When I got the chance to talk with Ken and Jon from The Posies recently about their soon to be released 'Blood/Candy' album it was a bit of a surreal experience I can tell you.  Having been a fan of the band for nearly twenty years since first discovering their bitter sweet music whilst stacking shelves in my local Our Price record shop, I just didn't know where to start the questioning. 

So what better way to break cross continental ice than with a Gig From Hell from each of our heroes?

Jon - Oh boy. There was a Posies gig in Madrid in 2008 where everyone else in the band went to dinner before the show and I arrived at the venue two hours before everyone, thinking we still had two hours until stage.

It was then and only then that I discovered a club full of completely angry Spanish fans, ready to roll some heads. Unbeknownst to us, you see, there'd been a misprint on the ticket and the advertised time which none of us knew about, and according to this misinformation, by the time I arrived, we should have already been onstage for an hour. No exaggeration - these Spaniards were ready to tear the place apart.

I called the fellas and told them to haul ass to the club and then got on stage and played solo with still about three quarters of the fans rabid and out for blood, until Ken, Matt, and Darius arrived about a half hour later. I felt like a survivor after that one, that's for sure. It didn't kill me, thankfully - but what a way to be made stronger. I don't recommend it to anyone.

Ken - We played a festival many years ago with the Charlatans UK, a festival in Belgium, and someone had not set the transformer correctly so their Hammond organ was a half step out of tune with the band.

They simply had no idea what was wrong, but something was wrong--then they made the fatal mistake: they left the stage in a huff.

This ensured that a) the band's name was cursed/laughed at in Belgium from that point on and b) a steady rain of bits of turf rained down on all their stuff, and their crew. In other words, they came off as prissies, and earned the hatred of their crew and fans.

Double bummer!

Note to bands: if your organ is out of tune, PLAY WITHOUT IT.

Tune in to Über Röck over the next seven days when we not only publish the full interview with Jon and Ken but also give you a full run down on 'Blood/Candy'.