Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Rockpalast 6-15-78 (Part 4)

"Lipstick Vogue," "Watching The Detectives"

[@hirepimike]

Love the Pete Thomas close-ups. He steals the show at times.

[@lewisc215]

No he doesn't

[@lewisc215]

BS

[@tjmertz]

So intense. I saw them about 6 or 7 times '77 & '78, more than a couple from the front rows and this clip really captures the intensity. It seemed like Elvis and the band were signing playing for their lives. Changed my life.

[@fortressofdesire]

That 3 pickup Jaguar Elvis is rocking is beautiful.

[@blehoo1]

Seen him half a dozen times. Truly one of Britain's finest. First show was in 1984 - the Goodbye Cruel World tour. Elvis such amazing energy and so theatrical. The Attractions - what an incredible band.

[@alainmilette7182]

I am inspired that there is hope for raw live music with real words!

[@DrJTG]

My first Elvis Album 1977 $5 My second Elvis Album 1978 $6 Front row with all "my best men" the night of my bachelors party for Elvis's return tour in 2002 ...Priceless.

[@staywellandstrong4199]

The drama and nuances of "Watching the Detectives" is an amorous and fantastic delve into love's "The Twilight Zone." Spectacular execution.

[@simfaithguitar1]

Anyone agree that EC and the Attractions, The Clash, and others in that era saved us from the horrors of soft rock and disco in the 70's?

[@staywellandstrong4199]

Years-worth of radio's flavor-of-the-month had nothing on this.

[@lewisc215]

who gives a damn about soft rock, fool?

[@lewisc215]

Only a moron would even talk about Disco.

[@lewisc215]

Comparisons are idiotic, child

[@lewisc215]

nonsense

[@shadowplay2801]

seen these guys academy of music nyc, wow what a live band.

[@bob4analog]

Why have well over 6 million views from those lousy rap/hip-hop vids when you can have 7+ thousand AWSOME views from EC & TA that actually mean something. Pete, Bruce & Steve - these guys were so absolutely awsome, very tight! Even gave bands like Return to Forever a run for the money. And Declan MacManus (AKA, EC), what a songwriter and frontman! This is an awsome vid. Thanx for posting it!

[@beast_boy97]

At first I wanted to say Pete's incredible solo goes from 2:28 to 3:28, but honestly he kills it the whole way through the song, especially from 1:48 onwards.

[@effzee]

were standards simply so high "back then" that we underappeciated the musical talent that was flowing over us? We just thought it was fun and never would have compared EC and TA to a group like Return to Forever, but listening and watching this now, older and more knowledgeable of music in general, well, I'm more blown away than I was in '78 - my God how things have changed, for the worse.

[@ballhawk387]

Interesting you mention that, because though I've grown much more musically jaded and difficult to impress, I'm also all the more blown away by this show. I've come to realize this is once in a generation, if not once in a century, greatness. There is a lot of very good new stuff out there if one digs deep enough, but this is another level of awesome!

[@Warrogue1]

I didn't underappreciate that era; I was dizzy with excitement as one amazing new band after another broke out. There is some great music today, but even on the college alt. radio station, 9 of 10 songs they play are just meh. Probably, like you, I am more musically jaded & harder to impress. Even today's better stuff can't compare to the best of the late '70s.

[@staywellandstrong4199]

While today's music is starting to rev up again to newer heights - let these performances give musicians hope and inspire them to keep to their standards in perpetuity. Their knowing audiences are fervently waiting.

[@user-hu7en6ur9g]

seen them academy of music nyc, what a tight awesome live band.

[@gtf2648]

I remember seeing them at the Trocadero in Philly in 78. Armed Forces wasn't out yet but they were playing songs from it. Elvis got a lot of bad press back then, usually because of his short sets. He was definitely an "Angry Young Man" in those days

[@gilleschampoud6677]

My favourite version

[@thedeliberatemyth]

Brilliant. And not a mistake.

[@christiaanvannoppen5603]

Woah! Quite a different break than the one on the album. Love it.

[@roxicastro1]

ice bucket for bruces fingers

[@avatar2005]

The strange thing about his early tours like this one was that although the album had just come out in early 1978, Elvis is already playing songs off of the following album ARMED FORCES. I remember seeing this show in NYC and wondering what all these completely different songs he was playing were off of Armed Forces when his THIS YEARS MODEL had only been released two weeks earlier!

[@kathysewell8262]

Totally awesome band - little Pete Thomas - fantastic!

[@bettyfelon1]

My God, Elvis, you are hot in every sense of the word!

[@kd5txo]

"but he can't be wounded because he's got no heart" = Mickey Spillane = Mike Hammer

[@mikeloto8642]

El baterista en el minuto 02:40 empieza a hacer magia

[@PaulCassidyOrchestrations]

fuking wicked! i forgot how much elvis sweats

[@gary10uk]

On the Drums " I said on the Drums Mr Pete Thomas "

[@gazlee3208]

Big influence on Madness here I reckon, I do know that Mike Barson got the idea for "My girl" from listening to "Watching the detectives.".

[@kd5txo]

SWEAT = Honesty

[@john8451]

Except for Donald Trump! 😂🤣😂

[@cameroncooper4175]

Took them a verse and a bit to synch up their tempos... Understandable all things considered.

[@lewisc215]

original

[@kd5txo]

SWEAT = Honesty "Red Dogs" = Pall Mall Cigarettes "illegal Legs" thin skinny underage girls legs

[@Flametamer9]

I disagree. "Red dogs"= Red Docs aka Doctor Martens..the Red Shoes!

[@willclark2990]

red dog is a beer company no?

[@kd5txo]

@@Flametamer9 You are partially right. "dogs" in the UK refers to shoes. In the USA, "dogs" can refer to feet "My dogs are killing me!!" means that my feet are hurting. So, in this case, "red dogs" means red shoes.

[@Flametamer9]

@@kd5txo I'm inclined to think that the lyric refers to red Dr. Martens