When I was @ a SY concert.....
 

I feel like talking about past SY shows. & I wanna know what happened to the people of the night of the concert. Who were you w/? What happened on the road trip up to the concert? & most importantly, What did the band play, & what did they do? Any little stories you have about an SY concert, I wanna know I'll start;

2004;
I found the SY tickets on this cheap little cellular phone that had access to a few web pages. So, I was very lucky to even know that SY was even on tour. (Lollapalooza was cancelled)
Date, August 20, 2004. Venue, The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC

The Orange Peel;
As I got to the venue & the doors, naturally me & some other people had gotten there early, so there's that whole waiting story. Everybody was talking about SY shows that they've seen in the past. & I was jealous 'cuz this was my first SY show. So, finally, they open the doors, & I hand event staff my ticket & ID. & just as am thinking I'm ready to go in, they stop me & say that they don't allow out of state ID. I almost died. I just couldn't believe that I wouldn't get to see SY. But, I'm happy to say, after some convincing they let me in.

"Sonic Nurse" North American Tour;
So, I'm finally getting ready to see SY. You know, the other acts are playing, but I can't concentrate 'cuz I'm to busy thinking about SY & their brilliance.
& finally the moment I've been waiting for, SY live. Kim & Lee pretty much right in front of me. Kim would do this thing during where she would raise her arms like angel wings, & that is a moment I'll never forget. Thurston was being a crazy schizo on stage, like he always is. He actually ran around enough to where he was in the middle of the stage, instead of to his normal left-side position. Lee did something I never would of expected, He actually almost stage dived w/ his guitar over the audience, & I touched a piece of the neck. I'm still in awe. & Jim was being quiet as usual. just playing bass & guitar. & of course Steve was fucking kicking ass behind the set.

set-list: (not the actual order)
Pattern Recognition
100%
Kool Thing
Stones
Teenage Riot*
Pacific Coast Highway
Skip Tracer
Unmade Bed
Dude Ranch Nurse
Paper Cup Exit
Kim Gordon & The Arthur Doyle Hand Cream
I Love You Goldon Blue
Expressway To Yr Skull

my first sonic youth concert was in London in the year 2000. Part of the NYC Ghosts and Flowers show. I went with my friend Rorie and my dad (as a 16 year old living in Scotland, my parents didn't want me going to London alone.) We were staying in a decent hotel which was being renovated which meant the rooms were cheap. Me and Rorie had a room and my dad had a room.
We got the train to London. Then I think we got the tube to the hotel. Once in the room, we discovered you could watch around 60 seconds of the porn channel on the TV before it cut off and prompted you to pay. We ate in a McDonalds for dinner then made our way to Shepard's Bush Empire. A ticket tout standing outside: "buy or sell tickets ta see sonic yoof!"
inside, we marvelled over the colourful array of t-shirts at the merchandise stall. Rorie bought the one with the picture of buildings, I opted for the Pope painting which features in the NYC G+F liner notes. To this day it remains one of my favourite t-shirts even if it is slightly large... i'll post a pic of it soon actually...
anyway, we made our way up to the balcony and got seats. I was incredibly excited. I had been OBSESSED with this band in a particularly teenage life or death way for the past two years and here I was about to see them in the flesh. This was the second night of a two night stint in Shepard's Bush. I had been studying setlists on the various SY message boards of that time and had a fair idea of what "classic" SY jams might emerge. I had listened to the previous night's gig online on some live streaming radio program which had whetted my appetite.
The support bands wre ok. Not bad, not great. I was just eager for some SY.
I was wearing a homemade Goo t-shirt...
Finally they appeared on stage, made a little small talk and launched straight into... TEENAGE RIOT... me and my friend went apeshit as that was one of our favourite songs of the day... then they went straight into BROTHER JAMES... incredible... we felt as if we had been sent back in time 9 years and punk was just breaking... They played much of the NYC G+F LP plus some of my favourite old songs including Sunday, Mote, and Tom Violence... completely amazing... i left breathless and enthused....
after an endless encore of Lightnin, on the way out i heard some jaded londoner mutter something about "white noise.."
Beautiful white noise indeed...

