Good audience recording some evidence of noise on the quieter sections but nothing that detracts from the overall sound.
First gig with the core of the band that made Marshall Suite without Julia Nagle who was absent for this first night of a three night residency at Witchwood.
Interesting use of echo on Marks vocals for a lot of the numbers plus alternative distorted microphone used to good effect throughout. All of this is a bit special with some quite unique dub like experimentations and vocal acrobatics especially on a memorably out there "Shake-off". Indeed there are elements of a spoken word performance here with some interesting utterances.
"This Perfect Day" is performed almost completely in castrati with phelgmatic spluttering. Mark references "Tom Raggazzi" during "Spencer" with is an excellent variation on the norm. The version of "Eve" is a magnificently loud and in your face.
This is followed by the first live outing for "Inevitable" which is done in a mid tempo laid back style.
"Mr Pharmacist" starts out sounding very Monkish and suffers from a little spat of constipation in places, a cackhanded middle eight changeover, too much echo on the vox and a stutering end. "Hurricane Edward" is a manic tangle of guitar noise and synths with Mark clearly enjoying himself - saying at one point "where's my f**king microphone". I am reminded of the Art Ensemble of Chicago for reason. That the band then leaps into the heaviest of metal afterwards is somewhat challenging.
Last song of the set proper gets Mark instructing just a drum and bass version of "F-0ldin'" however Neville does a bit of scratching on the chorus. More strange echo is applied to the vox and the guitar kicks in proper towards mid-point.
Another reading of "Touch Sensitive" is the first encore - slightly tighter than the first version. A short version of "Calender" follows which is adeptly delivered.
Matters close with a strange version of "The Joke" which is mostly bass and drums for the first minute as Mr Smith wrestles with putting the guitar around his neck and then proceeds to make some fairly atonal noises. Then there is amazing shift to the song proper with Mark howling at the echo in some strange call and response way. He concludes with some words about poetry and mucc and then howls into the echo again , advises Adam to "say something" there are some more words - two loud guitar chords and that's it.
Bizarre beyond belief but unmissable. Also first live appearance of "Inevitable".
First gig with the core of the band that made Marshall Suite without Julia Nagle who was absent for this first night of a three night residency at Witchwood.
Interesting use of echo on Marks vocals for a lot of the numbers plus alternative distorted microphone used to good effect throughout. All of this is a bit special with some quite unique dub like experimentations and vocal acrobatics especially on a memorably out there "Shake-off". Indeed there are elements of a spoken word performance here with some interesting utterances.
"This Perfect Day" is performed almost completely in castrati with phelgmatic spluttering. Mark references "Tom Raggazzi" during "Spencer" with is an excellent variation on the norm. The version of "Eve" is a magnificently loud and in your face.
This is followed by the first live outing for "Inevitable" which is done in a mid tempo laid back style.
"Mr Pharmacist" starts out sounding very Monkish and suffers from a little spat of constipation in places, a cackhanded middle eight changeover, too much echo on the vox and a stutering end. "Hurricane Edward" is a manic tangle of guitar noise and synths with Mark clearly enjoying himself - saying at one point "where's my f**king microphone". I am reminded of the Art Ensemble of Chicago for reason. That the band then leaps into the heaviest of metal afterwards is somewhat challenging.
Last song of the set proper gets Mark instructing just a drum and bass version of "F-0ldin'" however Neville does a bit of scratching on the chorus. More strange echo is applied to the vox and the guitar kicks in proper towards mid-point.
Another reading of "Touch Sensitive" is the first encore - slightly tighter than the first version. A short version of "Calender" follows which is adeptly delivered.
Matters close with a strange version of "The Joke" which is mostly bass and drums for the first minute as Mr Smith wrestles with putting the guitar around his neck and then proceeds to make some fairly atonal noises. Then there is amazing shift to the song proper with Mark howling at the echo in some strange call and response way. He concludes with some words about poetry and mucc and then howls into the echo again , advises Adam to "say something" there are some more words - two loud guitar chords and that's it.
Bizarre beyond belief but unmissable. Also first live appearance of "Inevitable".