Ryan Roxie: "This is Alice's most cohesive band"

[Saint&Sinner]

Cohesive band is a loaded statement if ever I heard it but I think this.

Alice had several great live bands, I personally think outside of the original unit (which obviously started out as close as anyone can get and quickly dissolved )
I think the 86/88 years were the best. The band leader was kane and the band tore it up live, giving all the songs they touched a new lease of life. I still would pay allot of money for studio version of the old hits by this band as they just tore it up. (not to mention the live in flesh live dvd!!)

second for me is the trash/heystoopid era - again they interpreted all the old songs differently, gave them a sheen and a style I adore and man were they entertaining live, so much energy!

The Roxie years i havent enjoyed that much in comparrison. They havent changed the songs to different styles or given them fresh interpretations much, its just been that 70s inspired glam sound. Too simplistic with no real flair. Chuck is great and ryan used to have allot of energy but the rest of the band has just not been stellar. I feel in terms of cohesion again, I think its fairly low down the list.
The latest incarnation with Nita is ALLOT more interesting now than the last 10-15 years (both in terms of setlist and interpretations) but I never have liked glen sobel who over simplifies most songs and plays one of the worst B$B ever! ryan and nita work well together but chuck seems to be less and less interested as the years go by (shame as I love him and his beasto!)

So yeah, I dunno. its all about taste isn't it. But if I could pick an era to go back to live, post 2000 would not be it.

[guttertrash]

Cohesive band is a loaded statement if ever I heard it but I think this.

Alice had several great live bands, I personally think outside of the original unit (which obviously started out as close as anyone can get and quickly dissolved )
I think the 86/88 years were the best. The band leader was kane and the band tore it up live, giving all the songs they touched a new lease of life. I still would pay allot of money for studio version of the old hits by this band as they just tore it up. (not to mention the live in flesh live dvd!!)

second for me is the trash/heystoopid era - again they interpreted all the old songs differently, gave them a sheen and a style I adore and man were they entertaining live, so much energy!

The Roxie years i havent enjoyed that much in comparrison. They havent changed the songs to different styles or given them fresh interpretations much, its just been that 70s inspired glam sound. Too simplistic with no real flair. Chuck is great and ryan used to have allot of energy but the rest of the band has just not been stellar. I feel in terms of cohesion again, I think its fairly low down the list.
The latest incarnation with Nita is ALLOT more interesting now than the last 10-15 years (both in terms of setlist and interpretations) but I never have liked glen sobel who over simplifies most songs and plays one of the worst B$B ever! ryan and nita work well together but chuck seems to be less and less interested as the years go by (shame as I love him and his beasto!)

So yeah, I dunno. its all about taste isn't it. But if I could pick an era to go back to live, post 2000 would not be it.

I'm pretty sure that Alice is the one who decided to strip the sound back down. Roxie was around in 1996 with Reb Beach, and they were still playing the overdone, hair metal approach to it all when he joined, so it's not like they can't do it. I guarantee that this lineup could pull off that approach if Alice decided too which I hope never happens. In turn as with most of the 80s hair metal guys, those lineups from that era could never take Mozart's words "the music is not the notes, but the silence in between" to heart and focus on the groove and swing and letting the songs breathe instead it was an onslaught of needless notes. Speaking of breathing, Alice sounded pretty winded during those 80s shows, becausee of the faster approach also.

[Saint&Sinner]

I saw roxie on the rock and roll carnival tour etc, and while it was a great show (nothings free/cleansed by fire double bill is worth the price of admission alone) it was not in the "80's style" and he had already started stripping the sound back, from what I remember of those days it was reb who played all the faster/technical stuff (as he is a crazily good guitarist)

Alice could be out of breathe at times during the 80s run (bed of nails always seemed tire him out more than most others) but the energy he displayed and the enthusiasm he always seemed to have more than made up for any small shortcomings he had vocally.

I understand you don't like the 80s sound, obviously I am the reverse. But sound aside the way constrictor thru hey stoopid bands played was just as tight as a ducks arse, Kane Roberts era especially. I have never seen them as a "band" before or since like that, probably the closest you would get to an actual alice band since the original in my opinion.

