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Monday, March 12, 2012
The Nerves' Paul Collins & Peter Case reunite for 2012 electric tour
Listen to samples
The Nerves: Paul Collins & Peter Case earn rave reviews for reunion tour!
THE NERVES: Paul Collins & Peter Case receive tons of press coverage!
(photo: Bev Davis)
PHOENIX NEW TIMES (Phoenix weekly)
Paul Collins and Peter Case on The First Time They Heard the Ramones and The State of Power Pop By Jason P. Woodbury Maybe the name “The Nerves” doesn’t immediately strike a bell, but chances are “Hanging on the Telephone” will. A single from Blondie’s stone-cold classic 1978 LP Parallel Lines, the song was actually written by Nerves drummer Jack Lee and performed by the San Francisco-based power-pop trio of Lee, Paul Collins, and Peter Case.
Following the dissolution of The Nerves, Collins and Case would go on to cement their melodic rock legacies, with Collins fronting chiming rock band The Beat (or Paul Collins’ Beat, as litigation with The English Beat would eventually force) and Case forming the R&B/new wave-inflected Plimsouls.
The past few years have seen a steady uptick in recognition of all Collins/Case associated bands: Alive Records has steadily reissued their respective catalogs (even unearthing unreleased stuff like the post-Nerves/pre-Plimsouls/Beat band The Breakaways) and young acts on labels like Burger Records and Volar Records (the latter released an excellent Nerves tribute record) paying homage to the minimal, pop-driven sound of the band.
The duo kept has kept in touch over the years, and with interest at a high, they’ve hit the road, playing with a full backing band and a catalog of power-pop classics in tow.
“Power pop is healthier today than when it started,” Collins laughs over the phone from NYC. He and Case spoke with me about the Nerves’ legacy, the youth of today, and what it was like hearing The Ramones for the first time.
Paul Collins and Peter Case are scheduled to perform Tuesday, March 13, at the Rhythm Room.
Up on the Sun: What inspired you two getting back together for this tour, and what can we expect from the sets?
Paul Collins: We’ve been talking about this for years, and it’s finally happening. We’ll be on stage together, with a backing band, a bassist and a drummer. This is going to be the cream of the crop — the “hits that weren’t hits” of The Nerves. Basically, we’re going to go out there and play all these amazing songs. It’s really an amazing opportunity. It’s kind of like, you know, what it would have been like if the Nerves had stayed together and all of us had been in the same band writing all these songs. I mean, Jack is not part of this, but the songs are, and the most powerful thing that the three of us did is in the songs.
Peter Case: Paul and I haven’t worked together for years and years and years. I don’t even know how many. 30, or something. I’m afraid to look [laughs]. We stayed in touch. I’d run into him in New York, or Spain or something. We’ve always been friends, but what happened was, about three years ago Alive Records put out a Nerves record, then a live Nerves record, and then Paul had these tapes I didn’t know existed, The Breakaways, and they released those, and then a live Plimsouls, and Paul put out King of Power Pop, then I put out The Case Files, and they just did a new live Plimsouls record. Alive has really supported us. The thing is, I listened to The Breakaways recordings, I had forgot even recording it. I put it on and said ‘Wow, the spirit, and the energy, it was so fun.’ I started thinking that we should go out and play these songs. I mean, we’re doing it because we can. We’ve got the energy. It’s not a big stretch, and it’s fun working with my old friend.
Has it been interesting or surprising seeing the way The Nerves have influenced the power pop sounds of younger bands?
Paul Collins: Well, I’m surprised and happy. I was living overseas for a while and I came back here four or five years ago and that’s when I started touring heavily, and I did all that with the Beat Army, which is k my Facebook page for what I do and power pop in general. I’ve pretty much concentrated on working with new bands and it’s been great. One of the people, the Burger Records guys, and younger acts. I’ve played with at least 100 new bands. What happened was, during the ’90s this whole scene fell of the map, and it was really difficult to work. It kind of felt like the music I was doing had just passed. There was no interest in it. But when MySpace got big, it was very encouraging. You’d see all these bands list The Nerves or power pop as an influence, and then it just blossomed into what it is today. The power pop of today has morphed into something new — bands that are garage-y and punk-y. It’s an elastic term. I term it “melodically driven guitar rock ‘n’ roll.” I think it’s awesome. I’m constantly finding new bands and the audiences I play for now, because I work with new bands, they bring their fans and they know the music. Power pop is healthier today than when it started.
Peter Case: When we first came out, the record execs treated us like we were the slow kids in class. It’s simple, but there’s an art to making stuff that simple, to creating rock ‘n’ roll that has a timeless feel. The Plimsouls have a new live record out, and aside from some phaser on the guitar, it sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday. “Power pop” is a term is a little limiting — there’s young people who are willing to find things that aren’t on mainstream radio. It’s a very good time for music right now. For the young people at least. The older people, they got lost.
Was there any sense of musical community when you guys were performing as The Nerves?
Paul Collins: When the Nerves started, no. We were in a complete vacuum. I remember when we first heard The Ramones. We were rehearsing in our little basement in San Francisco, and somebody had told us “Hey, there’s this band from New York called The Ramones playing at the Savoy.” We had kind of heard something about them, but we hadn’t heard their music. You’ve got to understand, back in those days there was no cell phones, no Internet. The way information got out was really quite limited, through music stores and record shops, you know?
So we called up the club, to see what time they were playing. The guy said, “Man they’re doing their last song now.” And this is a conventional old school phone with an ear piece and mouth piece and it maybe have been me, but I said, “Can you just hold up the phone so we can hear them?” So the three of us are crowded around the phone. I remember Jack and Peter saying, “They’re staying on the D chord! They’re not changing.” [laughs] We had never heard anybody play music like that, which was kind of like what we were doing in that sense, 8th notes and all that stuff. We were totally blown away listening to them play. That’s how disconnected things were back at that time. I mean, we really didn’t consider ourselves a punk band…Later, when the Beat got signed, you could feel the emerging [punk/New Wave] scene…You could really tell what people listened to by the way they dressed. The punks had a very identifiable dress code, and so did the new wave/power pop people…very bright and colorful and the girls were sexy as all hell in their fishnet stockings, leather mini skirts, and black boots.
