WOW! It's Been 14 Years!! Day One: Nova Mob- Live At The Royal Albert Arms 1992, Winnipeg

 

 

Well well well, time does seem to fly by! This month marks the 14th year the Teenage Dogs In Trouble music blog has been online. I have to admit, it's been a struggle at times to find the energy and enthusiasm to write posts, but so far in 2020 with this post, I've already equaled the number of posts in 2018 and 2014 (yes, I've been slacking the last few years). I am excited to be still doing this and as I've said previously it's not about the money or the fame, because there are none, but as a way to contribute in some way for fans that like to listen to live concert recordings, like I do. For the past four months or so, live music performances have been almost non-existent with online concerts a poor (but adequate) substitute for the real thing. There is nothing quite as exciting as hearing and feeling the thumping bass of a live band with sweaty hyper bodies pressed up against you on an overcrowded floor at a concert venue or club. That scenario may become a rare sight, but live music is already starting to comeback. More shows will be performed and tour dates will soon be booked. When we are back to full capacity in concert halls, arenas, music festivals and clubs is anyone's guess. 

To celebrate the 14th anniversary, now is as good a time as ever to look back at concerts that have significance either historically or personal to me in some way. I was browsing through boxes of live discs looking for ideas to post and I selected a bunch of random shows that are interesting and/or cool. I'll be jumping between decades and style of music in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

 

 Last September, I wrote a post about Husker Du playing a show at the Royal Albert Arms in Winnipeg back in 1984. I recalled attending another show at the same venue with Grant Hart's (then) band, Nova Mob in my pre-taping days and wished I had a live recording of the show. Well, guess what? As luck would have it someone did tape the show and the live recording was posted on Dime by Loughney, not sure who actually recorded it. This rarely happens, when a concert I actually attended is recorded (besides myself), especially in the 90's. There are definitely more people that record concerts in the city now, but this is a true find and it sounds better than I expected. I personally think Nova Mob was a high point of Grant's post-Husker Du projects and the album, The Last Days Of Pompeii was his best record. If you're a fan of Huskers or Grant Hart this is a good one!

Enjoy!

#14yearsoftrouble

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats (except for personal use)

Please share!

Nova Mob 

Royal Albert Arms,

Winnipeg MB

November 21, 1992

Sony WM-D3 Master > TDK SA 90 > Onkyo TA-RW311 > Headset Jack > Sound Blaster external Sound Card > CDWAV > Audicity for fades, normalization, noise reduction, light editing of dropouts

01. Puzzles

02. Old Empire
03. Oh! To Behold
04. Evergreen Memorial Drive
05. Ballad #19
06. Admiral Of The Sea
07. Come, Come
08. Anything
09. Where You Gonna Land?

10. Over My Head

NOVA MOB- 1992-11-21 RAA, Winnipeg, MB FLAC. rar

Remember The Albert? Day 2: Husker Du Live In Winnipeg 1984

Yes, you must remember the Albert? The iconic scuzzy punk rock club on Albert Street inside the Royal Albert Arms Hotel in the historic Exchange area of downtown Winnipeg is back! This club played host to many a crazy show throughout the 80's to well into the 2000's, but with much uncertainty about ownership and many unsuccessful attempts to re-open it finally relaunched as a music venue this past June.

I've written before about some the great bands I've seen pass through the Albert. I've recorded and posted a few, but I also saw bands such as Green Day before my taping days and if I was more in the loop at the time I could have seen Twin Cities bands, Soul Asylum and Husker Du in the mid 80's. The closest I came to seeing the Du at the Albert was Grant Hart's post Husker Du band, Nova Mob who played to a handful of dedicated fans there. My most vivid memory of the show is before the band started playing Hart was peering on the TV screens at the bar watching a music video of Bob Mould's band, Sugar and probably mumbled something sarcastic. Which was a perfect analogy of the two opposite directions each man's career went after the break up of Husker Du. Hart playing small venues in front of dozens of people versus Mould with videos on MTV touring theatre's and concert halls with Sugar or solo around the world.

I came upon this gem on Dime a while back, a live audience recording of Husker Du from early 1984 before the band broke it big (by alt-punk standards of the time) before the release of their classic double album, Zen Arcade. This album was the game changer for the band, though it was not commercially successful, it was the record that took Husker Du from hardcore punk to a more wide range melodic alt-rock punk sound. That album along with the following two records, New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig, I consider the perfect hat trick of LP's. This show previews many songs from Zen as well as songs from their previous discs Metal Circus and Everything Falls Apart. Highlights include some non-album songs, Eight Miles High, Drug Party, Statues and In a Free Land. I didn't record the show, but whoever did, did a decent job despite probably being tossed around by flying bodies in the jam packed Albert. A recording definitely worth a listen at least for historical purposes. This was a soon to be legendary band getting it's feet wet in Winnipeg, Canada in the middle of winter in 1984...doesn't get much better than that!
Enjoy!

Wow! an actual review in the newspaper. Thanks you Winnipeg Free Press!

#13yearsoftrouble

Please do NOT sell!
Do NOT trade this in lossy format.
Convert to lossy for personal use only.

