The Not-So-Quiet Men : Exotour overview by Tim Welsh There was always going to be something special about these concerts. The first live outings for John Foxx and Louis Gordon, John's first major concert for over a decade. It all started, or restarted, at The Brook in Southampton on a typically autumnal evening last October [1997]. The venue was modest, but had an intimate atmosphere, that somehow lent itself to the occasion. Two keyboards stood foursquare on the tiny stage. Despite their silence they did scream the promise of what was to come. Word went around the crowd that the promise would be fulfiled at 10 o'clock. So as the hour approached expectancy grew until the lights declined, leaving the stage in darkness. A small hiss heralded the mist that would become a ghostly third party to the activities on stage. A door opened at the rear of the stage and two silhouettes emerged. As one's eyes adjusted to the darkness it was obvious that John had gone stage right and Louis stage left. An enthusiastic voice chimed "Welcome back John". He smiled benignly. Then they got to work... Over the coming seven months I would see John and Louis in concert on a further four occasions. This is a summary review of all those events. So many concerts are just collections of songs. Not so for John and Louis. The set had a definite shape and rationale. There were three distinct phases to the music that they played: Metamatic, Ultravox and Shifting City. Starting as they did with material more familiar to the fans and gradually moving towards material exclusive to John and Louis, this satisfied nostalgia whilst whetting the appetite for the future. Having heard the set a few times it became apparent that the boys had paced the concert. A motoric opening with 20th Century fading into a slow reflective passage of songs from John's days with Ultravox, then a gradual build to an irresistible climax. The structure was almost symphonic. This mirrors John's albums, wherein the listener enjoys the song itself and as part of a greater whole. John's albums and concerts have a definite shape and form. Each song had a new interpretation. Of course this is true of all live material. But this is something that many fans are wary of because a song that they have known for so long can be distorted and can lose much of its original meaning. John and Louis have not fallen into this trap. The new versions to the Metamatic era songs sound rarefied, opened up, 'bigger' even. Those from the Ultravox days are calmer. The reworking of Quiet Men has an ineffable wistful quality about it despite its more upbeat tempo. The impression given is of someone recalling their former days with a gentle smile. One can almost see John's face fixed into a faraway gaze whilst he revisits these classics. The new material is quite radically different when played live compared to the album versions. An Ocean We Can Breathe magnifies itself with every verse, and the sublime rhythms of Through My Sleeping are more prominent and strangely danceable. The only disappointment is the opening to The Noise which is somewhat muted in the live performance. Between seeing the concert at the outset and then, via the special show in Shrewsbury, on the subsequent second tour, one realised that John and Louis treat the songs fluidly and are prepared to further alter their thoughts. One case in point is Shifting City, the coda to which has gone through some revision as it now has an extensive litany recited by John. John and Louis seem to love tinkering with their output, and this creates a freshness about each concert. But what of the men on stage? John and Louis compliment each other perfectly, and it is probably this that informs their successful working relationship. John is calm, reserved, completely and totally in control of the situation. An occasional smile will grow on his face, it may even bloom into a grin, but the overriding expression is one of measured concentration. His movements are steady and assured, but he does allow himself the luxury of keeping time with a subtle thump of his heel. Characteristically exchanges with the audience are kept brief, but all the more sincere for their brevity. No rehearsed speeches or anecdotes. The ration of "Thank you" in that wonderful Chorley accent is enough, because that is John. His voice is superb, by turns warm, ecstatic, menacing, poignant and comforting. John is a unique performer. Louis is a unique performer as well, but he is the 'Yang' to John's 'Yin'. I can only describe Louis as a living rhythm. He jumps. He stamps. He dips. He curves. It seems that there is never any part of Louis' body that isn't moving! I believe John has referred to him as 'the human spring'. He's constantly smiling. Makes frequent gestures to the audience, but at the same time you feel that Louis would be exactly the same if there were no audience there at all! His vocals are a counterpoint to John's. They act as a distant echo, augmenting the main passage of the song. If ever there were two more different musicians side by side on stage I should like to see them, because together John and Louis make an excellent team. These concerts were very special, but there has to be one incident that stands out for you. For me it came at the first concert back in Southampton during Just For a Moment. This is always a very moving song anyway, but at the end of the piano passage in the middle of the song an intense red light was shone directly into the auditorium. It blinded me to everything else for a few seconds and I was simply surrounded by a sea of blood-like illumination. It didn't last for very long... just for a moment. The warmth, humour, energy, invention, fun and enjoyment that was extant at these concerts was more than enough for the long standing devotees of John, but they will also attract new admirers. Most importantly the feeling from John and Louis was one of pure enthusiasm. I'm sure they will be eager to repeat it.

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