Peter Case: There’s just a spirit of the whole Nerves catalog. It’s pure teenage rock ‘n’ roll, and at that time there weren’t many people doing it. The Nerves were kind of minimal you know? We didn’t sound like the Ramones, but there were some similarities. That first wave of punk rock, groups like The Saints, Sex Pistols, The Clash, also bands like Pere Ubu — we related to all those kinds of bands. At the time there was such a strange time, because young people were coming up with their natural music and the record business just slammed the door on it. The shit people said to us back then was just ridiculous. They had no idea what we were doing. Finally, Blondie cut “Hanging on the Telephone” and had a big hit with it. It sort of vindicated us, but we were all on our way to other stuff by then.
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/uponsun/2012/03/paul_collins_peter_case_nerves.php
TUCSON WEEKLY –Brief show preview in their Soundbites bests.
Los Angeles power-pop gods Peter Case and Paul Collins, both formerly of The Nerves, and later, respectively, of The Plimsouls and The Beat, will team up to perform tunes by all of those bands at Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St., at 8 p.m., Sunday, March 11. Summer Twins open the show, and admission is $15. Call 622-8848 for more info.http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/soundbites/Content?oid=3256468
THINGS TO DO IN TUCSON (online Tucson A&E site) – Show preview with Peter & Paul photo.
Peter Case & Paul Collins in Tucson Mar 11, 2012 8:00 PM Mar 11, 2012 at 8:00 PM Club Congress 311 East Congress Street Two of rock n roll’s greatest come together at the legendary Hotel Congress for a once in a lifetime show.Peter Case is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and producer, a mighty fine guitarist and a well-reviewed published author and yet, he’s most at home on the stage. For 25 years, Peter, his guitar and his songs have mesmerized audiences from coast to coast, whether holding down a festival crowd, warming up the place for luminaries like Jackson Browne and John Prine or headlining his own nightclub shows— of which he can claimed to have logged thousands. In January 2009, Case underwent heart surgery, leading to fund raising efforts by other musicians to help defray his medical costs. Case’s latest project, Wig!, is a CD/LP released June 29, 2010 on Yep Roc Records.The Case Files, Peter Case’s demos, outtakes, one live shot and other rarities drops in May on Alive Records with a string of dates in appropriate rooms to follow. Paul Collins (The Beat) spent his pre-teens living in Greece, Vietnam and Europe before returning to his native New York. He studied at the prestigious Julliard Music School and eventually moved to San Francisco where he joined songwriter Jack Lee and bassist Peter Case to form The Nerves in 1974. The Nerves proved to be one of the pioneers of the burgeoning US punk rock scene, independently releasing their own 4 song EP which included the classic “Hanging on the Telephone,” later to become a hit for Blondie.http://www.thingstodointucsonaz.com/details-E0-001-044291870-6/Peter_Case_Paul_Collins_Tucson/
TUCSON EVENT SEEKR (online A&E site) – Show preview with Peter photo.
Peter Case, Paul Collins Sunday Mar 11th, 2012 Club Congress 8:00pm$15.00 Frontman and founder of the San Francisco new wave band the Nerves as well as the Los Angeles pop-rock band The Plimsouls, Peter Case eventually began his solo career in the mid ’80s. While his previous work with bands was more rock based, his solo work is more acoustic based Americana. With his varied ventures into music, Case has secured a diverse fanbase and a great deal of respect from musicians, with the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Ry Cooder counting themselves as huge fans. Though Case underwent serious heart surgery in 2009, the costs offset by many famous musicians who banded together to raise funds for him, Case is back on the touring bracket. http://tucson.eventseekr.com/peter-case-paul-collins/concerts-rock-alternative/event/mar-11-2012/3551268
DOWNTOWN TUCSON (Tucson A&E site) – Show listing with tour poster.
http://www.downtowntucson.org/event/peter-case-paul-collins/
SOUNDSPIKE (online music site) –SXSW show preview with photo.
Peter Case @ SXSW Story by Tara Hall Singer, songwriter and guitarist Peter Case will spend the spring on the tour trail with multi-instrumentalist Paul Collins, the first time the two have taken the stage together since 1978.
On the impending run, the Case and Collins will perform with a full band, playing songs from their back catalogs at bars and clubs across the nation, according to Case’s website. The pair will also take on Austin, TX’s SXSW with an official showcase March 16 at Continental Club, as well as an unofficial day party, co-sponsored by SoundSpike, March 15 at Lucy’s Fried Chicken.
Case and Collins first worked together in early San Francisco new-wave band The Nerves, before Case went on to form the Plimsouls in Los Angeles and Collins played with The Beat and The Breakaways. Case has had a successful solo career as well, including the 1992 release, “Six-Pack of Love,” which features the radio hit, “Dream About You,” the video for which is below.
Earlier this month, Case released “Beach Town Confidential,” a six-song live album of Plimsouls material recorded onstage at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, CA, in 1983, when the four-piece was at the height of their fame.
http://www.soundspike.com/story/3995/peter-case-sxsw/
BUZZBAND L.A. (L.A. online music site) – Brief show preview
Two influential rockers whose careers date back to the ’70s — Peter Case and Paul Collins — head up a quartet headlining the Echo, where they will perform songs from their legendary bands, the Plimsouls, the Nerves, the Breakaways and the Beat. Summer Twins open. http://buzzbands.la/
MUSICAL SHAPES (L.A. music blog) –Positive L.A. show preview with photo.
Go See Hear In L.A. March 5-11 This week is marked by a number of interesting pairings and bills. One show that jumps out to me is the Peter Case/Paul Collins gig at the Echo on the 7th (yes, the same night at the New Multitudes show). Case and Collins played together in the punk band the Nerves years ago (Blondie’s hit “Hanging On The Telephone” was a Nerves’ tune) before going off in separate directions (Collins fronted power poppers the Beat and Case the Plimsouls and then has had a long career as a troubadour). Opening for them is an excellent sisters act The Summer Twins who should be headlining shows soon.http://musicalshapes.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/go-see-hear-in-l-a-march-5-11-the-jim-jamesgeorgie-james-edition/
KXLU RADIO (L..A. college station) – “Recommeded show” listing on their website with on-air show mentions
CLICKY CLICKY MUSIC (online music blog) –Positive Portland show review with photo.
