"The Dress Rehearsal Tapes", Rocky Point studio - April 19, 1990

 

If there was one night you could point to, when Life Out Of Balance went from boys to men, you might pick this one.  Or definitely this weekend.

On the evening I turned 21, Life Out Of Balance gathered at the Rocky Point studio to run a marathon rehearsal.  Our aim: putting together four sets of material, to be performed the following night at Southampton College, our first real gig with the brand-new and improved Life Out Of Balance. I'd been with the band since I was 16 and we had played exactly two shows during that time. 1990 was Year One for LOOB.

Early that year, Frank Russell had joined on lead guitar and the band just upped a notch....actually, it upped about ten notches!  After Frank joined, there would be no trouble getting me or Hubie to rehearsal ever again! We played and we played and we played all through the end-of-winter months.  I don't know how this gig came up, it could have been through any of the three other guys,  or any number of people including - once again! - Valerie Sicignano, who, by hook or by crook, singlehandedly managed to land us a winning slot on the Good Times poll. "LOOB Top Poll"! Val hadn't even seen us yet, so I think she came to see exactly what she was endorsing! She is the only person in attendance at this rehearsal, quiet as a mouse, and manning the pause button.

April 10, 1990 - Good Times magazine poll.  Valerie sent in postcard after postcard and got us the top spot.  We hadn't yet played a gig, nor did we have any recording to speak of.

Going in to this rehearsal, we had maybe 40 minutes of material ready to go with our new guitarist.....but this Southampton show was an all-night affair.  Luckily, LOOB had tons of songs in reserve.  The trick was teaching Frank (and, for us, relearning) old (and new) songs, as quickly as possible.  In a single night.  And then remember them all the following evening.

Tape numero uno.  

Some of the songs we chose ("Phobia", "Inside Outside", "Complete Collapse") were very old, chosen not because of their merit but simply because they were simple two or three chord tunes, played at this one show and never heard from again.  Others were covers, something we hardly ever did (Beatles: "Don't Let Me Down", Pink Floyd: "Breathe" & "On The Run", and a Willie Dixon song "Can't Hold Out" (aka "Talk To Me Baby")  We also did Syd Barrett's "Love You" at the show itself the following night).  And still yet other songs were tunes that were not-quite-ready ("Sailing") or even written (something called "That's Jazz", which was Hubie making up lyrics on the spot over some changes Frank had.)

As you can hear by the tones of our voices, we're all business!  There was a lot to get through, and I'm sure it was a daunting prospect.  Listening to it now, a lot of these songs are still in their infancy and would show immense improvement over the coming months.  And I won't even speak to my drum performances, which can make or break any jam (and it's about a 50/50 ratio!).  Still, any tape that has two "Return Britain"s and an acoustic set is fine with me!  It also includes a song I completely had forgotten about, "When I".  Great melody, Hubie! It's been running through my head nonstop, since I digitized this tape a couple of weeks ago! Also great to see "Minnie's Cold Glass Eye" pop up!  Another one I had forgotten about! After taking an early stab at the delicate "Sailing", possibly our favorite song to play, the rehearsal wraps up with Hubie and Frank improvising with volume swells.

We filled two cassettes that night, both sides - it was such a long rehearsal that Frank labeled the tape 4/19 - 20.

The next night - the night of the show -  was a real triumph. Well...that's for tomorrow. Suffice to say, we came out of that gig feeling great, feeling validated! But....after it was all done, after the whole intense weekend of cramming was behind us, and playing through the four sets was over with....Valerie, who had observed both nights, came up and told me how the show was really good....but that the real show was the one no one got to see, the night before, in the studio, at the rehearsal. This rehearsal!

So, pop this tape on and hear Life Out Of Balance work it on out, break a sweat, even bitch at each other at times...but the work they did that night laid the groundwork for everything LOOB did subsequently....and made them a musical force to be reckoned with! I mean....look at all these fucking songs!

Life Out Of Balance "Dress Rehearsal", Rocky Point house, 4/19/90
Phobia
Don't Let Me Down
Return Britain
Minnie's Cold Glass Eye
Beating A Dead Horse
I Know Your Name
The Advocate
The Advocate
We Both Wobble
Don't Let Me Down
Minnie's Cold Glass Eye
Return Britain
It's All Right
Spotlight Shining
Wintertime
I've Got An Onion
I'm Crying
What You Say
Don't Step On The Blue Grass
Complete Collapse
Frère Jacques
I'm So Tired
Breathe ->
On the Run ->
Is It Safe?
Don't Mind At All
When I
End Of The Story (breakdown)
End Of The Story
"That's Jazz" (untitled song)
Castles And Planes
I Hear A New Voice
Can't Hold Out
Sailing
Frankenhubie

Hubert Poole - guitar, vocal
Frank Russell - guitar, vocal
Ted Schreiber - bass, acoustic guitar, harmonica, vocal
Michael Goodman - drums, quatro, acoustic guitar, vocal

recorded on two tracks of Tascam Portastudio cassette four-track.  Thanks to Val for staying on top of the pause button! There's levels being adjusted during "I'm Crying".


Download here:
1. http://www.mediafire.com/download/o26o3w9errz6m30/1990-04-19_Dress_rehearsal_tape_-1.zip

2. https://www.mediafire.com/?ms0v4tm7igjama9