The Pretty Things play Live 1971 - Sickle Clowns

Update! Check out xPT's 2011 version of the same track 40 years on.. www.xpts.co.uk/
The Pretty Things playing Sickle Clowns from Parachute album, 13th January 1971 playing live at Olympia in France. Skip Alan on drums, Wally Waller - Bass / Acoustic / BV's & Lead, John Povey - Keyboards / BV's & Lead, Pete Tolson - Guitar, Phil May - Lead Vocals. Another Storming Guitar Solo!!

[@ch-sw7sw]

Totally underrated band.

[@dougsweaney6609]

They are even partially underrated too.

[@MudFlanagan]

Loved them. Always will. Parachute is a masterpiece.

[@SkidCrease]

The Pretties were always the best. Few knew them back in the early 70's and that was the big shame. Good to see new fans thanks to this video.

[@rondegraaf7436]

My first record was the Pretty Things - LSD back in 1964

[@michaelperry123]

This guuitarist has great tone, feel and phrasing. A gem.

[@caesarsmith4711]

Peter Tolson (RIP) simply brilliant! Saw this live, amazing.

[@lazlokovacs2263]

Each time I am more amazed by the Pretties. You can feel and see how much they have progressed musically without losing their wildness. Knowing that a guy like Peter Tolson sent a famous band to hell makes my heart warm.

[@HappyHell666]

holy fuck wot a band and phil may aint even on the floor

[@misfit2022]

Top notch drumming

[@JESIXTIESBOY]

If you didn't catch them in the 70's, you can still hear them today. These same four guys are still playing together, they are now called The XPTs, and they've just re-recorded this song on their new CD "Parachute Reborn" to be released in April 2012 on Cherry Red's Esoteric Label - check out their video of this song on KZbin - "Sickle Clowns by The XPTs".

[@jimkaml]

The last solo that starts at about 6 minutes is absolutely blistering!

[@maskof]

The beauty and the rawness. I wish I was sitting in the audience, that would have been a mind blower to hear this in person.

[@jriik6057]

Excellent... Super groupe. J'adore. Ce qui me frappe encore, c'est la qualité des musiciens. 1971...ça fait quarante ans ! j'écris ces lignes en 2020 et je ne croise pas des musiciens de cette qualité et cette "humeur" tous les jours...

[@lauraprescott1591]

0ui. Je adore les Pretty Things.

[@miyukishijisha8540]

Pete Tolson the MASTER!

[@neilreid9701]

Really special 😉✌

[@fleetwoodmac1982]

i've been staying away from listening to these kind of psychedelic-long-long-blusy-jams for ages. but, coincidently i came across with this vid that made me re-evaluate these guys, who's obviously exceeding any other their contemporary band such as Grateful Dead, Cream, Jefferson Airplane or even Hendrix's Experience!!! What a brilliant guitar player Peter Tolson is!!! Incredible!!!

[@MrJanben1]

R.I.P. Pete Tolson (Pretty Things) en av mina absoluta favoritgitarrister.

[@qcontinuum1230]

Hear hear Jan. He was so tasteful, technique and feel, a wonderful combination.

[@daniellea5603]

I discovered them thru this TV show Pop 2, thanks Patrice Blanc-Francard! Then went to the weekly live concerts recorded at the Bataclan until 1974, most important time of my life as a very young teenage girl!

[@mathill6869]

This is seriously good Rock

[@deadcaped]

I like this more than any stones songs

[@ThomasWelraeds]

It's far from Stones style...

[@neilus]

dude on guitar is great

[@hoegis]

This performance is fecking ill. I seriously dig this.

[@neilus]

Love it.

[@janeriksandhals1790]

My fav from the album. Raw.

[@corkcamden9878]

I was floored in 1971 when I first heard Parachute. Good stuff!

[@kristlepickles]

I adore them! ❤

[@robinknudson3663]

Great memories ... A fantastic song that was broadcast many times on WABX Detroit free form FM radio. Still refreshing today...

[@tmgreen1967]

I saw a while back that this video had been removed - glad to see it back, I think it's one of the best pieces of rock music

[@patriciabrown9711]

Is the guitar player still alive ...the bass player has a great voice...

[@adriansales8673]

Pete Tolson. RIP Superb guitarist. His most recent work was the XPT's Parachute Revisited. Which I think is due to be re-released soon.

