Is Gay Bar A Classic Now?!
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Electric Six had a few massive hits back in the 00s so I thought I'd have a look back on one of my favourites "Gay Bar". I was curious if now in 2023 the music video and song has aged well, or if it would be considered in appropriate now. What do you think? Is it just a bit of fun really? Would it be a hit if it came out this year? Tell me.
You can watch Electric Six's music video for Gay Bar here: • Electric Six - Gay Bar HD
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Amazing song, but my favorite of them was always "Danger! High Voltage". I still can't believe I needed like 10 years to learn it's Jack White singing the "female" part :)
WHAT
My mind is blown!
My thoughts exactly down to me realizing some time last year that that was jack white lol. Love that song
@@R4tB4G I see, no more innocent mind.
WAT, holy crap on a bike. top fact
Gay Bar was an instant classic. Their whole discography is. It's sad that most people think of them as a one-hit-wonder because their catalogue is huge and they have a lot more to offer than Gay Bar.
naked pictures of your mother!!
Absolutely seen them quite a few times underneath all the jokes and quirkiness which is great they are an extremely talented and capable band originally called The Wildbunch. Dick Valentines voice is exceptionally good
Down At McDonelzzz is absolute madness!
I listen to it everyday 😀@@smonson78
Their concerts are amazing.. and their catalogue is FULL of hits. I saw them last year and I'll go again as soon as I get the chance
Absolutely still a banger, no question.
A staple at every Indie disco and Rock night.
Future is in the future is their real dance jam
Saw them live a couple of weeks ago and the place went crazy when they played this. It still seriously rocks.
When it goes slow and then slowly builds up and kicks in and the lyrics just going "IVE GOT SOMETHING TO PUT IN YOU" is an actual legit turning point in music history 😂 absolute heroes
I remember telling the lyrics to a mate when this came out. She didn't believe me ,thought I'd made it up as a joke
They added that because the song was deemed too short for a single by the record label actually!
I have a t-shirt from an Electric Six concert with that lyric on. Lol.
Armstrong and Miller piano sketch?
The Electric Six are criminally underrated (much as the darkness are I would argue) - this song and high voltage condemned them to novelty status but their wider mileu…milyer…discography is brilliant
Prolific songwriters, and great performers. I think part of their problem is how "off the wall" they often are. I try to catch them whenever they're in town.
The issue with the Darkness. Was they were known mainly for one song. That none of the others quite matched. Despite the album songs being better in my opinion.
Still brilliant live, too.
Synthesizer was my favourite song during the pandemic, if not for anything else, the lines:
"You can go to the doctor
You can cough in his face
Infect the whole human race
But you can't ignore my techno"
"hi voltage!" Criminally rated, in almost every country you need some unit of measurement, mofos could die man, big ups for some sort of warning but burt nah. innit.
Best party band EVER!!! I've seen them live 7-8 times, last week Friday again and still one of my favo live band EVER. The energy, the absurdness, the fantastic live music skills and they never disappoint!
The entire 'Fire' album is brilliant from start to finish.
Fully agree with this.
I completely agree with this. Superb album.
Brilliant album!
Yup, one of those rare 'no skips, play it again' albums.
Most their albums are brilliant start to finish, pretty much the only one Iv found underwhelming was streets of gold but their latest turquoise is a return to form
"I buy the drugs" is an absolute banger to this day
That track absolutely slaps
As does down at McDonald’s
It has a good video too but it’s impossible to find a good quality version
The part where the piano plays the wrong notes when he sings "I will fill your prescription with some degree of accuracy" is my absolute favorite musical joke.
Stanning for I Buy The Drugs is the reason I came here...glad to see someone beat me to it!
I must say it's very cool to hear the lead singer of The Darkness describe "Gay Bar" by Electric Six as "a bit of fun". I could not agree more!
Personally, as somebody who realised they weren’t straight during a period of delightful musical indulgence in Electric Six, I think the song holds up and the reason’s simple: it’s taking joy in its tongue-in-cheek homoeroticism. It isn’t mocking the sexual orientation, it’s mocking a prudish audience’s sensibilities. As such, where before, the song and video were intentionally provocative, now they both come across as wonderfully vivacious and amusing.
