Very good. Some phasing on the drums but otherwise very close to perfect.
It starts with a laconic and lengthy "Time enough at last"....it then motors into a speedy "Idiot" .... the thing that strikes you is that this sounds more than a five piece band.
Coming out of two festival appearances and contemporary with the release of the "Free Range" EP this gig sits like a jewel at the latter end of a very sparse year in terms of live appearances. Amazing really given the tight playing and the excellent interplay between Bush's machines and the rhythm section.
"Free Range" is as usually expected an excellent tumble of sound and intent with Scanlon playing fuzzed scribbly chords as if his life depended as his lord and master drawls laconically over rampant sound fest.
Its all very funky with a driving "Hurtz" and a slinky and sexy "Married, 2 Kids" which is as vital as Clear Spot Beefheart at his swampiest best - marked by simple but effective tussle between Bush chords and Scanlon slide guitar.
The sound breaks down a little on the guitar on "Gentlemans" but this does not detract from the tense and evocative reading with Smith in full exploratory mode. "Strychnine" is missing the ponderous keyboard intro and is an excellent foil to the preceding pastoral lyricism.
There is a little rhythm displacement at the beginning of an inchoate reading of "Telephone Thing" - quite simply Si is on one planet and Craig is on another - only Dave holds it together. Smith mangles the words and the phrasing. It finally resolves together just over half way through and then gets into an off beat funky groove with significant lyrical exploration.
"US 80s 90s" is an oddity. A wash of Bush crying synths dominates the guitar and bass. I am reminded of Hawkwinds "Silver Machine" at this point. Samples rattle across the mix and once Bush abandons or at least re-volumes the analogue type noise it all makes sense. Mark is good - yelping and shouting and evoking. It all ends in a huge dub wash and relentless Scanlon riffing.
"Prinz" - simply magnificent - double timed and full of verve and vitality a valedictory vision of vivacious vicissitude. This is followed by an interesting ramble through "Ed's Babe" which seems oddly out of place. Acapella Mark leads to an acoustic strummed, Hanley driven tense "Pittsville" - excellent languid version of this song.
Mr Bush's sequencers presage falsetto Smith and a tidy tumble through "Intelligence" which leads to a mammoth gig closing "Birmingham".
Encores are a worried and jittery "Return" and a short but manic "Dead Beat".
Excellent gig - highly recommended
It starts with a laconic and lengthy "Time enough at last"....it then motors into a speedy "Idiot" .... the thing that strikes you is that this sounds more than a five piece band.
Coming out of two festival appearances and contemporary with the release of the "Free Range" EP this gig sits like a jewel at the latter end of a very sparse year in terms of live appearances. Amazing really given the tight playing and the excellent interplay between Bush's machines and the rhythm section.
"Free Range" is as usually expected an excellent tumble of sound and intent with Scanlon playing fuzzed scribbly chords as if his life depended as his lord and master drawls laconically over rampant sound fest.
Its all very funky with a driving "Hurtz" and a slinky and sexy "Married, 2 Kids" which is as vital as Clear Spot Beefheart at his swampiest best - marked by simple but effective tussle between Bush chords and Scanlon slide guitar.
The sound breaks down a little on the guitar on "Gentlemans" but this does not detract from the tense and evocative reading with Smith in full exploratory mode. "Strychnine" is missing the ponderous keyboard intro and is an excellent foil to the preceding pastoral lyricism.
There is a little rhythm displacement at the beginning of an inchoate reading of "Telephone Thing" - quite simply Si is on one planet and Craig is on another - only Dave holds it together. Smith mangles the words and the phrasing. It finally resolves together just over half way through and then gets into an off beat funky groove with significant lyrical exploration.
"US 80s 90s" is an oddity. A wash of Bush crying synths dominates the guitar and bass. I am reminded of Hawkwinds "Silver Machine" at this point. Samples rattle across the mix and once Bush abandons or at least re-volumes the analogue type noise it all makes sense. Mark is good - yelping and shouting and evoking. It all ends in a huge dub wash and relentless Scanlon riffing.
"Prinz" - simply magnificent - double timed and full of verve and vitality a valedictory vision of vivacious vicissitude. This is followed by an interesting ramble through "Ed's Babe" which seems oddly out of place. Acapella Mark leads to an acoustic strummed, Hanley driven tense "Pittsville" - excellent languid version of this song.
Mr Bush's sequencers presage falsetto Smith and a tidy tumble through "Intelligence" which leads to a mammoth gig closing "Birmingham".
Encores are a worried and jittery "Return" and a short but manic "Dead Beat".
Excellent gig - highly recommended