Larry "Wild Man" Fischer, early 1980's

Short segment featuring Larry Fischer performing on the street in L.A. sometime in the early 1980's.

From Videowest, a show that used to air on channel 9 in San Francisco in the early 1980's. This was a great show that provided exposure for "alternative" or unknown artists (music and other forms), who otherwise probably wouldn't have gotten it in the days long before the internet.

Even so, this particular segment is still not unlike the typical exposure for Larry in mainstream media -- treated as a novelty or curiosity at best, approaching borderline ridicule at times. Here he is, strangely, incorporated into an odd sort of sneer at L.A.

Any minor quibbles I have with his treatment in this segment aside, at least he got some exposure -- eternally grateful to the Videowest folks for that. Larry appears to be in good form in these performances. I have to wonder if there's any chance that by some miracle the original video tapes of these performances in their entirety might be laying around somewhere. That would be something I'd love to see.

This is taken from a tape-to-tape copy made on ordinary home VCRs way back in the early 80's, which then sat on a shelf for almost 25 years and was recently rescued, so that explains the technical quality (or lack thereof).

I do wonder if things might have been different for Larry if the abundance of digital media equipment and exposure outlets that exist today had existed 30 years ago.

*********************************
R.I.P. Larry, June 16, 2011.
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Category:

Music

Tags:

• larry
• wild
• man
• fischer
• 1980s
• videowest
• wildman

[jcjh20]

How is it offensive? You should be more offended by 95% of the shit on the radio today. At least he doesn't need auto tune to sound good.

[PetePuma00]

Nowadays, mental illness is all you have left. Sometimes it's good, and sometimes it can be bad. I think "Wildman" found some place in between.

I'm glad that Frank Zappa let him fly. He is a crazy bird, but we need people like him to remind us of our own quirks. We all have them. And if you say you are "normal", all I can ask is "really?, what the hell are you talking about?".

WTF is "normal".

Keep on going Wildman, keep on going.

[Lillycoolest1]

@CaptainMarvel1982 o.O i'm sorry i didn't write that but my lil bro did TToTT

[CaptainMarvel1982]

@junekentucky It is a shame people can not tell when someone is being funny and when someone is truly mentally ill. What is really funny though is that mental illness is not what people expect many times. It hides itself and only comes out in certain situations. In a society that picks on and belittles those they see as weak or different it is those times when crazy really comes out. People too often find out too late.

[CaptainMarvel1982]

@RasputinSir At least you are smart enough to see what he was doing. These people that think he was trying to be a serious singer and writer of songs are the ones who are mentally ill. This guy should have been on SNL and been a comic star. Unfortunately some people think the guy was serious and could not see the humor in his ACT.

[CaptainMarvel1982]

@zappahart This man never had designs on being Frank Zappa. He was being a goofball and he knew what he was doing. Unlike Zappa he had no real talent but what he had was a corny sense of humor. He made fun of himself and did not care that he was the butt of the jokes. It was all about making light of things and not taking himself or his songs too seriously. People who can not see that are the real losers and mentally incompetent ones. No wonder he did what he did. People are stupid.

[CaptainMarvel1982]

@Lillycoolest1 The fact that you think this man was taking himself, his singing and lyrics seriously is what is funny. Not him being Rebecca Blacks father.

[CaptainMarvel1982]

If people can not see that the singing lunacy was a part of Larry "Wild Man" Fischer's act than they are as dumb and loony as they claim he was. This guy could not sing so he made it fun and played around with it. To think this was serious means you are idiots. It got laughs and it made people have fun. He now entertains in heaven. If more people would take themselves less seriously we would have a much better world to live in.

[ParappaTheTroller]

shit i didnt know he died last year

[Mongoose4You]

Is it me, or does it sound like the end of Laurie Anderson's 'O Superman' at the end of this clip?

[Norimagen]

Peace at last for the Wild Man. RIP larry

[TheAmericanidiot9]

Disregard- I found out, I'm even more sorry.