Craig Finn’s Speeches

[nosferatu]

I was at London this Saturday night, and recorded (for myself, and from the top pocket of my beer and sweat soaked denim jacket) a phone memo of the whole Saturday Electric Ballroom gig... I don’t know why I decided to, the recording sounds like me shouting a lot and getting pushed around by people I didn’t even know, yo. But Craig said a lot of things. Especially during DJs, I was very moved by what he said, and I remembered tonight that I’d recorded it - so, I transcribed what he said, I know it’s not the same written down than at the front of a sweaty THS show, but it totally stands up transcribed. Maybe this thread can pool together all those wonderful things Craig says completely off the hoof that easily could’ve been agonised over and formed part of The Hold Steady’s literary history... I’d like to think I’ve done a faithful job in transcribing... so here goes!

[nosferatu]

“Alright London! We started this band, The Hold Steady, in 2003... that’s 15 years ago. 15 years ago, at least in New York City, you couldn’t go anywhere without a... DJ. You’d go to a club, of course there’s a dj, that’s cool. You go into a bar, there’s a dj, he’s pretty decent, if he’s honest he’s a good dj. You went to the POST OFFICE, there’s a FUCKING DJ. You walked into a party; there’s a DJ. That’s is when, the period of time we put together this band, The Hold Steady. With the loud guitars, fuckin piano, the bass, drums... WHAT ABOUT ROCK N ROLL? So, this song is about rock and roll... so we decided to play rock n roll. And just sort... and just sort of what I expected... turns out, it turned out all these DJs playing all this other music... people still liked rock n roll... and you know what London? I just wanna say, as the world goes on and gets crazier and technology advances, I do believe that what we’re doing tonight is the Most Important Thing, that is: getting people, real people, in a room together, in real time, and it is already important, and more important every year. Thank you so much for being a part of this, to get in a room with people, to drink some beer, to listen to some music, dance a little bit, to see old friends, and maybe make some new friends, to be around people who like rock and roll music as much as we do, and that feels just... so... I was wonderin’ [ascends into mass double timeclapping]”

[howard]

That is some excellent work.

I always think that Craig chooses his words very carefully (and well), both on and off-stage.

I wish there was a transcript of some of the things he said over the weekend about how much he loves the truth.

[nosferatu]

I can probably transcribe that bit too...

[Deleted]

" It's true cause I love it and I love it cause it's true ..."

[tbob]

Have you got the bit where Craig introduces the band during Charlemagne?
When he was talking about looking to his right and seeing Franz back there was goosebump inducing!
PS excellent work. I’m not sure what the etiquette around sharing such bootlegs is, but I’d love to hear it in full!