Wino Wednesday: The Hidden Hand, “Desensitized” Live in Washington, D.C., May 2003
This is pretty early on for The Hidden Hand. I’m not sure of the venue — The Velvet Lounge, maybe? — but this version of “Desensitized” would’ve just about coincided with the release of the 7″ that broke the song up into two parts and was their first release prior to making their their full-length debut with Divine Propaganda on MeteorCity that same year. There seems to be some discrepancy as to when the first The Hidden Hand show actually was. Respected taper TNTFreedooM, who show this week’s clip and is responsible for many more that have been featured here in the past has it listed that their live debut was March 23, 2003, and yet in the Megabox there are videos dated before that, one from Feb. 2003 and one from New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 2002. That’s the earliest show I can find, but whether or not it was actually the first, I can’t be sure.
Last week I posted a mystery wondering if it was Scott Reeder or Guy Pinhas playing with The Obsessed and pretty immediately got schooled in the variations on the two bass players, the upshot being that, indeed, it was Pinhas. I’ve no doubt somebody out there was at the first The Hidden Hand show, whether it was that New Year’s gig or one before it, and would be able to enlighten me and anyone else who might be wondering. Either way, this version of “Desensitized,” preceded by a bit of technical difficulties from bassist/vocalist Bruce Falkinburg that results in two false starts from Wino and drummer Dave Hennessy, is pretty early into their tenure, which would come to an end in 2007 following the release of their third album, The Resurrection of Whiskey Foote.
And of course, “Desensitized” would later be re-recorded for The Hidden Hand‘s second album, 2004’s Mother Teacher Destroyer, which is usually regarded as the high point of the band. It is as signature a riff as The Hidden Hand had, and I hope you enjoy this version and have a great Wino Wednesday:
