"The Statue Got Me High" TMBG on Jonathan Ross Show, 1992

[egraseidannogew]

20 years already?

[khwalt2]

Got it. Thanks for clarifying. I knew the band had started pretty close to that time. I wasn't aware Steve Nieve was in the Jonathan Ross House Band. Cool.

[khwalt2]

Steve Nieve on keys???

[astralbee]

@khwalt2 Yep!

[khwalt2]

@astralbee Why was he there? Is that a "UK put- together for TV" Band? They sound awesome, but I just don't know how much touring TMBG's do, especially elsewhere in the world..

[astralbee]

@khwalt2 TMBG were still a duo at this time. Their first full band were back in the USA rehearsing while they were touring the UK in 1992 to promote Apollo 18 as a duo. When TMBG went on TV shows as a duo they usually performed with the show's house band. Steve Nieve and The Loveband were the house band for this particular show back in 1992.

[mkpianofab]

I think John is way more attractive than John.

[einootspork]

I like how Linnell is jamming with the house band at the end and Flansburgh is just like "....yep......"

[jessasong]

Linnell looks like such a hipster in this video. And that haircut, honestly, he shouldn't be able to pull it off (in theory).

And Flans is no slouch either. He's so rock and roll, but his wardrobe looks like he stumbled out of the 50's. Love him though. Flans has so much fun onstage.

[frantzmr]

John Linnell *swoon*

[priestessofpan]

I was there in that audience, having been given a backstage pass by Jonathon Ross at a TMBG gig a few days beforehand! I thought I could be seen in the audience but can't find myself. I wonder if this was a differently edited version to the one I videoed all those years ago. I'm going to HAVE to find that tape now. I'm loving your videos astral bee!

[astralbee]

@priestessofpan Thanks very much. I haven't edited the video in any way. I recorded it on the original broadcast date on VHS, and this was ripped from it. Perhaps you were visible during some other part of the show and not during the TMBG segments?

[priestessofpan]

@astralbee If it was broadcast twice it could have been re-edited before the second broadcast. Maybe my memory is wrong but I'm pretty sure I was in the audience shot right at the end after they played. I was wearing a white t-shirt with They Might Be Giants printed on in bright red large letters.

[astralbee]

@priestessofpan You know, it WAS broadcast again the night after. I watched it both nights but this recording is from the repeat. My video player screwed up the first time! Having said that... there doesn't seem to be any editing. There is an awquard pause at the end of the song because it ends abruptly which would have been prime for editing out if they were going to chop anything, and the closing theme is played live by the band.

[MrLoufus]

@priestessofpan Lucky!!!!! That is seriously vintage....I saw them live in Pittsburgh circa 1990 - they are just unbelievable good. They still do a lot of shows in the northeast so possible to catch them around.

[mrspivvy]

0.49......clap you bitch

[paranoidroid1]

Apollo 18!!!!!!!

[IamNowJMAN]

That was the worst intro ever.

[pianoman930]

@IamNowJMAN To the show or to the song?

[innerspaceboy]

Did anyone else catch Corky and the Juice Pigs in the credits as well? What a great line up!



[matholton]

oh, oh oh oh how much do I love TMBG? Too much. Seeing this after several years almost brought tears to my eyes. I had this recorded twice on a VHS tape and almost wore the tape thin until I bought the single. Great. Thanks astralbee.

[astralbee]

@matholton You're most welcome Matholton... and you're right, it WAS broadcast twice!! Wow, what a memory... the first time my VHS screwed up and the recording was lost. I nearly cried. This was recorded when it was repeated. I should have got two copies like you did; that way I could have watched one to death and kept the other in a hermetically sealed case until such time that YouTube existed. Then I wouldn't have those noise bars at the bottom of the picture!!

[matholton]

@astralbee JRoss is a top dude as well, he got me and my pals backstage at the shepards bush gig several years ago - Best Night Ever :-)

Are you seeing them in July, in London? I must. I have to.

[YourFaceWillDie396]

I'm 15 and straight, yet I find John Linnell totally hot in this video. He's rocking the shaggy hair. He is 51 today and he doesn't look a day over 40.

[YourFaceWillDie396]

@YourFaceWillDie396 Not hot...not sexy either...stylish might be the suiting word.

[HowDaddyIsDoing]

wow...everything about this is SO early nineties!!!

the colours, clothing, camera angles...even the way people move! what a funny intro to see after all these years. what were we thinking back then??? great performance by TMBG, though

[AKALucifer]

God damn the 90s had ugly intros.