SETLIST:

Teenage Riot
Brother James
Free City Rhymes
Kool Thing
Small Flowers Crack Concrete
Mote
Nevermind
Side2Side
Sunday
Tom Violence
NYC Ghosts & Flowers
--
Lightnin'
100%

I feel the same way about my SY concert shirt as you do. It's my favorie shirt in my conert shirt collection. It' the famous "War Is Bogus" shirt, but mine has the dates of the tour on the back. I was wearing a red SY shirt. It's the one of the woman lying on a therapist couch, & has Sonic Youth @ the top w/ youth written backwards.

I wasn't at a sonic youth concert till now so i can only dream how it would be... But i hope they come to Austria this Year..

I'm sorry if we're flaunting this stuff at you. We don't mean to. But don't worry, SY's not just gonna suddenly stop touring & doing shows. You'll see them, mark my words.

That's a great fucking set-list!

yes that's right, would be great to see this set-list
and thank you for the encouragement..

Hey, just helping my Sonic Friends. & I'm no expert on SY concerts. Let's get that straight right now. I've only seen them once.

My last SY gig was at a Brisbane club, the Arena, on June 19, 2004, not long
after Nurse was released.
It was a sellout but my partner and I managed to squeeze within six or seven rows of stage left, closest to Lee.
The beginning was special. Jim came on first and began layering ambient
notes, followed by Steve with shimmers and low-flung rhythms, then Lee,
Thurston (both building a sonic movement) and finally Kim, at which point
you could tell they were about to start with I Love You Golden Blue. I've got
goosebumps, now, recalling the scene.
Yet there was a weird kinda vibe which came to the surface later on. There
were some predators lurking.
About the third song, two bouncers marched a tiny punk girl out of the
venue. As she was being shifted, she stopped in front of me, wild-eyed and
deliberate. She looked right through me and made a gesture ... as though she was flicking invisible money in my face. Then she was gone.
Mariah Carey And The Arthur Doyle Hand Cream isn't my fav track on
Nurse, but when they played it live, sheeeeit, I don't think I've heard a band
evoke such power ... it ripped through my chest and forced air from my lungs.
Just after New Hampshire (thank God!), I felt someone tug my sleeve. My
partner had collapsed on the floor, in convulsions ... I was so involved in taking photos and on another plane that I hadn't noticed. I managed to carry her outside. There were about 8 other girls lying around, being sick. It didn't take long to figure out that some lowlife had spiked drinks in the club.
Weird and wonderful night.

pics from the night:








I Love You Golden Blue
Schizophrenia
Pattern Recognition
Stones
Unmade Bed
Paper Cup Exit
Empty Page
Dude Ranch Nurse
Mariah Carey And The Arthur Doyle Hand Cream
Mote
New Hampshire
Drunken Butterfly
--
Brother James
Rain On Tin
--
Making The Nature Scene

Great pics. I wish I could of taken some at the show I went to. It sounds like an interesting thing to have happen. Having someone spke drimks that is.

