Live reviews

London 2016-02-03

Live at the Roundhouse, London, UK - February 3, 2016.

Review by Ken Clark

The band:
Dustin Boyer: lead guitar, samples
Deantoni Parks: drums
Nick Franglen: samples, bass
and the Heritage Orchestra

The legendary Roundhouse is a former railway shed built in 1847 and has been privy to many legendary concerts from Hendrix to the Doors as well as Cale in 1971 with Nico as the opening act. It has been refurbished to a very high spec with modern acoustics and bars, washrooms etc, great place to see a gig.

The Roundhouse was configured to have the band in a centre circular stage with ¾ of the seating surrounding them. There was a great psychedelic light show in earth orange brown hues projected onto the back wall where there were no spectators.

Cale was accompanied by Nick Franglen from Lemon Jelly adding wonderful samples and bass guitar as well as well as Deantoni Parks from Mars Volta on drums. Long-time band member Dustin Boyer on guitar and samples completed the ensemble.

The band was onstage around 9:10 PM and finished around 10:45 with no encore. Cale wore a black topcoat with tails and bright red sneakers, looking like a Hammer horror character with his punk long spiked white hair.

The reissued “Music for a New Society” material was given ample airing with classic Cale from “Fear” and “Paris 1919” as well a new material and material never done before live. There was something for everyone.

What was remarkable were the contemporary sounds especially from Nick Franglen as well as bone shaking deep bass keyboard chords.

Here is a brief overview of the set list and what was different about it where relevant.

Time Stands Still: This is a new song and only played once previously in Mesen in 2014 as part of the Christmas Truce Music inspired by the famous incident in World War 1. Prophetic lyrics about the decline of Europe and the meaninglessness of Christmas blast the concert off to a topical edge.

The Endless Plain of Fortune: Another killer decline of Europe piece from Paris 1919 with lots of atmospheric samples and keyboards bringing it right up to date.

If You Were Still Around: Things don’t get bleaker than material from “Music from a New Society”, rarely performed live.

Hemmingway: Another rare live piece with some Spanish Civil War sounding song added on at the end.

Changes Made: Another great piece from “Music for a New Society”, seldom performed live.

Coral Moon: Deep melancholy version, the first time it has been played live.

GGhost Story: Great thundering shrieks and screams from the samplers and keyboards literally shaking the building.

(I Keep A) Close Watch: More great material from Music for a New Society

Perfect: Cale switched to guitar and rocked away on this straight ahead piece but harder than the studio or previous live versions.

Buffalo Ballet: Wonderful elegiac version of the wild west.

Fear Is A Man's Best Friend: Nick Franglen switched from samples to a great big Fender Bass and did all the “zoops” from the studio original with lots of great screaming at the end by Cale, fantastic version.

Back to the End: A lost track from “Music for a New Society” given its live debut, great lyrics about physical beauty.

I Wanna Talk 2 U: Another straight ahead rocker with Cale on guitar.

Wasteland: More desolation with great screaming keyboard flourishes.

Ship Of Fools: Cale rocking out on guitar with Dustin following

Gun > Pablo Picasso: Great medley with Cale on guitar and perfect was to end the concert.

Incredible to think of an artist like Cale, with a long and diverse history of performance can continue to be innovative with dramatically reworked older material and first rate new songs when most of his contemporaries are beyond parody or dead.

© 1999- Hans Werksman