albums
Sessions
1989 Master Practice 1
1989 The Party
1990 Master Practice 2
1990 Master Practice 3
1990 Master Practice 4
1991 Dead Practice 1
1992 Dead Practice 2
1992 Dead Practice 3
1992 Dead Practice 4
1992 The Floor Gig
1993 Stand Up Anchovies
1994 Super Studs Session
Compilations
1994 Complete Anchovies
2012 Anchovy Picks
  • Title: The Floor Gig
  • Artist: Anchovies
  • Timespan: August 1992
  • Theme: fifth Dead Anchovies practice
  • Length: 37:24
  • Tracks: 9
  • Lyrics: 9
  • MP3s: 8 play all locally
  • Rating: rate this album

Track List

# title lyrics time download listen started recorded rating
1 Floor Gig Intro lyrics 0:20 - - - 1992-08-??
2 Drizzle (3) lyrics 6:14 download listen locally - 1992-08-??
3 Aren't You Sorry (4) lyrics 3:49 download listen locally - 1992-08-??
4 Christmas in Cancun (4) lyrics 3:57 download listen locally - 1992-08-??
5 Don't Disregard Me (3) lyrics 4:47 download listen locally - 1992-08-??
6 Demian (5) lyrics 3:09 download listen locally - 1992-08-??
7 Improv Intro (Trav) lyrics 0:36 download listen locally - 1992-08-??
8 Clash Improv (Trav) lyrics 4:53 download listen locally - 1992-08-??
9 Anchovy Rock (Trav) lyrics 9:39 download listen locally - 1992-08-??
Total 37:24 play all locally album rating:

Notes

This was the fifth Dead Anchovies practice. We called it "The Floor Gig" because we played on the floor of my parents' basement.

Why did this practice get a fancy title instead of just being called "Dead Practice 5"? Well, the other practices would have gotten the same treatment if we had bothered to name them. But we didn't. So oh well. Be thankful we named at least one session.

There's a reference in "Drizzle" which makes me think this practice was recorded in August. This was our last practice before going back to college.

We used my drum machine instead of my SY55 drums (on a couple songs).

My favorite bit is my solo version of "Anchovy Rock", at the end.

Songs

Floor Gig Intro

This is a quick intro, a little crude. I've censored the words for the web page and omitted the mp3. You can probably guess the joke.

Lyrics to "Floor Gig Intro":

we are here live at the floor gig

this is the dead a/k/a mast***

shut up, trav
  

Drizzle (3)

I like this better than the Dead Practice 4 version. The sound quality is a little less muffled, and my vocals are more energetic, even a bit hyper. It even has a rare fourth verse.

The lyrics' "August" reference makes me think this practice was recorded in August.

Lyrics to "Drizzle (3)":

INTRO:
  this one is called drizzle

VERSE 1:
  it was a cold night in december
  he walked the steps all alone
  to the door, knowing that his friends were inside there
  and he stood (they're inside) on the porch (having fun)
  out in the cold

  here we go

VERSE 2:
  it was a wet afternoon in mid-april
  he locked his car and hurried though the rain
  all the raindrops they couldn't wash his tears away
  so he cried "let me in! let me in! let me in!
  i wanna be your friend again."

BRIDGE:
  it was a humid evening in july
  the band got together and played that night
  their music was loud and thick (thick!)
  they didn't need jon, had guitars and keyboards

  and crazy anand on the sax
  funky luke on the keys
  groovy trav on the bass
  what more did they need?
  yeah!

VERSE 4:
  it was a soft night in august
  the band was all huddled in the air conditioning down in the basement
  travis wished that jon could be here to hold his microphone
  but he ???
  he thought "they're not at home"
  

Aren't You Sorry (4)

I don't know if the knocking near the beginning was us or my parents. Other than that, the flubbed chorus, and the nice chord at the end, this version is devoid of character. But aren't they all?

Lyrics to "Aren't You Sorry (4)":

TRAV:
  wooh

LUKE:
  get funky

TRAV:
  here's an impossible song
  it's dedicated to our rolling microphone
  which jon could be holding
  as stated in the last song

CHORUS:
  aren't you sorry that you left jon, left jon?
  aren't you sorry that you left all this?
  the anchovies are not dead yet, dead yet
  we're not dead so suck on this

CHORUS:
  the anchovies are not dead yet, dead yet
  the anch--[laughter]
  aren't you sorry that you left jon, left jon?
  aren't you sorry that you left all this?

  a capella, a capella
  here we go

BRIDGE:
        trav sky trav
  nando trav sky trav
  nando trav sky trav...

  woooh

CHORUS:
  oh, aren't you sorry that you left jon, left jon?
  aren't you sorry that you left all this?
  the anchovies are not dead yet, dead yet
  we're not dead so suck on this

END:
  suck on this
  

Christmas in Cancun (4)

This was the final recording of "Christmas in Cancun". It's okay. Our mix wasn't great. I wish it weren't so muffled. The solos are barely there, too. Sigh.

