The Replacements, live at
One Step Beyond, Santa Clara, CA. 11th May 1989.
Set-list:
Disc One: (39:59)
1.
Favourite
Thing
2.
Hold
my life
3.
Anywhere’s
better than here
4.
Achin’
to be
5.
Darlin’
One
6.
???
(40 seconds of some cover that escapes me)
7.
The
Ledge
8.
Within
your reach
9.
Nightclub
Jitters
10.
???
11.
Waitress
in the Sky
12.
I.O.U.
13.
Nevermind
Disc Two: (40:10)
1.
Answering
Machine
2.
Little
Mascara
3.
???
(Instrumental)
4.
Another
Girl, another planet
5.
Unsatisfied
6.
Sadly
Beautiful
7.
Can’t
hardly wait
8.
Kids
don’t follow
9.
I’ll
be you
10.
I
Won’t
11.
Left
of the dial
12.
Valentine
13.
Alex
Chilton
Notes:
Complete show: Hmmm. I’m not too sure. Sounds like
it is a complete show, but it’s a bit short for a Mats show.
Musicians: The Replacements v2.
CD quality: Fine, after I fixed them little clicks.
I got this as a 2 disc set, but I’m sure it will fit into a single disc.
Remarks:
Hmmm, I don’t know much about this show. Sounds like one of those run-of-the-mill performances that they threw up once in a while. Sounds like they just ran through the material – yes, material – from the Don’t tell a soul LP (5 tracks). The only bright spot, it seems to me, was the then-unreleased Sadly Beautiful. But then again, what do I know? So here are some words from someone who was there –
Back then,
outside of San Francisco, there were no good clubs out here. The Keystone, where I had seen Husker Du
(and many others) a couple of years ago, was gone (The `Mats played there in
`83, for the record). The Laundry Works in San Jose was the place for local
bands and an occasional little-known touring act, but that had given up the
ghost, too.
All we had
left was One Step Beyond in Santa Clara. This cavernous dancehall holds a
special place in the memory of all of us South Bay types who frequented its
halls. It was big, dirty, hot, the sound system was shit, the staff were mostly
cretins, the drinks were overpriced (they even charged for ice-water!) and the
owner was a pretentious Brit who probably wanted to be Malcolm McClaren. They
even tried enforcing a dress code for a while.
But for all the things to hate about One Step, I have countless fond
memories of the place. They really did book cutting-edge bands (unheard-of for
the San Jose area), and I always had a good time.
Back to the night in question. There was a buzz in the air I've never felt
before, or since. Perfect strangers
struck up conversations about their love for the `Mats. Most of us were seeing them for the first
time. The Young Fresh Fellows opened
and were great, though they baffled most of the crowd.
Then, through
a haze of smoke and alcohol, we saw Paul shamble onstage skinny, ugly,
bowlegged(!), wearing eyeliner, hair flying in a thousand directions. The minute they came on, the crowd surged
forward ten feet. And then, when they
let fly into 'Hold My Life' (I think.
Or it might have been 'Bastards.' It was something off of TIM, I know
that), we all got knocked ten feet backwards.
They remain one of the loudest bands I have ever heard. The crowd was going nuts. I've never felt so
much excitement out of a crowd. We didn't just dig their music, people loved
this band. With a passion. Like I said, it was the least of the shows I ever
saw them perform: the energy level was
low. But I still remember Tommy kissing Paul, and the way they played 'If Only
You Were Lonely' as the first encore. And Paul giving me the dirtiest look imaginable
when I tried to talk to him after the gig (I found out later he did that to a
lot of people).
A couple
nights later in San Francisco, they smoked the One Step gig. You could hear `em clearly, for one
thing. Good memories associated with
that gig: a stage diver slamming right
into Paul (who didn't seem to notice) and then headfirst into the drumkit. A tiny little bleached- blonde who managed
to give Tommy a big fat kiss before the bouncers dragged her off. Another guy who ran in circles around the
stage, pursued by bouncers, while screaming 'catch me! catch me!' as the band remained
oblivious. Paul drinking whiskey out of a Big Gulp cup (He had a couple
of them. Their alcohol habit was not exaggerated).
- Alan K. Crandall