HW: OFF: Monster Magnet in CH etc.

[Keith Henderson]

Hi Folks...little activity here.  Guess I will post something of potential relevance...

Monster Magnet just came within 10 km of me here in Fribourg, CH (oddly enough, I saw them headline here in Fribourg proper some seven or so years ago), so my brother and I made the effort to go.  It was a strange thing, as it was a medium-large 4-day rock and pop festival in an old Roman arena (part ruin, part modern construction) in what was the major Roman settlement of Aventicum (now French-Swiss town of Avenches).  Status Quo were the headliners, and have a huge following here, so very few were there to see Monster Magnet.  A bit too extreme for most oldtimers I guess.

Anyway, when the band came out, I was wondering why Dave Wyndorf wasn't there, but just the four other guys, and some fat roadie dude checking out Dave's guitar.  Then I finally realized that Dave Wyndorf is now a big fat dude.  He looks absolutely terrible.  Of course, he went through a long recovery from a major prescription drug overdose, but seriously....he's like 270 pounds now and has aged like 100 years.  Poor guy.  He also has about only 10% of the energy that he used to.  So, with the crowd not really caring who these guys were, and the band having a sedentary-like frontman, the show was a little visually subdued.  However, the music was good, although the soundman obviously didn't want us to clearly hear Ed Mundell's guitar solos.

Best bit was the long version of The Right Stuff, preceded by the awesome "Radiation Day" from the FAR-underrated Monolithic Baby CD (which may even be my favourite MM album of all).  Anyway, TRS started out with a minute or two of Sonic noises and such, and then the song proper, and then an extended jam of other riffs (something like Part two of Assassins of Allah) and sounds.  All the usual Powertrip stuff closed out the set, which at least a few fans actually knew.  Nice to see them again, and know that they are still recording, but I am afraid that the best of MM is already behind us, due to Dave's condition.  I hope he gets himself back 'mean' and healthy again.

Monster Magnet setlist (I think)...Avenches CH, 11 Aug. 2010
 
1. Dopes to Infinity (Dopes to Infinity)
2. Crop Circle (Powertrip)
3. Bored with Sorcery (Mastermind 2010)
4. Twin Earth (Superjudge)
5. Dig That Hole (Mastermind 2010)
6. Zodiac Baby ('acoustic') (Spine of God)
7. Radiation Day (Monolithic Baby)
8. The Right Stuff (Monolithic Baby)
9. Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Dopes to Infinity)
10. Spacelord (Powertrip)
----------------------------------
11. Tractor (self-titled EP, later re-recorded for Powertrip)
12. Powertrip (Powertrip)

nothing from last two studio albums, 4-way Diablo or God Says No

Status Quo I know very little of, apart from Matchstick Men, which is apparently too cool and psychedelic for them to play anymore, 'cause all they did was their boogie rock stuff, apart from this one slow and really terrible song (that I don't know) called "In the Army Now," which amazingly seemed to be the most popular number of all with the crowd of maybe 5,000 by this point.  I knew the tunes "Down the Dustpipe," "Mean Girl" seemed familiar, and the hit "Rockin' all over the World," plus some other song that starts out "Whatever you want..." but that was about it.  But it doesn't really matter...all their songs are about the same sort of simple three-chord boogie blues that rip off Chuck Berry.  I must admit...I rather liked the Rossi dude though...he can play guitar (and the soundman actually let us hear him clearly) and his voice isn't bad either (nasally, but in a good way), but the shorter dude (Parfitt) really doesn't contribute all that much. 
 Overall they were OK, but I'll never understand why this band is such a big deal.  They remind me of the Kinks.  Well, and the Rolling Stones too.  Music for people who are completely and utterly uncritical about the music they listen to.  European Jimmy Buffett.

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Well, I still am not sure if I am to expect an actual ticket to Hawkfest in the mail.  I will just have to hope that a printout of my order receipt will be good enough when the time comes to walk through the gate.  I have decided to also go to both the Onboard the Craft fest (small, 250 people max.) featuring Alan Davey's band and Group X (Davey, Tree, Richards, Harvey, Thompson).  And then I will go to London to see Gong with Steve Hillage with Nik's Lot (aka Space Ritual) as opener.  So I get to see Hawkwind of three varieties on three consecutive weekends.  (Or really four, if you count TOSH.)  Should be interesting, if not entertaining.

Of course, I expect the first weekend to be by far the best (in terms of Hawkwind output).  Although I hope Dave gets his guitar sound 'fixed.'  I didn't post this before, but at Herzberg, his guitar sound was completely terrible!  Which was very sad, because everything else about that show and performance was great!  The dancers were amazingly good, the lightshow was first-rate, the setlist was above average, and Dibsy was really on fire on bass.

Plus, Tim is really integrated back into the band finally.  A couple years back, he had no idea what to play on keys half the time, 'cause he didn't know all the music.  However, Dave's guitar sound was ridiculously high-pitched, and washed out in some weird way.  At the same time too loud but yet impossible to hear since it just disappeared into the white noise of the whole mix.  Oddly, he is now playing a standard burgundy-colored Gibson SG, a guitar I had no idea he even owned.  Which is a great stoner rock guitar, but obviously in combination with his own personal effects pedals and whatall, it simply was NOT WORKING.  I hope he sorts this out before Hawkfest, or else someone kindly tells him his guitar sounds like shit.

Anyway, should be a great festival with Here and Now, the Quimby's, and lots of other cool acts.  Plus, ale!  I hope.  See you all there.

After Gong/Nik, I will head back to Germany for two more concerts (Pothead in Karlsruhe, and Magma (woo!) in Wuerzburg), before finally having to head back to the states again for the winter at least.  :(  See you all on the road...

Ciao zame...
Keith (Fribourg, CH)

ObCD - Triggerfinger (Belgium) - What Grabs Ya?
(for fans of Wolfmother, Clutch and the like, perhaps)