From: Gianluca [mailto:gianlucatagliavini1@tin.it] Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 6:14 AM To: elp-digest Subject: elp tribute interview Hi John, ELP tribute interview for ELP digest from Finland's Colossus Magazine Gianluca Tagliavini http://digilander.libero.it/hammondleslie ---------------- “Emerson Lake & Palmer Tribute” featuring FOG” ..something is happening, amidst the north Italian fog, Tarkus is… coming back…. Tarkus in the fog: the return of Tarkus: Tarkus on FOG…FOG? Oh yes, FOG!! (but this time the real EL&P have nothing to do with it. Or do they?) Interview of Gianluca Tagliavini http://digilander.libero.it/hammondleslie, founding member of the most convincing Italian tribute to England’s super trio, EMERSON LAKE & PALMER: “Emerson Lake & Palmer Tribute” featuring FOG. I’ve heard all sorts of things on Gianluca Tagliavini: “inconceivable, incredible, virtuoso, impressive”(…) “keyboardist extraordinaire, considered by many as the only convincing emulator of Keith Emerson in Italy, both for the quality and the technique of his reinterpretations (…). That’s it: We give up! Yearlong tours around the peninsula were not enough for him (visit the site if you don’t believe it!), the various tributes (visit the site if you don’t believe it!), the array of collaborations within the Italian and non-Italian music scene (as above: he plays with Ian Paice in his Italian shows!): Now he has even become the keyboardist of Carl Palmer’s Clinic Tour trio…???!!! 1)… so, Gianluca: Carl Palmer? Himself? How could you? Seriously now, how was this collaboration with none other than the “E.L.&P.” drummer born? Is it true that he just loves you? And that he speaks of you to Keith? Actually my first collaboration was with Ian Paice (deep purple), whom I had met at a concert organized by Music Academy 2000 of Bologna; He was with Mr. Paolo Sburlati (friend, manager, seminar and concert organizer). He then called me to ask me if I would do some dates with Carl Palmer. With Carl I have developed such friendship and complicity that whenever we meet it’s a party; Carl and Oscar are similar in two ways, musically and in the fact that they’re both eternal kids, you know when these two have been around… you can’t miss it! Carl has told me that he spoke too Keith about me, and promised me that soon they’ll come and see me play…. Strange, it scares me a bit. You know, we’re talking about two musical monsters who always inspired me. 2) EMERSON LAKE & PALMER Tribute: Unheard of, unthinkable and yet extraordinarily logical and convincing: “EMERSON LAKE & PALMER Tribute, featuring FOG”. In a recent interview you said that you conceived this project, as if for fun; a challenge; Give us a presentation of FOG, tell us how you met and how long you have been playing together. Well, it’s a long and simple story… I say this because ELP are one of my favorite bands, I had been thinking of it for years but never, I mean never could I find the right musicians ready to dedicate body and soul in this fantastic adventure. Obviously there are a lot of good musicians around, but it is very hard to find people who share the same state of mind and can complete your project as it has been with Fausto and Oscar. We had our first rehearsal last January, a four song set; I remember Oscar saying “hey fatty (that’s how he likes to call me) if you think my parts are not good, no worries, we’re still friends”, I answered telling him that if it wasn’t for him, the entire project couldn’t possibly stand, it was either Oscar or everyone goes home. 2) Which songs do you play live, which are you preparing and in what way? In our shows we play ¾ of the original albums, the first ELP, Trilogy, Tarkus, Brain Salad Surgery and some parts of Pictures at an Exhibition and Works 1. We try to have a well balanced set, where “difficult” songs such as Tarkus are eased out by pop/ragtime tunes such as Lucky man or Jeremy Bender. I think it’s a good compromise, it helps the gig itself but also the people who come to hear the music who may not be as familiar with the world of progressive rock. 4) Well, congratulations! You have a lot of nerve apart from your incredible technique; it takes a lot of guts to (re)do Keith’s “stuff” including the jazzier piano parts without leaving out the pure “synth design” ones: presumption, admiration, or sheer folly? That’s up to you to decide my friend!! 5) To play with Oscar Abelli: privilege or challenge? To play with Oscar means to have an outstanding rhythmical support ...after all the choice of the drummer wasn’t casual; this stands for Fausto as well. Another fundamental issue though is to have inside the band a feeling of mutual respect and esteem. I think this is our best weapon so that things work out in the best of manners. 