tg live in london last night

(thanks stirmonster - email sent.)

A desperate northern TG fan

mattavish

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Tue 18th of May - 12:46 am
Ok, gear first. Chris and Sleazy had Powerbooks, Cosey an i-book. Sleazy was also using what looked like a small red Korg, don’t know the model’s name. Chris had a novation remote 25 audio and that made me very happy - like a big stupid kid - because I’ve just bought one. He did have a rack of beautiful, intricate and unaffordable looking hardware to go along with it though. He also had a drum machine on the side and I didn’t recognise either that or the software he was running. Cosey mostly played slide guitar on her lap, she played trumpet on one song and did something on her I-book on another but didn't sing at all, so no Hot on the Heels. Gen played Bass and violin on one song each and sang on the rest. She was wearing a plastic red mini with matching jacket, stockings and a padded basque to show off her tits. With all the scarification, tats, metal teeth and implants she looked like a highway prostitute from the seventh circle of hell. perfect.

After a bit of banter and a false start they opened with what I think were the minimalistic rumblings of X-ray off TGNOW. In fact, I think they played all of TGNOW on the day and unusually in this sort of situation, it was the right thing to do - it’s absolutely amazing and was MINDBLOWING live. The standouts from the back catalogue were Persuasion and Hamburger Lady but I don’t have all their stuff so I’m not sure what was new. to add to the confusion, the live versions of the new stuff were completely different from the CD which I didn’t hear till after the gig and the live versions of the old ones were often only recognisable by the lyrics and a nuclear flash of sonic connection.

They all seemed to be loving it. especially Sleazy. Sleazy was having a ball.
it was all really fucking intense of course. even more so than I’d hoped. immense brain and ball crushing bass, spectral, clanging guitar slashes… and that trumpet sound Cosey; WOW. What Chris and Sleazy concocted together was true synergetic alchemy of the most precise nature, transmuting their gold from the tentative micro movements of tiny knobs and the spasm-crashing howl of accidental feedback from synths both soft and hard. Gen’s voice has become rich with the years and shows incredible range, from girlish squeals to deep eldritch grunts. mostly processed and delivered with cunning wit.

I think I shivered at least once every couple of minutes but the last tune they played pretty much made me…… well I get a bit shy talking about that sort of thing. I’m pretty sure it must have been How Do You Deal, which you can find if you click my name. it banged like a bastard reaching a crescendo somewhere above anywhere I’ve been before with live electronic music, that pure rush of electronic sexual energy up the spine is what I crave most in my dreams. and then that was it. no encore. no fucking way. good afternoon London. an hour and forty minutes of industrial bliss.

started q'ing at 3:45pm and got in at nrly 5pm exactly - but there was still a long queue behind us - TG started at 5:20 or so i think, so i don't know if ppl did actually get turned away or not

it was like a swamp inside the place and the main area was already full, but we got a good spot behind the mixing desk and a good view

it was very loud (big surprise) - at one point it sounded like the rafters were about to come down

they did 'convincing people' & 'what a day' as well as the ones mentioned - i thought the final one was 'discipline'

i am very pleased i travelled down, in spite of the usual contingent of mad wino / heroin-beggar / fuxor-with-dog-with-scarf / nathan-barleyish-twats to put up with as part of the london experience

it was very good

however this interview with Gen/Breyer suggests that his overestimation of his own importance continues unabated: http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/fridayreview/story/0,12102,1177647,00.html

Key line: "It turns out that there's a huge community of African-American musicians whose main influence is Throbbing Gristle." The hell you say, Gen.

'What A Day' in particular, but the entire last half hour...

I know every show couldn't be at that level but it'd be a shame if they didn't play a few more shows, they're at full power.

btw, for others in attendance; the madman at stage left in the bowler, long beard and stripes: that was John Balance.

I'm Cosey, and my Apple saved christmas!!

gross.

did they go from 'what a day' straight into a version of 'discipline' to finish - or was there another similar piece in between the 2 ?

'true TG headz' (grrrrr)

i hope they just do next yrs ATP festival and then stop

Buck 65 claims in The Wire that TG were a huge influence.

saw that but it's a little different from gen's claim that he gets stopped in the street by the rza.

i think i might listen to tgnow really loud in a bit.

my copy arrived yesterday :-)

what other items?

SUNDAY 21st JUNE - LONDON

HEAVEN
The Arches, Villiers Street, Charing Cross, London. UK.

'A Crisis In Taste'
THROBBING GRISTLE + S.C.U.M.
(myspace.com/scum1968)
DJs TBC

ONLY 60 TICKETS REMAINING !

Tickets £17.50 + booking fee. Exclusively via ticketweb.com
Limited number of tickets for 16 years old + (age proof ID required) @ £8 (+booking fee)
Also 14 years old+ @ £8 (with adult full priced ticket +booking fee)
Doors Open 4pm - Please Note: this event ENDS at 8PM

just bought tix for this. no idea what it is gonna be like. will any 16 year olds actually attend (let alone 14 yos)? if they do i'm sure sleazy will be pleased...

balls, already in berlin for my birthday that weekend

aaarrgh.. sold out it seems

fuck

has anyone heard that Early Worm LP then?

no, but i've got a track from it called "the balloon burst" on that 23 ways to guestling tape that came out. very very lofi recording, chanting, primitive drumming, harmonica and various other noises. can upload if you want.

according to that coum book, there is only one copy of the lp and gen is the owner.

I downloaded the Early Worm LP from an mp3 blog a few days ago. Haven't listened to it yet though. Maybe it's an elaborate ruse by another music message board!

cool share the link then holmes

:( unfortunately I just went through my Google reader to find it and it's been removed - I guess it's just been reissued?

yep, looks like it was reissued last year, my bad. check mutant sounds.

Hah that's where I got it from

well it's gone now. guess the label asked him to take it down. judging by the one track i've got, i won't be buying it.

ya i meant the reissue
not expecting much obv