Which is why I always found it so strange that "nuclear war" was censored in the radio version amongst other things
@elbob17no he’s def right
Interestingly, the meaning behind the song is very simple. The writer misheard the lyrics to a Devo song as "she's just a girl at a gay bar".
Your a super star.
At the gay bar.
@@GoldnDusty The singer is married to a woman and has a daughter. He's straight, he's just the biggest goofball on earth. I never thought he was mocking gay men or anything, I think he likes to do ridiculous things in videos to go through a lot of people's thresholds - like making out with a 70 year old woman for a full ten seconds in the video for Danger High Voltage haha
Always thought a Electric Six and Darkness collaboration song would be pretty damn cool
Or show
@@elizabethmeulenbelt2850 or NFT
Who or what is darkness"?
@@ironandzincgoogle, The Darkness”
If you wanna hear what that would sound like check out "white gold" it's the lead singer of electric six and the lead singer of the Eagles of death metal, they were both hired by the Californian milk lobby to run a campaign to get teens to drink more milk so they invented a glam rock character called white gold and wrote a bunch of songs, music videos and a 20 minute long rock opera called "the quest for milkarius"
"There's a lot of homoeroticism, and also a ladder -both of these things take me back..."😅
Justin saying he doesn't get the reference of the "hampster" just makes me go "oh you sweet summer child.."
I was surprised by that, but Richard Gere wasn't by that hamster
I thought that’s how The Pet Shop Boys got their name
😂😂😂 I’m a straight woman but I got it ! I wish I didn’t
Check out the South Park episode involving the adventures of Lemmiwinks, the gerbil that belongs to the fourth grade class at South Park Elementary.
Dick Valentine is a super nice guy in person, and their music is a ton of fun. I appreciate you are covering them because the music is so well written.
Dick is the best.
I met Dick V last week before an E6 gig and can confirm he is a top fella, really friendly and happy to chat about anything - the opposite of a rock diva in every way
I've also met him a bunch of times, one of the nicest people I've ever known! Same goes for everyone else on the band in my experience. Tait Nucleus? (keyboard player) is so damn approachable and kind too.
White Wolf is also super chill.
Saw them live for the 5th Time last night (it's been 9 years since I last saw them Live) I finally FINALLY got to meet Mr Valentine, he kindly posed for a photo and was just super cool! One of my idols!
Their whole discography just absolutely slaps! It pains me when people think of them as one Hit Wonders!
My band just supported them on their UK tour! Really nice guys and definitely still got it
What's your band's name? They always have great supporting bands in my experience but sadly missed the UK tour this time around. Would love to check it out
@@mickrov Sarpa Salpa!
@@crystalneth994 I found Simple Pleasures on youtube and it's a great song! Bought your LP online as I don't use streaming services but this is dope. I hope to see you as an opener for a future E6 show or if you go to Stockholm at any point let me know, I would love to see you live. The one song I've heard is really good and I would love to hear more. It reminded me in the best way possible of We Are Z.
@@CrypticCocktails Haha did it work?
I went to see Dick Valentine (Tyler) in Limerick City, Ireland about a month ago in a small club/venue called the Kasbah (Dolans). He just had an acoustic guitar with him and spent the whole night after chatting with everyone. Way later in the night we sat together at the bar until about 2am talking about music with a few drinks until he went on his way. An absolute gent who still loves his craft..........Also, their cover of Radio Gaga is awesome 😂
I saw Electric Six at a club in Melbourne (Aus) when they toured this album. There was a guy moshing at the front all night who would jump up and stage dive into the crowd. During this song he jumped onto the stage once again and did his dive - but he was naked. The band literally stopped playing for a split second and they all had that 'did that just happen?' look on their faces. It was spectacular!
I saw them on the Fire tour, only time I've seen someone absolutely shred a guitar behind their back. I don't remember what that guitarists name was, he left the band shortly after. But the pure energy of that show was so amazing.
