The Green Telescope – Live at De Stip (Amsterdam) – 30 August 1986

The Green Telescope were an amazing garage/psych mid-eighties band from Edinburgh, Scotland. They released two 45s, The “Two by Two” EP and “Face in a Crowd” single and participated to the “The Waking Dream” and “Beyond The Wildwood - A Tribute To Syd Barrett” compilations.

Lenny Helsing was on guitar and vocals, Alan McLeanon on bass, Bruce Lyall on organ and Gavin Henderson on drums which was replaced by Mal Kergan.

They later changed their name to The Thanes of Cawdor then The Thanes and are still active to this day under that name.

Here they are, recorded live in Amsterdam on the 30th of August 1986. Angus McPake is playing bass on that recording. He was standing in for Alan Mclean, just for that tour.



Setlist:
• Thinkin’ about today
• She was mine
• (I’m so) frustrated
• I could be happy
• Touch
• X+Y=13
• I am alone
• I cried my eyes out
• Who knows?
• It’s gonna rain
• Face in a crown
• Make me stay
• Kicks and chicks

Jesse Garon and the Desperadoes - Live at Rumours (Edinburgh) - 5 February 1987

If Rote Kapelle was on the Fall / Cravats side of the scene, Jesse Garon and the Desperadoes were Edinburgh somewhat darker answer to Blondie.

Andrew Tully, Angus McPake (bass guitar) and Margarita Vasquez-Ponte (drums) were in both bands. Kevin McMahon (guitars), Stuart Clarke (guitar) & Fran Schoppler (vocals) completed the line-up.

They may have been the proper happy sad pop band Edinburgh was looking for and would more than deserve to see their records reissued.

This concert was filmed in 1987 during a series of Thursday nights organized by Avalanche Records in the Cavern and Rumours, Edinburgh. The videos of the gigs were to be shown later in Avalanche Records shop.

Baby’s Got a Gun – Live in 1987 at the Cavern (Edinburgh)

“Baby’s Got a Gun” was the third album by the Only Ones, released in 1980.

It was also a Scottish band, active from 1985 until 1995 who, by their own admission, “punk’d up the eighties rock scene”. Here they are, live in Edinburgh at the Cavern in 1987.

The peculiar concert was filmed in 1987 during a series of Thursday nights organized by Avalanche Records in the Cavern and Rumours, Edinburgh. The videos of the gigs would be shown later in Avalanche Records shop. Since I was to leave Scotland before this would materialize, I begged Kevin Buckle to sell me advance copies of what had been filmed so far. He was kind enough to oblige me and here it is in all its lo-fi glory!

Sonic Youth – Live at Splash One (Glasgow) – 18 May 1986

On May 1986 our American cousins, Sonic Youth, came to visit Scotland.

On the 5th, they gave a feverish concert in Glasgow. They were at the peak of their Bad Moon Rising / Evol area. I still remember being in the front rows during the whole set and taking photographs (but more of that in a forthcoming post).

A few days later, in Edinburgh, I met someone who filmed that gig and who accepted to give me a copy. Here it is, digitized at last!

PS: If anyone knows the person who used to film indie gigs in Edinburgh and Glasgow around 1986, I would very much like to get in contact with him. He must have amazing archives, should he accept to share them 😉

The Pastels – Live at the Onion Cellar (Edinburgh) - 3 February 1986

The Pastels played the Onion Cellar on the 3 February 1986. Here is a bootleg tape I bought at the time.

I digitized it for your lo-fi enjoyment 😉

The Television Personalities live at The Forum Enger Club (Germany) – 7 January 1984

On the 7th of January 1984, The Television Personalities were on stage at the famous Forum Enger Club, Germany.

The support band was Die Sauberen Drei. This gig was booked by Macs Beckmann, who got Thomas Zimmermann into booking TVPs by posting him a hand written letter in January 1983. The sound engineer was Wigbert Pieper.

The band: Dan Treacy - Vox, Guitar, Joe Foster - Vox, Guitar, Dave Musker - Vox, Organ, Jeff Bloom - Drums, and Jowe Head (who had just joined on) - Vox, Bass

This nth generation video looks very trippy / fuzzy but it is a unique occasion to see and hear the TVPs play a 2 hours and 20 minutes gig filled with fan’s favourites.

On that night, The Television Personalities played Jowe's song “Shiny Black Shirt”. There are also a couple of more or less unrecorded songs on there.



Set List:
• Jack The Ripper
• Silly Girl
• Someone to Share my Life with
• The Picture of Dorian Gray
• Stop and Smell the Roses
• Look back in Anger
• La Grande Illusion
• David Hockney’s Diaries
• I know where Syd Barrett Lives
• The Painted World
• The Love is Gone
• If I could Write Poetry
• Pablo Picasso
• Conscience Tells me No
• Sense of Belonging
• Shiny Black Shirt
• Part Time Punks
• Three Wishes
• Painter Man
• Arthur the Gardener
• Back to Viet Nam
• Day in Heaven
• Where's Bill Grundy Now
• Set the Control to the Heart of the Sun (Medley)
• Waiting for my Man
• Sister Ray
• Roadrunner
• Batman
• Miles and Miles / Substitute
• Louie Louie
• Pushing too Hard
• 96 Tears
• She Loves You / Helter / Skelter
• Hang on Soopy
• Venus in Furs (beginning)

I hope you’ll enjoy this lo-fi video 😉

Rote Kapelle – Live at the Onion Cellar (Edinburgh) – 6 October 1986

On the 6th of October 1986, Rote Kapelle played at the Onion Cellar to a very sparse crowd, supporting Vee VV. Happily, Dave Spalding recorded their set.

You will find below this historical moment for your refined auditory pleasure 😉

Set list:
01. Intro
02. King Mob
03. Anna
04. Jellystone Park
05. These Animals Are Dangeroos
06. Sunday
07. Marathon Man
08. George

Rote Kapelle – Live at the Cavern (Edinburgh) – 12 January 1987

Rote Kapelle were a great post/punk band from Edinburgh. The were noisier and weirder sounding than most of the anorak pop bands while retaining a pop sensibility.

It may be high time to reassess Marguerite Vasquez-Ponte importance in the Edinburgh scene. She formed Rote Kapelle in the early 1980s with Andrew Tully (vocals), both of whom would also form Jesse Garon and the Desperadoes. She was also a member of The Fizzbombs and joined the re-formed Shop Assistants in the late 80’s.

The other Rote Kapelle members were Chris Henman (guitar), Ian Binns (keyboards, also a member of The Stayrcase and who played drums in The Thanes from 1987 until at least 1994), Malcolm Kergan (bass, also a member of The Thanes), and Jonathan Muir (drums). As always in Edinburgh at that time, a few familiar faces kept popping up in many bands.

The peculiar concert was filmed in 1987 during a series of Thursday nights organized by Avalanche Records in the Cavern and Rumours, Edinburgh. The videos of the gigs would be shown later in Avalanche Records shop. Since I was to leave Scotland before this would materialize, I begged Kevin Buckle to sell me advance copies of what had been filmed so far.

He was kind enough to oblige and here it is in all its lo-fi glory!