– Tuxedomoon – in concert at The Boarding House – December 1979 – Ralph Records Release party – KALX-FM – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
San Francisco post-Punk/experimental band Tuxedomoon, live at The Boarding House, and part of the Ralph Records release party from December, 1979.
Tuxedomoon had been together since 1977, but fortunes changed for the band when they signed to Ralph Records (the label that gave the world The Residents), and this concert was part of the Ralph Records release party showcasing them as well as other Ralph acts, and also signaled the release of their debut single, No Tears. In addition, it marked one of the first appearances of newly enlisted bass player Peter Principle, who would be a pivotal figure, not only for Tuxedomoon, but as an artist in his own right.
They started playing music together in the mid-1970s, when punk rock became popular in the underground music scene. “The only rule was the tacit understanding that anything that sounded like anyone else was taboo”, stated Brown on the band aiming to create music that sounded unlike anything else before. The vocals were screaming and inspired by punk rock, and the band used any instruments they had around, including saxophone, violin and a polymoog synthesizer. The band had no drummer. Bassist Peter Principle, performance artist Winston Tong and Bruce Geduldig, a filmmaker, joined the band during concerts. The band created new performances for each concert, creating theatrical performances and being described as “theatrical electronic cabaret”. The band performed frequently with Pere Ubu, The Residents, Devo, and Cabaret Voltaire.
In 1979 they released the EP No Tears with the single “No Tears”. The title track is described as “one of the best electro-punk hymns of all times”. That year they also signed to Ralph Records and released their debut album, Half-Mute, in 1980.
They are still together, however Peter Principle passed away in June of this year in Brussels.
Crank it up and have a listen.
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