Circus, June 22, 1978: Difference between revisions
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Around the corner is the [[Concert 1978-04-27 Syracuse|Landmark Theatre]], a rococo movie palace where Elvis had berated and rocked a full house into a frenzy two hours before. He had run through some of the nastier cuts from his second Columbia album, ''[[This Year's Model]]'', ending with a bellowing encore version of "[[I'm Not Angry]]" from last years debut, ''[[My Aim Is True]]''. "There'd better be some movin' around," Costello had threatened, and he was getting some. He was making the crowd -- "Citizens of Syracuse," he'd called them -- shout out the last word of the song's refrain. Five, six, ten, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, more times, till nobody was counting as Elvis shook his fist. | Around the corner is the [[Concert 1978-04-27 Syracuse|Landmark Theatre]], a rococo movie palace where Elvis had berated and rocked a full house into a frenzy two hours before. He had run through some of the nastier cuts from his second Columbia album, ''[[This Year's Model]]'', ending with a bellowing encore version of "[[I'm Not Angry]]" from last years debut, ''[[My Aim Is True]]''. "There'd better be some movin' around," Costello had threatened, and he was getting some. He was making the crowd -- "Citizens of Syracuse," he'd called them -- shout out the last word of the song's refrain. Five, six, ten, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, more times, till nobody was counting as Elvis shook his fist. | ||
Straightjacketed in a gabardine sportscoat and black shirt, running through the manual of arms with his guitar as he leaned over it to throttle the mike, dropping to his knees on "[[You Belong To Me]]," Elvis was earning his money. Not that he had to -- his first record sold over 300,000 copies, and ''This Year's Model'' is well on its way to eclipsing it. But his present US tour, which has just finished up on the West Coast after a clockwise sweep through the country, is vindication for Elvis and his producer -- fellow-performer [[Nick Lowe]]. And they are making sure to stuff their brand of rock & roll deep into the US craw. | Straightjacketed in a gabardine sportscoat and black shirt, running through the manual of arms with his guitar as he leaned over it to throttle the mike, dropping to his knees on "[[You Belong To Me]]," Elvis was earning his money. Not that he had to -- his first record sold over 300,000 copies, and ''This Year's Model'' is well on its way to eclipsing it. But his present US [[:Category:3rd US Tour|tour]], which has just finished up on the West Coast after a clockwise sweep through the country, is vindication for Elvis and his producer -- fellow-performer [[Nick Lowe]]. And they are making sure to stuff their brand of rock & roll deep into the US craw. | ||
"It's kind of fun," says Lowe of their new visibility, "Because just a few months ago people wouldn't have pissed on us if we were on fire; they thought we were losers, you know, but we just stuck at it." | "It's kind of fun," says Lowe of their new visibility, "Because just a few months ago people wouldn't have pissed on us if we were on fire; they thought we were losers, you know, but we just stuck at it." | ||
Backstage before Elvis' set, there was none of the wrath and bashing that one has heard about; Lowe and British rocker [[Dave Edmunds]] are leaning back after a hard-driving set, and Elvis is a still centre of concentration, writing a song list on a napkin, as his band (The Attractions) jive and uncap beers. Though he peers about amiably enough, half-grinning as his manager [[Jake Riviera]] impersonates a TV news personality they call "Horrendo," Elvis opens his mouth only once in 20 minutes. Organist [[Steve Nieve]] (a classically-trained 19-year-old whose Vox Continental organ sound stokes the band) has bought a fancy shirt, and is taking abuse for it. "Must be overpaid," says Elvis, effectively deadpan. | Backstage before Elvis' set, there was none of the wrath and bashing that one has heard about; Lowe and British rocker [[Dave Edmunds]] are leaning back after a hard-driving set, and Elvis is a still centre of concentration, writing a song list on a napkin, as his band ([[The Attractions]]) jive and uncap beers. Though he peers about amiably enough, half-grinning as his manager [[Jake Riviera]] impersonates a TV news personality they call "Horrendo," Elvis opens his mouth only once in 20 minutes. Organist [[Steve Nieve]] (a classically-trained 19-year-old whose Vox Continental organ sound stokes the band) has bought a fancy shirt, and is taking abuse for it. "Must be overpaid," says Elvis, effectively deadpan. | ||
Elvis' reclusive nature has kept biographical details scant. Said to have been born in London as Declan Patrick MacManus, raised in Liverpool as a Catholic, Costello is 23, and has a son, 3, from a marriage at the age of 19. Shortly before his discovery and subsequent induction into the star-making machinery of Columbia Records, Costello was still working as a computer operator at a division of Elizabeth Arden Cosmetics. For a spell, as D.P. Costello, Elvis fronted a country-rocking band called "[[Flip City]]" (His [[Ross MacManus|father]], as the story goes, was a band-leader.) In a boozy interview with a British writer, Costello made a statement that has caused more than a ripple of interest in his way-overgrown cult: "The only two things that matter to me, the only motivation points for writing these songs, are revenge and guilt." | Elvis' reclusive nature has kept biographical details scant. Said to have been born in London as Declan Patrick MacManus, raised in Liverpool as a Catholic, Costello is 23, and has a son, 3, from a marriage at the age of 19. Shortly before his discovery and subsequent induction into the star-making machinery of Columbia Records, Costello was still working as a computer operator at a division of Elizabeth Arden Cosmetics. For a spell, as D.P. Costello, Elvis fronted a country-rocking band called "[[Flip City]]" (His [[Ross MacManus|father]], as the story goes, was a band-leader.) In a boozy interview with a British writer, Costello made a statement that has caused more than a ripple of interest in his way-overgrown cult: "The only two things that matter to me, the only motivation points for writing these songs, are revenge and guilt." |
Revision as of 18:11, 3 February 2013
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