OFF: Roadburn (was: Farflung - A Wound in Eternity)

[Colin Allen]

Sorry to hear about the circumstances Jon.
   
  From a Litmus point of view:
   
  Oh, what a few days this was: the friendliest people that you could ever hope to meet (ie: everyone in the Netherlands, especially the train ticket collector and the bar owner), some great bands, some very interesting biscuits, weird and shameful dancing, an epic journey under unusual conditions by Marek, Goblin Ben being scared witless by Fiddler, and the search for Harry's mind.  In between all of that Litmus played a full on set to a packed venue. If you have never been to Roadburn, then you really must go.

Jonathan Jarrett <jjarrett at CHIARK.GREENEND.ORG.UK> wrote:
  On Wed, Apr 02, 2008 at 02:16:58PM -0700, Keith Henderson typed out:

> 

I could tell you all how it was, I suppose :-)

My recollections of Roadburn were fairly fuzzy even as it was 
happening, I have to admit, and with various background things going on 
I was in a fair state for most of the weekend psychologically. My 
suggestion there would be, don't break up with the girl you're going to 
the four-day festival with the day before you depart, and if it was 
advice I could have followed, I would have. All the same, I did see 
quite a lot of stuff and enjoyed quite a bit of it. Would people be 
interested in the full review being posted here? It's quite long.

I'm afraid, Keith, I didn't see Earthless, though every time I 
see their *name* a song by the same name by a band called The Druids of 
Stonehenge, that I picked up from the lamented Freak Emporium years ago 
just because of the name, starts to bounce and jangle along in my head. 
However...

> The four guys in Zone Six are some of my best friends,
> so I would be remiss in not recommending them. Very
> unbiased opinion of course! They are all-improv
> spacerock jamming, a la Oresund Space Collective, or
> Secret Saucer. And Ax Genrich, legendary guitarist
> from the original Guru Guru will play with them. He's
> a very talented player. But then, the Swedish band
> Witchcraft is on at the same time...they are an old
> throwback band with a nearly intact 1970 stoner sound,
> so check them out too if you can. La Ira de Dios is a
> Peruvian stoner/space rock band that should be worth a
> visit to be sure.

Zone Six were really cool, especially their very skinny camp 
drummer (with eyeliner) who was having immense amounts of fun. I have 
rarely seen a band save so many apparently stopping jams. Witchcraft I 
have seen before, they throw back to nothing good IMO so we avoided 
them. La Ira de Dios were excellent, blistering and heavy and 
continuous, like the musical equivalent of being under a bridge as a 
military convoy passes over it, played back at twice the speed. The 
album I bought is much lighter, like a more melodious Heads. Weird 
difference.

> Of course, Dave Anderson will be there on stage with
> the Groundhogs, if you want to ask him for your money
> back on any Demi Monde purchases. :) And finally,
> Earthless for your late night entertainment. They are
> a SoCal long-winded (LP-side length winding
> tracks...like Sleep, with talent) stoner band, some
> connection to Nebula I think. Their first album was
> really cool (the black and white cover)...the latest
> one decent, but not as impressive IMHO...oddly enough,
> they cover the Groundhogs (Cherry Red) as a bonus
> track. Have fun!

I missed the Groundhogs, too, the room was just impenetrable by 
then, but I have what is apparently one last chance to see them in 
London in June so I'll have to make that. If only, as you say, to ask 
for my money back on _Yuri Gagarin_ :-) Yours,
Jon
-- 
"When fortune wanes, of what assistance are quantities of elephants?"
(Juvaini, Afghan Muslim chronicler, c. 1206)
Jon Jarrett, Fitzwilliam Museum, jjarrett at chiark.greenend.org.uk