* Grande Ballroom *

MC5

 

 

10,11 ~ Friday, Saturday /

May 1968
 
 
Set the First

1.     "BORDERLINE"; The NOW infamous compositions by Wayne Kramer
        (guitar) currently sharing sides with "Looking at You" on the MC5's
        latest underground killer single.

2.     "UPPER EGYPT"; Inspired by the planet shaking "Tauhid" album by
        Pharoah Saunders, (Impulse-Mono, A9138; stereo, AS9138) Lyrics
        by Detroit's noted Poet/Artisan/Lecturer/Dope & Sex fiend, John
        Sinclair, "The Pharoah of the (now defunct) Hippies." Sinclair is
        personal manager of MC5 Enterprizes, a division of Russ Gibb Pro-
        ductions.

3.     "STORMY MONDAY BLUES"; The MC5 always include one stone
        blues in their live show because they like it that way.

4.     "ICE PICK SLIM (5 for Shepp)"; This original piece, dedicated to
        Archie Shepp, features each of the 5 in solo performance. "We
        wanted to do some more complex arrangements (ie., ensemble
        passages & time signature changes, for those of you who are into
        that & still leave everyone enough roon to get out their hot licks".
  The order of solos:    
          1.   Rob Tyner, Gronk Saxophone
        2.   
Fred Smith, Sonic-Boom Kamakazi guitar
        3.   Rob Tyner, Vocal solo
        4.   Wayne Kramer, Cosmic wiggle guitar
        5.   Michael Davis (Free Bass solo)
        6.   Dennis Thompson (Drums)
        Ending in mass improvisation & Energy blast.
         
Set the Second

1.     "KICK OUT THE JAMS, MOTHERFUCKER!"; An original with lyrics
           & music by Rob Tyner, arranged by the MC5.

2.     "BAD SIGN" (Born under a . . . ) written by Albert King, a bit of spider
           music.

3.     "SLOW DOWN"; ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC. The subversive device used
           by revolutionaries to dissolve inhibitions, cause fucking in the streets &
           give you "sickness in the mind".

4.     "BALLAD OF A THIN MAN"; Off Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited
           album, because of the obvious lyrical considerations.

5.     "TUNGI" (Toon'-jee) A composition from the beautiful "Coltrane"
           album by John Coltrane (Impulse Mono, A21; Stereo, AS21) again
           reaching into other areas of sound. "We wanted to do this one
           because it's a song that throws a mood. A different shade of music
           so we could incorporate some percussion instruments & flute.
           Watch for Mike Davis' Bass voicings."

6.     "LOOKING AT YOU"; (The MC5's latest recording fiasco) "This one
           won't sound like the record, as we recorded it 4 months ago &
           written merely as structure and is different each time we play it.
           This is due to differing levels of surroundings, personal energy
           chemistry, vibration, group consciousness & the amount of toke
           before show time.

7.     "I PUT A SPELL ON YOU"; written long ago by Screaming Jay
           Hawkins. "A natural progression of events".

8.     "COME TOGETHER"; A little spontaneous generation, written live
           on stage at the Grande. "It was just one of those things ... every
           body was grooving ... Fred started this guitar thing & we all took
           off." It has since grown into a Mad/Filthy/Orgy-Ritual-Song of
           the Salty Flesh. An extension of our fucking in the streets program.

9.     "I BELIEVE IT TO MY SOUL"; This is your emotional-transition
           song used in this position to equalize pressure/energy levels &
           polarize & focus group consciousness to a maleable point.
           Written be Ray Charles.

10.     "BLACK TO COMM"; (Song of the Planets...)
           To you, for you, about you. Since 1964, Black To Comm has been
           the culmination of the MC5's live show. It was born out of the
           need to go beyond rock & roll's limitations. "You keep building
           & building it -- it evolves, it can't be held back by beat or key."
           The MC5's original bassist & drummer left the band 2 1/2 years
           ago because of this composition. "In those days it was difficult
           to relate to new forms. The people could dig exaggerations of
           existing forms, but new founding concepts were intolerable. Even
           today in some places where we play; it often gives people an
           excuse to dislike us." After the introductory structured energy
           chant & invocation, Black to Comm loses it's hard-and-fast
           musical form, being structured around energy levels rather than
           meter or tonality. "As this point, we try to create the highest
           sound/energy levels we are capable of, using volume, muscle
           power, gallons of sweat & total intensity. Comm in the past was
           the energy of five people - but why stop at five? We found that
           through the addition of more instruments, such as saxophones,
           flutes, bells, tympanii, various percussion instruments, &
           screaming freeks from the audience, the levels were considerably
           higher. If everyone in the audience joined in we could erupt into
           the universe. Once at Community Arts Auditorium, Wayne
           State University, we had 500 people all up on the stage with us &
           once at the Union Ballroom, University of Michigan, there were
           about 300. It was incredible! The MC5 strongly urge all free
           people of good will to bring their own instruments & use their
           own strong voices.

            "Let your Love
            Come Down, Down
            Down . . ."
   
         
           The MC5 have been an entity for 4 years. They opened the Grande
           Ballroom in October of 1966 with the Chosen Few (Then comprised
           of members of the INCREDIBLE SRC and the EARTH SHATTERING
           PSYCHEDELIC STOOGES.) The MC5 are; Wayne Kramer & Fred
           (Sonic) Smith on Guitar ("Nobody plays lead... We just play...")
           Michael Davis on Bass, Dennis Thompson, Drums & Rob Tyner
           on harmonica, flute, theremin & lead vocal. All play saxophone,
           organ, piano and "Whatever else we can get our hands on."
         
           For MC5 Social & Athletic Club Write:
         
             Trans-Love Energies
           P.O.Box 7259
           Detroit, Michigan 48202
 
         
           "You've Got to Move in the Music, Got to Get Out in the Sun
           Got to Get Out of Your Head Now, Got a Lot to be Done."
         
         
         
         
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