Roger Eno/Lol Hammond Roedelius Live at The Gathering Thursday, August 26th, 1999 St. Mary's Hamilton Village 3916 Locust Walk in Philadelphia, PA

Review Roger Eno/Lol Hammond and Hans-Joachim Roedelius Just returned from this evening's Gathering with Roedelius and Roger Eno. Remind me, next time, to bring a boat. My car had to swim half way home. There really does seem to be a trend developing with space musicians. Back in March, during Jeff Pearce's performance of "Rain as a Metaphor", a massive cumulous disturbance occurred. Rain was actually dripping Chinese torturelike from St. Mary's rafters. Well, tonight's Roger Eno performance of "The Boatman" from his recent CD "Swimming" (I lie not) produced a cloudburst that had Jeff's seeming like a soft drizzle in comparison. The highlight of tonight's Gathering (in this Gatherer's opinion, anyway) was the performance of Achim Roedelius. He opened up the evening reciting a self composed poem ("the blacksmith of joy") before sitting at the keyboard and playing an all too brief, yet quietly expressive, set. He opened and closed with simple melodies, though the middle portion of his set was calmly obscure. One might be able to draw some comparisons to some of Roedelius and Roger Eno's musical styles, but there sure is a contrast in performing styles. Roedelius on stage is nearly motionless, while Eno waves and flows constantly as he performs. After Achim, and an intermission during which we were treated to Roach's "Slow Heat", Eno performed five solo pieces on the keyboard. Then he invited Lol Hammond and Matt Rowland to the stage. Here the music certainly took a left hand turn. We were treated to the promised combination of contrasting styles of ambient music, with Roger's mellow keyboard collating, yet somehow mixing, with Hammond's more liberal, dance beat effects. For the most part, this combination worked. I'll leave any in depth impressions of Eno & Co. to others, as I've always preferred the more subtle, meditative, pretty stuff... Looking forward already to the next announced Gathering, which includes a repeat performance by Roedelius (as tonight's certainly left me longing for more) and Tim Story. It's slated for early October. Bring an umbrella. By soma611 - As Posted to The Spacemusic List: Fri, 27 August 1999	Roedelius   Roedelius
Roger Eno   Matt Rowland, Lol Hammond and Roger Eno   Matt Rowland, Lol Hammond and Roger Eno   Lol Hammond and Roger Eno
the blacksmith of joy oh man where do you go why do you want that much to owe the serpent once did whisper it into your ear and ever since you`ve been a prisoner of fear so ever since you`re only counting your successes because you`ve got to run through what you have initiated through processes but you don`t drift helpless, cork-like on a boundless ocean you don`t pine for unreal emotion you as a blind man who believes to see may teach eventually others how to be but you seem to comprehend your freedom as a threat you still think love`s something only possible in bed your thoughts erupt like blushes in your face you hate to follow any trace as if you would be damned to fail you`re sticking in yourself like in a diving bell you don`t respect dictates of reason all right you only reached the surface of existence you`re rather weak from unbelievable persistence for your excuse you merely cite a selfish season suppressing memory of what you`ve truly got convinced that you are writing the right plot but don`t you prowl around altars so fearful and forlorn and starving meanwhile lecherous to lust as if you`ve been from evil born which shall reduce you early back to dust you fall in front of idols on your knees give in exchange for finished goods your phantasies moreover now you start to generate whatever you believe you end up honouring the thief as bold as brass manipulating doomed hearts to deadly fate you opened all the doors inwards you do like darkest matters to rehearse you try and try to make it even worse moreover now you force as cannibals the animals to eat the cows and sheep and chicken their own meat for market interest you increase the danger of dreadful disease now Dolly born of scientists idea soon John and betty will appear conveyor-belt production extra-uterine oh yeah man you will do it you will clean the cell and cut imagined wrong away you force the spirit to decay adapting the creation as you favour a joyless life from fleeting flavour oh man you went astray but do you rue this blasphemy today what an exchange man to become aware of sense lost in intentional distraction banished from virtual satisfaction as yes or no a highly simplified programm a substitute instead of life available with RAM life without true reason and impression threatened by liberty existence in deferred confession look in the mirror do you believe you see your face are you aware of all that obvious emptyness you live in pain but to escape the strain don`t take it all for lost this is the cost you should admit your error because you can still smell the flower,bush and tree you dream on yet before the sea you follow clouds in morning skies you feel the touch of others eyes you hear the various tongues of nature you stride uphills a free creature yes you are free yes you are free yes you are free to become that what you ought to be - Hans-Joachim Roedelius
For More About Roedelius, Please Access the: STAR'S END Profile at: http://www.starsend.org/roedelius.html Official Website at: http://www.smart-artists.com/roedelius Images and Reviews of Roedelius at the 9 October 1999 Gathering in Philadelphia: http://www.thegatherings.org/20gather.html For More About Roger Eno, Please Access the: STAR'S END Profile at: http://www.starsend.org/rogereno.html

Gathering Concert Photos by Bill Forcier

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