RADIOHEAD STORY : #2

  June 1, 1995:  I ride into New York City with my good friend, Michael Walch (He's now a member of  my band, EGGPLANT QUEENS aka Sunnyside) and his pal, Squid, it was a Thursday. Our destination: Roseland...to see The Reverend Horton Heat open for White Zombie. They had tickets. I did not, I planned on scalping.
  We park and walk up to the venue. There's a mob scene. White Zombie were at their peak. I start hitting up scalpers and it appears the going rate for a ticket is $70...face value was probably $25. I move from scalper to scalper...both professionals and nitwit frat boys trying to score quick loot. After a half hour, Michael and Squid tell me they're heading in and wish me good luck.

  I waste another 20 minutes trying to sneak in and/or get a ticket for face. I explain to a number of scalpers that I'm really only here for The Reverend..... They have no idea what I'm talking about. My effort is futile....and that's when it occurred to me that Radiohead were playing at Tramps, downtown the very same night in support of The Bends. I fill with glee and hail a cab.
  Fifteen minute later I'm standing in front of the place. Tramps was great. It was a tiny club. Through the years I saw GWAR, The Reverend, Ultra Bidet, and a few other acts there....anyway. There I am...standing out front. It's sold out...but no mob scene. In fact, the street was pretty empty...except for one guy. One douche bag. I ask him if he has an extra ticket for the show. He says, "Yeah man.....$50."

  "Fifty?!", I reply...."It only cost $20. I'll give you twenty-five."
  "Supply & demand!", he snapped.
  "Supply & demand? Really? I'm the only guy asking for a ticket on the whole block?"
  "....and I'm the only guy selling."
  So, I tell him to fuck off and I move closer to the entrance.
  I stand there for a few minutes, watching people show up and go in...asking everyone if they have an extra ticket. No one has. This goes on for awhile and that lone scalper yells over, "Hard luck?.... 50 will get you in."...as he startles an elderly woman, walking by with a poodle ..."Hey? You NEED a ticket?"
 She pulls tight on said poodle's leash and says.."NO!"
 I look and laugh, "You're an idiot.".......with that a Lincoln pulls up. A "car service" Lincoln. Out steps 4 cool looking people, in what seems like a hurry.....and I yell, "Hey! You wouldn't happen to have an extra ticket?"
  One woman looks at me. Studies my t-shirt and asks, "You like Fatima Mansions?"

  (Ya see...I was wearing my favorite t-shirt of 1995...it read, in big red letters: "KEEP MUSIC EVIL". I got it from WDRE: the radio station I worked at year or two earlier. It was a promo by a band called Fatima Mansions. I just happened to love that shirt, I just happened to like that band, and I sported that tee often.)
 "Yeah! Those guys are great!"
 "They're mine.", she said. "I've been working them for awhile. They're on my label." (Radioactive, the same label Radiohead were on at the time.)
 "I worked at WDRE for 5 years.", I reply.
 "No shit. Come with us. I'll walk you in."
 I accept....and me and my new entourage, proceed to walk in....with me giving that one lone douche bag the old heave-ho......."Fuck off!!!", I screamed as I walked inside.
  Immediately upon entering Tramps, my new friends leave me. I like that. I squirm through the crowd as Radiohead take the stage. I get up front.

Here's the set list from that night.

They were great. Introducing "Creep", Thom Yorke said, "This next song. This is when the cool kids go to the bar, so go away, while we play 'Creep'...drink up, we'll be here when you return."
  That was probably the umpteenth time I had gone to a concert by myself....but I was learning, and more was yet to come. I ended up seeing Radiohead again, on the tail end of this tour at Roseland. A highlight was the cover of "Nobody Does It Better"...The Spy Who Loved Me Theme. That was incredible!!!!...and again, I went alone.