Metamatic Forums John Foxx John Foxx and Louis Gordon Cargo gig 8th Oct

Just ordered my tickets from wegottickets - message said that there were only 50 left! So if you're going - GET THEM NOW!

Garry

Hi Garry
Sorry to point this out but Cargo is Mon 8th.

Take care

Peter

Yup the 6th is the Birmingham Barfly,I'll be there

Ooops! Cheers Peter! I've edited the title so as not to confuse anyone further!

Garry

WHY IS TIME GOING SO SLOW TODAY!

Can't wait!

I've got a very long evening ahead, I can't go tonight due to work, so I'll be looking at the clock thinking what is happening every minute. To think Cargo is as close as you can get to where Metamatic was recorded (and probably inspired as the Old Street area is still fairly derelict). Looking forward to the reviews.

I hope everybody has a great time tonight. It sounds like it'll be a fantastic show.

Just about to start and get ready for tonight at Cargo.

Peter

Good luck and best wishes to everyone tonight.

Keep an ear out especially for the Foxx/Jansen collaborative work n 'the foyer'.
Look forward to hearing about all your experiences.
have a great time!

Oh yeah! We expect a full report about how the Foxx/Jansen stuff sounds! :p

yes, quite right . .full reports as usual please, esp as this would seem to be a particularly 'rich' event. So at least 2,000 words each.

Anyone know what time this all kicks off?

Just got back from the Cargo gig.
Well, It was probably the best John Foxx gig I've been to so far.Same setlist order as the ICA show.The sound was virtually perfect.Talking of sound,moving straight to Burning Car, how loud was that kick drum sound! Definately an "in the body" experience.
Good to see more small people in the audience,there is normally a disproportionate number of tall people at John Foxx concerts!
Campared to the ICA gig I noticed the vocals were better tonight, particularly on My Face.
21st Century rocked the house,that has to be the best version they have ever done of it.was it around 10mins long?
I'm much preferring the lead synth sound on Underpass to that of Overpass.
Tidal Wave has quite a menacing vibe to it now,I suppose that's how it should be.
I missed the support act.The ticket info said "no support" so who were those people on stage when I came in at around 8:50?

Cheers mate,thanks for the quick review(I'm just in from work )
I know what you mean about 21st cent,the bass at Glasgow was immense!! shook the building to its foundations

You vid any of this one??

Just got back too and glad I finally managed to get to a show on this tour. Excellent venue with the main area about half the size of Brick Lane's 93 Feet East. As for the show itself - stunning - with John seeming even more appreciative than usual after each track, grinning like a cheshire cat. I have a funny feeling he thoroughly enjoys this occasional evening job! Roll on Luminaire

Yeah Will, got Plaza,Underpass,Blurred Girl,and some of This City (memory card ran out of space.I thought I had blanked it but annoyingly I hadn't and camera was not complying to let me see what was on it!)
The clips will be in same place as before Will

I really hope they recorded tonight's show.
The projected footage works really well, adds a layer of off-centred-ness to the proceedings.

Steve and Louis. They did a half hour continuous piece complete with backing film! Good stuff and a nice reward for getting there early.

That bass on Burning Car was insane. Don’t they use the same frequency at Guantanamo Bay to get prisoners to capitulate in interrogations?!?

Good venue although they could’ve cranked up the AC.

What a great night at Cargo.

The venue was a lot better than some of the seedier joints that I've seen John play in. The club was spacious and clean. It was set under railway arches. All around the rooms were candles set in jars which gave a nice atmosphere.
I arrived early and John was rehearsing. The bar was open early. Getting my ticket was well organised with peoples names on a guest list.

At 8.20 the doors opened of the room where the performance was going to take place. After several minutes Louis and Steve appearred on stage and did a piece together which lasted 20 minutes with a film playing on the large screen behind the stage. I've no idea what the title was.

Then about 9.20 John, Louis and Steve appearred on stage and went into Film 1. Then it was straight into Matamatic. I think they'd polished up Metamatic since the ICA as for me it seemed to flow better. There were minor errors but nothing to distract from the overal enjoyment of the performance. John appeared to be enjoying playing and several times he smiled and looked genuinely happy. After Touch and Go he said "Goodnight" but I knew there was more to come.

Again the encore was the same as all the over concerts. Glimmer, Mr No etc. 21st Century was the last song and it seemed to go on a lot longer than the ICA. It was awesome and I didn't want it to end.

The sound was clear and the bass at the right levels.

