Friday, January 05, 2007

Old grey whistle test

Last night on bbc4 they showed a series of programs about the old grey whistle test. This was a famous music show in the 70s and 80s. I saw Captain Beefhart perform on an old show. Wow he had a kind of crazy stage presence. This was a performance from the mid 70s, so perhaps not one of his best songs. Beefhart's visual performance although out of this world was topped by Alex Harvey doing the Brel song "Next" (the song about losing virginity in an army whore house). Harvey's eyes were shining with maniac madness. Still a number of the bands were too hippy for my taste. I did find myself shouting at the TV "get a haircut you hippy bast*ard" (as you do) and cut down on the length of the guitar solos. I was hopping to see the set done by Jerry Lee Lewis. He is playing the piano and at the end of set puts his hand in the air and twirls his finger around in away that some people may have found to be lewd and suggestive.