Jim Fouratt: CulturalInstigator: SPANDAU BALLET returns to the US .. and shows how they are better now than ever

Sunday, May 3, 2015

SPANDAU BALLET returns to the US .. and shows how they are better now than ever

If you are anywhere near Westbury Music Fair ... I suggest you go tonight (May 3rd) to see SPANDAU BALLET . Live they are as the Brits say ... "BILLIANT" Their film "Soul Boys of the Western World"

is in limited release in the US (now at IFC in NYC) and will explain what happened to a band that sold over 25 million records worldwide ...and its one of the best best music docs I have seen on how success confronts high school lads with a band dream . I presented them in their US debut in the early '80's and were thrilled to intro them at their first US come back date at SXSW last year .. when they proved not to be a nostalgic band but a band with problems solved that had not lost their creative juices and actually were playing better than ever . Gary Kemp has written new songs to show off their chops and Tony Hadley remains along with Boy George the best Brit Pop singer to come along since David Bowie ... this is the last show in the US ...next leg Australia ...but they will be back playing some festival dates in the Summer . Yes they went from dancefloor club hits like To Cut A Long Story Short

to literally pop anthems like TRUE Here played live in 2009 as part of the European REFORMATION show.

and Through the Barricades note the hair and clothes

.. but they can still simmer despite what ever the genre . If you went to the original Danceteria or Hurrah you heard Mark Kamins and Shawn Cassette mix them in at peak moments ..... artist who can cross genres and make hook filled songs are what makes a musical journey possible through the growing up process in public... I have my fingers crossed that they repeat their version of Lou Reed's Satellite of Love

that stopped the show at SXSW when they performed at the Lou Reed Memorial concert organized by Richard Barone and Alejandro Escovedo

here is a review from Newsday of the Beacon NYC show May 2nd Newsday review of May 2nd 2015 SPANDAU BALLET NYC live show

And first person blog Beacon show review of Paul Hallasy (gay stand up comic) who had been at their US debut show I presented as part of the Modern Classix series at the Underground

Paul Hallasy review Spandau Ballet at Beacon

2 comments:

thegaycurmudgeonNovember 17, 2015 at 10:31 AM
Thanks for the link!
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thegaycurmudgeonNovember 17, 2015 at 10:31 AM
Thanks for the link!
ReplyDelete
Replies

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Praxis, my dear, is the only real way to succeed in the culture war.

Praxis, my dear, is the only real way to succeed in the culture war.
Yes indeed there is a culture war going .. but you know that if you have arrived here. We suggest that you put theory into practice by taking virtual you and virtual ideas into the reality of real live physical and cognitive action.

MEANING: get up and out of your chair and do something physical in real time. OCCUPY YOUR BODY. Be physical.

The fuel is love, compassion and curiosity. Anger is a result of the repression of fear and distances one from compassionate change ... do the Che Che cha cha cha .. or if you prefer the Stiegler tango! or the Shulamith Firestone death metal raga!

PRAXIS is the action of putting into practice the thoughts, theories and desires running through your bio-magnetic, nerve sensitive self. Reality propelled by the friction of input/output.

Damn it, it should be fun !

I will share with you my interaction in the real world and the theoretical world and invite you to do the same.

Politics is an everyday affair. Politics is how we live our lives Every action or non-action we do is a political act. Culture is the expression of desire in public interactive way.

So jump in please.

Join me in participating in life. Making change starts with self and ripples out. Pop culture is where I live ..not in some isolated, white tower, postmodern, distancing intellectual thought or theory. Theory in practice is praxis . It used to be called dialectics .. still a good word even if dressed up in new theory drag.

Serious fun has it consequences including changing the status quo.

We are all at the same life party. Find the door you can come through to make PRAXIS a full time act of creativity .

jim fouratt