It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…okay, that’s overstating it. I was fortunate to see Julian Cope live twice in 1987 when he was touring his “Saint Julian” album. (As an aside, this is a fantastic album which is almost impossible to find. Why is it not available?!?) I had followed him with The Teardrop Explodes and loved the three solo albums he had released to this point.
The first show was at the Felt Forum in NYC where he and his band opened for Siouxsie and the Banshees. The crowd was somewhat indifferent to his performance, as crowds often are to opening acts. The band pushed through in workman like fashion. Near the end of the set he played his song “World Shut Your Mouth” which was certainly his best known song in the US at the time. A friend I was with said he thought most of the crowd didn’t know who Julian was, but when “World” started there was a rise of recognition. Regardless, the consensus of the crowd seemed to be “bring on Siouxsie.” I was happy to see JC, but was somewhat uninspired under the circumstances.
About a week later I saw he was headlining a show at a club in Philadelphia; I was hoping Julian would be “recalled to life.” (Keeping with my vague theme, that one was for you English majors out there!) I thought this would be a better situation – the club would be more intimate than the Felt Forum, I’d likely see an unabridged set, and, as the headliner, there would likely be a more appreciative crowd. This did, in fact, turn out to be the case, although the evening got off to an odd start.
When we arrived at the venue and the club was filled with middle-aged people wearing 50’s clothing (poodle skirts, etc.). They were dancing to oldies music that was apparently being broadcast live from the club on a local radio station. I thought I was in the wrong place or was there on the wrong night. The doorman confirmed we were in the right place. He said this was a weekly event and that the oldies crowd would clear out as soon as the broadcast was over. He was right; they moved out quickly and the Cope fans moved in.
It was a relatively small crowd (maybe 100 people) but it was fantastic from a fan’s perspective – up close and personal. Julian and band did a full and energetic set; they fed off the crowd and we fed off them. I most strongly recall a powerful version of “Reynard the Fox,” but it was a fantastic show from beginning to end. Afterwards, the band (sans Julian) wandered out for drinks and mingled with the crowd. They were great guys and seemed appreciative that we were there.
One odd fact about this tour was that Julian had an unusual microphone stand built. It had “steps” and allowed him to climb and twist and writhe throughout the set. It was kind of mesmerizing. You can get a taste of it in this video:
And if you haven’t followed Julian’s career since the 80’s (or didn’t know of him before now!), I’m happy to report he has continued to put out interesting music and had pursued other artistic and intellectual endeavors. His website is a fun and interesting place to spend some time.