XTC - 13. When you're near me I have difficulty.mpg

[TheDj3a]

We will be playing this song for our next gig at the end of Feb '12 and I hope I do not have nearly as much "difficulty" as this poor lad.....it's painful to watch but I love XTC so....I hope I do some small justice to this amazing tune.

[wormhole]

It really is too bad about Andy's stagefright, that it was so painful for him, because he did put on an entertaining show. I even liked it when the-lyrics-went-out-the-window­, and he started vamping and groaning. Never the same way twice. That's what made each performance a separate "piece", it's own artifact, so to speak.

[stellador]

A gem. Thanks for uploading all these clips!

[mkultra2300]

He definitely was having some difficulty here. Sad, since their one of the best bands ever, would love to be able to see them live.

[wildkat700]

I am just now getting into XTC; I just bought Sky Larking

[101Volts]

@wildkat700 Welcome to the world of XTC. If you'd like advice on further purchases I highly recommend both

"Psonic Psunspot" and "25 O Clock" Both recorded under their pseudonym name, The Dukes Of Stratosphear.

[Knepperify1]

Oh wow. You can hear how Andy's playing changed after they opened for The Police earlier in 1980 when you watch the very early 1980 shows.

[AWSH17]

andy partrage's stage presence is hilarious!

[Core11953]

@AWSH17 Haha, give him some credit: he had stage fright after all.

(Oh, how I wish he didn't...I would have loved to see them live.)

[SuperMegaUberGenius]

mee too dude just stay away from me you weirdo on windowpane...why are you looking at me like that?

[caseyforever]

XTC has always impressed me... they do styles of music i generally don't really like. i remember first hearing 'skylarking' when i was a total metal head back in the late 80's... someone left it at my house because i wanted to hear 'dear god'. at first i thought the rest of the album was total crap. ...sounded like 'easy listening granny music' until slowly one song at a time i was blown away by the depth of the song writing and musicianship. it just changed my whole way of seeing music! : )

[mwm1962]

@caseyforever

I, being dyslexic, bought XTC's, Skylarking tape instead of an INXS tape, in "86. Couldn't return it and ended up loving it! I own all of their music now. Still have the tape.

[hufclufc]

@mwm1962 What a silly saudsage! Truth comes to those who make mistakes.!

[oggosaurus]

0:47

That is all I need.

[fuckamericanidiot]

0:40 haha

[Stube437]

He doesn't look well even 2 yrs. before his breakdown. Poor ol Andy!

[JohnnyLovely2]

i love this band. i think they kinda sound like oingo boingo too lol

[evlgenius09]

I love you.  Thank you.

[degree7]

It's seriously one of the greatest crimes in pop music history that these guys never made it big....

But at least their music will always be there for us.

[mhandsco]

Were YouTube to be wiped off the face of the earth, this may be only thing I'd miss.

This is how it's done, kids.

[rlbigfish]

lol, he doesn't even try during the "jellyfish" part.

[nancyl2]

I Thank my UK special friend for introducing this magnificent band to me, months ago. Truly fell in LOVE with them. What a sound. They are a team, and such fantabulous musicians. Peace and Love to you beautiful-beings. More people must be told about this talent here for the enjoyment and raising of the vibrations of the Universe. :-) <3

[reid77]

Wow, Andy is positively magnetic onstage. Speaking as a latter-day XTC fan, who knew?

[kittenwasherpractice]

i bazzoka joe if your band releases anything an 8track a micro brew beer a comemorative toilet paper Anything let the washman be aware i would love to hear also they started an 14 years old too

so lay off them drugs bobby

[kittenwasherpractice]

you know im the only one i know besides a guy i went to school with who loves this band nice to know there much love out there for these guys

been kinda cold out here in the smartypants tundra

[switz222]

they're totally awesome songwriters and players. when live they have no problem whatsoever playing their parts on their instuments.

[Darrylizer1]

Jesus tapdancing Christ these guys were great live.

[ClueSign]

@Darrylizer1 Yes, I thank God every day that even though I'm an old geezer now I was young once and saw them play live.

[hufclufc]

ibazookajoe, whats your band called..or have i just typed IT/ If you are 105 as good as xtc, i shall buy all your stuff.. good luck mate!

[breadrollboy]

what a fucking geniuss!!!!!

[edbyers2008]

I don't think he forgets the words - i think you're missing the point

[rlbigfish]

@edbyers2008 It's actually a mixture of both. I went and read the lyrics with it. He says "I used to stand proud like a sphinx" but then tries to follow it up with "Just a piece of emotionless wood" which actually comes from the second verse. Realizing that the moment it happens, he just wings it with crazy Andyness and it turns out wonderfully.

[edbyers2008]

@rlbigfish ah fair enough. As you say sounds great anyway!

[Beelzubub13]

I love how he forgets the words and goes all gdfsnzjsbuniseuprgpia;

[alanh2]

Saw them twice in England around this time (Lyceum London and in Brighton) and they were truly amazing live. This is one of my favourite songs from one of my favourite albums by my absolutely favourite band.

[hagagaga1]

what an awesome band. I remember seeing them in NYC in the 70's at a club called Hurrahs. Great songwriters and so original. Great guitar. So sad they broke up and toured so infrequently, but glad i had an opportunity to see them.

