Rush's Alex Lifeson on opening for the New York Dolls

nice, Geddy's vocals were polarizing to put it mildly, still are for some people.

“We were at the Dolls show at the Victory and it was great except for the horrible opening act,” said the cheerful young man driving. “Yeah,” said his charmingly cherubic girlfriend, “I wanted to chop that goddamn singer’s head off...,” and it was here that she turned to face me in the back, “with a dull piece of razor wire.” Then she turned away and didn’t feel like talking anymore. Me neither.

At the next light, I quietly jumped out the window and commenced the short 35-kilometre walk home in the soft drizzling October rain. Don’t hitchhike, kids.

 

That was hilarious. I like both band. I appreciate the Dolls as being one of the innovators of glam rock, especially in the United States. One of the best sounding garage bands of all time. Not quite a national treasure like Rush is to Canada but musically speaking Rush was always at another level. Rush are living legends of Rock n Roll.

 

Great read thanks for sharing!

 

That would have been a helluva show!

 

Animation to go along with his stories would be great!

 

I like both bands.

I’m a bigger Rush fan than Dolls but don’t feel the need to run them down. I guess I was putting things in context now as opposed to when Rush was belittled during the gig. I suppose it’s the absurd disparity between the two acts for that particular gig. It wasn’t uncommon in the 70’s for crazy bills like that.

No malice on my part towards the Dolls. Sorry if it came across that way.

 

Alex is a funny guy for sure. I always enjoy when he does stuff with the Trailer Park Boys. Most recently he was in an episode of their traveling across america mini-series. Alex was pretty damn hysterical.

 

By the way, anyone truly buy Alex had to hitchhike home from a gig? All that equipment and what not ?

Doubtful but funny story even if it was appropriated.

 

Thanks for posting. That story is amusing and a nice read.

 

I don't understand if the girl was supposed to have recognized him or not.

 

It’s a little bit ambiguous at the end... kinda like 2112

 

I was wondering the same thing .

 

Well she turned around and then didn’t feel like talking anymore- I would assume , at that point, she recognized him.

 

FYI The West End Phoenix is a newspaper started by Dave Bidini of the Rheostatics.

 

I've got a couple of Dave's books - "On a Cold Road - Tales of Adventure in Canadian Rock" and one of his hockey books "Tropic of Hockey." I know he's got several more and I keep meaning to grab another as he's a decent fun writer.

 

Wasn't he married to Uma Thurman briefly?

 

+3 for not caring the dissing of the NY Dolls. One of my personal favorite bands of 70s. Glam on!

 

Who?

 

He writes stories like this in their tourbooks, they're hilarious. Usually rooted in one real fact (like they opened for the Dolls, for ecample), and then goes off the deep end with them. Pretty surreal stuff.

 

For a couple of weeks, didn't work out though.


(I watched that scene just today, it's a classic)

 

I never tire of that video.

 

Me either

 

Didn't Alex do some sort of stand up comedy show not too long ago.?.? I seem to recall reading as much..

since I'm posting in here again, here's an amusing clip from 2016.

 

Only two weeks but he had to break up with her watch.

 

Uma Thermos!