6) In all tribute bands, the singer is nearly always the critical factor. In FOG’s case the bassist/guitarist’s Fausto Carcione’s voice, apart from being well prepared and convincing, seems to add extra value to the project... It is certainly so; You see, when a person in the audience listens to a tribute, even the simplest, they listen to the slightest details… it’s normal, they look for something that bears a resemblance to the original; we are 99% of all this… Fausto’s voice is what allows us to make something more of the project adding another 40%; you see how that can make us exceed ourselves by far!!!! 7) Let’s speak of your specific part: you play in an impeccable manner some passages of ELP’s repertoire who are technically very complicated: what methods do you use when preparing these re-executions. Methods? What are methods? It’s all about passion and respect. 8) So this a form of culture, humbleness and great respect for the compositions you play. The Hammond C3 organ with a Leslie is essential for the type of sound you achieve: but I also noticed on stage two famous, magnificent analog instruments, the Mini Moog and the Micro Moog with their lovely warm sound and incredible performance. What kind of differences and technical difficulties are there when using these machines live as opposed to modern keyboards (who offer a vast variety of presets). You just answered your own question….. these magnificent old analog machines have thousands of possible sound combinations using knobs and buttons: you create your own sound. The infernal modern machines on the other hand do it all for you with a simple touch and that’s it, end of game!!! Surely, as far as live shows are concerned, modern keyboards can be very helpful and immediate, you have everything ready in real time... but analog means that you can have great modulation, sound and color right away… as soon as you get your hands on it. 9)…. and the bomb is exploding: internet, magazines, an upcoming CD, gigs everywhere, cities, and important appearances at the most prestigious Italian Prog Festivals; I have personally witnessed crowds go crazy at your shows: did you expect to make such a good impression on the genre’s fans, and get such a response from the newer public? Should I be sincere? Ok………absolutely not. There is a strange magic about our shows; I feel there are some very emotional vibes, a great involvement. The stranger thing is that in many shows I recognize people who have been at our former gigs: in other words people come to see us more than once, follow us and ask us for recordings of our remakes! 10) …then it looks like they’re in for a pleasant surprise: a CD in one of the most prestigious studios of Milan, Dino Ceglie’s “Nikto”, who will also be producing along with another nutcase (Pino Lettieri) who you know well… and who thought up of “FOG”. And then, thanks to Marco Bernard, a show in Finland and off to conquer Europe, soon a mini French tour, a show in Germany: where do you want to arrive? Nothing more, we’ve already achieved a great amount... well actually, a new tour van and two roadies would be well appreciated... don’t you think? Let’s move on to the “two rhythmical thirds” of the band. ...and now...Fausto Carcione: bassist/guitarist/vocalist of the ELP tribute band FOG. Hello fausto, allow to make a little prologue for you: As I said earlier: the voice is often considered as the most critical factor in a tribute band. Fausto Carcione’s voice on the contrary is considered the “fourth element of the trio!”. Fausto, with out copying Greg, adds new emotions and interprets in a very intense and personal way the songs, bringing new energy to the cover’s vocal parts, allowing us (finally!) to rediscover the original tonalities. Fausto, with his powerful and convincing voice can “allow” himself to add that (only) “extra something” to FOG’s otherwise perfect re-executions. 1) So, Fausto, handsome man (ha ha ha there you go!), beautiful voice, good bassist, good guitarist: the first question is: can you cook? Seriously now… it’s hard to picture you in a classic rock n’ roll past. So who are you? Which planet are you from? First of all thanks for the “handsome man” compliment though I would have preferred it coming from a beautiful woman (hehehe). I come from 13 years of hard work, if that’s how you can define the pleasure of learning music, playing and singing with many great musicians and great friends. I started singing when I was 14 and few months later I was learning the bass… without diverging into how many bands and genres I played I have always remained faithful to my instrument (the bass) and sang in all the occasions where I played. My love and passion for the seventies and progressive rock started before I began playing music, but it wasn’t the reason for it… the real reason is sharing these great emotions with other musicians, this is what I always looked for in music. 