OFF: Ficton & Nektar

[Henderson Keith]

JonJ relates...

>I had no idea what to expect from Nektar, as I'd only discovered
>minutes before I got in that they weren't German

Yeah, they're all UK natives, but the band was formed and based in
Germany (originating in Hamburg at that famous Star Club I think,
just like the Beatles) :)  from their formation in c. 1970 until
sometime around 1976 when they migrated to New Jersey, where all
but Roye Albrighton (who is still in the UK) continue to live.
So lots of people consider them part of the 'krautrock movement'
even though none of them are German.

>and that I couldn't remember which of their albums Calvert guested on,

"Down to Earth," the circus-based concept album, where Calvert is
'ringmaster.'  The album is spotty, but Calvert's bits are fun and
I like "Nelly the Elephant."  Which perhaps they played live for you?

>I got _A Tab in the Ocean_, even before they played, and that
>seems to have been a good bargain,

Yeah, that one is consistently good throughout and "Desolation Valley"
is one of my favourite Nektar tracks.  The very first album, "Journey
to the Centre of the Eye," which is now available in that 5.1 sound
format on CD (plays normally on a regular stereo system, so it's a
"hybrid" disc), is the true Space-rock album from Nektar.  A classic.
I wish they would play some songs from that one (esp. Dream Nebula).

>Keyboards, played apparently by a Welsh hobbit,

:)

He has the strangest accent of any person I've ever heard.  I can only
understand about every fifth word!  I thought he was from Liverpool,
hearing some similarities to other Liverpudlians I've heard (Lister
from Red Dwarf is one, yeah?), but perhaps north(?)* Wales is just a
more extreme version of this bizarre accent.  ?

*He doesn't sound like Terry Jones, who I use as a Welsh example, but
then I don't know what part of Wales Jones hails from.

Anyway, his name is Allan Freeman, but he goes by "Taff."  (Isn't there
another Allan Freeman who is a DJ in the UK somewhere?  At one point,
I thought maybe it was him, but since Freeman lives in NJ, it couldn't
be.)

>were as with modern Man slightly too new and digital to be entirely
>authentic

I thought he did pretty well with the digital stuff.  Granted, it was
better at Burg Herzberg '03, when he had his 'real' keyboards, but then
he was also low in the mix, so mainly he was prominent just in the quieter
parts.

>which is a little unfair perhaps as I haven't seen the current PT lineup
>and they might for all I know be positively fascinating,

I like the current PT just as much as the old PT, but in a different way,
as they are now seriously metallized (poor Barbieri has almost nothing
to do now) and hardly any psychedelia remains in the mix.  But Wilson
is still a good songwriter, and as long as he keeps the sappy choral
vocals to a minimum, and doesn't do any more of that string orchestration
(as on Lightbulb Sun), he's still got my interest.  And now Adrian Belew
will be contributing to the new PT album, so we'll see where that goes.

>I was sorry I didn't have...enough time to stay for the encore). So I say,
>go see them if you get the chance as they will pin back your ears and wash
>your forebrain over with the Real Stuff.
>
>Now, someone tell me what I missed, OK? Yours,

You mean the encore?  "Fidgety Queen" perhaps.  An ok song...from that
"Down to Earth" album.

And of course, those in the US should *definitely* make it to any
and all of these shows in reasonable driving distance!!  Especially
since you will see Caravan on the same night!  I think the Nektar
team have spent a lot of time, money, and effort on setting up this
tour, and I sincerely hope it doesn't turn out to be a financial
disaster.  I don't know if very many (regular) people actually
remember either of these bands, so it might be difficult to draw
any but the hard-core fans.  So take some friends if you can.

Nektar/Caravan - No. American tour 2004

Sept 7 - Club Tundra, Syracuse, NY
Sept 8 - The Egg, Albany, NY
Sept 10 - The Regent Theatre, Arlington, MA
Sept 11 - BB Kings, New York, NY**
Sept 12 - The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA
Sept 15 - The Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
Sept 17 - Headliners, Louisville, KY
Sept 18 - Pops, St. Louis, MO
Sept 19 - Martyrs, Chicago, IL
Sept 21 - Toronto Opera House, Canada
Sept 22 - Odeon Concert Club, Cleveland, OH
Sept 23 - Rex Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
Sept 24 - The Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA

**odd coincidence, eh?

Grakkl (FAA)