Thanks to Sarah B, Phil, Tessa, Geoff, Mr Normal and Rob whom I had the pleasure of meeting. I thank you all.

I hope that John and Louis use this venue again.

Peter

Great stuff Peter.
Nice atmospheric review of the whole evening
Louis and Steve's set sounds interesting.

Any news of the Foxx/Jansen pieces?

Really sounds like the best Metamatic show of them all.

Nice review, Peter. It sounds like a really good show.

I'm a little concerned over the recurring comments tabout ridiculously high bass levels. When you can feel your trousers vibrate, it's not good. I wonder what it does to your insides?!
Surely it's not good for your ears.

Anyway I stray from the point. Sounded like everyone had a great night. Hopefully somebody will have taken pics...

Bar staff seemed to be enjoying it as well. Perhaps they were expecting some quaint retro show and were surprised to find a cutting-edge electronic performance of songs that sound more contemporary than ever IMO.

Anyone else notice Louis slip-up on backing vocals on Tenant 030? We forgive him though!

By the time I left the club I was straving which is unusual for me, so I had to buy a cheese and ham bagette at Euston.

No news as far as I'm aware Martin

Peter

I take it they didn't play them? Or did you not hear them?

The Foxx/Jansen pieces were playing in the foyer and bar right at the beginning - but very subtle and easy to miss.

Easily the best Metamatic set, at least of the three I've seen. Also no-one yakking through the music (personal pet peeve) and such a STORMING version of '21st Century'. Glorious. Foxx and Gordon enjoying themselves hugely, everyone singing along, really nice atmosphere, perfect.

Yes, I noticed Louis' slip-up. But Foxx fluffed a few at Brighton too. Goes with the territory.

Trouser-flapping bass is a MUST at any good gig, surely. The sound at this venue was spot-on.

And Steve and Louis' improv was very nice indeed - but I'm sure the visuals could have been much richer. Where's Spectral Response when you need them - eh Sarah?

Very nice evening indeed. Roll on November.

mongrel

I've put my 4 clips up on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Tokyohunter
My camera locks the zoom during recording so I couldn't get Louis or Guy3 in my shots.
I agree with the previous comment about it being far removed from a quaint retro gig.
Anyone know if the Jansen/Gordon teamup will be released on cd in any form in the future?

Is this a seasonal deodorant?

You can surely forgive the odd lyric fluff. It's LIVE, that's what counts!

What kind of visuals did they have?

If you nmean the Foxx/Jansen eamup then yes, there are plans.

If you mean the Louis/D'Agostino teamup as per Cargo live, then I have no idea...

I meant the Louis/Steve one mentioned before.But the the John/Steve one will be a must buy too (of course )

Great set of videos there! Nice to be able to see a little bit of the gig(s) :-)

Thanks!

Lots of vintage stuff, highway POV sequences and a HUGE chunk from Hitchcock’s Vertigo. The Saul Bass sequence worked especially well with Jimmy Stewart’s disembodied head accompanying the pounding electro! Was this the live VJ that was mentioned?

Louis’s name misspelled on both his own backing DVD projection and on the running order next to the ticket booth! Poor bloke. Next year’s gigs courtesy of Joan Boxx and Lewey Grodon

LMAO!!

Well at least they didn't put Louis Walsh!!

Aye - John Leigh was the VJ (red hair, sharp cheekbones....ring bells?) - but only for the Steve/Louis improv I THINK. I may be wrong - but I'm guessing the visuals for the main set were pre-recorded.

Yup. Has a sudden smell of burning leaves.

I like fluffed lyrics - makes everyone more human.

mongrel

Yeah I saw John Leigh's photo on his MySpace page, and noticed a good resemblence to a certain somebody.

Aye - John Leigh was the VJ (red hair, sharp cheekbones....ring bells?)

Funny you should say that,there is a picture on SarahB's myspace(Sherobot74) on the slideshow where I thought exactly the same...

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=139640423

T’other way round I think. Louis and Steve’s set was accompanied by a DVD played out from an Apple Mac (you could see the pointy finger icon pressing "play" at the start!) whilst there seemed to be some beat-matched image manipulation on the main set which must have been done live I would’ve thought.

Straker,

You could well be right - but John Leigh was 'playing' throughout Steve and Louis' set - you could him at work just behind Steve.

