Cheer Up? F*** Off: Xiu Xiu - 2010-03-20 - Bottom Of The Hill SF

 

 

(photo collage by thehappyone)

Xiu Xiu

2010-03-20

Bottom Of The Hill

San Francisco CA

taper: thehappyone

kit: Sonic Studios DSM-6L's / Edirol R-09HR combo

Setlist

00a -pre-gig PA  [3:48]

00b - Arabic Music and soundchecking  [12:34]

01 - intro  [1:17]

02 - Black Drum Machine  [5:28]

03 - Apistat Commander  [4:37]

04 - Gray Death  [3:21]

05 - Dear God, I Hate Myself [3:31]

06 - Muppet Face  [4:13]

07 - Gayle Lynn  [5:05]

08 - I Love The Valley Oh!  [5:18]

09 - Falkland Rd  [3:19]

10 - Poe Poe  [4:09]

11 - Gunatanamo Canto  [3:40]

12 - This Too Shall Pass Away (For Freddy)  [3:45]

13 - Chocolate Makes You Happy  [4:21]

14 - Boy Soprano  [6:19]

15 - outro  [1:43]

 

Total 76:48

 

The soundcheck part at the start features a piece by Mulla Abdussaheb called "Ya Yumma Weya Baba" 

Followed by one from Sayed Abboud called "Min Fergetak Lilyom"

And then Sultana Youssef's "Khouthni Bthemmetak" 

All from a collection called "Songs Of The Brokenhearted - Baghdad 1925-29"....extraordinary...

While this is playing, and while the band is setting up, we spot a Nintendo DS (running Korg DS-10 software) that's being used as a sound generating (synth) by the group...this will feature throughout the set.  I actually have one with presumably the same Korg software they were using, but not even a thousandth of the wherewithal to make all the twisted, glitchy noise on display here.  Way earlier than anything Teenage Engineering was doing...

After "Black Drum Machine", some woman facetiously and asininely suggests to Jamie to cheer up.  He tells her to fuck off.

Not sure why I didn't feature this on AMH, as I didn't share it on DIME...maybe as a time capsule for an older self to reflect back on.

Video from recycleyourpets, featuring "Gayle Lynn":

And "I Love The Valley OH!"...

And dug out from my archives my own video recording of this...

Think Jamie stepped away for a bit after this song (the video above cuts off at the end of the track) presumably not happy about something, but he did come back to perform about seven more songs including one of the standouts of Dear God, I Hate Myself ("This Too Shall Pass Away") and old chestnut "The Boy Soprano".

XIU DOWNLOAD - FLAC AUDIO

Also captured:

The sets for Noveller 

https://www.atmyheels.com/2010/10/noveller-2010-03-20-bottom-of-hill-sf.html

And Tune-Yards

https://www.atmyheels.com/2010/10/tune-yards-2010-03-20-bottom-of-hill-sf.html

 

My Sixth Recording - Xiu Xiu - 2007-04-23 - Bottom Of The Hill SF (incomplete)

photo by David Downs

Xiu Xiu

2007-04-23

Bottom Of The Hill

San Francisco CA

thehappyone recording, done with Sonic Studios DSM-6 into PA-6 batbox, plugged into a Sony MZ-RH10 MD recorder (PCM mode).

pre-gig PA tracks:

The Now - Mouthful of Bees

Punkrocker (Feat Iggy Pop) - Teddybears, Iggy Pop

soundchecking, Supernatural Car Lover - Robert Pollard

Brainstorm (live) - Arctic Monkeys

Setlist

intro

Sad Pony Guerilla Girl

Bishop, CA

Ceremony (cut)

I Luv The Valley OH! [not on recording]

Yellow Raspberry (start missing)

The Fox and the Rabbit

...

Also played:

Vulture Piano 

The Wig Master

I Broke Up

MP3s (in a zipfile) available here

Note: My recording only includes the first through start of the third song, and the fifth and sixth song. I was really bummed that it cut out during the start of "Ceremony", as it was an excellent version, too.  I didn't note what else was played, so I've had to piece together what would have been in the setlist based on reviews and whatever other recordings have surfaced.  

There's a Paper Heart, Phoenix recording from the month before (2007-03-25, to be exact) that has the following setlist:

Sad Pony Guerilla Girl
Bishop, CA
I Broke Up 
Sad Redux-o-Grapher
Boy Soprano
I Love The Valley OH!
The Fox and the Rabbit
Buzz Saw
Vulture Piano
Yellow Raspberry
Ceremony
Fabulous Muscles

So based on this, I'm pretty sure that at least Boy Soprano and Fabulous Muscles were performed...here's an list of all the other media I was able to turn up of this show...the record is somewhat fragmentary.

East Bay Express article, by David Downs, that states "Vulture Piano" and "The Wig Master" were played.

David Downs videos:

First bit of "Sad Pony Guerilla" (0:24)

 

...and the "Freakout" at end of "Sad Pony Guerilla". (also 0:24)

 

 

"I Luv The Valley OH!", last 1:14, later in the set...my recording cuts during the intro of "Ceremony"(dying battery) and I restarted it a bit further into the set and got a couple more tracks, but not this one.

 

End of "Yellow Raspberry" (0:25)

 

Ben Mirov videos, documenting one of their later songs:

"I Broke Up" (2:32)

 

Openers Sunset Rubdown - "Winged Wicked Things" (4:14)

I didn't record their set.

 

A less-than-positive review from vulpture...I don't know what this blogger was expecting...KC and the Sunshine Band?  Much of Xiu Xiu's material comes from a very dark place, and seems as pretentious and honest as art should be.  I know that they are a very acquired taste, so no worries if it is not your thing, and sometimes I find them awkward and forced, but when they make an impact, it is with the full force of the best music has to offer.

Their prior visit to BOTH, as featured here...