RFI: XTC as a live act

Very different on each occasion - a lot "punkier" and more manic the first time (especially keyboard player Barry Andrews, who was evidently hell-bent on beating the hell out of the remnants of a piano that had quite clearly had the hell beaten out of it extremely thoroughly already); far more controlled and understated the second time (when Barry had been replaced by guitarist Dave Gregory).

I thought they were much better the first time - but then I would have done, wouldn't I?

Anyway, that's a great movie and I think it was being reissued soon...

You can also find a couple of live tracks on Coat of Many Cupboards, including a nice live take on "Yacht Dance."

The "Partridge had stagefright" story is pretty substantiated, but it also seemed like they just weren't interested in touring for year after year. I recently interviewed Partridge and he mentioned that he wanted to settle down so he could start a family.

Partridge's rationale since has been that he'd never put himself through that again so it must have really shaken him.
Saying that, he did undertake in a short promotional unplugged tour of America in '89 with the other two and played a few times in front of an audience then.

I reckon that the chances of a live reunion are very slim given that David Gregory is no longer in the band. Still, I'd give my eye teeth to see them in any form.

Then caught them 3 times in 4 nights early in 1980 supporting "Drums and Wires." They were brilliant (thus my following them about for 4 days) and a standout of that live set for me was "Battery Brides." The 3rd show in that series had the band scheduled to open for the Police in Hartford, Connecticut. The Police cancelled for some reason, but that was fine with me -- a longer set for XTC!

Last time was in '81 in support of "Black Sea"(?). The show was at the old Ritz (now Webster Hall) and we were just standing about in the balcony area waiting for the show when the band walked right by. I reached out and patted Andy on the shoulder and he turned and gave me an glare that would melt ice. Point made: Andy was not too fond of crowds.

There's plenty of live material floating about on the internet with a little searching.

Circa late 80s, early 90s, the other band members were convinced that Partridge was over his anxieties and now he was just looking for an excuse to not do anything live...

That said, yeah, if was quite solidly clear that when Apple Venus came out, XTC were to be and always will be a studio effort only. If Partridge and Moulding have now fallen out, then that's pretty much the end of XTC for good...

..which is kinda surprising in one sense as I'm sure ILM would have been on top of this. Then again, XTC have always operated on a glacial pace since Oranges & Lemons.

Be happy with those gazillion Fuzzy Warbles collections, then!

I'd love to see a reunion tour (and would pay long fucking dollars for it), but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting.

Andy Partridge, by the way, plays (uncredited) on the forthcoming Shriekback album (this from the label boss, Mike Coles, at Malicious Damage who is putting it out).

As regards the future of the band, here's what Andy Partridge wrote on the official XTC Forum on 12 October 2004:

Q - How come you guys don't know if and when the next album will come out? Tall Wall
A - Because, Wallington , we just don't. Both myself and Colin are writing material but personally I'm not sure what, if anything, I want to do with it. I don't relish the thought of doing a solo album, but then I've a sneaking suspicion that the XTC engine may be all out of steam. I have to admit that in hindsight I now see Dave leaving as a bigger body blow that I thought it would be at the time. Neither Colin or myself want too kill off XTC at present, because we may ring each other up in 6 months or a year and say I've got so many songs we just have to XTC the hell out of them! But right now I'm having to wrestle with the idea that its ok for XTC to be in suspended animation. It has been before, and it didn't die. A.P

I just thought it was weird that they fully gave up for good, because they look like they're having a helluva lot of fun in the clip I have from the OGWT. Then again, touring is a bitch.

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=45420

Anyway, it was a straight up double bill, each band playing around
90 minute sets. I can still picture Andy Partridge center stage, playing the opening riffs of "Respectable Street", starting out one of the best shows I've ever seen.

Two years later I had tickets to see them at the Park West in Chicago with Teardrop Explodes as openers. As we know, that shit never happened but I still think I have my ticket stub somewhere

The breakdown, accompanied by uncontrollable stage fright, was reportedly precipitated by Partridge's wife throwing away his supply of Valium. According to the band's biography, Andy had become dependent upon the drug after it was prescribed to him as a teenager during his parents' divorce, but it had never been withdrawn. Concerned about her husband's dependence on the drug, his wife ill-advisedly threw his tablets away just before the concert without seeking medical advice -- the result was, not surprisingly, anxiety attacks of such severity that it soon forced Partridge to withdraw from touring permanently.

HOLY SHIT. I am really amazed at this "Live in Concert 1980" album I found on Spotify. This is SMOKING. I had no idea they were such a fucking amazing live band.

That link from 9 years ago with the live stuff for download still works - http://xtc4u.org/

the acoustic version of 'Train Running Low on Soul Coal' that starts at 1:45 here is wonderful (the whole doc is great, there aren't any other live performances tho)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh6fi46waIY