That Was The Show That Was: Peter Case & Paul Collins | Star Theater | Portland, OR What began as a potentially precarious and non-commital show blossomed into a legendary, manic rock event. Saturday evening’s performance at the Star Theater in Portland built slowly to a boiling point at which Peter Case and Paul Collins began to tear through the power-pop gems that spangle their respective, nearly 40-year careers. The energy, skill and conviction of their show transcended both time and male pattern baldness, proving that an intelligent, youthful spirit can persist to incite future generations to dance like it’s 1964, or ’74, or ’84. Hell…
The show was part of a tour intended as a celebration of Mssrs. Case and Collins’ work, more than a plug for any specific release. The duo are best known, of course, for founding the seminal and short-lived 70′s punk-pop trio The Nerves, as well as their individual ’80s projects including Case’s The Plimsouls (creators of the sublime, oft-covered 1983 Top 100 hit “A Million Miles Away”) and Collins’ The Beat. The Nerves produced only one official release, a four-song EP that cemented itself as pop gold on the strength of “Hanging On The Telephone,” which was written by bandmate Jack Lee and famously covered by Blondie. Upon completion of the fabled recording, the group executed an exhaustive cross-country tour opening for The Ramones, playing nearly 100 shows in a very short period. Such an ambitious early experience likely placed unnecessary strain on The Nerves. That, coupled with the fact that the group had the Beatles-esque dilemma of three talented songwriters, led to sufficient tension in the band to plunge it to a premature death. Lee, of course, went on to fame and perhaps even wealth via Blondie and “Hanging On The Telephone,” while Case and Collins forged ahead, never receiving their real due.
Just before the main event the room seemed to suddenly fill up with a diverse punk and pop assemblage. It was as if Case and Collins sounded some fantastical horn and called forth their army of young hardcore kids, overdressed record store clerks, 70′s Los Angeles hipsters, and white collars in polos who had spun the Nerves EP on their college radio show so many years ago. It was truly a scene to behold, and some really fabulous people-watching as the men took the stage with able bassist Timm Buechler and drummer Amos Pitsch, ready for a blitzkrieg. Because of earlier audience indifference, one could not expect what was about to unfold.
The set was played fast, with little word from Collins, as the group pounded through a balanced, electrifying list of songs from The Nerves, The Plimsouls, The Beat and the seldom-heard, mid-period project The Breakaways. In true power-pop tradition, E major chords and Rickenbacker chiming abounded. Case, Collins et al. wisely stuck most of their more famous numbers toward the end of the set, riding a wave of anticipation from the crowd. Within the first few songs, dancing broke out in the middle of the floor, with several very unassuming-looking women going around and grabbing any guy they could find while swinging and grinding. It was a moment of elation for which rock music inherently strives. Half-way through the set, the band kicked things into overdrive with “A Million Miles Away,” spurring a chant from the crowd loud enough to be heard over the roaring guitars.
Case and Collins, both approaching 60, may have looked worn and old, but they performed with an animalistic energy that did not betray their histories. Collins smartly wore a purple bandana around his neck in a nod to his vintage cool. Case strode out wearing a blazer and long hair, looking not unlike The Dude from “The Big Lewboski.” This band didn’t need distortion pedals, just vintage guitars played into overdriven tube amps. Loudly. Between songs, Case proved to be the more endearing member, as he offered background and stories about the songwriting, recording and genesis of the various projects. He broke a string mid-song and never flinched in his grizzly guitar solo, using the detuning to his advantage. “When You Find Out” proved to be the highlight of the show, with his voice sounding exactly as it did in 1976; a feral young man’s plea, surely an inspiration to Paul Westerberg.
The fascinating crowd provided some really enjoyable moments itself. One woman, who seemed roughly the same age as Case and Collins, heckled the band for about 15 minutes. It became apparent that she was a former paramour of Collins’ from decades ago, and she repeatedly asked if he remembered her. Finally, acknowledging the nuisance, Collins looked her in the eye and simply mouthed “no.” Rock and roll, indeed. Another happy sight was the father who was accompanied with his three young children. This gentleman had come for one thing. “Walking Out On Love,” he repeated yelled. He soon got it.
The final portion of the set had the band rolling through some key Nerves tracks, The Breakaways classics, “Walking Out On Love” and the blistering Case-penned tune of escape, “One Way Ticket.” With that, the band quickly said goodnight and walked off the stage. No needless posturing, or long closing speech, just the reassurance that keeping it real transcends all. Brilliant musicians and songwriters apparently can continue to burn down a house if they stay true to what made them great all along. If you can, catch the band at one of their tour dates here.
The Carnabetian Army, a local Kinks cover band, opened. Resplendent in their dandy outfits, the group delivered tight and faithful renditions of many of the Kinks tunes that were so influential to first wave power-poppers like The Nerves. The venue’s odd lounge-style seating and open floor plan left The Carnabetian Army afloat amid emptiness that threatened to suck the energy out of their set. The fact that many Portland venues feature cool outdoor patios and fire pit havens occasionally leaves early openers with little to do but play for themselves. Nevertheless, The Carnabetian Army gave it their all, adding details like the adolescent “oh, go home!” before the charged solo in “All Day and All Of The Night.”
Filling the middle of the bill were Summer Twins, a sister-led pop-rock outfit that had a very astute knowledge of the songwriting and spirit of the headliners. The Riverside, Calif.-based group, presumably hand-picked by Case and Collins, played a set of strong, shiny tunes to the slowly gathering crowd. “I Don’t Care” in particular, showcased Chelsea and Justine Brown’s perfectly blended harmonies. Guitarist Marcio Rivera was also nice to listen to. With his curly goth hair and bored expression, he resembled one of the Reid brothers while playing very simple yet arresting guitar patterns that nearly beat the sisters in brightness and quirk. — Edward Charlton
http://jbreitling.blogspot.com/2012/03/that-was-show-that-was-peter-case-paul.html
THERE’S SOMETHING HARD IN THERE (online music blog) – Seattle. show review with photos.
