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John Giorno Band at Ultimatum Festival 1985-05-05
The following is a transcription of the John Giorno Band’s performance at the Ultimatum Festival I, Sunday, May 5th, 1985 at the Foufounes Electriques bar and performance space in Montreal. John Giorno was an American poet, performance artist and activist who first rose to prominence through his collaborations with Andy Warhol. According to Poetry Foundation, he is known for his innovative poetry recordings in which he used synthesizers and distortion to create what he called "electronic sensory poetry environments". Giorno and his band were the headliners for Ultimatum I. In Alan Lord’s memoir High Friends in Low Places (2022) he writes: "The festival climax on the last night was of course our big star John Giorno and his band. He looked real sharp in a white jacket, like a postmodern Tony Bennett. He gave us his classic gems such as (Last Night) I Gambled With My Anger And Lost, and Scum and Slime… and Stretching it Wider".
Annotations
00:00 - 03:36
Performs "(Last Night) I Gambled With My Anger And Lost", instrumental intro [drums, electric guitar, bass, synth].
John Giorno Band
03:36 - 05:23
Continues piece, John Giorno recites poetry [English] over top of the music.
John Giorno Band
05:23 - 05:56
Continues piece, instrumental [synth, bass, electric drums].
John Giorno Band
05:56 - 06:32
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
06:32 - 07:22
Continues piece, instrumental [guitar, electric drums, synth].
John Giorno Band
07:22 - 08:14
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
08:14 - 08:39
Continues piece, instrumental [synth, bass, electric drums].
John Giorno Band
08:39 - 10:45
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
10:45 - 11:09
Continues piece, instrumental [bass, guitar, synth, electric drums].
John Giorno Band
11:09 - 11:22
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
11:22 - 11:30
Continues piece, instrumental [electric drums, electric guitar, synth].
John Giorno Band
11:30 - 11:33
Cheers and applause.
Audience
11:33 - 11:36
Synth notes ring out.
John Giorno Band
11:36 - 11:39
Cheers and applause.
Audience
11:39 - 11:41
Cuts out, silence.
Recording
11:41 - 11:42
Static.
Recording
11:42 - 11:51
Performs piece [John Giorno recites poetry over top of electric drums and gravelly electronic sound].
John Giorno Band
11:51 - 12:07
Continues piece, instrumental [electric drums, gravelly electronic sound, bass].
John Giorno Band
12:07 - 12:20
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
12:20 - 12:34
Continues piece, instrumental [electric guitar, electric drums, bass, gravelly electronic sound].
John Giorno Band
12:34 - 12:55
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
12:55 - 13:10
Continues piece, instrumental [synth, bass, electric drums].
John Giorno Band
13:10 - 13:47
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
13:47 - 14:00
Continues piece, instrumental [synth, bass, electric drums].
John Giorno Band
14:00 - 14:59
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
14:59 - 15:00
Cheers and applause.
Audience
15:00 - 15:02
Bass note rings out.
John Giorno Band
15:02 - 15:06
Guitar, bass, and drums sounds ring out.
John Giorno Band
15:06 - 15:08
Cheers and applause continues.
Audience
15:08 - 15:10
Bass note rings out.
John Giorno Band
15:10 - 15:12
Bass note rings out.
John Giorno Band
15:12 - 15:14
Light thumping sound and distorted voice.
Unknown
15:14 - 15:16
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
15:16 - 15:17
Bass note rings out.
John Giorno Band
15:17 - 15:18
Cymbal crash.
John Giorno Band
15:18 - 15:27
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
15:27 - 15:39
Electronic sounds.
John Giorno Band
15:39 - 15:45
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
15:45 - 15:45
Cuts out, silence.
Recording
15:45 - 15:57
Performs "Stretching it Wider" [John Giorno recites poetry over top of electric guitar, bass, and percussion].
John Giorno Band
15:57 - 16:17
Continues piece, instrumental [electric guitar, bass, and percussion].
