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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2019 7:14:12 GMT -5
This happened about 8 years ago but I forgot to tell the forum. Both THS and Gaslight Anthem were touring Australia, but they were playing separate shows and festivals despite the overlap in their fanbases. I had to decide which of my favorite bands to follow around the country, and I chose THS. Gaslight played a show in Sydney, and I went along. I saw someone who looked familiar, but didn’t say hi. At the end of the show, Gaslight’s drummer threw a drumstick in the crowd, which somehow caused a fight because I guess they had fanatical fans. The familiar looking guy I saw stepped in and broke up the fight, and I realized it was Craig Finn, just chilling out and helping keep the scene unified.
(Part of me thinks that if Gaslight hadn’t come along and been anointed by The Boss as his chosen successors, THS would have got that honor and fame, but I can’t begrudge them their success)
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Post by Rattlesnake Gospel on Jan 3, 2019 13:30:29 GMT -5
Part of me thinks that if Gaslight hadn’t come along and been anointed by The Boss as his chosen successors, THS would have got that honor and fame, but I can’t begrudge them their success That's badass, and only furthers Craig's coolness. I don't hate Gaslight but have never understood why they're held in such high esteem, or why so many consider Fallon on the same level as songwriters like Finn. They have some catchy tunes but their records sound way overproduced. Fallon made his bones being a Springsteen fanboy, then pouted about it when people called him out on it. They're ok but I agree, THS are much more deserving of the accolades.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2019 22:04:45 GMT -5
Gaslight are my second favorite band, but I agree that as a songwriter Fallon is nowhere close to Craig Finn. I could write a whole essay about it, but one little thing is how they reference other songs. Craig will drop in these obscure references that send you on a weird musical rabbit hole while also enhancing the story he’s telling. Brian will just use the chrous of an already popular song in his song. His new solo album is really bad for this: he bites All You Need Is Love, Like A Rolling Stone, and Famous Blue Raincoat. Not subtle.
I think the reason Gaslight got more popular than THS, besides the big Springsteen thing, is that their songs are more universal. THS songs are like short stories, they sing about very specific things happening to characters. Gaslight sing mostly love songs with big chroruses.
I dunno, I love them both, and it’s cool that they still play shows together/
(Now The New Jersey Springsteen fan band that really got stiffed/forgotten is Titus Andronicus, but that’s another thread..,)
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Post by muzzleofbees on Jan 4, 2019 3:13:21 GMT -5
I think the reason Gaslight got more popular than THS, besides the big Springsteen thing, is that their songs are more universal. THS songs are like short stories, they sing about very specific things happening to characters. Gaslight sing mostly love songs with big chroruses. I agree on this. And even though Hold Steady are pretty straight rock as well, Gaslight sounds more deliberate anthemic, digging into that Springsteen vibe in a way more pure and less subtle way. I like Gaslight Anthem too, but they don't get my heart pumping. They both look and sound a bit too calculated for me. I'm not saying they are, it might as well come straight from the heart - but that's the feeling I get. And regarding the first post here: Hold Steady sort of were hailed as Springsteens ancestors, Craig sang with Bruce and he chose them to cover him on that War Child compilation. I guess that Gaslight Anthem just sounded even more like him, contained even more of the feelings Springsteen was/is expressing. And they arrived (or at least found fame) just about when Hold Steady cooled a bit off. When the buzz of Stay Positive sort of was over, and they lost some of the commercial momentum through 2009 and up to Heaven Is Whenenver. Anyway, a really good story!
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Post by Rattlesnake Gospel on Jan 4, 2019 10:09:09 GMT -5
A lot of good points here that echo my sentiments exactly. I'm sure that Fallon/Gaslight genuinely adore Bruce - who doesn't? - but yea, they've always seemed a bit too calculated to me as well. I adore a straightforward love song with a big chorus as much as the next person, but Gaslight's always sounded a bit too convenient for me. The first album I heard was '59 Sound' and he straight up lifted so many lyrics... it's one thing to nod to your heroes a bit but it's another to outright quote them in half the songs, especially building one of your own big choruses around one.
I'm probably focusing too much on the man and not the music, but Fallon's onstage meltdown & subsequent online tirade a few years back killed any chance I ever had of becoming a fan. He's built a career on his Springsteen fandom then lashed out at his fans when they - at a Jersey show - asked Gaslight to cover Springsteen, something they'd done before. Then he left Gaslight to release solo albums that essentially sound just like Gaslight albums. I dunno, something about him just screams unauthentic rock star primadonna, and not the working class Jersey Boy he pretends to be. Unfortunately that's all I hear when I listen to his stuff.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Jan 5, 2019 14:25:37 GMT -5
I saw Craig and Fallon on their solo acoustic tour, Songs from the Hymnal. Fallon's onstage presence was confrontational with anyone in crowd who would call out, hoot, holler, or really make much noise at all. An example of his banter (I'm going by memory here): "See, I'm up here, and I'm the one getting paid, and you're down there and paid to be here, so I get to make noise and you don't." To be fair, he confronted them in a semi-playful manner most of the time, but there was definitely an underlying edge and annoyance to it. I didn't think he came off very well, although most of the rest of the crowd didn't seem to mind.