[beginnerhacker125]

Brillant songwriting on this

[adoganalog]

Beautiful. There will never be another XTC.

[ibazookajoe]

Thats what my band are hoping to achieve - we're all 14 by the way :)

[rinconfaber]

@ibazookajoe nice...you have good taste man...been listening to these guys since forever...just dont get stage fright too

[roesmoker]

@ibazookajoe great taste kids!!

[Dognir]

@ibazookajoe your band will be awesome if you achieve only half as good as XTC— keep it up...

[birdarise]

Dang, thanks a billion for posting this... I saw XTC 5 times here in the States, and this brings back all the precious memories! I wouldn't call them 'underrated,' just 'not rated'!

[ClueSign]

They were well rated in UK, just too 'English' for the bland US audience. They were amazing live. Pearls before you-know-what.

[birdarise]

Yes, the last time I saw them was at the Academy of Music on 14th Street In NYC (I don't think it had become the Palladium yet) with, I believe, Joan Jett opening, followed by Jools Holland. XTC were poised to hit big in the States, with a track on the "Times Square" soundtrack (the movie was supposed to do for New Wave what "Saturday Night Fever" did for disco, but it bombed) but the New York audience left in droves, leaving us faithful fans to enjoy the dynamic show. Their loss.

[PatsyS3]

Your right about that Film ,it was bloody terrible.......

Xtc are/were an excellent band....Very Very English....

[freddiefreelance]

I was there, too! An incredible show! They were already calling the venue The Palladium by then.

[everyanybody]

probly the best song ever?

[martinevans123]

Mr Partridge demonstrating that a great performance of a great song need not have all of the lyrics necessarily all in the right order. Still great.

[ClueSign]

Another flawless performance circa 1980 -- the tight guitars send chills -- they were amazing live in my memory and now this proves it.

[JeffSolidRock]

Hey stargate669 Andy has not forgotten the words, and if you listen to the words>>> he says "When your near me i have difficaulty" this is Andy's comic impresion of having difficaulty. Look up IRONY in the dictionary.

[stargate669]

If people pay to see you the least you can do is remember the lyrics to your own songs! What a let down Andy Partridge is to the rest of the members of the band. What an ego!

[JeffSolidRock]

Hey stargate669 Andy has not forgotten the words, and if you listen to the lyrics>>> he says "When your near me I have difficulty" this is Andy's comic impression of having difficulty. Look up IRONY in the dictionary.

[stargate669]

I'm not convinced Jeff. Maybe, the irony is he can't remember the lyrics to his own songs! :-) The only comic thing here is to be laughing at Andy not with him. Hard to watch. Interesting, when interviewed he's not short of a thing or two to say and his ego certainly does the walking!

[DoubleNickels]

Well, Andy's having difficulty with SOMETHING in the first verse, and it's not breathing.

[martinevans123]

Thanks for posting.

[dipsomane]

la band più sottovalutata al mondo. GENIALI GENIALI e GENIALI!!! love

[monkeytrousers]

Amazing POP rhythm section and guitar parts!

[panchirock]

the best band ever!!!

[lordwindowlicker]

They really... really.. really are.

[merkiron]

All other bands in the history of rock, eat your heart out!

[stareway]

eat xtc for breakfast and you will not have difficulty respirating.must break all barriers of sound.

[MarushkaHAO]

Well, that's great, just hanging around and there they are... XTC, my fave heroes of my younger years !

Wow, they were fantastic, their concerts great fun and I was so involved into the scene.

Now some of the friends of my kid have founded a band a few months ago and I'm supporting them with good music from "forgotten years". They really like it - ha ! Hope these bands will have a good influence in the future - hanks to all people who put those things.

[ivictor]

I have so many good memories that coincide w/ XTC. This song in particular (from drums and wires?) harks back to when I first met the mother of my children and it still draws me back (27yrs?) to those halcyon days.

[graffitypsycho]

No I don't believe it! their not real! I don't care what anyone says. This MF are not real. All these videos have to be edited or something cause dam its flawless. I have not found one thing bad about them...as in their preformance. Everything is ahead of time and would sell millions if they were just coming up in the music industry.

Laters!~

[depechevery]

fog god sake i love xtc more than my self!!!!

[blondifan]

the drug, or the band?

[singingjim]

Complicated Game has to be one of the coolest songs ever made and their version of All Along the Watchtower is simply breathtaking (get it?) Seriously the vocal stylings on that song are awesome.

They've been my favorite band for 20 years, but not many people here have even heard of them. Guess they didn't translate well here in the states. I do love them so. But not in a gay way. =]

[WoManRay]

camilla and ben love them/him.

[AmyMeacham]

Wow! Thanks a million times for these!

[escarcha]

Just love this song. Great band.

[simonowis]

Phenomenal.

[hpdrum]

Great guitar playing.

[monkeytrousers]

What an imazing band. Imagine if they put aside all beliefs and just TOURED?

[RavixfromValtrian]

That'd be something else. Unfuortunately Andy had something of a breakdown and has extreme stage fright so it's unlikely they'll ever tour again.

[sexyvoice22]

No, he's not crazy.... he's a genius!! But I love him too ;-)

[VonRichter]

F*cking best rock/pop band in history.

[almadora]

christ, he's crazy. i love him.