Peter Case & Paul Collins: Bringing back the songs of The Nerves (along with some Plimsouls and Beat tunes) ˛Ë‡ ˛Ë‡By Andy
Peter Case once called me from a pay phone in Hollywood.
Thanks to my former journalism adviser at San Jose State University — and Case’s ex-brother-in-law — the man who practically helped invent power pop in the mid-’70s with The Nerves and Breakaways chatted with me in ’89 about his second solo album, “The Man with the Blue Post-Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar,” for the Spartan Daily.
I caught the ex-Plimsouls leader at Club Oasis on that tour and was impressed with how the acoustic tunes from his solo LPs translated live.
Twenty-three years later, Case jammed an electric guitar into his hands while rocking along with former Nerves/Breakaways bandmate Paul Collins (he has his stellar Beat, too) at Seattle’s Funhouse on March 2.
Alongside Amos Pitch on drums and Timm Buechler on bass, the two old pals rolled through a 25-song set of numbers that spanned their careers (see set list!)
Backstage after the gig, Case pointed at my Nomads T-shirt and reminisced about writing a song (with Jeffrey Lee Pierce) in the mid-’80s for the Swedish band: “Call Off Your Dogs.” When he was in Stockholm, the band kept him up all night to write lyrics for the tune, he laughed.
Collins and Case each spoke with me briefly about playing together again and embarking on a two-month tour (Seattle was the second stop):
* COLLINS, who noted that he and Case played a show together a couple of years ago with their respective bands, but they haven’t played in the same band for more than 30 years –
I think it’s going great, we’ve got a crack backup band and the songs speak for themselves, so it’s really kind of easy.
I would say more people have not heard of (The Nerves) than people who have heard of them — but I don’t care about that. It feels great, I’m very proud of what we did. Those songs will live on forever– I love it. It’s just wonderful… you know, you work hard and you can do good things.
(On memories of playing with Case)…It’s more looking forward, that it’s fun to be doing this and that we can, that’s what I think. It’s great to hear those songs again, play them again — it’s a rush.
You know what’s great? For me, it’s like a lot of fun: One, we’ve got a lot of history, you know, and I’ve always believed that soul is when you’re proud of where you’ve been. So, if you’ve got history with people, it’s nice to be able to go — even if it’s not just a group, but friends or something — to be able to go out and share life with some people you go way back with is always a real fun thing to do. So, that’s good, even though there’s certain difficulties we’ve always had working together, we love working together, because it’s really fun…
The other thing about it is the song catalogue that we made up. All these songs from back before 1983, it’s really fun to kind of revive them and bring them back around because we made them at the time to be sort of timeless– we never went with gimmicks or the time.
Andy’s Spartan Daily review from ’89, plus pic below by Kendra Luck
http://theressomethinghardinthere.blogspot.com/2012/03/peter-case-paul-collins-bringing-back.html
THE PORTABLE INFINITE (L.A. online music magazine) – L.A. show mention with live photos from Vancouver show
http://portable-infinite.blogspot.com/2012/03/peter-case-paul-collins.html
SKOPE MAGAZINE (online music site) – Tour news posted March 5th
http://skopemag.com/2012/03/05/peter-case-paul-collins-reunite
SILVER PLATTER (Phoenix online A&E site) – Positive show preview
Peter Case and Paul Collins Frank Gallardo I still am a massive Plimsouls fan and really enjoyed the music of The Nerves and The Beat. Shows like this remind me how special music was back in the late seventies and early eighties, totally psyched for this show! Tuesday, Mar. 13, 2012 Peter Case and Paul Collins * 07:00 PM * $15 * Rhythm Room Only $15 for two power pop legends folks, do not miss this show! Peter Case and Paul Collins played in two different highly influential Los Angeles power pop bands together, The Nerves and The Breakaways. The Nerves created some outstanding music during their career, including “Hanging on the Telephone” that became a huge hit for Blondie. The Breakaways formed out of the ashes of The Nerves.
When The Breakaways broke up Paul Collins left his place behind the drum kit and formed a new band known as The Beat, a band he was the singer and rhythm guitarist for as well as the primary songwriter. That band later became The Paul Collins Beat in the early eighties and various line-ups of the band continue to perform to this day.
Peter Case formed one of power pop’s all-time great bands The Plimsouls after he parted ways with Collins. The Plimsouls had a short original run from 1979-1983 but in that time appeared in the cult classic movie Valley Girl and penned the massive alternative rock single “A Million Miles Away”, along with a string of other great singles such as “How Long Will it Take” and “Shaky City”. The band’s second album Everywhere at Once that was released in 1983 remains a power pop classic.
Folks, this show is going to be an ultra-special affair with these two artists reuniting to play songs from The Nerves, The Breakaways, The Beat and The Plimsouls. Do not miss this 21+ show! http://silverplatter.info/shows/20242
WILLAMETTE WEEK (Portland weekly) – Positive show preview
Peter Case and Paul Collins, Summer Twins, Carnabetian Army MATTHEW SINGER 9 pm, Saturday March 03 | $15 Star Theater 13 NW 6th Ave. [PILLARS OF POWER POP] What’s that saying on the dollar bill? “Out of many, one”? Well, in the case of Peter Case and Paul Collins, it’s more like, “From two, a friggin’ lot.” Their intertwining discographies represent a large chunk of the best power pop made post-Big Star, beginning in 1975 with the Nerves. Although together only long enough to release a four-song EP, all four of those songs were phenomenal; one of them, “Hanging on the Telephone,” was later immortalized by Blondie (it was technically written by bandmate Jack Lee, but still). After then playing together in the short-lived Breakaways, Case and Collins went their separate ways, with Collins forming the underrated Paul Collins Beat and Case gaining the most fame with the Plimsouls, whose “A Million Miles Away” is one of the great singles of the ’80s. On this reunion tour, the pair draw from both their songbooks, offering a history lesson in some of the most underappreciated music of the past three decades. http://wweek.com/portland/event-92443-peter_case_and_paul_collins_summer_twins_carnabetian_army.html
THE STRANGER (Seattle weekly) – Positive show preview with Nerves audio stream.
