The Motels at The Voodoo Lounge
Hollywood - October 13, 2000
[John's Local Band Pix]
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In the 1981-1984 time frame, there were several bands I was fanatical
about. Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello, and The Motels among them. I
would see these bands every chance I got. I saw the Motels several
times at the Golden Bear, and always lined up early to get a front-row
table. I was on crutches for the Motels show at UC Irvine, but I
was still right down there in front leaning on the stage and watching
Martha Davis prowl the stage and croon her excellent songs.
Then the Motels had a couple of MTV hits, and the small club gigs were gone. I was seeing them at the Universal and Long Beach Arena. Though a couple of lead guitarists changed, there was always Marty Jourard's Total Control sax solo. There was always Brian Glascock's obscene limericks, and of course there was always Martha. Okay, so they don't play very often any more. So the lineup is now a bunch of hotshot hired-gun players. Like Stew of The Negro Problem, Martha alone is enough to make the band worthy of the name The Motels. For this show, they played a long set with a smattering of songs from each of the first four Motels albums, and some new songs as well. I do miss the sax solo, but this is definitely a tight and engaging band, and Martha is still a captivating performer. Keep your eyes open for any upcoming gigs by them, as you won't want to miss them. As for the Voodoo Lounge, it's not particularly well suited for bands. The problem is that the stage is not very raised and the prescenium is fairly narrow. Thus you only get a good view of the band if you're tall or if you get there early enough to be down in front. If they'd raise the stage a couple of feet, it'd be a pretty nice venue otherwise, but I doubt they'll do that as the club seems to be set up more as a dance club than as a concert club. Enjoy the pix - |
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