2006 Rites of Spring Festival - Aural Moon

Rick and Roll · #1 05-02-2006, 05:23 PM

Hi everyone, I'll get this thread started but may have to do it in stages....

My main objective in going to these shows is to meet people I don't normally see very often, and to catch some bands I may never see again. Anything else is a bonus.

Meeting Chris (aka the Teerminator) was a treat. it's good to talk to someone in the music community that likes sports....and a gentleman he is to the end. I had a great time at the diner with that breakfast that even filled him up! The waitresses love him, although he has an unnatural fascination with jalapenos

Chris is responsible for keeping many vendors afloat with his open wallet...it was great to finally meet you.

Vax, Martha, and Kris were very busy as offical photographers, and although they were "working", we got to spend a lot of time together. A few more times and I will convert your son to the dark side

Always a good time when I see vax..owner of the world's fattest wallet.

I almost got caught spending money on hotel water...the bottles have a tag with very small print.."Feel free to enjoy the water, a charge of $4.75 will appear on your bill." Bullshit!

Also great to see vax's friends Vic (Oceanvic) and Matt. Good guys. As for the Moonies, that was the extent of it, but many other friends visited.

The hotel bar had $12.50 drinks and a menu that had $28.50 entrees. I didn't avail myself of those services...however, the entertainment provided by the swingers club was amusing. Every other month they rent out a floor at the hotel, and Friday PM was an odd mix of fat proggers and swinging singles. Without a lot of detail, let's just say there was a lot of "girl on girl" crime...

First band at 6PM was Ephemeral Sun, who I think is in my neck of the woods. My salad across the street was late and I missed the first two songs. I missed little. The singer had split from the band but decided to do this show as a favor. I'd rather she not have bothered. She sang in a cross between a yodel and opera, and had limited range. the music was crunchy but was pretty uninteresting. The 45 minutes closer was tough to get through. I hear Laurie Ann Haus (the singer) is in a goth band now....

Peter Banks had visa trouble (must be a Syn thing lol, as the Drama tour was cancelled this year for the same reason) and was replaced by John Young. Everyone but me knew who he was, and absolutely drools over his music. I was having beer with vax and doing other things and did not see him. I heard he was good (someone please fill me in).

Neo was great....for everyone but me. I enjoyed it, but it pleased the Neo type crowd more. I like John Jowitt, but after IQ at Nearfest, Jadis two years ago here, Arena last year here, and having him with Kino also, I'm thorougly Jowitted and Clive Nolaned out. Pendragon will be there next year, and I know this is an unpopular view, but I'd rather not see them. Not my cup of tea.

OK that being said, Nick Barret and Alan Reed as guests were outstanding. Andy Edwards, Clive Nolan, and Mark Westwood as the regular band shined. Here's a part of what they played:

IQ's Overture/IQ Erosion
Arena The Hanging Tree
(this was GREAT...sung by Jowitt)
Pallas Greater Glory
Pallas Hide and Seek
Pallas Crown of Thorns
(the Pallas tunes were very emotional and well done)
Shadowland Mindgames
Shadowland Ring of Roses

IQ Outer Limits
Nolan/Wakeman Shadows of Fate <Hound of the Baskervilles>
Pendragon Paintbox
Pendragon Black Night
Pendragon Masters of Illusion
IQ Enemy Smacks

Good IQ selections (I have the first two records but not impressed with a lot of the others).

A great way to finish Friday evening.

More later.

Rick and Roll · #2 05-02-2006, 06:04 PM

Mirthrandir is a band from New Jersey that put out one record in 1975. I did not know what to expect, and thought I might see a quirky band like Yezda Urfa. After the first two songs I was a bit confused, the music seemed to be a bit scattered. But after a positively angry Giant-like guitar and keyboard riff I was hooked. Every selection they played after that was excellent and I was very pleased. I gained a clear understanding of the challenges faced by bands doing their own thing back in the 70's and how disco and the other musical changes really derailed some great careers. the singer, John Vislocky III, was a good storyteller and his voice complemented the music well. They reformed only this year to play a few shows and this festival, abd recruited two new guitarists (including Alan Benjamin fro Advent...dying to hear that CD I bought). Good show.

I loved Hamadryad, but I don't think some others did. Their music is like Tiles was last year..heavy in spots and complicated. Sebatian Cloutier on keyboard was terrific! And the guitar work of Denis Jalbert was stunning. A version of Firth of Fifth (the official cover tune of Rosfest

) was superior. I hear some "he played the guitar lead too slow" etc, but come on! I like bands to put their own stamp on it, and anyway, they hit all the notes. Awesome. their closer, "Action", is a great song. Vocals reminded me of Voivod, a bit tinny, but overall, nice.

Karmakanic was awsome. Jonas Reingold is a monster, and his return with Krister Jonsson (he said they were brothers in law) was trimumphant. They were with the Tangent last year. I was pleasantly surprised by the vocals of Goran Edman (the birthday boy). I'm not a fan of his voice on record but he delivered, albeit with a limited vocal range. He also seems to sing through his jaw and not his throat. but some emotional numbers, especially a new one that was about 15 minutes. Some fun sprinkled in too, with "Alex in Paradise" and "Do You Tango" thrown in. Great stuff. Zoltan Czorsz's drumming was excellent, also.