John Giorno Band
16:17 - 17:31
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
17:31 - 18:07
Continues piece, instrumental [synth, bass, percussion, electronic sounds].
John Giorno Band
18:07 - 19:01
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
19:01 - 19:21
Continues piece, instrumental [synth, bass, percussion, electric guitar, electronic sounds].
John Giorno Band
19:21 - 19:51
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
19:51 - 19:57
Continues piece, instrumental [guitar, synth, percussion, bass].
John Giorno Band
19:57 - 20:40
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
20:40 - 20:57
Continues piece, instrumental [synth, percussion, electronic sounds, bass].
John Giorno Band
20:57 - 21:49
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
21:49 - 22:04
Cheers and applause.
Audience
22:04 - 22:09
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
22:09 - 22:14
Okay. This is a poem called "Life is a Killer".
John Giorno
22:14 - 22:15
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
22:15 - 22:45
Recites "Life is a Killer".
John Giorno
22:45 - 22:46
Laughs.
Audience Member
22:46 - 25:01
Continues recitation.
John Giorno
25:01 - 25:02
Thank you.
John Giorno
25:02 - 25:11
Cheers and applause.
Audience
25:11 - 25:20
Synth notes ring out..
John Giorno Band
25:20 - 25:21
Loud scratchy sound.
Unknown
25:21 - 25:22
High pitched sound.
Unknown
25:22 - 25:23
Tell me when you're ready.
Unknown Speaker
25:23 - 25:24
Speaks [unintelligible].
Unknown Speaker
25:24 - 25:25
Percussive sound rings out.
John Giorno Band
25:25 - 25:27
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
25:27 - 25:28
Percussive sound.
John Giorno Band
25:28 - 25:29
Scream.
Unknown
25:29 - 25:31
Percussive sound.
John Giorno Band
25:31 - 25:32
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
25:32 - 25:34
Guitar chord rings out, echoes and becomes distorted.
John Giorno Band
25:34 - 25:35
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
25:35 - 25:37
Percussive sounds.
John Giorno Band
25:37 - 25:38
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
25:38 - 25:41
Reverberant bass note rings out.
John Giorno Band
25:41 - 25:51
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
25:51 - 25:52
Quiet squeak.
Unknown
25:52 - 25:54
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
25:54 - 25:56
Rustling.
Unknown
25:56 - 25:58
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
25:58 - 25:59
Guitar slide.
John Giorno Band
25:59 - 26:00
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
26:00 - 26:01
Percussive sounds.
John Giorno Band
26:01 - 26:05
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
26:05 - 26:21
Performs piece, instrumental intro [distorted reverberant electric guitar].
John Giorno Band
26:21 - 26:34
Continues piece, John Giorno recites poetry [English] over top of the music.
John Giorno Band
26:34 - 27:02
Continues piece, music shifts [synth added].
John Giorno Band
27:02 - 27:06
Cuts out, silence.
Recording
27:06 - 27:17
Continues piece [recitation, synth, electric guitar, electric drums, electronic sounds].
John Giorno Band
27:17 - 27:38
Continues piece, instrumental.
John Giorno Band
27:38 - 27:53
Continues piece, recitation resumes, music shifts [electronic percussion and synth].
John Giorno Band
27:53 - 27:58
Continues piece, music shifts [vocal stings] [recitation continues].
John Giorno Band
27:58 - 28:09
Continues piece, music shifts [synth and percussion only] [recitation continues].
John Giorno Band
28:09 - 28:23
Continues piece, music shifts [electric guitar only] [recitation continues].
John Giorno Band
28:23 - 28:37
Continues piece, music shifts [synth only] [recitation continues].
John Giorno Band
28:37 - 28:48
Continues piece, instrumental [synth and electric guitar].
John Giorno Band
28:48 - 28:58
Cheers, applause, unintelligible speech.
Audience
28:58 - 28:59
Percussive sound.
John Giorno Band
28:59 - 29:00
Applause and unintelligible speech continue.
