[cochise]

The things you find on the morning when a new solo record is officially announced. Stick tap to the Facebook fan forum - it the barrage of excited re-posts about the new GD album, this poked through.

[youtube]V7OXg3nsNOM[/youtube]

The description labels this as Canada Day 1984 in Bath. That would pre-date any other live material we've heard by well over a year, and place this about six months or so after the band formed.

When the Renfrew show popped up, I said I never knew how much I wanted to hear The Hip's cover of Wolly Bully until I realized it was a thing. I'll say the same thing here about Smalltown Bringdown with the saxophone. Too bad there isn't more tape uploaded. I never get tired of hearing Heart Attack Love.

Holy Crap!!! Excellent find!!!

[andrew sharpe]

The things you find on the morning when a new solo record is officially announced. Stick tap to the Facebook fan forum - it the barrage of excited re-posts about the new GD album, this poked through.

[youtube]V7OXg3nsNOM[/youtube]

The description labels this as Canada Day 1984 in Bath. That would pre-date any other live material we've heard by well over a year, and place this about six months or so after the band formed.

When the Renfrew show popped up, I said I never knew how much I wanted to hear The Hip's cover of Wolly Bully until I realized it was a thing. I'll say the same thing here about Smalltown Bringdown with the saxophone. Too bad there isn't more tape uploaded. I never get tired of hearing Heart Attack Love.

WOW! Thanks so much for posting! It's kind of comforting to see Johnny in early form...I was starting to think he was birthed a fully formed, technically perfect drummer.

[Tthip]

The description labels this as Canada Day 1984 in Bath. That would pre-date any other live material we've heard by well over a year, and place this about six months or so after the band formed

Nice find!
Is this the first video ever showing the band minus Paul and the first video of Davis Manning?

[hotmetal401]

Nice find!
Is this the first video ever showing the band minus Paul and the first video of Davis Manning?

To the best of my knowledge, that is correct.

It's kind of comforting to see Johnny in early form...I was starting to think he was birthed a fully formed, technically perfect drummer.

There's something about the drums in this video that really appeal to me. This song has never really done that much for me, but this version has some power to it.

[andrew sharpe]

It's kind of comforting to see Johnny in early form...I was starting to think he was birthed a fully formed, technically perfect drummer.

There's something about the drums in this video that really appeal to me. This song has never really done that much for me, but this version has some power to it.

Really? Like appealing in an endearing kind of way? Because on a professional level it's really amateur drumming, such as you'd expect from a high school kid (which I think Johnny might actually have been in 1984). I liked it just because it seemed humanizing...like seeing Superman buying capes at the mall. "So he IS human"

[direwolf74]

That sax is awesome. Makes them sound like the E Street Band.

[emperor penguin]

That was awesome! I think the most surprising thing about it is Gord sounds more like he does today, than he did from about 1987-1993. He seemed to sing with more of a drawl back then, but he doesn't really have it there.

[hotmetal401]

It's kind of comforting to see Johnny in early form...I was starting to think he was birthed a fully formed, technically perfect drummer.

There's something about the drums in this video that really appeal to me. This song has never really done that much for me, but this version has some power to it.

Really? Like appealing in an endearing kind of way? Because on a professional level it's really amateur drumming, such as you'd expect from a high school kid (which I think Johnny might actually have been in 1984). I liked it just because it seemed humanizing...like seeing Superman buying capes at the mall. "So he IS human"

This studio version of the song is one of my favourite examples of over-produced 80s rock - that isn't a compliment.

This version, for all its faults - or maybe because of them - has far more life to it.

[potsie]

Really? Like appealing in an endearing kind of way? Because on a professional level it's really amateur drumming, such as you'd expect from a high school kid (which I think Johnny might actually have been in 1984). I liked it just because it seemed humanizing...like seeing Superman buying capes at the mall. "So he IS human"

This studio version of the song is one of my favourite examples of over-produced 80s rock - that isn't a compliment.

This version, for all its faults - or maybe because of them - has far more life to it.

The EP is not well-produced but I think if anything it is under-produced. I agree that most 80's rock was terribly over-produced but I don't get that when I listen to the EP. When I think over-produced, I think Def Leppard's Hysteria.

I may be in the minority, but I'm a big fan of Smalltown Bringdown. I love the way Gord drags out "styyyyyyyyyyyyle"and "chiiiiiiild", something missing in this embryonic version. I do find the sax interesting, though.

I've never heard or read anything about which song was the first that they wrote together. The dating of July 1984 for this video makes Smalltown a possible candidate for that honour.

[edgoffin]

That's pretty cool - I missed this posting first time around.

I knew Davis Manning was older than the other guys, but he looks a fair bit older. Gord D is pretty restrained. Has Gord Sinclair aged at all? My first encounter with the band would have been a few years later when they played a local high school. I did not go, but got such rave reviews from friends that I tracked down the EP. I recall thinking at the time it was OK (I still think that today -- I didn't really get why people were hoping for some EP tunes this tour), but then seeing them live it all clicked.

[sean.bonner]

That's pretty cool - I missed this posting first time around.

I knew Davis Manning was older than the other guys, but he looks a fair bit older. Gord D is pretty restrained. Has Gord Sinclair aged at all? My first encounter with the band would have been a few years later when they played a local high school. I did not go, but got such rave reviews from friends that I tracked down the EP. I recall thinking at the time it was OK (I still think that today -- I didn't really get why people were hoping for some EP tunes this tour), but then seeing them live it all clicked.

This may explain why people would not have minded hearing an EP tune.

[youtube]cV4GAlI4C_Q[/youtube]

[edgoffin]

This may explain why people would not have minded hearing an EP tune.

Yeah, that would have maybe been the only EP track that for me that comes close to the levels they reached afterwards. I really liked the EP as my first introduction -- I think I wore out a few tapes, got the CD because it included Surf Club, and I still have the original vinyl. But if I got to add a few more songs to the tour, I'd have actually liked to hear some of the MMP songs live versus going back to 1987.

...anyways, hopefully some more of these older clips keep surfacing, some great viewing.

[Rye]

The 1995 Hamilton show is on YouTube, holy smokes. This was one tour before I got to see them, so I've also been curious what a 1995 show looked like (visuals, backdrop, lighting). Would love for some more full shows from the mid-90s to surface. The fall 1992 tour for FC always intrigued me as there are hardly any setlists even documented from that tour. Peak live Hip I think is between 1992-2000 (mix of catalogue, setlists and performances).

[direwolf74]

The 1995 Hamilton show is on YouTube, holy smokes. This was one tour before I got to see them, so I've also been curious what a 1995 show looked like (visuals, backdrop, lighting). Would love for some more full shows from the mid-90s to surface. The fall 1992 tour for FC always intrigued me as there are hardly any setlists even documented from that tour. Peak live Hip I think is between 1992-2000 (mix of catalogue, setlists and performances).

Just watched some of that Hamilton show, and it's fantastic. They really were the best live band on the planet at that time. I too would love to see more shows surface from '95-'00. No doubt the Hip have mountains of great live material sitting in their vaults. Hopefully they'll eventually release some of that stuff.

[longseason]

Just looked this up — dammit, I was at this show. That opening Grace was sick.