Music, Los Angeles in the 70's

Danny and I would go clubbing in the mid 70's in L.A. Close to where he lived in Silverlake on Sunset was the 'On Club'. Inspired by Ska and Dance Hall, they booked Reggae and spin off's precursors of that music. They booked big acts, including Africa groove music like King Sonny Ade, stomping around on stage with his big black thick soled oxford shoes wearing his crazy colored dakishi.


And Fela Kuti with his big brass band and saxophone chorus.


And crazy as that was the On Club had a killer DJ spinning Soul and R&B dance grooves between sets so No One sat down.

Re: Music, Los Angeles in the 70's

In the 70's I used to go to a club called Upstairs, Downstairs in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Is that any good

Re: Music, Los Angeles in the 70's

never been there.... you tell me.

Re: Music, Los Angeles in the 70's

Being from Australia we never had a music scene like the USA,probably because our population was only 17 million? its only 22 million now,but the Southern California music scene was a big deal,not just for what you mentioned but the whole Beach Boys,Punk and Laurel Canyon scene,some bloody good music come out of LA.

Billy

Re: Music, Los Angeles in the 70's

ACDC, INXS, I like Nick Cave, The Birthday Party- Bad Seeds, Grinderman
Split Enz,
Midnight Oil
Dead Can Dance
the Bee Gees and the Easy Beats.
Little River Band
Hunters and Collectors
Hoodoo Gurus..
Those are bands I either remember or like from Oz. Mostly not from the 70s
I've seen Nick Cave three times in LA, I missed his last visit with the Bad Seeds and Grinderman. They had a live feed I watched this last time.
Oh, Olivia Newton John, is she from Oz?

Re: Music, Los Angeles in the 70's

We were clubbing during the beginning of the punk scene in Los Angeles. I classify two different phases, the Hollywood Punks- Weirdo's, Germs, Fear, X, Blasters, Alice Bag Band, Gun Club, among others. Then the beach punks, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Minute Men, TSL, and others.
The Hollywood Punks had their hay day in the mid to late 70s, the Beach Punks were from the late 70s to early 80s. of course they hung on for a while after. X plays every now and then, Fear shows up, the Blasters are still around even tho the Alvin brothers split.




So turn it up and jump into the slam pit (now called mosh pit).

Re: Music, Los Angeles in the 70's

60's and early 70's

Re: Music, Los Angeles in the 70's

I love my music,you have mentioned some very good Aussie bands there Lowfiron but these bands had their roots firmly in the Melbourne music scene,some of the best Aussie bands come out of Melbourne not Sydney as a lot of people think,Ed Kuepper from "The Saints" what a brilliant band they were,and from the 60's - 70's you had,

Lobby Lloyd and the Coloured Balls

Sid Rumpo

Buster Brown

Company Caine

Madder Lake

Spectrum

Chain

Ariel

Captain Match Box Whoopee Band

Carson

The Sports

Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons etc etc,

All good bands.

Billy

Re: Music, Los Angeles in the 70's

I was giving you my California perspective of the Australian bands. There had to be a good music scene there, only a few get out into the general "big star" zone. It's that way in Los Angeles, a ton of unknowns, and good ones.

The Doors? Yes we know the Doors. I saw the Doors three times before I tired of them. Then I liked them again,~ with Touch Me, The Soft Parade~ then Jim croaked. I did not pay too much attention after that until Manzarek released his version of Carmina Burana.

but then I heard the Real Carmina Burana. Ray is admirable for doing it but...
But I went on to hear many better versions of it.
I think Ray was defiantly doing it in the spirit of the Doors and Jim Morrison, it's the apostate's celebration! Morrison, crazy Catholic flailing into the intense mystical hedonism only a tortured self loathing lapsed Catholic could know or experience. The fact that Jim Morrison's Dad was an old Navy prick, meaner than the Devil really clued me in on what was driving him. There Is no rest for the wicked. Is there?

Re: Music, Los Angeles in the 70's

I'm a big fan of the Doors too,I really liked the Strange Days album,and Morrison was a man on a mission,seemed to be always short of time,looked like he was trying to fit a whole lifetime into 5 years,maybe he had an idea that longevity had no place in his life,but good band.

Billy