As Talented, Risqué, and Utterly Entertaining as Ever
By Chris Reddy

When I first heard that the legendary Tubes would be playing at the Bull Run in Shirley on October 1, my first thought was, “Holy crap, pretty small venue for The Tubes, don’t you think?”

Come to find out, that was exactly what the band members said when they arrived on Sunday afternoon to prep for the show.

But God bless them (and kudos to the Bull Run for proving itself a great room for a rock show!) ~ these guys were the consummate professionals. So once Fee finished constructing his own dressing room at the corner of the stage (gotta love that!), the boys picked up their instruments…but let’s get back to that in a minute.

Now the last time I saw the Tubes was on the “Love Bomb” tour (with opener Todd Rundgren) for a packed crowd at The Orpheum in Boston in the mid 80s. I’ve been a fan since their inception back in the mid 70s when their first album was a staple at our parties and extracurricular activities. The Tubes had always performed with a large band (and devoted entourage), combining superb musicianship, dead-on harmonies, theatrics, and an almost burlesque quality into their live show.

Recent years, however, had seen a change of band members and the line-up for this particular evening included only Roger Steen (guitar), Rick Anderson (bass), and Fee Waybill (lead vocals) from the original days. Lou Molino would replace Prairie Prince on drums and David Medd on keys. “No worries,” I thought to myself, having heard both live recordings and “Genius of America,” the band’s last studio album, all of which I found to be great additions to their catalog.

Now back to sound check…Well, 6pm rolled around and people started arriving for their dinner, which as per usual was included in the show price at The Bull Run. And audience arriving means no balls-out sound check, so a sonically minimal line check was substituted. I noticed that Fee seemed a bit concerned but he remained good-natured towards the growing crowd ~ and even ducked behind the scenes to enjoy the dinner set out for him, too.

Then the lights dimmed, the crowd finished filing in, and the anticipation and excitement became palpable. Any and all concerns that this venue would not be rocking hard all night long disappeared (in fact, with a twinkle in his eye, Fee made a point of smoothing things over with the owners, who were watching from behind the bar, when he first took the stage) ~ and were replaced by an electricity that only a room full of true Tubes fans could generate.

And then the band got down to business ~ or rather, “Outta the Business,” their first song of the night ~ and gave the audience a good dose of pure, unadulterated rock-n-roll. Their sound was consistently great as Geoff, their dedicated soundman of several decades, is a pro at tweaking and riding levels to maintain optimal sound. The applause after the first song was, to say the least, impressive ~ and began what would become the norm for the evening, standing ovations.

The band seems somewhat surprised ~ but extremely pleased! ~ by the crowd’s reaction and, after sharing a few jokes and giving Fee enough time to don a new wig, broke into “Sushi Girl” from “The Completion Backwards Principle” album. Their vocal harmonies are still so dead-on ~ despite the absence of some original members ~ due largely to Lou and David’s vocal contributions to the backgrounds.

Fee’s voice was as strong and charismatic as ever and it was obvious that he was really starting to have fun. As the band was preparing for the next song, he made a few anti-Bush statements that could have made him unpopular ~ but wouldn’t you know it, he’s so disarmingly charming and genuinely witty that the crowd stayed with him. The band segued into “What Do You Want From Life,” nicely spiced up with some clever new vocal arrangements. The crowd was on its feet and stayed up as the first notes of one of the Tubes’ biggest hits (and one of their most pop-friendly songs of the evening), “She’s a Beauty,” rang out.

Geoff the soundman leaned over to me (I’d stationed myself right next to him for the show) and whispered that Fee must have really been having a great time because he seldom chats with a crowd so much. And chat he continued to do, explaining to the crowd that ~ for obvious reasons ~ the Tubes only play the blue states…and that was the perfect segue into “Space Baby”, one of my favorite songs off their first album.

Fee’s vocals were shining bright and the band was interacting with the crowd as only truly gifted entertainers can do. While Fee changed into a spectacular cowboy outfit (now THAT’S really The Tubes we know and love!) in his makeshift dressing room, the guys broke into an instrumental improv that was just the right lead-in to the hilarious “Auctioneer.” Then the props really came out and Roger and the boys started up “TV is King” from “Remote Control” ~ with Fee wearing a makeshift TV over his head. Sure must have been uncomfortable, but boy did the crowd love it! The next few songs showcased The Tubes’ funky and progressive sides as they knocked off “Tip of my Tongue” and “Haloes” with a fantastic drum solo by Lou Molino in between. As Lou finished up, Fee was ready to add even more camp to the show with covers of “Bali Hai” and Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual” for the ladies. And the ladies showed their appreciation by throwing their panties right onstage (a sure sign of a successful show!).

As Fee disappeared to take a breather, the band broke into “Town Without Pity.” Suddenly Fee was back with a blow-up doll ~ and naturally, the place erupted. After his best crooning, the doll deflated, only to have Fee blow her back to life. The show was getting more deliciously risqué by the minute…and then the band started up “Mondo Bondage,” with Fee stripped down to assless chaps and a leather mask. This was definitely not your normal Sunday evening at The Bull Run! Keeping with the standard Tubes repertoire, the guys allowed Fee his last major costume break and jammed on “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” Fee emerges as Quay Lude ~ complete with platform shoes, white wig, and glam attire ~ to perform “White Punks on Dope.” The crowd immediately begins singing the choruses and everyone, down to the person, stood up as the band finished off the classic with high energy.

After a short exit from the stage, the band returned for 2 more songs, finishing up with an extended version of “Talk to Ya Later” that showcased Roger Steen’s talent on lead guitar. As the band wrapped up to a standing ovation, Fee told the crowd that this gig, for all its surprises, turned out to be his favorite yet on the tour and he welcomed everyone back to the promo table for a meet and greet with the band ~ a classy gesture and a well-deserved treat for Tubes fans.

I got a chance to speak with Fee after things quieted down and he was gracious enough to give me quite a bit of his time to discuss all things Tubes. I asked about the other original members and he mentioned how he had hoped to get the entire original band back together last year, only to have the tragic death of Vince Welnick disrupt any type of reunion plans. I asked about Mike Cotton and Bill Spooner and Fee mentioned a new DVD he is working on with Michael; due out shortly, it will be a video history of the band. Bill, Re Styles and Prairie Prince are all still working and Fee seemed genuinely happy for all prior members. I asked about his past producers and he offered up many tidbits regarding his workings with Todd Rundgren and David Foster, the latter of whom he referred to in glowing terms.

Since Fee is one of my all-time favorite singers and front men, it was great to be able to sit down and talk to him ~ down-to-earth, well-mannered, and intellectual, none of that crazy, whacked out, drugged up freakshow persona that he presents on stage in evidence at all. You can’t imagine what a pleasure it was to interview him, the driving force behind one of the best progressive rock bands of our time! And the best news was that Fee said they hope to be back on the east coast sooner rather than later!

So to sum up the entire experience, The Tubes shone at The Bull Run, the crowd had an amazing time, and I got to interview one hell of a musician!