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Post by caprani on Jul 14, 2004 14:25:44 GMT -5
Justified or not. Just might be a question about if you like todays more loose structure of FEATs concerts, or the old stuff, more. Don't you think?
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Post by alan2112 on Jul 14, 2004 14:38:09 GMT -5
Maybe so. I love to hear the band (any band) jamming away as much as anybody else, but I do think that if fewer songs are played with solos in, then when the band really lets rip it is more effective. Less is more as the saying goes. Dixie Chicken to my mind now has no power or form to it (in my opinion, which I appreciate may not be shared by others).
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TonyC
New Member
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Post by TonyC on Jul 14, 2004 14:47:18 GMT -5
Maybe so, particularly if you use 'loose structure' as a euphemism for under-rehearsed, pointless meanderings.
And you wouldn't have to be an incurable Little Feat nostalgist to feel that Monday night's show was poor.
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Post by tenntwister on Jul 14, 2004 14:57:27 GMT -5
Since I wasn't at the Wolverhampton show and haven't even seen the setlist, all I'll say is that it does sound like the band missed the opportunity to connect with the crowd via banter. The extended Dixie Chicken is an odd thing. I have heard it numerous times, and know what the structure is/can be. It is not unrehearsed - it has definite parts of structure mixed with more freeform areas. They have definite cues within. It can be a let down in the midst of an upbeat show. For whatever reason, the guys in the band like to do it that way. Except maybe for Richie.
Yes, the Feat have played a few weak shows, IMHO, but other fans seemed to love even those.
Alan - good point about the live Feat Sampler.
Mac
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Post by caprani on Jul 14, 2004 15:06:42 GMT -5
"Maybe so, particularly if you use 'loose structure' as a euphemism for under-rehearsed, pointless meanderings."
..........Which I definetely do not! I seriously wonder what your background for that statement is. If you don't get the point it's not anybodys problem, and as a musician myself I would take very good care about stating that anybody might be under-rehearsed on that basis. (I might just not get the point).
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Post by tenntwister on Jul 14, 2004 16:02:10 GMT -5
The setlist is included below, and the comments of one reliable source, let's call him Andy, from the Hoy Hoy Digest. After seeing the setlist, I'd say there was no disrespect for the audience at all, especially for fans who might have bought a Feat recording in the last 30+ years, but not just the first 4 or 5. Looked like a fine setlist to me. You'll see his take on the very poor sound:
I'm sorry to have to report that many of us were sorely disappointed in Wolverhampton on Monday night.
Not with the band, who played superbly, especially given their punishing tour schedule, but with the venue.
I've never been to a worse venue for a rock concert, and I've been to many.
Firstly, for no apparent reason, there was a heavy security presence in the hall. Three huge guys stood in front of the stage, meaning that even standing up was intimidating (never mind dancing). Even Richie was asked to sit down when he came to watch some of Moe's set. How can you snake neck in front of a balding thug in a bomber jacket?
Secondly, the room was high and cavernous with truly appalling acoustics. The band sounded like they were playing at the end of a tunnel. Most of the sound came from BEHIND as it bounded off the back wall. Howard did his best but you cannot turn off natural reverb.
Thirdly, the seating was arranged around large tables. That's right ... AROUND TABLES! With some seats facing AWAY FROM THE STAGE! So loads of wood for the sound to bounce off, not enough bodies to absorb the sound, no standing (until the encore when about 50 of of just ignored the baddies and boogied).
Let's hope the band don't play there again.
Anyway, now that's off my chest, here's the set list
Wolverhampton Civic Centre 12 July 2004
One Clear Moment -> Just Another Sunday, Down On The Farm -> Candy Man -> Down On The Farm, Spanish Moon -> Skin It Back, On Your Way Down, Love You Like A Woman, Stomp, Under The Radar, Easy To Slip -> I Know You Rider -> Easy To Slip, Dixie Chicken -> Bass Solo -> Keyboard Solo -> Corazones Y Sombras (few lines only) - -> Gringo (few lines only) -> Tennessee Jed -> Dixie Chicken -> I Do What The Telephone Tells Me To Do (riff under guitar solos) -> Dixie Chicken
Encore: Fat Man In The Bathtub -> Get Up Stand Up -> Fat Man In The Bathtub =============================
PS - the comments about the other two UK shows were extremely positive. I think the sound and venues were a lot better at those. If Andy says the Civic Hall was a bad rock venue, I believe him.