#2

Manchester 2002. Murray Street tour. This time I went to the concert alone. My family decided to visit our relatives in nearby Chester to coincide with the SY gig so that they could give me a lift to Manchester, which is approximately 5 hours drive. We got slightly lost on the way down but managed to get there eventually and find Manchester Academy, a medium sized venue, a lot smaller thatn Shepards Bush. My parents dropped me off outside, and I could already see a huge queue of teenagers milling around outside. Timidly I went and joined the queue, sporting my NYC G+F t-shirt. Once I got inside I headed for the merchandise stall and saw no other than Coco Hayley Gordon Moore chilling out looking at fans of her parent's band with coy curiousity. I purchased a black Sonic Youth tee which had a sort of psychedelic pattern. Then I headed to the bar to buy a pint.
I stood and watched Liars and thought they were OK but nothing brilliant. A girl in front of me was writing Sonic Youth on her arm w/ lipstick. She asked me if I wanted my arm done. I bashfully declined. She seemed intrigued when she heard my Scottish accent. I went and got another pint. I sipped it slowly. I must've had a relatively empty stomach because at this point I began feeling slightly tipsy. I struck up a conversation with a nervous looking woman standing beside me who turned out to be the girlfriend of the Liar's bassist. She was from New York and cited the Whitey Album and Sister as her fav Sonic records. I told her I was more of an a Thousand Leaves man. We kissed and engaged in some heavy petting. Just kidding. I finished my beer and the Sonics hit the stage and I remember the instant they appeared. I was close to the front, much closer than the last gig, and it felt so surreal and ethereal. They went straight into a rocking version of Bull in the Heather followed by, if memory serves, Kotton Krown.
They proceeded to play the best concert I have ever witnessed and in all likliehood am ever likely to witness. They played Making the Nature Scene for fuck's sake! I went insane at that point, moshing, slam dancing, falling over other startled audience members. The Murray Street material sounded awesome live as well, particularly Karenology and Sympathy for the Strawberry. I remember fancying that I made eye contact w. Kim during the latter but I probably just imagined it.
They played 2 encores, Thurston declaring that Mancunians really are 24 hour party people.
A note on the Mancunian people: of all the gigs I've been to, the audience at this one seemed the most friendly and talkative. I had conversations with quite a few fanatics who were devoid of the typical concert attendee aloofness. I remember midway thru shadow of a doubt turning to a guy i had spoken to earlier and we were both just grinning gleefully and he screamed "this is fucking amazing!" it certainly was.
After the gig I went outside soaked to my skin in sweat and bought a Murray Street poster from some random dude. I went back to the travel inn in a euphoric daze. This gig, and London 2000 were two of the best experiences of my life, no shit.

Setlist:

Bull in the Heather
Cotton Crown
The Empty Page
Rain on Tin
Plastic Sun
Kissability
Karenology
Eric's Trip
Shadow of a Doubt
Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style
Sympathy for the Strawberry
--
Disconnection Notice
Skip Tracer
Drunken Butterfly
--
Making the Nature Scene

i hope that SY will visit Moscow in Rather Ripper tour... :)

ARGHHHHH

They BETTER come to Florida this tour!!

#3

2002 again. the third SY gig I witnessed was the most underwhelming gig. After the ecstatic joy of Manchester, I decided I would buy a day ticket for Scotland's very own T in the Park festival as SY were playing one of the tents. I got in to the site about 2pm, confirmed the time and location of SY, and then milled about all day, mostly in the unsigned bands tent. I saw a pretty cool instrumental band who had some melodic noise. I also saw Cornelius who were great.
SY were due to play after some English prog band, I forget their name, but I watched the end of their set, trying to get a good position for SY. After their last song, one of the guys from this band recommended us to stick around for Sonic Youth (to my annoyance... I wanted everyone to leave so I could get up the front). Anyway, I managed to get a fairly good space and watched patiently as SY's equipment was set up. I remember seeing a trolley of guitars and feeling a tingle of excitement as the reality of the situation materialised. The band finally came on. Lee and Thurston were wearing denim jackets. Thurston introduced the group and then they launched straight into Tom Violence. It was a pretty standard set.. the sound wasn't great and they seemed to lack energy as if they were just going thru the motions. As it was part of a festival, they only got about 45 minutes as well which sucked... also, there was a really annoying guy in front of me who kept jumping up and down and he had a rucksack that was flopping about and he was a geek and I hate him.

It was a weird day all in all. I hung around by myself. I don't recall talking to anyone. The food and drink was a rip-off. I hate festivals. Apart from ATP. Which we'll come to next....

setlist:

Tom Violence
Kissability
The Empty Page
Rain on Tin
Eric's Trip
Plastic Sun
Disconnection Notice
Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style
Drunken Butterfly

Whorefrost,
my first SY gig was your second in Manchester, i came from Ireland on the ferry for the fuckin thing!! great night though, i remember it well

i saw sonic youth semptember 2004 brixton academy

setlist as i remember:

i love you golden blue
pattern recognition
peace attack
m.c. and the arthur doyle hand cream
erics trip
teenage riot
new hampshire
pacific coast highway
paper cup exit
expressway to yr skull (i remember this lasting around 40 minutes)

im sure they played more but i cant remember,

i remember thurston climbing up onto the speakers and was swinging this guitar around in front of them for about 10 minutes, it was great,

we broke down on the drive home and had to sleep in a service station,

First saw The Yoof at Shepherd's Bush Empire, June 24th 2002, having hightailed it down from Glasgow on the overnight bus with two mates in tow. Cracking set it was, too. Surprisingly rich with Daydream Nation material. I remember they played 'Candle', 'Eric's Trip', 'Kissability'. They opened with 'Kotton Krown' (wonderful, although it's a shame Kim doesn't sing on it when they play it live).

