My first Frank Black gig and my friend and I, who are both massive FB fans had been looking forward to it for ages. The Cockpit was an ideal venue for him and The Catholics to play, there was a real intimate atmosphere between him and the audience. We were right near the front and were in awe when The Man came out on stage. Looking around, you could tell by people mouthing the song words, that it was quite a knowledgeable crowd with a good atmosphere. The set list was quite surprising; Seven pixies songs, one song from his first album, ("Los Angeles"), nothing from "The Cult Of Ray", (the only disappointment), and a couple of b-sides.
The set-list, in full was, (in the nearest order I can remember) was:
1. Velvety (Instrumental)
2. Gouge Away
3. Calistan
4. Sir Rockaby
5. Mr. Grieves
6. Robert Onion
7. Superabound
8. Dog Gone
9. Unknown cover. (Think Frank said Arlo Guthrie).
10. Dancing The Manta Ray
11. Stupid Me
12. Oddball
13. 21 Reasons. (Unreleased song)
14. Fiddle Riddle
15. Los Angeles
16. You're Such A Wire
17. I Switched You
18. Blast Off
19. Six-Sixty-Six
20. So Hard To Make Things Out
21. Unknown Song. (".....we'll have a gay old time!")
22. Hermaphroditos Is My Name
23. Monkey Gone To Heaven
24. Headache
25. Skeleton Man
26. I'll Be Blue
27. Bullet
28. Steak 'n' Sabre
29. Where Is My Mind?
30. Llano Del Rio
31. If It Takes All Night
32. Nimrod's Son
ENCORE.
33. All My Ghosts
34. Re-Make/Re-Model
Alex O'Connell

My first Pixies/Frank Black gig and it was a monster! Franks up their, larger than life, in a suit as are all the Cathlics to one degree or another and they absolutely ROCKED. Opened with Gauge Away to everyones delight, and huge crowd participation to the 'maruana' line.(and if I'm not mistaken, their was plenty about on the night...) I couldn't begin to remeber exactly what was played, much the same though as the listings that I've read for the warm ups and the US gigs. All the best ones that come to mind are, Los Angeles, Fu Manchu, Every time I go around here, Do the Manta Ray, Calistan, Sir Rockaby, Fiddle Riddle, I've seen your picture, Robert Onion, Stupid me, Bullet, Hermaphroditos, I'll be blue, If it takes all night, that Bryan Ferry cover he does, where is my mind, Mr Grieves, it went on and on...It's too soon to talk about it but if your not going, and you could, do!
J. Gill

The last time Frank Black played Glasgow we got the pleasure of watching him at the Garage, a venue about five times the size of King Tuts. Saturday's gig sold out pretty quickly, and after the mercifully brief support slot, folks just streamed out of the woodwork filling the place up.
So, after what seemed like forever, the Cathoilcs and Frank stroll on stage and start jamming with the Intro music before launching into of all things, a cool as f__k version of Velvety. With the exception of the Pixies songs (Which were received like God being the guest speaker at a Sunday service), everything played got an amazing reception.
Highlights included: The crowd's reaction to Gouge Away, brilliant renditions of Blast Off, Hermaphroditos, Fu Manchu, but mostly Frank's face at the end of the night with the reception he got.
If you can, go see them... if you can't, go see them anyway. Songs played:
Velvety (Really cool slowed down version)
I love your brain
Calistan
Everytime I go around here (Originally abandoned it after screwing up the intro)
Mr Grieves
All my ghosts
Los Angeles
Dancing the manta ray
Sir Rockaby
Bullet
Hermaphroditos
Stupid me
I'l be blue
Llano del Rio
If it takes all night
Robert Onion
Blast off
Fiddle Riddle
Fu Manchu
Steak & Sabre
Six Sixty Six
Where is my mind ?
Nimrod's Son
The Marsist
Men in black
Remake/Remodel
Played a couple more I can't rember and a couple of covers (Tom Waits and Arlo Guthrie I think) Robert Dunn

Frank Black's performance at Vicar Street, Dublin, was one which will stay vividly in the minds of all those who experienced the event: it was nothing short of orgasmic. I went with three good friends - two of whom had already seen him live, either as a solo artist or as Pixies' front-man - and, afterwards, we all agreed that the show was nothing short of mesmeric. Touring "Dog In The Sand", Black is riding high on the wave of a minor Pixies revival. He is receiving the critical acclaim that has eluded him (wrongly, in my opinion) since his eponymous debut album of 1993, and he knows it. Tonight's performance - with traditional Catholics line-up - was a non-stop roller-coaster featuring some of his finest moments. It featured a well-chosen selection of songs with tracks from all six of his solo albums, some Pixies' classics and a couple of (slightly obscure) covers. The Catholics are a tight unit: David McCaffrey's bass playing was excellent; Eric Drew Fieldman is a true multi-instrumentalist virtuoso; SB (as his bass drum denoted) was in good form; and Black himself was in fine spirits, sharing a couple of jokes with the Irish crowd - Samuel Beckett's current revival in Ireland (almost all of his works have recently been adapted for the big screen and were showing in Dublin at the time of the concert) gave Black an obvious opportunity to address the full-capacity Dublin audience before launching into Blast Off.

