CYBER ZINE FOR AUDIO EXPERIMENTALISTS
LIVE EVENT REVIEWS
this is a listing of live event reviews.. if you go to a noise or
experimental show and wish to review it for CAUTION, we would love to
include it.. we love to show pictures of events as well. when we an get
them... this issue of CAUTION includes reviews of the following events:
Acid Mothers Temple/Farflung/Instagon,
Silverlake,CA / 05-31-99
Girlsong Event, San Francisco, CA / 01-31-99
Solid Eye/Primal Riviera, San Pedro, CA / 01-17-99
ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE
FARFLUNG
INSTAGON
May 31,1999
The Fold @ Silverlake Lounge,Silverlake,CA
This was the first time I was able to check out The Fold at their new
location at the Silverlake Lounge (in a somewhat seedy part of town as
opposed to a very seedy part like the Chorus Club). Good location, I think.
Decent acoustics, spacious and a nice dive-y feel. As for the bill, I was
psyched (no pun intended) to be able to check out a Japanese psych legend,
guitarist Makoto Kawabata and his family/congregation Acid Mothers Temple. A
six-piece that includes a very cute female synth player/singer, these folks
seem to be true disciples of late 60’s/early 70’s hippie acidrock/cult
mentality to the point where it felt like they were being beamed in from
another dimension. Weird folk (?) touches (including what appeared to be a
variation on Tuvan throat-singing ) were blended with heavy, heavy acid
psych jamming that at times bordered on a psycho kind of free jazz but most
often was solidly based on the influences of forefathers like Blue Cheer and
Amon Duul II. But this was no retro rubbish here. These folks have the real
spirit in them in a way that it seems that only the Japanese can pull off.
The finale was a kind of Little Richard-meets-Blue Cheer piece of insanity
that climaxed with Makoto going nuts and ripping strings out of his guitar
and playing it at the same time. Absolutely amazing. Why don’t we have bands
like this in the U.S.? Simple: because the Japanese have been able to carry
on a musical spirit and state of mind that we have for the most part lost.
How do they do it? You’ve got me, but kudos to whoever brought Acid Mothers
Temple out here. In July Makoto’s other band Mainliner is touring (YEAH!!)
so if you’re considering committing suicide you may want to put it off for a
month and a half.
As for the openers, local space rockers Farflung delivered what I thought
was kind of a lackluster, overlong set that never seemed to hit a groove.
I’ve seen them play before and play damn good when they’re tight and
emphasize their heavy side but tonight I felt like they were kind of
meandering. Oh well, maybe next time.
Instagon, they of the never-the-same-twice line-up,
tonight featured on
synth my former bandmate E.J. Nervo and five other dudes (including Lob, of
course). Instagon, what with their no-prior-rehearsal policy, is generally
only as good as how the group of musicians Lob gathers happen to work
together. Tonight they were definitely on, as they were all following each
other well enough so it didn’t become aimless; and the last number, which
hit a On the Corner-era Miles Davis kind of feel, was really killer. I’d say
that they should stick with this line-up but of course this is Instagon and
well... -- [Ron K.]
GIRLSONG
An Evening of Experimental Music with Sweetness & The
Christian Endeavors, Handmaiden America, and Down River
January 31, 1999
The Lab, San Francisco, CA
Our story begins with a story. A story, as told by Sweetness
(performance artist Tim Craig), of life in the country. Where daddies
run away and little girls fall in love with strange men who drive big
shinny trucks. A tale of betrayal, forgiveness and a simple but
truthful understanding of human relationships. Overhead stock
photography allows us the view of a country side. Backed by the
Christian Endeavors (Dennis Bevelacqua, Kurt Hausman, La La Hulse, Adam
Stein, Kevin Hausman, & Kristi Jendry), Sweetness sings all of your
country/western favorites by Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and others I
can't remember. If C/W music needs anything it's a man in drag.
Handmaiden America took the stage next, marching out single file.
Chanting and enchanting. This group of seven women delighted the crowd
with Bulgarian chants. When though this is an acapella group, African
hand drums were used along with an electric guitar. Members include
Shana Kingsley, Gina Darnell, Gabrielle Ekedal, Michelle Menard,
Rossanna D'Anillo, Kristi Jendry, and Paige Weber (Van Gough's
Daughter).
Last and most impressive was Down River. A collaboration between
Carolyn Ryder Cooley and Anah-K Coates. Playing organs, guitar, vocals
and various found instruments these women filled the room with a
haunting dream. The film they showed probably describes their music
best. The pair (one playing an accordion) riding a carousel where all
the horses have been blindfolded as if for execution. At one point, one
strapped on an accordion and they both played it while dancing. This
must be seen to truly understand the sensuality of it all.
This event was presented in conjunction with The Secret Language of
Girls exhibition. -- kenny
SOLID EYE & PRIMAL RIVIERA
Janurary 17, 1999
Sacred Grounds, San Pedro, CA
my partner Jay Truesdale (Ecomcon), and i arrived at the show early..
we got great seats right up in front of the stage area in big cushy comfy
chairs...Jay mentioned that these were great seats.. and that the venue
had nice speakers (big JBL's on the PA) Finally the show started.. there
was no dimming the lights, only the house music was cut off and PRIMAL
RIVIERA began thier set.. PRIMAL RIVIERA is a 2 piece unit consisting of
Lisa, playing synths and knob twisting, and Bill playing Cello with
effects on it.. their set started with Bill doing this growling thudding
like meandering with his cello..while Lisa added space like inertia and
swirly effects from her KORG.. thier second piece was more of the same but
with alot of plucking on ther Cello strings and odd percussive time
signatures with the sound droppings.. thier show was about 30 mins long..
it was very errie in it's texture.. sorta like LUSTMORD with strings..
thier set very much came off as a recital more than a show..i paticularly
liked the Cello making sounds very close to a digereedoo.. there was a
photographer from the L.A. Times in the room shooting photos of Primal
Riviera, and he felt it necessary to ask Bill how to spell his last name
IN THE MIDDLE OF THIER SET.. very uncool.. who trains these people for the
newpapers? From what i can gather this was Primal Riviera's debut
performance in this incarnation. Next came SOLID EYE.. a Los
Angeles based experimental ensamble that i have heard tons about but never
got to witness.. i was not let down.. the trio that makes up SOLID EYE are
brilliant in their efforts are audio collage artists.. their are
inresting characters.. RICK POTTS looks like a cross between
Stephen King and the guitar player for PHISH, and is fun to watch tweak
thru a set playing with toys, a saw blade, a beautiful Fender guitar..and
a special guitar witha bendable neck and a shoe mount.. JOSEPH
HAMMER looks like GEEZER BUTLER from Black Sabbath...kneeling on the
floor fiddling with cd's and making live samples with an OLD beautifully
cased reel to reel machine.. while behind them, playing 2 keyboards.. the
calm smug surfer called STEVE THOMSEN add tones and samples of his
own.. added for this night on the soundboard..mixing thier levels into
the PA was help from thier friend DON BOLLES. This show was
supurb..SOLID EYE played for nearly an hour.. throwing out layer
upon layer of sound and noise.. combining wierd and funny sounds with odd
voices and low end drones.. making nearly an "audio cartoon" twisted and
silly noise inspired by Spike Jones or Raymond Scott but put thru the John
Cage or Steven Stapleton school of how to do it.. i would recommend
SOLID EYE to any noise or experimental music fan.. i will definatly
go seem them again. ---[LOB]
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