Damo Suzuki's Network shows are unrehearsed and he plays usually with a selection of local musicians (local to the gig) which makes the energy at these events incredibly palpable... It felt like a 'happening' in the Corp that evening and I got just a little bit excited.. Having just driven four hours in the rain I was ready to swing and swinging it was! Walking in half way through Mr. Suzuki's first set accompanied by Martin Archer and the young and talented 'The Stereo Walk Experiment' I dove straight in and the sound and atmosphere was groovy! Martin grinned down from the stagefront like a Cheshire cat as he paused from his slick sax outpourings to allow Damo to let some more of his improv vocals rise.. The backing band was really giving it some and Damo was clearly getting into the youthful energy which he loves; leaping across the spontaneously emitting genres of music with his assertive and beautiful singing, a ball of universal energy Japanese sweat and hair... the resplendent Hotsnack were next and after a short break Damo apologised jokingly for not having a costume and was given a large feather boa. Hotsnack were on form (even without Brian who is...in Japan!) and their sound at times came close to that of early Can. Wonderful. Last on was improv master Mick Beck on bassoon and sax, USA freestyle drummer Chris Corsano, local noise machine Chora and Leeds based Inecto School... I think I counted 11 on stage, can't be sure. Nearly fifty minutes of powerful, fast and heady jamming, at times very heavy and others very minimal, always held aloft by the distinct vocal, inducing a trance like state in some listeners. I asked Damo later if there was any explanation he could give for the way the music effects one and he simply said 'no'. How do you explain the colour red to a blind person? Sound is a mystical substance and should never be taken for granted or at face value. I know of no other musician doing what Damo Suzuki is doing (travelling on his own from town to town playing with musicians he has never met, let alone played or rehearsed with!). There are no explanations, no genres, no beginning, no end (to tracks, as such)...he calls it the 'never-ending tour'...there's a clue in all of this somewhere...
In the dressing rooms afterwards I happened to overhear Keri (the 'Noise Doll' promoter) discussing Damo's accomodation, as there was some complications I stepped in and offered a room which was duly accepted. My good friend Glynn came along (a long time Can head) and we had a midnight curry and a muck about in the new Freenoise cellar room - see pic above (no jamming sadly as the family were sleeping!). A perfect house guest he is; chatting over a light breakfast with us, played with the kids a bit and on dropping him at the station we hugged and he toddled off into the unknown (well back to Cologne for a few days until the tour recommences in Brighton on the 7th).

Moopi

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