2010-10-04

Chameleons Vox - Cafe Du Nord - 2010-09-28 (w/Chambers and Veil Veil Vanish)

'Stop staring at the ground!'
This was one of those shows we couldn't afford to miss. However, "Nostalgia" (the original Chams even have a tune by that title) would become something that would wear heavy on even the most optimistic fan. Hasn't it been 25 years since their albums came out?

Anyway, the only thing one could do was judge Mark Burgess and his latest ensemble by their merits. And I have to say, they did not disappoint.

Does this guy look the part or what?
In particular, I have to call to your attention the stylings of one Andru Aesthetik, he of Post-Punk.com. I'm not going to dare to make any comparisons to anyone present or past, that would be most unfair, but wow, I couldn't have pictured a better match even had I the omniscience of the God whom this particular player doesn't believe exists. So...kudos!

One cannot say enough good things  about Mark Burgess, singer and author of the terrific 'View From A Hill'.

Does *this* guy look the part or what?
So I won't.

I'll just let the music, lyrics, and Mark Burgess' passionate delivery do the talking.


More details on the recording after the jump...

(Credit, all Chams stills: bigrezz71)



Chameleons Vox
28 September 2010
Cafe Du Nord
San Francisco, CA
multisource audience blend aka "matrix mix"

tapers: lammah [this is my handle on DIME] / tomzero

equipment: [lammah] Sonic Studios DSM-6/L > Sony PCM-M10 > WAV(48/32) > Adobe Audition 1.5 (downsampling to 44.1/16 > normalization/EQ/multitracking/tracksplits) > FLAC(6)
[tomzero] Sonic Studios DSM-6 > Edirol R-09HR > WAV(42/32) > Peak LE (downsampling to 44.1/16) > Adobe Audition 1.5 (normaliztion/EQ/multitracking/tracksplits) > FLAC(6)

00. intro [1:10]
01. Swamp Thing [6:47]
02. A Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days [5:27]
03. Monkeyland [5:32] [male voice at start: 'Andru, have my babies!']
04. Pleasure and Pain [5:01]
05. Up The Down Escalator [4:50]
06. Perfume Garden [4:51]
07. In Answer [4:51] [Mark dedicates this song to those who went to the Folsom St. Fair]
08. I'll Remember [2:13]
09. Soul In Isolation [10:38] [lyrics: The Beatles 'Get Back' and Sex Pistols 'Liar']
10. UK Ltd. (Singing Rule Britannia) [5:13] [intro: "From Manchester England, the country that brought you computers...
and British Petroleum", lyrics: The Clash 'White Riot', Joy Division 'Transmission']
11. In Shreds [4:36]
12. Second Skin [10:06]
13. [2:23] [pre-encore audience cheering, Mark introducing his band]
14. Fan and the Bellows [3:57]
15. Don't Fall [4:19]
16. Splitting In Two [10:36] [Alternative TV cover]

TOTAL 92:38

Audience master recordings by lammah and tomzero, whom you'll be seeing quite a bit of on these pages in the coming days/weeks.

Recorded a few feet in front of the stage, dead center.

The common parlance for these is a 'matrix mix', but in fact this is a better termed a dual-sourced audience blend. tomzero's is panned 37% to the left channel and mine is panned 37% to the right channel, which seems to give a good stereo soundstage.

Here's what some of you may find interesting. You still have to speed-correct SD-based recorders!

By the end, Tomzero's recording was approximately seven one-hundredths of a second faster than mine, which actually was about at the horizon of what you can speed correct under Adobe Audition, since it only allows adjustments of a mil of a percent, and this was 0.00125% divergent). Feel free to argue whether the Sony or Edirol was running at the wrong speed, but this was just noticeable enough by the
end to produce audible phasing.

I also recorded both opening sets, which you can REQUEST since the original links went dead when Megaupload went offline.

Chambers

These guys I didn't seem to fully appreciate until I had a chance to listen to the playback on my recording. They have an demo mini-LP for download

Check them out!



Veil Veil Vanish

I really enjoyed watching them, they are unusual as they feature (how do I phrase this?) Cameron Ray, a little person playing a quite stylish GIGANTIC-sounding Vox teardrop guitar. Even breaking a string didn't deter the sonic assault. 'Anthem For A Doomed Youth' is my new theme song. Or is it 'Exile City'?

Take your pick, both abso-fucking-lutely rock. You can listen to these tracks here.

I had thought they were from LA, but they're an SF band. Shows you how much I know. These bands by themselves would have justified the $12 Cafe Du Nord cover charge. But we also got a legend of modern music thrown in, so I AM HAPPY.


Recording details:
 
Veil Veil Vanish
28 September 2010
Club Du Nord
San Francisco, CA

taper:  lammah
equip:  Sonic Studios DSM-6/L > Sony PCM-M10 > WAV(48/32) > Adobe Audition 1.5 (downsampling to 44.1/16/
        normalization/parametric EQ/tracksplits) > FLAC(6)
01. Reproach 02. Change In The Neon Light
03. Exile City
04. Detachment
05. Anthem For A Doomed Youth
06. Modern Lust
07. The Wilderness

Audience master recording by lammah (my DIME handle)
Recorded 5-6 feet from stage center.

Kevin Tecon - vocals, guitar
Cameron Ray - guitar
Amy Rosenoff - bass
Robert Marzio - drums
Justin Anastasi - keyboards


NOTE:  both bassist Amy and singer/guitarist Keven would subsequently join local band Wax Idols.

9 comments:

  1. FYI, Mark Burgess fans, You can get a copy of MARK Burgess's book, View From a HIll, complete with limited edition set of Mark Burgess signature Plectrums, at www,chameleonsbook.com
    Great gifts for the 2010 Holidays!

    Must say that the opening bands at the SF Chamelelonsvox show WERE AMAZING. CHAMBERS really caught my attention. I am going to be following them!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Susan, thanks for the mention. I have a link to the site to order 'View Of A Hill' above, but it's a stellar read and a good way to support Mark!

    The opening bands alone, as I said, would have been more than worth the cover charge. It took me a while to get Chambers, I have to admit, but I thought Veil Veil Vanish were great.

    ReplyDelete
  3. little person? if ray was gay, or a red head... would that have made your post? stick to talking about music, kid.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ah, had a feeling that would come up.

    'Little person' is actually a term that those of short stature /use/ to describe themselves. See http://web.memberclicks.com/mc/page.do?sitePageId=37298&orgId=lpa etc. And while it means nothing with respect to Ray's sound or anything else about him, and wouldn't have changed my coverage in any material way, I still exercise my moral right to describe the world as I see it, and certainly don't feel that I have to proclaim that any offense was intended. But I will anyway, since to redact what I wrote would be the greater sin here. Others, thoughts?

    ReplyDelete
  5. ...
    YouTubes:

    Swamp Thing (bigrezz71):
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0stORAvk350

    Monkeyland (bigrezz71):
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRUCmBr_rN0

    Pleasure and Pain (DarkMuse23): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5moMNkxJRe8

    Up The Down Escalator + Perfume Garden (ypmul999):
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4-TGcBgEFg

    Second Skin (glam72):
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3QtIHbfFo

    The Fan and the Bellows + Don't Fall (ypmul999):
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrtNp39tlwI

    ReplyDelete
  6. VVV videography:

    http://www.bestii.com/youtube/vvv.html

    It's really sparse...

    ReplyDelete
  7. MP3 download link for all three bands:

    http://dl.atmyheels.com/AMH/20100928_ClubDuNord_SF/

    ReplyDelete