[guttertrash]

I just feel like you are basing attributions of the band of that era on things that are not comparable to the current lineup. Alice has decided to not play the older material like it was played in the 80s, and I don't feel like that is due to Ryan Roxie not being able to play it. You can always find somebody that can play a lot of notes, really fast, but Ryan adds texture to the songs that was completely missing during that era in my opinion. It was an era of music (not just with Alice) that really hasn't held up well in public opinion, and I feel like Alice following the current music trends stripped the songs starting in the mid-90s (although they were stripped much more during the garage rock/Eyes/Bare Bones tour era). The current lineup also nailed The World Needs Guts, so I believe they can play the 80s era stuff just as well if not better than the Kane-era who was quite sloppy in my opinion. I also feel like Alice performing with more energy during that era has more to do with him being 40 years old then compared to 70, and he also was playing packed arenas with a lot of energy compared to theaters with strict seating policies and very little room for crowd movement which takes away from the excitement and electricity of a show in my opinion.

[While Heaven Wept]

I always thought the lineup Alice had when I saw him in the 97 and 98 shows at the Astoria was actually very good. Reb Beech rarely gets much credit but I remember being really impressed by his tightness, tone and groove.

[cooperrocks]

I love how the current lineup plays all eras have Alice and Nita Strauss's ability has allowed some of the 80's stuff to be played again (I actually wish Alice would do more of it). The current lineup is my favorite lineup Alice has ever had.

[Saint&Sinner]

I always thought the lineup Alice had when I saw him in the 97 and 98 shows at the Astoria was actually very good. Reb Beech rarely gets much credit but I remember being really impressed by his tightness, tone and groove.

The Astoria shows were great and possibly the last time alice was truly outstanding in my opinion. Since then either the band/setlist/venue (or all 3) conspired to bring the overall vibe down.
Reb is an amazing guitarist and a real talent.
The current line up is very good and the best they have had since the late 80's 90's. Nita is amazing and she has injected life into them for sure (and added some life into the setlist as well)The issue I had with the last tour was not the band (although I really don't rate glen sobel as a good drummer) it was the horrible venue/seating situation. If that was in Brixton academy, standing - man that would kick off! but the stale seating of Wembley is just a recipe for a let down of a show.

I'm not "dissing" any of the line ups as they have never been or presumably ever will be bad - but for my money the late 80's early 90's were the best live bands he has had.

[rtbuck]

I really love the current line-up & would like to hear them record with Alice but of course the Original Line-up is my favorite... Quick question I did love the Nightmare band in the 70's but how long/or How many shows did Alice play with the band that backed him on the radio broadcast from Saginaw '78 & how did that line-up come about?

[Si]

Quick question I did love the Nightmare band in the 70's but how long/or How many shows did Alice play with the band that backed him on the radio broadcast from Saginaw '78 & how did that line-up come about?

28-30 shows. http://www.sickthingsuk.co.uk/content.p ... /t-law.php

I would presume the band came together when the previous musicians weren't available for some reason. Remember that Alice went into hospital between the first leg and the second leg. It's possible they had no guarantee of work in 1978 so had to move on.

[rtbuck]

Quick question I did love the Nightmare band in the 70's but how long/or How many shows did Alice play with the band that backed him on the radio broadcast from Saginaw '78 & how did that line-up come about?

28-30 shows. http://www.sickthingsuk.co.uk/content.p ... /t-law.php

I would presume the band came together when the previous musicians weren't available for some reason. Remember that Alice went into hospital between the first leg and the second leg. It's possible they had no guarantee of work in 1978 so had to move on.

That makes sense. Never realized it was referred to as the Corn Huskers band(although during the intro to Dennis Conway on the Saginaw show Alice does say "What a Corn Husker"... Thanks Si!

[cooperrocks]

I realize it is all subjective but for me the current band is my favorite band of Alice's ever. My second would probably be the 1986-88 lineup, that band rocked.