I was a teenager, Electric Six was absolutely killing it in a small venue, some chicks were making out, the crowd was amped, and the guitarist was shredding the Gay Bar solo behind his back.
One of the best live bands. Such a fast tempo, energetic dance party. I thrive on that kind of high energy. Gets me amped and dancing ferociously.
they played Derby last night and i saw them really just on the basis of this track and High Voltage, not knowing anything else... what i'm delighted to say i discovered (beyond 'the hits') was a really tight rock band at the top of their game... great sound and great performers too
I was meant to see them, but the person that was supposed to book left it til the Tuesday before. It was sold out, of course.
Improper dancing was one of my favourites.
Saw Electric Six live in Dublin in a small venue. They were awesome.
Saw these guys live for the first time when they played Australia a few months ago, and they were absolutely incredible. Dick Valentine has such a great stage presence and they were so tight live. I've been a fan for years and i think I will be for years to come.
I've always loved their songs, "Down At McDonaldz" and "Graphic Designer". Both are worth listening to.
Amazing but Danger High Voltage video is even more nuts
Agreed!
I believe that the "Hamster in a Tube" scene is in reference to an age old Hollywood rumour surrounding the actor Richard Gere in which it was told that he had once gotten someone to shove a gerbil inside him at a party xD
Matron, the screen. 😊
You should get Dick Valentine on your long form podcast - it'd be great to hear more about that era of rock
I went to see Electric Six at the Night and Day Cafe in Manchester around 2005 / 6. My friend's band (4ft soldiers) were supporting and it was a brilliant night. Electric Six were a great live band
They're touring the UK as we speak
Went "Full Partridge" with your Chinese Crested fact. Love it.
Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be? Love Electric Six. They don't take themselves seriously, but they say it how it is. Love them. Danger, High Voltage, Dance Commander......epic classics! 💜💜💜
Fell in love with this band from the first moment I heard them. Currently revisiting all of their albums as I rip my CDs for ease of listening, so I'm having a little reappraisal of my own, and man is it good. Even the albums that I originally thought maybe weren't quite as good as others are absolute bangers. Consistently amazing lyrics and tunes.
It's odd that they're arguably more popular here in the UK than in their homeland, but I suppose we embrace the genre-blending quirkiness of the band, the clever lyrics, and the satirical way they take the piss out of music cliches - especially rock - while at the same time rocking hard.
They're the very definition of a "cult" band; flying under the mainstream radar but loved to bits by those acquainted with their charms. Electric Six makes the world a better place.
Electric Six definitely is in my books - Dance-a-thon 2005 and Rock & Roll Evacuation are my favs
Love electric six, spent twenty years now telling as many people as possible that they are more than just High Voltage or Gay Bar, huge discography full of incredible music!
Same, every time I hang out with people and it's my turn to choose the music I put em on
Fun fact: Electric Six had a screaming cowboy song 2 YEARS before Big Enough came out. Look it up. It's called When Cowboys File For Divorce.
Loved this song plus dance commander. Thank you for the upload. Good day.
Oh this brings back memories.... I was decorating our bedroom and this came on the radio. I was singing along to the 'I've got something to put in you' part while halfway up a stepladder. I turned around and happened to find our local Vicar standing there. She had called round to see my wife about a 'church matter'.
Haha that's your own real life equivalent to an Electric 6 video.
I ❤ Electric Six, went to see them for the 6th or 7th time last week. They never disappoint, incredible energy & brilliant songs - a great band much like The Darkness x
I can't wait until they're in the UK again. I'm not even that fussed by the two big radio hits. I love their other songs more.
That whole album is a whirlwind of fun rock music.
My little no name local band played Gay Bar at all our shows. Always a crowd pleaser. We became friendly with "Dick Valentine" and had him up to Hartford to play a show with us. Truly a gentleman and a scholar.
The album this song is off is an absolute belter I listen to it every year, the last song on the album Synthesizer is one of my all time favourite songs listen to it most days 😂 great album, great band, great times
You can't ignore my techno!