All songs were well-received during the almost-two-hour set. Personal highlights included The Marsist, Los Angeles, Every Time I Go Around Here, Calistan Way, Blast Off, All My Ghosts and Skeleton Man; and, yes, the crowd went a little ballistic upon hearing the opening notes of Pixies' classics like Monkey Gone To Heaven, Nimrod's Son, Where Is My Mind ? and Gouge Away. The key reasons why Frank Black & The Catholics are such an exciting outfit live are, first, their high-octane performance and, second, the surreal, sonic quality of Black's songwriting. They are an electrifying and animated live act and Black is an entertaining and deeply talented guy. This was rock 'n' roll at its most beautiful and most dynamic.
John Healy

Last night Frank played a mere seven blocks from my apartment in Arlington, VA. There is something richly satisfying about walking down the street to get a haircut and stopping by at a local pub to catch your favorite rock star do his thing. I arrived at 6 and began drinking $2 Sam Adams and reading Foreign Affairs (this is Washington, DC after all) as the opening act, the omnipresent Reed Paley, did his sound check. At around 7 Frank himself comes in to perform his sound check. I am a 26 year old man but I still get that girlish thrill when I see him. With all things copacetic, Frank went outside and I decided that after three beers I was ready to approach him. So I pretended that I was looking for a friend and waited for him to get off his cell phone. I shifted about like a nervous teenager asking a girl to the prom and finally mustered up the courage to see if he would have his picture taken with me. What a fucking nice guy. He brightened up, swung his arm around my shoulder and gave a great grin while Dave Phillips clicked the photo. He was talking to the club manager about where he should eat and said that he wanted Vietnamese food. I told him about a great joint up the street called Nam Viet and that's where he must have eaten because he said that he had Vietnamese food. Let it thus be known that I am wholly responsible for the food currently making its way through Frank Black's digestive system. Anyway, the show. Reed Paley was fun as always. He's got this faux nihilism thing going which manifests itself as this all-encompassing misanthropy. And he is always receptive to the hoots from the audience. At around 10:30 Frank and Dave came on and immediately earned the gratitude of the audience with a smashing version of Nimrod's Son. I'm sure that the entire neighborhood heard the packed house scream "You Are The Son Of A Mother Fucker". Being that it was Frank, it was a fantastic show. But the greatness of the songs is lessened somewhat by the lack of a band. Still, no one seemed to mind. The crowd was enthusiastic and especially appreciative of the Pixies offerings, including Mr. Grieves, Gouge Away and a sort-of encore of Where Is My Mind. Frank also played All My Ghosts, a long, experimental version of Los Angeles, Every Time I Go Around Here, Calistan, Sir Rockaby, Dog Gone, I Gotta Move (which Dave didn't know), Six Sixty Six, Steak and Sabre, You're Such a Wire, I've Seen Your Picture, Robert Onion, Bullet, The Swimmer, Hermaphroditos, I'll Be Blue, Llano Del Rio, and a couple of b-sides from the new album which I did not recognize. Overall, an excellent effort from the man who at the end of the show patiently signed autographs and exchanged banter with his adoring fans without a hint of prima donnaish hesitation. He said that he would be back in the area in April. Obviously, I'll be there and if any of you get a chance to see him go go go.
Ian Begg

I saw Frank Black and the Catholics for the first time at the Cat's Cradle, a fairly small place, and what a show! After the opening act "Sorry About Dresden" cleared the stage, Frank and the band came on around 10:15 and started with "All My Ghosts"; and proceeded to jump from album to album all the way back to the Pixies. They played for well over two hours, including three encores, encouraged by a full house. The sound quality was good so you could hear all the details- Frank's excellent rhythm and Rich Gilbert's amazing (and sometimes amuzing) lead guitars along with the others sounded great. It was interesting to hear the steel guitar on some of the older material- Frank introduced Dave Philips as the newest Catholic. The driving rythym of David McCaffrey's bass with Scott Boutier's drums was also top-notch. Frank showed his sense of humor when introducing Scott by saying to him something like "Can you see back there? man I can barely see you" ( it was dark in his corner of the stage ). I heard that Frank had been battling throat/voice problems lately. Thankfully he didn't have to cancel, but you could tell that he was having difficulty at times. He asked us to pardon him while he popped a Riccola or two and I noticed him sipping water. I lost count of how many songs they played, but here are most of them: Blast Off, I've Seen Your Picture, Stupid Me, Hermaphroditos is My Name, Bullet, Robert Onion, I Switched You, Western Star, You're Such a Wire, I Love Your Brain, Skeleton Man, All My Ghosts, Six Sixty-Six, Dog Gone, Men in Black, Sir Rockaby, Calistan, Los Angeles, Fu Manchu, Every Time I Go Around Here, Oddball, Jumping Beans, Remake/ Remodel, and about four Pixies tunes (sorry ,I'm not familiar with Frank's music before L.A.). The crowd was definitely ready for Where is My Mind and needed no cue to provide the high background vocals. Excellent performance. Go see them they tour the U.S again this Spring.
DONALD G. EVANS

