Teeth Grinder's Collection
Dead Can Dance 10/08/2012
Kölner Philharmonie, Köln, Germany
| Source | AUD |
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| Media | CD-R 2 discs |
| Tech Notes | RECORDING: Type: Audience master, recorded from seat directly in front of Brendan, 3rd row. Source: Factory-matched pair of Schoeps CCM 41V microphones (DINa mounted) -> Marantz PMD661 recorder with Oade Concert Mod (-18 dB gain/44.1 kHz/24 bit WAV) Lineage: Audacity 2.0.2 * applied varying amplification for consistency across recording * attenuated applause * added fades * split tracks * converted to 16 bit -> FLAC (compression level 8) [libFLAC 1.2.1 20070917] Taper: Ian Macdonald (ianmacd) |
| Microphones | Factory-matched pair of Schoeps CCM 41V microphones (DINa mounted) |
| J-Card Comment | Total running time: 126:02 Six gigs, five countries, two continents and a combination of planes, trains and automobiles: that's the intermediate balance after this evening's show in Cologne, in the sumptuous Kölner Philharmonie. Not much to look at from the outside, it has a well-designed auditorium that manages to retain a surprising sense of intimacy for a hall of its size (2,000 people). It's been a week since my last gig, in Frankfurt, and my batteries have had some time to recharge. I'm feeling fresh again and looking forward to tonight's gig as I drive east across the Netherlands for some fun, fun, fun on the easterly neighbour's Autobahn. I make it to Cologne at 17:30 and park conveniently under the venue. A few fans are already congregating outside, perhaps those who failed to secure a ticket for this, the final in a series of five 'ausgekauft' gigs in German cities. After a walk around the Altstadt and a gaze as the imposing, ever-impressive Dom (cathedral), there's just enough time to work my way through a jägerschnitzel on a heated terrace with a view of the Rhine, as I wait for Timo to show up. When Timo arrives, we catch up on the gigs of the last week. He's been to Berlin and Munich in the meantime, skipping only Hamburg on the German leg of the tour. After dinner, we make our way to the venue and I don the taper's armour in the toilets. I then file down to block B for my seat in the third row, a superb location directly in front of Mr. Perry. There are still a few minutes to go, so I take a few photos of the stage and the seats behind me, mindful of the raw materials needed by fellow DIME member jaraslesny to produce artwork for my impending recording. Unbeknownst to me, I happen to have wandered into just about the strictest gigging environment I have ever encountered, and I almost blow my cover before I've even turned on my equipment by attracting the unwanted attention of a member of the venue's staff, who chastises me for taking photos of an uninhabited stage and the seating behind me. If this is what they're like before the gig has even started, what's it going to be like fifteen minutes from now? Clearly, I will have to be very, very discreet this evening. David Kuckhermann kicks off at 20:00. You could almost set your timepiece by his arrival on stage. Here as in Brussels, he is joined after the first piece by Siberian multi-instrumentalist, Vladiswar Nadishana, who enriches the experience with bamboo flute and hang. Although Dead Can Dance are yet to vary their set at all from one night to the next, the Kuckhermann performances are less predictable. Mostly, he performs solo, but is joined on a number of dates by Nadishana and in Frankfurt, saxophonist Holger Raddatz accompanied him on the final number. It's a welcome variable in an otherwise static sequence of events. The enthralling Jew's harp solo performed by Nadishana in Brussels makes way tonight for a similar solo on the kou xiang, which the Internet will tell you is a Chinese cross between a Jew's harp, a didgeridoo and a synthesiser. And if that doesn't make you curious, nothing will. The lights dim at 21:00 for the arrival of Dead Can Dance. This really is a nice venue. The band must descend the stairs to the left of the stage, passing under the huge organ pipes in full view as they make their way to the stage. It's just a little bit different, visually appealing and beats having them emerge yet again from the shadows at the back of the stage. From this point forwards, it's business as usual with the polished, well-rehearsed set. Brendan seems to be in a particularly jovial mood this evening, which is a nice change. Lisa is as happy as ever, smiling at the audience throughout the show. Astrid, too, beams her way through the set, clearly enjoying the whole experience of touring as part of the band. 