[HavazikFerric]

Nothing says cool like playing accordion and wearing plaid :3

[PwnedByNinjas]

I think this version is so great because of the drummer. I prefer the fills he does over the ones on the original. It doesn't matter though, this song is great either way.

[JoePassIsMyIdol]

Steve Nieve (one of the backing musicians for this performance) is the superb pianist who has worked with Elvis Costello since the 1970s... neat.

[kssykssygg]

Gahh! Linnell is just so engrossing. I have to look at him.

[sekki108]

holy CRAP they are SO YOUNG!!!! <3<3 what an incredible performance...totally 1ups the original recording imho.

[MarioSonic304]

i love jonathan ross's refrence to we want a rock XD

[ilovelaurakay]

Awesome

[Yakworld]

4:39 that asshole in the front isn't clapping what a fuckin jackass

[obtusemagic]

Thank you so much for posting this. I love their work so much. I can listen to a song of theirs I have heard a thousand times and get something new. Plus I have never had a band make me laff with tears of joy like they do. I got to meet Flans at the Vougue in Indianapolis. I also have a signed guitar and small accordian. Sorry Im a crap speller. Anyway. T.M.B.G. Rock the cassbar!!!!!!!!

[robwwww]

Wow I remember watching this live back in 92- video stolen in burglary- so great to see it again on here!!

[yeeyeeyeah]

Damn, i got chills when he said the very last word. I love how super-on-Key Linnell always is.

[phsycicmonkeys]

Few things to point out.

• Oh my god LINNELL IS SMILING stop the presses! His shirt and the Apollo 18 hair rock on!

• What dialect does the host have? English with a lisp? =-)

• Flansy. Yes.

• This song is absolutely amazing and they play it almost identically to the recording.

They Might Be Giants win at life.

[Wesleech]

best band ever made. the fans have to keep them alive. bleed with me.

[HonkeyPunch]

I can't get over how cute Linnell is!!

Those sidelong glances at the camera... squee~!

[richardmulroy]

SPIDER

[StevelaFrench]

@richardmulroy He is our hero!

[TegaladwenOrrisma]

@richardmulroy He is our hero!

[frisbeejim]

Aww, the harmony vocals are absent or off compared to the studio version of this song.

I love the host's way of introducing the band, "[having] the insight and courage to [point] out that everybody wants to wear prosthetic foreheads on their real heads."

[odinata]

The skull--it calls to you.

You can't refuse to do the things it tells you to.

[SpookieLoveCookie]

ah TMBG --- eternally relevant ;)

[AKALucifer]

Oh the 90s!

[odinata]

Why is the world in love again?

[lordnifield]

Why are they marching hand in hand?

[odinata]

Its a brand new record--for 1990!

[odinata]

Why are the Ocean levels rising up?

[BrainSpecialist]

Tabloid footprints in your hair!

[Pacarama]

They Might Be Giant's brand new album -

[odinata]

@Pacarama

Flood!

[nick1137]

whats with the epic jam at the end

[Rohan2300]

I think I prefer their albums to their live performances. they kinda sped things up for their live stuff. sounds like their not having fun so much.

[CFFDan]

they are some bamfs

[Zinkyness]

Man, I forgot these guys have been around THAT long. Damn lol...I've still several of their CD's.

[planetcameron]

I was in the audience for this, remember it well and afterwards I met Wossy and helped him carry a laserdisc player to his car!

[paul1978wakefield]

This is the best live version of this song I've heard the Giants do. Nice to see it with a full band as they were still a duo at this time.

I remember watching this on TV when I came home from school. I've still got the original VHS tape - great stuff, thanks for posting!

[astralbee]

Hey Paul! Yeah, when this was broadcast they were just doing their penultimate tour as a duo. They came back to the UK three months later for one more date, then started with a band as soon as they got back to the USA.

[ClawdOfPixies]

''wock and woll band''

Awesome.

[woodoven]

"......high..."

[Ittan11]

That is possibly the coolest looking guitar I've ever seen.

[DevilsAndAirwaves]

If you get confused, just remember this simple mnemonic:

Linnell - Accordion

Flansburgh - Guitar

Now you'll never forget again!

[k1kula]

John Linnell's intense stares make me swoon. :)

He is so good looking!

[M155Grey]

i know!

i love that he does that in tv performance (i've seen...)

[SweetDissident]

@k1kula I agree! I like it when he acts real silly; like in the "Don't Let's Start" vid too.

