I have a lot of stuff backlogged. Work stuff. Playground stuff. Mew stuff. But while I’m working on getting all that ready for posting I thought I would just write an entry on the first opening act from the Mew concert on Friday.
Press Play On Tape (official site).
I wasn’t actually expecting any opening acts. It didn’t say anything on the ticket about it. It hadn’t said anything on billetnet, where I bought the ticket. So I was pretty much expecting Mew to go straight on. I guess that was naive of me. And I was a little puzzled when the show started with simple digital noises and the words:
In 1982 the world saw.. the Commodore 64.
In 1986 the world heard it as well.
And then it launched into the Commando tune. Anyone remember Commando? I played that game to death when I was a kid. It was quite surreal to hear that coming from the speakers. I thought to myself: “Hmm what’s this? I thought Mew started their shows with Circuitry Of The Wolf / Chinaberry Tree. Is this some kind of new opening?”.
And then the Commando theme tune turned into the Commando theme tune with heavy guitars and blasting rocksounds.
Wow.
One of the coolest things I have ever experienced. I had never heard of Press Play On Tape. I didn’t know there was such a thing as Commodore 64 concept rock. I know now. And the world is a better place for it.
It was so much fun. So cool. And to boot, it was really good music. And I loved their whole “ultimate nerd” act. And the boy band, the gameboy band. The Nik & Jay of nerdism. Wonderful. And of course their videos playing in the background. Old Commodore games. Oh man. It may not be a stage show on the level of Mew, but it was damn good anyway. Especially just the old Commodore 64 basic screen. Beautiful!
It pretty much blew my mind. Their performance only lasted some 25-30 minutes. Too bad. I would pay good money to see them do a longer show. I’m not sure how serious they are about their music. From their website it looks like they don’t play that often. But if you’re opening for Mew then you really ought to seize the chance to get a breakthrough with your music. Because Commodore 64 rock is a concept that bloody rules, it does. They finished off with Monkey Island. Monkey Island! Okay, it’s an Amiga game. But still. Best game ever. It’s not more than a month ago or so that I loaded up Curse of Monkey Island for the first time and got all nostalgic from listening to the theme song. And now, Monkey Island rock! It rocked. Oh my gosh.
When they were done playing they said that they would go to the merchandise shop and sell CDs and chat. Now me being the concert newbie I thought I had to stay where I was and keep my place because Mew would be right out. That was at 20.30 I think. Mew wasn’t on before 22.00. There was another warmup act. Blue Foundation. They were good, but not really my style and I was tired and my head starting to hurt. I wish I’d gone out to the merchandise shop. I want PPOT’s CD. I must have it. Luckily it seems you can order it from their website, so I’ll definitely do that. Their first CD is sold out though. Bummer. I want all the Commodore 64 rock I can get.
Oh here’s their set (copied from their website, all rights belong to them)
Commando
Ghosts’n Goblins
Arkanoid
Comic Bakery *** new boy band arrangement
Warhawk
Phantom of the Asteroid
Das Gamer
Monkey Island (main and Le’Chuck’s theme)
Sweeet.
Here are some pictures.
You can see all the Press Play On Tape pictures in this album. Mew and Blue Foundation pictures will come when I get those sorted out. I wish I could take better pictures at concerts. But remember, I’m short and social phobic. It makes it harder. Plus I still have to learn to use my new camera properly. So much I want to do, so little time. Or something.
I heartily recommend that you visit Press Play On Tape’s site. You can download some videos and MP3s there. Amongst others you can get Monkey Island. So do that. I haven’t listened to the one on their site yet, but it rocked live.
Speaking of recording live music on my Sony walkman/netMD minidisc recorder. I hate Sony. With a passion. Turns out that I can’t transfer music from my minidisc to my computer. Well I hope I can find a way around it, might have to settle for analogue transfer. But I really can’t believe that you can’t just copy the music you have recorded yourself through a microphone onto your computer. Copyright protection my ass.
Of course in this instance it doesn’t matter so much because I messed the recording up. I only got 2-3 minutes of the PPOT’s Commando starter. That’s all. No Mew. Which sucks because I bought (minorly) expensive microphones and I had no problem with security. I think I could have actually made a good recording. But then, I probably wouldn’t have been able to transfer it. You’re damned if you do, you’re damned if you don’t.
I did make some nice videoclips of both PPOT and Mew though. I’ll have to see what to do with those.
Once in a while life will throw you a nice surprise. Press Play On Tape was definitely one.
I miss my Commodore 64. Emulation just ain’t the same.
C64 4ever.
Posts
October 16th, 2005 at 22:47 e
Nice Blog!! You might not be very tall, or know how to use your recording equipment, but you are a really good writer :-). And you actually got a picture of me from the event – no one else did, hidden behind my drumkit as I was most of the time.
We’re glad you liked it. We sure did as well :-)
October 17th, 2005 at 10:55 e
Hi Plume
Thanks for the nice write up from the guitarist with the least hair and the purple guitar :) It’s great for us when we can re-kindle that old nostalgia for the wonderful C64 music. And, judging by the looks of some of the other members of the audience while we were performing, people too young to remember the C64 enjoyed the music as well. That’s a testament to the quality of some of the music.
I’ve looked through some of you blog entries, and I must say that I’m very impressed with your struggle to overcome your disabilities. I’m well acquainted with serious disability within in my immediate family, so I can really appreciate your struggle. It seems to me that you’re doing well and moving in the right direction. Keep up the good work, you have my best wishes.