A Head Full of Wishes newsletter #54

2026-05-15
Categories: substack

Substack
A Head Full of Wishes newsletter #54

It’s been another busy week (for me) which explains why I never got around to getting together a post for last Tuesday… I hope you weren’t frantically pressing refesh in your email!

It’s also been a busy week for “The Dean Wareham Trio” who have been in South America for a few dates - they played a couple of shows in Brazil, one in Argentina, and one in Chile - they have one more to go on Saturday night in Peru.

Here are a few choice moments that have appeared on YouTube.

Here they are playing Ceremony at the show in Sao Paulo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKHwTFXrGBc

Dean and Britta (The Dean Wareham Duo??) appeared on the radio show “Todo Pasa” in Argentina - and of course radio shows aren’t just radio shows any more so there’s video of the interview and live acoustic performances of Blue Thunder and Just as Much as It Was Worth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc4QJusTTaY

Here they are playing Tugboat in Buenos Aires:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcQEeiI-5f8

It looks like they’re playing to large and enthusiastic audiences which is so good to see.

I’ll try and find the time to get a more complete look at the tour when it’s over.

My record collection [351] Galaxie 500 - Copenhagen (CD)’

This is the CD of Galaxie 500’s Copenhagen that I bought on first release in 1997. It was released by Rykodisc but is no longer in one of their trademark green jewel cases since they fall apart.

I remember we discussed the release of Copenhagen at length on the Galaxie 500 Mailing List but sadly none of that discussion is in my archive. although I did find a post from later where a list member wasn’t happy with Dean’s vocal performance. I think this was just Dean’s Galaxie voice - although this was recorded at the end of what was probably a pretty exhausting European tour so I can understand the strain. But I love it and to be honest that’s what a live album ought to be (and many aren’t) - an authentic record of a live performance, with all the quirks that entails.

I suspect the issue was more likely that Dean’s Luna voice was different from his Galaxie voice and, almost certainly less of a vocal strain. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dean wasn’t a little bit relieved to be able to adjust his voice after Galaxie 500. So the list member just wasn’t used to Dean sounding like he does on Copenhagen.

Before the release of Copenhagen we’d had to make do with bootlegs of live performances, some admittedly quite good, but normally on much-duped media, so when Copenhagen arrived it was such a treat. It is however funny to think that the album was released just six years after the band broke up - at the time it seemed an age but 30 years on it feels like a heartbeat.

The disc came with a booklet with Byron Coley’s sleeve notes and a picture of each member on stage from three different shows. It also came with one of thise wraparound promo things across the top of the disc (like an obi but not an obi) that I folded up and kept in the jewel case. On the outside it had a quote from the Melody Maker…

Galaxie 500 are anything BUT boring live. The critic who says this or thinks differently should be taken outside and shot... Galaxie 500 transcend transcendence.

Inside the wrapper plugged the box set and the three individual albums.

I never get tired of listening to Copenhagen - it is an outstanding record.

Catalogue Number: 10/025
Artist: Galaxie 500
Title: Copenhagen
Format: CD
Buy ‘Copenhagen’ on Bandcamp

Previously in my record collection:

My record collection [352] Luna - ROUNDUP (signed CD)’

As promised back when I first wrote about ROUNDUP a couple of years ago here’s a second copy.

As I mentioened before, Dean actually sent me a few of these but I gave away all but two. The first because it was pristeen… the second because it wasn’t. Signed in black pen on the black and blue sleeve if you squint in that photo you can probably just make out “For Andy! Dean Wareham”… and, on the disc “Dean Wareham”

The postcard was a promo for Luna’s 1998 New Year’s Eve shows.

I’m not entirely sure why I decided that this release was called ROUNDUP and not Roundup. It is in capitals on the sleeve, but that doesn’t mean anything, it’s not like I write Galaxie 500’s three albums as TODAY, ON FIRE, and THIS IS OUR MUSIC.

Catalogue Number: 10/020
Artist: Luna
Title: ROUNDUP
Packaging: Card sleeve
Format: CD

Previously in my record collection:

[187] Luna - ROUNDUP (CD)

This week in history

15th May 2021

With COVID into its second year Luna played their first live show of the era behind closed doors in a nightclub in Los Angeles. The show was live streamed using the Veeps platform. Here they are playing Chinatown:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JukIfX9BI4

On Saturday night Luna played their first show for over a year - sadly no one could be in the room with them. Happily we could all be in our room with them. Unlike Dean & Britta’s cosy live stream shows from their living room last year Luna’s was a multi-camera shoot in a real club, Gold Diggers in Los Angeles.

A beautiful view - the Luna live stream (17th May 2021)

16th May 2016 - Unseen Warhol at The Barbican, London

A fantastic show of Warhold films with live music curated by Dean Wareham and as well as Dean (and Britta) It featured Tom Verlaine, Maritn Rev and Eleanor Friedburger. Bradford Cox was unavailable to play due to a family bereavement - his films were shown with recorded music.

It seems the only picture I took all night was of Dean and Britta’s dressing room door!

18th May 2014 - Damon & Naomi at Cafe Oto, London

On the 17th May 2014 I hit 50! On the 18th May Naomi wished me happy birthday from the stage of Cafe Oto and Damon dedicated Listen, The Snow is Falling to me! I still haven’t quite recovered!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CKSPKAul38

OK - that’ll do for me this week - I’ll try and do better next week… but don’t count on it. Best not to hit refresh in your email!

SubstackA Head Full of Wishes newsletter #54