2) ...and FOG? Do you remember Gianluca’s first phone call? It wasn’t actually a phone call, we were travelling together to do a show (before FOG Gianluca and I played together in a band doing Sting and the Police covers) when he asked me if MAYBE I would be interested in playing and singing ELP, to me, the answer was as obvious as if he were asking me “would you like to have a house in Jamaica?”… thus I answered: “F**k yeah!”. At that point he tells me “ok, let’s do it”, there I realized that he was being serious so I told him “are you out of your mind?!?”, I didn’t think it was possible... from my side at least. 3) As I said in the prologue, your voice, obviously different from Greg’s, adds an extra flavor in your reinterpretations... Of course my voice is my own! I have sang many songs and experience has taught me never to emulate the original but to try to get “in the mood” of the song and understand its intentions. Your voice is an instrument, an instrument that doesn’t allow you to pretend to be someone else... understand me? There are parts where I sing like Greg and there others where I change completely… I’m sure Lake sang his songs in many different ways, every song can give you different emotions every time you sing it, it depends on the situation, your state of mind and health sometimes, with music you just have to let yourself go, to express yourself. 4) To play ELP’s classics, one needs to be prepared in many musical genres: rock, jazz, blues… you easily switch instruments, from bass to guitar passing freely through the aforementioned genres, all this whilst singing: a virtuoso in other words. How do you prepare yourself? As I said, I started singing and playing at the same time and hence I developed my skills, so it doesn’t seem like I’m doing anything special! It’s independence, the same independence a keyboardist needs to have to for his two hands, or, even more, a drummer, for me it’s my voice. I’m not a virtuoso, and I doubt I’ll ever become one, I like to believe that I am well integrated in the band, precise, aggressive and sometimes mean (in a musical way), a solid foundation on which we can build great things, just as Gianluca and Oscar do!! My studying of the pieces we do is aimed at this result, there have been times where it was difficult because many of ELP’s basslines have not been transcribed and hence I have to go by ear. In anyway it’s best to listen attentively to the pieces you’re going to play as they have been recorded in order to perceive and appreciate the musical details due to the musicians intention and touch, these kind of things cannot be put to paper. 5) Obviously the trio’s interplay is important, Oscar Abelli and yourself are the “rhythm machine”... It was “love at first jam” between myself and Oscar, you know how I fall in love with different people at first sight… Seriously speaking... It has been less than a year since we first played together and I feel very close to him, musically and personally. The first time we played I didn’t even know him… we were all of a sudden in the rehearsal room and started off playing “Hoedown”… the first hit of bass and drums was stirring. I instantly understood that it was working out and that it was something special. He is a terrific drummer, the kind that’s hard to find nowdays, he has a gripping sense of rhythm and his own style, it is identifiable, a rare quality for a drummer; generally we only value technique. With him I am very at ease, frequently when we play I manage not to think of even the most complex rhythms: I just go and he’s with me…. This is a very important sign. 6) When ELP where around, you were hardly a child: isn’t it strange? In which way have they influenced you? To tell the truth, they managed to record their most important works before I was born, in 1974!! They have had a tremendous influence on me, in he same way they influenced the people who listened to them over the radio or went to their shows at the time… only that I lived those experiences 10 years later, but certain types of music are timeless, right? I think this is the main reason why people still want to listen to their music today, the people may grow old but these songs don’t. There is also a sort of nostalgia for the years when this music was produced; they were times were musical expression was encouraged and valued more than today, where audiences followed shows and allowed themselves to be taken by the music with no restrictions, little lights, little stage effects, the notes were the leader. 