My 7/7 London Experience plus Van der Graaf Generator reunion

[silvermachine]

I thought I'd just relate some of my experiences from my brief trip to London for those that may be interested.
I flew on Virgin Atlantic out of Dulles International near DC on Wednesday evening July 6th. Basically, I flew over to see the Van der Graaf Generator concert at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London on the 8th, and also was looking forward to seeing old friends from when I lived in England during 1979-1984. It was an uneventful flight with a quick passage through customs once we landed at Heathrow.
I caught the Piccadilly Line from Heathrow at exactly 8:09 AM, planning to catch the Northern Line to Golders Green where I was lodging. The tube was slow and was stopping frequently and I was really burned out from the flight so I decided to exit at Covent Garden a couple of stops from Kings Cross and just catch a taxi instead, even if it cost me 20 pounds. I had to wait about 20 minutes to get a taxi as it seemed like an extraordinary number of people were trying to get taxis also. Shortly before finally hailing a cab, I heard some people emerging from the underground talking about how the underground was closing in central London due to a power outage. The taxi driver and I talked about this and what it might mean for traffic and his business. Then, reports started to come in about possible explosions at 3 or 4 stations but they were still being attributed to power outages or power surges. I started to have a slightly queasy feeling about what was going on but as there hadn't been any definite word on the cause, I tried to think that it might not have a terrorism aspect to it. Then, the driver received a call from his dispatch office(?) informing him about the bus being blown up and we felt like all hell was really breaking loose. We listened to the BBC radio news reports which were still very confusing although it certainly seemed that these incidents were not accidents. By the time we made it to Golders Green, it seemed like many people still really didn't know exactly what was happening, but police were beginning to make their presence felt and people were being led off buses by them. Phone booths were full and it was sort of a state of "controlled panic" if there is such a thing. People were really scared but not overreacting. When I checked into my b&b, I turned on the television and basically sat transfixed for the next couple of hours. Then I found a local pub called the Castle and had a sandwich and a few pints and watched the news along with the other patrons. Throughout all of this, I was incredibly impressed with the demeanor of the Londoners. They kept their composure with a kind a quiet resolve that has been commented on by the press at some length. It was so very different than what I saw here in the States in the aftermath of 9/11.
Amazingly enough, later that evening, I found myself relaxing with my friends at a pub (The Steele) near Hampstead, having many pints and a smoke (or 3) in the garden outside. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and while there was much talk of the day's earlier events, people did not let in ruin their world or their attitude. Frankly, I'd never seen anything like it and I did live in England for almost 5 years.
The following night, I did make it to see the Van der Graaf show at the Empire. What an event! Peter Hammill asked for a minute of silence before they started, and then a lifetime's wish was fulfilled for yours truly as the band launched into the opening notes of "Darkness (11/11)". Here's a link for those interested:

http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk/vdgg_sbe080705.htm

I'll post more thoughts and reflections on the show and some other things later this afternoon for those interested.

silvermachine

edit for sp

[MN ChimpH8R]

1. I am SOOO Jealous

Loved VDGG (the classic Banton/Evans/Jackson/Hammill team) but only ever saw PH solo here in Minneapolis. PH was such a great expressor of existential angst and the gloomy, gothic sound of the band was the perfect complement.

Congrats on experiencing what had to be a great show.

[silvermachine]

3. It was incredible....

...For me, the experience of a lifetime really. I've seen him solo a number of times but this was the crown jewel. When they did "Man-erg", it really did bring a tear to my eye.

[trotsky]

2. Thanks for sharing your experience.

It's some comfort to know that Londoners are a resolute bunch. Not as easily scared or fooled as many Americans.

[RandomKoolzip]

4. Wow...great post.

Did they play anything from "The Quiet Zone/Pleasure Dome?" I looooove that album.

[silvermachine]

5. Very underrated album in their canon...

...I like it a great deal as well, but they did not play any material from it. There is a very lengthy interview with Hammill in which he said that they made a conscious decision to only perform material that the 4 (Hammill/Banton/Evans/Jackson) current members played on which would be from "The Least We Can Do..." through "World Record". I see that they did perform "In The Black Room" from "Chameleon In The Shadow of the Night" at some shows which PH said they did because it was a song originally intended for VdGG but since they were not functioning as a band at the time, it ended up being a solo track. Also, the 4 of them all played on the track as well. He seemed to hint that "A Louse Is Not A Home" might get dusted off as well.
Do you have the VdGG box set? It has monster versions of "Yellow Fever/Cat's Eye" and "The Sphinx In The Face" from BBC Radio, plus an unreleased mindblower track called "Door" from "The Quiet Zone/Pleasure Dome" sessions. Very heavy with tons of guitar ala the 7" single track "Ship of Fools" from the same sessions.