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Post by featphoto on Jul 14, 2004 17:22:44 GMT -5
as far as the complaints about the sound are concerned, I sympathize with all of you ... I've been to shows where the sound sucked (as well as shows where the sound was amazing), and I know how frustrating it is to know how good it starts out on stage but how muddied it becomes out in the house ...
as to all the other pissing & moaning about "lack of respect for the audience" and such by those of you who are stuck on "their first five albums I will cherish forever as being pretty much as good as rock 'n roll gets" ... remember how it was, way back then, when you were a Little Feat fan and couldn't understand why other people didn't "get it" when it came to how great the music was?
surprise! you've become the ones who don't get it ... the music has evolved, as have the musicians, and if you haven't and can't then you're probably better off with your stereo at home, equating Lowell with God and whinging about how it ain't like it used to be.
them there's my two cents.
hank(us)
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Post by Little Feat on Jul 14, 2004 17:23:44 GMT -5
Oh goody, a rather lively debate
The email that comes into the website is plentiful and the majority is positive on all of the shows and then there is the minority that feel that their particular gig was the worst thing since the Battle of Britain.
As my old man used to say; "You'll have that". What's true for me is that I'm glad to have em back on this side of the pond. Can't wait to string together a run of shows.
Rick
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Post by Mike on Jul 14, 2004 20:40:31 GMT -5
and if you haven't and can't then you're probably better off with your stereo at home, equating Lowell with God and whinging about how it ain't like it used to be. them there's my two cents. hank(us) Take it easy Hank. No need to drag LG into this.
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Post by caprani on Jul 15, 2004 6:54:25 GMT -5
I wonder if Hank just get tired of those "It was all better in the old days" guys. I do!
I'm sure we love Lowell all of us, but it was a long time ago, and things have evolved.
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Post by kevthewev on Jul 15, 2004 16:53:21 GMT -5
Well it has taken a few days to bring myself to the computer and write this but now I have calmed down enough to try and make some sense of it all. My wife and I travelled 4 hours, stayed overnight in a hotel and travelled back the following day having taken 2 days off work to see the band, sadly the gig was totally ruined by the sound. As has been said several times earlier in this post, there was no separation or clarity except when they played "quietly" and it sounded like they were stuck in mud in a very large cave. I spoke with several other "locals" after the gig who said that usually the sound is excellent in the hall so don't blame the venue! The presence of 4 bouncers at the front of the stage did nothing to add to the ambiance and must have made any interaction between band and audience difficult, but they did try despite what others say. As far as the set is concerned, to me it wasn't too bad as I knew most of the numbers they played (except for the instrumental - I still don't know what it is called as I couldn't make out the title!) but my wife isn't as keen a fan as I am so she just heard a noise - thats a kind way of putting it. The mix of old and new was right, this is no longer Lowells band, if they don't progress they will become stale and then go their separate ways - is that what we want? I play in a band myself and we strive to get as perfect a sound as we can wherever we play, perhaps LF could wander around a venue themselves during sound checks or support slots to make sure that they are happy with the sound and if not then sort it out, most bands use wireless transmitters so they can wander round quite freely and do this. I saw LF a few years ago in London and they played a stormer, lets hope that this is a one-off occurance and they return soon - but with a different sound engineer!!
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Post by caprani on Jul 16, 2004 0:49:32 GMT -5
Hmmm. I may understand your dissappointment but........
(snip) "I spoke with several other "locals" after the gig who said that usually the sound is excellent in the hall so don't blame the venue!" (snip)
The forgotten possibility here is the quality (or lack of quality) of the rented equipment. We had excellent sound on the venues we attended.
(snip) "I play in a band myself and we strive to get as perfect a sound as we can wherever we play," (snip)
Well. Don't we all? Could I ask you if you haven''t had any gigs where your "striving" just wasn't enough? I bet you have!
(snip) "perhaps LF could wander around a venue themselves during sound checks or support slots to make sure that they are happy with the sound and if not then sort it out, most bands use wireless transmitters so they can wander round quite freely and do this." (snip)
Most bands do.......Huh? That's certainly not my experience!
(snip) "I saw LF a few years ago in London and they played a stormer, lets hope that this is a one-off occurance and they return soon - but with a different sound engineer!!" (snip)
As a surprise I can tell you, that as far as I remember the soundengineer who did the "stormer" you are talking about was none other than (drumroll.........) HOWARD BURKE! (the man who engineered this gig as well, and who's absence/replacement you seem to figure would solve the problem).
