The last time I saw The Tubes was in the late 1980s after Fee Waybill left and original Tubes singer David Killingsworth returned for a short time. They played a small club and had no stage show to speak of. It was almost painful watching the seven-piece band jammed onto a small stage when I had seen them just a few years before in front of large, appreciative audiences putting on an incredible show. Kenny Ortega, who went on to choreograph “High School Musical” and was working with Michael Jackson when he died, choreographed The Tube’s big shows.
Twenty years later The Tubes are a very different band, even with Waybill back at the helm, the rest of the band is gone save original guitarist Roger Steen. The dancing girls and acrobats are gone and the band is now a five-piece featuring former GTR drummer Jonathan Mover on drums, Atom Ellis on bass and David Medd on keyboards.
The Tubes still sound great, although there is a noticeable difference with one guitarist instead of two. Roger Steen’s playing was nothing short of spectacular, something that was not as noticeable in the larger configuration.
Even though Waybill may not be as physically nimble as he was many years ago, his voice is crystal clear and powerful. On Tubes classics like “Mondo Bondage” and “T.V is King” Waybill still makes it look easy, proving that even though the big show is gone, the guys made some great music.
Waybill still treats the fans to a few costume changes including dressing as a punk rocker for “I Was a Punk Before You Were a Punk” and the carnival hawker from the “She’s a Beauty” video. The costumes were a hit with the longtime fans but other than the classic “Quay Lude” get-up, they were a bit of a distraction.
Nonetheless, you can’t fault Waybill for trying to give the loyal fan base their money’s worth, and in spite of dealing with a series of nagging technical issues, the band performed for an impressive two and a half hours, playing all the fan favorites except for “Sushi Girl” which appeared on the original set list but must have been cut due to time constraints. They also did not play any songs from “Love Bomb,” their last album on a major label.
It was great to see The Tubes again and as I listened to great songs that should have been hit records like “Tip of My Tongue” and “I Don’t Want to Wait Anymore” I just don’t get why The Tubes never reached a level of stardom that many of their peers did. They were definitely a band ahead of their time, especially as a live act, and for those that missed The Tubes in the 70s and 80s, they can at least still experience a little of what it was like.
Set List
Prelude in Black
No Mercy
No Way Out
I Love Lucy (TV Theme)
TV is King
What do You Want From Life
Rumble (Link Wray cover)
I Was a Punk Before You Were a Punk
Mondo Bondage
James Brown Medley
Tip of My Tongue
Attack of the Fifty-Foot Woman
Amnesia
Don’t Wanna Wait Anymore
Up from the Deep
Boy Crazy
White Punks on Dope
Encores:
She’s a Beauty
Talk to Ya Later
We would like to thank Ross Catalino of Back to Back Entertainment for allowing Backstageaxxess.com to review the show.