HUSKER DU
Royal Albert Arms
Winnipeg, MB
January 21, 1984

01. Something I Learned Today
02. It's Not Funny Any More
03. From The Gut
04. Wheels
05. Everything Falls Apart
06. Sunshine Superman
07. What's Going On?
08. Diane
09. Masochism World
10. Bricklayer
11. Tired Of Doing Things
12. Data Control
13. Recurring Dreams
14. Chartered Trips
15. Broken Home, Broken Heart
16. Eight Miles High
17. Drug Party
18. In A Free Land
19. Target
20. Helter Skelter
 21. Statues

HUSKER DU- 1984-01-21 Royal Albert, Winnipeg, MB FLAC. rar
           

New Duncan Imperials- The Albert, September 15, 1994

In mid-January of this year a local news story caught my attention, "New owner of Royal Albert isn't ruling out reviving famed music venue". The Royal Albert Arms hotel was up for auction a couple of months ago after failed attempts to reopen the once notorious hotel/bar/music venue. In 2007, pharmacist Daren Jorgenson purchased the Albert and intended to convert it to a boutique hotel. It has been closed since a water leak closed the restaurant and hotel along with many controversies surrounding the ownership and shady dealings related to the building. I thought perhaps the new owners might demolish the building to build condos or more parking for the area, so I was pleasantly surprised by the news the Albert could be back. It has since been announced Alycia's restaurant will open soon at the Albert. If you're from Winnipeg you would be familiar with Alycia's which was an institution in the North End for decades serving the city's best perogies and cabbage rolls.

The Royal Albert Arms Hotel, back in the day. photo: NDI fb

If you were a fan of loud indie-rock, punk or weird alt-music in the 1980's-early 2000's, you would be familiar with the Albert. It was a small grungy, decent place to see upcoming and touring alternative bands that weren't popular enough to fill the Pyramid or Spectrum or too alternative for the mainstream. When bands weren't playing the bar, it was a sketchy half empty joint except for old regulars, but was packed on draft night, bands or not. The next door bar, Wellington's had a similar vibe musically, but I always thought of Wellington's as the scarier version of the Albert, if that's possible. I've seen many great bands and shows at the Albert in the day. Green Day before they went major label, the Weakerthans, Nova Mob, Monsula, Liquor Giants, Plumtree, New Duncan Imperials and many other punk bands I can't remember well before I started taping bands. Unfortunately, I didn't see Soul Asylum or Husker Du when they played there in the mid-80's.

Poster from show at The Albert. (not from the 1994 show) Photo: NDI fb

The band that I most associate with the Albert was the always entertaining, New Duncan Imperials from Chicago.  i don't know why, but the band clearly had a love for the city and more specifically for the Albert. Before I even saw them live, I heard that they played annually at the Albert since their days when the three members of NDI were in the band, The Service. They traditionally, at least in the early days to the mid-90's, played three consecutive nights and played two sets a night. Back in the old days bands in bars played multiple sets instead of opening warmup bands. I've seen NDI at least four times, the first show in 1994 and I must say they were one of the best live bands I've ever seen. At least, dollar for dollar they were the best value for your entertainment dollar because I think the cover charge was only $5. The small crammed stage was filled with props, bras hung across the front and back of the stage and a big furry velour monster (complete with moving mouth and lit up eyes) that was terrifyingly cuddly. They tossed out lots of "free stuff" such as noise makers, confetti, silly string and they gave away a real velour shirt after the velour sex dance dance off. If your idea of a good time is watching 3 guys in straw hats and baby blue tuxedos rocking out to the White trash Boogie, the New Duncan Imperials are a must-see! A little politically incorrect at times (by today's standards), it's funny as hell non-stop action that must be seen to believed. They are amazing to see once or twice, but after the third or fourth time, their shtick does repeat itself, but who cares! They played their final show ever in 2011, but they have reunited since, so who knows maybe they'll be back to christen the "new" Royal Albert when it re-opens. Keep your fingers crossed!!

This live recording was my first ever recording on my Sony recording Walkman almost 24 years ago. The sound is actually pretty good considering I was squeezed tightly in the crowd on the small Albert dance floor. Lots of crowd noise, but it adds to the excitement and craziness of the show. Listening to it now really brings back a lot of great memories and it does have that "feels like you're there" sound. I converted my cassette master to FLAC for your listening pleasure. They play two sets, the break is between track 15 and 16, in case you're burning to disc.
Enjoy!

Do NOT sell or convert to mp3 (except for personal use).
Please share!

NEW DUNCAN IMPERIALS
Royal Albert
Winnipeg, MB
September 15, 1994
AUD Master

Sony mic> Sony WM-GX35 Recording Walkman> Sony CDitII-100 Cassette> Aiwa tape deck> ADS Instant music> usb> Nero SoundTrax> WAV> Direct WAV splitter> FLAC> rar

01. Pitch A Fit
02. Mystery Date
03. Piss Me Off...
04. Queen Of The Road
05. Good Lovin'/6-Pack Of Love
06. Polka Pocahontas
07. Shut Up and Drive
08. Home Sweet Mobile Home
09. Pistol Packin' Mama
10. Turkey Neck
11. Gizzards, Scrapple & Tripe
12. Aah!
13. Pensacola 99
14. Shook Me All Night Long
15. Tilt-A-Whirl
16. Don't Hate Me Just Because I'm Beautiful
17. If I Like You
18. Oh My God, We're Fucking
19. Queen Of Venus
20. Evl Uncl Bud
21. Skipper & Prince
22. Female Voodoo
23. Velour! (Sex Dance)
24. Feelin' Sexy
25. Running With A Fork In My Mouth
26. I'm Schizophrenic (No, I'm Not)
27. Motel 666

Encore
28. String Of Pearls
29. (Fight For) Your Right To Party

NEW DUNCAN IMPERIALS- 1994-09-15 Royal Albert, Winnipeg, MB FLAC AUD Master. rar