April 3, 1978 review: The Tubes in the Century Theater

 


A band that needed to be seen to be fully appreciated. You had to be there. 

April 3, 1978

Tubes Chose

Fitting Day

For Concert 

          The joke turned out to be on the fans waiting in an icy Lake Erie wind outside the sold-out Century Theater Saturday. Showtime was 7 p.m. for the Tubes, the outrageous rock theatrics group from San Francisco, but – April Fool – they got in from Washington, D.C., two hours late.

          The hurried sound checks and delayed start gave extra play to the more bizarre elements in the crowd – the four clowns in costume and facepaint, the two folks dressed up as Quaalude tablets and, of course, the radio station kangaroo.

          Opening was Toronto guitarist Pat Travers, augmented by a bassist wearing spurs and a shirtless drummer with a bodybuilder’s torso, who made the most of the basic three-man boogie band. When their short, sweet, hard-driving session was done, they all were drenched with sweat.

          The Tubes’ two-hour spectacle was essentially Alice Cooper for consenting adults. Singer Fee Waybill led his gang of 11 (six musicians, five dancers) from raunch to outrage, merrily trashing consumer fantasies along the way.

          They tossed game-show gifts about in “What Do You Want From Life,” spoofed compulsive smoking in “It’s a Drag” and screened a sex education film to illustrate “Don’t Touch Me There.”

          Rock fads provided more fodder for their mill of madness. Donning torn leathers, Waybill growled a punk-rock number while beating one the dancers to a pulp. “Anybody else wanna take me on?” he growled.

          To finish, he did his impersonation of stoned-out British pop stars – the giddy Quay Lewd, with his ultra-revealing pink tights and 12-inch platform boots.

          Though there was a joyful sing-along with the anthem encore, “White Punks on Dope,” not all the mock depravity went over well. Spoofs of sex and drugs were all right, but the fans hooted and rebelled at violence and abuse. Those were not joking matters – even on April Fool’s Day.

* * * * *

IN THE PHOTO: Fee Waybill as Quay Lewd.

* * * * *

FOOTNOTE: Harvey & Corky brought the Tubes back for a second show in the Century on April 13.

Lots of dates on the Tubes “What Do You Want From Live” tour, but very little accounting of what they played in Buffalo on setlist.fm. Nothing from the first Century Theater date and only three songs listed from the second one. Fortunately, the show in Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens on April 12 was more thoroughly documented:

          Grandiose Instrumental Overture: Up From the Deep/Young and Rich/Madam I’m Adam/Mondo Bondage/White Punks on Dope

          Got Yourself a Deal

          Show Me a Reason

          God Bird Change

          What Do You Want From Life

          Special Ballet

          Don’t Touch Me There

          Mondo Bondage

          Smoke (La vie en fumer)

          It’s Not Unusual (Lou Reed cover)

          The Terrorists of Rock (a/k/a Smash the System)

          Malaguena salerosa (traditional cover)

          Crime medley: Theme from Dragnet/Theme from Peter Gunn/Theme from Perry Mason/Theme from The Untouchables

          I Was a Punk Before You Were a Punk

          I Saw Her Standing There (Beatles cover)

          Drum Solo

          You’re No Fun

          Boy Crazy

          Stand Up and Shout

          (encore)

          White Punks on Dope

          Tubes World Tour

P.S.: Surviving members of the band are still performing. They have five dates in California in September and October. 



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