It wasn't until we were actually in the car, said goodbye to the babysitter and backing out onto the road that I realized the tickets hadn't arrived. How is it possible that I could have anticipated this for so long, and gotten all excited about all day, but not noticed that the tix were in abeyance? So we had to get to the show in 2 hours, it's a Friday night, it's 45 miles up US101 to San Francisco, we've got half a tank of gas (it's dark, and what are we wearing?). What can a person do in these circumstances except keep driving? I had ordered those tickets in February on the first day they were available, and poxy Ticketmaster had 3 months to get them to me and failed. I think that says something don't you? Anyways our people (me) called their people and got promised a "lost ticket voucher". But it wasn't there. Rather than call back for a "lost lost-ticket-voucher voucher" we prevailed upon the kindly staff of the Warfield to call their magic connections and get us in! Which they did! The Warfield is a sumptuous old palace of a theater in one of San Francisco's tatty downtown districts, not far from many geographical features mentioned in "Piazza, NY Catcher" i.e the Tenderloin, statue of Willie Mays etc. I had never been there before. At the entrance I was patted down by a nice security lady but no WMD were found (as is so often the case). So the show is about to start but it's the support act, a pleasant quartet comprising a leader-guitarister, female Cello and Viola continuo, and additional guitarism by a creature in a red cape who was introduced as "the creamy-soft brick". I think. The band or assemblage may have had a name; if so, it was not vouchsafed to me. At such times one's mind grooves about the auditorium and busies itself with other things, viz., will they play my 3 favorite songs of the moment (Str. Bn. Jean, Dream #2, Marx'n'Engels), why does a big of skittles have to cost six bucks, and, I wonder if anyone here is older than me? Hmmm.. he is... that guy is... those two women are.. that geezer with the white hair... not many really. Is it my fault to have been born too late? What shall I do with this oldiness that has come into my posession? Is it a tragedy? Yes it is, no it isn't. And then all at once just like that the band is on and playing a surfie-style song. And it was good and unbelievable and there was the very Stuart Murdoch of whom we have spoken, and the lovely Sarah, and the lovely everyone else and Bobby who looks just like me from 20 years ago. At the rear of the stage on the left was an area where up to four anonymous string-players did their part, on the right the asymetrically positioned drumkit, in the center on a riser a vast cave of keyboards to be played by a huge cast of characters up to 3 at a time. In front we have the central Stuarting area, with stevie tucked in just behind and to stage-right. Further right we get to Mick's mic with asoorted brass plumbing positioned within handy reach. Further out is the bass playing zone with no mic stand. The entire front of the riser from about the middle out across the drum kit was a row of guitars or guitar-like objects arrayed for easy selection. On the left is the Sarah zone with a chair and bits and pieces. Behind her is another pianoid keyboard with a seat and a mic. The lighting had swirly patterns (one resembling "Creme Saver" hard candy") that twirled and panned around the stage, plus two big yellow square floodlights aimed at the audience for moments of extreme agitation. Here is what I can remember of the set althought the order is probably quite, quite wrong. (the aforementioned surfie number) dog on wheels beautiful step into my office bub dear cat wait if she wants me piazza asleep on a sunbeam i'm a cuckoo you don't send me wrapped up in books scooby driver I fought in a war the model wrong girl seeing other people wandering days are over stay loose the encore (i think) - get me away i'm dying sleep the clock around Also in the middle the band took a wee break and Stevie at center stage bwgan soliciting requests (of a musical nature). Stuart was still bouncing around beside him and engaged in banter with nearby audience segments. It emerged that it was the birthday of some guy (or his disembodied voice anyway, I couldn't see) and his name was Nico. Nico! says stevie, and embarks upon "I'll be your Mirror" to reflect vott you ahh, in case choo donnt knoh - originally sung by the late Nico on the velvets's banana album as you well know. Scooby Driver was lengthened, seemed like an extra verse. At the end of "Step into..." Stuart sang "...since after Carter" instead of "...Thatcher" but no-one really noticed the cunning substitution. Also another cute trick, in "You Don't Send Me" they sang "...there ain't nothin you can do to - (pause) - surprise me", the surprise being the little hiccupy syncopation at that point. Well I liked it. You may notice that none of my 3 wishes showed up in the set :(. I didn't expect to get Marx&Engels but I thought Dirty Dream #2 was at least possible. Oh well. In the live setting the monster arrangements of the DCW songs go over very well especially the big set piece Stay Loose. What a wonderful time we had. And the queues at the parking building by the Sony Metreon were quite short really. I wonder if there was a a party afterwards? Love from The Quantity. _________________________________________________________________ FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar get it now! http://toolbar.msn.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister@missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo@missprint.org. 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