Of all the shows I regret not seeing, the Morphine show on March 14, 1999 at all-ages venue 328 Performance Hall in Nashville, Tennessee, stands at the top of the list. I had a ticket in hand, but I was late getting into town that night, and if I remember, it was snowing, and… at any rate, I didn’t go.
Morphine frontman Mark Sandman died less than four months later.
Now here’s the trailer for Cure for Pain: The Mark Sandman Story, a documentary on the musician who, using a two-string slide bass guitar, crafted a series of albums that fell outside of the established rock boundaries. Morphine remains one of the most unique—and best—bands of the ’90s, still standing the test of time today. But this trailer looks like a collection of ’90s figures who haven’t stood the test of time, with talking heads like Ben Harper, Les Claypool, and the giant dome of Matt Pinfield. This is not such a great sign. Morphine were a great band, and Sandman is a potentially fascinating subject for a film. It deserves a film that doesn’t have that guy from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones explaining who they were.
Some Seattle dates are planned for Cure for Pain, with the possibility of a Portland run coming around that time. We’ll let you know if/when it opens in town.
End Hits: Whisper me your number, I’ll call you up at home…
See also: Bono and Johnny Depp (in his Pirates garb?) talking about why The Clash were great in The Future Is Unwritten.
“Morphine were a great band” O_o
Oh GAWD. You’re right, Ned, this actually looks really terrible. I DON’T CARE WHAT THE IDIOT FROM PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES THINKS. But I’m sure as hell blasting Cure For Pain the rest of the day.
Why couldn’t this just be a concert film?
@geyser Very good point. They ruined that doc for me.
My Morphine coulda/woulda/shoulda story? My friends and I bought tickets to go see them in Denver in I guess it was 99. It was one of the first shows of the US tour that was after the European tour where Mark died. Tickets in hand, car gassed up, Mark died days before we left Cody Wyoming to drive to Denver. At that time Morphine was my favorite band. Like the music, major fucking bummer bro.
I was really fortunate to see them live at the Rose Garden Amphitheater when they still had concerts up there in the mid-90’s. Ben Harper opened. Best concert I have ever been to! Miss Mark and the band a ton. To soon for such a huge talent.
I saw them perform at HORDE in 97. Great show, though I still wish I’d had the chance to see them play their own show.