Middling audience capture. Most instruments are clear but it's a bit tinny and Mark is sort of semi-audible.
Six dates into the three month "Frenz" tour the band is mostly fine form despite a bit of a car crash at the beginning of "Shoulder Pads" and some others throughout the gig. Some dissolute yahoos have intimated that this iteration of the band were not up to scratch - the evidence of this recording would imply otherwise with some really intense playing and tight dynamics - when they get it right. Wolstencrofts drum rolls and Brix's edgy rhythm guitar leading into sinuous lines on "Cab" are a case in point. Where audible Smith is a hectoring shouty noisemeister tonight and boy is he on form.
Not until four numbers in do we get something from the extant album. A fine version of "Hotel" features intervening guitars and bass and a rhythm that feels it is about to fall apart - the Beefheartian roots of this track come out strongly in the live setting. "Bremen" comes across as unforgiving repressed metal-prog. Something short and imperfectly formed follows with an oddly inchoate version of "Hit the North". Matters are returned to normal with an occluded yet mesmeric version of "Frenz".
Its a truism that this iteration of the band couldnt handle "Pay your rates" and nothing in tonights performance disabuses me of that notion. Fast bits are great .... it's the slow bits that grate with the innappropriate effort by Marcia to do something atonal. Matters are not improved when guitar tuning problems make "Pharmacist" a bit of a trial, especially the solo section. The corner of naffness is turned with a compelling "Oswald" which gets back to the root of the bands ethic with relentless repetition- unfortunately Mark is mostly inaudible for a good part.
A lengthy "Carry Bag Man" is played with a lot of verve and is one of the high points of the gig.
"Victoria" is a bit by numbers and a tad shouty and "Tuff Life" is a bit lost in all the noise - memorable bass from Hanley on this mind.
Mark calls on the band to "get it right" for "Bombast" - and in the most part they do - a sullen brash assault on the ears of the highest quality for the first minute and then a bit of a breakdown in rhythm etc tends to a good but not great reading.
Matters conclude with a nigh on perfect "Lucifer".
Not essential due to the poor recording of the vocals and some odd breakdowns in interband communications but notable for some significant high points.
Six dates into the three month "Frenz" tour the band is mostly fine form despite a bit of a car crash at the beginning of "Shoulder Pads" and some others throughout the gig. Some dissolute yahoos have intimated that this iteration of the band were not up to scratch - the evidence of this recording would imply otherwise with some really intense playing and tight dynamics - when they get it right. Wolstencrofts drum rolls and Brix's edgy rhythm guitar leading into sinuous lines on "Cab" are a case in point. Where audible Smith is a hectoring shouty noisemeister tonight and boy is he on form.
Not until four numbers in do we get something from the extant album. A fine version of "Hotel" features intervening guitars and bass and a rhythm that feels it is about to fall apart - the Beefheartian roots of this track come out strongly in the live setting. "Bremen" comes across as unforgiving repressed metal-prog. Something short and imperfectly formed follows with an oddly inchoate version of "Hit the North". Matters are returned to normal with an occluded yet mesmeric version of "Frenz".
Its a truism that this iteration of the band couldnt handle "Pay your rates" and nothing in tonights performance disabuses me of that notion. Fast bits are great .... it's the slow bits that grate with the innappropriate effort by Marcia to do something atonal. Matters are not improved when guitar tuning problems make "Pharmacist" a bit of a trial, especially the solo section. The corner of naffness is turned with a compelling "Oswald" which gets back to the root of the bands ethic with relentless repetition- unfortunately Mark is mostly inaudible for a good part.
A lengthy "Carry Bag Man" is played with a lot of verve and is one of the high points of the gig.
"Victoria" is a bit by numbers and a tad shouty and "Tuff Life" is a bit lost in all the noise - memorable bass from Hanley on this mind.
Mark calls on the band to "get it right" for "Bombast" - and in the most part they do - a sullen brash assault on the ears of the highest quality for the first minute and then a bit of a breakdown in rhythm etc tends to a good but not great reading.
Matters conclude with a nigh on perfect "Lucifer".
Not essential due to the poor recording of the vocals and some odd breakdowns in interband communications but notable for some significant high points.