The Committee to Keep Music Evil Forum

Having only seen The BJM three times, these moments especially stand out:

1) 2005 Old Ironsides Sacramento
The Quarter After opened up and Rob Campanella didn't join The BJM for their performance. Joel also not there and Matt Hollywood not in the fold, so they were just a five-piece. Tiny place, small crowd, hotter than hell. On "Sailor," after my singing loudly along with "I'm so lonely" (without even realizing it), I watched a shirtless Anton intricately pick out what is usually that wonderful keyboard solo on his Vox guitar. Really incredible.

2) 2010 The Fillmore San Francisco
Anton singing those opening words to "Prozac" (stars - come out of the sky - you shine like the summer sun) - absolutely bell clear and stunning. As good as I've ever heard his vocals.

3) 2012 The Wonder Ballroom Portland
The whole vibe and sing-along on "Straight Up and Down" - really felt part of the show with those "woo - hoo's."

Though I wasn't there, this performance of "Yeah Yeah" at the Hove Festival in Norway is a particular favorite. Especially when you see those trees swaying in the breeze while Anton sings "the voices of angels scream in my head, they tell me don't worry, I'm already dead." You see the band getting entirely swept up in their own music. A transcendent moment.


So many of you have SO many more concert experiences, so you should most certainly be able to come up with some moments to equal or surpass these. Bring 'em on.

Leeds 2006 when was shouting for Feel It and they actually played it !!!! After Anton asked why keep requesting our most simplest song - or words to that effect.........and wow......it was amazing. Not sure they played it anywhere else then or since ? Was a sweet moment.

Deadly, i love the peel session version of Feel it. They played it in Antwerp nov '06 (only time ive heard it in about 15 shows) where i managed to worm my way backstage and meet everyone. Travis gave us some mushrooms too, i think to get rid of us! Awesome night, the entire show was beautiful.

Berlin, a few weeks ago before the gig in the beer garden. my completely drunk friend stumbled to Anton to say that his biggest fan on earth (me) is here. i was very afraid of this moment cause my friend is usually getting problems in such situations if you know what i mean;-)
but anton was the nicest person on earth and said "ok, then should we meet him" and took my friend by his hand and went to me. we talked, made some pictures together and thanked me for travelling 800km per car to their gig! since then we are in contact per twitter and maybe i help him getting some farfisa organ.

best moment ever!!

j.

I was at that Filmore show in 2010- and it was phenomenal!

One of my favorite moments was this year's show at the Filmore. Anton lost it when the sound guy kept severely fucking with the stage monitors- leaving the band confused and disoriented. Anton stopped the show and started laying into the ideals of the Filmore and the lack of professional staff, etc etc. Someone proceeded to turn the house lights on and all the stage lights (those lights are hot on stage). Anton wouldn't have it. The band continued to play for about half an hour with those lights blazing.

After awhile, Frankie finally pleaded into the mic: Can you please turn those fucking lights OFF? It's HOT up here!

The lights went down and the band continued to play the rest of the set. They even played an encore!!! Fuckin yes- it was great to be able to see every member of the band so clearly during their performance(even though we all felt really bad- they were sweating balls up there), and great to see them jam through some bullshit and still come out on top.

My first experience at Kings college UK..was a nice small venue & was down near front..it was when Anton was wearing his deerstalker..before playing feel it there was a dissagreement with frankie and he left the stage..Travis filled in on guitar and they played a blistering performance..it's the only time have heard it live..it was a pretty wild night and some people were throwing chips at Ricky maymi..I was pretty amazed at how Rob Campanella just sat patiently at his organ while all this chaos was occuring..only time had to lerave a BJM concert before it finished as they were still playing at 12:15 am..left completely stunned..befor gig met a couple of Singapore sling members who gave me a couple of BJM badges.

other memorable moments..at Islington whe AA newcombe said" Fish & Chips dont grow on trees my man"..to an audience member..This year at sheperds bush empire was a really great performance allround maybe best I've seen them..straight up and down was a treat to experience..

Was great seeing Anton lay into those fucks. "We play all over the world and the ONE PLACE where people got to be a fucking dick is at THE FUCKING FILLMORE! THE psychedelic hub? Give me a fucking break" or something to that effect with a lot more too...he and then yeah Frankie going "so what, now the lightning guys a dick too?"

