Why is it that every time I'm at a show, I can never identify a single one of the hundreds of shitty, anonymous songs being blasted over the club PA system before the gig starts?

One time I got to Maxwell's early for an Alex Chilton show, way before even the first of the two opening acts (The Gories?) played, and practically the only two people in the back room were me and Mr. Chilton. What should start playing over the PA but "I Hear Her Call My Name." I gave in to the nearly-always-to-be-suppressed impulse to talk to the performer and said "Are you going to cover this tonight, Alex?" He looked at me with what I later learned was his not-atypical psychotic grin and said "What is it? Don't know it. Don't know it. Don't know the tune," drawing out the word "tune."

I went to see Fantomas a week or two ago. They took about 45 minutes to come on stage after the previous band, and in the interim they played "Shut Up Little Man" over the PA. My friend left, convinced it was a gleeful Patton watching us rubes in the pit squirm in discomfort. I didn't think it was his choice - the people at this venue always pick the worst stuff to play before shows.

So, if anyone else catches Fantomas on this tour, could you please share if there's a repeat of this?

I always thought the sound guy was purposely trying to play the crappiest and obscurest music possible, that when the band you've been waiting to see takes the stage, their music sounds THAT MUCH better.

Being a sound guy sucks. I was a sound guy practically for free at many places.. whether on campus or for a non-profit venue.

I'll be choosin' the music if I have to wrap, unwrap cables, set up mikes, etc. thank you.

I mean, if the band wants a specific CD to be played before they play, fine. When Sam McPheeters wanted me to play his weird ass concoction of pre-Mens Recovery Project stuff before their gig, of COURSE i complied. There are exceptions.

..and yeah, I got complimented at what turned out to be a cancelled Korn show at the UCI student center (their first album hadn't come out yet) for playing a certain band. Who was I playing? Lync! Makes total sense.

Maybe because of the shitty, anonymous club PA? Seriously, I used to go to a club where the bass and treble were miles (well metres) apart, so you'd have to walk half way across the room to find out what the DJ was playing. It was usually disappointing.

I remember Kevin Shields giving the sound man at the old 9:30 Club in DC the most evil look because he kept the pre-show music (some 1992 piece of top 40 crap) on SO LOUD, even when MBV were onstage and setting up. Shields kept doing the slash-across-throat symbol to cut it, after the fifth or so try the guy finally turned it off.

This is why I love ILM...I've never had the occasion to tell that story, if it can even be considered a story.

you don't recognize it because it's a cd-r of the soundman's shitty band.