Peter Case & Paul Collins, Summer Twins, Bang Sha Bang
(Funhouse) Both Peter Case and Paul Collins have enjoyed long careers as great purveyors of real-time-and-beyond post-punk pop: Case fronted the Plimsouls (makers of 1983 hit “A Million Miles Away”) and launched a troubadorian solo career (his 1986 cover of the Pogues’ “A Pair of Brown Eyes” was the “My Heart Will Go On” of my high-school class), while Collins carried on as the leader of the Beat (not the English Beat—Paul Collins’s Beat). But everything you need to know to love both of them forever can be found on the only release by the Nerves, a four-song EP made by Collins, Case, and guitarist Jack Lee and released in 1976. Kicking off with the great, gritty original of “Hanging on the Telephone” and perfect till the end, The Nerves captures a talent-packed band finding their voices, and people with ears will love it forever. Tonight the Funhouse hosts the Peter Case & Paul Collins Reunion Tribute to the Nerves, which is exactly what it says it is, and hurrah. DAVID SCHMADER
http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/03/02/tonight-in-music-vockah-redu-get-fit-kingdom-total-freedom-cedaa-massacooramaan-strobe-nikola-baytala-jeromy-nail-manos-rhines-pe
THE SUNBREAK (Seattle online A&E site) – Best Bet show preview with “Plimsouls video.
Your Live Music Bets for March 2nd to the 4th by Tony Kay Tonight (Friday, March 2): Peter Case and Paul Collins, Summer Twins, Bang sha Bang @ The Funhouse. $20 day of show. Doors at 8pm.
Together as The Nerves and separately as members of The Plimsouls and the Paul Collins Beat, Case and Collins helped lay down the groundwork for the punchy/sweet dichotomy that is power pop. If you’re a fan of Weezer, Ted Leo, or OK Go, and you want to hear the roots of those sounds, this should be unmissable. Expect to hear plenty of gems from these guys’ deep back catalogs, and Case will surely belt out that classic of classics, “A Million Miles Away”.
http://thesunbreak.com/2012/03/02/your-live-music-bets-for-march-2nd-to-the-4th/
THE PORTLAND MERCURY (Portland weekly) – Show preview with “Plimsouls video (Same positive preview that ran in Seattle’s The Stranger)
Up & Coming Highlights in Music the Week of March 1-7 SATURDAY 3/3PETER CASE, PAUL COLLINS, SUMMER TWINS, CARNABETIAN ARMY (Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) Both Peter Case and Paul Collins have enjoyed long careers as two of the great purveyors of real-time-and-beyond post-punk pop: Case fronted the Plimsouls (makers of ’83 hit “A Million Miles Away”) and launched a troubadourian solo career (his 1986 cover of the Pogues’ “A Pair of Brown Eyes” was the “My Heart Will Go On” of my high-school class), while Collins carried on as the leader of the Beat (not the English Beat, but rather Paul Collins’ Beat). But everything you need to know to love both of them forever can be found on the only release by the Nerves, a four-song EP that Collins, Case, and guitarist Jack Lee released in 1976. Kicking off with the great, gritty original of “Hangin’ on the Telephone” and perfect ’til the end, The Nerves captures a talent-packed band finding their voices, and people with ears will love it forever. Tonight the Star Theater hosts the Peter Case and Paul Collins Reunion Tribute to the Nerves, which is exactly what it says it is, and hurrah. DAVID SCHMADERhttp://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/up-and-coming/Content?oid=5693885
ILLINOIS ENTERTAINER (Chicagoland music monthly) – Feature/interview with Paul to preview Chicago show in March issue (with front cover billing!)
Hello, My Name Is Paul IE: You’re currently on tour with Peter Case. Were there other occasions when you performed together since The Nerves broke up? Paul Collins: Only once. I did some songs with him during an encore at one of his shows.
IE: Are you pretty familiar with Chicago?
PC: Chicago was a real mainstay for us [The Nerves]. In fact, we stayed there between tours. Do you remember La Mere Vipere? They threw a party for us. We played Huey’s, Ivanhoe Theatre, and B’Ginnings. Cheap Trick came out to see us.
IE: Some critics have said The Nerves could have been really successful if they’d stuck around. Do you ever imagine what might have been?
PC: When we broke up, I was devastated, but I never thought of it that way. It wasn’t until recently when I read an article where someone said, “Makes you wonder what would have happened if these guys had stayed together” that it really hit me. I’m glad I didn’t think of it that way before. I’ve had a great ride. For a bunch of kids who had no backing, it’s amazing the impact we had with just one EP.
IE: Have you and Peter kept in touch over the years?
PC: On and off. I’ve lived overseas so there were big chunks of time when we didn’t have any contact.
IE: Considering that you and Peter were in The Nerves, he was in The Plimsouls, and you were in The Beat, this show seems like a power pop fan’s dream come true.
PC: It’s power pop, but it’s more than that. It’s American rock and roll. At the time, everything was skinny ties, new wave, and power pop. I embrace [the label] now, but back then it hurt us. Radio stations would say, “Power pop? We don’t play that kind of music!” I wondered why people weren’t getting it.
IE: How will the show be structured?
PC: We’re still working on that. There are so many great songs, you could put them in a hat and just pick them. This is really two guys getting together because of the music.
IE: Is there any chance that you and Peter will do a CD together?
PC: That door is wide open. If the rock and roll gods are willing and we come up with a good batch of new songs, we’ll record them. Most definitely.
Paul Collins and Peter Case play Empty Bottle on March 25th. The Plimsouls recently released Beach Town Confidential, featuring a live performance recorded in 1983. Q&A by Terrence Flamm.
http://illinoisentertainer.com/2012/02/hello-my-name-is-paul-3/
AMP MAGAZINE (national print & online music magazine) – Tour news with tour poster, dates and related links.
http://www.ampmagazine.com/28228/peter-case-paul-collins-reunite-for-a-special-full-band-spring-2012-tour/
BLURT MAGAZINE (national print & online music magazine) – Tour news with artist photos, dates and related links.
http://blurt-online.com/news/view/6071/
VAN MUSIC (Vancouver online music site) – Feature with Paul interview to preview show. Vancouver post-show review also scheduled (per Jason)
The Nerves reunion tour kicks off at Iron Road Studios in Vancouver on March 1st 2012.