Frank and the Catholics played to a more than packed house last night at the Cat's Cradle. The opening act was a local band called Sorry About Dresden-kind of a Weezer with more metal sound, very solid band. The crowd didn't seem to notice the intro to FB&C because it blended in with the house music, so there was a sudden eruption as the band entered the stage. They played something that I didn't recognize for about a minute, then went into All My Ghosts. It was song after song for about thirty minutes. They quickly hit Gouge Away and Mr Grieves as well as the Tom Waits cover. They also played an Arlo Guthrie cover which sounded really nice. A lot of the crowd seemed unfamiliar with the newer stuff. In no particular order, they played Skeleton Man, Hermaphroditos, dancing the manta ray, oddball, sir rockaby, six sixty six, western star, where is my mind (HUGE crowd reaction), and a riveting Los Angeles. Overall they played for more than two hours. I don't know who the James Dean looking guitar player was (Frank said he was a new addition?) but he had the 50's thing going on. There wasn't a lot of audience interaction although the band talked about getting free pens from hotels and Frank laughed when he introduced the band and someone from the crowd yelled "what's the lead singer's name?". It was a really good show, they seemed in top form.
Mason

Dr. Holland, Roscoe and I drove three hours last night from Virginia Beach to catch the "man who played to loud" at the Starr Hill Music Hall in Charlottesville, VA. It was my second Frank Black and the Catholics show. Despite suffering from a "band van cold" Frank did not disappoint.Fueled by a steady mouthful of cough drops which he stored in his jowls, Frank pushed his cords (and chords) to the limit. Joining him was the genius gothic- rock freak contortionist Rich Gilbert on lead guitar, pedal steel and keyboard; the incomparable Scott Boutier on drums; and rock steady Dave McCaffery on bass. Drew Feldman was a no show, and the band was joined by auxiliary guitarist Dave Phillips who made minor contributions. Starr Hill was an excellent venue. Unlike the first time I saw Frank, the action was up close and personal. Decked out in his black Dickies' pants and shirt, Frank had a commanding stage presence. I would say a large stage presence but Frank looked like he may have lost a pound. He started out playing a hot riff by himself. After awhile the whole band jumped in for a ripping instrumental which highlighted just how solid Frank is on the guitar.

I can't recall all the songs. From the Pixies era the band played Where is My Mind, Gouge Away, Mr. Grieves and Nimrod's Son ( which rocked). From his solo era came Calistan, Fiddle Riddle,Sir Rockaby, Los Angeles ( thank you Rich Gilbert ),and Everytime I Go Around Here. To my disappointment there were no songs from Cult of Ray. From the Catholics era Frank played Skeleton Man, All My Ghosts, Steak and Sabre, So Hard to Make Things Out, I Love Your Brain, I Swithced You ( thanks again Rich ), and the song which got me hooked on FB in the first place, Six-Sixty-Six. The band played Bullet, Stupid Me, Hermaphroditos, If it Takes All Night and I've Seen Your Picture from Dog in the Sand. Hermaphroditos is an incredible song and Dr. Holland's favorite. From the Oddballs release Frank tried to be Lou and sang Jumping Beans. He also sang Re-Make/Re Model without his guitar. When he finished the final chorus of Re-Make/Re Model, Frank stepped in front of the microphone, and gazed over the crowd- standing motionless except for slightly bobbing his bald head and sipping bottled water- while the band rocked through the rest of the song. Just a classic FB moment. I've only been a FB fan for a couple years, and only recently began listening to some of his Pixies material. The guy is just a rock and roll throw back. He just plays great music and writes awesome lyrics. It baffles me that he isn't as popular as he is, but then again, I don't think he was meant to be or wants to be. The show at Starr Hill was the best concert I'd ever seen, and probably will be until I catch him the next he rolls though the mid-atlantic region.
Jimmy Cromwell

Frank Black and the Catholics stopped by the shore and played a total scuzzy dive called The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ. Although my girlfriend and I almost got mugged, but it's not the surroundings, it's the music, right?

I first saw Frank Black supporting The Cult of Ray album, and in hind-sight, that show was a complete disappointment. Our favorite chunky singer had not come to terms with his past, so no Pixies songs. Also, his band was more of a backing band, so there was no stage presence, including Frank, who did not say anything to the crowd.

All this was remedied Friday night (1/26/01) with the show. Frank and the boys did a solid set, even though he had a sore cold. The highlight for most fans were the four recognizable Pixies songs (Gouge Away, Monkey Gone to Heaven, Where Is My Mind?, Mr. Grieves). But for me it was the two unfamiliar Pixies songs: Manta Ray, and Velvety Instrumental Version, which opened and closed the show (it is a b-side to Dig For Fire).

The Jersey fans cheered loudly when he sang "got killed by 10 million pounds of sludge from New York and New Jersey", which was fun to witness. (Just for the record, NJ is very clean and unless you've been there other than the Meadowlands and Newark, I don't want to hear any wise cracks).

As much as I would like the Pixies to do a reunion tour, right now Frank Black and the Catholics are doing just fine on their own. I'm thankful someone has the guts to play rock music again!
Seth Brahler

The Indigo Lounge is owned by a nearby ski resort, and so is fairly upscale - three bars and a restaurant, as well as a decent performance space with a medium-sized stage, dance floor and a balcony area.