[RandomKoolzip]

6. I don't think I've seen the box set anywhere.

Then again, it's probably 100+ bucks, and that's just too much to spend on ANYTHING right now (I'm skint).

But if I do find the thing, I'll be quite tempted. I'd like to hear more from the "Quiet Zone" band.

[silvermachine]

7. Egads...

...I see that Amazon is selling their copies for $122.49. Gadzooks! You can get copies for $65 through their stores.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/offer-listing/B00004YMUD/ref=dp_bb_a//002-6931901-7080042?condition=all

Or....you could get someone to burn you copies ;-)
I might know someone willing to do it....

[silvermachine]

10. Also...

...I have a video clip from (I believe) French TV that has an interview with Hammill and some (soundcheck?) live footage from their tour supporting "Quiet Zome/Pleasure Zone". Hammill looks and sounds pretty wigged out to be honest, there is footage of them doing incredibly noisy versions of "Lizard Play", "Sleepwalkers" and I believe one other song whose title escapes me at this time. The quality is probably 5 out of 10, sounding much like the "Vital" live set. This supposed to be out now, remastered with improved sound quality. There are remasters available for much of the VdGG back catalog, all just released, all with bonus tracks, including a ton of extra stuff for "Pawn Hearts" including the tracks that were deleted as this was originally intended as a 2-lp set.

Check these track listing out for the reissues:
Pawn Hearts
1. Lemmings (Including Cog)
2. Man-Erg
3. Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers (Medley)
4. Theme One (Original Version) (Bonus Track)
5. W (Alternate Take) (Bonus Track)
6. Angle Of Incidents (Bonus Track)
7. Ponker's Theme (Bonus Track)
8. Diminutions (Bonus Track)

H to He
1. Killer
2. House With No Door
3. Emperor In His War-Room: The Emperor/The Room
4. Lost: The Dance In Sand & Sea/The Dance In The Frost
5. Pioneers Over Csquid/Octopus (Live In The Studio, "Pawn Hearts" Sessions)
6. Squid/Octopus ( Live In Studio, Pawn Hearts Sessions)
7. Emperor In His War-Room (Early Take) (Bonus Track)

Check out the rest for track listings, etc. at Amazon or elsewhere.

http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk

[RandomKoolzip]

12. Wow, cool!

I bought a DVD of VdGG performing "Godbluff" in its entirety live...the sound quality is dreadful, but it's worth it to see Peter Hamill gadding about in a kimono, shreiking about religion.

[silvermachine]

14. New DVD out now...

...that has the entire "Godbluff" lp perfomed live in France coupled with live in the studio performances of "Theme One" and "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" from 1971 Belgian TV. Also there is a 2 DVD set from Classic Rock Productions called "Inside Van der Graaf Generator" due for release in late August but this is not an authorized release.

[RandomKoolzip]

15. Yup, that's the one!

[MN ChimpH8R]

8. Funny you should mention...

Just dug that album out (real English LP bought new in 1977 :P ) on Friday night. A little patchy, but there are some friggin' great tunes, especially "The Sphinx in the Face" with that weird ending that's reprised at the end of side two.

[no name no slogan]

9. great post!

I was living in London during Operation Desert Storm, and I witnessed the same kind of steely determination that you did. They didn't let the bad news of the day phase them, even though there were bomb threats on the tube and tanks at Heathrow.

I came back here shortly after the "end" of hostilities and was overwhelmed by the jingoism of my fellow Americans. The mere fact that people had commemorative t-shirts of the "war" was disgusting enough, never mind the hollow chest-thumping and anti-Arab sentiments.

Glad to hear your trip went so well. I bet the show was amazing!
:hi:

[silvermachine]

11. I had a wonderful time...

...yep, the show ruled. Thanks!:toast:

[Squeech]

13. Tell me more

Not to belittle London's stiff upper lip in the face of terrorism, but I'm extremely interested in anything you have to say about VDGG.

I saw Beacon Theater, and while memory is fallible, I don't think they played "In the Black Room" there. They did do "Gog/Magog in Bromine Chambers," and during the Magog jam, Hammill just paced all around the stage in huge figure eights, looking like a caged jaguar.

I think I have a seventh-generation cassette around somewhere; I'll see if I can dredge it up...

[silvermachine]

16. Does this bring back some memories?

http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk/beacon76.htm

[silvermachine]

17. I'd be VERY interested...

...in getting a copy of that cassette:woohoo:
I'm sure we could do a trade of some sort....
I'll send you an email to your inbox later today with my thoughts about the show and the band in general these days. They are no pallid recreation of past glories to be sure.

[Squeech]

18. Of course

Assuming I can find it, in my humongous pack-rat's nest of a house.

