09/18/81 - NYC, NY @ New Pilgrim Theater

Date: Friday, September 18th, 1981
City: New York City, NY, USA
Venue: New Pilgrim Theater (Music For Millions Festival)
SET LIST NOTES
Hard Work [I Don't Want to Push It]
Where the Red Fern Grows [I Dreamed I Dream]
The Burning Spear
Cosmopolitan Girl
Loud & Soft [The Good & The Bad]
Destroyer
She is Not Alone [early version]
  • Richard Edson returned to the band on drums.
  • Show is finally available on the excellent SONIC YOUTH EP expanded reissue.
  • Portions of "The Burning Spear" "Loud & Soft" and "She Is Not Alone" appear on the Sonic Death album.
  • "Cosmopolitan Girl" is a track from Kim's earlier band CKM.
  • "Destroyer" is an otherwise unavailable instrumental.
  • Greg Bullock writes: I think also on this bill were hardcore bands The Nihilistics and the Misguided. There was also another "noise band" (as we used to call them - ha!) besides SY. Could have been Rat At Rat R or Live Skull as both were getting started at that time. Now that I think of it, must have been Rat At Rat R.

    I'm thinking this must have been the gig because it was at a theatre of some kind, complete with seats bolted to the ground a la a school auditorium or old-style movie theater. An unusual venue for a punk rock show. There were maybe 20-30 people there. Could have been fewer.

    I was big into hardcore at the time and I remember The Misguided being very Hardcore. The bass player from The Nihilistics threw up on stage between songs. My buddy and I were very impressed by this. Later found out he could vomit at will and threw up at every gig. Ha ha. There were other bands on the bill--Y Pants apparently, though I have no memory of them whatsoever--but I can only remember these few.

    Anyway, SY was quite a spectacle because they had about 20 guitars, all very beat up and funky-looking and a chick bass player. They played so loudly and so brutally that some people--including me--left the theatre and waited in the entryway/foyer area outside. Little did we know it was the beginning of such a creative and influential band that would be around for the next 20+ years.

    Anyway, if you can confirm that this is in fact the correct line-up you may want to add the The Misguided, The Nihilistics and Rat At Rat R to the list of other performers. Just in case any of the other two dozen people that were there decides to stop by and reminisce.

    QUOTES

    - Hard Work [early version of "I Don't Want to Push It"]
    - Where the Red Fern Grows [early version of "I Dreamed I Dream", partial Lee vocal, no Kim]
    - The Burning Spear
    - Cosmopolitan Girl
    - Loud and Soft [early version of "The Good and the Bad" with Lee vocal]
    T: "Two more."
    - Destroyer
    - She Is Not Alone [early version with detuned strings]
    T: "Thank you."

    OTHER PERFORMERS

  • Y Pants
  • The Nihilistics?
  • The Misguided?
  • Rat At Rat R?

    MEMORABILIA

    Have any information on this show? E-mail me!

     

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