My brother and I arrived early and found choice seating in the balcony. We were surprised to find Dave McCaffrey watching a Celtics game on a big-screen television, very close to where we were sitting. We spoke for a few minutes about the tour and his and Scott Boutier’s former band Miracle Legion. He seemed pretty worn-out, glad to have a few moments to sit and relax.

The opening act was a local band with a one-word name - something like ”Sand” or ”Bland” or something. I was unimpressed. The venue had obviously just had some new lighting installed - the kind that can be pivoted and arrayed in multiple configurations with different colored gels and patterns - and the person operating the light board during the opening act was clearly a novice. The light show was distracting and bothersome, making the first band’s performance that much more irritating. After they finished and cleared their gear off the stage, I wandered down from the balcony to the stage area. Dave Phillips was the first Catholic to come out and begin checking the tuning of his guitars. I warned him about the light show, insisting that they find out who was at the board for the opener and have him removed - forcibly if necessary.

After maybe 45 minutes, with the rest of the band assembled on stage, Charles came out, through the roaring crowd now gathered in the pit. Apparently there is no direct ”backstage” access to the stage - making his entrance somewhat confusing and exciting - he just walked right up and stepped on stage. No house security or bouncers - almost nothing separating the rabid fans pressed up in the front from the musicians. I realize that this is commonplace in venues of this size (an audience of 150 to 250 persons would be the maximum) but I point it out for reasons that will become clear later on.

Since I write the set list down in a little notebook as the show is happening, I don’t commit it to memory - so I have no recollection of what they opened with. Believe me, it rocked - whatever it was. The crowd was very enthusiastic and my brother and I had a great view from our seats in the balcony. Early in the show Charles pointed out that it was the first time he had played in southern Vermont. I mentioned that the Indigo Lounge has three bars - two of them are in the performance area, so the vast majority of those in attendance were drinking - and quite possibly already drunk. One such drunken reveler was seated at the bar below us, and was trying very hard to make his presence known to Charles during the pauses between songs. At every opportunity this guy would chant, ”Fuck you! Fuck you!” at the top of his lungs, while flipping the bird with both hands. The guy persisted doing this until Charles paused and addressed him - ”Fuck you? Is he saying fuck you? Well, fuck you too!” he responded into the mic, bemused by the drunk’s tirade. Charles went on, poking fun at the southern Vermont accent, ”You mean ‘Fahk you’ right? Fahk you!” Unfazed, they launched into the next song - although I couldn’t tell you what it was.

The band played for just under an hour and was doing ”Robert Onion” - which I only remember because Charles introduced it as ”Robert Winooski” (the band had played in Winooski, VT earlier in the tour where it must have been explained that winooski means onion in some European language) when things started to get interesting.

The drunk ”Fuck you!” guy decided that it was now time to make his way up to stage from the bar so he could properly display his affection for the band. He weaved up through the crowd - which now included me, some hippie dancing types, as well as the average thronging Pixies fanatics - juggling his cup of beer as he went. He made his way up the very front of the crowd, just to the left of where Charles was standing up on the stage. He started pumping his fist in the air with true ”Rock and Roll” sophistication, biting his bottom lip and grimacing coolly. He would turn and try to make eye contact with the other folks in the pit area, still pumping his fist, looking for drunken validation. He was wasted.

So there’s a part of ”Robert Onion” where Charles had stepped back away from the mic - maybe to check his tuning, maybe to say something to Scott - and the ”Fuck you!” guy seizes the moment and steps up on stage, grabbing Charles’ mic. He leans in to say something - probably ”Fuck you!” - and Dave McCaffrey steps over from where he is standing on the right and pushes the guy off the stage with a hard shove. The drunk guy, shocked and amazed, responds by splashing his nearly full cup of beer on Dave - and his bass, his mic, his amp.

The majority of the band is still playing now - and there’s a moment of stunned silence as Dave, drenched in beer, stops. With one motion, he throws his bass down on the stage - where it makes a huge amplified ”GONNNK!” sound - and screaming, leaps off the stage and on to the beer thrower! So now they’re grappling on the floor directly in front of me! Fists are flying! Headlocks are being applied! Charles leaps down and pulls McCaffrey off the guy - Dave pushes past me and disappears. The guy is hauled off by venue staff - which appeared, at last, out of nowhere - and one by one each member of the band files off the stage. Scott takes his little knapsack of goodies, Rich throws his strange ”Last Supper” towels over his pedal steel and keyboard, Dave Phillips grabs his binder of sheet music - and they disappear.

A hushed silence falls over the crowd. Obviously, the question on everyone’s mind is, ”Is that it? The show’s over?” Hell, I wouldn’t want to come back out after that kind of treatment. Fifteen minutes elapse and one by one, the band comes back out and on to the stage. Unbelievable. Charles makes a crack like, ”Welcome back for our second set!” and they launch into, um, I don’t remember. They play for at least 45 minutes - a set nearly as good if not better than the first!