'The Host Of Seraphim' starts with a rich low end to the organ tone this evening. It sounds particularly good. 'Ime Prezakias', which follows it, also stands out by virtue of the impassioned ending that Brendan grafts onto the song. It's nice to see one of the pieces still evolving like this. Once upon a time, half of a live Dead Can Dance set would consist of half-written experimental pieces that would shift and change shape from one night to the next, evolving and maturing in public. More often than not, these pieces would ultimately be abandoned, never seeing an official release or even finding their way onto tape in the studio. These days, things are very different. There are no unreleased original compositions in the set, unless one counts 'Rising Of The Moon', but even that is really just the continuing evolution of 'Wandering Star'. As such, any minor deviations from the established performance template are welcome surprises. I manage to remain undetected for the duration of the set, whilst several of those around me are shut down for being audacious enough to sneak a flashless snap with a tiny point-and-shoot camera. Rules are rules, I know, but I don't really understand why they are being quite so stringently enforced. A taper caught red-handed in this place would likely be hanged, drawn and quartered. The more shows I attend on this tour, the more I am struck by the number of instruments that are digitally sampled, rather than played acoustically. I've mentioned it before, but I continue to long for a real snare for the marching drums of 'Return Of The She-King'. There's a drummer on stage, so why not give him a real snare drum to play on that song? Instead, his stick or foot triggers a digital sample of one. It's not the sound -- that's very true to life -- it's just vaguely dissatisfying from a visual perspective. More baffling is why David Kuckhermann plays a zendrum on 'Anabasis'. His hangs are in the building -- and still warm; he was playing them not an hour ago! -- so why does he instead trigger samples of them with a MIDI controller? It's a minor gripe. I just don't understand the rationale for it. The Philharmonie's steeply staggered seating ensures that virtually everyone here has a fantastic view of the stage. My seat is phenomenally good and provides a feast for the eyes from start to finish. It's a little less good for recording, however, as there isn't an overhead PA in sight. I instead aim my microphones at the sideways-orientated stacks on either side of the stage. The resulting recording has a reverberant quality to it that makes it sound as if I was quite some way back in the auditorium, when I was actually very close to the stage. In fact, it's a remarkably accurate capture of the sound at my location, the Schoeps microphones being incredibly faithful to the source. As ever, samples are included to help you make up your mind. After the gig, Timo and I cross the road for a quick drink, which inevitably turns into a slow drink. I finally leave Cologne at about 01:15, drowsiness already descending upon me. A hellish journey lies ahead, punctuated by stops to refuel, use the toilet, imbibe overpriced espresso and take on board provisions of dubious nutritional value to eat on the way. I make it as far as the Dutch border, by which point I'm no longer safe to drive. I park my car between the dozens of lorries, recline my seat and crash out in seconds. The interior of the car rapidly cools, of course, so I awake within the hour, freezing cold. Why am I not in a nice, warm, comfortable hotel bed again? Oh right, to save some money. Yes, well, I might have kept some cash in my wallet, but I'm definitely still paying for this, one way or another. I start driving again, finally pulling up at the front door at 05:20. I'm in bed by 05:30 and asleep in seconds, unperturbed by the knowledge that two children will need breakfast and a lunch box prepared about ninety minutes from now. Amsterdam to Cologne and back in a day for a gig? I can't recommend it. Get a hotel. Cologne's a lovely city. Next stop: Prague! |
| Trades Allowed | Yes Traded from: Ian McDonald |
| Ratings | Show: * Sound: A- |
| Reference / Generation | A518 / 1 |
| Lists | Lossless Audiolist |
Owned by Teeth Grinder
· Last Updated May 23, 2023
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