It surprices me seriously that a man who presents himself as a musician himself fails to take the technical aspect with unknown/rented/low-quality equipment into account, but then again...........! I've met plenty of musicians who readily blamed the engineer when they weren't able to deliver themselves. (which I'm pretty sure isn't the case with the members of LF, BTW.)
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Post by featcovers on Jul 16, 2004 3:33:37 GMT -5
Hi gang, thought I'd add my thoughts on this gig. i had to think really hard about the logistics of this trip due to my recent spinal surgery, before deciding to make the trip to wolverhampton. I'm glad I did, cos I met a lot of good people, some for the first time from the Eurotraders Dead trading group - (Tom Traynor and friends) and some I'd met before (bob, Brian and the Manchester Crew) as well as a lot of folks from the HoyHoy digest - including Guy and Ginger, Andy Wild and Jamie Hailstone. The sound was, as people have said, horrible, though it improved later. The seating arrangements and security didn't help either. I last saw Feat in 1976, but have closely followed their career and music since then. I was amazed and overjoyed when they relaunched with Craig Fuller, and again when Shaun Murphy joined. I missed out on their last 2 UK trips.but it was still a great experience to see a band that I hadn't seen fro 28 years, meet and greet most of them after the gig, and meet a whole lot of folks too. I'm waiting for the recordings so that I can hopefully hear what it was they were playing! I too have played in bands, and have been a sound engineer, both live and in the studio, so am aware of all of the problems that can (and do!) arise. You can compensate for too much treble, too much bass, too loud, too quiet, unequal balance of instruments and vocals, etc. What it is very hard to compensate for is the building that you are in, and the equipment that you are using if it is not your own. I would have been happy if Feat had sat round a table with acoustic guitars and sang a few songs - heck, so would most people I guess! I had only heard one or two moe shows, and I like them, but I couldn't rate their performance at this gig because the sound sucked and they didn't play long enough - again the recordings should help matters. I had burned about 15 copies of the Little Feat sampler, with printed covers, and gave these away to assorted people - some of the eurotraders crew, some Feat fans, and a respectably dressed couple at my table, who were snakenecking with the rest of us. They were gobsmacked that they could get a free CD of the band they had just seen on stage. When the band came out to do some signing, quite a few people were getting these sampler's signed - I was with Paul Barrere when Tom traynor gave him his copy, and Paul noted that there had been a few of these around that night. Tom told him that I had given it to him - i explained I had given a load away - Paul was very pleased and said "thanks,man!" I felt a warm glow inside! My return trip was dreadful - I left Wolverhampton bus station at 9:30 and got to Darlington at 5:00pm, but I had the Feat and the Dead on my walkman to keep me sane. It was great to meet up with all of you folks,let's do it again soon! PLEASE!! If you were disappointed with this show, do not write Feat off, Sound problems aside, as my new friend phishtez has said very well (Hi Terry!) Feat are a living breathing changing band. Try and get hold of some of their live shows - including this one, when it is available - and you will be able to hear their development and direction. OK,time to go. Feat out! BTW I have been inspired by the gig to complete the revamp of my website - the Little Feat Covers Annexe at www.featcovers.com. I should have it sorted by the end of next week.
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ZMG
New Member
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Post by ZMG on Jul 16, 2004 16:02:39 GMT -5
My wife and I were at the concert. We took time off work and the round trip to Wolverhampton was 10 hours. I am the fan but my dearest has grown to like them.
I am 50years old and have been listening to Little Feat for 30 years.
We too were so disappointed by the lack of quality of the sound. We never made out one word that Moe said or sang. We gave up before Moe had finished and retired to the bar feeling sorry for them. Because we're familiar with the Little Feat songs, it was easier to believe you could hear their words. At times, usually during the extended solos and instumentals of Little Feat my wife had her fingers in her ears.
I believed this was my once in a lifetime chance to see and hear the band because:-
a) I have not been to any concert for at least 25years and will be selective if I go now. I would only consider going to see Jackson Browne., Bonnie Raitt or Little Feat. b) The band members are older than me. We are all getting older. You only have to look around at the people who were there to conclude the obvious, that their fan base is not growing. c) Everybody retires. At some point they will give up (touring at least). d) They could not fill the venue, even using the space filling measure of the downstairs tables so when will they decide it's not worth their while to come to this country?
Perhaps it's because I believe this was my only opportunity to see them that I am so disappointed. I am not interested in the arguments about past v present, too many solos etc. I know from my 30 years experience that they are great musicians and most of all play music I like.
But... my chance has passed and my hopes are dashed. How cruel!!!
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Post by tenntwister on Jul 16, 2004 16:23:43 GMT -5
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