I got a chance to speak to Dave Phillips again after the show as they were packing up, and I asked him whether that kind of thing h ad ever happened to him before - he said, ”All the time.” I asked if, while backstage, they had considered not coming back out after the incident and he said, ”No. We were just cooling down.” I waited around a little longer and Charles came out and began loading guitars into a road case. He graciously signed a promotional poster which I had every other member of the band autograph previously - and I thanked him for coming back out. He laughed it off - ”No problem.” I begged him not to let this prevent him from playing again in southern Vermont - again he laughed. He shook my hand at two different points and looked me in the eye as he said, ”Thanks for coming to the show.”

For those who are interested in the set list from this show, I will provide it - including notation on when the interruption occurred.
John Armstrong

"Jamais deux sans trois". This was indeed the third time I had the opportunity to see the man that has progressively taken over my case logic CD case in the past five years. I'm quite the fanatic, but I guess, if you're reading this, you probably share the same affliction.

The last time I saw FB was in 99 for his Pistolero tour. I arrived at the show early and managed get one of the few tables that were availible there. I wanted to do the same for this show, so I got there about an hour and a half before the doors opened (that's about three and a half hours before FB set foot on stage!). The opening band was a local quatuor called the Crackpots. Let's jsut say those three and a half hours of waiting were lengthened by just a notch. eek... Worst part is, they were from Montreal, but my patriotism has its boundaries.

So about 30 minutes after the Crackpots, I saw a large powering shadow walk across the velvety red curtains of the Cabaret. Guess who? The light dimmed, and on came this weird intro sample form a song I didn't know. As the curtains arose, Frank Black started singing over this song with a sarcastic grin on his face. Suddenly, the band broke out and immediately started the show with Remake/remodel (from Oddballs). Curious choice, I found. The funny thing was Frank didn't play guitar on the song and he didn't seem to know what to do with his hands while he was singing, so he just rubbed his belly rythmically... Also funny was the size of his beltbuckle : you could have served dinner on that thing! But well, FB's sex appeal isn't what made me go to this show. So Frank got his guitar on and the band started playing the Marcist, followed by All my Ghosts. He played a lot of songs off of Dog in the Sand, which was fine by me since I had obtained these songs on Napster (to the copyright obsessed people out there, don't worry, I've preordered an official copy of the CD, it just ain't out yet). However, the crowd did not react strongly to these songs.

Now I had heard that he had added more Pixies songs to his venues so I expected him to play a couple. What I didn't expect was Mr Greives (which is one of my Pixies faves). He also played Monkey Gone to Heaven, and Gouge Away. The cool thing about that one was he added an organ bit to the song, which gave it a weirder sound to it. All in all it was a great show, although the crowd didn't seem to appreciate it as much as I did. I was too bewildered to remember every song he played.... My personnal highpoints were when he played Fu Manchu and Everytime I come round here. The thing I liked the most about the show is how he and the Catholics slowed down some song and managed to add pedal steel guitars to them, like he did for Fiddle Riddle. I was rather disappointed when the show ended and he hadn't played Los Angeles. I though he would fit it into the encore, but he played Do the Manta Ray (?), I love your brain (ROCKIN!!), and Where is my mind (absolute pandemonium) instead.
Here's to all you FB fans! I hope he comes to your town.

Ciao
Olivier Guinard

ive seen frank black 2 times before this and the pixies twice as well the last 2 shows i saw were outstanding. he always seems to try out his new wacky shit in vt.
and he seems to play here right before his new albums come out so nobody knows half the songs anyway. the vermonters dont seem to keep up with frank it allways seems like im the only one who knows all the words and is dancing but thats allright. on this magical night i found solice in one beautiful young woman who was dancing next to me who actually sang along to some frank black instead of yelling out for old pixies songs all night. she was so close sometimes that i could smell her and she smiled out of the corner of her eye while her boyfriend moved ever closer to her as if to say "what you lookin at" but i knew what i was looking at. a free spirit moved by the magic of music looking for comfort and companionship that her man couldn't understand. as the night wore on we sang together and danced together while her man seemed intent on distracting her from enjoying the music to this day i do not know her name but her spirit still sings to me like an angel in the night perhaps we will meet again. perhaps we are just space ships passing thru the same frank black show. no one knows no one will. such is life such are women. the show was interupted on ocasion with some monkeys yelling for "where is my mind". i was impressed and dissapointed when it was there final oncore. i missed superabound one of my absolute favorites live. but the highlights were "dance the manta ray" pixies b -side
"everytime i go round here" "sir rockabye" another favorite of mine i taped the show (allways do) and i was bummed that "everytime got cut in half"
probably my favorite song of the nite mr grieves was great i usually hate fiddle riddle but frank turned it country sounded real nice
most of the show was new stuff i hadnt heard it even been tryin to quit being addicted to napster very mellow show the last 2 shows were crazy high energy
after the show i was inspired to hit napster and i downloaded "sunday sunny groove day" and the rest of the b-sides i didn't have i must say "pan american highway" is one of my favorites songs of franks and i love sister isabelle
the set featured a rockblock of new songs and covers he did a rock block of covers the first time i saw him "do nothing" "handyman" "666" i was glad he didntplay handyman i hate that fuckin song "blackrider" ripped frank played for about 2 hours taking lots of time to talk to the audience and gave his usual toast at the end by the end i could have definately heard another hour of music but i guess he likes to stop at 2 hours the other thing i noticed was that the guitaris with the glasses (i can never remember his name) last show he fuckin blew me away on "shazeb" i thought he was gonna take off and float over the stage he was sooooo good but this time he sat behind the steel guitars and keyboards most of the show i missed his guitar pyrotechnics oh well
the 2nd pixie show i saw they opened with 4 instrumentals "velvety" "celia ann" "something against u" crowd sang they didn't and "ana" my favorite pixie song which they ran thru instrumentally first then started over and sang it one of the most magical moments in rock history kim deal was such a babe but that was then this is
now this is FRANK FUCKIN BLACK AND THE GODDAMN CATHOLICS MUTHER FUCKER
here is the setlist
intro
blast off
switched u
bullet
mr. grieves
all my ghosts
oddballs
jumping beans
monkey gone to heaven
so hard to make things out
stupid me
robert onion
hermaphroditos
ive seen your picture
if it takes all night (best new song for sure)
fiddle riddle
black rider
666
somethings
gouge away
dance the manta ray
sir rockabye
everytime i go round here
fu manchu
i'll be blue
dog gone
arlo guthry cover tune
where is my mind
thank you and goodnight peace to all you frank black loving hippies
love -
Trevor

