14 May 2007

Age of Chance - Kiss

Fon
AGE5
1986


Age of Chance - Kiss cover

I'm really sorry. I only just noticed that the last three postings were all bad tunes. Compelling and captivating, in a watching as you pass a car crash kind of way. But bad nonetheless.

Today I change that.

Last time Prince toured Europe he didn't even play the UK. The nearest he came was frigging Rotterdam. I've been whining about it ever since.

Then he announces that he'll do some European dates this summer. All 21 of them in one month and in London. Not so much a gig residency as a tenancy.

The first seven - at the new O2 Arena, the old Millennium Dome - went on sale on Friday, and I fuckin well got some. Face value only 30 quid, which is a lot compared to other gigs I go to but nothing compared to others at the O2.

The Stones are trousering 70-150 notes per punter. Which is fair enough, they are the best live band ever, capable of blowing anyone else off the stage.

Barbra Sodding Streisand is charging up to 500 quid! Excuse me? I get the very strong feeling I'm missing something here. Isn't she basically Elaine Page?

Not content with his excessive style, Prince is dishing out a free copy of his new album to all ticket buyers, a move that made his record company go 'what new album? he never told us about a new album'. What a dude.

So, being from Leeds and going to see Prince, I present the only other Leeds/Prince interface I can think of.

It's 1986, less than nine months after Prince's sinewy upright funk original was released, and Leeds' own Age of Chance come at it like a runaway steam train. Hard, heavy, electronic yet dirty, like a prototype for Pop Will Eat Itself and Jesus Jones. What's more, they release it on pretty green vinyl to boot.

Play it as loud as you can to get that full 'Alternative Night at Mad Hatters in Southport circa 1987' effect.

[Sorry! MP3 deleted to make room for new ones!]

10 comments:

Pat Patterson said...

Thank you thank you thank you thank you! I have all the different AoC Kiss 12"s, but they are 6000 miles away in my in-laws loft. It's awesome to hear this for the first time in years. Did I say thank you?

RA said...

Fiscal difficulties prevent me from even considering buying a Prince ticket. Bugger. You'll have to call me from the gig...

Ms Striesand is a God. This is, of course, confirmed by her fabulous duet with Mr Neil Diamond on "You don't bring me flowers"

Peace,

RA

merrick said...

RA,

how appropriate that such a negligably talented schmaltzer like Streisand should work with Diamond.

mind you, I don't want them to hear me saying that, not with their martial arts skills.

Doesn't the song have a line about 'you don't bring me flowers when you kung fu the door at the end of the day'?

Banana 9000jr said...

You totally rock. Totally totally totally rock. I've held on to a deeply scratched copy of this for years, desperately hoping that someone would invent vinyl repair technology so I could finally digitize this. I'm looking forward to going through your blog archives too. Thanx.

Anonymous said...

Thank you!!! My vinyl copy has been warped since 1990.

Anonymous said...

Just looking for a pic of the O2 arena on Google and found your blog. Nice post! Wouldn't mind a green copy of Kiss on 7" myself, along with our first album!

You have fine taste!
Geoff-T (AoC)
x

Anonymous said...

thanks for giving me the opportunity to hear Kiss once again. i have a vinyl at my parents house but who owns a recordplayer these days? :-) HUGE THANKS TO YOU!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Class, pure class.
And I remember the Alternative Nights at Mad Hatters in Southport. In 1980 to 1982 tho' above Charlotte James?

merrick said...

Anonyperson, nah, I was a later generation, down that sidestreet that runs from MJs through to Southport Tech.

I remember hearing the immensity of What Difference Does It Make fucking loud in there and realising for the first time that the Smiths weren't just literate and clever but also fucking rocked.

Stays with me to this day.

Stephen said...

Thanks muchly! If you'd like the 12" by same method, just let me know your email address.