I saw on thursday last week 19/1006 Forgas Band Phenomena in Paris. Now this concert was organized by a Parisian University organisation ‘L’association Cinéma & Musique’ and the topic of the evening was ‘ The Canterbury Sound’

The evening took place in an amphitheatre in the Parisian Jussieu University, not as nice as ‘La Sorbonne’ , but with good acoustics and a big scene. There were about a hundred concert goers, a mix of students and Canterbury fans. The evening started with  a compilation of ‘Canterbury band’ TV clips projected onto a big screen. I suppose that some of them are circulating on the Net, but for me it was the  first time, that I saw these clips and it was quite impressing. The list:

Soft Machine : Hope For Happiness (1967) B/W

Soft Machine : Facelift (1969) French TV B/W

Caravan : Golf Girl (1971) German TV [Beat Club]

Hatfield & The North : meddley (1973) French TV [ Rockenstock]

Soft Machine : Bundles/ Land Of The Bag Snake (1974)[ Montreux Jazz Festival]

National Health : The Collapso (1979) English TV [Old Grey Whistle Test]

After the film started the first set of the ‘Forgas Band Phenomena’ with Patrick Forgas (drums & compositions), Caroline Bugala (violin), Sylvain Ducloux (guitar),  Igor Brover (keyboards), Kengo Mizoguchi (bass), Gabriel Richards (tenor & soprano sax), Julian Matrot (trumpet), very multicultural band BTW.

Patrick Forgas who released his first solo record in 1977 (recorded with members of ‘Zao’ and’ Magma’ is for ten years now at the head of the 'Forgas Band Phenomena' , which plays a Canterbury influenced Jazz Rock.  Like Robert Wyatt and Pip Pyle , Patrick Forgas is a highly gifted composing drummer. The band started with a track from their upcoming new release “ la Treizième Lune” , followed by the epic 40 minute track “Coup de grace “ from their last great record “Soleil Douze” (2005) a stunning masterpice of polyrythymics and fine melodies featuring all soloists with as special mention for Polish violonist Caroline Bugala.  I saw the band already in june at ‘Le Triton’ and the woodwind & horn section (trimmed down to a duo) got less fire , but did still an excellent job.

After an interlude the evening continued with a film realized  by Canterbury Specialist Aymeric Leroy  and Aloise Leledy  “Psychic Warrior” (2006) a hommage to late Elton Dean ( who’s widow was BTW present in  the public and who  furnished a great part of the footage) [Aymeric Leroy told us two days later  in Canterbury, that unfortunately this film can’t be released for legal reasons] The half an hour lasting documentary was very touching and was also a hommage to late Pip Pyle, who appears in a part of the footage. The most touching part the goodbye song ‘Psychic Warrior” written by Pip Pyle and Richard Sinclair performed live  in Bresil.

 It was a little difficult to get back  to the energetic music of the 'Forgas Band Phenomena' for their second set, which was as good asd the first one , with another epic “Double Sens” to be found on their upcoming ‘Cuneiforme’ release, the same as the last track of the set “La Treizième Lune “ the title track.  After a big applause the band came back for an ecore from  “Soleil Douze”.

A very emotional evening, especially with the perspective to see a part of the muscians live on scene in Canterbury the next evening some miles further west.

R.I.P Elton & Pip