This turned out to be a one man show which was a surprise as I was expecting a full band and backing singers similar to when he last toured (about 2004). Its not a big stage. The big man was introduced onto the stage via a recording of Moonchild and a modern rap style version of In The Court Of The Crimson King. And there he was on his own (although some unkind souls might consider that a good thing for health and safety reasons never mind the half ton drum kit and riser that Carl used to use). The opening track was 21st Century Schizoid man with Greg singing and playing bass to a backing track. (All the backing tracks seemed to be new recordings which did make me wonder who played on them.). His voice has stood the test of time well and perhaps due to giving up the cigs he is singing better than he was 20 years ago on the Black Moon tour. There was actually a slight gasp when he started playing Trilogy. Everyone was thinking 'is he really going to hit those notes?' Of course he didn't but using a 'slightly' lower register than the original he did a respectable version which then seemlessly lead into Still You Turn Me On.

 

One of the purposes of doing the one man show was to be able to talk about his songs and influences. We got plenty about Hendrix , Elvis , The Beatles and Hank Marvin which was very interesting. He talked about how ELP got together. Very familiar and the facts are well known and have been repeated many times. Still it was very interesting when he recounted his meeting with Mitch Mitchell , his two bodyguards , a manager and a gun! Thankfully as time testifies , Lake lived to tell the tale and Palmer turned out to be the safer option . I especially liked his story about seeing Elvis in 1970. First song , 3 women fainted and had to be attended to. Second song similar story. By the end it was like a refugee camp with people crying. Elvis has left the building. He was stunned by just how good he was and said he it would take him a long time to get over the fact that he would never be that good.

 

Apart from his owns songs (C'est La Vie , Lend Your Love Tonight , Lucky Man etc) he also played the odd classic rock n roll song as well the Beatles 'You've got to hide your love away' helped enthustically by the audience on the main chorus. During the interval I had a chat with a very nice couple who had come all the way over from Boston , Massachusetts. Apparently the lovely lady had serenaded her future husband with Take A Pebble all those years ago. Quite a talent!

 

The encore track was rocking verion of Karn Evil 9. Strange one to end the show on I suppose but good fun.Overall a very enjoyable evening with GL now taking the show over to Italy. Enjoy!

 

PS he did play Father Xmas!

First 

21st Century Schizoid Man - KC

Lend Your Love to Me Tonight - ELP

From the Beginning - ELP

Heartbreak Hotel - Presley

Epitaph brief version - KC

The Court of the Crimson King brief version - KC

I Talk to the Wind - KC

You've Got to Hide Your Love Away - Beatles

Second

Touch And Go - ELPowell

Trilogy - ELP

Q&A audience

I Believe in Father Christmas - ELP

Shakin' All Over - Johnny Kidd and The Pirates

C'est la vie - ELP

Lucky Man - ELP

People Get Ready -Curtis Mayfield

Encore

Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Part 2 - ELP

 

Thanks for posting the set list. I couldn't remember all of it.

 

On the Curtis Mayfield cover he played keyboards and very respectably to. Trivia question - when did he play keyboards in ELP?

Yes.  That is even more shocking.

 

I don't agree at all and I'm not sure where you are coming from anyway.

Fripp wouldn't let him record Lucky Man  and Lake gives this as one of the reasons he had to leave King Crimson.

 

I would argue that he became a better song writer in ELP. Emerson gave him lots of ideas. Would he have used Troika in his Christmas song but for the classical influence of ELP I wonder? Lake wasn't a prolific song writer and partnered up with Sinfield for Works in order to get six songs done. Emerson was quite happy for Lake to contribute more as I understand it and Lake was no shrinking violet in terms of stating and getting what he wanted. Those that knew them in the seventies would probably say Lake was the strongest personality in the band. He was never given the production seat in ELP he just took it!  Emerson also has a great story at the time of the recording of Pirates and a meeting with 'Lenny '(as Lake called him) Bernstein in his biography that also proves he was no shrinking violet.

he did co write Epitaph but then its a matter of taste whether you prefer that over say Trilogy which he co wrote with Keith Emerson. I like both and both are different. Whats a simple fact is that he would have had less freedom in Crimson compared to ELP so I don't really understand how that could possibly have been of benefit in developing his song writing.

Indeed (1973 according to Keith below), here a couple of pics showing the white M400, and Keith's recollection of the story (PlanetMellotron has a slightly different one which sounds less reliable).

"Carl wore an earphone, and played the drum in synch with a click on the backing tape. Greg played the prerecorded chords on the Mellotron. The trouble arose after playing "Abaddon's Bolero" about 4 times live - the tape went bad and the sound stopped going to Carl's earphone. Carl continued to play without his earphone, but at the climax, the sound from the backing tape was lost, and then it was only the three of us playing. We decided to stop using it after that. It was too risky and also Carl did not like playing to a backing tape. This happened in Germany in 1973."

At any rate it clarifies that what broke down was the Revox playing the backing tape, not the Tron itself.

"After we recorded Trilogy (1972), we wanted to perform the album on stage, but Abaddon's Bolero was a hugely complex track with loads of Moog synthesizer overdubs and it was quite impossible to play it live. So we sampled complete phrases off the 16-track onto a Mellotron, which Greg could play using bass pedals. This still wasn't enough, so we also hooked up a Revox tape recorder and arranged the track around that. Unfortunately, the second time we tried it in front of an audience, the Revox ground to a halt and so did Carl, Greg and myself. We ended up having a huge argument backstage, the result of which was that we never attempted the Bolero again. I would have trashed the Mellotron, but I gave it to Greg instead. I've no idea where it is now."

Just out of interest what do you regard as Lake's best song?

I think they themselves realised it and at some point they got an improved version, with more menacing eyes, ears etc and it looked better.

The thing actually released smoke and fired a charge of polystyrene snow, here a couple more pics, the creature smoking, being repaired and an article about it.

Strangely enough, that's part of the problem; for me, there is no best song; all we get are glimpses of possibilities, but I feel there is/was always something in there struggling to get out. I always regarded the ELP exercise as a wasted opportunity in that way, even though I'm a fan of the band's best work.

 

and did you read the last line of that article? Hilarious

Indeed, what do we have then to think about their debut's cover 

 

Greg is undoubtedly an excellent musician although I'm not sure what else he should have achieved?

 

Played in the seminal progressive rock band

Played in the most successful rock supergroup

Played live with an orchestra

Has one of the most enduring and best Christmas records

Recorded two solo albums with the then best guitarist on the planet

Did that massive world televised concert with Asia

 

Also his best songs have been recorded and released either with ELP or as a soloist.

 

He's has a good career I feel.