Back in the 70’s The Nerves were a trio of lads burning up the LA punk scene. They released only one EP that included a little track called “Hanging On The Telephone” which a young lady named Blondie covered and got a hit song out of. As prolific musicians Peter Case and Paul Collins have been involved in many projects since their days in bands together.
They have worked with and influenced some of the greatest names in the biz, from T-Bone Burnet and Mitchell Froom, to Ry Cooder and Bruce Springsteen.
With the success of “One Way Ticket” their 2008 compilation release of remastered tracks from the original EP plus previously unreleased material on Alive Records, the boys decided to reunite for a spring 2012 tour to pay tribute to their bands, The Nerves, The Breakaways and The Plimsouls.
I managed to get a few questions out to them as they were prepping for the tour.
1. How does it feel to be back touring together again after so many years?
Very strange but good, we have not actually started yet so it’s a big musical
adventure!
2. Looking back on the LA Punk scene that you helped developed how do you think it has changed? For better or for worse?
That’s too big a question for me. I have not lived in LA for many years now and I am not really in touch with the music scene there, but if it is like everything else it has changed, more than likely some of it for the better and some for the worse. Things stay the same and re-invent themselves at the same time. That is how it should be in my opinion. The same goes for the music we lovingly call Power Pop.
3. What do you find most satisfying about playing live?
The feeling you get when the band is really rocking out and we are all in sync and of course when you really connect with the audience that is an amazing feeling… like no other I know of.
4. How does it feel to have your songs live on through other artists, like Blondie and Def Leppard, etc.
It is a very nice feeling when respected peers in your field pay you the complement of recording your songs. You are of course referring to “Hanging on The Telephone” written by my old pal Jack Lee and I can tell you for a fact he is delighted about it!
5. What made you decide to tour again in 2012 as a tribute to The Nerves?
We were hoping to make a million dollars and retire gracefully in big houses with swimming pools. I am not sure if that will happen though.
6. Paul, you spend a lot of time in Spain. How has this influenced you as a musician and as an artist in general?
I had a blast, drank a lot of really good red wine, ate way too much delicious food and enjoyed the woman immensely! Artistically speaking it allowed me to get out from under the American Music Business scene which I do not enjoy or support. I am now pretty much 100% DIY and I love it.
7. As musicians who have quietly influenced other musicians from Blondie to Bruce Springsteen, do you have any advice for new musicians and bands who are trying to make their mark in music today?
Work your ass off.
8. I’m sure you have many great stories of being on the road and of recording with so many artists. Do you have any that you would like to
share with our readers?
I think it would be better if they came to one of our shows so we can tell them in person.
9. What can we expect from you both together and independently in the future?
Hopefully a lot of great honest rock n roll.
http://www.alive-totalenergy.com/x/?page_id=354
THE PROVINCE (Vancouver weekly) – Feature/interview with artist photos (per Tom Harrison)
Case, Collins aim for timeless power-pop By Tom Harrison, The ProvincePeter Case and I met over Wilson Picket. I’d been intrigued by the Wicked Wilson’s “Mini Skirt Minnie” since I heard it as a kid in 1967. I had the 45 but, as far as I know, the song isn’t on an album, be it a regular release or an anthology. Picket’s next single was the immeasurably greater hit, “Funky Broadway.” So, “Mini Skirt Minnie” might have been buried and forgotten.Case came about it the same way. He had the single and knew nothing else. Nevertheless, his Plimsouls recorded “Mini Skirt Minnie.” “Lots of guitar,” Case exclaims admiringly. “Steve Cropper. “I met Wilson Picket on an airplane about 10 years ago. I went up to him and introduced myself. ‘Hi, I’m Peter Case of The Plimsouls; we did ‘Mini Skirt Minnie.’” Instead of being flattered, Picket blew up. “I never got paid for that session,” he growled and that was the end of the encounter and possibly explains the fate of “Mini Skirt Minnie.” It’s doubtful that Case will perform the song at Iron Road Studios. There is so much else to do. Case has reunited with Paul Collins and they will play material from their subsequent bands starting with The Nerves. The Nerves were a trio during the heyday of the L.A. punk underground. When they split, Collins and Case briefly had The Breakways. They split again, Collins to form The Beat, Case The Plimsouls. Both were exemplary power-pop. After The Beat, Collins relocated to Spain, produced and recorded intermittently. Case struck out as a solo folkie and has had his ups and downs. Both have kept their head above water and getting back together seemed like a good idea. “It’s all coming together,” Case said. “Me and Paul are so different.” How different might be measured by contrasting The Nerves with The Plimsouls. “We were in a band together that had a gestalt, a style,” explains Case. “The Nerves were minimal, very stripped down. The Plimsouls were a full rock and roll band; we even had a lead guitar. The Nerves had its own thing; we had a lot of clashes, we got thrown out of buildings.” Case and Collins didn’t write The Nerves’ claim to fame, “Hangin’ On The Telephone,” as covered by Blondie. They were, however, able to build on it, The Plimsouls racking up a hit in “A Million Miles Away,” a great song in the mould of The Byrds’ “Eight Miles High.” “A Million Miles Away” is more likely than “Mini Skirt Minnie” to be featured at Iron Road. The Plimsouls have a new album, Beach Town Confidential, but the material is old. The quartet augments the live set with covers of The Creation, Easybeats, Kinks and Moby Grape songs. “Buddy Holly . . .” Case says, unexpectedly. “. . . when I heard Buddy Holly, it all made sense. It was timeless.” So, timeless power-pop is the aim. Collins sings his songs, Case his. Iron Road is the only Canadian stop on the tour, but the first. Case is looking forward to it. “The thing Paul and I have always agreed upon is that we want to do great songs.”http://www.theprovince.com/entertainment/Case+Collins+timeless+power/6229690/story.html
OC WEEKLY (Orange County, CA weekly) – News story on tour with Paul photo, Nerves video and related links.
