Photos 1985

Jeroen was kind enough to send me some scans of photos taken by his late brother Marcel Snoek at Pandora's 85. Unfortunately, we do not recognize some of the artists. Please let me know if you know who these people are. Huge thanks to Jeroen!

Phenomena 1985

Photo from Sounds (26 October 1985) depicting the "blue liquid bar". These excerpts from the review describes this and various other phenomena: "There she was, standing in a fishtank of blue liquid which she dispensed into cups while miming to songs from West Side Story. [...] the old man herding sheep through the foyer [...] A row of vacant hospital beds stared back, clinically."

This is not the First Aid station, but rather the Emergency Ward - one of Pandora's 85's phenomena (photo by Marcel Snoek - huge thanks to Jeroen)

Photo Phenomenon

Stub


Photo information flyer (thanks Surfling)


Front of photo ticket (thanks Surfling)


Back of photo ticket (thanks Surfling)


Glasses provided by Oor magazine (thanks Surfling)


What's this? Pandora's entry. They took a picture of every visitor of the festival. There were rumours that they would launch these photos into space. Guess they didn't. When I asked them for a duel they agreed. (http://www.itlooksdifferent.com/?id=79)


Photo information sheet, detailing the purpose and procedures of the whole photo phenomenon. If and when I have time, I might try to find out what happened to the photos.

The Fur Bible

Very short lived project with Kid Congo Powers (his first attempt at singing) and Patricia Morrison after the Gun Club disintegrated. Released only one EP "Plunder the Tombs" in 1985, produced by Jim Thirlwell (aka Clint Ruin aka Foetus).

Scheduled
Saturday 12 October 1985, "Small Hall", 22:45-23:30

Line up
Kid Congo Powers – guitar, vocals; Patricia Morrison – bass; Murray Mitchell – guitar (and saxophone?) ; Desparate (Peter Kablaen)– drums

Set list
01 Unknown

02 Headbolt

03 Unknown

04 Unknown (cut)

Recordings
I have a lossless (flac) radio recording of the above 4 tracks. Unfortunately, it's in mono.

Other info
Morrison and Powers played Pandora’s 1984 with the Gun Club, Desperate joined them shortly after Pandora's 84. Mitchell was an ex-roadie (and occasional guitar player) with Siouxsie & the Banshees who had played Pandora's 83. Gun Club main man Jeffrey Lee Pierce also played Pandora’s as the Jeffrey Lee Pierce Quartet.


Article from festival booklet




Article from Oor (1985-20)

The 77's

The 77s (alternatively spelled The Seventy Sevens or The 77's) are an American rock band. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_77s)

Scheduled

Line up

Michael Roe - vocals, guitar; Mark Tootle - keyboards, guitar; Jan Eric Volz - bass; Aaron Smith - drums

Set list

Unknown

Recordings

Unknown

Other info


Article from festival booklet

The group's video (and future show stopper) Mercy Mercy was aired on MTV. In Europe, where Polygram released the album, the group played festivals and showcases like the Pandora's Music Box festival, and videos aired on Music Box, the continent's equivalent to MTV. (http://www.shoutlife.com/the77s)

Shockheaded Peters

Shockheaded Peters revolves around Karl Blake (born: December 5, 1956; Reading, Berkshire, England), vocalist, bassist, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist most noted for his work with The Lemon Kittens, Danielle Dax, Sol Invictus, Current 93 and Gaë Bolg. Other past projects include Alternative TV, The Underneath, Evil Twin, British Racing Green, Blake Sabbath and solo work. Most of his work can be described as progressive-experimental and sometimes psychedelic. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Blake)

Scheduled

Line up

Karl Blake - vocals; Simon Moon - guitar; David Cadbury-Knight - guitar; Simon Shearston - bass; Trevor Reidy - drums

Set list

Unknown

Recordings

Unknown

Other info

Article from festival booklet




Article from Oor (1985-20)

24 years ago this month at Pandora's Music Box 1985 - Rotterdam. I was the bassist in "Shockheaded Peters". Got drunk with many of them that weekend - we were all in the same hotel. Met some very nice people in Sonic Youth, The Cult and Nico. A great memory. Anyone remember some of the legends in this line-up? (Escribano, http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=117975&appid=8&p=&mpage=1&key=&tmode=&smode=&s=#118903)