But when the main set began my view of that part of the stage was obscured. You're right - those visuals could well have been live.

mongrel

What a f**king great gig! Anyway, here’s my take on it…

Cargo is part of the fingers of railway arches that reach out from Liverpool Street station, stretching northwards, crossing a little known studio not two minutes away called The Garden. Entering the venue opened up a new treasure - the collaboration between Jansen and Foxx. From what I heard, this new music was clearly born out of the performance in Brighton with Harold Budd back in 2005, where Jansen performed a solo gong piece 'Lirio'.

Jansen brings out subtle tones and textures using malllets and then changing the way he attacks the different areas of the gong (which, from memory was roughly 5ft wide). John has added Cage-like treated piano and what sounded like industrial/factory sounds: lifts descending a shaft, shutters closing (I'm not saying these are the sounds exactly, just what it sounded like). If you've heard 'Plight and Premonition' by Jansen's brother - David Sylvian alongside Holger Czukay, that's as close as I can get to a reference point.

The 'support act' was Louis and Steve. Starting with an ambient drone piece this segued into a very strange version of Bowie's "Heroes" - Louis and Steve liberating Bowie's original '77 vocal and putting a new spin on it music-wise. The whole set had the feel of a mix-tape created by Kurt Schwitters, William S. Burroughs and 'Paul's Boutique'-era Beastie Boys (subliminal request follows: IF THERE'S A COPY OF THIS! I WANT IT!)

After that: the main event. I need to mention at this stage that VJ Kaborn is live mixing film footage throughout the Metamatic set - and top notch it is too. Kaborn keeps the film almost completely black and white noir footage, occasionally breaking out in 50s Kodachrome colour. It lifts the whole show: Metamatic as Tiny Blackandwhitenoirfootageoccasionallybreakingoutin50sKodachromecolour Movies. Anyway, back to the show and talking of films...

John kicks off with 'Film One' - I've read reviews of other gigs that say the sound is poor etc. Thankfully, Cargo has one of the best sound-systems in London - the bass, sub-bass goes right through you, the synths don't screech or shrill and the acoustics are absolutely superb. I've read also that there's an argument along the lines of 'Is it live, or is it Memorex?' about the shows; well, admittedly I didn't see a CR78 and John stopping to press Rock 1/Rock 2/Rhumba or whatever, but IT WAS LIVE! Sampled CR78 patterns synced with some really nice kick drum sounds bolstered the phut-pishhhht of the original rhythms. The lead synth sounds were distinctly Metamatic-esque but new, modern, bright and wide. Some subtle updating and reshaping had been done and no doubt when a recording of the gigs is issued it’ll kill that argument stone dead.

Highlights of the ‘Metamatic’ set for me were a thunderous skull-snapping ‘Metal Beat’, a widescreen ‘No-One Driving’, ‘Blurred Girl’ – my favourite Foxx song of all time and a psychedelic blissed-out ‘Touch and Go’. Highlights of the encore were ‘Burning Car’ followed by ‘20th Cebtury’ – the bass on these two kept rising throughout - taking our ribcage as well as our hearts. What a f**king great gig!

I’d like to thank Sarah, Peter and Rob for my prezzies! Many, many thanks! Should keep me out of mischief for quite a while! I’d also like to apologise to Sarah for the sudden formation of the Metamatic Dusty Springfield Appreciation Society (members: 2) , and promise that there will not be a sudden Metamatic Dusty Springfield Appreciation Society AGM in November. And I hope Mr Normall got home safe – you came a looooooooooooong way, I hope you enjoyed it, I know I did!

Garry

What a top review! Thanks Garry. A pleasure to read.

Glad you had a good time.

The venue sounds like the perfect location for a Foxx gig.

Thanks everyone for the reviews and videos. Great stuff

Cheers Alex! I had a great time and yes, it's the perfect home for future Foxx events - the acoustics could easily handle a CO event too.

I also got my CDs!!!!!! Wo-Hoooooo! Was curious to note however why 1000 limited edition CDs would have bar-codes on the back? There wasn't many left - I saw 4 boxes only and I'd say there was approx 25 to a box.

For those, like myself, unfamiliar with Steve D'Agostino and his work pre-Magical Metamatic Tour, you may like to check out his website here: http://stevedagostino.com/index.html .

Glad you got your CDs Garry - I'll look forward to reading your thoughts on them

...if they plan on selling what stock remains online, or shops like Sister ray maybe, then surely they will need barcodes?

Not got it in front of me but I don't think 'Live From A Room' and 'The Hidden Man' had barcodes either but were still later sold in Sister Ray (who still have these in stock) and Townsend.