Let me start this by saying that the closest I have come to seeing Frank Black (or any related projects) live is on CD. Heck, I don’t even know any tunes since he’s gone solo. What I can say is this: F.B. and his players gave up the usual larger venue that he hits off when he encounters the New Haven, CT area (Toad’s Place) for the Tune Inn, a straight-up punk rock club that’s gone stylish in the past few years. This venue went from weekly death metal, ska and punkfests to new-wave 80’s retro and goth ”prom” nights (they literally advertise them as ”proms”- you dress up, they have a DJ spinning tracks from whatever the genre may be, drama ensues). It was a welcome change from suck-dom.

I got there too late to see the opening act, the Damned Personals (former members of CT’s own JC Superska), but I’ve seen them before. A mod-rock band, as you can tell from the Quadrophenia-style bad haircuts. Drummer Mike Gill told me they didn’t play so well. Then I waited an unusually short amount of time for a band fronted by a major rock star to appear.

The place was wall to wall people, 200-300 in number. The crowd was generally cheery and everybody- from the f anatics up front lost in the bald gaze of Mr. Black, to the drunken, surly coat-check guy- was bopping around. Beer prevents me from saying whether it was 3 or 4 Pixie’s songs they did, but true to the press release they played ”Where is My Mind” and ”Monkey Gone To Heaven”. They also did ”Mr. Grieves” and, this is the fuzzy part, ”Gouge Away” (?). Judging by the audience’s reaction, they must have done every crowd-pleaser in their book. The set lasted somewhere around an hour and a half, including a three song encore (props to them, by the way, for they didn’t make us wait more than a couple of minutes for it).

I wish I could say something about the true Frank Black songs. Fine- they rocked. They popped my Frank Black and the Catholics cherry with perfection. The only bad vibe I picked up was when a bunch of kids started mosh-pitting, which seemed about as fitting as, well, kids mosh-pitting to Frank Black. But all in all I was impressed, and it was the first Tune Inn show I didn’t mind paying the full $12 for in quite some time.
Andrew Orefice

