I’ve had this one sitting ready to post for a while now, so since the first band have a new, rather fine (from what I’ve heard of it so far), album out (“Helter Seltzer”) I thought now might be quite a good time to finally post it.
We Are Scientists – After Hours
Hel and I would often try and play this as our last record, particularly when we DJ’d in bars, in the hope that the bar staff would take the hint and keep the bar open a little longer (even more so if we were being paid in booze as long as the bar was open). I think it only ever actually worked once, in the now sadly defunct “Mucky Pup” bar in Islington. Although our playing little known 60s belter “Send Me a Postcard” by Shocking Blue when we knew the landlord/owner was a massive fan probably helped. It certainly helped us get some free Jagerbombs.
The Velvet Underground, of course, did a song by the same name, the final track on their eponymously-titled third album, which categorically should not be confused with the “The Velvet Underground & Nico” album (the one with Andy Warhol’s banana on the sleeve). It’s a cute little acoustic number, not particularly indicative of their normal sound, and featuring drummer Moe Tucker on lead vocals:
The Velvet Underground – After Hours
I first encountered this song when at the greatest gig I ever went to: R.E.M. at the Newport Centre, May 18th 1989, when they were promoting their Green album. Here’s the set-list from that night; fans of the band (and those who are familiar with the venue) will understand just why, approaching 30 years and many, many other gigs later, it remains the greatest gig I ever went to. I’ll talk about it in more detail at some point soon; until then, since I haven’t posted anything by them for a while, lifted from the Tourfilm live video which got released shortly afterwards, here’s R.E.M. covering (and forgetting the words to) The Velvet Underground’s After Hours:
More soon.
A History of Dubious Taste 