tom davidson - email - 260104:

Just a note to say that the Edinburgh gig was sublime.

Deviating from the previously reported gig format, the band came out, not to a Rockette Morton bass solo etc., but a riveting version of Diddy Wah Diddy! This and a lacklustre Mirror Man in mid set were all I recall as 'newies'. Downside is that some material was jettisoned, so we didn't get to hear China Pig, Dropout Boogie, Sure 'Nuff 'N' Yes I Do or my favourite: Veteran's Day Poppy. That apart, the Trout Mask Replica material was absolutely awesome, John French regularly popping back and forth behind the traps and Michael Traylor's drumming merged seamlessly with his.

After the set, Gary and Denny walked straight into the audience, shaking hands and signing autographs. I posed for a photo with them but my flash wouldn't function (damn!). Lots of foreign accents from all over the continent heard at the bar. Also surprised at the number of people I spoke to who were unaware of the Back to The Front cd!

Some other quick information: The Liquid Rooms is a fairly small club holding ~400 people. And The Fire Engines were awesome and the perfect opening act.

(I'll maybe write in detail later when I gather my thoughts.)

misha - alt.fan.capt-beefheart - 260104:
note: yes, same guy from yesterday's comcert....

I don't like dark, crowded clubs. [This was] A much smaller venue than Royal Festival Hall. I sat through the support band, The Fire Engines, who seemed popular, but did nothing to me. I was seriously worried about getting out of the joint in the event of a fire, so went to the balcony area, which remained less crowded, sufficiently so that, having seen The Magic Band the previous evening, I spent the entire set dancing around my walking stick, sharing a hip-flask of Pernod-flavoured vodka and progressively stripping to the waist. I don't recall éver dancing before.

I believe they played the same set, and I spoke briefly with the bass player and Gary Lucas afterwards. I spent some time and way too much money after the gig, at a lap-dancing bar, but hey!, I was feeling good and Gypsy from Edinburgh, Celine from Malta and another lady from Tahiti, with beautiful Oriental(?) tattoos, were very persuasive....

Same time next year, guys?

the 2005 ceedee 21st century mirror men, a selection of live recordings, contains six tracks from this concert: 'moonlight on vermont', the drum solo 'gone bops over mount kilimanjaro', 'abba zaba', 'on tomorrow', 'veterans day poppy' and 'mirror man'.