From "Bill" at alt.fan.frank-zappa
Hot Rats 30 Concert Review
Venue: Der Krachhaus
City: Augsberg, Germany
Date: June 29, 1999
Songs:
Peaches En Regalia
Willie The Pimp
Son of Mr. Green Genes
Little Umbrellas
The Gumbo Variations
It Must Be A Camel
(intermission)
Dead Girls Of London
Kiss My Ass, Monica
Twenty Small Cigars
Big Swifty
Eat That Christian
Slobodon The Killer
Encore #1
Bobby Brown
Sofa No. 1
My Macaroni
Encore #2
Kashmir
Encore #3
My Macaroni #2
Band:
Frank Zappa: vocals, guitar, percussion, synclavier
Ike Willis: vocals, guitar
L. Shankar: 7 and 13 string violin
Mike Keneally: vocals, guitar, keys, macaroni
Bruce Fowler: trombone
Walt Fowler: trumpet, flugel horn, keys
Paul Carmen: various saxes
Kurt McGettrick: various saxes and clarinettes
Arthur Barrow: bass, keys, acoustic guitar, synclavier
Patrick O'Hearn: double bass, cello, synclavier
Ruth Underwood: percussion, keys
Aynsley Dunbar: drums
Jeff Buckley: guest vocals (Kashmir), dancing (My Macaroni #2)
As noted in previous reviews in this newsgroup, Frank's highly political,
economic and sociological (albeit from an American capitalist point of view)
Y2K tour has added/dropped personnel for its European leg in order to commemorate
the 30th anniversary of Hot Rats. So, of course, we are treated with some
fantastic music, mostly instrumental, some of which was premiered at this
show. And, ladies and gentleman, the unexpected second encore (Kashmir!!!!)
blew everyone away .... but more on that later.
Some of you have been disappointed that there has been no full-time keyboardist
on the tour. Well, all I can say is Mike Keneally is splendid when the arrangements
call for the keys to come to the forefront and the others are more than adequate
when the songs call for no more than extra texture.
L. Shankar is a god. If his excursions on "Willie The Pimp" and
"The Gumbo Variations" haven't convinced you yet, then his contribution
to "Kashmir" (world premiere) certainly will. But more on that one
later.
The horn section really shines during the first part of the show and it's
a joy to see musicians have as much fun on stage as these guys do - even during
some later arrangements where they have less to do musically, they are having
a good time sniffing panties with Ike.
Dunbar has lost none of his strength in his years since leaving Zappa's "stern
employ", and, after a few miscues earlier in the tour, his maturity has
nurtured a rhythnic and lyrical finesse that was merely hinted at 30 years
ago.
What more can be said about "My Macaroni", the mutant marraige of
"My Sharona" and "The Macarena"? The crowd loves it. The
band fall all over themselves dancing and switching intruments and Frank looks
like he's going to keel over from laughing.
Jeff Buckley is sometimes compared to Robert Plant. That's like comparing
Sarah Vaughn to Whitney Houston. (No e-mail now, I consider both Houston and
Plant very good singers. I am just disappointed that their potential is so
often wasted on sub-par material, cliche vocal mannerisms and overwrought
histrionics.)
Well, it seems that Jeff and Frank ran into each other the night before the
concert at the airport and both expressed a mutual admiration. Frank suggested
they work on an arrangement of one of Tim Buckley's tunes and Jeff demured,
suggesting something less related, so to speak, to either artist. Jeff mentioned
that he was working on an arrangement of Kashmir with his small band but was
unable to muster the required majestic, ominous crunch the song called for
with his small ensemble. Frank liked the idea, and the afternoon was spent
working on an arrangement with the band.
The 20 minute arrangement is faithful to Led Zep's original. Propelled by
the basic riff supplied by drummer Dunbar, guitarists Keneally and Willis,
bass player O'Hearn and Underwood on synth (with additional color on the chorus
suppied by the horns), Buckley and Shankar weaved a trancendental, lyrical
duet on voice and violin.
Throughout the song was the the metallic, extrement low-pitched, hollow, industrial
sample supplied by Barrow on the synclavier, which as the song went on, became
more and more ominous. The song's natural tension increased ten-fold until
the explosion (if not total release) provided by Frank playing a snaking,
slow variation of "Republicans" by way of the "Sheik Yerbouti
Tango" which led into a duet/duel between Frank and Shankar, and then
into a complemetary, simulateous trio between Frank, Shankar and Buckley's
wordless, haunting vocalizing, and then a return to the main part of the song
until its conclusion, when the crowd erupted with hoots and applause.
I suppose ending the show with a repeat of "My Macaroni" (this time
with Buckley and everyone switching instruments), could be seen as anti-climactic.
But, hell, everyone danced on their way out to the parking lot, laughing -
which you would not have seen if the last song were "Kashmir".