Radio Birdman
Irving Plaza
New York City
September 8, 2006
By Wayne
(SugarBuzz New York City)
Photos By Wayne
They don’t make bands like this anymore. To the extent that bands are made anyway this is all I could think of as Radio Birdman exploded with the one-two punch of “Burn My Eye” and “Do The Pop” to open the show which for most everyone in this crowd was a once in a lifetime chance to see a band we could only have dreamed of seeing mere months earlier.
Reforming after 30 some odd years to play their first U.S. tour ever this was the latest in a line of unimaginable reunions which not only lived up to the legends that preceded but in most cases surpassed them. So it was with memories of recent triumphs ranging from The Stooges and DKT/MC5 to The New York Dolls and Gang Of Four to name a few that most of us anticipated these shows which reunited original members Deniz Tek, Rob Younger, Chris Masuak and Pip Hoyle with a fierce new rhythm section comprised of bassist Jim Dickson and drummer Russell Hopkinson two of Australia’s finest.
Furthermore Radio Birdman were touring behind a brand new studio release ‘Zeno Beach’, released here on Yep Roc Records it’s turning the heads of whoever hears it, not only delivering the goods but equaling much of the early output and many are proclaiming it one of 2006’ best releases and I concur. With rave notices filtering in as the tour worked its way to the East Coast these shows were as highly anticipated as any in recent times yet no-one was fully prepared to receive what RB delivered this night at Irving Plaza.
Did I mention LOUD?! More like a full blown physical assault than a mere musical experience, from the opening note it was like standing in the face of a hurricane or some other uncontrollable force of nature with the crowd responding as if they numbered 20,000 rather than 2,000, as ferocious a response as I’ve heard with a look of bliss painted across face after face, this was a crowd of fan-atics in the literal sense!
Few bands have the sort of repertoire which Radio Birdman boasts, classic after classic they came one after another . . . “Non-Stop Girls”, “I-94”, “Hand Of Law”, “Descent Into The Maelstrom”, “Murder City Nights” alternating with new (soon to be) classics from “Zeno Beach” which as much as anything proved their strength standing strong alongside the 30 year old fan favorites. They started at level 10 and built it up from there climaxing with “Aloha Steve & Danno” far surpassing the recording version which seemed somehow diminutive in comparison.
Encores followed which included the evening’s sole cover song, a performance of “Search And Destroy” that laid to waste every other live version I’ve ever heard in my life, I mean this was almost superhuman in it’s fury performed at double speed and at a volume you felt in every nerve from head to toe.
On this night in question I could not have imagined there was a better Rock & Roll band on the planet. Radio Birdman presented to me one of the most thrilling, life-affirming Rock & Roll experiences of my life and with a glorious ear buzz remaining several daze later I realized that they don’t in fact make bands like this any longer and I only hope this is another reunion which continues on if only to show the others how it’s done.