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Hammill Yahoo! Group review
The concert began with a very small Japanese lady, Ikuko Suzuki, walking
onstage and picking up a very large bass clarinet, almost as tall as her.
She quickly began with this Lyell Cresswell song:
Le Sucre du Printemps (for 6 bass clarinets and 3 contrabass
clarinets)
She was playing along with a tape but was very good. The bass clarinet has
such a deep vibrant sound to it, it sounded like a herd of elephants!
After the song many weren't sure if it was over, but when we did, it was too
late to applaud. She followed with Wayne Siegel's:
Jackdraw (for bass clarinet and tape)
This one was much different in that it had a quick rhythmic pattern to it.
We applauded, and she left the stage to David. He appeared with his classic
badge and hat and greeted everyone with a Yamaha! He played:
Hello
Rangoon Pilot
Corps Cristi Carol
Watching it Spin (Howard Moody)
Anvil Rings
He handed out bells to the crowd for Anvil Rings and asked that they be rung
and exchanged from person to person when prompted. He then
invited Ikuko out to perform with him:
G Spot Tornado
Mission: To Be Where I Am
Tonewall Stands
He invited the crowd to sing along during Mission in English and in
Japanese. Tonewall stand was suppose to start with an improvisation with
both David and Ikuko but his effects wouldn't work and jokingly blamed his
Japanese equipment. So they skipped it and went into Tonewall Stands.
Theme One
David said this was a special request for someone but I suspect he was going
to play this anyways!
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 PETER HAMMILL
Easy To Slip Away
Just Good Friends
Tenderness
Touch and Go
A Better Time
Comfortable
Shingle Song
Something About Ysabel's Dance
The Birds
Driven
(On Tuesdays She Used To Do) Yoga
Your Tall Ship
Bubble
A Way Out
Still Life
Stranger Still (encore)
Thanks to SG for the setlist!
Hammill Yahoo! Group review
Every concert up until now had either its `hairy' moments or some
element showing some lack of preparation. So I think this motivated the sort
of concert Peter gave tonight. There were many repeats and seemingly chose
songs he knew very well. There was less experimenting and add lib and an
obvious effort to stick to the song. He and Stuart arrived and without
comment began:
Easy To Slip Away
Just Good Friends
Tenderness
Touch and Go
A Better Time
Very straight versions, can't really comment about anything being `out of
the ordinary'. It's almost as if they were for a live CD, very aesthetic!
There was a very subdued beginning to the concert and quite a tranquil
ambiance in the hall. For Tenderness he did need the odd peek at his notes
but besides that he was very well prepared. He did of course play all of
these previously during the other gigs. I suppose he was out to prove he was
after all a `professional' and able to not make mistakes! He got up and
while passing Stuart decided then to present him to the crowd.
Comfortable
Shingle Song
In keeping with the trend, these were very solid if not tame versions. He
said they will also play some songs that they haven't yet played and did:
Something About Ysabel's Dance
The Birds
Driven
(On Tuesdays She Used To Do) Yoga
Ysabel's Dance was good and The Birds very well done. At this point I
started to think they either very tired from the past days events, or they
had a few too many last night because it was all too calm up to this point.
After Driven, he started detuning his guitar, and very unsuccessfully I
might add. "If I'm going to be out of tune, might as well be way out of
tune." At this point Stuart started tuning himself to Peter and both ended
up out of tune. They got it sorted for a very haunting version Yoga, which I
enjoyed very much but would have liked for Stuart's violin to be turned up a
bit during the `Booonnnnggg' parts for added punch.
Your Tall Ship
Bubble
A Way Out
Still Life
Tall Ship was nice to hear, Bubble is quickly catching up to My Room and
Easy to Slip Away as the song most played by Peter! A Way Out is almost
always full of tension. I notice both times he played this one Stuart gives
Peter an added look afterwards to see if all is well. Still Life the last of
the set and was as solid as the rest.
Stranger Still (encore)
Before Peter said "there are no more new songs and thank god for that." He
went on to stand and throw his notes to the ground and stomp on them. He
finished the "a stranger, a worldly man" part by standing and facing the
crowd. There was no second encore, but he did come back out to say thank you
to all who came and took time to give eye contact to almost everyone there.
After the concert a few of us fans were taking quite our time to leave, and
Stuart shouted to me as he was packing his gear up.. "you want these"
shaking his setlists in the air. Do I?? Anyhow, I put forth the question to
Stuart about it being almost an errorless gig, as if it were a live CD… he
replied "What?? I made like 10 mistakes!!" Well so much for that impression…
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