When: July 1986
Where: San Francisco
And: Continuing our trend of adoring up-and-coming Australian bands, my friends and I had been waiting for months for the Models to show up stateside. Finally, in the summer of 1986, they came, they saw, and were conquered by us. (Well, they were at least ambushed for pictures and all the rest.) They came through on their own (played Wolfgang’s in SF), and then came back across the US in support of OMD.
Of the OMD show at the Warfield Theatre, I wrote at the time:
One has to really like a band in order for oneself to be one of only four people in an entire sold out theater who are standing up, cheering and dancing… We weren’t making fools of ourselves for our own satisfaction. We wanted to give the Models something, and to alert the corpses comprising most of the audience that night to the fact that Models fans did (do!) indeed exist. Acknowledgement of our efforts came from the band in the shape of smiles and nods, and especially in the introduction to their (lovely) cover of “Oh Darlin'” by the Beatles. Said Sean, “This will give the mad dancing people in the front a chance to catch their breath back…”
Sean Kelly onstage
James Freud, me & Barton Price
James’ sig
Barton’s ‘graph
Roger Mason onstage
… and Roger with me
Roger’s autograph
And for more from The Models…
6 Responses
Hi there i have been a fan of the models since the mid eighties its really good to read this information about the band as it was not availible to me then in New Zealand.
i am also related to Barton meet him once a couple of years ago when he was visiting with his family in New Zealand had lots of questions for him as i am a drummer too. This has been a good read for me Thank You
Brendon.
…. and he’s still alive. Hi Brendan – I’m in Auckland now.
Cheers,
B.
Okay, I’m convinced, you were pretty cool for your time – I mean, how many other Stateside girls can brag that they saw The Models in ’86?? (Great live band btw!!). :)
I was at that gig too! Crazy memories flooding back. James Valentine getting lost in the backstage corridors just like in Spinal Tap!
Thank you very much for sharing :)
I’m an avid fan of JF!
I LOVE them!!!! You’ve got some amazing pictures here and I love the posters you had on your bedroom walls as well, all stuff that I love! Are you on FB?