Last night I attended my first ever FB show. It was amazing! And just to think, I almost missed the whole thing. The show had been sold out well in advance and the Bug Jar is one of the smallest clubs in Rochester. The maximum occupancy is 150 people so those who had a chance to buy tickets didn’t do it to scalp them. Anyway, after a long day of work I found myself in an adventurous mood so I drove over to the club to check things out. It was cold and windy and there were light flurries in the air. I pulled up just as Frank and the boys were arriving in their van. Frank jumped out donning a black winter hat, which looked like the kind you see worn in the movies by Russian military officers. He also had on a light blue tee shirt that was probably one size too small for him and pants that looked 2-sizes too big. I had a chance to shake his hand as he quickly began unloading the band’s equipment. I even helped him push one case up onto the curb. All the while I couldn’t believe what was going on before my eyes; here I was, all alone, standing right next to Frank Black! After about 10 minutes of just watching them unpack, I was finally able to muster a few words of conversation. I tried to see if the band could hook me up with a ticket, but given the size of the venue, they didn’t have any extra guest passes. Frank told me to talk to the drummer Scott because he was the one who booked the show. Scott was busy setting up and he pretty much blew me off so I eventually drove home… dejected.
After contemplating my situation for a few hours, I decided to go back out in hopes of finding someone with an extra ticket. Standing outside the club were seven other desperate souls who were looking to score a way in. I met three guys who drove down from Buffalo just in hopes of catching a break. I could appreciate that; they were die-hards like myself. Together we peered through the glass and watched Frank hanging out at the bar. For the next thirty-minutes some people did eventually approach us, selling off their tickets as if they were holding an auction. One fool paid $40 to get one. Some time later, when I was just about ready to give up, I asked an approaching couple if they had an extra ticket on hand. To my surprise, they did. They were really cool about it because unlike all the other wannabe merchants, they didn’t want to make a profit off their ticket… they wouldn’t even allow me to give them a few extra bucks, so I only paid $15 to get in. I instantly rose from a state of depression to a triumphant high. Once inside I made my way over to Frank’s end of the bar where I ordered a beer and then hit him up for an autograph, to which he obliged. He recognized me from earlier. I said, ”Hey man, see, I finally made it inside.” He promptly raised his beer. For a moment I was actually thrown off by his gesture. Seeing my confusion he gave a quick glance down at my drink and then looked back up and smiled. We toasted. It was a great moment! After he left the bar I looked at the Surfer Rosa CD booklet that he autographed for me. It read, ”Matt, You Fuckin Die… Frank Black”. I was touched.
Before the show began I set myself up with perhaps the best spot on the floor. I was dead center to the stage and as close as you can get. Frank’s mic-stand stood not more than two inches away and when he took the stage he laid his guitar right in my face. I was able to closely monitor every chord and I could just about see his tonsils when he sang. The setlist for the show was beautifully arranged. There was a nice juxtaposition of fast and slow songs. Pixies songs were woven in with Frank’s solo stuff and his current material in FB & the C’s. He began with ”Calistan” and then rocked out with some classic Pixies material. Rich Gilbert, the lead guitarist, was most impressive. During ”Los Angles” he picked up a drumstick and used it to rip the song into gear with some crazy guitar riffs. During another song Rich created beautiful noise when he slammed his guitar facedown on his keyboard.
Later on Frank told the audience that one of his new songs, ”Dog in the Sand”, is actually an old, unreleased Pixies track. The crowd cheered. He interrupted, ”Wait…, it’s not anything you’ve ever heard before.” With a grin he added, ”It’s very slow and very repetitive.” Frank played it to perfection. I could sense that it was a relic from the Pixies era because the song has a mellow surf sound to it, not unlike ”Wave of Mutilation”.
At one point, after he played ”Gouge Away”, he exclaimed, ”With all the money that I’ve made off of this song I’m gonna open my own chain of restaurants… and all we’re going to serve is pasta… all kinds of pasta!” He then spoke about the great dinner that he had in Rochester the night before. Someone asked him what he ate and he replied, ”You want to know what I ate? …I hope you’re not a vegetarian cuz I might really insult you.” This little conversation led into the next song ”Steak n Sabre”. Frank finished up the show with ”Where is my Mind?”, and in similar fashion to some of his other shows this year, the audience really got into it, and helped fill in the singing "whewooooooooh".
I don’t remember the exact order of songs, but Frank played for over an hour and a half. Here’s a list of the songs is do recall (I may have missed a few). Only the first and the last songs are in their appropriate order…
1. Calistan
2. Nimrod’s Son
3. Mr. Grieves
4. Gouge Away
5. Steak`n`Sabre
6. Oddballs
7. Los Angeles
8. Dancing the Manta Ray (Frank’s guitar string breaks and almost hits me)
9. Bullet
10. I'll Be Blue
11. If It Takes All Night
12. Dog In the Sand
13. Angst (cover)
14. Six-Sixty-Six
15. I’ve Seen Your Picture
16. Fiddle Riddle
17. Every Time I Go Around Here (had trouble with the first few opening chords; repeated it like 5 times)
18. The Marsist
19. Men in Black
20. Dog Gone
21. Stupid Me
22. Back to Rome? - I think he played this
23. You’re such a Wire
24. Skeleton Man
25. *Unknown song - Tom Waits cover
26. Where is my Mind?
Matthew

This was the third time I've seen FB and he seemed quite relaxed and eager to please. The Iron Horse is very small, so just about everyone in the place was within 20 feet of the band. They put on a great show. FB joked with David McCaffrey early in the show about his new Dickies tour shirt chafing his nipples, but he thought a T-shirt might help. Played Mr. Grieves, then Gouge Away within the first 10 minutes. The crowd was definitely hooked, and after the Pixies tunes the band played Hard to Live, Stupid Me, Oddballs, Angst, I've Seen Your Picture, Steak and Sabre, Los Angeles, Manta Ray and then Bullet (from the new album). Rich Gilbert seemed as if he were personally plugged into his amp- writhing and dramatizing every guitar solo. David McCaffery kind of leaned back and did his thing on base, every now and then contributing a backing vocal. FB squinted into the lights with his eyes mostly closed, and definitely out sweat the rest of the band from the get go. There were two pedal guitars which lent dreamy, almost country atmosphere to some of the songs- a real positive addition. A high point for me was a beautiful Sir Rockaby followed by Every Time I Go Around Here. David McCaffrey came alive on Skeleton Man, and then the Catholics played Hermaphroditus, If it Takes all Night, I'll Be Blue and the extremely well-received Where is My Mind was last. The entire crowd began singing the "whewooooooooh" as soon as the song began, and stayed into it throughout. Another highlight. Came back and did Nimrod's Son and Western Star for encores, and that was it- though the crowd wanted more. Definitely a great way to see the band and I'll try to see them again before they leave the States.
jgates

