"Demon Angel" - A Day and Night with Roky Erickson

I realize that EVERYTHING this week is Halloween themed, but I couldn't resist this one.

"Demon Angel" - A Day and Night with Roky Erickson is, of all things, a Swedish tv documentary featuring an interview with Roky Erickson from May of 1984 and a live performance filmed Halloween night of the same year, apparently at an underground creek in Austin.

Roky Erickson's mental condition over the last 40 years has been well documented, so I'll spare the background info. Most are aware of the kind of shape this guy was in at the time, and it shouldn't be too surprising that the interview covers a wide range of topics such as demons, the devil, Bob Dylan, screaming, and Ronald Reagan. Maybe that's not a WIDE range of topics.

Anyway, the live performance features a solo Roky, though Mike Alvarez frequently accompanies on guitar. The set is pretty heavy on sloppily compelling and intimate versions of several of Erickson's solo "classics" such as 'Bloody Hammer,' 'White Faces,' and 'Cold Night for Alligators.' The duo also performs the ubiquitous 'You're Gonna Miss Me,' as well as a fantastic version of the Elevators' 'Splash 1.'

Fans of this film would do themselves right to find 'Meeting with an Alien,' a public access tv documentary very similar to this one from 1980, though instead of a solo performance Roky has a backing band.