Kevin's Watch

These guys are playing in Australia early next year, and I very carefully considered forking out for festival and plane tickets to see them. Tool coming to NZ trumped that, but I still feel a twinge of regret at missing out on Primus.

I love these guys, love funk/rock feel, love Les Claypool's crazy voice, lyrics and sense of humour (and stand in awe of his bass playing), love pretty much everything about them.

And hey, what other band has hit songs about anthropomorphic alley cats getting laid and fans who ritually scream "Primus Sucks!" at every gig?

Cambo wrote: And hey, what other band has hit songs about anthropomorphic alley cats getting laid and fans who ritually scream "Primus Sucks!" at every gig?

Just at a guess, the Spice Girls?

Zing!

I saw Primus about 17 years ago at a small club. The place was nuts. Primus was okay.

I like the idea of Primus, and I really love their playing. But their songs just don't interest me anymore.

Les Claypool's playing on Adrian Belew's solo album Side One was freakin cool ... especially with Danny Carey (Tool) on drums.

Belew, Claypool, and Carey? Why was I not informed of this?

Zarathustra wrote:Les Claypool's playing on Adrian Belew's solo album Side One was freakin cool ... especially with Danny Carey (Tool) on drums.

Claypool & Carey play on the first three tracks. In the liner notes, Belew mentions he needed a power trio for those songs. He also says the power trio returns on Side Three; I believe they play the entire Side Three cd. I only have Side One (so far), but agree they kick ass.

whoa! thanks for the tip. Will have to look out for Belew's album...

Cambo wrote:And hey, what other band has [...] fans who ritually scream "Primus Sucks!" at every gig?

Why would other bands have fans screaming "Primus Sucks" at every gig?

However, it was a ritual for Type O Negative fans to chant "you suck, you suck" before the show.

And Pete Steele (RIP) would come out and say "Wake up, stupid. Hey, turn the sh*t off. You say we suck… you paid 15 dollars, 15 American Dollars to get in here - and we are getting paid. Paid for the shit. Who's the real asshole here?"

Apart from that Primus is ace of course. Saw them in 92 opening for Rush (Roll The Bones - Tour) - that night I serioulsy considered cutting off my fingers and throwing my bass away. I chickened out and still pretend to be a bass player.

Vader wrote: I chickened out and still pretend to be a bass player.

It's not pretending if you can play...it's only pretending if you say you're as great as them.

And I'm basically with Z on Primus.
Different direction/approach, but similar objection: back in the day, Nightranger had not one, but 2 incredible guitarists...and a crapload of craptastic Metal-lite songs.

And I, too, am now looking for that Belew stuff, thanks Z.

Nightranger? ACK!

danlo wrote:Nightranger? ACK!

I KNOW, and that's exactly what I meant. The extremity of difference is not accidental. [nor the identity]

I think some people are turned off by Primus because they very rarely take themselves seriously. It gets to me sometimes as well, tbh. "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver?" Really? My favourite songs and albums are the darker ones- Frizzle Fry, Pork Soda, Antipop. Although I do like the songs about fishing.

Edit- wrote "rarely" as "really." I was tired.

I briefly joined an old high school buddy's metal band as a bass player.
They kept asking why I played bass like that.
I said, "I don't know, I guess I thought I wanted to sound like Primus."
Wayne said, "Do you even listen to Primus?"
and I realized that really, I didn't. So why did I want to sound like them?

That's funny! (I guess )

Lord Zombiac wrote:I briefly joined an old high school buddy's metal band as a bass player.
They kept asking why I played bass like that.
I said, "I don't know, I guess I thought I wanted to sound like Primus."
Wayne said, "Do you even listen to Primus?"
and I realized that really, I didn't. So why did I want to sound like them?

Hopefully his question wasn't actually a polite way of saying "Dude, I know Les Claypool, and you're no Les Claypool."
Not that there is any shame in not being a Les. Hell, I'm no Les.
If someone ever tells you you're no Clayton [U2], it's time to step away from the Precision.

No, he just didn't want anything fancy. He had like four three chord songs that used the same three chords.
I tried to steal his girlfriend too.
It was a dirty mess.
His music was pretty stupid, and they were a pack of Satanists...
... ah, nightranger from Alamogordo!
Boy they were foul!

You sing like Freddy Mercury, and play like Les Claypool. Watch out, Paul McCartney!

___ wrote:You sing like Freddy Mercury, and play like Les Claypool. Watch out, Paul McCartney!

Vraith wrote: And I, too, am now looking for that Belew stuff, thanks Z.

No problem! Here's a taste:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPUTJHnePuE&feature=related
www.youtube.com/watch?v=63I_eyFeEPE&feature=related
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgiEpqO_lqg&feature=related

The second one is the coolest. His power trio (not Les and Danny) does an admirable job at these live.

Les is also on Oysterhead, along with guitarist Trey Anastasio of Phish and drummer Stewart Copeland of The Police:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPWBKLRsdtY
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3IUTV5K8Uc&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M_jh4CA8a8

[Primus: DMV]