FIREWORKING AT ST.CROIX

GAZPACHO is the group founded in 1996 similar to Marillion at the start, quickly sensitized by Radiohead and having acquaintances with Coldplay; an eclectic band with the soulful voice of Jan; an intimate whimsical rock art concept. They give us here a studio set in their space in Ste Croix following an unprecedented streaming in 2020 in the midst of a pandemic; Gazpacho always asks itself its questions of the struggle of man with his vital force.

'Space Cowboy' is the 1st of the five titles of 'Fireworker' starting this unique live with the reverberating voice à la Lana Del Rey, the electric violin and the majestic choirs coming to give an overwhelming musical sensation, the grip of the hovering departure, the finish on an Oldfield tinged with 'Carmina Burana'. 'Hourglass' recalls the bewitchment of Michael's violin and his plaintive tune, 'Fireworker' on Jon's idyllic voice, depressed, melancholy and beautiful; Robert with his pads bringing a tribal atmosphere on his acoustic drums, magnified on 'Antique' where the electronics come forward with hypnotic loops. 'Sapien' concludes this set with an intense gothic title, filled with musical waves; the live becomes indecent we have the impression that they play only for us; that spatial voice-over sequence still gives me chills; the piano à la Japan adds to it, the slide guitar settles on an arid, icy tempo. 'Substitute for Murder' for the beginning of the encore, title of 'When Earth Lets Go' to warm up a little before attacking the two 'The Walk Part I and II' with the oriental break and 'Winter Is Never' from the album 'Tick Tock' for a final hymn to their unique sound.

Gazpacho therefore staged itself in the raw state giving itself without correction, the expanded stream is remixed in 5.1, CD, Blu-Ray, LP and DVD available with more than 2 hours of bonuses, videos, an interview and a 2019 concert; a concert film from a rehearsal, raw formwork; a stunning rehearsal, a unique pandemic studio concert, an intense, dreamlike and simply majestic album. Gazpacho has done well by revisiting its latest album and adding a few reminder titles to allow us to immerse ourselves in their inimitable sound space.

What to do when you have a whole new live show rehearsed and ready to hit the road, but the entire world goes in lockdown mode and you are forced to cancel all your tour dates? That was the question that Norwegian prog rockers Gazpacho asked themselves when they realized that the tour for their latest studio LP Fireworker was just not going to happen.

Fortunately, Gazpacho are a creative bunch and decided to make the best out of the situation, by recording a show, documented on Fireworking at St Croix, which was a cross between a proper live event and a sort of "behind the scenes" documentary of their rehearsals. The band played a show that was streamed online to the homes of fans, but choreographed as if Gazpacho were playing during one of their rehearsal meetings. So, no big fake light show, no crazy stage antics (not that Gazpacho are renowned for this!), just simple music, played in an intimate setting that offers glimpses into the band's activities away from the limelight.

The concept is certainly interesting, even more so given that the LP captures the band's latest album Fireworker in its entirety (plus a handful of songs from their 2009 masterpiece Tick Tock and "Substitute for Murder" from Gazpacho's second LP). Fireworker is a difficult album, even impenetrable at times, that indulges in the band's cerebral, yet emotive approach to progressive rock and post-rock, with long-form compositions that ebb and flow incessantly, constantly mutate and swell up to big, cathartic climaxes. The intimate setting of the band's rehearsal space is a perfect match to the album's brooding atmosphere, in a way that a regular live show may have risked not to fully capture. The small imperfections of live music further enhance the emotional, at times painfully raw, motif of the album, which is exalted by the heavy distortion of Jon Arne Vilbo's guitar, the small cracks in Jan Henrik Ohme's voice, or the added emphasis on Kristian Torp's bold basslines.

At the same time, it is hard not to miss the energy and electrical atmosphere that runs through the stage when a band plays live in front of a crowd. Vibes are perhaps excessively sedated on this record, which can be especially taxing when combined with the cerebral and difficult nature of the material from Fireworker.

Ultimately, I view Fireworking at St Croix more as an "augmented studio album" than a proper "live album". If you loved Fireworker and want to listen to it in an edgier context than its original studio recording, this album is for you. If you are instead looking for an album that properly captures the live essence of Gazpacho, you'd be better advised to turn to their 2010's A Night at Loreley or 2011's London albums.