[@pinkio2]

If you love this and Pete's guitar playing I beg you to check out his guitar playing on their single from the early 70's , 'October 26th'. A fantastic song with some of the most amazing 'wah' guitar you will EVER hear! (Its available on the Snapper reissue of 'Parachute' as an extra track). The 'B' side 'Cold Stone' is also superb!

[@kellter70]

name as many bands as you can, that wish they were these guys...i'll start with jack white/ stripes. and black keys for sure. jammy heavy dirgy cryptic psych stuff. in my blood. pretty things rock my world. good vid~

[@sonofasaylor]

Bought this album in early 70s still sounds great

[@KeithOtisEdwards]

The secret of this song is the best chord changes.

[@rarebirdify1]

This video is without doubt one of The Pretty things finest live performances from the Paris Olympia early 70s and without Phil May. trevorbeardsmore

[@georgeioannou5884]

LEGENDARY HARD POWERING RIFTS ! AWESOME !

[@markcbb]

Peter Tolson absolute guitar god.

[@yourtubesteak]

Cool beyond words.

[@krillerock54]

Wally Waller is singing and on bass - Phil May is offstage

[@paisleysky8065]

Good to know I was in a quandary as to where was May !

[@lailakragh5324]

So raw tune!!!!!

[@seanwinkel8890]

One of my all-time favorite albums, "Parachute"

[@deannewberry8219]

thank god ... this song will NEVER DIE '' ''

[@jeffsullivan251]

I bought SF Sorrow in 70. I was 11. It blew my little mind.

[@liquidsky2752]

Heavy ❤️‍🔥

[@tonyfleck3029]

After listening to this 70s beauty, (Takes me straight back to my teenage years mid 70s ) I really feel that I should go and have a shower!! Oh that Nasty Nasty Rock music!!!... Xx

[@nice1nige]

Great to see this video, I'm so glad their is live footage of such a great period for the pretty things I think parachute is a very influential album see pink floyd, led zep even Brit pop. They are probs the most underrated band ever

[@tehayes99]

I heard this on Deep Tracks a couple of weeks ago and recently downloaded from itunes. Holy Shit, what a great song. I can't stop listening to it. Like somebody else said, where was in the 70's when these guys were playing?

[@progfr0g]

Love it to bits...still...and they're still doing it. They got banned from here in New Zealand way back in the 60's. OMG, how I'd love them to come back, all is forgiven haha

[@progfr0g]

original punk garage, before it had even been invented. Most underated band ever.This album is in my top 3 of all time. And they're still going. Wish they'd come back to New Zealand. Phil, all is forgiven by our Government [wankers]

[@conformistkeozah-ig3502]

LET'S NOT FORGET THE SONICS EITHER!

[@axxellein]

TRES Cool/Heavy

[@Foldisfitch]

I just discovered them too...like you said: "Fantastic stuff".

[@shakedownstreet48]

Heard .this for the firs time on Deep Tracks the other day, where was i in 1970 to miss this band?

[@brookiestorer5231]

Skip Alan is the number one groove drummer imho...

[@maxsno]

DO IT DO IT.DI IT.

[@triplettam]

After "SF Sorrow," my favorite Pretty Things music.

[@paulovalentini5558]

One of the best rocks of all times. 👍🇧🇷✌️😎

[@jimkaml]

Hell yes! So good.

[@Alphastare23]

Awesome!

[@Stationario]

Great stuff.........look up the XPT's. Still friends after all these years (I think)

[@charlesdupont4028]

super rain pretty , pete tolson guitariste super pretty super sixties rebels yel !!!!! 70/71 the best années rock only you rock n' roll !!!!! yes yes yes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@sreppils]

Here`s the Daddie!!!!!

[@2skip2lou]

Frickin' rippin'!

[@flrvinyl]

great!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@brookiestorer5231]

Skin Alan's drum work is fine...

[@progfr0g]

Where's Phil. Did he pop out for more drugs. This gem from one of the best bands ever.And still going. This song is dedicated to 'Easy Rider' Love it to bits

[@goodpull]

Whatever happened to Peter Tolson? Such a good player surely he's still out there playing somewhere? Too good not to be. Would love to hear him play live again.