7) FOG, what is your relation with them, what does your heart say? My heart says first of all that I’ve found two great friends, without this the complicity and understanding you see on stage wouldn’t exist. It also tells me that I am very fortunate because I have the chance (not many in the world have it) to express myself with a very special band, which includes a fantastic keyboardist, there are only a few in the world like him, a drummer that is just as compelling, we play ELP and have friends that help us out, giving us the chance to rise from the north Italian flatland fog. I think our greatest merit is that we are a group of normal people who share the same great passion, this helps us take on music with humbleness and commitment and excites us: when playing, it is very important to feel its vibrations, your instrument is a means to express yourself, but it isn’t only about technique, when you put your heart in, special results emerge. This is what we want to do, show and will show on stage. In any interesting context, the presence of folly is fundamental to guarantee the emotional involvement and the success of a project, even an open minded one; in FOG’s case, the folly factor is supplied by the one and only, the unreplaceable, unrestrainable Oscar Abelli, Oscar(L) to his friends. Oscar is a authentic rhythm machine, a drummer and percussionist with more than a decade of experience which has taken him around the world with the greats (and when I say greats….); excellent player of the “Carl Palmer Sound”. Establishing eye contact with Oscar for the first time can only lead to his captivating laugh… as they say, laughs best he who laughs last... 1) Hi OscarL (I can call him that) so, Elp tribute, FOG: of all experiences, this might be the one you most waited for.. the most gratifying for a drummer, isn'’ it so? ...you met Palmer... You see, for a drummer, only to try and play Palmer is a unique experience! Because, to do it well, you must have listened to many styles and eras…. Classical, blues, jazz, rock, ethnic, circus music, folk... shall I go on? There you have it, without being presumptuous, oh!, I’ve played most of this music, with great sacrifice, and to be part of FOG is a sort of acknowledgment for me. Yes I met Palmer... lovely person, genuine and radiant, one of the greats, like Buddy Rich; I even told him that, his answer was: “I Wish”... “You are!” I answered back. 2) You have a splendid drumset, two gongs, a hanging bell: Does “Pictures at an exhibition” have anything to do with it? Pictures... and ... Emerson, Lake & Palmer!! The right thing. That extremely distinct sound has always fascinated me. 3) yes, probably unique: how important is the drums’ sound in FOG? Well, you see, I often realize that the audience doesn’t pay particular attention to the sound and instrumentation of the drums: for most it’s just noise! Many people and many drummers don’t think of color and harmonics. As far as I’m concerned my drumkit has a “soul”: I feel that the spirit of the first owner is contained in it… and this is a 1963 drumkit! It comes from the U.S., it’s a Gretsch just like the one Carl used back when ELP recorded “pictures”… all this comes from my belief in African culture, which is the origin of all percussion…. good old Africa, that’s where we’re from! 4) You also play with bands of completely different styles: how is it when you practice your ELP pieces? There is always a part of my day where I listen to one part or another... now I would have to listen to “my” recordings to fine tune those parts. When I first started I had transcribed a lot, but after three rehearsals I “decided” to learn it all by heart, I like to watch the crowd and my fellow musicians. 5) Did you expect such a response from the FOG project? Of course! Infact, at the second rehearsal I said: “Guys this bomb is going to blow up!”... it wasn’t yet a fact but I could feel it. 6) What is a photo of Toscanini doing in a drummer’s house? Hmmm... Apart from the fact that I listen to a lot of classical music: Verdi, Puccini, Wagner… I love Arturo Toscanini’s musicality and vehement, what a great, great director! He knew how to transmit “the word”. I had a dream two years ago where he was scolding me for studying little and being just happy with the level I had reached….”study! study!” he kept telling me, hence I decided to put up this huge photo of him. 7) Who have you to thank? Many people! Surely my mother who always wanted me to continue, even in the more difficult moments. I don’t really know what is happening, but I definitely like it. A question to all three: Who do you think you are? The only legitimate heirs of ELP? (answer) if you say so….. (followed by general laughter and various remarks in north Italian dialects)