Electric Six is--with a few casual listens--a bunch of guys making goofy music. But don't be fooled; the band is able to cover so many musical styles it proves their varied influences and capabilities on their instruments. A truly good band. Give a listen to Dick Valentine's acoustic album Destroy The Children: An Acoustic Exploration Of Uneasy Topics. It's funny, it's scary, and it's all true. You'll love it!
When my favorite band talks about my other favorite band😍 Almost as good as seeing them both last spring at Winnipeg Park Theater, MB. That was hands down the best concert experiences ever!
Electric Six is THE happiest sexy sinister sound and seeing some kids at the concert tells me they will live on. They are SO much fun and super enjoyable, much like The Darkness Concerts just in a slightly different flavor. If the 2 bands played in 1 show, I would be the crazy mute flailing wildly with bruised hands trying to show my love and appreciation. Lol, I say this because I lost my voice and had bruised hands before the encore at both concerts😂
I understand that I probably won't always have the honor of seeing these bands for super affordable prices at this lovely small and intimate location but it's what made for a very enjoyable concert experience.
Side notes. I'd say Electric Six's cover of Radio Gaga video takes the cake. I wish they'd do more videos because they did have great artistry to them. The Darkness videos never disappoint!
And lastly, a Chinese Crested seems like the right spirit animal for you. I take a liking to them as well.
Waite a minute - are you saying E6 and Darkness cohabitated the same stage on the same evening?
@@dustyphertz9871 no, separate nights. I'm saying that I wouldn't be apposed to the same stage on the same night.
The singer from The Darkness commenting on Electric Six's Gay Bar. The summer 2003 nostalgia is hitting me really hard.
Glad to see you doing well, Justin! :)
This was a magical time. You guys all made my early 00s much more enjoyable!
That Electric Six LP is f'n great start to finish. It's simply great.
Your record and "Fire" were the top two albums to spin in the back room by the loading dock at Tower Records Atlanta. Seriously, every day, it was our dance party as we scanned in new albums and magazines.
Saw Electric Six for the first time in Kentish Town in 2003, they were late onstage and had an extra support band because they came straight from the Kerrang awards. It was the best gig I’ve ever been to, an amazing night and I’ve loved them (and seen them many times) ever since. That summer I had to, I physically needed to, listen to their album several times a day.
I saw them in Camden a couple of weeks ago at the Powerhouse - terrible sound, but a great performance! Can't wait for the "Fire" anniversary gigs in December!
You go back 20yrs and there were so many great bands, all starting up, trying to make a name for themselves and - sadly - you don't hear about them anymore. This was an absolute banger. Great riff, great song, great video. Danger, high voltage was right up there too...
An absolute stomper of a tune by a massively underrated band. I bloody loved Electric Six.
Love these guys ❤
Undeniably the most identifiable riff of the early noughties. The song is a banger and twenty years later, it still hits as hard as it first did.
Love this track and band. They are still fantastic live. Used to go down a treat when we played this track live with my old band!
Watched them last week in Stockton , they were very good , thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, almost every song was a banger
TTTeessider ❤
They played Sunderland last week week (,July 2023) and they still had it 20 years after last saw them....
Gay Bar part II is a banger as well. Fantastic band. All of their albums are choc full of great songs. Dickie Valentine is a phenomenal front man as well.
YES! I've waited for this moment! From the time you started this channel, I've hoped you'd react to this one specifically. It just screams Justin Hawkins' brand of humour whilst also being an absolute banger!
This music video has been my #1 cold send text to buddies I haven’t talked to in a while 🤣
It was a classic the day after it was released 🤣 I recently introduced an American friend to this and high voltage and he loved it 😂
Electric 6!!!! Yeahhh🎉🎉🎉
Saw Electric Six with my college roommates at the Black Cat club in Washington DC 2007. Still to this day one of my most memorable concert experiences. Dick Valentine came out into the audience and put his arm around one of my friends and another audience member and the whole audience sang together like we were at a karaoke bar.
Still on my play list, with Dance Commander.
Cracking song, never gets old! Every time it comes on in a pub/bar/club you’ll be hard done to resist singing along!
So glad you finally featured Electric Six!
