Van Gogh’s Ear

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Van Gogh’s Ear was a stupendous band that existed in Charlotte in thelate 1980’s & early 1990’s often playing to huge crowds of 2 or more people. Allmembers of the band were insane but none of them knew it. With songslike March of the Renegade Cows, Love Will Rot, The Mexican Song,Psycho Steakhouse, Fuck You in the Face, Cromagnon Chromatics, SexualGravy and Glow Worm Dance Mix the band fearlessly forged brand newground by melding punk, funk, rock, crock and crunk into a new andexciting musical identity never before heard on this earth. Drawing frominfluences as diverse as The Clash, The Band, Bob Dylan, Adrian Belew, ZZ Top,carnival music, Kansas, The Band, Love Tractor, Cream, Lou Reed, Jed Clampet, Johnny Waddand Buck Owens VGE were ahead of their time and still are,motherfucker. Time will never catch up with these bold idiots.
At live shows, the band often heckled the audience by telling them to "goget fucked" and giving away vienna sausage as a door prize - andsomehow they still usually got paid anyway. A pair of lovely femalemannequins were given microphones and a TV with static was their"fabulous light and shit show". If necessary the band would take a breakonly to face the stage and give themselves a standing ovation. They hadtheir own PA system so they would play anywhere, anytime and were athreat to the audience at all times. A barmaid once called the police on theband during their set. VGE played shows with other foolish bands the likesof Southern Culture on the Skids, Big Brick Building (their arch nemesis), Odd Job,Flat Duo Jets, Johnny Quest, Uncle Green, Earth Household and othercomplete morons.
Playing everywhere from back yards, swimming pools, redneck dives andrestaurants to cow pastures and punk clubs the group performed at Theworld famous Milestone, Double Door, Ty’s, 1313, The Edge, Club Lenny,Picasso’s Pizza, Ziggy’s, The International Hall To Fame and Carnegie Hallbefore giving up the ghost. It is unknown how many people actually sawVGE during their incredible heyday, but many poor unsuspecting foolswere damaged beyond recognition and there was always at least oneperson at every show who really liked the band a lot, despite VGE’s bestefforts to the contrary.
At their annual backyard trash parties, neighbors would call the policefrom more than a mile away and the band would always force the policeto go and get a decibel meter before shutting them down. After it finallyran it’s course, the band regrouped for the What The Fuck tour and thenagain even later for the Fuck The What tour and VGE are threatening todo it yet again now.
Daisy Payseur - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar and Percussion
Chuck Carpenter - Drums, vocals, barking, and bloviations
Gray Barker - Electric Guitar, Echoplex, vocals
Jim Payseur - Bass & Fretless Bass Guitar, vocals and grunting
SOUNDS LIKE
The LOTUS STUDIO link below is what I’m up to now. -Jim