Audience
29:00 - 29:01
Percussive sound.
John Giorno Band
29:01 - 29:03
Applause continues.
Audience
29:03 - 29:06
Percussive sounds.
John Giorno Band
29:06 - 29:07
Cuts out, rustling sound.
Recording
29:07 - 29:12
Buzzing and clicking sounds.
Unknown
29:12 - 29:23
Electronic keyboard sounds, bass, and electric guitar notes ring out.
John Giorno Band
29:23 - 29:30
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
29:30 - 29:31
Percussive sound.
John Giorno Band
29:31 - 29:32
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
29:32 - 29:32
Cuts [possible tape change].
Recording
29:32 - 29:33
Percussive sound.
Unknown
29:33 - 29:36
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
29:36 - 29:37
Percussive sound.
John Giorno Band
29:37 - 29:44
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
29:44 - 30:16
Performs piece, instrumental intro [electronic percussion, synth, electric guitar, electronic keyboard, electronic sounds, bass].
John Giorno Band
30:16 - 31:27
Continues piece, John Giorno recites poetry [English] over top of the music.
John Giorno Band
31:27 - 31:53
Continues piece, instrumental.
John Giorno Band
31:53 - 32:16
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
32:16 - 32:31
Continues piece, instrumental.
John Giorno Band
32:31 - 33:21
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
33:21 - 33:27
Continues piece, music shifts [volume fades then comes back in] [recitation continues].
John Giorno Band
33:27 - 33:49
Continues piece.
John Giorno Band
33:49 - 34:41
Continues piece, instrumental [guitar solo].
John Giorno Band
34:41 - 35:18
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
35:18 - 35:35
Continues piece, music shifts [synth only] [recitation continues].
John Giorno Band
35:35 - 35:37
Percussive sounds.
John Giorno Band
35:37 - 35:38
Cheers and applause.
Audience
35:38 - 35:40
Electric guitar chords rings out.
John Giorno Band
35:40 - 35:42
Applause continues.
Audience
35:42 - 35:44
Percussive sounds.
John Giorno Band
35:44 - 35:45
Cuts out, rustling.
Recording
35:45 - 35:46
Applause continues.
Audience
35:46 - 35:48
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
35:48 - 35:49
Guitar slide.
John Giorno Band
35:49 - 35:54
Electric guitar lick rings out.
John Giorno Band
35:54 - 35:57
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
35:57 - 36:06
Ok, uh, next I'm gonna introduce the band, our band leader and composer [electric guitar lick] and the guy who holds it all together is CP Roth.
John Giorno
36:06 - 36:12
Cheers, applause, and unintelligible yelling.
Audience
36:12 - 36:14
And on guitar is Adam Roth.
John Giorno
36:14 - 36:15
Electronic sounds.
John Giorno
36:15 - 36:18
Cheers and applause.
Audience
36:18 - 36:20
And on bass, Dave Conrad.
John Giorno
36:20 - 36:26
Cheers and applause.
Audience
36:26 - 36:28
And on drums, Mike Osborne.
John Giorno
36:28 - 36:31
Cheers and applause.
Audience
36:31 - 36:32
Yay!
Audience Member
36:32 - 36:34
Synth notes ring out.
John Giorno Band
36:34 - 36:41
Electric guitar notes ring out.
John Giorno Band
36:41 - 36:45
Guitar, synth, and drum sounds ring out.
John Giorno Band
36:45 - 36:45
Thank you.
Unknown Speaker
36:45 - 36:48
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
36:48 - 36:49
Guitar chord rings out.
John Giorno Band
36:49 - 36:51
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
36:51 - 36:52
Dry guitar slide.
John Giorno Band
36:52 - 36:56
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
36:56 - 36:57
Page flipping sound.
Unknown
36:57 - 37:29
Performs "Scum and Slime", instrumental intro [electric guitar, synth, bass, electronic percussion].
John Giorno Band
37:29 - 37:57
Continues piece, John Giorno recites poetry [English] over top of the music.
