The Tubes

(James VanOsdol’s blog)

Debuting tomorrow: my interview with Fee Waybill of the Tubes.

I’ve loved the Tubes for decades, dating back to when my impressionable young mind was utterly destroyed by “White Punks on Dope” and “Mondo Bondage.”

The band will be in Lincolnshire next month (Viper Alley on October 26), in what amounts to a can’t-miss show. The Tubes changed the rules for live rock and roll performances, taking the piss out of the medium well before it was fashionable to do so.

Fee was kind enough to hang on the phone for close to an hour, and we talked about the band’s long history, their mid-80s collapse, the moment when they first encountered John Candy, the worst venue in Chicago, and why Dave Grohl could be an honorary Tube.

If you’re not as familiar with the Tubes, here’s a chance to catch up before the interview hits tomorrow. Get ready to scroll: here comes a bunch of YouTube clips …

White Punks on Dope

My first exposure to the band. This song was the gateway drug (groan) that led to further discovery.

Don’t Touch Me There

“I love your salty taste.

I love your fingertips.

When I reach for your waist …”

Dirty, retro, and as good as the Tubes get:

She’s a Beauty

You know this one; the band’s commercial peak. The once-ominpresent-on-MTV video features Fee Waybill as a P.T. Barnum-esque carnival barker.

Talk To Ya Later

“As I mentioned near the close of the last record, this record you are now playing is another example of the completion backward principle.”

As I mentioned in the interview, this track stands as one of rock’s great “kiss off songs.”

Amnesia / Mr. Hate

Two of the best songs from the band’s finest album (The Completion Backward Principle)

“The Fishin’ Musician” on SCTV

We talked about this legendary TV appearance in the interview; a classic for both John Candy and the Tubes.

“What Do You Want From Life” (live)

An always-anticipated descent into madness during the Tubes’ live show.

See you on October 26th.