This was my first Frank Black concert, and i was very excited to see that the Met Cafe is a tiny tiny place. Before the show i stood right next to where Frank was talking to some crew members. I kept trying to make eye contact, but i heard him say to his friend "i don't think they even know who i am"..sort of sad..but that's how close i was.
The show started with this band Jimmy Jack Stack. I dunno about them, they dressed really awesome though. I felt bad not getting into them because their girlfriends were behind us. They basically played default music..power chords..every song had the same chords played in a different order..that type of thing. Oh well, as i said, they looked really suave.
After awhile, Jimmy Jack Stack left and about 40 minutes later (jeez, kind of awhile, sorry frank) FB and the C's came out. They came out to Scott playing a drum beat with this pre-recorded female voice singing, after about 2 minutes, Frank began to sing with it. This whole idea (which seemed odd at the time, but in afterthought was awesome) morphed into the opening song "The Marsist." Now, on the album version, this song is full of feedback...in this live version the noise hit me like a wall. It was really really amazing, and Rich Gilbert is the funnest guitarist to watch I've ever seen. I stood about 2 feet from him (at one point his music stand fell over and my friend was able to catch it and put it back up). He worked his guitar pedals so wildly, and he played los angeles with a drum stick. I forget which song, but there was one solo where he rubbed the guitar against his piano and then reached up and rubbed it again the roof rafters for premium feedback. I couldn't tell if he was serious or not, he had a straight face the whole time. (he also showed up about 5 minutes before the show and the bouncer didn't let him in until he noted that "actually, i'm in the band) The wild feeback of the Marsist lead into the classic punk song Men in Black, which was full of energy of course. Next up came Gouge Away which was done so well (even though they omitted the first verse) with Rich Gilbert playing the electric piano to excentuate the almost orchestral quality of the song.
Although the show couldn't match the amazing intensity (and feedback) of the first 3 songs, it still was completely awesome. I'll try to remember all the songs that were played (in no order). There was a Tom Waits cover, Dancing the Manta Ray (old classic b-side), Monkey Gone to Heaven, Mr. Grieves, Sir Rockaby, Fiddle Riddle, Los Angeles (really got the crowd going), All My Ghosts, Six Sixty Six (which is not my favorite frank black tune, but was greatly helped by some manic soloing by Rich Gilbert), You're Such a Wire, Billy Radcliff, lots of new songs (which i'm not familiar with but i remember Bullet and Hermaphriditos (probably 4 more). They closed with Where is My Mind, and for an encore came out and did Fu Manchu, a song i don't know, and then Blastoff. Really great show...i'd be interested for people who saw this show to tell me how it is in comparison to his other ones.
Itchload@aol.com

The show started when David Lovering walked out onstage and introduced himself. He then said he had never heard Mr. Black personally, but was told that he was really great. He then proceeded to do a science/comedy/magic demonstration which was a bit in the vein of Fishing with John. Frank started out his hour and forty minutes show with Mr. Grieves. Not sure of the particular order, but he played: Nimrod's Son, Where is My Mind?, Gouge Away, Abstract Plain, Calistan, Headache, All My Ghosts, Dog Gone, I Gotta Move, Steak 'n' Sabre, So Hard to Make Things Out, Humbolt County Massacre, I'll Be Blue, The Trial is On, I've Seen Your Picture, Robert Onion, Bullet, Hermaphroditos is My Name, Llano del Rio, If It Takes All Night, 21 Lines (a new one left off Dog in the Sand). Anyway, it was a great show in a tiny room (seats about 50 - but there were about 200 present). Dave Phillips accompanied Frank on electric and steel guitars. The night before, Joey Santiago had joined Frank, but he was unavailable on Saturday (bummer!). Nick Vincent and Josh Freese were in the audience, so along with Mr. Lovering there was quite a bit of drumming power in the room. I think I saw Perry Farrell as well, but am not sure it was him. Great show and I can't wait to see the Catholics tour behind the new album.
James Meronk

by chrisb
The atmosphere here tonight was one of the greatest I've ever experienced at a gig. The venue is wonderfully small - virtually a pub - very enclosed and old fashioned. Entering the venue an A4 poster simply stated "Sorry - Frank Black is completely, positively, 100% sold out." A guy tore our tickets at the door and we followed stairs downwards and around and around until we found the stage area. With lights dimmed, the air thick with dope, and hand-held video cameras ready : Frank Black took to the stage very humbly - with just his black electric guitar. He began the show by thanking everyone for the welcome and then ...Mr Greeves. The crowd were like kids in their excitement - far more than for any other gig I've seen. Frank explained how he'd just been on holiday in scotland and had almost as a whim, asked his agent to fix a gig for him. He played a wonderful mix of songs - he once held a scrap of paper up to the audience and confessed that there was no fixed setlist. Highlights for me included some of the great sounding new songs - especially "Bullet" which I still have in my head. At one point he apologised to us for the serious floods we're experiencing here in England - explaining it was all because of his huge "guzzler" of a car. He then sang Monkey Gone To Heaven, which was unbelievable. I can't recall most of the songs - but he played Abstract plain, Skeleton man, LA, Headache and finished with the best of the night (IMHO).... Where Is My Mind. The whole audience supplying ecstatic, but eerie backing vocals. Wonderful.
chrisb

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