Second time around was the Barrowlands, September 1st 2004. Another stonking set. Highlights included Thurston chanting "Arthur! Arthur! Arthur! Doyle! Doyle! Doyle!" before 'Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle Handcream' and Kim cooing "Hey Posh Spice - what are you gonna do for me?" during Kool Thing. Favourite Pic from that night:

Teenage Riot;
I remember before SY played "Teenage Riot", Thurston explained how the last time they were scheduled to play The Orange Peel, they had to cancel. & all of the ticket holders who were waiting to get in started a riot when they were told the show was canceled. So, that was a great intro to that song.

9/2/05 HOB San Diego

I can't even describe it. They were doing all this great stuff...some people say it was a weak performance by them, but not having seen them before, I didn't care. It was great.

Setlist: Wow...let me try and remember (horrible memory)

Most of the standard Nurse stuff
Erics Trip
Expressway
Rain on Tin
Pacific Coast Highway
The Empty Page
Bull in the Heather
Schizophrenia

I saw them on 14 July 2004 in Seattle at the Showbox. Pretty fun show. Lee totally screwed up his guitar during Kool Thing, and I totally screwed up my right ear. I now wear earplugs at every show that I go to.
I Love You Golden Blue
The Empty Page
Pattern Recognition
Stones
Eric's Trip
Mariah Carey & The Arthur Doyle Handcream
White Kross
New Hampshire
Paper Cup Exit
Schizophrenia
Dude Ranch Nurse
Brother James
--
Unmade Bed
Rain on Tin
--
Kool Thing

Does that really affect the sound? Or does it just make it quieter?

Well, I'm glad that you all are interested in sharing your SY concert experience w/ me. Thank You

My first show:

Date: Monday, June 19th, 2000
City: Washington DC
Venue: 9:30 Club


SET LIST


Schizophrenia
Teenage Riot
Free City Rhymes
Renegade Princess
Kool Thing
Burning Spear
Mote
Nevermind
Side2Side
The Ineffable Me
NYC Ghosts & Flowers --
Lightnin'
100%

And the next night:

Date: Tuesday, June 20th, 2000
City: Washington, DC
Venue: 9:30 Club


SET LIST

Tom Violence
Brother James
Free City Rhymes
Small Flowers Crack Concrete
Kool Thing
Hoarfrost
Nevermind
Side2Side
Cotton Crown
100%
NYC Ghosts & Flowers --
Lightnin'
Death Valley '69

Stereolab opened up both nights. Highlights include Thurston saying, "This song is Tom Fucking Violence," The Ineffable Me, Kotton Krown, Schizo followed by Teenage Riot, and them closing with Death Valley 69 the second night.

I'll always remember Kim taking this girls cowboy type hat & wearing it while playing "Kool Thing". Kim is the koolest chick ever. & I remember Kim giving the mic to the audience by sticking her mic clutched hand out & letting the audience sing the lyrics to "Kool Thing". I was one of those background vocalist.

I'm loving all these stories. Keep 'em coming. I wish I had more stories to tell.
I will after Bonnaroo this June.

I wish I could post the flyer of the SY show that I went to. Damn this old shitty computer.

first SY show - 19/03/96 Vooruit, Gent Belgium

i remember being utterly excited the first time seeing them. So first up was Beck with a mighty fine solo acoustic set.
The first time i was at Lee's side and remember thurston playing the crowd and wishing i was standing at his side (sorry Lee :) )

Later when taping Sonic Youth shows I would almost always be lurking on Thurston's side but not then. Another thing I remember was that Thurston had the shortest haircut since the early haydays of Sonic Youth.