Screaming Blue Messiahs

The Screaming Blue Messiahs were a rock band, formed in 1983 in London by Bill Carter, Chris Thompson and Kenny Harris. The three had played together previously as The Small Brothers, and Thompson and Carter had formed part of Motor Boys Motor, together with Tony Moon on vocals, recording several tracks under that name on 24 August 1981 for John Peel's show on BBC Radio 1. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Screaming_Blue_Messiahs)

Scheduled

Line up

Bill Carter - vocals, guitar; Chris Thompson - bass, vocals; Kenny Harris - drums

Set list

Unknown

Recordings

Unknown

Other info


Article from festival booklet


Billy Carter on stage at Pandora's 85 (http://www.itlooksdifferent.com/index.cfm?id=78)

Yeah, they were great. If I recall, they went on just before us - which helped to warm the place up. (Escribano (bass player with Shockheaded Peters), http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=117975&appid=8&p=&mpage=1&key=&tmode=&smode=&s=#118903)

Reviews 1985

Review in German fanzine Bierfront (1985/5) - many thanks to Klaus!

Cover and review in Sounds magazine (26 October 1985).

Paisley Underground

After the Dream Syndicate played Pandora's in 1984, there was special attention in 85 for the Paisley Underground movement which had a number of bands playing at Pandora's: the Rain Parade, Green on Red, the Long Ryders and also the Dutch Fatal Flowers.

The whole Los Angeles "scene" was captured in a family tree documenting the ties between the bands:


Los Angeles Paisley Undergound scene in 1985 (Oor, 1985/20)


Article in festival booklet

Festival booklet 1985

Cover of the official festival booklet

Introduction by Gerard J. Walhof

Tickets 1985

Used ticket for Friday night (thanks Surfling)


Unused Press and Guests ticket for Friday night

And another unused Press and Guest ticket for Friday Night

Used ticket for Saturday night (thanks Surfling)


Unused ticket for Saturday night

The Legendary Pink Dots

The Legendary Pink Dots (LPD) are an Anglo-Dutch experimental rock band formed in London in August 1980. Although far outside the mainstream (in terms of their music and career path), LPD have released more than 40 albums, have a devoted worldwide following, and tour frequently. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legendary_Pink_Dots)

Scheduled
Friday, 11 October 1985, "Small Hall", 22:25 - 23:10

Line-up
Edward Ka-Spel – vocals, keyboards; The Silverman (Phil Knight) – keyboards; rest unknown

Set list

01 The heretic

02 Mmmmmmmm

03 City ghosts

04 Femme mirage (feat. Julia Niblock)

05 I am the way, the truth, the light

06 (early cut)

(http://people.zeelandnet.nl/sveingold/boots/)

Recordings
A recording exists. I've seen it being listed twice, possibly because of late start:
10/11/85: Rotterdam / De Doelen
10/12/85: Rotterdam / Pandora's Club

Other info

Article from festival booklet

The Rain Parade

The Rain Parade were a band active in the Paisley Underground scene in Los Angeles in the 1980s. Its founding members were Matt Piucci (guitar) and brothers David Roback (guitar) and Stephen Roback (bass guitar),who had been in a band called The Unconscious with Susanna Hoffs (who went on to lead the most famous of the Paisley Underground bands, The Bangles.) The band soon added Will Glenn (keyboards and violin) and later Eddie Kalwa (drums). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_Parade)

Scheduled
Saturday, 12 October 1985, "Small Hall", 03:10 - 04:10

Line-up
Matt Piucci - guitar; David Roback - guitar; Stephen Roback - bass guitar; Will Glenn - keyboards, violin; Eddie Kalwa - drums
Maybe David had left already to join Opal with Kendra Smith (ex-Dream Syndicate).

Set list
Unknown. They are joined on stage by Green on Red for the finale of their set.

Recordings
It's unknown whether any audio recordings exist.


Fragment of the Rain Parade together with Green on Red at Pandora's 85 as uploaded to YouTube by waaghalsrecords.

