This week we have an imposter for MMM. Over the weekend I was “VJing” (for want of a better term) over on the SM fan group that I vaguely help out with from time to time.
We do Playbacks (long before Tim Burgess came along with his lockdown inspired “listening parties”). Head honcho of the group, G Man, would conduct playbacks. A bunch of fans meet at the group at a specified date and time and listen to a playlist of SM songs simultaneously and just…comment along with thoughts and memories about the tracks playing. All great fun.
Except…when I hosted a couple a few months back! Lol. It was just prior to lockdown, I think. Anyway I did a couple and it scared the bejaysus out of me. I found it INCREDIBLY stressful but…a little bit fun. Despite not being able to enjoy them as I had done as someone who just listened in rather than ran the thing! Lol
Anyway, there hadn’t been one for a while and I suppose I wanted to see if it was as stressful as I remembered it feeling. Short answer? Yes and no. The prep is stressful! And I now realise from after this weekend….I need to give myself much more time to prep and I need to have all the prep done before I even announce that there is going to be a playback or playbacks on the weekend chosen. That working on it for a couple of hours a day until all the playlist links, my intros to them, any interesting info I want to share about what’s being played, etc, etc is all sorted. That will lessen a lot of stress attached, because once the thing is under way…once you’ve put that first track out and have the playback going – then it’s fun!
So, this weekend the playbacks had come via a group member suggestion of having the first and last track of each album as the list.
To end the second part of the playback and have it run to a similar time to the first part, I chose a couple of SM covers at the end of the list. Rockin’ In The Free World by Neil Young (which was on the Searching For The Lostboys album bonus that was released with Graffiti Soul) and then All Tomorrow’s Parties (from Neon Lights – which is now just about my favourite Simple Minds cover of all).
I think there is something about SM covering Lou Reed/Velvet Underground songs that gives them more resonance, makes them better, gives them more feeling, more emotion…be it melancholia or joy – or even a mix of both. They just seem to give them…more. Perhaps it is down to Jim’s “hero worship” of Lou? I’m not sure. But the best SM covers seem to be Lou Reed penned compositions.
I finished yesterdays playback with two encores. Them performing Street Hassle live at the Roskilde festival in 1983 and then an early live version of White Light/White Heat from 1979.
So, here we are. Another Lou Reed cover. This time from when Jim branched out on his tod as Lostboy! He’s a bit of an imposter this Lostboy! but there’s an SM connection there, I think. I think the link is Jim Kerr…. *pondering face – rubs chin* ??
The title seemed relevant for me too. I mean…what the fuck DOES go on in my mind? Lol. Not even sure I know most days! Anyway….after that long-winded fucking intro…enjoy!