Also, I wonder what the Fallon fans there would think of Craig, who during this set wore a ballcap and a blazer and came across as quiet and almost timid, if they ever got to see his loud, snarling, gesticulating THS persona.
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Post by muzzleofbees on Jan 5, 2019 14:36:21 GMT -5
I saw Craig and Fallon on their solo acoustic tour, Songs from the Hymnal. Fallon's onstage presence was confrontational with anyone in crowd who would call out, hoot, holler, or really make much noise at all. An example of his banter (I'm going by memory here): "See, I'm up here, and I'm the one getting paid, and you're down there and paid to be here, so I get to make noise and you don't." To be fair, he confronted them in a semi-playful manner most of the time, but there was definitely an underlying edge and annoyance to it. I didn't think he came off very well, although most of the rest of the crowd didn't seem to mind. This sounds so much like Fallon. And again, I don't really put anything more into it. It's not that he seems like a bad person. I just know I can never really adore neither Fallon or Gaslight Anthem. Going to Munich in a month to see them both. Gonna approach it with an open mind, but I'm there for nothing but Craig.
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Post by doctoracula on Jan 5, 2019 17:40:59 GMT -5
I also always thought Gaslight seemed way too calculated. And the whole “nostalgia for a time before you were born” rubs me the wrong way. The 50s weren’t that fucking cool. I saw them a few times around Philly/NJ before they blew up and it was super forgettable. Ah well. Very cool of Craig to break up a fight.
There was a band from the emo/hc scene in the mid 90s called chamberlain that I thought did the Springsteen thing very well. They were just around at the wrong time. If I remember correctly, Gaslight took them on tour when they reunited and I kept hoping it would make them blow up in the way I always thought they deserved.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2019 22:12:26 GMT -5
Brian said that Against Me! did the Springsteen punk thing first. Loved Ones too. I still owe the guy from that band one of our shirts. I guess their stage personas are the opposite of their lyrics. Craig seems like a genuinely nice guy but has written some really snarky lyrics, while Brian acts like a jerk but writes more welcome stuff. Everyone’s calling Gaslight calculated, but Brian really was a car mechanic, and he did grow up in NJ, so he’s technically got more blue collar cred than Springsteen. I think getting famous fucked with his head, I saw an interview where he talks about his weird stalkers (which Craig has too). I read a review that called half of their fanbase ‘middle aged True Believers between Hold Steady shows’, which fits me to a T. I dunno, I got into them with Sink or Swim, so i’ve been a fanboy from the start. His new album is really lazy tho. And the last song on Sink or Swim is a complete rip-off of a Billy Bragg & Wilco/Woody Guthrie song, dunno how he didn’t get sued. Brian also likes mocking gently The Replacements, but he’s in that Replacements documentary (Color Me Impressed) with Craig and Patrick Stickles so I dunno. I don’t know where else to put this, but Craig gets quoted twice in Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Springsteen Songs article, so it’s like he’s a recognized authority: www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-bruce-springsteen-songs-of-all-time-32486/Besides the Springsteen thing, THS and Gaslight also share the religious themes. And I read in an interview that Brian’s ex wife actually was named Hollie, which is kinda funny.
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Post by Rattlesnake Gospel on Jan 6, 2019 9:38:56 GMT -5
There was a band from the emo/hc scene in the mid 90s called chamberlain that I thought did the Springsteen thing very well. Chamberlain was WAY underappreciated. I couldn't agree more that they were around in the wrong time. Don't get me wrong: there are far worse bands out there than Gaslight. Part of me wonders if it weren't for Fallon's attitude, would I be able to enjoy the music more? Interesting points about him having been a mechanic and whatnot; that at least makes him seem a bit more authentic. Definitely sounds like a case of success blowing up his head a bit. I wouldn't feel the need to debate or think about it at all if so many friends and people whose opinions I respect weren't so into them... funny how that works. In any case, thanks for keeping the conversation friendly, everyone. One of the reasons I love hanging out on this board.
