This is the first Modern Lovers song I ever heard. And it just jumped out of the speakers. It was so good. Hypnotising. The rest of the album was great too. And all the demos and bootlegs I found later. This version of Modern Lovers was just so cool and tilted. But I have to admit that that when I hear this song now although the version by the Modern Lovers is in my head it takes me back to the Tiger Room and first crop of punk bands that played there on a Wednesday night. Under the name The Beat Club which used to have a poster which was a direct rip of the The Who's Maximum R & B poster, all the first bunch of Melbourne punk bands played. Except for my band The Fiction. While we were regulars at the Crystal Ballroom our managers never seemed to get us a gig here.
One of the bands that played there were JAB. Lead by the impossibly tall, it seemed, Bodhan X, who along with Ash Wednesday and Johnny Crash made this strangely compelling racket. Behind them was a bunch of old TVs, very similar to the back cover of the first Ultravox Record. Anyway the highlights for me was their version of Roadrunner. I think they did Hospital too.
I remember the night Boys Next Door were advertised as playing there but weren't actually on. Nick Cave and Phil Calvert were standing on the front step telling people not to go in. They weren't on. I can't remember who actually was on now. I just remember Nick and Phil out the front. Like those guys who stand on the street who try to get you in. Sprukers in reverse.
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