[@tides_of_time]

This one song is prettier than anything the rolling stones ever made.

[@anthonywiggins1013]

@bennyshambles,you may be right,but my interpretation is the movie Easy Riders

[@toddwhite1036]

haha...my thoughts exactly!!

[@theevindave]

those old marshalls sound fuckin ace

[@SarahNDipity]

🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@mathstar4176]

Can you imagine being 20 in 1971 Surreal man! The planet Earth was totally in Revolution, the greatest music ever played, Pretty Things Far Out.

[@enoboye]

SO refreshing to see a rock band stand there and play hard and awesome and yet not jump around like stupid idiot showoffs!

[@nextlevelstart]

Good comment!

[@deannewberry1120]

'' TIMELESSS ''

[@Stationario]

...and Skip Alan. Reincarnation...............who needs reincarnation? Look this up on the tube.................amazing

[@neilus]

Fuck me that's HEAVY! Sounds a lot like Blue Cheer. Bitchin guitar as well, few people were able to absorb a Hendrix influence without sounding like 3rd rate copy cats...

[@ResponsiveTV]

Great music got buried by video, by directers and cameramen who didn't understand music! 1:13 Pete Tolson's first of amazing guitar solos start - where is the camera? I can hear it, but I'm not allowed to see it. I get to see Wally's face. Finally the camera pans right, and I can see Pete Tolson finish the first solo from behind. Thank you. 2:41 start of 2nd excellent guitar solo - camera cuts to Skip Alan on drums. Skip Alan is great. How many aspiring lead guitarists get gyped out of watching?

[@anthonywiggins1013]

Correction,Easy Rider

[@lavallee1963]

Wally is singing

[@bennyshambles]

Pretty sure this song is about Altamont and the Hell’s Angels stabbing/murdering Meredith Hunter during The Rolling Stones performance. My favorite off Parachute.

[@oliverphilp4207]

I reckon it's about the film Easy Rider. Just think 'motor'-sickles!

[@bedrocker7]

They fucking burned it down there at the end.

[@ajmac7432]

All is s**t in the modern world of music. Are we going to get more decent rock bands? Nope. Corporations are playing it safe at a time when we need something more "escapist". We won't get it though. Just going to have keep digging back...

[@nextlevelstart]

do it yourself and then don't share it with anyone

[@AliciaandScott]

Yea man... properly directed and timed camera work would've added so much more to that video

[@JESIXTIESBOY]

That's not right 'ybravura'. I'm afraid the credits in the video description are PLAIN WRONG. Phil May is nowhere to be seen in this entire clip. Playing his Fender Mustang Bass, and singing the song is Wally Waller, as he does to this day in the XPTs. Check it out on KZbin.

[@billlloyd4029]

Wally was their secret weapon...

[@KeithOtisEdwards]

You're right! It sounds like Phil May, but Phil had straight hair, not curly. Wonder where he is?

[@earinsound]

Where's Phil?...y'know...the SINGER

[@ResponsiveTV]

2:54 Ten seconds into the 2nd amazing lead guitar solo, I want to physically swat the other musicians away, so I can watch the fingerwork, as well as listen. 3:10 Camera guy finally gets a clue. 3:27 Better. Through 3:55 now we're cooking. 3:56 Camera man loses the plot, as camera cuts to Skip Alan again. 4:07 - that's okay. It's Skip's turn to shine. After a moment, back to Wally's ugly mug. Just joking! This is the trouble with tv and video. Filmers didn't understand caliber of musicianship.

[@neilreid9701]

So true 🤣👍

[@MrRobangelo]

.....Where's Phil..........?????

[@chicklets4ever51]

So Twink was gone by this point?

[@HilaryMG]

I know their very popular but they sound exhausted to me, probably are.

[@alainjean-baptiste1337]

parachute is very good but IMOA SORROW is so much better ! Dick TAYLOR ' s influence perhaps ?

[@hoegis]

And once again. Who shot the performance? Who decided to pay for the whole procedure? The French. At the same time the English watched Jimmy Savile and taped it. And then destroyed the tapes. At least the English bands performed. As 20/12/70 Black Sabbath in Paris. The Pretties were the Great Unknown.

[@kaylaschulz2277]

Not funny

[@Alphastare23]

Awesome!