| |
| P2 At Albany Again |
 |
| :: 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.
****************************
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 501 to 510 of 4129)
|
Crimson 2001 Tour Now Available
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Mon., Jan 30, 2012
Here’s a cracking value tour bundle from Mister Stormy - 25 shows from Crimson’s tour in the Autumn of 2001 for just $112! The tour starts on November 9th 2001 and runs through to December 13th 2001. Anyone who has previously bought all four of the shows that have been previously available, will be eligible for a free download of their choice when purchasing the whole bundle.
Sadly, the final date of this tour - the second night in New York - is missing from the archives. If anyone has an audience recording of this item then please get in touch. Those who’ve purchased the complete bundle will get a copy of that show when it’s been added to the archive free of charge.
|
|
For Pete's Sake! - The Sony Soap Opera Continues
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Sun., Jan 29, 2012
My thanks to World Leader Symes for providing me with an update on the plight of singer-songwriter Pete Atkin and his attempts to get a major label to provide him with accounts.
MEANWHILE, THE SONY SOAP OPERA CONTINUES –
Hey! I have now received some accounts from SonyBMG! Only for the Demon
reissues (still nothing whatever for the See For Miles reissues), but
still, that’s something, right? Disappointingly, they’ve applied a 25%
“container charge” which is not in my contract. They’ve also based
their royalty calculation on the dealer price, which is admittedly
current usual practice. But my contract, however, specifies recommended
retail price as the basis for my royalty, which effectively means
they’ve made a roughly 30% further unjustified reduction on what little I
am owed. So I’ve sent it back to them.
It’s scarcely credible that they haven’t had to deal with any
number of elderly contracts like mine, so it’s hard to think they aren’t
just trying it on, to see if I’ll notice. Or maybe – surely not? –
they’re just lazy and inefficient. (Any other suggestions welcome.)
When you consider that we’re talking here about a very modest
three-figure sum, it hardly seems worth their while to be so
small-minded. To adapt the well-known schoolroom phrase “It’s their own
time they’re wasting.”
|
|
Keeling Rocks Out
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Sun., Jan 29, 2012
Composer, and lately, singer-songwriter, Andrew Keeling has a new album due out soon. Bells Of Heaven has an altogether rockier sound than some of his previous song-based albums and features contributions from The Comsat Angels' guitarist, Stephen Fellows. More details and pre-order here.
|
|
Bad Thoughts & Fripp
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Thu., Jan 26, 2012
The Sister Fripp highlights a recent mention of her little brother by journalist and author Mark Dery over on her blog.
|
|
Ned's Treehouse
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Tue., Jan 24, 2012
You can read all about the Adrian Belew-produced Treehouse album by Ned Evett here.
|
|
Germany, Grooveshark & GEMA
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Tue., Jan 24, 2012
This press release from GEMA suggests that Grooveshark's recent announcement that the company is ceasing operations in Germany might not be all they said it was.
|
|
Mister Stormy's Monday Selection
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Mon., Jan 23, 2012
What an absolute gem Mister Stormy has polished today - Robert Fripp making an early pass at the solo on Matte Kudasai, isolated from the Discipline multi-tracks and in breathtaking up-close detail.
|
|
Z'Zooom!
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Mon., Jan 23, 2012
My thanks to Justin Brandis who writes to say "Wandering around Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, I was unfortunately too late to attend what seemed, at first glance, to be a performance by my favourite band."
|
|
Vive le Crimso
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Mon., Jan 23, 2012
My thanks to Becarmi for sending in this link about French trumpet player and vocalist, Médéric Collignon who has a liking for King Crimson's music. For anyone unable to get the gist of the article, Becarmi writes "His current project is about King
Crimson music with a touch of Miles Davis. Larks Tongues in Aspic
(Indiscipline, Vroom, Dangerous Curves) played with a small orchestra of
8 violins. Very interesting"
|
<< Previous 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 Next >> |
|
|
