Re: (TV) Rest in Peace Peter Laughner......

["Nick Powell" <nick@powelln.freeserve.co.uk>]

My twopenneth. I saw Pere Ubu play in Cardiff around the time of Waiting For
Mary. A  wonderful gig. Mr Thomas was extremely dry. The following night at
the same venue I saw Frank Sidebottom. I would bet that no one else has seen
two such diametrically opposed gigs on consecutive nights. I still treasure
the poster advertising both shows that I tore off a wall.
Apologies to those outside the UK who might not know Frank--he was
fantastic.
----- Original Message -----
From: ray <ray@wavewalker.freeserve.co.uk>
To: <tv@obbard.com>
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2000 11:43 AM
Subject: Re: (TV) Rest in Peace Peter Laughner......


> Hi everyone,
>
> Thanks to the generosity of Jeremy i only fairly recently got to hear a
lot
> of the music Laughner left behind ,or had been involved with, outside of
the
> few official Ubu songs he played on before his untimely demise.
> These recordings were a revelation to me.As a long-term Ubu fan it was
> fascinating to hear how full and confident they sounded live even at a
> relatively early stage('74?)and
> to discover that Peter was indeed even more of a gifted guitarist than i
had
> thought originally as well as a talented songwriter.
> I get sad and angry all the same when i think of how absolutely nihilistic
> he could be at times -(check out the bloodcurdling lyrics of "ain't it
fun"
> for example)-a person so completely and utterly determined to destroy his
> own young life.Maybe it's because i am reminded too much of the way i used
> to be myself before i decided to pull back from the precipice..
>
> I would like to remember him rather as someone who checked out way too
> early-a musician who was also a catalyst for and an enthusiast of, a lot
of
> the great music around in Cleveland and NYC in the early to mid seventies
> and let's not forget an early,passionate and influential supporter of TV.
>
> I have been lucky enough to meet David Thomas on a few occasions-a true
> gentleman-and the subject of Peter came up once in conversation (obviously
> still a very painful one).He just looked down at the floor,closed his eyes
> and shook his head sadly and silently for what seemed ages....
>
>
> Jeremy wrote:
> >Speaking of haunting guitar solos.....the end solo on Ubu's Humour Me is
> among the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard...(I know one other
person
> on the list feels the same about it)...not played by Laughner but surely
> inspired by....Tremendous...>
>
> ....and that person is me...this song is easily one of the most affecting
> pieces of music that i have ever heard in my entire life..and the
> solo...sublime...it has moved me to tears on so many occasions.... also to
> hear the compassion and choked emotion in David's vocal when he sings
"it's
> just a joke man"...it's almost too much.....
>
> This whole song seems to me to succinctly encapsulate both the positive
> aspects of Peter's short life and the futility of his early death...I hope
> that the Ubu fans on the list are in agreement....
>
>
>
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