Underworld, Drum Club, Fluke @ Megadog, Rocket, London N7 - 92/93

[scary man]

It's not on the rowla Gigography, But this show was the first time I saw Underworld. I was beginning to think I might have dreamed it, but I found a cutting of a music press review by Dom Phillips on-line today. But is wasn't dated. I know it was either late 92 or early 93.

Anyone there? Anyone know the date?

Underworld, Drum Club, Fluke @ Megadog, Rocket, Holloway Road, London, N7

Top night. But, When was it!?

[TheBang]

There are a lot of holes in the Gigography from the early days, 92-94, simply because the information is very hard to come by.

[scary man]

There are a lot of holes in the Gigography from the early days, 92-94, simply because the information is very hard to come by.

I get that. Everyone was off their face at the time too, which doesn't help.

I've got a shit load of flyers from raves at the time, including several Megadogs, just not this particular one. Someone else might. Hence the ask.

Also, this Dom Phillips review I found is almost certainly from Mixmag. There's got to be someone with comprehensive Mixmag collection out there. Somewhere.

Worth a punt here, I thought.

[Mike]

If you could let me know of any other dates from those flyers, it would be much appreciated.

[scary man]

If you could let me know of any other dates from those flyers, it would be much appreciated.

I have no other Megadog ones with Underworld, apart from the Mmm...Dog at Leicester Uni, 14/10/94, which is already logged.

What's mildly frustrating is that the later Megadog parties, up North at the Manchester Academy, all seem to be pretty comprehensively documented, It's just the original shows from the Rocket that are so thin on the ground.

[BrotherLovesDub]

http://www.manchesteracademy.net/History%20Pages/megadog.html

Looks like it could have been the show on November 6, 1993 featuring Underworld, Drum Club and Eat Static. Perhaps Eat Static either subbed for Fluke or Fluke subbed for Eat Static.

[scary man]

http://www.manchesteracademy.net/History%20Pages/megadog.html

Looks like it could have been the show on November 6, 1993 featuring Underworld, Drum Club and Eat Static. Perhaps Eat Static either subbed for Fluke or Fluke subbed for Eat Static.

Nah, that's the Manchester Academy list again. The Rocket is a completely different venue in London.

Checking the date, it seems that the Manchester Dogs happened monthly on a Saturday. Now, the London Dogs at the Rocket were (IIRC) the last Friday of the month.

I remember buying Spikee soon after. I saw it in a new release rack and paid for it without even bothering to listen to it first on the strength of the live show I'd just seen.

So, Spikee was December that year. So, possibly 20th November, 1993?

An educated guess, but still just a guess. :)

[BrotherLovesDub]

Wish I could have seen Megadog 1 with Orbital, Spooky and Drum Club

[scary man]

Wish I could have seen Megadog 1 with Orbital, Spooky and Drum Club

Megadog line-ups were amazing. Every month down the Rocket, I'd see Orbital, Aphex Twin, Spooky, Eat Static, System 7, Eskimos & Egypt, Sheep On Drugs, The Grid, Ege Bam Yasi, Banco De Gaia, Test Department, Sunscreem, Transglobal Underground and many many more... :)

[scary man]

Right, I have found a Megadog flyer on-line. It has Underworld headlining with Fluke as guests at the Rocket. But, the third act listed is Sabres of Paradise, not Drum Club.

I have never seen Sabres. I had a ticket to catch them on the Sabretooth Dog tour but was sick and couldn't go.(Gutted)

The flyer is dated the 29th Oct. There is no year, but the 29th Oct fell on a Friday in '93 not '92. So, that fits with my theory about seeing them just before Spikee was released.

It's not a stretch the imagine Sabres being replaced by the Drum Club at the last minute, is it?

So, It seems the first time I saw Underworld live was @ the Rocket on 29th October, 1993

It's still not quite 100% definitive, but it feels about right.

Pencil it in. I'll keep digging. :)

[Mike]

Cool, could you post a link to that flyer you found?

[scary man]

Right. Try this.

http://fuzzy-dunlopbb.tumblr.com/

Is that working?

