VdGG in Manchester November 13th

Van der Graaf Generator appeared in Moscow and played present prog-fate- concert, as if thirty years of contemporary music simply not were. Somewhat changed in the last thirty years of the tradition of large fate- concerts. Some things, which was completely usual to disintegration Van der Graaf Generator, in our time are not accepted. It is simplest to hint to the lengths. In our time, when in the head in the mean statistical representative of public are accomodated only entirely rather short plain thoughts, usual length of song on the album - 3,5 minutes, on the concert - 4,5. Slozhnosostavnye compositions with a length of 20 minutes - rarity on the present times it is encountered only in entirely already inveterate prog-rokerov, descendants from the past. It cannot be said that Pieter Khemmill his merry grey friends about this do not entirely know - here and on their latter, Post-vossoedinitelñom the album of composition on the average of 8-9 minutes, but indeed in the first in the last thirty years concert stage it is necessary to play exactly old! As a result the discomfiture is obtained. Photographers they according to tradition permit to remove first three, then in the horror they are crossed and say: the "first two songs", and this of the good of half-hour. Or here still: on the contemporary fate- concerts it is not accepted to solo by all simultaneously. To this rule, generally speaking, several hundred years: one soloes, they accompany others, then it is possible to be changed. Exactly thirty - thirty five years ago, during the simfoniko- vanguard art-fate- revolution, this rule were reviewed: appeared the possibility to play four solyaka simultaneously, to one musician to solo during entire appearance without the interruption, to improvise in the different keys, the different rhythms and the different songs simultaneously - and all this was considered the manifestation of thin taste and large mind. It was necessary to refuse at the beginning of the eightieth in connection with the general musical degradation from this freedom, but Van der Graaf exactly then was decomposed, and this misfortune passed past them. Van der Graaf Generator arranged in the theater of stage immense concert. Pieter Khemmill, sickly seden'kiy boy, bent by the arc before the microphonic counter, from time to time took into the hands guitar and it played by the thundering chords, sat down itself for the electronic piano and even it played on it. Opposite it at two "Rolands" sat Hugh banton (earlier it it played on "khammonde", but you sometimes they tried it to convey?) and by feet it sorted out the organ treadle keyboard, which performed the role of bass- guitar. It is obvious that to hire inexpensive sessional bass- guitarist would be not too dearly, and result would come out at least not worse, yes even Banton would be less similar on the nailed by pin spider collar, but then this would be no longer Van der Graaf. Saksofonist Deyv Jackson, who covered bald spot by his traditional, from the base of group by the brought leather kartuzikom, it soloed without ceasing and from time to time it played on two saxophones simultaneously. In the principle of this it would be possible to avoid let us assume if we use on the scene a "wash" for the production of living semplov. But even before the concert Of khemmill stated in the interview some of television network that they do not have not one semplera on the scene, that everything that they make, uncommon combination of usual tools, two sets of keys, saxophones and drums. Drummer Gaius Evans, entirely brityy, similar to the elderly docker, held rod by fingers as prewar dzhazmen, and from time to time he played some entirely other, different from all rest music. But the most striking, most present revelation was the voice Of khemmilla. There is many fate- musicians, xwho do not have voice, which do not know how to sing. Some of them with this genius: Lu Reed, who simply talks under the music, is no Keyv it yells, that Of veyts it khripit and rychit uterine. Khemmill issues roulades, to its, as he said itself, by "dramatic voice" it issues complex semantic systems. In the record this sufficiently interestingly sounds, but old age is not happiness - it lost voice completely, to applaud here is possible only to shameless bravery, with which this horror is demonstrated to public. I greatly feared, that it descended from the mind and one napryazhenno I scrutinize the mantle of the kings of art- fate, I attempt it to reveal and fear to shout: "naked!" They were, however, were overheard the conversations of the adult and very properly dressed men, which were being been surprised at disgusting, "as into some to pipe", to acoustic fidelity, to the strange voice Of khemmilla and, generally, "and those whether they brought?!". But everything was pleased to the larger part of the public. Peace generally consists of mazokhistov. Principal focus, main conflict of this group consist in from time to time throwing of to public the bone, the piece of anything laconic, distinct, any melody, either khodik or riff, and to then bury this under the waterfall of absurd it is sonic, by the polyphonic piling up of nonsense, svezhen'kogo dekonstruktivnogo advance guard. This concert, just as all other appearances of the reuniting themselves classicists of art- fate, ended by the standing ovation of grateful public. Both it and we all can place in their heart one additional galochku: and these also in us arrived, they came out before the complete enthusiastic hall and satisfactorily rolled.