May was a busy month for the League as they played a variety of swinging hotspots across Europe. 17 days out from the start of their mission to revibe the dance floors with their own brand of slightly off-whack bopping, the team use the pre-gig soundcheck at Maison du Peuple, to try out a new number, Minor Man. Clearly they decide to do some more work on it as the tune doesn’t make it onto that night’s set list.
A crystal clear recording has the band in sharp and clear focus, with Barry Andrew’s organ nicely up in the mix and Johnny Toobad’s snare cracking like a whip. There’s a variety of red-hot lines served up by Robert as you would hope for at a League gig. Highlights include the rippling lines near the end of Boy At Piano; the rush and push of Christian Children Marching Singing as everyone finely balances on Sara Lee’s beautiful see-saw bassline; the “whoah! What just happened there” moment from the crowd at the end of the punishing brutality of Thrang Thrang Gozinbulx I.
If there is a downside to this concert it is that the crowd are somewhat more subdued than what we’re used to hearing at a gig by the League. Don’t let that put you off though. Pristine sound and a band that’s pushing at the edges of what they can do sounds like a win-win situation.
May was a busy month for the League as they played a variety of swinging hotspots across Europe. 17 days out from the start of their mission to revibe the dance floors with their own brand of slightly off-whack bopping, the team use the pre-gig soundcheck at Maison du Peuple, to try out a new number, Minor Man. Clearly they decide to do some more w...
There is a strange eccentricity about LOG that has me smiling on the greyest of days and this collection is no exception. Inductive Resonance with its highly effusive c minor hookline and astonishingly fast middle section is probably the most habit forming of their romps – good news for me as the LOG nearly always played it twice each night. Minor Man is a rare and intense classic along with Dislocated are excellent – the latter once recorded with the GR300 synthesizer – a vinyl only vers...
There is a strange eccentricity about LOG that has me smiling on the greyest of days and this collection is no exception. Inductive Resonance with its highly effusive c minor hookline and astonishingly fast middle section is probably the most habit forming of their romps – good news for me as the LOG nearly always played it twice each night. Minor Man is a rare and intense classic along with Dislocated are excellent – the latter once recorded with the GR300 synthesizer – a vinyl only version which seems to be sadly unavailable now (any chance???). Always keen to acquire more live LOG and would like to see the Leeds Futurama material released, if available and the Marquee gigs. Not only were they off-whack, a wondrously apt description, but they were also really cool live and produced a style of music that seemed to morph into Discipline. I miss their flair and effervescent buena disposición, the guitar Thrang Thrang walkabouts of Robert Fripp and Barry Andrews flourishes – not to mention the uber-tight rhythm section. Great ‘driving to work’ music. Here, the version of Boy at Piano is very good and the guitar is the clearest I have heard on a LOG live recording - sounds like a Guild Foxy Lady in there somewhere - thrumming into the Roland Jazz Chorus amp. Ooh Mr Fripp is a clear antecendant of Frame by Frame, and one of those jaw dropping callisthenic exercises, or plectrum shorteners as I call them. Fripp’s control is truly inspiring. Thankfully, it seems these historic documents are still being uncovered. Fab