[stimpee]

There is a Megadog group on Facebook that might have more info on all the megadog gigs Underworld played. https://www.facebook.com/groups/9076411647/?fref=ts

[stimpee]

In fact, I dont know why i didnt suggest this before. I've been a member of that group for ages!

[scary man]

In fact, I dont know why i didnt suggest this before. I've been a member of that group for ages!

I just joined this group yesterday! I've been meaning to do it for a while now. I've al notice several of my mates are there already.

I'm going to pick their brains about this in a bit.

[taoyoyo]

Heh… I was there for that Megadog too. :)

Can confirm it was the Drum Club, not Sabres that played that night.

And yes, UW did play 'Spikee'.

Other 'perceptions' about Karl being dressed up in an astronaut suit may or may not be so accurate.

[scary man]

Heh… I was there for that Megadog too. :)

Can confirm it was the Drum Club, not Sabres that played that night.

And yes, UW did play 'Spikee'.

Other 'perceptions' about Karl being dressed up in an astronaut suit may or may not be so accurate.

Awesome!

They played 'Big Mouth' too. The only time in twenty years I've seen him pick up the harmonica. He really should do it again sometime.

So, that's it then? We've cracked it? It's definitely 29/10/93?

[taoyoyo]

Awesome!

They played 'Big Mouth' too. The only time in twenty years I've seen him pick up the harmonica. He really should do it again sometime.

So, that's it then? We've cracked it? It's definitely 29/10/93?


I would say so. :)

That was the first time I saw UW live too… a lot of my memory of that night is 'hazy' and as DubNo had not been released there wasn't a lot to 'recognize'… but I do remember buying 'Spikee' after it came out and thinking 'ahhh… that was that mental track'. ;)

Many more Megadogs followed (and many more UW gigs)… the concept of 3 or 4 live techno bands playing in one night was a fantastic one and the vibe of the whole thing was like nothing else. Glad to have experienced it!

[scary man]

I would say so. :)

Huzzah!

That was the first time I saw UW live too… a lot of my memory of that night is 'hazy' and as DubNo had not been released there wasn't a lot to 'recognize'… but I do remember buying 'Spikee' after it came out and thinking 'ahhh… that was that mental track'. ;)

Things were similarly...ahem... fuzzy for me. Twenty years is a long time, man ;)
There sets were a lot more fluid, back then. Not so much structure to proceedings. More like jams. Emerson would DJ in the middle of the set sometimes back then.

Many more Megadogs followed (and many more UW gigs)… the concept of 3 or 4 live techno bands playing in one night was a fantastic one and the vibe of the whole thing was like nothing else. Glad to have experienced it!

Yeah, I feel very lucky to have been there. I've put the review I found on the tumblr too now.
i might start sifting through the ether for the others too.

http://fuzzy-dunlopbb.tumblr.com/

Happy Days! :)

[Mike]

I have added to the Gigography

http://uwlive.rowla.com/gigs/view/467

I have added Spikee as the only known played track, since here is more than one report of it being played :) Was Big Mouth definitely played?

[scary man]

I have added to the Gigography

http://uwlive.rowla.com/gigs/view/467

I have added Spikee as the only known played track, since here is more than one report of it being played :) Was Big Mouth definitely played?

'Big Mouth' was definitely played. I walked in as it was being played.

The Kyme Road Jam Disc on the Dubo reissue is more evidence to support that this actually happened. The sprawl of that jam is very reminiscent of those early shows. Also, that Soundfield bootleg that was doing the rounds.

What's cool is that the circle completed at the RFH gig as they played 'Big Mouth' there for the first time since the first time I saw them.

(Incidentally; if the guy who me, my wife and my mate when for a drink with, after the RFH show is reading this, PM me. You got the first round in and then everyone split! We owe you a pint sometime!)

[stimpee]

Is this the gig?

[crank]

What's strange to me is that the Experimental Soundfield show isn't on the Tracker. And where's the rest of it? :)

[jetpig]

What's strange to me is that the Experimental Soundfield show isn't on the Tracker. And where's the rest of it? :)

I never got the WAV rip that went around or else I would have uploaded that. I can upload the MP3 I have of it though.