captain beefheart electricity

THUNDERBOLTS
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THE MAGIC BAND reunion

THIS is BAND #4 live - go to the main page


tuesday 31 may 2005 NOTTINGHAM england RESCUE ROOMS
attendance: 500 [full capacity]

LINE UP & SET LIST

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tina - (arthur lee &) love forum - 150405:
Hi Paddieu, I was at the Magic Band show last year at the Rescue Rooms as well, which was absolutely brilliant, and seemed to attract all of the old Captain addicts out of where they'd been hiding for the last twenty years. They're booked again there on 31st May.
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graham apperley - several emails - june 2005:

INTRO

I was at the gigs in Stourbridge and Nottingham, both were fantastic nights. I've attached a couple of PHOTOS which you might like (sure 'nuff 'n' yes i do - teejo).

Some Captain Beefheart fans have refused to go and see the Magic Band as Don van Vliet is not with them. In my view they are fools, who have missed out on some of the most blistering live performances of the good Captain's music that this humble fan has heard.

the magic band reunion (line up #4) - live picture 310505 rescue rooms, nottingham, england - denny walley / feeler's rebo / walla walla - by graham apperley
denny 'feeler's rebo / walla walla' walley

I have seen Captain Beefheart live in 1980 and yes he was fantastic and I went from an occasional listener to a total convert that night, but I don't think the performance was any better than the two I witnessed last month. If you love his music and get a chance to see the Magic Band, be there at the front of the queue, you won't regret it!

ps I worry that financially this 'adventure' won't hold together much longer, although Rockette Morton assured me that whilst they are doing it for the love of the music, they were covering expenses. Lets hope it continues as there is no other act around I would rather see live.

REVIEW

After Stourbridge, I was up for more and decided to drive the hour and a quarter to Nottingham and risk buying a ticket on the door. Well I didn't get a ticket, just an inky stamp on the back of my hand, but who cared: I was in!

Another local support act drove me to the bar of what is a very different club from the Rock Café. Again it's a small venue, capacity 500. It's a long thin room with the stage at the far end where a staircase stands to the left of the stage leading to a balcony which runs down one side of the room. By the time the band was on stage the place was packed.

The band were obviously looking forward to this gig as John 'Drumbo' French explained that last year's concert was the best night of the 2004 tour and he wished that the whole of the new cd (21st century mirror men) would have been from that performance (in stead of six tracks).

the magic band reunion (line up #4) - live picture 310505 rescue rooms, nottingham, england - john french / drumbo - by graham apperley
john 'drumbo' french

Again John French's vocals were turned down too low at first, but this problem was quickly solved. The band were on blistering form and the concert was memorable for a number of reasons such as Rockette Morton (real name: mark boston) breaking a bass string and Drumbo then doing an a capella while Rockette sweated over replacing the broken string.

I've never seen a bass string go at a gig before and i suspect it has a lot to do with the unique finger picking style that Rockette has to employ to play this fantastic music. By the way, the a cappella number John sang to cover the gap may have been 'Well' (which i suggested - teejo) but I don't think it was... - can anybody out there confirm?

Shortly thereafter Denny changed guitar only for the strap to break and he had to play the next song sitting down on a hastily acquired chair (seemingly much to his embarrassment!). Both incidents brought laughter from both the band and the audience and didn't detract one little bit from the performance.

The set was again for me a blur of familiar songs in a different running order to Stourbridge plus one or two they didn't play there including Low Yo Yo Stuff. It was a fantastic gig finished off by an arms around each others shoulders, group bow which I have not seen them do before. All of the musicians deserve praise for their individual contributions including the new boy Michael Traylor. He's an excellent drummer and deserves his share of kudos!

the magic band reunion (line up #4) - live picture 310505 rescue rooms, nottingham, england - mark boston / rockette morton - by graham apperley
mark 'rockette morton' boston

As at Stourbridge, the band came out and mingled with the crowd, signing cds, lps and dvds. My copy of Trout Mask Replica now looks all the better for Drumbo's and Rockette's signatures!

Sorry I'm rambling on, but it was such a great gig!

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NOTE

graham apperley took some more pictures
which are (going to be) used to fill up a few pages with bare words, or even worse: nothing:
* gary lucas + john french + denny walley
* john french
* denny walley (a close-up)

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[updated 070705]


streep

click clack back to the magic band or return to the power station



captain beefheart
electricity

as felt by teejo

^