John Giorno Band
37:57 - 38:07
Continues piece, music shifts [recorded vocals echo recitation].
John Giorno Band
38:07 - 38:16
Continues piece, instrumental [electric guitar, synth, bass, electronic percussion, electronic sounds].
John Giorno Band
38:16 - 39:12
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
39:12 - 39:24
Continues piece, music shifts [recorded vocals echo recitation].
John Giorno Band
39:24 - 39:41
Continues piece, instrumental [electric guitar, synth, bass, electronic percussion, electronic sounds].
John Giorno Band
39:41 - 40:24
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
40:24 - 40:38
Continues piece, instrumental [electronic chimes, electric guitar, bass, synth, electronic percussion].
John Giorno Band
40:38 - 41:09
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
41:09 - 41:11
Cheers and applause.
Audience
41:11 - 41:12
Drums.
John Giorno Band
41:12 - 41:17
Cheers and applause.
Audience
41:17 - 41:20
Cuts out, low static buzz.
Recording
41:20 - 41:21
Silence.
Recording
41:21 - 41:22
Drum roll here.
Unknown Speaker
41:22 - 41:23
So ha - [cut off by drums].
Unknown Speaker
41:23 - 41:35
Performs piece, instrumental intro [drums, shouting, unintelligible voices].
John Giorno Band
41:35 - 41:52
Continues piece, music shifts [electric guitar, synth, drums].
John Giorno Band
41:52 - 41:58
Continues piece, John Giorno recites poetry [English] over top of the music.
John Giorno Band
41:58 - 42:09
Continues piece, instrumental.
John Giorno Band
42:09 - 42:24
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
42:24 - 42:33
Continues piece, instrumental.
John Giorno Band
42:33 - 43:43
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
43:43 - 43:48
Continues piece, music shifts [drums only] [recitation continues].
John Giorno Band
43:48 - 44:21
Continues piece, instrumental [electric guitar, synth, percussion].
John Giorno Band
44:21 - 44:41
Continues piece, recitation resumes, music shifts [synth only].
John Giorno Band
44:41 - 44:45
Continues piece, music cuts out [recitation only].
John Giorno Band
44:45 - 44:55
Continues piece, music resumes, instrumental [synth and electric guitar].
John Giorno Band
44:55 - 45:04
Continues piece, recitation resumes.
John Giorno Band
45:04 - 45:16
Continues piece, music shifts [drums added] [recitation continues].
John Giorno Band
45:16 - 45:31
Continues piece, instrumental [drums, synth, and electric guitar].
John Giorno Band
45:31 - 45:33
Cheers and applause.
Audience
45:33 - 45:33
Right audio cuts out.
Recording
45:33 - 45:50
Cheers and applause [left audio only].
Audience
45:50 - 45:52
John Giorno Band [left audio only].
Unknown Speaker
45:52 - 45:52
Right audio returns.
Recording
45:52 - 45:53
Cheers and applause.
Audience
45:53 - 45:59
We had 'em last November, we got 'em now, and we're gonna get 'em back again.
Alan Lord
45:59 - 46:01
Cheers and applause.
Audience
46:01 - 46:03
Let's let him rest now and -
Alan Lord
46:03 - 46:04
Applause and chatter.
Audience
46:04 - 46:17
Uh, in a few minutes we'll have a very very special guest to wrap up, uh, pour finir Ultimatum cinq jours deja passe puis, uh, on a garde, uh, quelque chose de tres speciale pour la fin.
Alan Lord
46:17 - 46:18
Exclaims [unintelligible].
Audience Member
46:18 - 46:22
On a garde uh, quelque chose de tres speciale pour la fin [off mic].
Alan Lord
46:22 - 46:24
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
46:24 - 46:25
Laughs.
Audience Member
46:25 - 46:26
Rustling, cuts out.
Recording
46:26 - 46:28
Silence.
Recording
46:28 - 46:28
[End of recording].
END