“It just blew me away”: the greatest live band ever, according to Suzi Quatro
Live music is one of the most important aspects of any musician’s career. Without it, much of their material would remain undiscovered, accessible only to those who already know about it or hear of it through word of mouth. Live performances also add an exceptional layer of immersion to music, inviting listeners to experience even more profound levels of enjoyment.
Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s meant that Suzi Quatro became exposed to great musicians who were discoverable through their live performances. When she was just six, she saw Elvis Presley performing live on television and dreamed she might follow in the same footsteps one day. She also enjoyed the performances of Billie Holiday and Mary Weiss, the latter of which she enjoyed mainly because he attire made her “look hot”.
When it came to Presley, however, her entire future unfolded before her eyes. “This was the first time I saw Elvis Presley on TV,” she recalled, “I was seven, and I decided at that age, seeing that show — believe it or not — that I was going to be him. So that song and that performance changed my life. It gave me my path. I still get that same feeling every time I see it, all the time.”
In 1964, she also watched a live performance by The Beatles, which inspired her sister to form the Pleasure Seekers, an all-female garage rock band that focused on noisy musical aggression to tap into the fiery flames of live music done well. As she became more involved in the local music scene, many groups from New York played around her hometown of Detroit, including one she would never forget.
During the mid-1960s, the Blues Magoos gained recognition as one of the pioneering bands in the psychedelic rock scene known for their energetic performances and hit songs like ‘(We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet’. In an era predating the streaming surge, the Blue Magoos won people over with their upbeat fervour and innovative use of psychedelic effects.
According to Quatro, nothing will ever come close to witnessing their power at the peak of their hype. “The first live band that I really loved were the Blues Magoos,” the musician told Louder. “I went to a downtown club in Detroit called the Chess Mate Club, and they were the first psychedelic rock’n’roll band from New York that I had ever seen, and the noise and the craziness of it just blew me away.”
‘(We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet’ likely became one of the group’s most popular songs because it encompasses their entire appeal. It also reflected a sense of youthful rebellion and existential angst, which resonated with the counterculture movements of the 1960s, capturing the hearts and attention of burgeoning stars like Quatro.
