Billy Bragg

Lonestar Roadhouse, New York, NY

sorry, Mike has not yet written about this show... add your own comments if you were also there!

King Missile

Max's, Ithaca, NY

This concert was part of my friend Kathy and my "Fall Rampage," as we dubbed it, an impulsive roadtrip to see King Missile twice on successive nights. Since I lived in Ithaca as a college student just a few years prior and Kathy had a friend then attending Cornell and could (presumably) bum rooms for the night, this show was the primary reason we made the trip. The Buffalo show was just icing.

Had a great time as usual during KM's set; I remember particularly great versions of "Wuss" and one of the few covers the band ever did, Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry."

After their set, I had a conversation with drummer Roger Murdock. We talked about the dance remix of "My Heart Is a Flower" that got a lot of airplay earlier on alt-rock and college radio. The dance-beat versions (by producer Ivan Ivan) were labeled "The Against Our Will" remix on the single and showed the band bound, gagged, and leashed to the grinning producer. John S. Hall had repeated in many interviews (including one at WHTG with Matt Pinfield the afternoon of their Fastlane gig) that the remix was actually the band's idea and the notion that they were forced into releasing that version by Atlantic Records was merely a joke. Murdock told me, "I don't care what John says, it was the label's idea and we didn't have a choice."

My grand plan of crashing on someone's couch fell apart afterwards. Fortunately, Kathy's Cornell friend said I could sleep on someone's floor. One of the roommates upon who's floor I was sleeping, however, wasn't informed about this hasty arrangement. It's always fun to begin one's day with a "Hey, who the hell are you?"

Finally nailed down the correct date for the show: Sunday, Nov. 10, 1991.

King Missile

The Icon, Buffalo, NY



My friend Kathy and I decided to go on a weekend King Missile road trip. We drove from New Jersey to Buffalo for this show and then continued on to see them in Ithaca the following night.

All I recall from this show is a memorable version of "Jesus Was Way Cool" and this venue had an odd way to separate the under-21 audience from the drinking crowd.

We didn't talk to the band at this show, since we knew we were going to be seeing them the following night, so as soon as it was over, we headed across the border at Niagara Falls and stayed at a hotel on the Canadian side.