Previously on TPA:
“The show was filmed with a multi-camera set up so there will hopefully be a high quality record of this late period of the band’s career recorded for posterity.” – Jez Rowden
Well, I’m here to tell you that that high quality record has now arrived. Through the power of Blu-ray – or, in my case, the MP4 files I was given – I can spiritually be with TPA’s Jez and Leo as they witnessed Van der Graaf Generator eleven months ago at the Bath Forum.
They say that all you can see is a construction of waves, so that must include the VdGG trio beginning their set rather ambitiously with arguably the most complex number they’ve released this side of the millennium, Interference Patterns. The ambition was too high, however, as a monumental cock-up occurs before the band even reach the first chorus, making the ensuing half-minute sound like a dog’s dinner.
On the night, this would have probably breezed by, a fleeting moment. But here, captured on disc for posterity, the error can be heard every time it’s played. Like watching a car crash unfold, it’s fascinating to rewatch the scene over and over to figure out what exactly happened.
Here’s how I see it: everything is going fine until the third verse, just before the chorus. Hammill, reading the lyrics from a sheet of paper in front of him, skips the line “Michelson-Morley with a point to disprove,” ending the verse with “improbable physics ON THE MOVE!” much sooner than Evans or Banton anticipated. Whether Hammill noticed his mistake or not is up for debate, but he nevertheless embarks on the chorus before Evans and Banton have been able to register what has happened. As a result, the first chorus is an absolute mess as the three of them play out of time with each other, scrambling to catch up with Hammill, and then ultimately finishing out of time as well. In such a tightly orchestrated song, the smallest mistake can lead to dire consequences. In an ironic way, it’s a metaphor for the song itself! Unfazed, the band continue and finish the song with no further issues.
I feel conflicted about this moment. On the one hand, it’s a joyfully accurate and even insightful recording of a musical mess-up: being able to watch the proceedings in crisp HD allows one to analyse how the band reacts in a difficult bend. I’ve witnessed other bands, such as Dream Theater, dub vocals or guitar parts when things go wrong on stage. Though this leads to a more satisfying final product, it’s hardly an honest representation of the event. It comes down to whether you want to hear how the performance actually went, or whether you’d like to have a good-sounding alternative version of the song. That being said, I’m not sure how you’d be able to cover up the error on this track.
The problem is, it’s not the first time. When I reviewed last year’s boxset – which just so happens to also be called Interference Patterns – I specifically pointed to the recording of this song on Merlin Atmos and described it as painful – and the Bath version is even worse! I can forgive a band for making mistakes, especially with the cameras present – I know that whenever I’m trying to record myself making music, I always seem to make more mistakes as soon as the red light comes on – but there seems to be some evidence that VDGG can’t play this song without messing it up. As I said in my previous review, if they can’t get the songs right, should they really be allowed to charge money for it?
Next up, Hammill cryptically introduces the next song by saying that they have no choice but to play it in current circumstances. The song in question is Every Bloody Emperor, the first track from the first album of their reunion. Post-Truss and everything else that’s happened in the last year, it’s not immediately apparent what he means, but looking at the date of the concert (1st March 2022), it turns out that it wouldn’t have been so cryptic for the audience that evening, who would have all heard about the Russian invasion of Ukraine some five days earlier. Spying VdGG’s surprisingly changeable setlist from their spring tour, it seems no coincidence that they only started playing this song on the very day of the invasion, and continued to play it in their next few concerts as well. This is probably the best version of this track that I’ve heard, as Evans gives the song a real oomph in the second verse. Though always a satirical song, this time it sounds even angrier, and deservedly so.
Hammill then introduces the first surprise of the evening, the newly dusted-off twelve-minute labyrinthine relic A Louse is Not a Home, technically from a Hammill solo album, but considered by most as a bona fide VdGG track. It seems that the band have a habit of dredging up some of their more obscure tunes to surprise the fans, a practice I’m totally in favour of. The song itself has so many twists and turns, however, that the performance doesn’t seem quite as seamless as the studio version, with the HD footage making it all the more apparent when the band are looking to each other for cues to start and stop, Evans desperately seeking to keep the band in time. Most egregious is the “I’ve lived in houses composed of glass…” polyrhythmic section, where Hammill abandons playing in time with Evans and Banton altogether, spoiling the intricate interplay of the original. It’s still a decent live version, but it only has about half of the energy of the studio track.
