Rock Town Hall • Rock Music Discussion

Practice Makes Perfect: The Rolling Stones Rehearse for 1978 Television Appearance

Feb 132012

One of my long-unfulfilled rock performance dreams is to have a gig in which my band sets up and “performs” in rehearsal mode: that is, facing each other, playing for each other, having the right to stop songs in midstream, adjust part of an arrangement, and criticize each other. We would completely block out the crowd and just do our thing, the way our thing is meant to be done.

Every once in a while I stumble across a video of an artist rehearsing for a gig or studio recording. I LOVE THIS STUFF! As a music lover, I’m as interested in experiencing what goes on behind closed doors as I am listening to or making music myself, also behind closed doors. Don’t get me wrong, the thrill of playing out or seeing a band out in the wild can be tremendous, but there are less opportunities for catching knowing glances, intimate gestures, and tossed-off asides and fills.

Enjoy this goofy, spirited rehearsal by The Rolling Stones while it lasts on YouTube. I’m afraid Steve Luthaker owns the rights to this clip.

Dave Grohl: This Mic’s Not Big Enough for Both the Beard and the Long, Sweaty Mane

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 132012

Choose one.

It’s been a few years now, hasn’t it, since Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl added a full-on beard to his Look, and his band’s popularity has only continued to soar. Nevertheless, watching the GRAMMYS last night I remembered an unwritten rule I meant to write down about 10 years ago, while watching another band led by a thickly bearded singer who also wore glasses. I’m going to write it down now, and I urge lead singers the world over to consider this:

1980s Iconic Pop Stars’ Deaths Not Be Romantic: Whitney Houston Dead at 48

Posted by KingEd

Feb 122012

Houston, we have a problem.

Last night while sitting on the can I pulled out my smartphone and checked the Web, only to learn that singer Whitney Houston was dead, finally, at 48 years of age. Remember when Elvis Presley died on the can? Reading about Houston’s death on my smartphone from such a perch will go down as nowhere near as legendary a moment in rock obituaries.

Rock ‘n Roll Holy Grail: On the Trail of Alfons Sinniger’s 1974 Eno Documentary

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 122012

An old friend and should-be Townsman passed along this Brian Eno promotional video, which neither of us had seen before. Perhaps it gets us one step closer to uncovering another related Rock ‘n Roll Holy Grail, the full 24-minute, Alfons Sinniger-directed 1974 documentary of Eno & The Winkies playing four songs in the studio. Keep hope alive!

The Ten Commandments of Dance

Posted by ladymisskirroyale

Feb 122012

Following the current Rock Town Hall questions and poll about my alleged knowledge of “illegal choreography,” I had a surprise visit from an interesting duo. A man and a woman appeared at my door. At first, I thought they may be solicitors, but upon closer look, I noticed some unusual things. They were dressed in black, although the woman also wore a touch of light pink. The man wore a tailored short jacket, but instead of pants had on very tight, lightweight leggings and soft leather boots. The woman wore a wrap sweater, a long chiffon skirt and slippers. It was when I noticed that she had her hair in a tight bun, and that both had darkly drawn eyebrows, false eyelashes and rouged cheeks that I realized that something was very, very wrong… These people were not visiting members of Roxy Music but instead had come to tell me that I had inadvertently broken one of the Ten Commandments of Dance.

Following is a copy of document that they shared with me. I am permitted to share it with you so that you don’t make the same mistake as I.

Rock Town Hall’s Saturday Night Shut-In: Too Many Nights Working Late!

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 112012

Sounds of the Hall in roughly 33 1/3 minutes!

In this week’s edition of Saturday Night Shut-In your host, Mr. Moderator, cuts the chit-chat and plays nothing but music. Sorry, folks, I know how much you love to hear the man talk, but he had too many nights working late this past week.

[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/RTH-Saturday-Night-Shut-In-66.mp3|titles=RTH Saturday Night Shut-In, episode 66]

[Note: The Rock Town Hall feed will enable you to easily download Saturday Night Shut-In episodes to your digital music player. In fact, you can even set your iTunes to search for an automatic download of each week’s podcast.]

Shopping for Beard: Fleet Foxes Turn to Rock Town Hall in Search for Appropriately Bearded Drummer

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 112012

Fleet Foxes with J. Tillman (the bearded one).

As you certainly heard a few weeks ago, Fleet Foxes drummer J. Tillman has announced he is leaving the band after their upcoming tour of Japan to concentrate on a solo career. Tillman, like most other members of Fleet Foxes, wears a beard.

Although the band has not announced its plans for replacing Tillman, it is believed they will pick another bearded drummer. Beards play a major role in the music of Fleet Foxes, adding to the depth of the band members’ tightly woven Rug Harmonies. The challenge will be finding an appropriately bearded drummer, one whose beard compliments the beards of the other band members. This promises to be no easy task. It’s no surprise that the continuing members of Fleet Foxes have called on Rock Town Hall to consult them in the selection process.

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