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Post by delboydrums on Jan 6, 2019 16:03:06 GMT -5
I saw Craig and Fallon on their solo acoustic tour, Songs from the Hymnal. Fallon's onstage presence was confrontational with anyone in crowd who would call out, hoot, holler, or really make much noise at all. An example of his banter (I'm going by memory here): "See, I'm up here, and I'm the one getting paid, and you're down there and paid to be here, so I get to make noise and you don't." To be fair, he confronted them in a semi-playful manner most of the time, but there was definitely an underlying edge and annoyance to it. I didn't think he came off very well, although most of the rest of the crowd didn't seem to mind. This sounds so much like Fallon. And again, I don't really put anything more into it. It's not that he seems like a bad person. I just know I can never really adore neither Fallon or Gaslight Anthem. Going to Munich in a month to see them both. Gonna approach it with an open mind, but I'm there for nothing but Craig. Same here for Cardiff.
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Post by chinaski on Jan 7, 2019 9:39:40 GMT -5
I'm a Gaslight fan. Sink or Swim, 59 Sound and American Slang are all still favourites of mine. Fwiw, Brian's Horrible Crowes record, Elsie, is maybe the best thing he's done outside of 59 Sound - far far superior to his solo albums. Would recommend people check that out.
I'm curious about this new tour because I know he's been learning piano. Credit to him for trying something new, however, when I've seen him acoustic before, he has that habit a lot of singers do when they go acoustic of totally losing the melody and basically speaking over the music. Sometimes his acoustic shows can be pretty great and sometimes I can find them a bit hard to get into, so I'm curious which way it'll go if it's got piano involved too.
Brian's also always been really chatty on stage. If you're on board, it can be pretty charming, but I can get why some people might find it a bit offputting too, especially if he's ribbing the crowd.
Either way, I saw a couple of videos a while back of Craig and Brian doing a Replacements song or two together. I'd really love for them to keep doing that in the UK.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2019 17:25:56 GMT -5
In the long, long, list of similarities I forgot that they also both wrote Clash tributes.
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Post by fairyglass on Jan 8, 2019 11:13:24 GMT -5
I don't hate Gaslight but have never understood why they're held in such high esteem, or why so many consider Fallon on the same level as songwriters like Finn. They have some catchy tunes but their records sound way overproduced. Fallon made his bones being a Springsteen fanboy, then pouted about it when people called him out on it. They're ok but I agree, THS are much more deserving of the accolades. That exactly sums up my feelings about them. That said, I'm off to see Brian Fallon (with CF) later this year.
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Post by doctoracula on Jan 8, 2019 13:45:28 GMT -5
I highly suggest that everyone in this thread check out the Chamberlain album “The Moon My Saddle.” Seriously. I bet y’all would really like it (and there’s not much new stuff coming out right now anyway. Go check out something from 20 yrs ago
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Post by fairyglass on Jan 9, 2019 12:29:29 GMT -5
I highly suggest that everyone in this thread check out the Chamberlain album “The Moon My Saddle.” Seriously. I bet y’all would really like it (and there’s not much new stuff coming out right now anyway. Go check out something from 20 yrs ago Wow- new music- thank you very much
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2019 1:12:46 GMT -5
If anyone in this thread needs new music check out Australian pop/folk punk band the Smith Street Band. The first track on their first album has an ‘almost killed me’ in case anyone didn’t pick up on their influences. There’s also a constructive summer reference somewhere.
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Post by art81 on Jan 15, 2019 19:22:46 GMT -5
If anyone in this thread needs new music check out Australian pop/folk punk band the Smith Street Band. The first track on their first album has an ‘almost killed me’ in case anyone didn’t pick up on their influences. There’s also a constructive summer reference somewhere. Constructive Summer reference is in "Surrey Dive" off their Throw Me In The River LP. Great band, great band. Wil Wagner, the lead singer is a big fan of THS. I remember seeing a story that Craig went to see Smith Street Band play in New York, the rest of the band chatted to him but Wil was too nervous to speak to him.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2019 22:22:48 GMT -5
Wow, that’s hilarious! I used to see him play to like 30 people and chat with them after shows, now they’re huge in Australia. Never talked about THS with him tho. Young Drunk is basically our Constructive Summer. Between them and Craig & Franz guesting on a Living End album, THS are oddly associated with the Australian punk scene. I wish they’d come out here more often! Jeff Rosenstock, who opened for THS, produced 2 Smith Street Band albums. There’s also a solo Wil Wagner song that namedrops Springsteen & The Mountain Goats, in case anyone doubted his music taste. Just realized that I saw Smith Street Band open for Frank Turner, so that’s basically the most famous members of the Unified Scene, unless you count all the random celebrities Craig knows.
I also remember a chat on YouTube between Craig & Patrick Stickles where someone asked if anyone could write lyrics as good as them and they both said ‘Courtney Barnett’, which was a real ‘Aussie pride’ moment for me.
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