From Twitter - Ian Accoustic Appearance NYC Dec 3-4

[Sick4Tunz]

...but those not as fortunate are held hostage by fear of being called out by Mac...

By the way, my name is Walter....

Did anyone record the show? Although not a stellar performance, I'd like to have a copy.

It was a very odd show, at least based on my limited experience. The feeling I got was that I was watching /hearing a man slowly unravel. Stage bravado propping up the diva inside who's wearing no clothes. My fear is that he's losing all confidence in himself and may cease making music all together (some would like that). I know that people on VT in the past talked about having Ian be a bit more active on stage or perhaps pick up the guitar again while performing, but from what I see perhaps he should simply grip the mic and focus exclusively on singing.

[DivaDiana77]

I wish the Bunnymen hadn't broken up the first time through and found a way to get along so that they could have had a "proper" demise sometime in the 90s...Mac needs a handler/sponsor from AA or something. So does Lindsey Lohan.

"missing the point of our mission"

[vertigone]

Wow - how tragic! Hopefully you salvaged your night at that bar!

Yeah, the rest of the night was fun.

[vertigone]

Well that's too bad. Did he appear to be very drunk or anything? He was very good on that radio show the other day.

He did seem a bit drunk but not necessarily any more than any other show. It could have just been a really off night.

[In The Margins]

By the way, my name is Walter....

Did anyone record the show? Although not a stellar performance, I'd like to have a copy.

It was a very odd show, at least based on my limited experience. The feeling I got was that I was watching /hearing a man slowly unravel. Stage bravado propping up the diva inside who's wearing no clothes. My fear is that he's losing all confidence in himself and may cease making music all together (some would like that). I know that people on VT in the past talked about having Ian be a bit more active on stage or perhaps pick up the guitar again while performing, but from what I see perhaps he should simply grip the mic and focus exclusively on singing.

I just listed to the archive of the Ronson show (at about 105 minutes in) and Ian sounded sober but his voice was giving out. His version of TINIT was superior to the recorded version. He also did The Fountain and The Killing Moon. They were okay. He seemed in good spirits (no pun intended). He told Ronson that the night before he was trying to duplicate Lou Reed in the play a little talk a little act. Lenny Bruce was also mentioned.

Perhaps his nerves do get the best of him when performing alone and with only a guitar to grab onto. I don't think the acoustic thing in anything outside of a radio station is appropriate for him.

How many people were there, Walter? How long did he play? The Webster Hall show is supposed to be archived at some date in the future.

[vertigone]

By the way, my name is Walter....

Did anyone record the show? Although not a stellar performance, I'd like to have a copy.

It was a very odd show, at least based on my limited experience. The feeling I got was that I was watching /hearing a man slowly unravel. Stage bravado propping up the diva inside who's wearing no clothes. My fear is that he's losing all confidence in himself and may cease making music all together (some would like that). I know that people on VT in the past talked about having Ian be a bit more active on stage or perhaps pick up the guitar again while performing, but from what I see perhaps he should simply grip the mic and focus exclusively on singing.

Walter, I left a few minutes after Candleland. Did it get any better, worse or different?

[Frank The Bunny]

NYC is a bad city for Mac. Too much temptation. The sycophant on the stool beside him was likely his manager/enabler, Peter Byrne (judging from the video of the other performance). If he's going to succeed at all, he's gotta have a manager that keeps him in check, rather than one who supports his habit. Just my two cents...

[snowdroplets]

ey, you're back... :-) good to see you posting again

NYC is a bad city for Mac. Too much temptation. The sycophant on the stool beside him was likely his manager/enabler, Peter Byrne (judging from the video of the other performance). If he's going to succeed at all, he's gotta have a manager that keeps him in check, rather than one who supports his habit. Just my two cents...

[withahip]

Stage bravado propping up the diva inside who's wearing no clothes. My fear is that he's losing all confidence in himself and may cease making music all together (some would like that).

The man needs some serious vocal training. It would require him to stay focused and cut back on the beer and cigs. He'd get his confidence back in 6 months.

[Sick4Tunz]

Walter, I left a few minutes after Candleland. Did it get any better, worse or different?

Although I won a pair of tickets through EVR, I had a hearing on Friday at noon that prevented me from flying back east. Based on the live streamed show (buffering problems screwed up my recording of the event), I'm glad I did not spend the money. Instead I notified the radio station that my sister and her husband would attend in my place. No problem. They made a day of it in NYC, ending with Ian's performance.

My sister said it was a small, unheated basement concert venue at which, in her estimate held 100 to 150 people. Regardless of the number of people, she said it was packed. Ian was in a side room where she noticed that before the show a bottle of what she assumed was liquor was delivered to. Ian came out sometime well after 10 rather suddenly to take his seat on stage next to a table on which there were two glasses of an amber colored drink. They also brought the bottle out and placed it underneath the same table. Someone from the aduience jumped up and stroked Ian's ego about him being a legend, etc, Ian lapping it up. Security didn't know what to make of this individual but he backed off on his own. She said the crowd consisted mostly of people with a median age of about 20-25 who responded enthusiastically to the performance, many signing along with Ian.

My brother in law called it a mini concert. Four songs. My chopped up recording confirmes it lasted only 23 minutes. Just as suddenly as it began, Ian got up and departed. Although Ian did make reference to a Walter, and my name is Walter, there really is no connection that I'm aware, though she did speak to Mike the radio guy about me and how much I would have liked to be there.

At my request, she was tempted to yell out that Bono was having a drink at the bar, but thought better of it.

Once they post it at EVR, I'll have to download the show and listen to it in an uninterrupted fashion. With my appitite whetted, I grabbed my flask and a cigar and stood outside in the cold with the truck stereo going, doors wide open blasting into the night, listening to a bootleg recording of EATBs complete July 19, 1983 Royal Albert Hall gig. Now that was some performance!!

An effortless voice
Sounds out to expectant ears
Reaching for their hearts

[withahip]

As messed up as Ian is and as broken as his voice is - sick4tuez - that concert sounds pretty cool. A basement show.

[DivaDiana77]

The man needs some serious vocal training. It would require him to stay focused and cut back on the beer and cigs. He'd get his confidence back in 6 months.

Agreed. I'm still up for the gig since I'm classically trained, know his voice and think it's worth saving. I'd have him chewing nicotene gum all day and all he wanted. But it would take rehab to dry him out.

I had a dream last night that Lorraine, Will and Les staged an intervention, got him in rehab and it ended up on Biography. He started writing his best stuff after the stint at rehab.

(Oh, I wish, I wish, I wish!!!)

[marco]

Youtube has a few videos of Mac doing Killing Moon from the Webster hall show. here is one:

[Sick4Tunz]

http://whatatemper.blogspot.com/2009/12/east-village-radio-show.html

[fat cherry]

I had a dream last night that Lorraine, Will and Les staged an intervention,

yeah thats right, the bloke he seems to hate being in a band with, then bloke he cant stand but knows he'd be more successful if he was in a band with and his ex wife all coaxed him intoto a room