"Edging towards annihilation." Too funny. Gay Bar has been running non-stop thru my head the last couple of days for no discernible reason. And then you show up in m feed. Thanks. 😂
Electric Six are excellent. Danger! High Voltage is great, Gay Bar is a banger, as is Dance Commander. My favourite of theirs are Devil Nights, Dance Epidemic and particularly Dark Angel.
That entire album is great.
I was lucky enough to see these guys live at my local night club (The Crypt: Hastings) not long after this came out.They were absolutely fantastic.
The early 00s had a lot of wonderful and weird music. Still think some of them are very fun. It was a weird time to be alive for sure, but also lots of fun.
And btw, as a card carrying bisexual, I approve of this song and don't feel offended at all.
Eyyyy 💖💜💙
Frontier Psychiatrist 100% backs up he early 00s weird tunes point
I was never a fan of this particular song, but have since listened to their whole back catalogue and gotta say they are now one of my favourite bands on account of their diverse musical ability and creative/unusual lyrical themes. They are also musically pretty good and yet don't take themselves too seriously. They have released a lot of songs, and some of them are hit or miss, but some of them are absolute genius and they have a lot of unappreciated gems right there waiting for you to discover.
Remember this. My sense is one could get away with this more now than ever. Surf Rock/Punk vibe. Cool track.
Haha I'm from America. This song and video is downright wholesome compared to some of our religious, political and entertainment leaders and taste makers. It worries me that they considered the most titillating part (the part that needed to be censored) to be the part about starting nuclear war. That's worrisome!
The introduction to Naked Pictures (Of Your Mother) is one of the best introductions to any song, ever!
At first, when I bought Fire I assumed that the strongly misogynistic themes of a lot of their songs was an affectation. Then I got hold of some of their other albums and, if it is then it's so deeply ingrained that it's almost a parody of themselves and hard to believe that Valentine doesn't actually believe in the philosophical standpoint of the writer of the songs that I initially thought was just a character!
I had the pleasure of seeing them at the Middle East nightclub in Cambridge, MA probably 12 or 13 years ago. They were absolutely amazing. Thank you Justin for shedding light on this highly underrated band.
See Electric Six live twice in the last two years and both times were a F**KING PARTY! Love them.
They have tonnes of great songs! Top band, still listen to them now...I'm the Bomb is killer.
I remember this coming out and it remains a favourite.
One of the pubs I frequented at the time had a video jukebox and this was played a lot. And every time the hamster appeared, the whole place went quiet. Which was always very funny to see.
The phrase "radio edit" should be required in every radio edit.
I am 100% on board with this. And we need to do it retroactively, too. Can we start with Nine Inch Nails?
"I wanna [edit] like an animal
I wanna feel you from the inside
I wanna [edit] like an animal
[This radio edit] is flawed
You get me closer to God"
I went to high school with a bunch of the electric 6's kids and I will tell you where we're from ABSOLUTELY A CLASSIC
I went and saw Electric Six earlier this year for the 20th anniversary of this album. A bit shamed to say that when they first came out I thought it was their middle aged manager standing at the mike. Then they let it rip and tore the club apart. Still got it.
_Everything_ made by Electric Six is an instant classic.
I also am partial to this song because I had a lot of fun making a dub remix of it back in the day. It got lost in the maelstrom of music history, which is probably for the best.
No, I have no idea what I'm doing with my life, thank you very much.
Saw them live last June, brilliant entertainers and more than 2 hits.
The version that plays on radio in Japan has him go 'Let's do an edit, do a radio edit'. That's honestly funnier than the whip cracks.
Saw this band a few times, incredibly good live act.
7:50 that tune may be "Stil Life" by Suede. The lyrics are possibly a giveaway?
This is absolutely appropriate today, maybe even more so than back then. Just glad I got to see them on stage before their second album came out.
As soon as you mentioned the title, I immediately started singing the song in my head. Gold in the days of the rock revolution.
Top tip Justin - next time you want to write down 'nuclear' but pen & paper are nowhere to be found, you've got that there laptop right in front of you.
