The show "Fridays" was a shameless rip-off perpetuated by ABC in the early 80's to capture the audience demo of NBC's "Saturday Nite Live". It might be best known for being the launching pad of "Seinfeld's" Larry David and Michael Richards. Also notable was a totally surreal stint by Andy Kaufman where Kaufman "breaks character" and a fistfight took place (later revealed to be a ruse).
However, I remember it as being a great source of live performances from some of my favorite bands.
The Clash, The Jam and The Plasmatics all had notable gigs on the show. The Plasmatics show (in the heyday of their hyped nihilistic glory, was especially entertaining). I still get chills watching The Clash.
List of bands that performed on Fridays:
- The Four Tops
- AC/DC in their debut American TV performance with Brian Johnson as singer
- The Beach Boys
- Pat Benatar
- Gary U.S. Bonds
- The Boomtown Rats
- Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band, the cast members danced to Stars Fell on Alabama
- The Busboys
- The Cars
- Chubby Checker
- The Clash in their debut American TV performance
- The Tubes
- Devo
- Dire Straits
- Graham Parker and the Rumour
- Heart - backed by the Tower of Power horn section
- Huey Lewis and the News
- Ian Hunter with Ellen Foley and Mick Ronson
- The Jam
- Jefferson Starship
- Jim Carroll
- Journey
- Kenny Loggins Band - appeared on the first episode
- Kim Carnes
- King Crimson
- Kiss (their performance appears on the second disc of their Kissology Volume Two: 1978-1991 DVD box set)
- Randy Meisner
- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- The Plasmatics
- The Pretenders
- Quarterflash
- Rockpile
- Scandal
- Sir Douglas Quintet - appeared on the show that featured Andy Kaufman
- Split Enz
- The Stray Cats in their debut American TV performance. At the time of their appearance they had yet to be signed by a record company. There was a crawl at the bottom of the screen inviting offers from record companies.
- Franke and the Knockouts
- The Blasters
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6 comments:
I'm with you there... Fridays was my primary source to see cool bands from outside the mainstream. Sort of like the first season or two of SNL, before they started playing it very safe with the musical guests.
an even cooler forgotten show was Night Music with David Sanborne. It came on well after midnight on Sunday Nights and I'm sure almost no one saw it. I was working a miserable night schedule at the time and I rushed home on Sundays to catch NIght Music. Sanborne specialized in pairing disparate musicians and having them do duets. Conway Twitty with The Residents, Bootsy Collins and Carla Bley, NRBQ with Pharaoh Saunders. He also brought on a number of excellent bands that I never heard of again.
Fridays was a great show. I remember seeing the TUBES for the 1st time on that show.
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that show was on SO long ago, but I can almost remember the same as Michael - Fridays introduced me to a lot of stuff I might not have otherwise heard.
The Plasmatics sure weren't getting radio airplay. Even back then.
I haven't missed a SINGLE episode of Fridays. I was hooked ans has no social life... Give me ganja! JA JA JA JA!
I remember Michael Richards being the ganja man and also playing a disturbing child who burned plastic army soldiers. As a Noo Yawker, I had a 'tude against the show since it was so obviously Lost Angel's geared. But, man, did they ever have some cool music- much more interesting then Snooze Nite Live was at that point (with the exception of the occasional band like Fear or The Specials)
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