Being selected for a John Hughes soundtrack in the mid to late 80s was to get invited to the cool kids table at the cafeteria.
Of course, The Psychedelic Furs were already on my radar as an 18-year-old when the movie Pretty in Pink was released. For the record, I wish the alternate ending with Duckie & Andie together was the real one.
I simply couldn’t pass us the opportunity two legendary bands in one night.
X
Formed in the same year as The Psychedelic Furs, X are a band that always seemed to miss the boat of success by mere seconds.
As John Doe (Bass) once said: “When you mention the name X, people say either ‘You changed my life’ or ‘Who?’”
X was so irresistible, that Ray Manzarek of The Doors was smitten, and helped produce 4 albums.
Ask Flea (RHCP), Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam), Jane’s Addiction and Henry Rollins…and they will give their respect to the band that put L.A. on the map, when it came to matching the Punk energy of CBGBs and the UK.
Exene Cervenka (vocal) was joined by her ex-husband John Doe, who was all smiles, looking like he was having the time of his life.
Billy Zoom, cool as a cucumber, effortlessly played the guitar, revealing some Rockabilly vibes and occasionally played the Saxophone.
D.J. Bonebrake provided the beats for a crowd-pleasing set.
The reception for the band at MTelus was great. It included one drunk patron, who claimed to be their biggest fan, that was overly happy, yet oblivious to the chaos he was causing to those around him.
A big highlight was Los Angeles, a song that made The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
They ended with a Doors cover of Soul Kitchen to an appreciative crowd.
While they might not have the wild abandon of their former younger selves, they proved that age does not matter, when it comes to performing great music.
The Psychedelic Furs
When you’ve been a band for 45 years, you are bound to have gained some stage experience.
Richard Butler has a distinctive voice, but he exudes charisma that very few artists can even aspire to. I’ve never seen Bowie live, but I sensed a Bowie like presence with his dramatics and playful attitude.
Tim Butler gave a MasterClass in coolness as he played bass, and often visited the front of the stage.
Mars Williams was explosive paying Saxophone and Clarinet with the obligatory soul patch that comes bundled with every Sax.
Amanda Kramer lay down the keyboard tracks while rocking the shades, like the rest of the band.
Rich Good, on guitars may have other side projects, but he fully fit in and added just enough solos to complement, not overpower the set.
Zach Alford, who formerly worked with the Saturday Night Live Band, Bruce Springsteen and David Bowie provided the backbone for the band on drums.
It was The Ghost in You that really brought the nostalgia level up in my case. This song may have been written about how Princess Diana was consumed by tabloid media, while she was still alive. When they sang: “A man in my shoes runs a light” and “hearing you my engines die” is quite ominous in retrospect…yet a great song.
Pretty in Pink was released in 1981, but it was in 1986 with the release of the movie of the same name that made the song became a commercial hit. While the movie and song diverge in story arcs, the association surely didn’t hurt the band.
When Love My Way and the incomparable Heaven got us singing at the top of our lungs, I wondered what would be left for an encore?
The adoring fans clamored for the band to return to the stage, which they did, to end the night with Heartbreak Beat and a musical voyage to India.
Conclusion
There was plenty of Jazz elements to both bands to merit a Festival International de Jazz sticker to their front monitors.
While The Roots were having a party down the street, we had our own 80’s party, for both original fans, and new ones, educated in music that stands the test of time.
The Psychedelic Furs put on a show that rocked MTelus and had many of us, return to feeling like a teenager, with a crush on Molly Ringwald.
For a few hours…Heaven was the whole of our hearts.
Photos: Randal’s crappy iPhone Max
Writer: Randal Wark is a Professional Speaker and MasterMind Facilitator with a passion for live music. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. His Podcast RockStar Today helps musicians quit their day jobs with out-of-the-box advice from Ted Talk Speakers, Best Selling Authors and other interesting Entrepreneurs and Creatives. He created the Rock Star Today Music Business Jam Session for musicians. Randal is a collector of signed vinyl, cassettes and CDs.
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