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We arrived to find The Monsoon Bassoon sitting around waiting for David Thomas to finish sound checking. This is one of those tricky places to get the sound right, as the venue only has a vocal PA. Finally The Bassoon get on with the sound check, but time is not on their side, and they are being rushed, and cannot hear each other in the monitors. Rothko set-up, plug in, and play for 30 seconds - sound check done! Rock and fucking roll!! Food! We stroll to the beach (no sand though) run around for a bit, get our feet wet, queue up in a dodgy looking chip shop, look at the time, and rush back to the venue with only 3 minutes to spare with empty stomachs. Rothko kick off the evening. Mark does a great impression of a broken mic, mouthing "Hello, we're Rothko", three times, into a patently working microphone before pushing the sound system to it's limit. By the last track the money in the till behind the bar is rattling in submission. A few more ears have been opened to the sonic sound of Rothko. Next on were David Thomas And Two Pale Boys. They were supposed to be headlining, but decided that they wanted to play in the middle. The main man, David Thomas, also from Pere Ubu, is a large American who plays the accordion. Not the large accordion that we are normally used to seeing, but a smaller version, probably the type that used to be taken on sailing ships in the old days - sounds very similar too. Two other players flank him - they are not pale and are not boys by the way. Andy Diagram is on his right, and plays the trumpet using a radio mic. He also has a stack of electronic gadgetry with him, which enables him to make almost any noise from his piece of brass. On his left is Keith who plays guitar, which seems capable of sounding like a bass as well, and also has all sorts of electronics plugged into the instrument. David basically tells stories, while the instruments play their part in setting the scene. They last between 10-15 minutes each, and are very bleak. He leaves through a folder of words, plucks one out, and starts to read. Whether the tunes or the words are pre arranged is anyone's guess, but they seem to work together. The guitar and the accordion set the scene, while the trumpet does a great job of producing the desired effects. One of the stories is about a man who hears that a hi-way is to be built through the valley. He buys a plot of land to build a large shop, and make his fortune, only to find they build it on the other side of the ridge - it's called 'Nowheresville', and is typical of the type of story told. All the time David is totally immersed in the story, tossing and tuning, sweating, and conducting the two lads - if he thinks they are being too loud or soft. In between sentences he takes swigs from a silver hip flask, and swaggers around almost like he is travelling on a ship. The set was totally unexpected and very effective. The audience were immersed fully in the set, as he dragged us all into his world. Young and old equally impressed. Well worth checking out again. The Monsoon Bassoon did their usual sterling job of taking the crowd off guard with their fractured tunes, then messing with their minds. The sound was great, even though the band couldn't really hear what was going on. They even did an encore, 'The Very Best Of Badluck '97', which is quite unusual. All in all, another excellent night of experimental music from three very different artists to look out for in the future. skippy The Monsoon Bassoon are one of the most original and exciting London-based bands of today. With the help of Jim's drums, Kavus and Dan's guitars and vocals, Laurie's bass and Sarah's vocals, flute and clarinet, listeners are launched into a world of melodic perfection. Some music has just the right notes - this music is full of them. One of the reasons that The Bassoons are so exciting to listen to is their control over dynamics. The loud bits are harsh and thunderous, whilst the quiet bits are gentle and soothing. Dynamic changes are frequent and without warning, dazzling the listener with beautifully structured sequences and cyclical melodies. The Bassoons played an incredibly powerful gig tonight, what felt like five minutes was actually thirty, (always a sign of a good gig), leaving the audience hungry for more. Kavus is capable of some very impressive on-stage acrobatics whilst playing tricky guitar riffs. A piercing gaze accompanies Dan's precise guitar playing and seemingly effortless vocals, whilst Laurie, difficult to see hidden behind Dan, achieved a bright, penetrative bass sound. Sarah has a completely perfect vocal technique, her playing and singing was, as ever, faultless. Jim (with the straightest back and most graceful hands in the world of drummers) played with a cool, calculative accuracy, in his distinctive, meticulous style. The Monsoon Bassoon are a truly great live band who must be seen at any opportunity. Christina |