Thus, their performance commences with their standing around waiting for some sort of message to appear from the ether with a musical hook from which to construct their tune. Most jazz groups consider it useful to have a tune to start with before their inevitable excursions into extemporaneous territory, so this makes a performance by The Necks a potentially edgy affair. Not to worry, Lloyd comes good with a little bass line which sparks the piano and drums to do their stuff. The audience is hushed, apart from several people who dropped pins. After 45 minutes the hypnotic trail runs cold and they discommence playing.
People applaud strongly as they make their way to the toilets.
Such elongated numbers take a toll on major organs, particularly the brain and the kidneys. My first impressions are that this is not a visual performance. When they play the same sequence of notes for two or three minutes, only the occasional glance is needed to reassure oneself that the band is not having a lend of you. It is certainly brave to stand on stage with no idea what you are going to play, and there is a sort of fascination with watching the development of the piece, as slow as that development is. Some people must be able to tune in to this construction process, or else find themselves hypnotised by the repetition.