I didn't know back then). Low level release and promotion, MAYBE some throw-away college radio. The label just gave them a little $$$ and said, have at it. The road that is. These guys spent a large majority from the winter of 1991 to the winter of 1992 LIVING in a Winnebago. Left their girlfriends and families back at home, parked their asses in the U.S. and played, played and played all over the U.S. trying to get something going on. Garner any attention and momentum possible. Temporarily remove background information, because, Hollywood Records, Belfast, a photo and a CD on my desk the DAY BEFORE the show was my only working knowledge of GOAA at the time. My only job was to figure an angle to get people out on a Wednesday night for an unknown artist from a dark place over the ocean. Know what? I did a fairly good job. I actually convinced 45 patrons to saunter through the door that night. Well, the opening act helped a touch. Little did everybody know the memory that would probably stick with them for a long time. I don't speculate that reaction from everybody. I viewed it all over the live setting, both during and after.
Here's the fun part. Guess who was scheduled to work the door at the 23 East Cabaret that Wednesday night for the GOAA show? That's right, me! Guess who didn't end up working the door that night? That would be me! During the group's load in earlier that afternoon, they mentioned they had no light technician and could the venue provide one for the show. Having showed up extra early for my shift that night, to scope out these gentlemen out with my music hat on, the manager asked me in this order. Have you listened to this band's record at all. The answer was yes, only TWICE! That’s it, and I liked it. Then the next question was the obvious. Have you ever worked a lighting board. Hey there, NO! I have zero clue! Well shit, I was hired anyway, and I better figure it out. I have two hours. Luckily it was a small lighting board, so I had an oh-so fleeting shot of not making an ass of myself. This was the most speedy and reckless experiment of trial and error in the history of mankind. Front lights, back lights, side lights, colors, fades, and what to NOT TOUCH under any circumstances. It was the most fascinating combination of nerves and hilarity this newly minted 23-year-old had ever experienced. Obviously, I did eventually did meet the band and they gave me a fine Irish pep talk. Ahhhhhh! Give me the setlist already!
Showtime, probably around 9:30 PM. I believe all 45 people remained. One thing you learn when you work in the live club scene for an extensive period of time is this. The difference between a great local act, great regional act, and the next level up. You can spot it within 1-2 songs. There's an unmistakable confidence, capability and aura. I would also say an ability to directly connect with the audience in their way. GOAA took the stage and opened this show with a slow tempo ballad that goes anthem called "Whipping Boy". When you're a new artist trying to gain fans, you are always told to revert to the mean. Come out with a mid to fast tempo rocker to get the audience juiced. Nope! This unit knew what THEY were and how THEY wanted to present themselves to potential future fans. That, my friend takes supreme confidence. That is how the epic big boys and big girls are made in this culture. Just the opening to that song, where Dodge (lead singer) unleashes his vocal power, froze every single person in that audience where they stood. After that moment, not ONE person was exiting until the last note rings out that night. Not a chance. As they rolled into a few more songs in the set, the energy continued to light the place up. You begin to feel this is a bigger band in a smaller atmosphere, even though at that point, they were not. The moment of when separation ended between audience and performer arrived early enough with the incredibly upbeat and percussive delivery of "Honeychild". Not only is the song fantastic, but the band created an extensive mid-song breakdown, where Dodge literally crawled around the entire floor of the club touching everybody's feet. It was this odd acknowledgement and connection he was making with the audience. It was actually a beautiful moment. After that song faded out, all 45 people taking up all four corners of the place transformed into a one giant fan bomb that landed front of stage. Finally, toward the end of the set, with the Jack Kerouac inspired "Walking Jack", somehow from somewhere there emerged a collection of girls happily intermingling with the limited but energetic masses with sparklers in hand... a mini-circus like creation, if only for a few minutes. It was a sincerely passionate live concert from beginning to end.
After a demanded encore ended up in the works and the last song drifted into silence, something happened that I have never seen to this day. First, the ENTIRE crowd remained in the house, nobody left. Secondly, the 6-7 GOAA posters still hanging on the walls that night were now in the hands of 6-7 patrons. Those poster patrons + the remaining faction decided on their own to stand in line near the backstage area and wait, to both meet and get something signed by all four of them. In their bones, you knew that they felt and saw something they might never get that close to again. It was awe.
Still buzzing after the performance, juiced with that pure youthful curiosity, the next day at work I took it upon myself to call a few joints that also had put on GOAA performances. I had to hear feedback from whoever would talk to me. The reaction I received once again confirmed my decision to get into this business we call music. I phoned up Twisters in Richmond and was able to get Rob the talent buyer on the phone. I told him who I was, what little that I did up in Phila for the 23 East Cabaret and about our GOAA show. I wanted to know his thoughts on their show. His answer... "that was the best band that ever played in Twisters". Well ok, check! The next call was one for the books, and I'll never forget it. For all the people of a significant age, you would remember The Bitter End in NYC. Throughout the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, it hosted performances from some of the biggest up and coming artists in the world. The list is endless. I remember calling them up, and a woman answered. I politely asked her if this semi-newbie shlub with the Cabarets down here in Phila could speak with Ken Gorka (well known co-owner/talent buyer), and then she asked what it was concerning. I mentioned I just had GOAA at our establishment (I didn't word it like that) and wanted to ask him a question. The following is not an exaggeration or embellishment. He hopped on the phone within 5 seconds with vigor. He was unexpectedly friendly and forthcoming for someone who was him and I was me. Ken came right at me with a "what can I do for ya" attitude. I told him about our show with GOAA and asked for feedback on their shows, since he had them in his venue not once, but twice. His response was clear and concise. In all the years he had been with the Bitter End, GOAA was the best he has ever seen perform there. I even had to question him on that statement in my own plodding way, but he never backed off that response. He, along with his jaded NYC door and bar staff, were floored. Both Rob at Twisters and Ken at The Bitter End even allowed me to use their quotes in any future promotion for the band going forward, if and when that would be the case.
Well, it became the case, and those new fans from earlier WOULD be able to get that close to them again. They returned to the 23 East Cabaret only 3 months later, and you wanna know something? With no additional radio promotion or marketing, 280 people presented themselves at the show, once again on a Wednesday night. Sure, I worked my promotional ass off utilizing all street channels. Sure, I posted flyers (containing my shiny new quotes) at several record stores and music shops. But get real, this was basically word of mouth. Everybody came back to the show and carried a small posse along with them. They had no other choice. Of course, they delivered another raging performance, this time to a more expectant and educated audience. The newly confirmed fans soaked it in. Nevertheless, that first show is locked into my temporal lobe for life.
Fast forward... the label promoted them slightly more on the next album one year later, but not enough. I promoted their show in Wash. DC at The Bayou. Spent that night with them having drinks. Priceless, but the last time I ever saw them. Art vs. commerce issues, all the negative decisions and all the bullshit... game over. That poorly mismanaged record label truly did have zero idea what they were holding. Same story, different artist, but this is the only artist I ever backed with this statement... "they should have been huge". Not more successful... "huge". The description and impact of that show on that night from this band may seem grandiose or overstated... but surely trust me, it is not.
DISCLAIMER: If this column seems a bit babbly, I guess it expresses how my emotions got wrapped up in the experience.
Quick entertaining side notes:
- Ghost of American Airman sent me a postcard with a personal note in 1994, only to say "hello from Belfast".
- I did work the lights again for that second show at the 23 East Cabaret. I was pretty good. Hey!