Perhaps I did just worry too much about their availability because of their limited release!

SOOOOOOOOOO Glad I got them though - I know some complained about the lack of live photos etc but I'll take a truly original John Foxx artwork over some live photo anyday!

Hi Garry

The pressies - a pleasure, thanks for yours! However the MDSAS has really rained on my parade. Still, all is forgiven, and our live rendition of 'Being Boiled' was entertaining to say the least. Great to see you, Jo, Peter, Tapio, Tessa, Geoff, Rob and the rest of the crew for such an amazing night. Lots of jollies with Louis later, and John was as lovely as ever (when I could get a word in edgeways )

A wonderful review too, I can't add anything to that, so I won't bother!

Now, 1,2,3 altogether now.. "I just don't know what to do with myself...."

Best wishes

Sarah MDSAS Member #3

shoulda made it 'sideways' Sarah ..

Hi Sarah,

Welcome to the MDSAS Forum Once again - many, many apologies! Our live rendition of 'Being Boiled' rocked! It was probably all that great bass sound in Cargo

I've put a few photos up on my Flickr site of the gig - will add more in the week...off to bed now - absolutely knackered!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoodlum_scientist/

Some cool looking pics there... I'll look forward to seeing more!

Thanks for uploading them

Thanks Garry, their great. Very atmospheric.....

Thanks for sharing, Garry.

Sounds you all had a great night!
Thanks for the reports and photos. I'm glad I stood at one of these shows (ICA).

This was the best live gig of John (except with Ultravox) I've ever seen until yet.

Looking forward to Luminaire!!!!!

T-shirt is already...

I think he's the best he's ever been live.
Hopefully there will be a Metamatic Live cd released.

Hmm, I might stand to differ on that. I wouldn't want to see Metamatic really milked, for different versions - there were 'live' versions of most of the tracks on Live From A Room.

I'd much rather see a live recording that features songs from various points of John's career - like Retro Future, but more up to date!

If there's one gig I REALLY wish I could be going to, it's the t-shirt gig.

I was thinking to myself yesterday, although it's been good to have the new Metamatic and very cool to have an exclusive Metamatic tour, it does feel a bit that John's outstanding recent albums, From Trash and Sideways (not to mention TPOE, C&B and SC) have all been a bit left out of the live scene.

I'm hoping the t-shirt gig will be a show of songs from all aspects of his career, but more emphasis on the new.

I assume it will be a mixture as John & Louis did for their other tours.


But the important songs for me will be the special 5!!!

I'm curios of which songs makes it in the end...

I wonder if he will dedicate anything to Robert...

But yes, the 5 songs is the bit everybody is looking forward to! Even those of us who can't make it!

There are many songs from John and Louis' albums that have been left out and really deserve to be played live.

In many ways, they could perform a live show without even playing anything from before Shifting City! There's so much good music just waiting to be unleashed onstage...

There's only so many times you can play or hear certain songs live before it can become tiresome. particularly now John has probably got Metamatic out of his system in terms of live performance. With this in mind, I doubt that any tracks from Metamatic will be in the 5-song shortlist. It would certainly be a shame if they were.

Good point.

However, the invitation to submit tracks was opened A Long Time before the recent re-issue, gigs etc so it would be interesting if, for example, Glimmer was in there.
I don't imagne that the TOP FIVE etc will be announced before the show, to give us all a surprise. And if they are mixed in with a set from across the years anyway, how will we know which ones have 'won'? I have yet to be at a Foxx gig when he's introduced any of the songs...

He might even do 2 different sets of 5 songs at each show - who knows?

I seem to remember reading that they will choose the 5 songs from going through all the suggestions.

I'm sure they've still got time to revisit the list and replace some of the Metamatic titles.

I knwo that I included either This City or 030 in my 5, which obviously have been played last week.

But I do hope that from this point onwards, the live shows might not be as Metamatic-heavy. I think it would be an interesting approach anyway!

Hmm, true - good point!

Perhaps it could be the first 5 songs - they could announce something like that in advance, without any spoilers.

Or they could be for an encore.

Who knows!!

I agree with Alex, there is a lot stuff of John And Louis together. They could fill the set list only with that stuff.
Hope they play Shadow Man! They played it in Bielefeld, and this song is a killer live!!!

But I hope they will do a mixture of John's career, including Ultravox.

As far as I understood it we had voted for our top 5 songs John had never performed live but me want to hear him performing them.
So we only have to wait for stuff we hear for the first time live - and if it is more than 5 ; would be great!