Amazing show. Fucking amazing. Was pretty close to the front...Waking Up to Hand Grenades was/is amazing and that was the first time I really loved Straight Up and Down. Something about the vocal mix of anton and matt sounded so neat.

And my girlfriend and I almost got thrown out of the show and made to miss BJM...and we travelled from Vegas to the show.

The next day we we're supposed to rent a car and drive to LA for the Wiltern except the stupid pieces of shit at Hertz(and apparently every car rental place) has bullshit rules regarding credit cards/debit cards or something so we weren't allowed to pay to rent the car...but they did let us buy two new plane tickets back in the airport, so we flew quickfast to la(after missing our first plane due to the fucktard TSA clown not being sure if my Idaho drivers license was real) and by the time we got there our credit/debit transferring bullshit was finished so we were able to rent a car in la and drove right to the fucking wiltern and got there in time to see the last half of Blue Angel Lounge and a huge difference in the mood of the show from the night before(Anton saying it was a great venue and all that stuff, and then playing keyboard for 10 mins after everyone left). It was not as good as the Fillmore but was fucking great to get there in time. The sound mix was not right...couldnt hear joel(motherfuckers) and i remember some other instances of not hearing some things...still great and Waking up to Hand Grenades was fucking amazing again.

The next day was the laser show....on the roof....fucking awesome...met a bunch of cool peeps(and the rest of the band that I'd not met before).

Travelled a lot to see them so have found memory’s all over the place but... this selection are happy times more than musical moments that for me stood out…

First time was leeds town hall supporting brmc (famous night the floor collapsed) was took by friends so did not know the discography and what struck me was all the shouts from the crowd Fucker.... Fucker... Fuccccckerrrr This totally freaked me out thought that’s a bit harsh sounds ace to me. Of course had no idea at the time what the fucker shouts were really about..... Ironically I believe they played hyper ventilation again missed just how important that was as don’t think its been played since. all I know I was hooked, 10 years later, countless gigs all over the world but big thanks to my friends for taking me...

Favourite gig was Sheffield Lead mill (small room) wandered over to stand at the centre front, stage was 2 foot tall so really got a sense of them playing right in front of me, Ricky and Frankie just laughing making jokes with the me and others around me and themselves so intimate. Could see it all foot pedals who was playing what sound. I was passing cigs up to Frankie, they were having smoke brakes sat on their monitors sadly I am unlikely to see them every that close again....

Leeds poly... was on a balcony next to the stage after the gig while the band on stage Frankie shouts up to me for a cig, I toss him one down from 15 feet away he tries to catch it in his mouth, he fails of course, (maybe he would blame my throwing) I must have thrown half a packet at him in the end.... maybe a clever ploy from frankie

Dublin ... Parnell Mooney now thats a pub...

Wonderful shares - Scarborough, I understand what you mean about intimacy. At Old Ironsides (in '05), they might have had a riser of sorts, but basically we were all right on the floor with them rubbing elbows. I remember shining a little pen light I had on a key ring down on the floor so that the roadie could work on restringing a guitar. Pretty sure it was Travis, but he was a little thinner (weren't we all!) with shorter hair then. When I had first walked in the bar, Anton happened to walk right by - said hello and shook his hand. He DJ'ed before the first band and in between - first time I ever heard Dead Meadow ("At Her Open Door"), his "friends from D.C." Bought him a Greyhound and had to find him outside saying hello to a woman's daughter who was too young to come inside. Although Anton was a bit wild-eyed and wired that night, I remember being struck by what a good and down-to-earth gent he was. Don't know if we'll be able to experience that type of intimacy with The BJM ever again and good for them.

Lots of talk about "Feel It" - I'm sure most have seen Anton performing it with The Black Angels at SXSW, but just in case:

haha, the Ambassador show? long gone now im afraid, like anywhere decent in this town

Now you mention the Ambassadors show (Nov 06)... that bit in Swallowtail where Joel fell off the front of the stage into the photo pit - was out of sight long enough to be worrying... Then he rose up triumphantly, unruffled, still playing the tambourine in perfect time.