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Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
Forum Description: Discuss specific prog bands and their members or a specific sub-genre
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=106766 Printed Date: March 12 2025 at 06:00 Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Van der Graaf "Cat's Eye" Promo Vid Unearthed!!Posted By: bucka001
Subject: Van der Graaf "Cat's Eye" Promo Vid Unearthed!!
Date Posted: May 21 2016 at 08:34
From my VdGG Facebook page (just so you get the whole story ;-):
STOP THE PRESSES!!!!!! Yet *another* astonishing, hitherto unseen
video from Van der Graaf's golden 70s era has surfaced (well, unseen
since 1977...) and the person we have to thank for it yet again is https://www.facebook.com/herman.permentier" rel="nofollow - Herman Permentier .
Herman was the man responsible for making the Refugees '70 video
available to everyone, and now he's put a lot of time, travel, and $$
into taking an old 16mm film he acquired years ago and having it
digitized, so that we can all enjoy it. This guy is a hero to VdGG fans, if you ever see him out at a Hammill/VdGG gig, please offer to buy him a beer / pop / coffee / whatever...
It's Van der Graaf from 1977, the five piece lineup (after Hugh and
Jaxon split) featuring Peter Hammill (guitar, vox), Guy Evans (drums),
Nic Potter (returning member on bass), https://www.facebook.com/graham.smith.52493499" rel="nofollow - Graham Smith (violin), and https://www.facebook.com/chas.dickie" rel="nofollow - Chas Dickie
(cello). They're miming to Cat's Eye, a single in France and one of the
tunes off of the great Quiet Zone album. In an article on VdGG from
Mojo magazine in '02, bassist Nic Potter (R.I.P.) was quoted as saying
that he remembered doing a TV show with Peter larking about in a
"plastic mac." While writing The Book (with Phil Smart), I asked Peter
and Guy if they remembered anything about this. They didn't (and
probably still don't even after seeing the vid!). But I talked to Nic
about it, I asked him what a "plastic mac" was. He said it was like a
see-through rain coat and he did still have vague recollections of the
TV appearance from decades ago. Honestly, I thought he might have been
mis-remembering a TV show that never actually happened, etc. But, this
video unearthed by Herman proves that Nic was right! Coincidentally,
I've been listening a lot to VdG's swan song, the double live '78 album
Vital (featuring this exact lineup) quite a bit lately and have
reaffirmed my thoughts on what a KILLER, take-no-prisoners lineup this
was (and what a brilliant, like-no-other-band-on-the-planet group VdG
were).
Thanks again Herman! Awesome, awesome stuff!!
------------- jc
Replies: Posted By: Michael P. Dawson
Date Posted: May 21 2016 at 08:49
Well that was pretty amazing!
------------- Buy this thing! https://store.cdbaby.com/Artist/MichaelPDawson" rel="nofollow - https://store.cdbaby.com/Artist/MichaelPDawson
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: May 21 2016 at 12:29
Fantastic! Any VDGG footage is worth it's weight in gold for me
------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: May 21 2016 at 17:07
Once again, thank-you's to Herman P and Bucka001 for sharing this footage . And indeed, Vital is truly KILLER !! Brutal and beautiful at the same time. Dear Nic was a monster on the bass. Too awesome.
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: May 21 2016 at 17:07
Sorry, don't know why a double post gets through sometimes..... Looks like I'm going to crank up Vital today !!