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| P2 At Albany Again |
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| :: Posted by Sid Smith on Mon., Feb 20, 2012 |
My thanks to J Eric Smith for sending in this marvelous review of P2 playing Albany. You can hear the gig that Eric is writing about here.
Eric writes "I was a music critic (for better or worse) in Albany, New York for many years. My wife and I recently relocated to Des Moines, Iowa, and as part of launching a web presence in my new home community, I have been reviewing old archives of my work for items that might lend themselves to new purposes. I found a ProjeKCt Two live review (copied below) while digging through old floppy discs and files, and thought I would share it here, since I have not seen many other formal newsprint reviews from that era posted here. It was a lovely show, one that I still cite as one of my all-time favorite live performances.
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ProjeKct Two
Valentine’s Music Hall, Albany, New York, May 8, 1998
Copyright 1998, J. Eric Smith (Originally appeared in Metroland, The Alternative Newsweekly of Northeastern New York)
"OK, now we’ve played everything we don’t know,so we can play something that we actually do know," announced electronic drummer Adrian Belew at the end of ProjeKct Two’s second all-instrumental, all-improvised set. Belew, 10-string Warr guitarist Trey Gunn and electric six-string guitarist Robert Fripp then encored with King Crimson’s "Vrooom," an angular number originally created by Fripp, Belew, Gunn and their Crimson bandmates Tony Levin, Bill Bruford and Pat Mastelotto.
As nice as it was to hear "Vrooom," the true value of the encore was to place the evening’s improvisational extravaganza in context by providing a single sample of how ProjeKct Two sounded when tackling a fully developed and structured instrumental piece. Frankly speaking, the encore paled in comparison to the 90 minutes of music preceding it, as its rehearsed complexities and nuances were nowhere near as impressive as the knotty, towering sound collages that ProjeKct Two created on the fly as the rapt audience watched and listened.
Fripp, Belew and Gunn were watching and listening to each other as well, and much of the thrill of this concert came from witnessing the interactions between these deeply talented musicians who have played together long enough to anticipate each other’s thoughts, sometimes before they eve realize that they’ve had them. Belew or Fripp typically opened each number with a drum or guitar pattern that the other musicians would would investigate, mount and ride, sometimes to loud and uplifting summits, sometimes to quiet, scary grottoes, sometimes back to the point at which they started. It was actually harrowing to experience in many cases, as the trio careened just on this side of control as they rode, the looks on their faces indicating that it was just as thrilling (and frightening) for them as it was their audience.
As important as technical prowess was to the concert’s success, mention must also be made of ProjeKct Two’s technological proficiancy. Belew was playing the latest generation of Roland virtual drums, allowing him to create a seemingly infinite number of sonic assaults as he clattered and rattled along with a look-Ma-I’ve-got drums grin on his face. (Understandable, given that he’s normally a guitarist.) Gunn matched Belew’s rhythmic and textural intensity as he tapped, stroked and and beat the touchboard of his Warr guitar.
Fripp spun out any number of his trademark spine-tingling sustained guitar lines but also used the treatment technology he has developed over the years via his Soundscape and Frippertronic performance experiments to create a wealth of tones and intonations. At times, the bands’ sounds were so far skewed from what your eyes were reporting to your brain that it was almost psychologically easier to look at the floor and imagine that Fripp was playing cluster chords on some beaten-up jazz-hall piano while Gunn blew on a baritone sax and Belew kept time by tapping on whisky bottles and ashtrays. Crazy, man, crazy.
All told, ProjeKct Two’s concert was a magnificent one, and I must confess to feeling great relief in being able to report that. Why? Because Robert Fripp’s written and recorded works have done more to shape both how I listen to and how I think about music than have any other artist’s over the last two decades, although I never actually stood in the same space with Fripp until last Friday. So imagine the potential for debilitating disappointment at this show, and then imagine the transcendent relief and joy when it didn’t come to pass. It literally moved me to tears. And how often can a wordless concert do that?"
More news
Displaying 4129 items (Viewing 361 to 370 of 4129)
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Wetton On Film
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Thu., May 31, 2012
My thanks to Chop100 whose eagle-eye has spotted a youthful John Wetton in this British Pathe News footage. Featuring pop stars Helen Shapiro and Tony Bolton in Rumania in 1968, John is visible from 57 seconds and indeed, audible as he sings backing vocals on Bolton's cover of the Tom Jones hit, Delilah.
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B'doom Crash Pathakaka Bish Woooom Badoink!
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Thu., May 31, 2012
Gavin Harrison and Stick Men's UK tour next week is the subject of this news item over at Prog magazine website.
June 3rd Manchester Manchester Academy 3
June 4th Birmingham O2 Academy2 Birmingham
June 5th Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach
June 6th Bristol O2 Academy2 Bristol
June 7th London O2 Academy Islington You can grab tickets here.
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Crimson Uncut
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Mon., May 28, 2012
The latest edition of Uncut magazine contains a six page feature article on King Crimson. With comments from Greg Lake, Pete Sinfield, Bill Bruford, and John Wetton, it focuses primarily from 1969 to 1974 and is written by respected journo, Rob Young.
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Gavin's Rehearsals
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Sat., May 26, 2012
Busy preparing for their forthcoming UK gigs, Gavin Harrison and 05Ric have posted a video of their rehearsals.
They are on tour with Stick Men (Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto & Markus Reuter) at the following venues.
June 3rd Manchester Manchester Academy 3
June 4th Birmingham O2 Academy2 Birmingham
June 5th Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach
June 6th Bristol O2 Academy2 Bristol
June 7th London O2 Academy Islington
You can grab tickets here.
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UK Play Fallen Angel
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Wed., May 23, 2012
My thanks to Tommysqueaker for this review of UK in concert.
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Brian Brews Up
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Wed., May 23, 2012
My thanks to Rupert Loydell for sending this revealing glimpse into the processes used by Brian Eno.
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KC Stompin' At The Savoy
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Mon., May 21, 2012
The run of concerts start here and ends here. Five classic shows for just thirty bucks!
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iPhillips
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Mon., May 21, 2012
There's a piece in The Observer yesterday about Tom Phillips, responsible for the cover and inside art to Starless & Bible Black, and his adventures in the digital age.
Here's a review of Phillips' long term project A Humument, from which the phrase This Night Wounds Time first appeared. There's also this blog post about his work on other album sleeves.
Finally don't forget to visit the website for A Humument for hours of Phillips related fun!
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And The Winner Is...
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Mon., May 21, 2012
Congratulations to Jon Shaw of West Yorkshire. He was able to tell me that the Gavin Harrison / 05Ric album to feature a contribution from Robert Fripp was Drop. Having had his name picked out of the hat he gets himself a copy of Gavin and Ric's latest album, The Man Who Sold Himself.
Don't forget you can see Gavin and Ric and their band along with Stick Men in the UK next month.
June 3rd Manchester Manchester Academy 3
June 4th Birmingham O2 Academy2 Birmingham
June 5th Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach
June 6th Bristol O2 Academy2 Bristol
June 7th London O2 Academy Islington
You can grab tickets here.
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