Other info


Article from festival booklet

Article from Oor (1985/20)

Pandora's Music @ Box.net

A surprisingly little number of the Pandora's shows has ever been officially released. To the best of my knowledge, nothing from 83 was released. From 84, 7 songs have shown up on the Gun Club's Danse Kalinda Boom, and 2 songs as bonus tracks on the rerelease of the Sound's In The Hothouse. From 85, only 2 songs appeared as bonus tracks on the rerelease of Jeffrey Lee Pierce's Wildweed, and Nico's full show was released as Behind The Iron Curtain. And that's about it so far...

Beggars Archive is currently preparing a (partial?) release of the Fall's 84 show as bonus disc for the rerelease of their The Wonderful And Frightening World Of The Fall.

I'll be uploading the recordings that I have to the Box.net widget in the right hand frame over the next couple of weeks. They are encoded as mp3's at a relatively low bitrate, to ensure quick loading. If you're interested in having a high quality mp3 or lossless (flac) copy of the files, drop me a line and I'll see what I can do.

Uploaded so far:

1983
Armoury Show, Danse Society, Die Haut with Nick Cave, Fad Gadget, Jah Wobble & the Invaders of the Heart, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Skeleton Crew, SPK, W.A.T.

1984
Anne Clark, Anti Group, Billy Bragg, Blaine L. Reininger, Bronski Beat, Claw Boys Claw, Fiat Lux, Icicle Works, Me & the Heat, Palais Schaumburg, Shriekback, Tom Verlaine

1985
Chris Isaak, Echo & the Bunnymen, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional actor. He is best known for his work in the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and his fascination with American music and its roots. He has a reputation, which he disowns, for singing dark, brooding songs which some listeners regard as depressing. His music is characterised by intensity, high energy and a wide variety of influences. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Cave)

Scheduled
Saturday, 12 October 1985, "Big Hall", 02:40 - 03:40

Line-up
Nick Cave – vocals; Blixa Bargeld – guitars, vocals; Mick Harvey – guitar; Barry Adamson – bass; Thomas Wydler – drums

Set list
01 Avalanche
02 Tupelo
03 Well of misery
04 Sad dark eyes
05 Blind Lemon Jefferson
06 Wanted man
07 Say goodbye to the little girl tree
08 Knocking on Joe
09 Train long suffering
10 Saint Huck
11 I put a spell on you
12 Mutiny in heaven

Recordings
This show has been extensively bootlegged over the years, but never officially released. Tracks 01 – 12 were on the bootleg LP (and later CD) Pandora’s Misery (complete audience, PMB 131085 (FR,198?)), 03 – 11 were released on the bootleg CD's He Put A Spell On Us (incomplete radio broadcast, Wild Angel records -NCCD2 (NL,1992)). The release is wrongfully credited as being recorded in Amsterdam, 1984. It is in fact Pandora's 1985. The same tracks were also released as In Funeral Night (incomplete radio broadcast, BRX 007).
I have a lossless (flac) copy of He Put A Spell On Us.


Front cover of (CD version of) Pandora's Misery


Front cover of In Funeral Night


Front cover of He Put A Spell On Us

Other info
Both Bargeld and Harvey played Pandora's 85 twice: Bargeld was also in Einsturzende Neubauten, Harvey also played in Crime & the City Solution.


Nick Cave on stage at Pandora's 1985 (http://www.fromthearchives.com/nc/chronology.html)


Nick Cave on stage at Pandora's 1985 (photo by Marcel Snoek - huge thanks to Jeroen)

On stage at Pandora's 85 (Sounds 26 October 1985)

Article from festival booklet


Eric Brus descibes his experiences of the show in literary magazine Passionate, issue 3, May/June 1997. (http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/_pas002199701_01/_pas002199701_01_0051.htm)

Poster 1985

Poster for Pandora's 1985

Announcements 1985

First announcement in Vinyl 1985/7+8

Second announcement in Vinyl 1985/9

First announcement in Oor magazine 1985/17


Second announcement in Oor magazine 1985/18


Third announcement in Oor magazine 1985/19