I received an email earlier this week from Ruth Eckerd Hall announcing upcoming shows, and I saw Hoodoo Gurus tickets going on sale today at 10 AM ET. I don't pretend to be a huge fan of the band, but if there's one thing I've learned the past few years, I may never have a chance to see (insert band name) again due to the emergence of a global pandemic, death of a band member, or simply the fact that the band hails from the other side of the globe and doesn't hit my part of Florida very often. So, I bought a ticket without giving it too much thought. And I had just purchased a copy of Mars Needs Guitars a few days earlier at a record store in Port Charlotte, FL while on a trip for my son's baseball tournament, so I consider it serendipity to some extent.

If anyone is interested, tour dates are here: https://www.hoodoogurus.net/tour/

I can't call myself a massive fan, either - I have just a couple of records (the debut Stoneage Romeos, a more recent album called Purity of Essence, and a best-of called Electric Soup that's one of the most consistently pleasurable power pop/garage rock/whatever albums I own). But I can attest to them being a blast live. I saw them during SXSW several years ago at a party thrown by the late, great magazine Pop Culture Press. They were just getting back into the American market, touring for the first time in ages, and as they took the stage, they decided on the fly that they were going to do Stoneage in full. They looked like they were having as much fun as the crowd in rediscovering that album. Your tickets are money well spent.

They're not coming anywhere near Austin, alas. Maybe if the rest of the tour goes well they'll add some more dates.

Electric Soup has a very good rarities companion called Gorilla Biscuit (in some forms they came as a double) which is worth grabbing.

Surprising venue choice in DC, the Hamilton. More of a sitdown space, although I have seen the Posies there and they cleared an area for dancing, etc. I never got really into Hoodoo Gurus although I like a lot of Australian rock of that era. It's worth checking out, especially if they are as good a live band as Toland says!

Hmmm, opening the stateside leg of their tour with two nights at the Tractor Tavern -- a really great Seattle venue, situated in a part of town where available parking spaces are like unicorns. Still, I've made it work before.

My wife and I can vouch for the Gurus as a live act. They were one of the first bands we saw together, and they absolutely were a blast. And Stoneage Romeos, Mars Needs Guitars! and Blow Your Cool! remains one of my favorite album trifectas in all of rock.

I saw them in college back in 1988 and they were great. I was also mesmerized by their straight long hair. I bought tickets to their DC show back in February of 2020! Two postponements later and I'm now set to see them in May of 2022! Frontman David Faulkner has done a lot of work with the Fleshtones so you know he's got good taste. I don't think his hair is that long any more though.

I was all set to see the Hoodoo Gurus since they were the opening act for The Bangles on their Different Light tour and we were trucking out to Ratona Beach that spring break 1986 in a vanload of friends to see them when a tire blew and we found ourselves coasting to a stop in Casadega, Florida. Know hotbed of "psychics" and others of that ilk. Suffice to say that evening was very much like a Scooby Doo episode in real life, and we finally got moving again after some dudes in a truck carried the driver and tire to a service station. the rest of us doubted we;d see the driver again. We count ourselves lucky to have gotten there in time to see The Bangles. So no Hoodoo Gurus for us!

I have "Stoneage Romeos," Blue Cave" and "Crank" and generally enjoy their take on pop rock. [checks dates] Holy geez! They are in Asheville at my fave venue in May! If I'm feeling like seeing a gig won't be risking my life and health, then I will definitely go. In the last two months we bought tix for Khraungbin/Lee Fields/Big Daddy Kane in Raleigh [outdoor] and Sparks in Atlanta [indoor] but the way things are trending now I feel that either these shows won't take place or either we will not attend. The last gig I saw was Les Filles De Illigahad in September 2019, and I don't find myself missing either gigs or music shopping much, really.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/2021 08:23PM by Post-Punk Monk.

Well, I guess I can't say I'm too surprised. Dave Faulkner wrote a good letter about it on the hoodoo gurus facebook page but it still is a bummer.

Already received my refund. I used the money to help pay for two overpriced Tears for Fears tickets as a Christmas present for my wife (and myself, too, I suppose).

What Heff is referring to:

"HOODOO GURUS 2022 TOUR OF THE U.S. CANCELLED
--------------------------------------------------------
This is a post I have been dreading having to write.
I’m sorry to have to report that we have decided to cancel our forthcoming U.S. tour due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. After consulting with many people in the music industry, we have reluctantly come to the conclusion that an extensive club tour is simply not feasible at this time.
Ticket holders can obtain a full refund from their point of sale..."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2021 04:12PM by MrFab.

I just saw this thread again and checked my local club to see when it was and saw it was cancelled, but I didn't know the whole tour was. That makes me feel a little better than just losing my in-town show. Hopefully, at a future date when we're not in a pandemic, I can venture to The Grey Eagle and enjoy the Gurus. He's right. An extensive club tour is definitely not feasible smart at this time.

Former TP subscriber [81, 82, 83, 84]

[postpunkmonk.com]
For further rumination on the Fresh New Sound of Yesterday®



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/2021 11:08AM by Post-Punk Monk.