Lyrics to "Christmas in Cancun (4)":

hit it allen
all right, everyone else
let's rock
  

Don't Disregard Me (3)

This was the final recording of "Don't Disregard Me". I like the alternating solos at the end. I still think the Dead Practice 2 version has the most bounce.

Lyrics to "Don't Disregard Me (3)":

INTRO:
  take 7?
  ha ha ha

VERSE:
  will you understand me when i say I'm in a fit?
  oh my life is left in shambles and i feel like i maybe should quit
  oh will you still respect me when i ask for your advice?
  do you think you'll turn away or will you still be nice?

  hey!

  the one thing that i ask of you is will you love me still?
  or will you just ignore me and pretend that you're feeling ill?
  if i'm turning left then must you always turn to the right?
  how long will you ignore me, keep me up so late at night?

CHORUS:
  oh please don't disregard me
  i goofed up but don't let this be the end
  oh no, don't disconsider me
  i know you're hurt but try to stay my friend

VERSE 2:
  ??? wonder if my courage failed when i first said "hello?" (hello)
  'cuz i forgot to tell you that they're something you should know
  i get a little shy when there is something i must ask
  i thought you'd get upset when i take away my mask

  hey!

  oh, i'm not at all the man you met when you first saw me blush (blush)
  i'm not so cool and more like a fool when it comes all in a rush (rush)
  oh you were standing next to me when i just started to cough
  it was small at first but then it got worse and my head toppled off!

CHORUS:
  oh please don't disregard me
  i goofed up but don't let this be the end
  oh no, don't disconsider me
  i know you're hurt but try to stay my friend

SOLOS:
  hit it
  go anand
  go luke
  go anand
  luke
  anand
  luke
  anand
  luke
  melody
  allen
  wow
  

Demian (5)

Here's yet another version of "Demian". It's a little sloppy, and fast. The mix isn't great. Neither are the solos. Really, there isn't anything special about this one.

Lyrics to "Demian (5)":

TRAV:
  okay, that last verse before we rock
  with anand soloing, you can get ready

LUKE:
  ok, i'll start going over it in my mind or something

TRAV:
  here we go

VERSE:
  demian, the youth enlightened
  eva's son who bears the mark
  satan's spawn, a simple shepherd
  child of the light, repeat

  demian, the youth enlightened
  eva's son who bears the mark
  satan's spawn, a simple shepherd
  child of the light and dark

CHORUS:
  demian
  

Improv Intro (Trav)

It was the end of practice. The other guys were starting to leave. I kept the tape recorder rolling. This captures our chatter right before I started playing again.

Lyrics to "Improv Intro (Trav)":

LUKE:
  going away for the weekend
  leaving tomorrow afternoon [???]

ANAND?:
  where you going?

TRAV:
  we're gonna end on a travis emmitt
  solo improv spectacular extravaganza

  yay, everyone give a hand for travis and his drum machine

LUKE:
  go trav, go trav, go go go trav
  go trav...

TRAV:
  go
  

Clash Improv (Trav)

If I had been polite, I would have said goodbye to Luke and Anand. But then I wouldn't have recorded this.

As they were leaving, I pressed "play" and started improvising. I started off weird and then morphed into a Clash song called "Sandinista". I explored that for a while, and then when I got sick of it, I decided to play something normal: "Anchovy Rock"...

Lyrics to "Clash Improv (Trav)":

TRAV:
  you know, i'm going to sing
  get busy

LUKE:
  bye guys

ANAND:
  bye luke

TRAV:
  bye luke, thanks for coming

LUKE:
  see ya man
  see ya trav

TRAV:
  bye luke, thanks for coming

  everybody's left now
  they're gone and i'm by myself
  everybody's left now
  they're gone and i'm by myself

  everybody's left now
  they're gone and i'm by myself

  [???]

  what's that from? that's from something
  what's that from? that's from something
  what's that from? that's from something
  what's that from? that's from something

  what's that from? that's from something
  what's that from? that's from something
  what's that from? that's from something
  it's the clash

  all right, one last song
  

Anchovy Rock (Trav)

This is one of my favorite renditions of "Anchovy Rock". It's just me and my drum machine, live. It's not rock solid but it's got lots of really cool bits.

Lyrics to "Anchovy Rock (Trav)":

this is it

[scat]