Oh yeah and they polayed music too: well To be honestly i still have to see a Sonic Youth concert that would outdo the first one. I still think that their setlists of the Diamond Sea era are some of the most tight lists, along with the ATL era IMO.

They kicked of with Teenage Riot and that is a mindblowing opener with the intro when all is dark and then slightly the lights came on, what follows is personal history for that matter.

Now i have a feeling that has near the excitement I had then for their set at nouveau Casino where they'll perform songs from the new album.

Set list 19/03/96
Teenage Riot
Bull in the Heather
Starfield Road
Washing Machine
No Queen Blues
Saucer Like
100%
Becuz
Eric's Trip
Diamond Sea
--
Panty Lies
Junkies Promise
--
Silver Rocket

I can't wait to see my 2nd SY show. I am going to Bonnaroo, so I'll see other acts that I like, but mainly I am going because of Sonic Youth.

SY rocked Texas 3 nights in a row back in 2004 and I was there for all of em. As for other great shows the Asburry Park show and the Hoboken shows from last year are at the top of my list to.

Rock on SY

I bet the Hoboken shows were fucking amazing.

My first gig of theirs was at the 930 club with Mike Watt some time in 98 or so. They basically played all of Thousand Leaves. Excellent show! They finished with Death Valley '69. I couldn't ask for a better song.

No, unfortunately, I only went to the HOB show. I had to opt for that one because I was being taken by my dad, since I had no other way of going. He didn't want to go to a festival, but much rather wanted to go to a small HOB concert...not that he really wanted to at all. He did end up liking them live more though.

Now I am giving my dad two options...Pearl Jam and Sonic Youth, or the Flaming Lips and Sonic Youth? He can decide. Lol...I just want to see SY again.

That must have been an excellent show. Mike Watt & SY together, you can't beat that. I really like Mike's groups, fIREHOSE, Mike's solo group, anything Mike does I really enjoy. I have Mike's solo album, "Ball-Hog Or Tugboat" where they do the cover of "Tuff Gnarl". & the album also has the song were Kathleen Hanna talks to Mike's answering machine, & she's all pissed off that Mike wanted her to be on the record. Apparently, one of Mike's band members supposidly raped one of Kathleen's friends.

Marley -- I'm not sure, but I always thought Hanna was kidding on that track.

It's always left me confused to. I never knew if it was serious, or something they were laying down for the record. I'm listening to that album right as I type.

It's not the actual sound frequencies that kill you, it's the intensity. If you wear cheap foam earplugs that are meant for noisy work environments, yes, it will muffle the sound a little bit but it will in no way ruin the experience. In fact, it'll enhance your listening experience because your ears won't be ringing for the next few days and you'll keep your hearing for a few more years.

I know that many musicians and stage workers do wear earplugs during their shows; they're custom, more expensive earplugs that do a better job in not muffling the sound but blocking out the intensity.

2002 Sonic Youth live/hamburg...last two songs on the setlist:

...
kool thing ca. 5 minutes
kool thing (merzbow) ca. 20 minutes



thats all I got to say

Here's some pics of The Orange Peel show that I went to. Thanks to soniknirve! (just a trial run) (I'll have more shortly)

 

First sonic Youth show was August 14, 2004, four days after my birthday. The red soxs were playing, so my dad had to take a different way through. We also decided we should get some dinner before we went to the show. The combination of the two made us late, but it was only by 3 songs. I got there in the middle of Mote, and when I heard Lee singing I got more excited than I had ever been in my life. Time literally stood still as I was swept up by the feedback and melodies, and Steve, Jim and Kim pounded rhythms into my heart. They had to end the show earlier as the clubbers had to come in, and Thurston commented on how his second concert ever was Peter Frampton, and how to stick around for "The sick disco afterwards..."

Setlist:
Burning Spear
Pattern Recognition
Disconnection Notice
Mote
New Hampshire
Dude Ranch Nurse
Sugar Kane
Mariah Carey
Stones
I Love You Golden Blue
Paper Cup Exit
White Kross
--
Unmade Bed
PCH
--
Expressway

August 20, 2004. You got a hell of a better set-list then we did. It was nothing fancy, but it was the best show of my life. 1st row, G/A.