Theme from Error Orrori
The Littlest Rebel
Jerusalem
Sing! Harpy
I’m Frank
Telephone Thing (?)
Butterflies 4 Brains
Hilary
Hit the North
Bill Is Dead
Black Monk Theme
Popcorn Double Feature
Deadbeat Descendant
Bremen Nacht
And Therein…
Mr. Pharmacist
U.S. 80s-90s
NOTES
76 minutes.
Appears to be an excellent Audience tape.
If any gig supports Smiths decision to bring Bramah back then this is the one. It is a memorable wall of guitar that leads tonight. For example CS and MB trading bluesy licks on “Jerusalem” in a tense hyperactive concoction . It may be me but my ears hear a violin player somewhere in here so I guess Kenny Brady is somewhere in the line-up or CS/MB are doing great impressions.
What sticks in the head is the quality of Marcia’s keyboard playing and the rock steady groove of Steve’s bass especially on “I’m Frank” which has a Spectoresque quality. On my disc there is duplication of “I’m Frank” excluding “Telephone” and before “Butterflies” – somewhat odd.
Anyway “Butterflies” is a tad tired and somehow fails in the context of the rest of the gig, “Hilary” also lacks a bit of oomph but tends to regain some ground ….. Marcia and Si rescue the inner core of the momentum with a great intro and Craig & Martin drive a memorable “Hit the North” into a murky mass of growing Fallnoise/sound…..
“Bill is Dead” is magnificent, epic and heart-rending. Resolutely underplayed by Smith but the band aint having it and produce the prog masterpiece that this tune deserves – Marcia ripping the finest times of Hugh Banton from her Yamaha – sumptuous and sensual – swelling organs and sexy guitars.
Its Monk time next and by god it swings in the best Monk tradition – excellent slinky playing…..the single next played well but a little by the numbers…..completely eclipsed by a memorably nasty version of “Dead Beat” suitably speedy and rocky….followed by intense noise leading into Si’s driven intro to Bremen ……manic guitar/violin histrionics from Bramah or Brady…who can tell?
Encore time gives us “And Therein” and a slovenly “Mr Pharmacist” with manic guitar appasionata and then an incredible version of US-80s90s”……with an incredibly funky broken down coda