I Googled up what purports to be the set list, from some bootleg release:

CD1 - 69:26
When She Comes 11:33
Lemmings 16:59
La Rossa 14:07
Meurglys III 26:47

CD2 - 76:42
Gog 10:34
The Sleepwalkers 10:10
Man-Erg 12:20
Arrow 12:57
Still Life 11:45
Killer 10:28
Masks 8:28

Further notes say "Sleepwalkers" is incomplete.

What I think I have is a C-90, so it's obviously even less than the above.

My sharpest memory of the show was "Still Life"-- started out very quiet and tentative, of course, but in the middle of that intro, Hammill suddenly barked out, "FUCK IT! WHY do I pretend..." It was a galvanizing moment in real time; you can barely hear it over the chatter on the audience tape...

I loved those pictures on the Beacon Theatre page (albeit they all look so YOUNG!). Not shown is, Peter played some piano too.

[silvermachine]

19. Regarding the show....

...They took to the stage to great applause and then PH said something to the effect of (paraphrasing): "Before we start, I feel I should say something about the events of yesterday before we carry on. Which is of course the point, to carry on. So I'd like to ask for 1 minute of silence be fore we play."
This occurred, then the opening notes of "Darkness (11/11)" started and the place went nuts. I'm not sure if the gig was sold out or not but you certainly couldn't have fit many more people in the venue. Fairly close to the studio version, though perhaps closer to the version on the "Maida Vale" cd.
"Undercover Man" followed, an excellent version, segued into "Scorched Earth" as on the "Godbluff lp. "Scorched Earth" was a little loose, and the energy level seemed a bit uneven, and the sound was still not optimal at this point.
Then "Every Bloody Emperor" was performed, excellent version, more intense and wilder than the studio version. To me, this is the best track on the new CD "Present". It had the same Gothic menace as tracks from "Godbluff" but the organ runs and flute recall "H to He..." more to these ears.
Following this was "Lemmings" which was the pivotal point in the set. Actually it started off not so well, with PH looking quite dispirited and down and the energy level was lagging noticeably. His vocals seemed half-hearted and he seemed to actually have difficulty singing the lines "What choice is there left but to die", perhaps in light of the previous day's events. Then suddenly, when they hit the break where he sings "I know our ends may be soon but why do you make them sooner?", he seemed galvanized. Feeding off the crowd reaction at this point, the delivery of voice and band built in intensity so that when he reached the end refrain of "What choice is there left but to live to save the little ones? What choice is there left but to try?", he was practically commanding the crowd along with him and the moment was truly transcendent, and the crowd reacted with a prolonged ovation that was extraordinary by any measure.
From then on, it was magnificent.
A loose, but powerful "La Rossa" was next, followed by another selection from "Still Life", "Childlike Faith in Childhood's End". This was another high point, delivered by PH like a sermon to the faithful and received probably the longest and loudest ovation of the evening. Some of PH's finest and most poignant lyrics ever.

"And though dark is the highway,
and the peak's distance breaks my heart,
for I never shall see it, still I play my part,
believing that what waits for us
is the cosmos compared to the dust of the past."

Indeed.

Then it was time for a real surprise: "Killer"! Sung with manic intensity and the crowd joining in at the ending of each line. Hammill seemed taken aback at first, the actually held the mike out toward the audience, smiling and basking in the crowd response. You would have thought the Beatles had reunited by the crowd reaction.
"Sleepwalkers" followed with PH prowling around the stage repeatedly like a cross between a caged panther (or jaguar) and a demented marionette. This was performed a little loosely, perhaps not as sharp as some of what had gone before.
"Nutter Alert" was next and as was the case with "Every Bloody Emperor", this was wilder and more intense than the studio version and was received well.
Then, for the final song from the regular set, VdGG performed "Man-erg". There is nothing I can say that does justice to this performance. My friend Mike and I put our arms around each other's shoulders and I (unsuccessfully) fought back a tear. Brilliant.
The crowd hollered, stomped and hooted and the band came back for "Refugees" and "Theme One". PH vox was a little ragged by this point but "Refugees" was still lovely to hear, and "Theme One" was vamped up a bit with some great soloing from Banton and Jackson. All in all, the band was tremendous and very intense, though they were clearly enjoying themselves and seemed fairly astonished by the crowd reaction (as were some of the security staff at the Empire from the looks of things).
What a night!

[mr blur]

20. They played In The Black Room at the Royal Festival Hall in May

And you can get The Box (and the other albums, on CD) through Peter Hammill's website at http://www.sofasound.com/

[silvermachine]

21. "Endeavour To Persevere"

OK, I'll bite. So you are a Barracudas fan also? Saw them many times at the Hope & Anchor. Ah yes, those were the daze.....

[mr blur]

22. Actually, no,

It's a line from The Outlaw Josey Wales.

I did love the Hope and Anchor though. I don't drink, but the bands were usually great.