Estaba Pensando Sobreviviendo Con Mi Sister En New Jersey

Snub TV ran for three series between 1987 and 1989, shown on early evening BBC2 at a time when the channel had a dedicated youth slot which also included Rough Guide (essential viewing, hosted by Magenta De Vine and Sankha Guha) and in the early 90s Dance Energy. Snub covered the UK indie and underground scenes, catching bands live and in the studio, interviewing them and giving a glimpse into the alternative culture of late 80s. It was lo fi and informal and had some absolutely vital moments- The Stone Roses at the Hacienda as they were about to go supernova in 1989 lives long in the memory as does World Of Twist, rather less dramatically, being interviewed at Withington swimming baths, a place I knew very well from school swimming lessons and being our local baths). 

Snub filmed Pixies at a gig in 1988 on tour with Throwing Muses, an incendiary version of Vamos. However many times you've watched this clip, once more never hurts... 

Black Francis scrubs his guitar and switches between Spanish and English, David Lovering's backbeat is a lesson in breakneck drumming and Joey Santiago's guitar solo with beer can and feedback is so exhilarating it almost can't be contained by the small screen. After Joet stops, all Francis can do is scream 'aah!' several times before slotting straight back into whatever it is the song is about- moving to California, your daddy being rich and your mother a pretty thing. 

The recorded versions of Vamos are slower but no less intense. It appeared first on Come On Pilgrim, 1987's Pixies debut on 4AD, an eight song mini- album presented in a distinctive Vaughan Oliver sleeve, a photo of a bald man with a hairy back. The Pilgrim version is from the band's demo tape, recorded in Boston in March 1987 and finding its way to Ivo Watts- Russell in London, owner of 4AD. There was no- one else like Pixies in 1988/ 1989. 

Vamos

Vamos turned up a year later, re- recorded for Surfer Rosa with Steve Albini producing the band, another slower than the live version take but with a very loud kick drum and some deranged guitar playing created out of patchwork of improvised shorter sections, bits of tape chopped up, turned around, played backwards and messed about with. 

Vamos