Three local music veterans will be featured in the first Golden Palomino concerts in more than 20 years. The gigs will take place in New York City this weekend and next week.
From 1981 through 2000 or thereabouts, drummer Anton Fier — a 64-year-old Cleveland native — led various iterations of the all-star group. The Palominos are best known for gorgeous alt-rock songs, but they have some punky rave-ups too, like “The Animal Speaks" (see the above clip).
Leading the band, Fier tapped singers like R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe, songstress Syd Straw, and Public Image Ltd./Sex Pistols frontman John “Rotten” Lydon. The two upcoming concerts will include Pere Ubu bassist Tony Maimone, who’s been working with Fier intermittently since 1976.
The live Palominos will be the 1985-1987 lineup, with Syd Straw — a Pat Benatar backup singer turned solo artist — fronting the group.
Robert Kidney, singer-guitarist of 15 60 76 the Numbers Band, wrote six songs for the group over the years. For these sets, he’ll join the band for four songs. They have tentative plans to play the Numbers Band’s “Back to Disaster” and the Palominos’ “The Animal Speaks.” Kidney wrote the latter, which Lydon sang on 1985’s Visions of Excess. (Kidney also wrote “Rosalee” from the last Pretenders studio album, which they reprise on the recent Live in London CD/DVD.)
The Golden Palominos reunite on Friday at New York City’s Le Poisson Rouge, followed by a show on May 11 at NYC’s The Living Room. —D.X. Ferris
