Exclusive audio from 1989: the Pat Travers Band smokin’ live in Vancouver

By Steve Newton

I interviewed Canadian rock-guitar legend Pat Travers back in January of 1983, when his band was opening for a Joe Perry-less Aerosmith in Vancouver.

Two or three years earlier coguitarist Pat Thrall had left the Pat Travers Band, and Travers had taken on the guitar duties himself, so I asked him about that.

“I’m a good enough guitar player,” he replied, “we don’t need another one.”

His self-confidence notwithstanding, Travers soon hooked up with smokin’ hot Tennessee picker Jerry Riggs, and that’s the guitar team that was in place when the PTB played Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom on May 1, 1989.

At the time the quartet also included longtime Travers bassist Peter “Mars” Cowling and drummer Keith Cronin, and was showcasing songs from its upcoming album, School of Hard Knocks.

Fortunately for the world’s guitar-rock freaks, producer/engineer Larry Anschell of Turtle Recording Studios was there as well, recording the entire show for a live radio broadcast.

He was kind enough to dig up the ancient tape, which sounds fantastic, and allow Ear of Newt to post it here. In recent weeks Anschell has also contributed archival recordings of Vancouver concerts by Kick Axe and Paul Rodgers to this site, for which we are most grateful.

Enjoy this gig from the Turtle Studios vaults, and make sure to stick around until the end, ’cause you’ll definitely wanna hear Travers and Riggs ripping it up on the instrumental “Guitars From Hell”.

Here’s the setlist:

1. “Snortin’ Whiskey” (from Crash and Burn, 1980)

2. “Rock n Roll Susie” (from Makin’ Magic, 1977)

3. “I La La La Love You” (from Black Pearl, 1982)

4. “Gettin’ Betta” (from Putting It Straight, 1977)

5. “Whatcha Gonna Do Without Me” (from School of Hard Knocks, 1990)

6. “Daddy Long Legs” (from School of Hard Knocks, 1990)

7. “Heat in the Street” (from Heat in the Street, 1978)

8. “Misty Morning (in New Orleans)” (from School of Hard Knocks, 1990)

9. “Help Me” (from School of Hard Knocks, 1990)

10. “Stevie” (from Makin’ Magic, 1977)

11. “Boom Boom (Out Goes the Lights)” (from Pat Travers, 1976)

12. “Chevrolet” (from School of Hard Knocks, 1990)

13. “Guitars From Hell” (from School of Hard Knocks, 1990)

Have a listen: