the BAT MAN sessions were a way to give Bill different genre pieces to work with. everyone wants to hear Bill sing metal: here you are. the original vocal sessions (all songs in one day) were unsatisfactory for this song-- the "OH YEAH!" before the solo, and the end section (including the last line "MY DEAD FISH FRED") are the only parts that were used. at a later session i gave Bill a mic to hold and he sang it without headphones, rocking out in front of the speakers. that was all he needed: to feel it blasting at him. Bill loves to rock.
the idea for the video came from Bill's suggestion that STEVE PEPPER is a spy. it was shot on 16mm film by mike neel and greg ansin, who cast Bill in their new movie
"drive-in horrorshow", currently in production.
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BIG FOOT live at abbey lounge
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the songs on this page:
THE SPIDER - Bill told us the name of this song after the one and only take he sang, but we kind of had it figured by then. he says "SPIDER BITE" at least once. i think he is really proud of this one; he often refers to it when we talk about BAT MAN, and he sings "SPIDERS!" a few times in the BIG FOOT video. for daren, eric and me it was a brian eno landscape ("another green world" or "energy fools the magician"), but Bill paints such a vivid picture with the title and vocal, i always feel as tho i AM a spider when i hear it.
Bill: vocal
daren: drum machine, cowbell
john: guitars, synth
eric: bass
john maceachern: lead guitar
THE CARS - this is from BEATLES CHINESE, recorded and released in '91. it was recorded 'live in the studio'. we also perform it in the current show.
Bill: vocal
daren: brick floor
eric: bass
john: electric 12-string
paul desjarlais: acoustic 12-string
ALL MY HEART AND ALL MY LIFE - one day i was playing the piano, and Bill sat down next to me and started singing. i found chords that sounded good underneath his parts, and in 10 minutes we had the basic idea together. later, daren and i recorded the backing track with our friend paul at his home studio. this is 2 takes of Bill's singing cut together. i especially like the "AND MY HEART IS THUMPING TO WATCH THE BEATLES" line. Bill also sings "IT'S MY LAND" a few times and mentions being in his room listening to records. that long vocalization "OHHH" at 2:50 after the line about 'get the girl' (?) gets me every time-- and it's all in one breath.
Bill is singing to an instrumental mix playing on a boombox. Bill and i shot this in an afternoon. we just couldn't get it going on the 'neighbor' street-- you see Bill distracted by the cars going by, but that take ended up being good for other reasons...
"BIG FOOT HIM!"
the vocals are where they happened in the takes; only the "DEAD MEAT" part was cut-in. i asked Bill to do that after his final take; it was a great moment in the BAT MAN version i wanted to keep if possible. Bill makes motorcycle sounds when they roll by (but it's hard to hear it sometimes).
Bill: vocal
daren: drum machine, bass, long chords
eric: short chords
jessica kirton: feedback guitar
john: fake cello
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please note that Bill cannot read or write very well, but i do read him his messages when we get together, and if a response is in UPPER CASE and "quotation marks" then it is from Bill
to paraphrase robert wyatt's mspace page: if you post a comment and it is just a huge advertisement for yourself it will not get approved. comments about Bill Gage or BILL the band are welcome.
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Influences
the band likes a variety of punk, psychedelic pop, new wave, and classic rock. Bill Gage likes all kinds of music: the beatles, black sabbath, queen, yoko ono, the band, the monkees, the left banke, david bowie, james brown, the yardbirds, etc. he likes rock music a lot, but also listens to classical, jazz, pop, etc. he likes vinyl lp's the most, and is always looking to get more of them
Sounds Like
captain beefheart, pere ubu,
howlin' wolf, iggy pop,
muddy waters, the residents,
tibetan throat singers,
bing crosby, johnny cash,
oxbow, outsider music
BILL are a rock band, started in 1987 in new england and fronted by Bill Gage, a singer with ds (down syndrome). BILL was named after one of the few words Bill can write fairly well, making it simple for him to create the logo (and sign autographs). Bill sings surreal, ever-changing lyrics in a variety of styles, from bluesy yowls to tender, soulful moans to throat-singing. these different approaches reflect Bill's reaction to the diverse sounds his band provides him: spacey art-rock, thundering heavy-metal, acoustic folk ballads, stuttering industrial riffs, etc.
BILL's internal approach to songwriting is always in flux. the first album BEATLES CHINESE was shaped by a series of challenges the band gave Bill: first to name the songs he wanted to do, and then to sing them, as the band figured out what to play behind him and each song was quickly recorded. the backing tracks for BILL's second record BAT MAN were recorded in advance. Bill listened to the tracks, sang over them, and named the songs.
Bill has sung with a variety of musicians including
cheater slicks, hope alane, david m. curry,
stephin merritt,
rich gilbert and others. the band includes people from grasshopper records, a label run by his brother john, who plays in BILL, the other members being daren follower, eric morin, gaylen moore, and greg ansin.
people may come to the BILL show the first time to see what the hubbub is about, but they come back for the rock spectacle. Bill is a born performer, and his connection with an audience is immediate and electric.
CLICK HERE for BILL T-SHIRTS and CD/T-SHIRT discount package
please note: beside men's S, M, L, XL,
we have new sizes:
women's S, M, L, and youth M, L -- feel free to order
(we are temporarily having trouble changing grasshopper's BILL page)
BILL - BAT MAN nine-song digipak cd
(signed by Bill !)
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8.11.08 / at THE TINDER BOX / in BRATTLEBORO, VT 8.13.08 / at GOODBYE BLUE MONDAY / in BROOKLYN, NY 8.14.08 / at LO-FI SOCIAL CLUB / in BALTIMORE, MD 8.15.08 / at PIANOS NYC / in NEW YORK, NY 8.16.08 / at DANGER DANGER GALLERY / in PHILADELPHIA, PA 8.20.08 / at PROJECT VENUE / in WAKEFIELD, RI 8.23.08 / at VALENTINE’S / in ALBANY, NY
