GordonGano is MY Uncle...and My Adoptive Mother, was one of the vocals on "Jesus Walking On The Water" Listen to the chorus!!! Hear that Female? That's my Adoptive Mother! (Gordon's Sister)
"How can I explain my personal pain" ... They were having so much fun playing this concert, and this song is my favourite. Beside "The Country Death Song", of course.
I was at this gig at the Lyceum in London. I got lucky and saw them just at the right time. I went without knowing much about them. I think Add it up, kiss off and this track were and still are 3 of the most powerful teenage songs ever written by anyone. Gordon got thrown out of school for singing this in assembly instead of what he'd been asked to sing. I think he began to sing the wholesome song and then stopped and sang this instead. Imagine having the balls to do that at 16 or 15. Most people wouldn't do that even at 50 in front of an audience. Victor was such fun on drums. They all imprinted their own unique personalities on the event and there was nobody else quite like them. Im still intrigued how the son of a baptist minister could write both Add it up and then also Jesus walking on the water and Faith. What a mixture. Gordon had the look of a potential serial killer who chose music instead
This song is awesome! I listening to the tape with my friends, jumping around and running into each other being total idiots!!! That was a great time in life!
Spent many a night riding shotgun in my friend’s metallic blue gemini automatic getting stoned and driving in the hills with the best of live violent femmes blaring on cassette . Eye learnt all the songs in such a short amount of time . This was one of my faves on those nights
My college's theatre director knows the Violent Femmes, and he was the guy who introduced Gordon to Brian and Victor back when he owned a theatre in Wisconsin. I freaked out when I found out about it. He's the coolest, craziest dude I've ever met.
I consider it one of my great good fortunes that I caught these guys in the early/mid 90's during one of their reunions; they were, like third or fourth top bill at a festival show. I can't remember a couple of the bands billed ahead of them, but I remember Beck (who'd just released "Odelay") went on right after them; he was awesome, or course, even the crowd only knew and wanted "Loser" so Beck changed the set and agreed to play it twice in a row, right at that moment, if they'd shut up about it. The deal was acceepted and we got "Loser" twice, with rather diminished enthusiasm and polish the second time. But what I'll never forget that the headliner was Bush. Fucking Bush. They weren't terrible, but the Violent Femmes being the opener for the opening band of Bush's opener is and was ridiculous. The Femmes were like the last of the early acts: it was still daylight when they came on, and played to about a 3/4 full venue, and about half of the crowd were totally stoked. Bush played over two hours later to a packed venue of screaming fans (by then, disproportionately young, female), clearly the main event. I watched two songs then went to the parking lot to smoke a bowl and beat the traffic.
I've seen them 3 times in Ireland there amazing live I meet Brian Ritchie before one of the shows and he played my request i was so excited when they played it hes incredible sound guy and really tall
Yeah, long time ago and I saw them some time in the mid 80s in the Alabamahalle, Munich. But I can still relate to lines like "How can I explain personal pain". Great lyrics. Live got much easier after I got my own car.
Awesome! First thought it was suspect footage (audio/vid syncing) - but after seeing all the impov moments (those Brian Ritchie bass solos- holy crap!). Great sound (straight form soundboard?). First single from MKe's finest. The rumor here is that Gano perfomed this song in high school (go figure?!)- as part of a Nat'l honor society event, which of course got him in some trouble...
@@rhainellis531 thats why it stays so good and timeless though, it wasn't exploited. They got more recognition in the 90's than back when they started. Love bands that stay in the underground though. Makes it more personal and raw. Doesn't seem forced or perfected which adds to why its so great
do you have the "add it up" video in the same concert? because someone had posted in youtube but the account has been canceled. oh, thanks for this video :)
@Missthumper83 These guys were awesome live. I've seen 'em live twice at The Del Mar Fairgrounds during the Fridays After 5 promotion run during the horse racing season. Too bad Sandy Eggo is full of scenesters who ruined a good thing. The first year I saw 'em wasn't too bad. The year after that sucked. It mostly people who had heard one or two songs and just wanted to look cool.
