To: elp-digest-web@reluctant.com From: Pierre Coulombe Subject: A concert trilogy Date: 8/23/98 10:12 PM Comments on the august 18 concert Montreal Molson Center Pierre turned 42 y.o. walking out of the concert at midnight. He has seen most of the best bands that played in the now defunct Montreal Forum in the past 25 years and tries to make the dream go on in the new Molson Center. Last night, I was attending the equally powerfully sounding Deep Purple / Emerson / Dream Theater concert : WOW ! What a mind blower ! The opening act was by a fairly new group called "Dream Theater". WOW again ! Leather fresh out of the conservatory, it seems. Decididly a group for hard bassplayer lovers. This asian dude is insane (John Myung). Slaps on his neck with both hands (ŕ la somewhat Van Halen) at supersonic speeds, yet in a controlled and articulous manner, sometimes in unisson with the guitar, stepping out of the traditional triolets . The whole thing being so rapid, so exciting. Perhaps an extension of very high standard Rush. I've hooked up my skates (bass), boy ! If you feel like giving a starting chance to one of these new bands by purchasing their CD, then I highly recommend Dream Theater, "Image and Sound" album; parting song : «Metropolis» especially when done LIVE ...my God ! gasp ! pant !ˇ!ˇ! A total mind f...er. You haven't heard the last of them. Trust me ! I was fortunate enough to sit next to a young wiz (a drummer at that) with great judgment and sure rock knowledge, who was kind enough to instruct me with the titles and intricacies along the way, not to mention offering some of these tobacco aromatics so characteristic of the youth and which, of course, I've declined. Then, Emerson, Lake & Palmer blew us RIGHT OFF of our God forsaken screw loosening seats. The mega-sound was provided by 16 overhanging horns and 16 floorsubs 15 " speakers on each sides. The much expected ENCORE resounded in a contorsionning mix of the following : 21st Century Schizoid Man, Fanfare for the Common Man, Rondo, Bumble Bee suite, Carmina Burana (Carl Orff), a drum solo; proving Palmer the best among the night's three resident drummers (which was not easy to dertermine) and a Bach Tocatta excerpt played mirror viewing -behind- the keyboard. Deep Purple finished it off in great regalia. One would wonder how the third band would take the pressure of "main ticket" after two colossal opening acts. Quite surprisingly, they did. Great sound, great lights, the boys managed to pull their own weight. To top it off, singer Ian Gillan was on the verge of celebrating his birthday in perfect synchro with yours truly... Long lives the LEO... >From a more critical standpoint (I was beginning to sound like a motivational grandma' acid), I wish the older bands would no longer tarnish these precious LIVE jewels with worn out histrionics that only help detractors turn them into a caricatural travesty of themselves. Quite frankly, I don't care to see Palmer's boobs while he shakes the city with telluric frenzy. Keith ! Please draw in your wired Bengali ejaculator. A few jerks with the organ will suffice. As for Deep Purple, Ian Gillan should learn clog dancing or something (anything to take him off these placebo bongos). Roger Glover has no excuse not to learn a decent bass solo with a drummer like Ian Paice on backburners. But otherwise, a great unforgetable concert with three equal bands in quality, two of them being opening acts by courteousy to their laters, keeping in mind only seniority, a twist of marketing and the idea of a winning trilogy. Pierre Coulombe