The rest of the concert is a mix of old and new, overall a pretty great representation of the band’s extensive canon. The biggest highlight for me is La Rossa; I’d never been too fond of the original, but The Bath Forum Concert changed that for me, and I’ve become rather obsessed with the original version and its fiery climax. However, it did nothing to change my opinion of Masks, which is an adequate track, nothing more. Childlike Faith in Childhood’s End still holds together pretty well, as it is straightforward to play despite its twelve-minute length, Hammill milking the “silence” moment for great effect as he has done before. The concert ends with fan favourite Man-Erg, plagued with noticeable mistakes by the band but not failing to bring the audience to their feet in rapturous applause.
This is the first live album since the release of their latest studio album, Do Not Disturb, and it must be said that The Bath Forum Concert acts as a great advertisement for that album, containing three of its best songs, including the mournful Go which closes the first half of the set, just as it closes the album proper.
It’s clear that the band are far better at playing their newer compositions than their older ones (Interference Patterns excluded), which makes a lot of sense. That’s why Over the Hill, what I believe to be their best song from this side of the millennium, makes for a great ‘roller coaster ride’ in the middle of the second half. Banton’s best moment of the concert comes after the final chorus as he lets out a soulful solo on the organ, quite different to the album version.
As an encore, the band trot out a very underrated, sorrowful tune from one of their earlier albums, House with No Door from H to He. It’s not exactly a roof-raiser, but it is, nonetheless, a classy finish to the concert, every bit as sad and reserved as it was in 1970. Though modifications are made to make the piece fit for the trio – not least of which is Hammill singing in a lower register throughout – it still has the charm of the original. Hearing such an unexpected blast from the past is a delightful end to the evening, despite the sombre tone.
Let’s talk a bit about the price. The recommended retail price of £37.99 is steep for a live album, even if it contains two CDs, a DVD and a Blu-ray – which is a bit of a con if you ask me. They’re trying to advertise this as a four-disc set, but you’ll inevitably either use the Blu-ray or the DVD only, depending on whether you own a Blu-ray player or not, making one of the discs redundant for the user. It’s fine to sell both discs, just as long as they aren’t inflating the price whilst doing so, as you aren’t getting more product for your buck. Moreover, they’re selling a concert which is riddled with mistakes, the ageing band decidedly nowhere near as tight as they were half a century ago. Is it really ethical to sell a performance chock-full of errors to the CD-buying public?
On the plus side, it is a joy to see these old workhorses still striving to delight their fans, even if the performances are not as brimming with energy as they once were. Evans, in particular, remains lithe and limber on the drums, his menacing bouncer-like appearance at odds with his dexterity on the kit. The filmed concert is directed well, with a crane camera hovering over Hammill as well as static mini cameras to give close-ups of all three of the band members; these intimate cameras are the best part of the set up and are used effectively, such as when Banton gives a solo, or Evans provides a particularly technical fill. With the band shown from so many angles – impressively, the cameras were apparently no distraction on the night, according to an audience member – it’s a chance to see them hard at work like never before, and live vicariously through them on stage, through the great moments and the not-so-great.
Can you tell which is which? The same moment as caught by our TPA concert reviewer, and from the Blu-ray.
TRACK LISTING
Disc One – CD
01. Interference Patterns (4:50)
02. Every Bloody Emperor (8:18)
03. A Louse is Not a Home (12:39)
04. Masks (6:07)
05. Childlike Faith in Childhood’s End (12:55)
06. Go (5:22)
Time – 50:13
Disc Two – CD
01. La Rossa (10:37)
02. Alfa Berlina (8:10)
03. Over the Hill (12:45)
04. Room 1210 (7:47)
05. Man-Erg (11:34)
06. House with No Door (7:15)
Time – 58:08
Disc Three – Blu-Ray
01. Interference Patterns
02. Every Bloody Emperor
03. A Louse is Not a Home
04. Masks
05. Childlike Faith in Childhood’s End
06. Go
07. La Rossa
08. Alfa Berlina
09. Over the Hill
10. Room 1210
11. Man-Erg
12. House with No Door
Time – 113:40
Disc Four – DVD
01. Interference Patterns
02. Every Bloody Emperor
03. A Louse is Not a Home
04. Masks
05. Childlike Faith in Childhood’s End
06. Go
07. La Rossa
08. Alfa Berlina
09. Over the Hill
10. Room 1210
11. Man-Erg
12. House with No Door
Time – 113:40
MUSICIANS
Peter Hammill – Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar
Hugh Banton – Organ, Bass Pedals
Guy Evans – Drums, Percussion
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Esoteric Recordings
Catalogue#: EANTCD 41093
Country of Origin: U.K.
Date of Release: 10th March 2023
LINKS
Van der Graaf Generator – Facebook