Bud Collins Trio haunted juke joints near UConn when I was there in the 80s. I’m pretty sure there isn’t a Bud Collins, and I seem to recall more than 3 members though that might be collegial double vision. Noodly, guitar centric jams dominate their output. Guitar, drums and bass make the trio on this evening. The guitarist singer had wire rimmed glasses that slid down his nose in a Schumeresque fashion. BC3 are about my vintage and you can sense they were gushing to open for any incarnation of the 80s-90s punk pop powerhouse known as XTC.
EXTC is Terry Chambers, original XTC drummer, joined by guitar and bass to stroll through the XTC catalog. Few bands have a flawless record, in my opinion, XTC has two. English Settlement from 1982 and the Todd Rundgren produced Skylarking from 1986. The original band was fronted by singer songwriter Andy Partridge, bassist Colin Moulding, guitarist Dave Gregory, and Chambers. Injecting art-pop sensibility with a decidedly British punk ethos, XTC were college radio darlings. Partridge was quirky, he suffered from severe stage fright, quashing any notion of a tour. Adding to their appeal, the band served up the single Dear God which riled the censorship police in Britain. Maintaining a small cult status, Chambers convinced his ex-band mates to allow him to tour the material after all these years. The setlist was stellar. This is Pop, No Language in Our Lungs, Ball and Chain, Real by Reel, Towers of London, Senses Working Overtime, Burning With Optimism’s Flames, The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead, King For a Day, The Mayor of Simpleton, No Thugs in Our House, Sgt Rock, Respectable Street, Living Through Another Cuba/ Generals and Majors, Making Plans for Nigel, Stupidly Happy, and closed with Life Begins at the Hop. Listening to these songs, I wonder if Partridge realized how hard they would be to recreate live. While there is no substitute for the campy Parttridge, the stand in guitar and bass tag teamed vocal duties to great effect. The guitarist even enlisted the crowd to sing backup on Ball and Chain and Nigel. Chambers was a force on drums. Ball and Chain, Living Through Another Cuba showcase a tribal backbone. 80s XTC caught lightning in a bottle and the flame still burns for a new audience. Glad that Chambers finally got a chance to tour this classic back catalog.
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