Heading in from Austria, the band arrived at Piazza Di Ma Di Conegliano, Treviso for a day or so of R&R before playing this open air gig attended (for a while any way) by some of the local dignitaries. Robert’s diary noted “Adrian felt the show was very good. I felt a hole at the centre that the music fell into, and then escaped us. By ProjeKct X (fourth piece) there was no platform from which to take a jump. Actually, a large hole had already appeared to provide the springboard.”
That first improv has Robert and Trey in Heavy Construction mode as Ade’s solo winds and darts in between those great thumping ersatz piano chords. The second improv offers a high-octane take on the Seizure riff featuring a fantastically soaring solo from Belew - which was used in the Heavy ConstruKction release.
Dinosaur has Robert using a slightly different (mistaken?) setting on his rig which produces an unusual harmony effect, and One Time becomes so delicate at some points as to almost disappear.
Brown moment of the match award goes to Trey who comes adrift in the first fairy-fingers section of Vrooom. Happily his second pass goes by without incident you’ll be pleased to hear. After a truly thundering rendition of Oyster Soup, Belew excels himself with a wildly, squawking solo that rescues and redeems a version of LTIA 4 that is probably generously described as indeterminate.
Overall an unusual concert which has the band veering dangerously between brutal belligerence and moments of alarming fragility.