At least 2 of my 5 have still not been played live in the last 10 years to my knowledge.(Blurred Girl for example was on my list so now that's been done).
Metamatic-wise only tracks like Cinemascope are yet to be played live.
I'm hoping for more Golden Section tracks but updated to the his current sound.

I would prefer to see an official dvd of the Metamatic shows I agree, but the Cargo gig was so good as a complete performance it would be a shame not to be able to hear it in full quality.For example,21st Century was at least 10 minutes long without feeling too long at all went in slightly new places.

Tracks like Car crash Flashback and A Room As Big As A City are a couple from his recent work that I miss hearing live.

Hmm, true. Given John didn't tour much until recent years, then we'll be able to spot which songs have never been played.

I hope they play Shadow Man just for you Andreas

Coincidentally - does anybody have a setlist from the From Trash tour? I can't remember which songs were played....

Here it is.

live at Scala 2006:

Sideways
Walk away ( Really hope they play it again!!)
Friendly fire
Impossible
A Million Cars
Plaza
No-one Driving
Nightlife
Underpass
The Man Who Dies every Day
Slow Motion
Shifting City

Thanks Andreas - that looks like the same set as he played in Sheffield.

Did the set list change once From Trash and Sideways were released?

As far as I remember they played "In a Silent way" in Nov. 2006 at feet east as the only "new" track to the last gig in summer 2006. They played not Sideways and Walk Away. All the other songs they played - they had performed live in earlier concerts or in summer 2006.

That's all? I'm sure I remember reading more song titles from "From Trash" included in the setlist... or maybe I'm wrong...

I also voted for Blurred Girl.

I guess they must know now what the top 5 songs are. The curious/impatient side of me would love to know the list but I can wait until 24th Nov, it's only just over 6 weeks away.

Peter

YES, AND THEN WE MEET AGAIN!!!


Alex, I think I read in earlier posts they played "From Trash" on a gig of the summer tour in 2006, but I do not know in which city it was...

Many thanks Alex, Newvox, Maryann and Andreas - glad you like the pictures! The last few are up now;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoodlum_scientist/

Thanks Garry - some more great photos there. Can I use some of them on my site?

It looks like there's an enormous Phil Oakey head looming behind John on one of the shots!!

Alex, I'm very happy for you to use the photos for your site! The review too if you wanted it. Glad you liked the photos - if you click on any of the photos, just above each photo on the left is a box that says 'All Sizes' - and you can download any size you want. Most of the Looming is James Stewart in 'Vertigo' (I think; hazy Hitchcock memory)- don't remember James Stewart having a lop-sided fringe though!

Thank you

I'm hoping to add photos, reviews and things over the weekend or some time next week at least.

Back in cold Finland...

Unbelievably great gig!! Unbelievably great evening in all

I'll try to get pictures online this weekend.

Here are pictures from the gig which was one of the best I have ever been, if not THE Best: http://personal.inet.fi/cool/concert/metamatic/

Great photos. Thanks for sharing.

Fantastic photos Tapio mate,thanks for shareing!

These are excellent photographs. Tapio is so magnetic that he gets the best out of people in these stills.

It's great to see Jori. After 2 years managed to get a copy of the rare Dislocated CD single. A Promo version, what can you expect from ebay! So here's something to celebrate.

Mind you, doesn't Louis look as if he's put on some weight!

Cheers!
Chris

Very interesting photos, thanks for sharing them.

Great pics Tapio,thanks for sharing them.

Thanks Tapio!

They are fantastic pictures (even though I am the red-eyed monster as usual!).

Superb shots, capturing moments from a wonderful night!

Great stuff!

Sarah

Some great photos of everyone there! John looks very cool and relaxed.

Hi Tapio
Thank you for sharing your lovely pics.
If can contact me via my E-mail address on this site I can then forward to you the few pictures that I took.

You took exaclty the same as when I first saw you at the Wembley signing back in 2002.
Once seen Tapio never forgotten.

Peter

Does anyone happen to rember what were the prices of 'Metal Beat' and 'Retro Future' CD:s? I'm updating my records database. Yep, i've done an Access database of all my records years ago..

By the way Peter, John Foxx at Wembley Music Fair was November 2001 . Write to you soon.

If I had a dollar for everytime I attempted, or thought to attempt, or discussed attempting that feat ............
.
.
I would take that vast sum of money and buy more cds