[WHYNOTTTTTTyeah]

just go to 1:20

[gonzgonzgonzgonz]

el beterista esta vestido de vaca!

que linda cancion!

[Sithis57]

I love they might be jedi level on jk2

[celethon]

shit's yeah, that level rocked. that was the first place I heard TMBG

[Sithis57]

Yeah I know. Best map evar.

[WHYNOTTTTTTyeah]

you can't refuse to do the things it tells you to

[thedreadedpirate]

why did i think the other guy was the guy who played the accordion?

[vespalaranja]

dude i dunno but years ago before I had seen them play I thought so too and so did most of my friends lol go figure

[WHYNOTTTTTTyeah]

five pounds of flax

[crazymelon]

Oh my God, Jonathan stole Linnell's hair!

[JMein13074]

Amazing!

I've been a fan of TMBG for years, yet I never knew Flans was a lefty.

[NvPGulstab]

This is referenced in Their music video for The Mesopotamians, where Sargon plays guitar left-handed.

[Wonko19]

Except The Mesopotamians was about 15 years later.

[NvPGulstab]

I said "is referenced" not "is a reference to".

[Beck436]

Linnell's always ending live performances of songs with comedic timing, just to tease everyone. During a somewhat recent explosive performance of Birdhouse in Your Soul, the song burst out the final chords, and paused abruptly for quite a few seconds until he jokingly sang 'soul' in a very bassy voice.

[masterepros]

I actually have that on Youtube, haha. He definitely swallowed air funny or was losing his voice at that point, I think.

[masterepros]

The concert that I went to on New Years', he must have been losing his voice or something because he tried to hide a cough in the middle of Birdhouse and then ended on a rather sour "soul". It makes me laugh, though.

[JrtheRat]

lol, TMBG being boo'd

[cheatmaster781]

Holy crap it's Pascal Suavauge from Johnny English.

[geeko55]

I want John Flansburg's guitar!

[hippiekyd416]

LOVE <3.

[MrSirMrSirMr]

I didn't know anyone else had this! I recorded the original show when it was on, this is a great performance.

[HappyMuffin]

How incredible, TMBG playing with Steve Nieve, the man who played keys for Elvis Costello!

[scurvy0123]

I hate Jonathon Woss. But I love wock n' woll.

[JasonDTube]

Best TMBG performance ever@

[kroneland]

I take great pride in being one of the few Americans who knows who Jonathan Ross is. However, I had no idea he's been on the air for this long.

Oh wow.

[BustedHeart]

I haven't seen a mobile set in too long for my own good.

This is an amazingly lively performance, even for it being live.

[jonnyveliky]

Thanks for uploading this, as ya uploaded this on my birthday. B'l8t'd as it is, but still...I LOVE TMBG THE MOST!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, & THANK YOU FOR THIS UPLOAD!!!!!!!!!!!^^ YOU ROCK!!!^^

[Neavers]

Wow, you must be a hardcore fan.

I wasn't even born when this was on TV, yay for astralbee.

[Drew4ga09]

Linnel kinda does too,lol

[paul1978yorks]

My favourite TMBG TV appearance. I remember watching and taping this after school, and until recently still had the original VHS tape I recorded it on until I converted it to DVD.

[CloudOfPixies]

Giving birth in the audiance. PWND.

[TrueSoreThumb]

Thank you, Astralbee-- I never thought I'd get to hear another version of this great song 8D <3

[olderthansid]

Where's Jamie? I've looked 3 times and couldn't see him. Astralbee, you are unloading a TREASURE CHEST on YouTube! This is WONDERFUL!!

[astralbee]

After YouTube's compression it is hard to see him. At 00:48 he is dead-centre on the screen - sitting next to a guy in a blue shirt. In fact, that whole row is TMBG's crew.

Ex-roadie Adam Gavzer is visible from 04:38. He's the guy that starts freaking out when the girl next to him points out that the camera is on him.

[olderthansid]

Suit and tie next to suit and tie, looking up at the monitor? That was the one I thought was Jamie, but he's so much younger! Had to ask. Thanks again for this!

[artysixo3]

whoa. was a little surprised with flansburghs hair...thanks for the awesome videos!

[CloudOfPixies]

Not to mention his guitar.

[nick1137]

flans looks so weird

[QliffS]

He's right: TMBG is definately the only band that would even consider about pointing out that everybody wants prosthetic foreheads on their real heads.