Forum Home Forum Home > Progressive Music Lounges > Prog Gigs, Tours and Festivals
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - String Driven Thing Gig, Scotland, 19 May
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedString Driven Thing Gig, Scotland, 19 May

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
farflung View Drop Down
Forum Groupie
Forum Groupie
Avatar

Joined: February 04 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 40
Direct Link To This Post Topic: String Driven Thing Gig, Scotland, 19 May
    Posted: May 15 2007 at 09:43

1970's Charisma label reincarnation (The Machine that Cried etc) are due to appear this coming Saturday (19th May at 21.00) at the Beinn Inn in Glenfarg Perthsire Scotland.    It still has original band leader Chris Adams plus others (he produced The Damage a few years ago)

for more details/. ticket is 15 quid
 
I saw the Accoustic Strawbs at this venue 2 years ago. Its a quaint rural inn 10 miles south of Perth and with a capacity of 50.   Unique - and you can mingle with the band at the bar (at least you could last time)
 
Delighted to have the chance to experience a 1970's legend again in such a great setting
 
Back to Top
Man Erg View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: August 26 2004
Location: Isle of Lucy
Status: Offline
Points: 7456
Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2007 at 09:53
I wonder if Graham Smith (Violinist in both String Driven Thing and Van der Graaf) will be playing? He played on The Machine That Cried so,hopefully...

Do 'The Stanley' otherwise I'll thrash you with some rhubarb.
Back to Top
Easy Livin View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Joined: February 21 2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 15585
Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2007 at 10:08
Great to see the name is still being used. Adams left the band of course after TMTC, with Smith assuming the band name. It will be interesting to hear if any other original members are in the line up, and what material they play.
Back to Top
farflung View Drop Down
Forum Groupie
Forum Groupie
Avatar

Joined: February 04 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 40
Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2007 at 15:43
Sadly no sign of Grahame Smith and more of an Adams Family thing.   STD went downhill after TMTC and the subsequent albums were fairly dire (only have one).  Chris Adams' stuff is quite mellow but sharp acoustic guitar.
 
Anyway the blurb from Beinn Inn says..
 
Back in the 70's, when there was no MTV, real music fans went 'underground' digging for gold, and found bands like String Driven Thing. Fronted by Glaswegians Chris & Pauline Adams, they were part of the famed Charisma stable, alongside Genesis, Lindisfarne & Van Der Graaf Generator and by the time they split in ‘74, they'd released three cult albums, the last of which, 'The Machine That Cried' was hailed at the time as a “staggering achievement” by the Guardian’s rock critic, Martin Walker. The 90's saw occasional String Driven reunions, one of which was recorded for posterity ['$uicide Live in Berlin']. while Chris' rare German solo album ['The Damage'] also surfaced on the esoteric Ozit label. But behind the scenes, his sons were growing up, infected by the same old music bug, and gradually he was drawn back into performing. Now comes the Thing's first studio album in 30 years. Entitled 'Moments of Truth', it features ex Zydeco Ceilidh Band rhythm section Andy Allan and Dick Drake, guitars from sons Robin and Mervyn and banjo mandolin and bottleneck from George Tucker of the Berlin lineup. The shows will feature material old and new, but anyone lucky enough to catch them will soon realise that acoustic folk this is definitely not.
Back to Top
Easy Livin View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Joined: February 21 2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 15585
Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 17 2007 at 03:54
I wouldn't describe the post Adams albums as dire, but SDT certainly continued in name only on them. "Keep yer 'and on it" was admittedly poor though.
Back to Top
farflung View Drop Down
Forum Groupie
Forum Groupie
Avatar

Joined: February 04 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 40
Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2007 at 07:39
This was a lively and endearing event.  This intimate venue was near-full and STD's 4-piece lineup staged a lively two sets featuring material from all phases of their 40 year history.    The new rhythm section of Drake and Allan was tight as a drum with youngest son Robbie on lead guitar and Chris Adams on guitar and vocals, wisecracking with the audience. Very relaxed but driving
 
Their starter and closing sets "Let me Down' and `Circus' respectively followed the Suicide album track. In between there was material from the first STD (Regent Street Incident, My Real Hero); plus Nightclub from the Machine that Cried and a couple from The Damage.    Their latest album Moments of Truth is imminent and they played some samples which sounded fresh and deep.
 
A violin and Grahame Smithe was missed but it was still a great night out
 
They promised to revisit the Beinn Inn when the new album is available 
Back to Top
Easy Livin View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Joined: February 21 2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 15585
Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2007 at 10:57
Thanks for the update FF
Back to Top
farflung View Drop Down
Forum Groupie
Forum Groupie
Avatar

Joined: February 04 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 40
Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 24 2007 at 07:20
I'll keep looking here for similar events across Scotland, northern England
 
A couple of postscripts.  It was mentioned Grahame Smith now teaches `at a girls school near Bristol'!. 
 
As for the post-Adam SDT, I listened to Please Keep Yer Head On today but considered it very poor.
Back to Top
Easy Livin View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Joined: February 21 2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 15585
Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 24 2007 at 13:46
That's in interesting mixture FFLOL
 
If it was "Please mind your head", I'd agree with you. If it was "Keep yer 'and on it", I actually rate that album, but admittedly it is nothing like the Adams SDT albums.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.090 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.