The Nerves’ Peter Case and Paul Collins to Reunite on Tour and Release Material Recorded at the Golden Bear By Lilledeshan Bose Mod/power pop pioneers Peter Case and Paul Collins, who first banded together in the seminal new wave band the Nerves, are going on tour together. They’re skipping Orange County, but on Mar. 7 they’ll be at the Echo in LA, Mar. 8 in San Diego at Bar Pink, and Mar. 9 at Pioneertown (near Joshua Tree) at Pappy & Harriet’s–so there are enough SoCal venues on their list.
The tour will see Case and Collins performing songs from the Plimsouls (which Case played in after the Nerves) and the Beat and the Breakaways for Collins. They’ll have a full band, so they’ll probably be playing a load of gems on this eight-week tour.
According to Soundspike, Case is also set to release Beach Town Confidential, a live album of Plimsouls material recorded onstage at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, CA, on Aug. 13, 1983, when the four-piece was at the height of their fame. “Beach Town Confidential,” featuring six songs that have never been recorded by the Plimsouls before, will be released on Feb. 7.http://blogs.ocweekly.com/heardmentality/2012/01/the_nerves_peter_case_and_paul.php
BLOG SAN DIEGO (San Diego music blog) – Poster art and show info posted on their hoempage.
http://blogsandiego.com/
THE ONION A.V. CLUB (Twin Cities weekly) – Show preview.
Paul Collins Also Playing: Peter Case A long, winding musical road brought singer-songwriter Peter Case to 2010’s Wig!, a route that travels through bar bands, new wave innovators, flirtations with folk-rock, a brief fling with a major, and a life-saving heart surgery. Not that the former leader of The Plimsouls hoped to capture all of that in Wig!’s 12 tracks. Instead, he turned out a dozen blood-simple blues-rock numbers recorded in quick-and-dirty fashion recorded with X drummer DJ Bonebrake and fuzzbox-stomper Ron Franklin. He’s now touring behind a recently released collection of rarities, The Case Files. Amsterdam Bar And Hall 6 W. 6th Street Twin Cities MN 55102651-222-3990 all ages $20 http://www.avclub.com/twincities/events/paul-collins-and-peter-case,291588/
WXPN “FREE AT NOON” CONCERT SERIES – Live performance Friday April 13th at noon in Philadelphia (All XPN “Free At Noon” concerts are now being simulcast via National Public Radio’s website – npr.org, and via online broadcast at WBFO in Buffalo, New York / KUT in Austin, Texas / WITH in Ithica, New York / WRUR in Rochester, New York / Vermont Public Radio)
NASHVILLE SCENE (Nashville weekly) – Nashville show preview with photos
Power-Pop Giants Peter Case and Paul Collins Are Playing Mercy Lounge April 19, and You Should Care Posted by D Patrick Rodgers First of all, yes. We know that this show was initially announced several weeks ago. And yes, there was some question regarding what venue would host the show — why in the world would Peter Case’s website (among others) list the venue as “The High Watt”? As ticketed, it’s definitely taking place at Mercy Lounge, and not in some as-yet-unannounced, still-gestating, fetal-stages baby venue. Where would you get that idea?
But here’s the thing: If you heard the names Peter Case and Paul Collins, scratched your head and thought, “Eh, must be some random pair of old singer-songwriters,” then you’re doing it wrong. Extremely wrong. Collins and Case first collaborated in the short-lived but highly influential mid-’70s power-pop trio The Nerves, who released only one four-song, self-titled EP. The lead-off track, “Hanging on the Telephone” — a performance of which was captured in an in-store during SXSW 2007 (see above) — proved to be an enormous hit for Blondie. Puerto Rican garage-rock outfit Davila 666 also does a version that’s a lot of fun to watch. But I’m getting sidetracked here.
Now, after The Nerves, Collins and Case again collaborated in The Breakaways, not to be confused with English girl group The Breakaways. There’s not a lot of Breakaways tunes to be dug up online, but “Walking out on Love” is a highlight:
Then Case and Collins parted ways, with Case going on to front the influential Plimsouls, and their 1983 release Everywhere at Once is essential listening for the power-pop fan. “Shaky City” is my favorite on the LP, but “A Million Miles Away” is on YouTube, so we’ll listen to that instead:
As Case did his Plimsouls thing, Collins went on to front the prolific The Beat, whose “Rock ‘n’ Roll Girl” is what we in the biz call “undeniable”:
There’s your cursory, mildly unimpressive, I’m-working-on-some-other-stuff-and-thus-have-to-leave-it-at-that crash course. There’s plenty I left out, and I apologize. As a token of my regret, listen to “When You Find Out,” as it is dope:
April 19 at Mercy Lounge
http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashvillecream/archives/2012/02/23/power-pop-giants-peter-case-and-paul-collins-are-playing-mercy-lounge-april-19-and-you-should-care
NASHVILLE’S DEAD (Nashville music site) – Nashville show preview with photos
GET YOUR ONE WAY TICKET For the last few years we’ve always seen Paul Collins take his bag around the area but never hit Nashville. Not sure exactly what’s been stopping the Nerve from coming to our fair city, but it won’t matter anymore this April. Paul and Peter Case will be stopping in at “The High Watt” on April 19th to play a mix of Nerves, The Beat, and Plimsouls jams. Color us stoked. We’re not exactly sure what The High Watt is just yet, but the address on the site has it listed as right near Mercy Lounge. You can check here for all the rest of Peter & Paul’s tour dates. We went ahead and posted one of our favorite Nerves songs at the bottom for good measure. Gimme Spring, bebe… http://nashvillesdead.com/2012/02/07/get-your-one-way-ticket/
EXAMINER (online A&E site) – News story on tour
Paul Collins/Peter Case tour dates announced Chris Cordani The Nerves co-founders Paul Collins and Peter Case tour dates are official. This comes after their initial announcement in November that the two would reunite to co-headline together this year.
Collins and Case will be accompanied by Timm Buechler on bass and drummer Amos Pitsch. They will perform classics from the bands they formed together, The Nerves and The Breakaways, as well as tracks from Collins’ Beat and Case’s Plimsouls.
While some venues have not yet been announced, here are the official Collins/Case tour dates and cities…
http://www.examiner.com/alternative-music-in-national/paul-collins-peter-case-tour-dates-announced
NO DEPRESSION (Americana online music site) – News story on tour with photos, tour dates, videos and related links.