I had some fun with jonas and his hat he wears EVERYWHERE. Everytime I saw him I'd say "I saw someone with that same hat"! It's an odd heavy white thing that you can see him wearing on the latest Flower Kings' record.

An aside...I noticed the hotel person frustrated woth Goran at checkout, she kept saying "I don't know what you're trying to tell me" in a nasty voice. Lady, he's not from here, be a bit more genteel, ok?

Satellite was a train wreck. They started out superb, with both Wojtek and Sarhan on drums, sort of like Chester and Phil with Los Endos. Sheer power. Then Sarhan went to his guitar and it was downhill from there. He's a fine player, but it was twice as loud as the rest of the band, making the music almost unlistenable. Combine this with the fact that Robert Aririan's vocals are very soft, and it was a mess. He has a smooth sweet voice but no wind at all. Pat of what appeals to me about Satellite is the keys and the vocals...neither I could hear. the only song that sounded decent was the last five minutes of "Evening Wind", when the guitar did not play. I thought the song selection was great, but the sound poor. After finding out this was only their third show together, I understood. A studio creation perhaps...they meant well, with time they'll get better I'm sure. I'm curious about the DVD.... I would have given them more of a pass if they were not scheduled as a headliner.

One more aside...those of you who were making fun of Robert when he was describing his reaction to seeing the 9-11 site...well, I'll see you in hell. Some people don't realize that Europeans have different emotions and aren't afraid to get a bit choked up.

I missed the hotel party, where bands get together and jam. I heard "Highway Star" covered by Pallas was awesome, and some roadies from one of tha bands did some metal songs. I did see the Hamadryad keyboardist play the grand piano for about 10 minutes. Amazing!

Rick and Roll · #3 05-02-2006, 06:31 PM

Magic Freaking Pie......stunning!

What a band, what a performance! It was 1971 all over again...and I wish I was old enough to know it. They played all of the songs from Motions of Desire + a new song that was superior. They played almost two hours, running well over their allotment. I was hoping to hear four. They opened up with Motions of Desire, and nice song sung by keyboardist Gilbert Marshall. "Change", probably the finest song I've heard in 20 years, was third. The crowd was in rapture. What a chorus, what a song. Full Circle Poetry was the highlight, a song with a beautiful chorus reminiscent of early Chicago. I almost expected to see Bobby Lamm behind the stage.

Kim Stenberg is the guitarist and principal songwriter. His arrangements are incredible. I was told he is painfully shy, and writes the songs as he waits for his rides at his job (he is a driver in Norway). His guitar work is blistering, and while front and center, hides behind his shades and lets the two main singers, Allen Olsen and Eirik Hannsen take over. That was my only beef. Olsen held a guitar the whole time, played maybe 10 minutes, and fiddled with knobs and pedals when he wasn't singing. He sung brilliantly - he stood three feet away from the microphone a lot...closer he would have blown the doors off of the place, like the Cryptic Vision guy last year.

Hanssen was even more annoying. He held an acoustic and played a bit...but really added nothing by doing that. Another awesome voice, but when you're not playing,

GET THE F**K OFF THE STAGE.

The bass playing of Lars Peter Holstad was brilliant, but he was overshadowed by Hanssen. It was amusing duing "Change" where there's a brilliant acoustic passage, and I thought, he's not going to play that. Sure enough, he handed the guitar to Stenberg, who ripped through it. Then later Hannsen complained about the sound...Well my friend, the pro had no trouble with it.

But I severely nitpick. Nice guys, very moved by their reception. But the pleasure was all ours.

Oh and a rousing version of Hey Jude.....400 people singing...beautiful.

Rick and Roll · #4 05-02-2006, 06:46 PM

Pineapple Thief was as promised,

My friend called them "shoegazer" rock. I got through four songs and heard the rest while outside. That is not a prog band. Sort of in the style of U2 and REM with a nod to Porcupine Tree, totally devoid of excitement. Teerminator, save me here, I know you like them. I did not, sam I am.

Pallas was shockingly stunning. I saw them at Nearfest and while good lacked the intamacy needed to fully appreciate them. Graeme Murray had his Rickenbacker CRANKED. If it was anything other than a Rick, I would have hated it. It was loud! Emotional songs, some disturbing, political, and social.

The first two tunes would have been comfy at a Maiden show. Propulsive and tasteful. The highlight was Euan Lowson, a former Pallas singer, relearning 20 year old songs and singing them (he did 3-4). He did a war tune and a song where he played a child murderer, and was chilling in his actions. And a great voice. (A funny moment later that evening, I saw Alan reed with three beers he was carrying, I reached for one playfully, and he replies with a grin, "Fuck off"!)

The Watch I tried to get into and they tried hard. But sonically, they were a bit flat. I found the songs very interesting, not at all like Genesis (although Simone Rosetti's vocals are too much like him). Fabio Mancini's keys were superb, but the rest of the band was not ral good. The drummer was off all night, especially during an encore of "Get Em Out By Friday" that got an A for effort and originality but a D for execution. You don't play straight rock and roll drums on that one.

Well I know I'm long winded but I felt I owed you a review...and sorry about the typos...

**VAXman**(Admin) · #5 05-03-2006, 06:21 AM