Original_To:  ALLM,PH7,RACHEL,DERO,MIKE
Original_cc:  OLIVOTTO
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.allmusic
Date:         Mon, 14 Dec 1992 13:22:00 N
From:         "OUT,
              OUT - YOU'LL NOT FEEL THE FALL-OUT..." <OLIVOTTO@ITNCISCA.BITNET>
Subject:      Peter Hammill - TNR gig report (Marco's version!)

[NOTICE: this message is being forwarded to the ALLMUSIC list, to the ph7 list,
         and to some good and interested friends... enjoy!]

REPORT - Peter Hammill's concert in Rovereto
         A view from the inside.

Hi all!

        This is a (short!) report of Peter Hammill's concert in my hometown,
which was held last Friday. As many of you know, TNR (i.e. I and my guitarist
Fabrizio) were given the huge ego-boosting opportunity to open for him.
        I will NOT review our own concert, since an ALLMUSICer (and ph7-er too)
friend was there: yes, Hendrik Jan Veenstra and his lady Marjan took the time
to drive from Utrecht, Holland, to Italy (something like 11 hours in a single
take!), and we agreed that he will throw his word in... as you can understand,
my point of view would be a little too biased, either way.
        As for how the day went, Friday morning was quite a slow one -- the
typical situation when one has nothing or very little to do. I and Fabrizio
had a 30-minute rehearsal, and then I drove my Dutch guests up the hill to
visit a war cemetery.
        At 3.00 pm, I and Fabrizio packed our car with our instruments and
reached the venue -- the PA-man arrived two minutes later. While we were
setting up our things, my mother came there (she hadn't succeeded in ringing
up the theatre!) and told me that Peter, Paul Ridout (sound engineer) and
a guy called Patrick (sort of tour-manager) had arrived and were at home,
resting. I, Fabrizio and Hendrik Jan got back to say hello and to decide
at which time Peter would like to come to the venue.
        In the end it was settled that he would reach us at 6.00 to give
a few interviews. So we drove back to the theatre and then (once again!)
back home to show them the way to the venue when it was time.
        As soon as Peter entered the theatre, he was amazed to say the least.
Imagine a very classical and serious theatre, with 500 seats or so, and four
levels of balconies. Paintings on the ceiling, luxurious lamps, and all the
rest. I guess he spent at least 30 minutes entering several balconies and
watching at the stage.
        The interview began at 6.00, with three journalists and me (I had
been asked to do it for a local radio station), and went on for about 30
minutes. Then it was time to have a soundcheck. Peter went on first, and
he got finished in 15 minutes or so, and then it was our time.
        The rest was... waiting. We often remained locked out of our dressing
room, since we shared it with the promoter and he had the Big Bucks inside,
so I finally ended up leaving my clothes and towels more or less everywhere.
Also, we had to sack Peter's catering a couple of times, since somebody had
forgotten to bring our bottles of water (not much, huh?). And here the dif-
ference between me and Fabrizio showed: I partied with water, whereas he did
with Tequila :).
        We took the stage at 9.10, with 20 minutes to go, and played 5 songs.
(Your turn, Hendrik Jan!).
        Peter walked on at 9.40, in front of quite a warm audience (350, more
or less). Curiously enough, he introduced all songs in Italian (he's amazingly
good at it), and he only made a couple of major mistakes. The playlist, for
those who are interested, was quite standard, except for a couple of tracks
which are almost never heard: "Shell", from _Skin_, and "Been Alone So Long"
from _Nadir's Big Chance_.
        The best part of his show was that on guitar and voice. He delivered
two wonderful versions of "Last Frame" and "Patient", then heading back to
the keyboard for "A Way Out" and "Traintime".
        Then he literally hopped backstage, visibly happy and emotional, and
headed towards the dressing room to do "half-a-cigarette". The crowd was now
going "Pe-ter, Pe-ter", and so he got back and played the only encore -
"Stranger Still", singing the last lines without music and out of the micro-
phone, to finally reach the edge of the stage to scream "a stranger - a worl-
dly man" to an ecstatic crowd.
        One of the best performances I've ever seen -- if not the best.
        Only 15 minutes later, he was sort of packed into the car and brought
back to my father's restaurant, where a midnight buffet was being set. Also,
the restaurant was closed, so we had the chance to have it "all for ourselves".
The party started at midnight, and Peter, apparently not tired, was the last
to leave (at 4.30 am!!!) and go to sleep.
        Everybody said it was extremely good and relaxed, since there was a
sincerely open and friendly atmosphere, with no fans asking for autographs
or pictures, and Peter was more than talkative: he literally joked all the
time, and everybody had a lot of fun.
        Then everybody got to sleep - though I personally didn't make it to
lie down for more than three hours, and I was up at 8.30 next morning. The
rest of the gang took it more quietly and they didn't show up until 11.00,
when they had breakfast, to finally leave for Trieste (4 hours by car) at
noon.
        This much for your curiosity :). Now Hendrik Jan is driving back home,
since he left Rovereto this morning at 8.30 more or less. So I suppose you
will be able to hear his drum in a couple of days or so -- but I don't know
of course.
        The only thing I can say about our show was that "When A Friend Goes
Away" was relatively butchered, since we dedicated it to Ciro, our sax player
who had been buried only two days before, and we obviously got a bit too emo-
tional to do it cleanly. I can't tell you whether this was good or bad, but
since I believe that a show is "here and now", my first reaction was -- "well,
does THIS really matter?".

        I hope this is enough -- I would like to write more but I don't have
the time and, in a sense, I can't.

        Anyway, thanks for reading....

        Ciao, Marco
Xref: sparky bit.listserv.allmusic:14350 alt.music.category-freak:60 alt.music.alternative:18673