He took the phone, it's the same act 😂
YES YES and FKIN YES . Dont ever say differently
Love Electric 6!! Synthesizer is my absolute favorite song of theirs, though. Great song AND video, but there are so many (I Buy The Drugs, Down At McDonaldz, Danger High Voltage...).
When my son was two, he was super into Gay Bar. Kept requesting the video by asking for "Cally Ball." We had no clue what the fuck he wanted until we scrolled through UA-cam, and he pointed at this video 😂
Also saw Electric 6 live a couple of years back (first show post-COVID). They were super fun live, but I was an obnoxious ass at that concert, just excited to be out in the world again. Sorry everybody.
Forgot to mention too, for anyone else curious, Dick Valentine writes erotic stories!! Been meaning to check that shit out.
Justin always looks great and looks really good in this video. Always awesome with or without guitar!! I Love the hair length and this nice comfy wardrobe.😍Hugs Justin!🤗
That whole album was a banger!
Everythings allowed,we live in a free country. Its just a quirky funny song promoting Gay bars. 'Girl, I want to take you to a Gay bar', 'I want to spend all your money, at the Gay bar Gay bar Gay bar. Its a classic and funny.
I'd say 99% of people only know Electric Six's first record, Fire, but the band has been releasing a record every single year since Fire, and all their subsequent records are better. Easily one of the most fun and consistent rock bands of the age.
Makes my day to know that Justin enjoys Electric Six. My dream concert is Electric Six & The Darkness
I love Electric Six; Met 'Dick Valentine' a few years ago, he's an awesome guy.
I always remember Electric Six's performance of high voltage on Jules Holland, absolutely bizarre staring at the camera, you can imagine the producers panic trying to avoid the weirdness by switching cameras! 😂
I love that image, I always wanted to get it on one of those custom credit cards that let you pic the image printed on the card
I've met dick valentine afew times and interviewed him for a music website,can honestly say he is an absolute gentleman and one of the nicest guys you could meet
Bloody love the tangential segway of Suede in there 😂 and of course I'll be trying to slip perfunctory pole use into a conversation at some point in future 😂
There are two songs from the 00s that pop into my head at inappropriate moments, like when I'm talking to a copper, or a vicar, or when the Jehovahs witnesses turn up at the door. One of them is 'Gay bar', the other is 'I've met Jesus' off your hotleg album.
I haven't gotten a visit from Jehovah's Witnesses in at least 15 years. I wonder where they are at these days??? 😄
@@MariaFrancescamy street apparently, we get loads of them, shiny ones over from America as well! 😂
@@ZuzuTheLemon Ha ha ha, well, you are welcome to them 😉
We do have an older couple in the next village over who drives around at night and puts religious pamphlets in peoples' mailboxes. I've gotten those pamphlets several times, and they are pretty horrible, mostly blaming the gays for all that is wrong in the world. One of these nights... I'll catch them red handed and tell them in no uncertain terms to fucking stop dropping their hate in my mailbox 😡
@@MariaFrancescaugh, that is awful, I'd definitely tell them to shove it!
What about “Gay in the 80’s” ?
Electric Demons in Love was the track that got me into them, but that entire album is solid gold from start to finish if you ask me.
Ah Electric Six, my favourite band.
It’s a shame the first word of Gay Bar is always transcribed as “You” when in reality it is “Girl” (that’s straight from DV himself on his podcast). Changes the whole dynamic of the song when you realize that it’s about a guy desperately trying to romance/bang/borrow money from a girl, and the only way he thinks that’s going to happen is if he takes her to the Gay Bar.
That’s what I love about E6, they make the absurd rock.
It’s also a shame that most people only listen to their first record when they’ve released 19 albums counting live, covers, kickstarter etc.
I always liked the Danger Danger High Voltage song better. And I'm 100% sure the video is better, because I just watched it for the first time - it's A W E S O M E !
still life! suede! dog man star!
I saw Electric Six at a small venue in Leamington several years back. They were great live, and the crowd was manic during Gay Bar.
Part of the controversy may have stemmed from the Abe Lincoln reference. He was rumored to be bisexual. At a minimum he had a bromance with a special friend and slept in the same bed with him.