Press release: Peter Case & Paul Collins of The Nerves 2012 Reunion Tour ike many bands, they said it would never happen; there were no plans to reunite The Nerves. When I interviewed both Case and Collins a few years ago, they both praised one another, but stated that a Nerves reunion was unlikely. More recently, The Nerves experienced a resurgence in popularity when their songs were covered by Cat Power and several other indie rock artists. In 2011, Green Day covered The Nerves’ song Walking Out On Love as part of their Broadway Special. Collins also joined Green Day onstage for live performances in New York. Apparently, Billie Joe Armstrong is an outspoken fan of The Nerves.
Peter Case & Paul Collins – Two longtime friends, musical partners, Americana heroes and founding members of legendary rock group The Nerves will be joining forces for a North American tour in 2012, including special dates at the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas and some appearances in Canada. The tour is a reunion of Peter Case and Paul Collins, two founding members of The Nerves. Rather than focusing only on The Nerves’ material, their sets will encompass the entire careers of Case and Collins. Expect to hear classic tunes such as Hanging On The Telephone and Walking Out On Love, in addition to key songs from The Plimsouls, The Beat and related works of Case and Collins.
This will be a full band electric tour where the duo is backed by members of The Paul Collins Beat. Paul Collins and Peter Case are 2/3 of The Nerves. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, likely to be the closest thing to a band reunion of The Nerves the world will ever see.
Peter Case and Paul Collins have both established themselves as hard-working singer-songwriters. As the story has been told, Peter Case began his musical career as a folk singer, writing and performing on the streets and in the clubs and coffee houses of San Francisco. Collins moved to California in 1974 with only $75, a station wagon and a guitar. His life changed after meeting Peter Case and Jack Lee and the trio began writing songs and performing as The Nerves. The group funded their own studio recordings and North American tours, performing in the U.S. and Canada.
Collins managed the group and handled their bookings, which included a tour with The Ramones and respectable spots on the USO tour, performing for the troops. The Nerves disbanded around 1977 and Collins and Case formed The Breakaways, which literally “broke away” into two groups, The Plimsouls and The Beat, later known as The Paul Collins Beat. Case became a solo artist in the 80s and has since recorded dozens of prolific albums as a singer-songwriter. Aside from The Beat, Collins recorded his first solo album in 1990, which included members of Chris Isaak’s band. Several more solo albums followed, until Collins re-formed The Beat.
http://www.soundspike.com/story/3592/peter-case-paul-collins-join-forces-for-tour/
BLURT (national print & online music magazine) – Positive news post, with Plimsouls photo, “Magic Touch” download and tour dates
Plimsouls Live LP; Case & Collins Reunite Duo planning a full-band tour – including stops at SXSW – to showcase Nerves, Breakaways, Plimsouls and Beat classics.
By Blurt Staff
Punk, garage and power pop fans need no introduction to the late, great Plimsouls, the group that brought Peter Case to international prominence. Over the past few years Case has been releasing unearthing material (solo and with bands, including Plimsouls) from his archives for the Alive Naturalsound label, and this time he’s got another ‘souls good ‘un: Beach Town Confidential, due on Feb. 7.
Recorded at the height of their onstage power at The Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, CA on August 13, 1983, this captures Case, Eddie Muñoz, Dave Pahoa and Louie RamÃrez ripping through 16 tracks with a youthful and reckless abandon. Six of these songs have never been recorded before by The Plimsouls (“Making Time,” “Fall On You,” “The Price Of Love,” “Who’s Gonna Break The Ice?,” “Jumpin’ In The Night” and “You Can’t Judge A Book”), plus it also features the only live recordings of “Magic Touch,” “Oldest Story In The World” and “Hobo.”
MP3: “Magic Touch”
Meanwhile, Case has announced he’s teaming up with Paul Collins for an extensive spring North American tour that will include several performances in Austin at SXSW. Prior to the Plimsouls, Case was in The Nerves and The Breakaways with Collins (who would later go on to form his own highly-respected group, The Beat); music buffs will recall that Blondie took Nerves gem “Hanging On The Telephone” all the way to the bank in 1978. For this tour the two (along with bassist Timm Buechler and drummer Amos Pitsch) will be performing classic numbers by those bands as well as Plimsouls and The Beat material.
http://blurt-online.com/news/view/5881/
SOUNDSPIKE (online music site) – News story on tour with Peter photo, tour dates and related links.
Peter Case, Paul Collins join forces for tour Story by Dave Soref California New Wave pioneers Peter Case and Paul Collins are reuniting for a spring tour that kicks off Mar. 1 in Vancouver, British Columbia and is slated to wrap eight weeks later in Orlando, FL.
Case and Collins first worked together in early San Francisco new-wave band The Nerves, before Case went on to form the Plimsouls in Los Angeles while Collins played with The Beat (not to be confused with the English Beat) and The Breakaways. The upcoming tour will feature Case and Collins backed by a full-band as they play songs from their back catalogs at bars and clubs across the U.S., including several performances at South by Southwest 2012 in Austin, TX.
In addition to the roadwork, Case is producing “Beach Town Confidential,” a live album of Plimsouls material recorded onstage at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, CA, on Aug. 13, 1983, when the four-piece was at the height of their fame. “Beach Town Confidential,” featuring six songs that have never been recorded by the Plimsouls before, will be released on Feb. 7.
http://www.soundspike.com/story/3592/peter-case-paul-collins-join-forces-for-tour/
POWER POP OVERDOSE (online music blog) – Tour news with poster art and tour dates featured.
http://powerpopoverdose.blogspot.com/2012/01/peter-case-paul-collins-reunite-for.html
ANTIMUSIC (online music site) – Tour news featured.
http://www.antimusic.com/news/12/January/ts31Peter_Case_-_Paul_Collins_Reunite_For_Nerves,_Plimsouls_and_The_Beat_Tour.shtml
CW’S PLACE (online music blog) – Tour news with poster art and tour dates featured.
http://cwsplace.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/peter-case-and-paul-collins-reunite-for-a-special-full-band-spring-2012-tour/
aul Collins & Peter Case 2012 Tour: Reunion Tribute To The Nerves
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