Something 4 The Weekend # 116

Pere Ubu: The Modern Dance: "Laughing" [mp3]

Back in 1980's exactly five people told me that David Thomas, the lead singer of Pere Ubu, was my doppelganger. Having had the great fortune to see the band live on two occasions back then, I can also report that the resemblance was sorta striking. Which is why I didn't even attempt to meet him or the rest of the band after those shows, much less get near the stage during their sets for fear that slapping his hand or inadvertently touching the hem of his pants might cause both of us to spontaneously combust and cease to exist.

That's what supposedly happens when doppelgangers meet, you see...Or so I've been led to believe, and sometimes, yes, I am very easily led...Life is sometimes more interesting that way, though most of the time it's best to make it up yrself...

Anyways, this is only the second post about Pere Ubu here on HOT POOP, and that's shameful, really...They were a huge influence on Mumniti, the band I was in circa 1985-1988...In fact, our band probably aped this band a bit too much - a weird mix of Free Jazz, Punk, Cabaret, Performance Art, and anything else remotely experimental and weird.

And a lead singer who looked a bit too much like David Thomas...

Mumniti even did covers of two other songs from The Modern Dance album...An extended version of "Life Stinks", and a heavy-duty interpretation of "Non-Alignment Pact", complete with duck calls and bullhorns and three electric guitars...

But this is "Laughing", a song working the soft/loud/soft maneuver a decade before Pixies, but a decade after, oh, I dunno, Black Sabbath, who did it a decade after The Isley Brothers, and when exactly did Mozart do his thing? 230 years ago? Give or take...

Anyways, Pere Ubu are certainly one of the most unique bands in Rock History...A potent machine of self-expression...A band that can blow yr nuts off while attempting to make actual, bonafide Art. I like those kinds of bands. I love Pere Ubu.

Hotcha! Hank